i860.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
001 
.eft after the vines are cut down by frost, will make ex¬ 
cellent pickles. 
Turnips—-Gather and market or store early varieties, 
m, 11. Rutabagas and other late sorts may grow awhile. 
Vegetables for Seed—Select the best sorts for raising 
seed next season, and store them separately. 
Winter Cherries—Collect before frost for preserves, or 
leave them in the husks, to be used as wanted. 
Flower Garden and Lawn. 
The cool nights during the latter part of September, 
remind one that even the more hardy plants which are 
destined to bloom indoors during the Winter, should now 
be taken in and set by the side of the more delicate ones 
which were carried in last month. It is not best to risk 
them out much longer, as sharp frosts often occur during 
this season, which would materially injure the plants. 
The houses have doubtless been already put in perfect 
order and cleanliness in accordance with the directions 
of last month. It is also presumed that a generous sup¬ 
ply of potting soil is stored under cover. 
October is a good month for grading, trenching, and 
turfing, or seeding the lawn. If there is not time to trench, 
or the grounds are so large that the expense is too great, 
at least subsoil thoroughly, working in a generous supply 
of well rotted manure. Where turfing is used, let the 
sods be well beaten down, and sift in fine soil or sand, 
to fill any crevices. If grass seed is sow n, mix in a little 
Winter rye to assist in protecting the roots during Win¬ 
ter. The sowing should be done early in the month. 
Perennial Rye grass will probably give better satisfaction 
,han any other single sort. Roll the ground after sowing, 
tnd again just before hard freezing w eather sets in. 
The flower borders, and indeed the whole ornamental 
grounds are too frequently neglected late in the season, 
weeds taking the place of former bloom, and dried flow¬ 
er stalks and decaying leaves marring the beauty of the 
beds and grass plots. Carefully remove all offensive ob- 
iects, raking the dry leaves from the lawn, cutting away 
the dead flower stalks. If a spot of ground is entirely 
bare of plants, spade it up, rake smoothly, and it w ill not 
offend the eye for several months during Winter, 
Bulbous Flowers should now be set for early Spring 
bloom. They will flourish in a common garden soil, and 
richly repay the cost and trouble. A fine collection of 
hyacinths, tulips, crown imperials, lilies, iris, jonquils, 
narcissus, crocuses, and snowdrops, is a beautiful sight 
at any time, and the more so as they bloom early in the 
season, some of them while the snow bank yet lingers in 
the shade of the fences. A single bed can be made of all 
these varieties, or if the grounds are ample, it is well to 
devote a bed or plot to each sort. Spade deeply and 
trench if possible, working in a good quantity of fine 
manure. Plant the larger bulbs four inches deep and 
eight to twelve inches apart, using a little sand, if acces¬ 
sible, around and over the plant. The smaller crocuses 
and snow'drops may be set three inches apart and one 
inch deep. Of course, taller plants should be in the cen¬ 
ter, if the bed is circular. 
Bedded Plants—Lift geraniums, verbenas, fuchsias, 
salvias, petunias, etc., and pot for Winter blooming. 
Cuttings may be made at the same time, placing them in 
pots or boxes at once. 
Chrysanthemums now make a fine show of bloom, and 
are the more prized as annuals and other plants are most¬ 
ly out of flower. Keep neatly tied up, and only cut away 
when actually killed by frost. Their rich colors and del¬ 
icate shadings make them very attractive, and every 
garden should have a collection. 
Dahlias and Gladioluses—Mark plainly before killed by- 
frost, and remove to the cellar or other dry place w here 
they will not freeze, 11. 
Frames and Pits—Construct, f, m,to receive half hardy 
plants requiring partial protection. See that the drain¬ 
age is perfect and place lender roses, verbenas, salvias, 
fuchsias, geraniums, etc., in them, 11. 
Evergreens—This is not a good month in which to 
transplant them. Better defer the planting until Spring. 
Hedges—Plant with deciduous trees and shrubs, m, 1. 
Perennial Flowers—Many of these do better when 
sown in the Fall, say, ff. Hollyhocks, wallflowers and a 
few others will bloom next season, if sown now. 
Pinks, Carnations, etc.—Pot rooted layers and young 
plants and remove, m, 1, to houses or pits. 
3 eec ] s _Save the late ripening, being careful to secure 
those which were marked as of peculiar beauty. Many 
flowers improve or deteriorate according as the finest or 
poorest seeds are saved for future sowing. 
