1800] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
Trench at least, part of the garden plot, II, if the soil 
be warm and dry. 
Turnip's—Sow, II, in open grounds for early use. If to 
be forced, sow in hot-beds, m, 1. 
Winter Cherries (Physalis)— Sow 1 , f, m, in hot-beds, 
and, II, in open ground. 
Flower Garden and Lawn. 
Before the close of this month a few of the hardiest 
flowers, as snow drops, crocuses and pansies, may be ex¬ 
pected to herald the bloom of Spring. But except where 
forcing glasses are used, it will require some time yet, 
and much pains, to bring out the full attractions of the 
flower garden. Too much haste in sowing flower seeds 
causes frequent disappointment, and unless in a remark¬ 
ably early season, it is better to confine the labors to 
preparing walks, removing rubbish, trenching for bor¬ 
ders and making all things ready. 
Annuals—The hardier sorts as larkspur, candytuft, 
mignonette, portulacas, petunias, etc., may be sown in 
warm borders, 11, if the weather be mild. 
Biennial and Perennial Roots—Divide and reset, 11. 
Box and Grass Edgings—Plant and trim, 11. Fill de¬ 
fective spots. 
Bulbs- Plant, ff, as soon as the ground can be worked. 
Carnations, Pinks and Daisies—Harden those in frames, 
or pits, by airing freely. 
Draining heavy soils is essential to free growlh of flow¬ 
ers as well as of fruit. 
Gravel Walks—Rake off, dress liberally with salt to 
keep out grass. Replenish old with coarse gravel. 
Glass covered boxes, open at the bottom, set over Pan¬ 
sies, Violets, Daisies, etc., will bring them into early 
bloom. The glass should be movable to admit air. 
Hedges—Plant Altheas, Buckthorn, or Privet, for 
screens, li, if the soil be in|working order. 
Honeysuckles and other Vines—Prune, m, 1, and ar¬ 
range upon lattice work or trellises, 11. Plant cuttings or 
roots at the same time. 
Hot-Beds—Make, if, for propagating cuttings and sow¬ 
ing annuals for early flowering. 
Labels, Stakes, Dahlia poles, etc.—Provide what are 
needed, ff, m. 
Lawn—Clear off decayed leaves, twigs, and all rubbish. 
An occasional thorough sweeping w ith a birch broom 
will level worm casts. Top dress with fine manure, as 
composted muck, bone-dust, guano, etc. To preserve a 
smooth surface, remove coarse thick tufts, reseed bare 
spots and roll with a heavy roller. 
Ornamental Trees—Remove covering from protected 
evergreens when sufficiently mild. Pare smoothly the 
ends of branches broken. Thin out those crowding each 
*other; plant deciduous trees, 11. 
Pmw and grade newgrounds. Plowsoil forplanting, 11. 
Pruning trees and shrubs is not advisable now, but 
where shrubbery is out of shape straggling branches may 
be taken oif. With Rhododendrons, Lilacs, Pyrus Ja- 
ponica, Almonds and other flowering shrubs, cutout only 
the twigs that show no bloom buds, leaving others till af¬ 
ter flowering. Roses may be property trimmed for traia- 
ing to trellises. Suckers from worked stocks should be 
removed at once. 
Roses—Plant cuttings and roots, 11. 
GrCCM-fifOMSCS. 
Fire heat will be wanted only in cold days. Constant 
allention will be needed to guard agajnst sudden changes ; 
nearly even temperature, not rising above 50° should be 
maintained. Give air every favorable opportunity, to 
slrengthen the growlh, and harden for out door exposure. 
Bedding Plants—Harden off a good stock of Verbenas, 
petunias, daisies, etc., for out door planting. 
Cleanliness in this department is of the first importance. 
Decaying leaves and branches, moss, weeds, etc., should 
all be removed. Allow no dust. Wash and syringe the 
foliage frequently. 
Insects—Watch against them continually. Prevention 
is easier than cure. 
Oranges, Lemons, Oleanders, Myrtles, etc.—Examine, 
cutting to a good shaped head, and clear tubs from weeds, 
moss, etc. Repot and dress those requiring more room 
and a richer soil. 
Pelargoniums—Remove decaying and moldy leaves or 
branches. Water more freely and give plenty of air as 
they come into bloom. 
Seeds—Sow, in, 1, for out door planting. 
Water—Give moderate supplies to succulents, and 
moi e frequent applications to woody plants in fair growth. 
ISot-Uffosises a sail Conservatories. 
