132 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
the plants well hoed. A correspondent advises the 
use of strawberry plants as edging' to beds. Where 
there is sufficient labor for this refinement, it may 
be well to give a neat appearance to the fruit gar- 
den. Longworth's Prolific has been named as a 
good variety for this purpose. It has strong foliage. 
Weeds. — The fruit garden should be kept clear of 
these. The hoeing necessary to exterminate them 
will benefit the plants, whether shrubs or trees. 
Flower Garden and Lawn. 
All re-arranging and laying out and transplanting 
of trees and shrubs is to be hurried as rapidly as 
possible. It is well not to bring tender plants too 
early from the green house, as they do much better 
if left until after the ground is well warmed. 
Annuals.— Those started under glass may be put 
out. Seeds of all, except the very tender sorts, 
may be sown in the open border. 
Bulbs. — The bloom of hyacinths or tulips can be 
prolonged by shading from hot snn by cloth awning. 
Box Edging. — Clip the old and set new. Propa- 
gate according to hints on page 148. 
Bedding Plants — Petunias, Verbenas, etc., may be 
put out; Heliotropes need quite warm weather. 
Carnations. — Sow seed for a new stock. Set out 
from green-house or frame. Tie the flower stalks 
up to stakes to give support and neat appearance. 
Climbers. — See page 146. Seeds of the Cypress 
Vine and some newer Morning-glories germinate 
better if soaked 12 hours in warm water, or having 
water poured over as hot as the hand can bear. 
Dahlias. — Those already started should have the 
shoots taken off and potted as soon as they are 
large enough. If left till the present time, set the 
roots in a gentle hot-bed and cover with earth, or in 
a warm border, where they can be covered at night. 
Dicentra spectabilis: — This (often incorrectly called 
Dielytra) may be propagated by division of the 
roots. It is one of the finest of our perennials. 
Evergreens. — Plant upon the lawn and as screens 
and hedges, as in hints given under Orchard and 
Nursery. Broad-leaved evergreens should not be 
forgotten. Holly, Rhododendrons, Laurel, and the 
little Daphne Cneorum are among useful ones. 
Frames and Pits. — If the plants are not removed, 
they should now be left open every pleasant day. 
Fuc?isias. — Set in the border after the weather 
becomes warm. Give a partially shaded place, and 
keep them well tied up to stakes. 
Oeraniicms. — Set out the bedding sorts. If well 
hardened, they will not mind the cool nights. 
Gladiolus. — These bulbs make a fine show in the 
garden. Fine sorts may be had at moderate rates. 
Set the bulbs in clumps of half a dozen in good 
soil, with a sunny exposure. Plant 10 to 12 inches 
apart, and 2 inches deep. 
Grass Edgings. — Clip with grass-hook or sickle as 
soon as large enough to cut, and trim the margins. 
Gravel Walks. — Keep in order with rake and roller. 
Bedaes. — Complete setting the new and clip the 
old. Fill'weak places by weaving in the branches. 
Soneysuckles and other woody climbers, plant 
. early. Put up and tie securely to trellises those 
removed for winter protection. Layer for increase. 
Labels and Stakes. — Have a plenty at hand to mark 
every thing sown. Do not trust to memory. 
Dahlia stakes should be set out with the plant. 
iLantanas. — These do best in a rather sandy soil, 
with plenty of sun. They grow rapidly and may be 
pegged down as bedding plants, or trained to bush 
form, to be potted in autumn and kept overwinter. 
Lawns. — Mow as soon as the grass will take the 
scythe. A good mower with a lawn scythe will 
make good work. There are hand aud horse lawn 
mowers, but as the manufacturers do not announce 
themselves, we know not where they are to be had. 
Muleh. — All newly planted trees will be benefited 
by covering the earth around them with any thiug 
which will prevent evaporation. Stable litter, 
straw, haulm of beans and peas, chips, tan-bark, or 
saw-dust may be used. Even the early mowings of 
the lawn may be profitably used in this manner. 
Lilies. — The different species of these, even when 
planted in spring, make a fine show the same sea- 
sou. The different varieties of the Japan Lily are 
all beautiful ; the bulbs are all perfectly hardy, and 
the flowers of all are finer than those of any 
other kinds. They should be in every garden, and 
will flourish in any good soil. The old White 
should not be forgotten, aud our native sorts are 
improved by cultivation and are very showy. 
Mignonette. — This is grown for its perfume, as 
the flowers are not showy. A bed of this and 
Candytuft make a good mixture, as one furnishes 
the fragrance while the other supplies the show. 
Petunias. — These are among the most popular 
bedding plants. Good results may be had from 
seeds sown early, but the finer sorts can only be 
procured by cuttings in the green-house. The 
double varieties, if used as bedding plants, need 
much care, as their blooms are easily broken off. 
Roses.— These may still be planted. Do not for- 
get the old fashioned June roses. The now popu- 
lar Remontants and Bourbons have nearly driven 
these old favorites from the gardens. Turn the 
Teas from the pots into the open border. Keep 
climbers tied up. Remove layers made last season. 
Trees and Shrubs. — Continue to plant if the work 
is not finished, and protect by tieing to stakes. 
Tropoeohmis. — Dwarfs and climbers may be sown. 
Tuberoses. — Set the bulbs as directed on page 147. 
Verbenas. — Plant in masses. If any have run up 
to flower, cut them back severely before planting. 
Weeds. — If there are any in the borders the gar- 
den is too large. Not a weed should be seen. 
Green and Hot-Houses. 
