1881] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
103 
after the trees have begun to grow. In transplant¬ 
ing, keep the roots from the sun. Hollies, rhodo¬ 
dendrons, and other- broad leaved evergreens do 
better when removed with a ball of earth attached. 
To keep evergreens in a compact shrubby form, cut 
off the leaders and some of the side branches. If 
desired for stately trees, do not injure the leaders, 
get hedges and screens of Norway Spruce, arbor 
vitae, hemlock, etc. 
Frames and Pits—Remove any remaining plants, 
ff, turning them from the pots into the flower bor¬ 
ders and lawn beds. 
Flowering Shrubs—Unless already planted, as 
advised last month, set out, ff. Some of the early 
flowering sorts are already in bloom, or have cast 
their flowers, but the later kinds may still be plant¬ 
ed. Intersperse them among the taller perennial 
flowers, and also around the house, as a connecting 
link between that and the larger trees. 
Gladiolus—Set the bulbs, ff. m, in a warm sunny 
place. Some of the newer varieties are very pretty. 
Grass Edging—Keep well trimmed along the 
edges, using a line and sharp spade, or steel edging 
knife. Clip the grass evenly with the garden shears 
or grass hook. New turfing may also be laid, ff, m. 
Gravel Walks should be kept free from weeds, 
well covered with clean, coarse gravel, and frequent¬ 
ly rolled with a heavy iron or stone roller. 
Hedges—Complete setting deciduous, ff, and ever¬ 
green, m. Clip any not attended to last month. 
Renew weak places in old hedges, by setting new 
plants and plashing or weaving others. 
Honeysuckles, Wistarias, Ivy, Ampelopsis, Big- 
nonias, Clematis and other perennial climbers—Set, 
ff, if neglected until now. Arrange on trellises or 
lattice work. Old wood may he layered for an in¬ 
crease of stock. Sow seeds, ff, m. 
Hot-Beds—Transplant any thing remaining,/, m. 
If first set in small pots, and kept for a short 
time under the glass, and afterward set in the open 
ground without disturbing the roots, they suffer less 
in changing. 
Insects—Combat them upon their first approach 
and it will be much easier to keep them in check. 
Labels, Stakes, and Dahlia Poles should all he in 
readiness for use when needed. Mark the seeds 
when sown, by putting in small painted sticks with 
the names written upon them. It is a good plan 
to make a record on paper of each day’s sowing, 
putting down the kinds of seeds and roots planted, 
with their exact positions. 
Lawns will need mowing, m,l, and should he cut 
very evenly. 
Mulching will be beneficial to newly planted trees 
and shrubs, as indicated under the orchard calendar. 
Pruning—Although we oppose cutting off large 
branches at this season, yet the pruning knife may 
be used where necessary, mainly to cut back last 
year’s growth, so as to form a more compact or 
ibushy head. Shrubbery needs to be kept dense 
to look well. Evergreens should branch quite 
iSmtm to the ground. Their outer extremities may 
ibe cut back slightly, to make a dense growth. 
Roses—Complete setting, ff, and let the supply be 
large and varied, if space will permit. The com¬ 
mon June or garden roses should yield to remon- 
itants, Teas, and Bourbons. 
Tie up pillar and climbing sorts. Old wood may 
Ibe layered. Remove layers of last ■ season. Turn 
those in pots into the open border. 
Shade Trees—Plant deciduous, ff, unless already 
set, as directed la-st month, and evergreen trees, m, l. 
Tile Edging—Put down, ff, setting it even and 
perpendicular. Some modern sorts are quite pretty. 
Trellises and Upright Frames—Put all of these in 
order for training the climbers. 
Tuberoses—Plant,/ - , any bulbs not in the ground. 
Vater plants and trees recently set out, if dry, 
Mulching before watering will be beneficial. 
Weeds should not be allowed to get a stayf; in 
these grounds. They do much more damage pow, 
ff allowed to grow, than later in the season. 
Green and SIot-ESouses. 
These are rapidly yielding up their treasures to 
enrich the open borders and flower patches. In 
carrying them out, begin with the more hardy, and 
complete the transfer by the 10th, as little danger 
need be apprehended from frost in this latitude after 
that period. Roses, verbenas, and other bedding 
plants should be turned from their pots, but 
oranges, lemons, oleanders, camellias, and the like 
may be tastefully arranged about the grounds in 
the tubs or pots. Having carried them from the 
houses, throw open both doors and ventilators, ex¬ 
cept during rains. If painting be needed, do it now. 
For propagating, and especially with collections 
of tropical species, it is better to let the plants re¬ 
main in-doors, where a more perfect control over 
them can be had, shading when necessary and 
administering or withholding water as is desirable. 
Bedding Plants—Set in open grounds as directed 
under Flower Garden. Peg down verbenas to give 
them a spreading habit. 
Cactuses may be readily increased by cuttings 
put in, ff, m. Examine for and destroy insects. 
Camellias—These have completed their bloom 
and should now be in a fine growing state. Keep 
them in a thrifty condition, so that good sized 
healthy flower buds may be formed later in the sea¬ 
son. Give them an airy situation, partially shielded 
from the sun ; syringe often to keep down insects. 
Cuttings of many plants both woody and succu¬ 
lent, may still be made. Protect them from the di¬ 
rect rays of the sun, with hand or bell glasses. 
Fuchsias—Plant out in borders, m, or shift those 
int ended to bloom in pots. Water freely. Ieerease 
the stock by putting in a good supply of cuttings. 
Beds or masses of fuchsias give much .pleasure in 
the flower garden. 