Shrubs—Plant Pyrus Japonica, Dwarf Almond, Hardy 
Azalias, Sweet Scented Shrubs, Scotch Broom, Mezereon, 
Forsythias, Flowering Thorns, Stuartias, Deutzias, 
Honeysuckles, Euonymus, Aitheas, Hydrangeas, Glycine, 
Jasmine, Privet, Mahonias, Syringos, Flowering Cur¬ 
rants, Purple Fringe, Spiraras, Snowberry, Lilacs, Vi¬ 
burnums, Roses, Chinese Weigelia, etc. These are de¬ 
sirable hardy shrubs, many of them blooming quite early 
in the season, and therefore do best w ith Fall planting. 
Xfees—Excepting evergreens, plant the hardy varieties 
a™oon as the leaves fall. There is more leisure at this 
season, and many trees do better w hen planted early in 
the Fall. See if there are not a few vacant places about 
the buildings, in the yards, or along the avenues, where 
a few trees would add beauty to the place, break up the 
sameness, or afford a desirable shade from the sun, and 
screen.from high winds. Do not plant tall trees too thick¬ 
ly near the dwelling. Set them a little in the distance, 
with shrubs near the buildings. It is desirable to have 
some sunshine and a circulation of air around the house. 
GreeiB amd BSot-BIoiases. 
Having followed the full directions of last month, put¬ 
ting the houses in order and carrying in those plants 
which would be injured by cold, the present labors will 
mainly be to secure the remaining plants, and potting and 
preparing for Winter. Some fire heat will be needed 
among the tropical collections, and those to be forced into 
early bloom. Care must be taken, however, not to ex¬ 
cite a too hasty and weak growth, remembering that the 
atmosphere without is cool at this season, and that all 
changes should be gradual. With many of the plants a 
simple protection from frost is all that is now wanted, and 
for these no fire is needed. 
In taking in the various collections, be careful to cleanse 
the pots from moss, weeds, etc., and see that no dead 
leaves or decaying branches are left upon the plants to 
taint the atmosphere with their impurities and offend the 
eye by their unsightliness. Cut or pinch back freely to 
make strong bushy heads, by inducing vigorous new 
shoots. In arranging them upon the shelves it is well to 
group them according to their habits, those which re¬ 
quire much heat in one room, and plants requiring a 
more temperate atmosphere in another. They should, at 
the same time, be arranged with reference to their hight, 
the low growing ones in front, and the taller varieties 
back, or better still, have shelves arranged to rise above 
each other. 
A large supply of polling soil should be in readiness, as 
there is much repotting to be done at this season, besides 
providing for a large number of seedlings and layers now 
in the open ground. 
The houses will need syringing occasionally to keep up 
a humid atmosphere. It will also be beneficial in keeping 
down insects. As the plants are not growing vigorously, 
only a moderate supply of water will be required. It is 
better at tiiis season to give it in the morning. 
Ventilation should be properly attended to. More air 
is required for plants just brought in, than when they 
have been long in the house. 
A few quick growing annuals should be sown atonce, 
for a mid-winter bloom. They will come in well, and 
furnish a variety with the early and late flowering per¬ 
ennials. 
Apiary m October. 
BY M. QUINBY. 
Letters from nearly every section of the Union an¬ 
nounce the fact, that, notwithstanding the good crops 
generally, honey is almost an entire failure, except in a 
few places, consequently there will be a great many 
more light hives than usual; swarms that in ordinary 
seasons w-ould have well filled their hives with stores, 
besides a large surplus in the boxes, w ill be found, when 
examined, to have insufficient for Winter. Neither have 
bees swarmed as usual in many places, which will make 
it desirable for those w ho wish to increase their bees, to 
Winter all that can possibly be put in condition to go 
through. Most of the swarms will be found populous 
enough to be wintered, if judiciously done. 
First ascertain the amount of honey on hand by weigh¬ 
ing all doubtful hives. Weigh an empty hive, add a half 
dozen pounds for the bees and combs—a little more if the 
combs are old; this subtracted from the weight of a full 
hive gives the amount of honey. In a latitude north of 
42 degrees, much less than 25 lbs. w-ill not do; a colony of 
bees when protected, will ordinarily consume 18 lbs., or 
20 lbs. from October 1st to April 1st, and several pounds 
after that, if the Spring is unfavorable. 
