12-1- 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Sea Kale.— A plant, the young shoots of which 
are eaten. A perennial, and grown in beds much 
in the way of asparagus. The plants are started 
from seed sown this month; keep well weeded. 
' Spinach. — The plants wintered over may be 
thinned for use. Sow seed in 15-inch drills. 
,$>«&.— Whatever roots, bulbs, etc., are to pro- 
duce seed should be looked over, the best speci- 
mens selected and set in a rich soil. Keep related 
varieties at a good distance from one another. 
Suriss Chard. — Excellent for greens, and is grown 
the same as the beet, of which it is a variety, with 
large and eatable leaves which are cooked as spinach. 
Sweet Potatoes.— The manner of starting these 
without a regular hot-bed is given on page 143. 
Those who have a hot-bed have only to lay the po- 
tatoes on the rich mould of the bed and cover them 
with 3 inches of rich compost. Those who wish 
only a few plants had better buy of those who ad- 
vertise them for sale. They go well by express. 
Tomatoes. — Those well up in the hot-beds should 
be transplanted to another hot-bed or potted, and 
kept under glass. Seeds may be sown under glass. 
Turnips. — Sow early varieties as directed for 
beets, on light, well enriched soil. 
Window Boxes, as we have often mentioned, are 
very useful in getting a few early plants. A box 5 
or 6 inches deep, filled with good soil, and set in 
the kitehen window, will giv» quite a stock of 
young plants. The box may be set out in the sun 
for a few hours during the warm portion of the day. 
riower Garden and L;nvn. 
The preparatory work of road and path making, 
and repairing old walks, should be out of the way, 
as the ground will be iu good condition to be 
forked over for planting. In old beds it is well to 
take out a portion of the earth and replace it with 
some fresh soil from a pasture. In all planting of 
Ornamental Trees, take as much pains in the pre- 
paration of the soil and the tree as if it were a 
choice fruit tree. A single specimen is in small 
places often better than several. The "Weeping 
and Copper Beech, the Cut-leaved Birch, and a 
score of others among deciduous trees, make glori- 
ous specimens. Don't plant exactly such varieties 
as your neighbor has. In many of our villages one 
person sets the fashion and all others cop} - it. 
The custom of staking the trees is a bad one, 
but if they need to be anchored put some large 
stones over the roots. Then have plenty of 
Shrubs.— There are so many beautiful ones that 
we arc at a loss to designate them. Everyone 
wants Lilacs and Snowballs, just for the old associa- 
tions, and does not wish to be without Weigalas, 
Japan Quince, Spiraeas, and a host of others, native 
and exotic. Where, to make a division, 
Sedges are desirable, it is for the most part best 
to use evergreens, as they are pleasing all the year 
round, but if deciduous ones are preferred, set them 
early. If properly attended to, any woody thing, 
from a beech tree to a barberry bush, will make a 
garden hedge, and if neglected, nothing will make 
a hedge of its own accord. The Japan Quince is 
very ornamental as a hedge, and when in flower, is 
in a blaze of glory. Most of the line 
Edgings, as a general tMog, are au abomination. 
Nothing is neater when well kept, but they are so 
seldom seen thus. Eeset box, digging a trench 
with one perpendicular side, and split up the old 
plants, preserving as much root as possible to the 
divisions. Set them regularly, crowd the earth 
against them firmly, and clip the tops evenly to 
about two inches. "Why don't some one make a 
cheap and neat edging tile and advertise it ? 
Hoses, for general culture, should always be on 
their own roots. The catalogues give the varieties. 
The " perpetuals " are not perpetual at all, but the 
China sorts bloom all summer, though they are 
not hardy in winter. Don't forget the various 
Climbing Hoses and Wistarias, Honeysuckles, 
Clematises and other vines. The old clumps of 
■Herbaceous Plants, *uck as Phloxes, Dicentra, and 
others, if they have become large, should be divid- 
ed and reset. Those from seed last year, as well as 
Biennials, such as Sweet Williams, Hollyhocks, 
etc., must be transplanted to the borders. 
