1806 .] 
AMERICAN AG-RIGULTURTST. 
125 
ed, it is cheaper to buy thau to raise them. The 
shoots are started iu hot-beds. The potatoes are 
split lengthwise and laid flat-side down, and cover- 
cred about two inches deep, with rich compost. 
After the shoots push up through this, another 
inch is added. Watering and airing are to be at¬ 
tended to. When the shoots are well rooted, the 
potato is taken up, and all the well rooted plants 
of sufficient size are slipped off, and the potato put 
back in the bed to give the others a chance to grow. 
A bushel of potatoes, it is said, will yield five 
thousand plants, when well attended to. 
Tomatoes. —Seeds may still be sown under glass, 
or in the house. Those sown early, will need to be 
transplanted to other beds or potted in small pots. 
When the roots are crowded iu pots, the plants 
come into flower very early. By pinching off the 
stem above the first cluster of flowers, the growth 
is directed to the side shoots, wliich may in turn 
be pinched, and thus the plant be kept quite dwarf 
and stocky, and the fruit will thus be improved. 
Turnips. —Get the seed in as early as possible, in 
drills Vi inches apart, that is for early table turnips. 
Flower Ciardcu and ILiawn. 
The notes of the last two months will give hints 
for some work that may yet be done. The cover¬ 
ing of bulbs and tender perennials may be removed 
and the soil of the borders carefully forked over. 
A spade should never be used for this purpose. In 
a well kept garden, the walks should always be iu 
perfect order. Dress the gravel, add fresh where 
needed, and roll. Coal ashes will pack loose 
gravel. No plants are more satisfactory than 
Flowering Shrubs, and we have from time to time 
given notices of the best native and e.votic -species. 
Syriugas, Pej-sian Lilacs, Japan Quince, Wiegelas 
and several of the Spiraeas, are readily obtainable 
by a small outlay Then there are 
Hoses, always the one plant that must be in the 
garden Buy only tliose on their own roots. In 
planting out the perpetuals, cut them back to three 
or four buds. Climbing' varieties may be introduc¬ 
ed where tliere is a place for them, and such a 
place can usually be found. Wo are very partial to 
Climbers of all sorts, and if there is no place 
which needs covering, we would set up cedar or 
other posts, and train climbing roses. Wistarias, 
Honeysuckles, Trumpet Creepers, etc., to them. 
Hardy annuals that were started in the house or 
hot-bed, may be put out as soon as the ground is 
ready; the tender ones not until cold nights are 
over. Seeds of Balsams, Asters, and other tender 
kinds may still be sown in doors or under glass. 
Candytuft, Whitlavia, and all such hardy annuals 
may be sown early in the open border, but the ma¬ 
jority of flower seeds arc best kept out of ground 
until the soil gets thoroughly warm. 
Perennial Herbaceous plants need, as a general 
thing, to be reset about once in three years, re¬ 
ducing the clump by dividing with a sharp spade. 
Biennials, such as Hollyhocks, Fo.vgloves and 
SweetWiliiams, should have been transplanted from 
the seed bed in autumn, but it may be done now. 
Plants in 2)its, such as tender Roses, Carnations, 
etc., are to be freely exposed during the day to 
harden them, and then to be turned out into the 
border when frosty nights are over. 
Pizmdes should not be disturbed in the spring if 
it can be avoided, as it is pretty sure to prevent 
their blooming. The proper time is iu the fiill. 
Do not be in a hurrj’ with 
Bedding Plants .— These have been in the warm 
air of the propag.ating house, .and ought not to go 
out until the soil is warm and the weather settled. 
Bulbs of Gladiolas and Japan Lilies are hardy, 
and may be set as soon as the ground is in order. 
Greeu aaid fllot-Monsos. 
The Green-house will now do without fire he.at, 
and the plants should have abundant ventilation, 
when not too cold, to harden them for remov.al. 
Shrubs, including Camellias, that are making a 
new growth, may bo pruned into good shape and 
be freed from insects. If any plants stand in need of 
more pot-room give them a shift to larger pots. 