Tlie amount of heat required here this month will de¬ 
pend on the temperature without and the state of the 
plants within, some varieties requiring higher tempera¬ 
ture than others. It is not safe however, to allow the 
heat to sink below 50°. Air may be sparingly admitted 
when the mercury stands at TO" out of doors. All sudden 
G7 
chills must be guarded against; they are much more in¬ 
jurious than gradual changes. 
Abutilons—Water moderately; trim to well formed head. 
Acacias in bloom require plenty of air and little water. 
Annuals—Remove to pots those sown last month, and 
sow for increased stock. 
Azalias—Cut back straggling shoots to keep in form. 
Bulbs—Keep up succession of bloom with plants from 
the Green-House. Give fresh water twice a week. 
Those done blooming may be set away to dry off. 
Calceolarias—Repot those needing it, and water freely. 
Camellias—Give medium heat and plenty of water. 
Avoid wetting the blooms, which would cause early de¬ 
cay. Inarch young plants, m, 1. 
Chrysanthemums—Increase by cuttings and layers. 
Cinerarias—Shift pot-bound plants, keeping down green 
fly with fumigations. 
Cuttings of many plants, both succulent and woody, 
may bo put in to good advantage. Keep moderately 
moist and cover the more delicate with hand glasses. 
Flowering Plants—Keep up a succession by potting and 
bringing to heat and light, as great a variety as possible. 
As they pass out of bloom, lay away, head back, and oth¬ 
erwise regulate as necessary. 
Fuchsias—Bring from Green-House to forward the 
flowering season. Train to a neat round or pyramidal 
form. Repot young plants. 
Hydrangeas, Pinks, Carnations and Daisies—Bring in 
to force for early bloom, m, 1. 
Grapes—Keep the shoots tied in place as they push out. 
When the flowers are well formed, cut back to one eye 
above the fruit. Give plenty of air, and syringe freely. 
Fruit already swelled should be thinned, removing all 
imperfect berries, and enough others to make the bunch¬ 
es of good healthy size. 
Heaths—Shift to larger pots as necessary. 
Insects—Destroy by tobacco fumes. 
Lantanas—Repot, f, m, plants for blooming early. 
Layer woody plants for an increase of stock. 
Musas—Water freely when in a growing state. Change 
those needing it to tubs of fruiting size. 
Peach, Fig, Orange, Lemon, and other trees in pots, 
now require an even temperature, abundance of air and 
light. Water freely and keep down insects. 
Pelargoniums—Place in alight airy situation, watering 
rather sparingly. 
Roses—Shift established cuttings and those intended 
for early flowering, to large pots. Harden off a portion 
for out-door planting, by putting in frames, outside. 
Seeds—Sow abundance of annual exotics and natives. 
Syringe the walls and plants, and sprinkle the floors 
each morning to maintain a moist atmosphere. 
Water—Give moderately, especially to woody plants. 
An excess is more to be feared than too little. See that 
the drainage be perfect. 
Apiary in March. 
BY M. QUINBY. 
If the air passages of the hive are open, the bees need 
not be disturbed until the frost about them is gone, when 
dead bees, wax, chips, and other filth should be removed. 
It can be done more thoroughly by using an extra bottom 
board. Raise the hive gently, and put under it the clean 
board, then clean off the other, and change with the next 
hive and so on througli the whole. Each hive must occu¬ 
py its old position. Clusters of dead bees between the 
combs should now be removed before they mold ; any 
combs already moldy should be cut off. As soon as there 
is a day sufficiently warm for ttie bees to fly freely, take a 
look some morning while they are quiet, to ascertain the 
strength of each colony. If weak, close the entrance so 
as to allow only one bee to pass at a time, to prevent rob¬ 
beries. Such as are destitute of honey, must be fed- 
honey is the best material—a box of sealed honey set on the 
hive is the most convenient method of doing it—sugar 
made into syrup will do in the absence of honey. Sticks 
of sugar candy thrust in between the combs are said to bo 
very valuable... .If any stock has lost its queen during 
winter—which about one in fifty will do—the bees will 
be very likely to desert on the first good day for flying, and 
join some other, usually, without any quarreling. T he 
hive left should be immediately oared for, or the bees will 
carry off the honey. Should the combs in this be bright 
arid new, they are of more value as they are, Ilian to be 
removed. They may be kept for a new swarm, but they 
must be smoked once or twice will! brimstone, to kill the 
moth worms as they hatch, otherwise they would injure 
instead of benefiting any swarm. A colony having dis¬ 
eased brood, or combs which are very old and black, may 
be advantageously transferred to a hive thus depopulated. 
The operation is best performed in a warm room, and it 
is better if there is only one window. The hive to re¬ 
ceive the bees should not be frosty, or even very cold. 