The time for bringing out the plants must be 
governed by the forwardness of the 6eason. Roses 
and other half hardy plant9 intended for the bor- 
ders are the first to be removed. Those which are 
to remain in their pots should be under the shelter 
of a fence or evergreen screen, to keep them from 
injury by winds. Camellias are best placed under 
a frame of lattice work, which will give them a 
partial shade. The hot-house will need but little 
fire heat, and both thi3 and the green-house require 
abundant ventilation. As soon as a house is clear- 
ed of plants, repairs and cleansing may be done. 
Cactuses. — Make cuttings and allow them to dry 
for a few weeks before putting them into the soil. 
Camellias. — Syringe freely while growing, and 
when put out of doors, shelter as noticed above. 
Cuttings. — Preparations may be made for increas- 
ing the slock. Keep them in a close atmosphere 
and in partial shade until rooted. 
Euclisias. — The hardy sorts are to be set in the 
borders. No plant is better to ornament the ver- 
andah or balcony than this in pats. Make cuttings 
of the new wood just as it gets firm. 
Insects. — These will allow no relaxation of vigi- 
lance. Fumigate and use the syringe freely. 
Japan Lilies. — Those in pots should have their 
flower-stems tied up as soon as they need it. 
Oranges and Lemom. — Take out of doors. 
Clear the stems of scale. 
Pelargoniums.-Tnt in cuttings for plants for winter. 
. Water. — The plants remaining in the house must 
not be neglected. Apply water at evening. 
Cold Grapery. 
The vines may be forced or retarded, according to 
the season and climate. Where late frosts occur, 
keep the house cool, as it is not desirable to start 
the growth until it can be pushed without inter- 
ruption. Keep the air moist by syringing over the 
vines every mild evening, and sprinkling the floor 
every morning. The manure placed on the out- 
side borders last fall is to be forked in or, if it wa9 
neglected, fork over the bed and give a dressing of 
manure. When danger of frosts is over, the tem- 
perature of the house may be gradually increased 
until it reaches 85" at mid-day, opening only the 
upper ventilators. When the shoots have sufficient- 
ly advanced to show their character, select the best 
for fruiting and for next year's wood, rubbing out 
all the others. The shoots are very tender and 
great care must be exercised in handling the vine. 
Apiary in May. 
Prepared by N. Quinby — By Request. 
The secretion of honey by flowers is much more 
abundant at some times than at others, owing,prob- 
ably, to some peculiar state of the atmosphere. 
When fruit blossoms yield a rich harvest, bees 
that are in extra condition — will notunfrequentlv 
swarm about the time these are gone, and the 
general swarming will begin at the commencement 
of clover blossoms, the Italians taking the lead. 
If fruit blossoms secrete no honey, or but little, 
there will be few swarms until clover has been out- 
some weeks. During pleasant weather there is 
little danger of any starving in this month, but 
every day of cold or wet weather all light colonies 
should be fed The moth-worm may be found in 
the morning on the floor of the hive, until it is 
about full of bees It has been ascertained that 
the young queen will sometimes meet a drone that 
belongs to a hive three miles away. When Italians 
cannot be isolated at that distance, to secure their 
purity it is better to change the whole stock in the 
yard the first season, and when practicable, get all 
bee-keeping neighbors to do the same. It is essen- 
tial to provide a predominant number of drones. 
Nature has providentially assisted us ; the peculiar 
structure of the queen-bee making the drone of 
an Italian queen pure, while her workers may be 
hybrids. Begin with a queen absolutely pure. 
Rear the young queens, and pay no regard to what 
drones they meet ; introduce one to each hive — the 
more the better. All the drones from these being- 
right, the work is half accomplished. The next 
season rear another set of queens for each hive, 
from the original pure one, and there being none 
other but pure drones in the yard, the chances for 
entire purity are greatly multiplied. The only 
danger of mixing is from neighbors, and if any 
colony produces hybrids at any time, the queen 
should be removed and another substituted 
Queens are usually reared in small boxes or minia- 
ture hives, by shutting up a few workers and giving 
them food, etc. The details have already been given 
in the Agriculturist. With several good queens to 
begin with, each colony can be made to raise its 
own queen. The first operation is to take out the 
comb and find and remove the native queen. In 
one week look over the combs and cut out all 
queen cells that have been made ; then immediately 
introduce a queen. After she has been there a few 
days and filled the cells with eggs, she may bo 
transferred to another hive that has been made 
ready by the same process. After she is removed 
from each colony the bees convert some of her 
brood into queens. If you care to take the trouble, 
you can carefully cut out the supernumerary queen 
cells, and introduce them instead of a queen into 
some of the hives. This transferring the queen 
from one hive to another is attended with a little 
more risk than when she is left quietly in her own 
home. Some colonies will transgress all general 
rules. It would be prudent to have one or two 
extra queens for this method, as an accident might 
stop all proceedings at the most important season, 
A queen can be introduced with but little trouble 
by warming some honey in a large spoon and 
smearing her thoroughly, then dropping her into 
the midst of the bees, from the top. They imme- 
diately commence to lick up the honey, and forget 
to 6ting her. The general swarming time is the 
best time to introduce them to the box hive, and I 
will wait till next month to give the details. 
I>warf II room Corn. — " D. R.", Orange 
Co., N. Y., thus gives his experience, for the benefit of 
the readers of the Agriculturist: "I raise annually 
enough to make 50 to 100 brooms. A few years ago I 
got a package of Dwarf Broom Corn seed, and since 
then I have raised both kinds, but think more of the 
dwarf every year. I do not intend to raise the tall kind 
any more, for the dwarf makes much the best brooms. 
The brush is about three inches longer on an average ; 
is much firmer ; there are no crooked heads, and it yields 
more on the ground. It does best to pull off the suckers 
just before it heads out. If left on they will grow a foot 
or more higher than the main stalk ; their heads are 
poor, and they detract from and injure the main brush." 