Honey should be used for feeding, when it can be had; 
sugar w ill do under some circumstances. In the South¬ 
ern States, or where bees can have an opportunity to fly 
at least once a month, it will do to feed throughout the 
Winter. But where they are confined to the house for 
months, the feeding is apt to make them uneasy and to 
leave the hives. There is no better time than October to 
feed them. If honey from the West Indies, or that from 
hives where foul brood exists, is u«ed, it should be scald¬ 
ed and skimmed, having water added to prevent burn¬ 
ing. Feed as fast as possible till they are of the required 
weight ; otherwise they may rear a large brood, and con¬ 
sume too much ofyour honey. A hive in which the combs 
do not reach the bottom, may have a shallow dish filled 
and set under the bees. Chopped straw, or shavings 
should be put on the top, to keep the bees from drowning 
something also at the side of 'he dish to assist the bees in 
climbing into it. It should be put under at night, and 
taken out in the morning, to prevent tempting the rob¬ 
bers. Bees are apt to become cross w hile being fed, and 
a little smoke will be needed to keep them quiet. If the 
hive is full of combs, the dish of honey may be placed on 
the top, allowing the bees to pass up through the holes. 
It may remain through the day, and be safe, if the cover 
•an be made close enough to prevent other bees from 
sorting the honey. Boxes partly or wholly filled with 
surplus honey, when it can be spared for feeding, are 
very convenient to set on the hive. Cells that are sealed 
up, should ue opened—the bees take out the honey moro 
readily. Empty combs remaining in such boxes, should 
be left as they are, as a good start for another year. Su¬ 
gar made into syrup, will answer as a substitute for hon¬ 
ey, when the bees consume it at once, but if fed in quan¬ 
tities sufficient to be stored in the cells for some time, it 
may granulate and become useless to them. 
Some bee keepers will have more light hives, than the 
honey on hand can bring up to the desired weight, and 
yet wish to keep as many as possible. Two can advan¬ 
tageously be made into one, wdien the contents of both 
are sufficient. The two swarms in one hive, will not 
consume as much honey as they would separately. The 
hives to he united, should be as near one size as possible. 
Beginners would like to work without danger from stings ; 
they may paralyze the bees with either puffball smoke or 
chloroform. To operate with either, the hive should be 
closed on all sides. If puffball is used, dry it well, set on ‘ 
fire and enclose it in a tube one and a half inches in di¬ 
ameter — tin w ill make a good one—arranged so that the 
smoke may be blown into the hive through a hole in the 
side near the bottom ; a ball near two inches in diameter 
will suffice for one swarm. As soon as it is done burning, 
close the hole, and let the hive stand 10 or 15 minutes, 
when the bees will be apparently quite dead, and while 
they are in this state, any operation may be performed. 
They revive in 30 or 40 minutes after the air is admitted, 
and must be confined to the hive for two or three hours, 
till they recover their senses. When puff ball can not be 
had, chloroform may be substituted—the effect is about 
the same. Saturate a damp sponge about the size of a 
lien’s egg ; cover this with a tin, well perforated, funnel 
shaped, or a wire cloth of such shape, to’prevent the bees 
as they drop from covering it too closely. Should the 
hive be too full to admit of this under it; take an empty 
one, and turn it bottom up, which will give abundant 
room, and catch the bees as they drop off the stocks. 
Let both hives to be wintered, be treated alike. The 
one that is to receive the contents of the other, should 
have the ends of the combs cut off square. With a chisel 
pry off the side of the other, that you may have a chance 
to cut out the combs whole, sever the attachments with 
a broad knife, and set each piece carefully on the square 
edges of the combs prepared for them. Let each comb 
occupy the same relative position that it did in the other 
hive ; rolls of paper, or something of the kind, will be 
needed for a few days between them. Put a stick across 
the edges o-f the combs, as a help to support them when 
the hive is turned over, press it close, and fasten each 
end to the sides of the hive. Cover the hive to keep out 
•the rain, and let it stand bottom up a week or two, in 
which time the bees w ill join the combs together where 
they louch, when it may be turned over. Let it occupy 
the stand of the stronger colony of the two. If one ot 
the queens is seen during the operation, she may be kept 
out, but it is not very important. One of them will be 
destroyed, and sometimes a few of the bees, but a gjrod 
swarm will be left, unless boih were weak, even after 
some have returned to the stand they were removed 
from. All this cutting out and changing combs has been 
done repeatedly, without anything further than simply 
smoking the bees a little with tobacco, there is but little 
danger, yet beginners do not like to risk it. When the 
light hives are to be set a\vay for another year, as men¬ 
tioned last month, the bees may be removed by either ot 
these methods, as well as with sulphur. Do not try t* 
keep any very badly diseased stock, even if they are de 
signed to be transferred in the Spring. Bees must have 
empty cells to creep into in severe weather, otherwise 
they become chilled and leave the hive in the cold. 
The first cool mornings will give a chance to examine the 
old stocks thoroughly. If any that you w ish to keep, lack 
bees, give them the bees of the light swarms—stupefying 
both colonies alike. Excessively large colonies are un¬ 
profitable, as we 1 as too small. Avoid extremes. 
