126 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
it can be done by hand—other sowers and other 
weeders afford quite a variety to choose from. 
Distances Between Bows. —In a large garden it 
makes a great deal of difference whether rows are 
12,15, or 18 inches apart, but in a family garden a 
few inches are not so important. Provide markers 
to mark all needed distances without delay in 
changing the teeth. We find it better to have two 
Markers , which are home made. A piece of 
scantling of convenient length has handles at¬ 
tached, as in the engraving. On one side stout 
teeth are fixed every 9 inches, and on the other at 
12 inches. This gives, by using every mark 9 and 
12 inch rows, and using every other mark 18 aud 24 
inch; besides this, we have one with the teeth 15 
inches apart, which is often desirable. A line is 
set to run the marker by, the one who uses it walk¬ 
ing backwards ; if more rows are to be marked, 
the line will not be needed again, as a tooth of 
the marker may be run in the last furrow made. 
Garden Line and Bed. —A line will often be need¬ 
ed in laying out rows, beds, etc., aud should 
have a good reel. We emphasize should have, and 
if any one knows where a garden reel can be bought 
that is worth its weight in old iron, we will be 
obliged to them. We know of nothing more abso¬ 
lutely worthless for the purpose it pretends to serve 
than the garden reel as sold. It looks well, but 
will not last a week. It will save bother to discard 
the reel, and take two hard-wood sticks, 2 to 21 ft. 
long,pointed at one end,and w'ind up the line on one, 
as a boy winds his kite-string, and tie the end of the 
line to the other. Another tool to be provided, is a 
Lance-headed Hoe. —So far as we are aware,this hoe 
is not yet in the trade. It is so valuable an imple¬ 
ment that we repeat our figure of it given once be¬ 
fore. To every one who has much garden-work to 
do, this pattern is worth five years’ subscription to 
the American Agriculturist. Have a hoe made at 
once, and when the weeds come, use it an hour aud 
you will wonder how you have ever had a garden 
without it. The engraving will answer for a pattern 
to the blacksmith. The blade is 4i in. long aud 21 
in. wide at the end, of heavy steel plate (ours are 
mowing-machine plate), set to a shank shaped 
as the engraving. Used as here shown, it cuts with 
great rapidity, but if an obstinate weed is met, give 
it the point. Keep sharp, and the large hoe will be 
seldom used. No bayonet hoe is nearly so good. 
Varieties were fully discussed last month. The 
list given then on page 84 is intended as a guide 
to the novice—of course there are other good kinds 
besides those mentioned in the article, and there 
is abundant room for individual preferences. 
Greens are sufficiently discussed on page 144. No 
form of vegetable is more acceptable in spring. 
Peas are also treated of in a separate article (page 
144). These are often sown while only the top-soil 
is thawed, as they germinate at a very low temper¬ 
ature. For a row of the very earliest we have put 
boards together, to form a V trough. These were 
set during the day on the side of the row, and at 
night turned over the plants. 
Early Potatoes. —Those who wish the very earliest, 
start their potatoes in a warm room in boxes of 
earth; they require very careful cutting at planting 
time, to not break the shoots. Plant as early as 
possible to be ahead of the beetle. 
Asparagus. —Rake off the coarse litter, and as 
soon as the bed is dry enough, turn in the fine ma¬ 
nure with the points of the fork, taking care not to 
injure the crowns. New beds are to be set as soon 
as plants can be had. Strong, vigorous one-year 
old plants are best. In the best field-culture the 
plants are set 4 feet apart, with 6 feet between the 
rows, giving each plant a good supply of manure 
as it is set. In the family-garden such wide plant¬ 
ing is not desirable. It is well to allow 3 feet be¬ 
tween the rows, to allow room in collecting, and 
crowd the plants in the rows. Some set them 12 
inches, and some as close as 9 inches, first working 
in a heavy dressing of well decomposed manure. 
The crowns should be at least 4 inches below the 
surface. Asparagus is not cut until the third year. 
Succession Crops. —In localities where the season 
has allowed of the first sowings, the second should 
be made a week or 10 days after, especially of those 
vegetables as are of short duration, such as peas, 
radishes, lettuce, etc. 
Sweet Potatoes need to be put into hot-beds about 
six weeks before the shoots can be set in the open 
ground. In the vicinity of New York the first of 
June is the average time for planting, and we put 
in the potatoes the middle of April. A fight hot¬ 
bed is made, on this a few inches of soil is put, and 
the potatoes are laid rather closely on this and cov¬ 
ered with an inch or two of soil. When sprouts 
appear, care is needed in watering and ventilating. 