Plants in flower need to be kept near the light, 
and the usual precautions taken to keep them clear 
of insects. Much of the time of the gardener will 
be occupied iu 
Propagating a quantity of bedding plants for use 
in the borders. As soon as they are rooted, pot 
into small pots, and when the roots become pot- 
bound, either shift to larger pots or shake out the 
earth from the ball and repot iu the same pots. 
Fuchsias are readily multiplied from cuttings of 
young wood; they make good plants in a short time. 
Delicate Annuals, such as Lobelias and Salpigloss- 
is, and fine seeded things, m.ay be sown in pots. 
Dahlias may be brought into a warm place where 
they will sprout, after which they may be divided. 
A spent hot-bed .answers very well for this purpose. 
€oM Grapery. 
The time for uncovering the vines is of course 
governed by the locality and season, but it is usu¬ 
ally done early in April. If the vines were put in 
place at once, the upper buds would break first 
and get so much the start of the lower ones that 
the growth would be very unequal. This is reme¬ 
died by suspending the vine temporarily in such a 
manner that tlie upper end will bend downward, 
and it is kept in this position, changing the point 
of suspension if necessary to make the buds break 
evenly, until the shoots are 2 or 3 inches long. 
When the vines are uncovered, fork up the inside 
borders and syringe the house thoroughly. If the 
vines sliow cracks and begin to bleed, it indicates 
that the wood was not well ripened, or that tlie 
vines have suffered from the cold of winter. If the 
trouble proves serious, and the upper buds do not 
start well, the vine must be cut back. When the 
lower shoots have grown to about 18 inches, select 
a strong one and cut the vine back to it; This 
shoot is to be trained in pl.ace of the cane'that was 
cut awaj'. The tempcr.ature of the house should 
be about 65'^ until near the end of the month, when 
it may reach 70“ or 80“, when all parts of the house 
and the vines should be wetted by using the syringe 
morning and evening. Avoid drafts and sudden 
changes of temperature. 
Apiary in April. 
Prepared by -If. Quinby—Uy request. 
When all the stocks in an apiary are strong, and 
have sufficient stores, there will be little to do 
through the spring, for there wiil not be the least 
danger of robbing, nor danger of extensive injury 
from the moth. This state of things shows that 
they have prospered, and is a guarantee of success 
in the future. There will be some moth worms to 
be found on the floors of the hives, except in the 
hives of the Italians, during this and next month, 
until the bees cover the combs. Sweep out and 
destroy them. All moths and worms remote from 
the bees have been frozen to death in the winter, 
and as the perpetuation of the pest depends upon 
those few now to be found ; this is a great induce¬ 
ment to destroy as many as possible. Put up the 
wren boxes now as near as possible to the bees. It 
is not to be expected that every hive in a large api¬ 
ary wili be No. 1. Some m.ay have abundance of 
honey and but few bees ; another, bees enough and 
a scarcity of honey; others will lack both bees 
and hone}-. These are poor hives, and one or two 
such require more attention through the spring, 
than one hundred that are in good condition. It is 
necessary to inspect closely to know which they 
are, and what is the matter. See to it on warm 
days that no robbing is done. Do not wait to sec 
the bees fighting before any measure is taken to 
prevent pillaging. Hives are often robbed without 
any contention whatever. Close the entr.ance, al¬ 
lowing room for only one bee to pass at once. 
Light colonies must be fed just before they starve, 
for .although they in.ay bo bringing in pollen daily, 
most observers cannot tell whether they are get¬ 
ting sulBccnt honey to prevent starving, before 
clover appears. If you have honey iu the comb,— 
taken from healthy hives,or boxes part full, you 
may feed on the top of the hive—protecting from 
other bees by a good cover ; it will be taken down 
as required. Bees should be fed in small quanti¬ 
ties, two or three times a week, or oftener. When 
syrup and sug.ar or strained honey is used, put it 
on the top in a saucer or similar dish, and lay some¬ 
thing around it that they may creep into it readily, 
and scatter cut straw on the surface to keep them 
from drowning. Candied honey should not be fed 
without first adding water—a pint to six or eight 
pounds—sc.alding and skimming. There seems to 
be an increasing desire to transfer bees to the mov¬ 
able-comb hives, and some of the new readers of 
the Agriculturist would like specifle directions. 