Grapes—If strongly forced, the clusters will now 
require thinning, or they may even be swelling pre¬ 
paratory to the stoning period. Keep well syringed, 
and pinch back or rub off growing shoots as needed. 
Later vines are only in bloom or just setting fruit. 
Do not give too much water when in bloom, and 
avoid throwing it on with much force. Guard well 
against mildew. See that borders are uncovered, 
well manured and forked over. 
Inarching may be performed on woody plants that 
do not root readily by cuttings, such as oranges, 
lemons, camellias, etc. 
Insects—Vigilance is needed now at the breeding 
period. A single miller destroyed before laying her 
eggs, is equivalent to killing dozens, and sometimes 
hundreds after hatching. Water, tobacco fumes, 
oil soap, and the like will keep them in check. 
Japan and other Lilies—Plant out, ff, m, and tie 
up flower stalks of those in bloom. Increase the 
stock by separating and potting the scales. Plant 
seeds for new varieties. As a class they are well 
worthy of more general cultivation. 
Layering may still be done in the houses as di¬ 
rected under Orchard and Nursery. 
Oranges, lemons, oleanders and myrtles—Carry 
to open ground and water frequently. Plant seeds 
for a stock, and graft those needing it. 
Pelargoniums—A good stock of these should now 
he ready for bedding out. More cuttings may still 
he put in for Winter blooming plants. 
Roses may all he removed to the open grounds, 
/, m. Increase the stock by cuttings, ff. A good 
collection in bloom, will now be appreciated, and 
will give the borders a floral look at once. 
Water freely, both before and after removing 
plants from the houses. Evening is the best time 
to apply it. Plants remaining in pots will require 
more water than if planted out. 
Apiary bsb May. 
BY M. QUINSY, 
As spon as the bees become sufficiently numer¬ 
ous to cover the combs on a cool morning, the front 
side of the hive may be raised half an inch, for the 
Summer, unless they become weak ; when the hive 
should be closed again. Until the combs are cov¬ 
ered, worrns may bp found on the floor, and de¬ 
stroyed, as mentioned last month. They are prob¬ 
ably more injurious proportionally in small apia¬ 
ries, than in large ones, and more care is required 
to destroy them. When the bees have reached to 
the bottom of the hive, the worms will creep into 
some covered place for protection, to spin their co¬ 
coons in which to undergo transformation to 
winged insects or moths. This propensity to hide 
away, is readily turned to their destruction. A trap 
is easily made from an elder split in halves, the pith 
scraped out, some notches cut crosswise, and then 
laid flat side down under the bees. The worms 
creep into these, and wind up their cocoons and 
feel perfectly secure; take them out once or twice 
a week, and destroy them. 
If the weather he wet and cold, light colonies will 
not get a supply of honey from the flowers, and will 
yet need attention to prevent starving, especially 
during a long storm. Even good stocks that are in 
no danger of famine, may be advanced considerably 
by being fed a little at such times......The danger 
of robbers is not past; a weak stock may be attack¬ 
ed any warm day before clover blossoms. 
Boxes for surplus honey should not he put on 
while the bees work much on dandelions, if pure 
white combs are wanted. The yellow stain that 
they impart by running over them at such times, 
make them less salable in market. Should the 
weather be favorable, swarms may be expected in 
some places the last of the month. Get every thing 
in readiness seasonably. Hives must not be paint¬ 
ed and used immediately. Bees seem to dislike the 
smell of new paint. When it can not be done be¬ 
forehand, better leave the hive nnpainted, or defer 
it until cold weather, and do it after the bees have 
filled the hive, when they will not be likely to leave. 
Very small apiaries, when the stocks are pretty 
strong, should have about two empty hives prepared 
for each old stock. When large ones are kept, an 
average of one and a half hives to a colony will do. 
Very likely there will be more swarms than this in 
a good season; yet in a large number, very many of 
the small swarms will be near enough together to 
be united. Three or four of the smallest, are none 
to many for a good colony. 
Bees that swarm out naturally, are quite as apt to 
divide their numbers properly, as when swarms are 
made artificially, and when natural swarms can be 
cared for conveniently, it is as well to let them take 
their own course, particularly the first one from a 
hive. But when it is inconvenient to watch for, or 
take charge of them, artificial swarms may be made. 
The proper time for it is a few days only before the 
first swarm would issue. With the movable comb 
hive it is an easy matter. Begin by introducing 
smoke, or by sprinkling the bees with sugar water 
to keep them quiet. Have a new hive with frames 
the size of the old one, and the same number. 
Take out half of the combs with bees attached, and 
put them in the new one, putting half of the empty 
frames in place of them. Remove the old stand one 
or two feet to the right or left, and the new one the 
same distance the other side. The bees should be 
kept nearly equal by moving the one that is getting 
most, a little further from the old stand. In a day 
or two, you will know the qneenless division by its 
having started queen-cells. To have them equal at 
the end of a few weeks, the queen! ess party should 
now have two thirds or more of the combs; being 
careful in making the exchange not to transfer the 
queen. If there be no room fora stand on each side 
of the old one, one stand is to be made somewhere 
else ; it will then be necessary to look up the queen, 
and put her with the comb on which she is found, 
and what bees are with her, in the new hive, and 
set that on the old stand. Set the old hive with 
bees and combs in a new place—enough bees will 
leave it for the old stand, to make that a good 
swarm. If no sealed queen cells are found in the 
queenless part, in ten days, one should be introduce 
ed from another hive, or give them at least a comb 
with eggs or young larvae. Persons without much 
experience in this should be cautious about opera¬ 
ting before the old stock is sufficiently strong to 
spare a swarm; a want of success often results fro in 
this cause. 