Fertilizers. —In many localities the obstacle to 
successful gardening has been the difficulty in get¬ 
ting a sufficient supply for manure, gardeners as a 
general thing being distrustful of artificial fertiliz¬ 
ers. Within a few years the manufacturers of fer¬ 
tilizers have given their attention to garden crops as 
well as to field crops, and one can now procure just 
such materials as he wishes in any desired quanti¬ 
ties. The articles on fertilizers that have appeared 
in former months, as weil as those in the present 
number, have a value to every cultivator of the 
soil, and the fact that they are addressed to fanners 
does not make them any less useful to gardeners. 
Flower Cinrdcn sisiul ILrawu. 
Whatever is to be done in the way of seeding or 
turfing should be attended to early, in order that 
the grass may become established before hot 
weather. For small plots the quickest results are 
had from turf. lu turfing care is requisite in select¬ 
ing the sod, to introduce no unwelcome weeds, and 
the foundation should always be carefully prepared 
so that there may be no uneven settling. On light 
soils, Red-top, especially that variety known as 
Rhode Island Bent, is best, and on heavy soils, 
especially if calcareous, Blue Grass is excellent. 
Either of these with a quart of White Clover seed to 
the bushel, is as likely to give a good lawn as any 
mixture, and more so than an imported mixture, as 
those often contain kinds that do not flourish here. 
Quality and Quantity of seed have much to do 
with success in lawn making. If six bushels of 
grass seed are directed to the acre, it is because 
from three to five of these bushels are likely to be 
chaff. It will pay to examine different lots of seed 
before purchasing; the difference in the amount 
of real seed will often be found surprising. 
Weed-Seeds should not be sown, as they are very 
apt to be unless the seed is carefully inspected. 
A Top Dressing should be given the lawn each 
spring. Ashes, plaster, guano, fine bone, or nitrate 
of soda, may be applied on successive years, or a 
fertilizer containing all the essentials may be used. 
Planting of Trees and Shrubs should be done 
early, and with as much care to preserve the 
balance between top and root as advised with trees. 
Perennials , such as bloom early, are better if not 
Bee-Keeping for Everybody. 
divided until after flowering, but the others may 
be divided and reset at once. 
Ornamental Beds, to be planted with tropical and 
other tender plants, should be manured and 
spaded, in readiness for planting. 
Gladioluses are nearly hardy, and a first planting 
may be made as soon as the ground can be worked. 
Gannas, Tuberoses and Dahlias may be set in box¬ 
es of earth in a warm place, to give them a start. 
(Jreeiilionse and Window Plants. 
The glass of the greenhouse will soon need a 
fight coat of lime wash, and the plants in the 
window will require a muslin shade at midday. 
Plants to Set Out, whether in the borders, or to be 
kept in pots during summer, must be gradually 
hardened for the change by giving exposure to air. 
Propagate from such plants as will be set in the 
garden. Geraniums and many others will be too 
large to take up again next fall, and good young 
plants should be provided to take their places. 
Fig. 1.— OBSERVATORY HIVE. 
BY B. 0. ROOT, MOHAWK, N. Y. 
Motes for Beginners. 
In Feb. last, Mr. Root began at our request a series of 
articles intended for persons knowing nothing whatever 
of bee-keeping. There was an unavoidable omission of 
the article for March, the main points of which are given 
now. In February, page 47, the two leading kinds of 
hives are described in detail—the Hanging-Comb and the 
Standing-Comb hives. It was intended to show how the 
Langstroth or Hanging-Comb hive could be arranged as a 
hive for observing bees, but as room could not be found 
for the engraving, that and the description were then 
omitted and are now given. Mr. R. says : 
HIVES FOR OBSERVING THE BEES. 
The interest of bee-keeping is greatly increased by 
being able to watch the bees while at work, without dis- 
Fig. 4.— BOX COMPLETE. 
turbing them; several “ Observatory Hives ” have been 
devised for this purpose, one of which is shown in figure 
1. This is essentially the same as the Langstroth 
Hanging-Comb hive (described February last, page 47, 
fig. 2), except that the two sides, instead of being solid, are 
made as frames 2 inches wide. Each frame has a pane 
of glass fitted upon the inside, and is furnished with a 
Fig. 8 .— HONEY BOARD. 
door. The door, made of two pieces of thin board, with 
the grain crossed, to prevent warping, should fit the 
frame neatly, he hung with small hinges, and fastened 