The present month is perhaps the best time. 
Straight combs are preferable. Get a new box of 
the size of the hive from which the bees are to bo 
transferred, and make it comfortably warm inside, 
by setting it iu the sun or a warm room ; then in¬ 
vert the hive, which should cont.ain a strong col¬ 
ony; drive, by pounding on the hive, all the bees 
that will go into the box. Now pry off one side 
of the hive, cutting the attachments of comb 
at the side and top, as m.ay be necessary, "ifake out 
the first comb and lay it carefully, without bruis¬ 
ing, on several thicknesses of folded cloth. Lay 
over it the frame in which it is to be fitted, and 
mark or cut the comb to tiie exact size. It may be 
held iu the frame by winding twine several times 
around. Fine wire is better, or the splints may be 
used as recommended iu the revised “ Bee Keep¬ 
ing.” Keep the frame perpendicular, that the 
comb m.ay rest on its edge. Be careful to put all 
the combs in the same relative position as before, 
that the brood may be all together. When all is 
arranged, the bees may be shaken out upon the top 
of the frames and covered with a close box, or set 
in a perfectly dark room to keep them from flying 
until they find their w.ay among the combs, and 
take up all dripping honey. Then they may be re¬ 
turned to the stand. Avoid opening the mov.able 
comb-hive on a morning in the open air, or in cool 
weather, lest the brood be injured. Better bring 
it into a moderately warm room. 
Take advantage of the first stormy days to repair 
any old hives or bttxes that have been neglected. 
Scald and scrape clean the inside of old hives, and 
they will answer to use again. If any painting is 
to be done, it should not be delayed. It is very 
difficult to make new swarms stay in a hive newly 
painted, or one painted a dark color, when in the sun. 
Catalog-»*cs, c9c., Bteceived.—Third 
Annual Report of the Piocee'iin?s of Ihe West Jersey 
Fruit Grower’s Association for 1865... Report of the 
House Committee on Agriculture of tlie Slate of New 
Jersey, for 1666, from Hon. I. P. Trimbie.... Catalogue 
of Erie Commeiciai and Renton Nur.'erios, J. A. Platt- 
man. Proprietor, Erie. Pa— List of Strawberries, Mon¬ 
itor Potato, etc. Ed. Wheeler. Kalamazoo, Mich ... 
Catalogue, Central Nurseries. E. J. Evans & Co., York, 
Pa ... Catalogues of Trees. Grcen-liouse and Bedding 
Plants, Flower Seeds, etc. Frost & Co., Genesee Valley 
Nurseries, Rociiester, N. Y .. Catalogue, Reading 
(JIass.) Nursery. J. W. Manning, Proprietor . Seed 
Li.'-t of Wm. Hacker, Pliiladelphia, containing several 
specialties among grains, etc.... Catalogue of Vegetable, 
Flower, Fruit. Herb and Field Seeds."R. H. Allen & 
Co., 181) and 191 Water St., N. Y.. Catalogue of Small 
Fruits and other Nursery Stock of Pomona Garden and 
Nurserv. William Parry, Cinnaminson. Burlington Co., 
N. J.... Catalogue of Vegetable and other Seeils. Brill 
& Kumerle. Newark. N. J . .. Knox Fruit Farm and 
Nurseries, Pittsburgh, Pa. A catalogue of small fruits, 
etc., and w-liich contains, besides the business matters, a 
great deal of interesting reading— JMontclair (N. J. 
Small Fruit Nursery. E. Williams ... -McElwain BiOs., 
Springfield, Mass. Illustrated General Seed Catalogue. 
_Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of Agricul¬ 
tural and Horticultural Implements. Griffing & Co., 58 
and 60 Courtlandt SI., N. Y. . .. Hovey's Illustrated Guide 
to the Flower and Vegetable Garden,Boston, Hovey & Co. 
fos’ a, Orcliard.—“ D. 
B. G.,” Hannibal, Mo. With a good strong and well 
drained soil we should hiot be particular about tlie aspect. 
The trees are not especially tender, but the failure of the 
crops is generally due to curculio and black knot. 