Hardy Annuals are to be sown early. By a ridic- 
ulous misprint we were made, last month, to say 
that they " do best when warm as soon as the frost 
leaves," when we wrote it sown, and very 
plainly. By hardy annuals, we mean Larkspurs, 
Gilias, Whitlavias, Candytufts, Sweet Alyssums, 
and all things that come readily from seeds that 
were self-sown last season. Sow seeds of 
Tender Annuals, such as Asters, Balsams, Ever- 
lasting flowers, etc., under glass, or in window 
boxes. The coverings should be gradually remov- 
ed, as the weather gets warmer, from the beds of 
Bulbs, to give Hyacinths, Crown Imperials, and 
the rest of them, a chance to show themselves. 
Do not be too anxious to get out 
Bedding Plants that have been raised in the atmos- 
phere of a green-house ; they are generally warm 
weather plants, and stand still in cool weather. 
Buying Plants. — Those who live near towns and 
cities will often be tempted to buy plants that have 
been forced. Many of our common herbaceous 
plants are potted and forced. These plants are at 
their best when you buy them, and you will get no 
more satisfaction from them this year. 
Green and Hot-Houses. 
As the plants will all go out of the green-house 
as soon as the weather suits, they should be gradu- 
ally hardened off by abundant ventilation at all 
seasonable times, at the same time avoiding the ill 
effects of the sudden changes of temperature. 
Camellias, making their new growth, need more 
warmth. Keep them free of insects. 
Pelargoniums now coming into flower, should 
have all possible light, and a plenty of water, as 
should other plants now blooming. 
Propagating of bedding stuff for out of door 
planting, should be pushed rapidly. The great ele- 
ment of "luck" is to keep the air of the house 10° 
to 15" cooler than the sand on the bench. If pot- 
ted cuttings have filled the pots with roots, shake 
out the earth and repot in the same pots. Sow 
Seeds of those annuals that have very fine seeds, 
such as Lobelias, in pots or pans with scarcely any 
covering of earth. Put the roots of 
Bahlias in a warm place where they will sprout. 
Cannas and Colocasia, or Caladium esculentum, 
so valuable as foliage plants, may be forwarded. 
Tuberoses.— -Usually very unsatisfactory if put out 
as dry bulbs, if started with a little heat, and then 
planted out in warm weather, will flower finely. 
Plants in Pits and P'rames must not be allowed to 
suffer by being kept too close, nor for want of water. 
Cold Grapery. 
April is usually the month for uncovering and 
putting up the vines. In order to insure an even 
breaking of the buds along the whole length of the 
vine, it is not put up in place at once, but is sus- 
pended so that the upper end shall bend downward, 
and the whole vine hang in the form of a bow. 
This counteracts the tendency of the upper buds 
to get the advantage of the lower ones. When all 
have taken an equal start, which can be secured by 
altering the curvature of the vine, and the shoots 
have grown 2 or 3 inches long, the vine may be put 
in place. Fork over the inside borders and syringe 
the house thoroughly. If any injury has happened 
to the vines in winter, which will be indicated by 
cracking and bleeding, and a failure of the upper 
buds to start, the vine must be cut back, and a 
strong lower shoot selected to be trained in place 
of the vine cut away. Keep the temperature of 
the house at about 65 Q until near the end of the 
month, when it may increase to 70° or 80', and the 
syringe be used to wet all parts of the house and 
vines, morning and evening. Avoid sudden 
changes of temperature within the house. 
Apiary in April. 
The full notes by Mr. Quinby, given last month, 
are in good measure applicable tothis, especially, if 
on account of the weather, or for other reason, or 
no reason, the suggestions were neglected. Mr. 
Q.'s memoranda for April have not come to hand. 
Be sure that each hive contains a laying queen, 
and food (honey) enough to last them until flowers 
are abundant. If all the stocks are strong and well 
provided, there will be little danger of robbing. 
