4:16 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
Beets should be dug before the frosts, and stored 
in pits. The tops may be fed to the cows. 
Cabbage. —Gather before the frosts come, and put 
them in pits or trenches. Cabbages set with heads 
down and covered with earth, will keep well. 
Carrots, like beets, should be dug before the 
frosts come, and stored in root-cellars or pits. 
Celery not yet earthed up should be attended to. 
First bring the leaves together, and draw the earth 
to them with the hand, to hold them in an upright 
position. A portion for early use may be banked 
up now to the top of the leaf-stalks. 
Lettuce .—Sow in cold frame for early spring use. 
Onions.— If sown in the fall the young plants 
must be covered with litter to keep the frost from 
heaving them out of the ground. 
Parsnips. —Dig enough for present use and store 
in the cellar, and leave the rest in the ground, 
where the frost will sweeten and improve them. 
Spinach. —Thin as required for use, giving the 
plants to be wintered a plenty of room. Keep 
clean of weeds to insure a good crop. 
Squashes. —Gather before the frost injures them, 
and handle carefully to avoid bruising. Use the 
least ripe first, and store the others in a cool place. 
Sweet Potatoes should be dug so soon as the leaves 
are injured, and placed where it is warm and dry. 
Tomatoes. —When danger from light frosts is ap¬ 
prehended, the season may be prolonged by pro¬ 
tecting the plants, or some of them, by cloths or 
papers. Some pull up their vines and hang them 
up in sheds, etc., for the same purpose.. Secure the 
green tomatoes in sufficient quantities for spiced 
and other pickles, before the frost injures them. 
Flower Garden and I.aw 11 . 
A mistake is made by many in ceasing to care for 
the Flower Garden as soon as the first frosts come, 
as they thereby deprive themselves of some weeks 
of enjoyment. In the climate of New York City, 
late September or early October usually brings 
frosts that are heavy enough to demoralize the Co¬ 
leuses, and like tender plants, while the more 
robust ones, Geraniums, etc., are but slightly in¬ 
jured. After a few mornings of these early frosts, 
it often happens that there is a whole month of 
good weather, which is the finest of the year. Let 
he delicate plants go and give all the more care to 
those that may be saved with a little pains taken 
in protecting them. The tender plants that have 
been killed by the frosts should be removed at once. 
Dahlias are spoiled by the first hard frost. Cut the 
stalks near the ground and lift the roots, selecting 
a warm day, and doing the work in the morning 
that the roots may dry all day in the sun before 
putting them away. Be sure to securely label 
the different varieties, and put them away in a 
cellar that is suitable for keeping potatoes. 
Cannas. —The roots should be dug before the 
foliage is killed by the frosts, otherwise it will be 
difficult to keep them through the winter. It is 
better to lose a little of the beauty by early dig¬ 
ging than to have the roots injured. The roots 
must not be allowed to wither before putting them 
in a dry warm place for the winter. 
Chrysanthemums that are to flower in-doors should 
be potted at once. Those that are to bloom in the 
borders shoqld be tied up and kept in good shape. 
Spring Bulbs should be planted as soon as they 
can be obtained from the dealers. Double Tulips 
are very showy, and are deserving of more atten¬ 
tion than they receive. The beds for the bulbs 
should be enriched with old well-rotted manure. 
Tender Bulbs , like Tiger-flowers, Gladioluses, etc., 
must be lifted before the ground freezes, and stored 
in a cool place. Tuberoses yet to bloom may be 
lifted and put into boxes of earth and placed in the 
greenhouse or a sunny window. 
Straw and Leaves make an excellent covering to 
plants of doubtful hardiness. Such a protection 
will cause a stronger bloom in the spring and make 
the grounds look neater for raking up of the leaves. 
Walks. —This is a good time to make or improve 
the walks. A thoroughly-made walk is a perma¬ 
nent improvement, and is the only kind that pays 
in the long run, to make anywhere on the ground. 
Finally. —Do everything that in any way pre¬ 
pares for winter, or will aid in the busy spring. 
Greenhouse and Window Plants. 
The greenhouse before this should have been put 
in readiness, that there may be no delay in bringing 
in the plants when the time comes. Soil, labels, 
moss, pots, and all other needed articles should be 
on hand ready for use, and in sufficient quantity. 
Bulbs for flowering in pots should be potted as 
soon as obtained; the soil should be rich, made 
loose with a plenty of clean sand, after which the 
pots and plants may be placed in a cool and dark 
cellar to form a good growth of roots. 
Window Plants. —The necessity of a gradual 
change must be emphasized in removing plants 
from the open air to the dwelling rooms. It is 
best to place the plants in a room where there is no 
fire, and one that can be opened during the day. 
After a while the plants may be taken to the close 
living-room, in which there is a fire. 