Begin by smoking the bees a little, and inverting the hive, 
set over it the one to receive the swarm, stopping all pas¬ 
sages, strike the lower hive rapidly, but not very hard, 
fifteen or twenty minutes, when the upper one may be 
set aside, and an empty one substituted to receive the re¬ 
mainder of the bees by the same process. Should any 
refuse to leave by this moans—which ihey will some¬ 
times do at this season—cut out tile combs, and wilh I he 
feather end of a quill, brush them either directly on the 
combs of the other hive, or by the bottom of it, when right 
side up-when they will enter. Such bees as have gath¬ 
ered on the window, with those driven into the second 
hive, may also be swept and shaken down by the entrance, 
and the hive closed up for a few hours. But, should the 
day be warm enough, put it directly on its stand without 
closing it, and allow those that gathered on the window 
to return of themselves after being brushed out. The 
only danger of stings during the operation, is at the com¬ 
mencement, and not then if smoke is judiciously used. 
This should always be done as early in the season as pos¬ 
sible, otherwise many of the advantages are lost. These 
directions apply also to transferring into light hivc.s that 
were set away in the fall for this purpose_The advan¬ 
tage of feeding rye meal was further indicated last sea¬ 
son, especially in sections whore there are not many early 
pollen bearing flowers. One correspondent fed rye and 
buckwheat meal mixed, and got a swarm in May, which 
had not occurred before in ten years, it was also several 
weeks in advance of his neighbors. This is worthy of 
further experiment, and comparing the results with 
other seasons. The best way that I have found, 
is to make a sort of floor a few feet square, and 
nail around the edge some strips three or four ino.ln s 
wide, so that the bees will not waste it off the edges. A 
few quarts of meal at a time spread on this, is readily 
taken by the bees. Unbolted flour appears to be the best, 
flour mixed with sawdust will do. If flour alone is given, 
it will adhere to their bodies and they seem to lose time 
in removing it.... Bees that are in the house maybe put 
out the first fine days, when the air is w arm. Set out a 
few at a time, on stands as far apart as possible, when 
these have mostly been out and returned, set others be¬ 
tween. If the weather is warm enough to make them un¬ 
easy in the room, before it is riglitout of doors, a bushel or 
two of snow, or pounded ice, will cool them fora tune. 
When opening the door to carry them out, should they be 
anxious to leave, and be lost by creeping out, intro¬ 
duce some tobacco smoke into the room to quiet them. 
If severe weather occurs after they are out., the weaker 
ones may be returned to the house. Close seme of the 
air passages which are not needed now, and confine the 
animal heat to assist in developing the brood. Clear sun¬ 
shine with anevvly fallen snow is fatal to many bees ; they 
should be confined to the hive, eit her by shading, or clos¬ 
ing the entrance for a few hours at such time. Keep all 
refuse honey, or that in any hive unprotected by a colony, 
out of reach of the bees, it is quite sure to induce pillaging 
habits. 
Furnishing Trees, Vines, &e. 
In response to H. C. Parker, of Hillsboro Co., N. H., 
(for whose very kind expressions we return heartfelt 
thanks,) and to answer many others, we desire to say, 
that we grow no trees, plants or seeds to sell— all our sur¬ 
plus goes into the free distribution. When specially 
desired, we can hand over to some reliab'e dealer any 
remittance entrusted to us, but, as a general thing we 
prefer such orders to go direct to the dealers themselves 
This is not from any unwillingness to oblige our readers, 
but from a desire to be as far as possible disconnected 
with any outside business transactions, where there 
might be even the appearance of self-interest. We haye 
seen too much of this puffing of manures, implements, 
etc., in professedly agricultural journals, because the con¬ 
ductors of them were directly or indirectly interested in 
comm ssion or profits upon the articks recommended. 
-•©- ^ -— 
©r. Grant’s Graperies not Desfroyed. 
A report has been extensively circulated that the cel 
ebrated Grape Houses at Iona were blown down by the 
gale of wind on Feb. 10, involving a loss of from $20,000 
to $40,000, and the destruction ot the large collection of 
Delaware and other grapes. We are happy to announce 
on the best testimony, from Dr. Grant’s own mouth, that 
the report was groundless. The total damage amounted 
to just 3TJ- cents ! by the breaking of two panes of glass, 
(not to mention two chickens killed by a weasel on the 
same night.) The report was telegraphed to the daily 
papers by one of the newsmongers of the press, w ho 
was alarmed by the unroofing of a stone house near 
by, and supposed there was a smash up of things gen¬ 
erally. Dr. Grant was at the Convention at Now-Haven 
at the time, and, as may well be supposed, suffered not a 
little anxiety, until his return home with plans already 
half matured for at once re-erccting the fallen graperies. 