The bees will be bus}- gathering pollen and nursing 
the young brood. But if severe frosts and rains 
cut off the supply of pollen, they will very likely 
begin to rob. At such times watch the hives and 
contract the entrances. Robber bees may be de- 
tected by their greasy look, and by the ferment of 
excitement the robber-colony is in. In the robbed 
colony there is great excitement also : bees leave 
with full honey sacks, and if flour be dusted upon 
them as they leave, they may be tracked to the hive 
iu which they belong. It is sometimes advised to 
change two such hives, placing each on the other's 
stand. April is a favorable time to transfer bees to 
movable comb-hives. This is best done by driving 
the bees from their hive, inverted, into a box of 
about the same size placed above it, and when 
nearly all have gone up, set the bees at one side 
and open the old box hive by prying off one side, 
so as to expose the flat sides of the combs. Then 
cut the combs out one after another, and laying 
them upon a soft cushion of some kind; cut them 
to fit snugly, and tie them into several of the 
frames of a movable comb-hive. The combs may 
be tied into the frames by fastening splints on 
each side, or by winding strings or wire round and 
round, which are removed after the bees fasten the 
combs to the frames. Arrange the combs as nearly 
in the same relative position that they had originally 
as possible. Finally, shake the bees upon the top 
frame and put down the cover. Injury may happen 
to the brood if this be done in the open air ; hence 
the hive should be removed to the workshop. Put 
new hives and old ones in order for use. 
All filth and refuse, dead bees, etc., must be care- 
fully cleaned out, and the bottom boards kept 
clean. Salt sprinkled under the hives will keep 
away the ants, aud the moth worms must be sought 
out and killed. Wrens, if their boxes are set near, 
or among the hives, will help keep moths in check. 
Study carefully the progeny of Italian queens ; see 
which have the brightest colors, and which queen 
is best to select as the mother of new queens for 
"Italianizing" your stock, or for improving the 
breed, if it is already Italianized. There is a great 
difference in queens, and the stock which contains 
the best one should lack nothing — neither bees 
nor honey, nor empty brood cells for her to lay in ; 
and according to the needs of your apiary, she 
should be furnished with worker or with drone 
comb in which to lay. With proper care, the Ital- 
ianizing of au apiary may proceed very rapidly. 
"Interesting - Emigration Statistics 
for 1866.— Daring 10 months, from Jan. 1st to Oct. 
31st, 1S66, there arrived at the port of New York alone 
209,723 Emigrants or New Settlers from different 
parts of the Old World — much the largest proportion of 
them from Germany, Ireland and England — as follows: 
Jan..lO,SGl I Mar.. 14.204 
FcD.. 6,103 I Apr..20,41S 
Mav..41..-.:,0 I Jnly..29,S22 I Sep.. 15,482 
June. 34, 183 | Aug..l7,43S | Oct.. 19,597 
The destination of these new comers is also interesting. 
Large numbers stop in New York City, and are set down 
to this State, though many of them afterwards move on 
westward and to New England. Why Indiana received a 
greater number than any other State is not clear to us. 
So far as ascertained, their destination was as follows : 
New York 93,565 
Indiana ':.•>!« 
Pennsylvania .2 1 .S43 
Illinois 19.H95 
Ohio 11,147 
Massiichusetts.10,719 
Wisconsin 7.9S3 
New Jersey.... 0.9SS 
Missouri 4.2G6 
Iowa 8.973 
Michigan 3,515 
Connecticut... 3.0134 
Minnesota 3.247 
Utah 3,083 
Ehode Island. 2.124 
Maryland...'..". 1.628 
Canada , J,56i 
California 
1 465 
Kentuckj- 
1,430 
tail 
Disc Columbia. 
799 
Tennessee 
4% 
418 
Louisiana 
394 
ait 
Vermont 
2211 
Delaware 
2116 
193 
yew Hampshire 
169 
South Carolina. 
148 
North Carolina. 
136 
9, 
Texas 
86 
58 
"Mi?=U?ippi 54 
New Brunswick. .50 
Oregon 37 
Nova Scotia 35 
Colorado 30 
Arkansas 25 
South America... 20 
TTest Indies 15 
Mexico 11 
British Columbia.lO 
Florida 8 
Pr. Edward's Isl.. 6 
Central America. 5 
Cuba 5 
Nevada.. 4 
Australia S 
Idaho I 
