1861 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
101 
the lawn may present a uniform hue. Perennial 
Italian Rye Grass, sown thickly, is good for this pur¬ 
pose. Apply liquid manure or fine barn yard scrap¬ 
ings as a top dressing for old lav/ns. See page 116. 
Manure heavily all the borders and flower plots. 
It is vain to expect fine flowers on poor soil. 
Perennials and Biennials—Plant seeds of Canter¬ 
bury bells, coboea scandens, evening primrose, for¬ 
get-me-not, lunaria, pansy, lathyrus, Jacob’s ladder, 
of our seed distribution, m, l, covering lightly. Al¬ 
so divide and re-set, or plant out roots of pinks, 
sweet williams, pceonies, lilies, phlox, etc,/, m. 
Petunias and Verbenas—Sow seeds of mixed va¬ 
rieties, m,l. Procure plenty of rooted plants from 
florists and set, ll. They make a fine show in masses. 
Prune, ff, shrubs and vines not already attended 
to. Use the knife sparingly at this season. 
Roses—The almost endless variety of monthly, 
remontant (twice blooming,) and common sorts, 
enables the cultivator to secure a rich profusion of 
bloom from these universally popular plants. They 
can be procured in any quantity from nurserymen, 
whose catalogues enumerate hundreds of sorts. 
The Remontant, sometimes called Hybrid Perpet¬ 
ual, will give the best satisfaction for hardy free 
blooming and handsome sorts. Plant out, ff, m. 
Prune and tie those trained to trellises or pillars. 
Uncover tender varieties buried or tied up last Fall. 
Shade Trees—Plant deciduous sorts, ff, m. No 
home is complete without some of these to afford 
a cooling shade in Summer, relieve the eye, and 
partially screen the buildings. If economy is de¬ 
sirable, intersperse with cherry, pear, plum, and 
even apple trees, training them to a handsome form. 
They are ornamental at least twice in the season. 
Tender shrubs and vines which were strawed up, 
or otherwise protected last Fall, may be uncovered, 
/, m, according as the season is early or backward. 
If the plants are quite tender and covered with a 
thick coating, remove a portion at a time. 
Vines and Climbers—Plant, ff, m, hignonia, clem¬ 
atis, honeysuckles, ivy, trumpet flower, Virginia 
creeper, wistaria, moneywort, etc. See that all are 
arranged upon permanent Summer supports. 
Green and Hot-Houses. 
As most of the plants will he removed to the open 
grounds next month, care should oe used to harden 
them off in April. Fire heat can be dispensed with 
most of the time in the Green-House, and the venti¬ 
lators and doors kept open much of the time. The 
forcing houses also will require much less artificial 
heat, and more air. The sun will afford sufficient 
warmth during clear mild days, but fire will be re¬ 
quired at night, and in cool damp weather. 
Bedding Plants—Propagate (by cuttings, layering, 
and dividing roots,) an ample stock of verbenas, pe¬ 
tunias, geraniums, daisies, pansies, salvias, dicentras, 
fuchsias, heliotropes, etc. These should be largely 
wanted, the latter part of the month, or first of May, 
for the open border. Expose by degrees to gradu¬ 
ally harden them for the change. 
Bulbs have mostly completed their bloom, and 
may be planted out into the open ground, where the 
hardy sorts will bloom another Spring. 
Camellias having finished blooming, should be 
pruned into shape and kept free from insects and in 
a growing state. Propagate from cuttings. 
Cape Bulbs in flower should be brought forward 
to the light and have plenty of air to encourage the 
growth of healthy flowers. Keep them from the di¬ 
rect rays of bright sunshine to prolong blooming. 
Cuttings—Now is a good season for increasing 
the stock by cuttings. In the commercial house it 
is especially needful, as a large drain will be made 
upon the stock at planting time. Fuchsias, gera¬ 
niums, myrtles, hydrangeas, camellias, jasmines, 
salvias and most other plants may be made to srrike 
freely under glasses, -with a steady bottom heat. 
Flowers—The houses should still show a good 
bloom, if proper care was used in the Fall and early 
Winter, to cheek the blooming season of a portion 
ot the plants by pinching back. 
Fuchsias—Increase the stock of this elegant flow¬ 
er by inserting a large number of cuttings. Both 
single and double sorts are very pretty—and the 
latter still scarce 
Grapes ought to be growing finely now; new 
shoots should be tied up as they extend. The ear¬ 
lier forcing plants have already set their fruit, and 
the berries are of sufficient size to require thinning. 
Cut back the laterals above the bunches to three 
leaves, and remove shoots between the bunches and 
the main cane. As the berries swell, support the 
shoulders of the bunches by tying to the canes 
above. Syringe freely, adding sulphur to the water 
to prevent mildew. Some of the vines have only 
burst their buds, and need little care at present. 
Head down shrubby plants that are stinted in 
growth and not thrifty ; at the same time shift to 
new pots and cut out diseased roots. 
Insects will increase rapidly, if not kept in check 
at this season. Hand pick, fumigate with tobacco, 
and syringe with oil soap and water. 
Inarching, as shown on page 117, may be perform- 
upon many of the woody plants. 
Mildew can be effectually prevented by the free 
use of sulphur. 
Potting will require some attention, putting the 
plants in pots of sufficient size fer Summer growth. 
Annuals sown last month may now be transplanted. 
Prune thoroughly all plants of feeble growth, 
cutting them back to good shape. This will often 
put new vigor into them. 
Seeds of desirable green and hot-house plants, 
such as geraniumns, oleanders, aloes, cactuses, mi¬ 
mosas, euphorbias, cinerarias, solanums, etc., etc., 
may be sown now in pots, plunged in the bark-bed, 
and covered with bell glasses, or in their absence 
with a pane of glass laid over each pot. Water 
them occasionally. 