Hardy Plants can be forced in window culture, 
and deserve more attention than they have re¬ 
ceived. Among these are Dicentra (Bleeding 
Heart), Astilbe Japouica, Lily of the Valley. All 
such should be taken up at once and potted, and 
kept in a pit or cellar until late in January or Feb¬ 
ruary, or later ; when brought out for bloom, they 
should at first receive water rather sparingly. 
Seeds of Annuals may be sown; Candytuft, Sweet 
Alyssum, and Mignonette, and other pretty annu¬ 
als, are always in demand for cut-flowers. 
Hanging Baskets, made up with new plants, should 
be well watered and kept in the shade for a few 
days. Do not place them in the confined air of 
heated living-rooms until too cold to remain outside. 
Bee Notes for October. 
BT L. C. ROOT. 
The Honey Crop.—T he yield of honey from Bass¬ 
wood and other sources, in this section, has not equalled 
our expectations. During the last days of June the sup¬ 
ply of honey, from basswood, promised to be abundant, 
but it was very suddenly and unexpectedly cut short. 
Reports from all parts of the United States indicate a 
small crop. We judge it to he less than oue-half the 
usual average; many report an entire failure. In our 
own apiaries we secure over 15,000 pounds from 176 colo¬ 
nies. Thus far we have taken from the three selected 
swarms as follows: July 10th, No. 1, 77Jlhs., No. 2, Ofi* 
lbs., No. 3.83i lbs.; July 13th, No. 1, 41 lbs., No. 2,41 lbs., 
No. 3, 55lbs.; July 19th, No. 1,12 lbs., No. 2. 18 lbs., No. 
3, 21 lbs. After the last date given we removed the 
swarms, with others, to where Buckwheat, Golden Rod, 
and Eupatorium are found in greater abundance than 
around the summer stands nearer home. 
Fall Pasturage.— The subject of fall pasturage is of 
considerable importance, as with a fair yield of honey at 
this season, breed¬ 
ing will be con¬ 
tinued,and thus one 
of the essentials for 
successful winter¬ 
ing is secured. It 
will therefore be 
found profitable to 
study the sources 
from which a yield 
may be expected. 
In many sections 
buckwheat is the 
chief dependence 
for late honey. In 
other localities, like 
our own in the 
Mohawk Valley, 
Melilot or Sweet 
Clover, shown in 
fig. 1, is of great 
importance. But 
more generally, we 
think that the sup¬ 
ply will be gathered 
chiefly from Golden Rod, fig. 2, and Eupatorium, shown 
in fig- 3. These wild plants can he found upon rough 
waste land, in nearly all parts of the country. 
Fall Management.— If surplus boxes have not been 
removed as directed last month, it should he attended to 
at once. If swarms have been supplied with extra 
combs for extracting, they should be removed and packed 
safely away for use another season. The value of these 
combs, as well as those taken from piece boxes, cannot 
Fig. 2.— THE COMMON GOLDEN ROD. 
be over-estimated, consequently great care should b« 
taken to preserve them. Mice and rats should be care¬ 
fully excluded. If disturbed by the destructive moth, 
the removed combs should be smoked with brimstone. 
An error appear in Notes 
mislead the uninformed. 
It shouldread, “thecombs 
should be watched, and 
not, “the combs in the 
brood - nest should be 
watched.” There is no 
danger of combs in the 
brood-nest of good swarms 
being injured by the 
moth, at this season, and 
if weak ones were disturb¬ 
ed, it would be necessary 
to examine them and re¬ 
move the moth larvae, as 
by smoking with brim¬ 
stone, the brood of the 
bees would also be de¬ 
stroyed. When boxes and 
extra combs are removed, 
close all upward and 
downward ventilation,and 
if the entrance is too 
large, make it smaller. 
This will aid in keep¬ 
ing the hive warm, and f 
for September, which might 
continued breeding. 
Marketing Honey. — In marketing honey use every 
precaution to make it neat and attractive. Directions 
for preparing and casing honey for market, will be 
found in the American Agriculturist for October, 1879. 
Questions and Answers. 
Hanging and Standing Frames.— “Do you not crush 
more bees, and are you not more liable to kill the queen 
with the Quinby standing frame, than with the hanging 
frame?”—We consider the standing frame quite as de¬ 
sirable, yet we, as well as others, in answering such 
questions, should not lose sight of the fact, that every 
bee-keeper becomes most familiar with whatever style of 
hive he adopts, and, naturally, can handle it better than 
any other, until he acquires a larae experience. 
Opening Hives. —“How often should a beginner open 
his hives?”—Just as often as practical operations re¬ 
quire him to do so. 
Bees in a Garret.— A correspondent in N. J. comes 
with the old question of the desirability of keeping bees 
in a garret. This story of arranging bees in a room in a 
garret where they will not swarm, and where the owner 
can go and cut out cards of honey for family use, at any 
time, is a very old one, and belongs with that other old 
story of the immense swarm of bees somewhere in the 
rocks, where bees pour forth in masses, and honey may 