Shifting—When plants need more room, change 
them to larger pots on a mild day. Cut away dead 
or diseased roots. Place an inch or two of lumps of 
charcoal or broken crocks upon the bottom, set the 
plant with its ball of earth upon these, and fill around 
it with fresh soil. Give fresh earth to plants that 
do not need transplanting. 
Water freely rapid growing and succulent plants, 
which require more moisture than woody sorts. Add 
a little guano to the water given to lagging plants. 
Apiary in April. 
BT M. QCmBT. 
Many moth worms may now be found helpless on 
the bottom board in the morning. They should be 
destroyed, to prevent future harm from their prog¬ 
eny. Most of the parent worms have now finished 
their mischief, and want a place where they will not 
be disturbed, to wind themselves up in a cocoon to 
undergo the change to a winged insect in safety. At 
no season arc they so easily found as in this month 
and next, by just raising the hive. When the 
weather becomes warmer they will creep into some 
hiding place. 
In nearly all sections, stocks with scanty stores, 
can not yet gather sufficient from the flowers. 
Feed them regularly, and see that they are not 
robbed_Lookout for robbing to commence on 
the first real warm days. A little fighting will re¬ 
sult in no great harm if the entrances are properly 
graduated in accordance with the strength of the 
colony. The resistance indicates strength and 
courage. But when the honey is being carried off, 
without molestation, it is time to assist them. 
Among the numerous remedies, for the inexpe¬ 
rienced, perhaps moving the stock being plundered, 
a mile or two, is as little trouble as any. After all 
danger of robbing is past, it may be returned. 
Any one intending to introduce the Italian bees 
into his apiary this Summer, should make arrange¬ 
ments for it now. Without the movable comb 
hive of some sort, very much of the satisfaction will 
be lost. After introducing a queen of this new 
variety, for which a high price has been paid, it 
is quite natural to want assurance of the safe¬ 
ty of her majesty, as there are some cases where 
our native bees are decidedly opposed to “ foreign ” 
rule. With the movable comb we can look over 
the bees, and find her in a few minutes, at any time. 
But with the box hive—except by the merest chance 
—we should have to wait several weeks for brood, 
or spend an hour or two in driving them out, and 
looking them over to find her. The frame hive is 
also very convenient for propagating queens: it 
gives access to the brood without cutting the combs, 
and the same combs may be used several times by 
returning to the hive after the brood hatches. 
I would not recommend transferring bees togeth¬ 
er with their combs for the sake of a better hive, as 
a profitable business, but any one wishing a few 
colonies in the movable comb hive for the sake of 
better studying the habits of the bee, or introduc¬ 
ing the Italian queen the present season, will find 
no better time than the present to make the trans¬ 
fer. There are now but few bees, and little brood 
in the way. With a suitable room, it can be done 
some rainy day. If possible, select for the opera¬ 
tion such as have straight combs. Invert the hive, 
and drife all the bees that will go, into a hive that 
has been made comfortably warm. Now pry off the 
side of the hive and take out the first comb, and 
lay it carefully without bruising on a few thickness¬ 
es of folded cloth. Lay on the frame in which it is 
to be fitted, and mark it the exact size. Cut it out, 
and keep it in the frame by winding wrapping twine 
around the whole. Keep the frame perpendicular, 
that the comb may rest on its edge. Put all the 
combs in the same relative position as before, that 
the brood may be all together. When all is arranged, 
and the frames in their p aces, the bees may be 
shaken out directly on the frames, and the cover to 
the honey boxes set over to keep them from flying. 
They should be kept warm for several hours, or un¬ 
til the bees have gone among the combs. If any 
bees be on the windows, brush them into a box, and 
keep them until the first are quiet, when they may 
be introduced in the same way. All dripping honey 
should be taken up before they are returned to 
the stand. 
-——«— « ♦——* -- 
Giving Premiums, Seeds, etc. 
Two or three agricultural journals, not specially noted 
for enterprise or success, are out against the policy of 
giving premiums, distributing seeds, etc., and one of them 
goes so far as to class it next door to bogus jewelry and 
gift enterprises. This is far from the general opinion 
and practice, as many of the leading agricultural publish¬ 
ers have gradually adopted the plan—even those, who a 
few years since were loudest in repudiating it. Taking 
it for granted that only good and useful articles are offered 
as premiums, and only good and desirable seeds are dis¬ 
tributed, the case stands thus : 
Cultivators, as a class, are not disposed to read about 
their own business; those who decry premiums are quite 
as strong as others in their complaints and appeals on this 
score,and they themselves offer commissions to agents anj 
others who will take the trouble to look after the non 
reading class, and persuade them to try the effect of 
reading a good journal for a year. Others choose to offer 
valuable implements, books, etc., as commission or pay 
for the same thing. The advantage of the latter mode 
is, that the publishers usually have facilities for obtaining 
the articles wanted, at low rates, and thus are able lo pay 
more liberally. If the recipient of a premium gets a good 
article that he wants, and chooses to work for, it matters 
not to him how low it was obtained—the lower the better 
for hirn. 
In reference to seeds, there can hardly be a question. 
A. wide-awake, intelligent editor has ample facilities for 
securing good standard and new seeds, and can distribute 
them among his readers at a tenth of what they would 
cost, if bought in the ordinary way. An editor, if he Re 
willing to take a little trouble, can thus by a wholesale 
operation, send for a few pence, four or five parcels of 
seed to each of his readers, which many of them could not 
obtain except at large expense, and perhaps not at all. A 
wide diffusion of the germs of good field and garden crops 
is thus secured—to the manifold benefit of the country. 
