AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
131 
Fruit Trees—A few lute growing kinds may still be 
planted, if. Train wall and espalier trees, cutting back as 
needed. Hub off any unnecessary slioots. 
Grapes—Have them securely tied to stakes, trellises 
and arbors : rub off any superfluous slioots and destroy in¬ 
sects depositing eggs or preying upon them. The borders 
were probably dug up and well manured last month. 
Read Grape articles on page 147 of the present number. 
Herbs—Set, ff, any remaining roots. 
Iloe early plants, to destroy w eeds and loosen the soil. 
Hot Beds—Complete planting from them, f, m. 
Insects—Keep garden fleas from turnips, cabbages, etc , 
by dusting with lime, wood ashes, guano, flour and pep¬ 
per, etc. Use the same on cucumbers and other vines for 
the striped bug. A moderate sprinkling with weak whale 
oil soap will answer a similar purpose. 
Kohl Rabi—Sow, ff, m. 
Lettuce—Sow and plant from hot-beds, ff. Sow every 
two weeks for a succession. Give room to head well. 
Martynea—Sow, f, m, for pickles. They are also at¬ 
tractive as flowering plants upon the border. 
Melons—Plant and protect as cucumbers, keeping the 
different varieties by themselves if seed is to be saved, 
otherw ise they will mix. Pumpkins, cucumbers, squash¬ 
es, etc , should be kept apart for tire same reason. 
Mushroom Beds for Summer use may be made, f, m. 
Mustard—Sow, ff, rn, 1, for a succession of greens. 
Nasturtiums—Sow, ff, m, for flowers and for pickles. 
Okra—Sow, ff. Plant out former sowings, m. 
Onions should have been sown last month. If not done 
put them in, ff. See prize article in March Agriculturist, 
page 69, and chapter on the onion fly, page 108, April No. 
Peas—Sow Champion of England, orsome other choice 
marrowfats, f, m, 1, to form a succession with the Daniel 
O’Rourke and other early peas sown last month. Slick 
when three or four inches high. 
Potatoes may still be planted, ff. See under “ Farm ” 
head; also directions for raising sweet varieties, page 143. 
Radishes—Sow at intervals, f, in, 1, among other veg¬ 
etables, or on ground, where late crops are to be planted. 
Raspberries—Tie up canes, ff. Cut back long strag¬ 
gling shoots. Fork in a good supply of manure if not al¬ 
ready done. See method of training on page 182, Vol. 17. 
Rhubarb- Sow seed and plant roots, ff, although better 
plarrted in April. Keep ground light, rich, and free from 
weeds. Established plants will now afford fine “pullings.” 
Sage, Savory, etc.—Sow, ff, m. Transplant last year’s 
sowing. 
Salsafy and Scorzonera—Sow, ff, on rich deep soil. 
Seeds—See that roots spoken of last month are all out 
for a supply of pure home-grow n seeds. Test all seeds 
before sowing so as to have no failures. 
Spinach—Hoe and thin plants wintered over, saving a 
quantity for seed ; sow, f, m, 1, for successive use. 
Squashes—Plant in well manured and deeply dug hills, 
f, m. Protect from their 
greatest enemies, the striped 
lugs, as directed under mel¬ 
ons ; or surround with floor 
oil-cloth, pasteboard, birch- _ 
bark, etc., pegged down as seen in the cut. Bugs have 
very little ingenuity and will seldom climb over these 
although open at the top. Read article on Squash growing. 
Straw berries—New beds may be made, f, m. Water in 
dry weather. Keep free from weeds. 
Tomatoes—Put out early plants, if, m, and sow seed at 
the same time for late use. See directions on page 142. 
Transplanting—Much of this will require doing, m, 1. 
Select damp cloudy weather before a rain, if possible; 
otherwise water and shade the plants after moving. 
Turnips—Sow' for Summer use, f, m. Early sowings 
will need thinning and weeding, m. 
Weeds—Keep them down or they will keep the veget¬ 
ables down. 
Winter Cherry (Physalis)—Plant out, i, m, as tomatoes. 
Seed may be sown, if, m. 
FJower Garden asad. Lawn 
The first flowers of the crocus and snowdrop have al¬ 
ready faded, but a richer and more abundant bloom is now 
unfolded in the fragrant hyacinth and narcissus, while the 
gaudy tulip and majestic crown imperial are openingtheir 
petals, and lending attractions to the flower borders. 
Several of the early flowering shrubs are also in bloom 
and the more hardy plants of the houses or conservatories 
are being added to the borders, increasing their beauty. 
Annuals now require sowing for late flowering. Trans¬ 
plant from hot-beds and houses, m. 
Asters & Balsams—Sow, ff, m, on warm sunny borders. 
Bedding Plants—Set out a bed or mass of verbenas, 
another of petunias, with a patch of daisies here, and ge¬ 
raniums or other good bedding plants, somewhere else. 
This is. far better Ilian to mix them up promiscuously. 
Borders and Lawn Beds—Keep neat and clean, often 
raking the ground among the flowers. 
Box and Grass Edging—Set out, if. Clip old borders, 
leaving them of cone shape rather than with square tops. 
Bulbs—Beds of these which were planted last Fall still 
make a ricn show. By keeping them shaded from the 
hot sun they will continue in bloom for two or three 
weeks longer. Keep well tied up. 
Carnations, Pinks and Pansies—Plant out and sow seed 
f, m. Tie up carnation flower stalks and slit sheaths of 
choice kinds inclined to bloom upon the side. 
Dahlias, Gladioluses and Tuberoses—Plant out, f, m 
those starled in houses and boxes last month. Read 
“ Dahlia Culture ” on page 148. 
Daisies—Divide and reset or plant out, ff, m. 
Dielvtra—Divide and reset or plant out, ff. They will 
show finely in masses. 
Evergreens—Plant about the lawn or in groups and 
belts, for screens and hedges, f, mm. See page 144. 
Frames and Pits—Remove the remaining plants and 
set out, ff, m. 
Fuchsias and Geraniums—Bring from houses, f, in, and 
plant in the borders. Keep well staked. 
Gravel Walks—Renew old and make new, ff, m. Keep 
well hoed and raked. 
Hedges—Plant deciduous, ff, if omitted last month. 
Evergreen hedges may be set out, f, m. 
Hoe or loosen the ground around tender plants. The 
ladies’ garden fork is a good implement for this purpose. 
The soil should not be allowed to crust. 
Honeysuckles and other climbers, including annuals 
should mostly be planted, ff, if not done last month. The 
cypress vine does best planted, m, when the ground is 
warm. See illustrated trellis, page 339, vol. 17. 
Hot-Beds—Set out the remaining plants, ff, m. The 
houses will furnish a supply for borders and massing. 
Labels, Stakes and Dahlia Poles should all be in readi¬ 
ness against they are needed. 
Lawn—Sow with plaster, guano or bone sawings, or 
water with liquid manure if not done last month. Mow, 
ni, I, and roll smooth. 
Mulch newly planted trees, especially evergreens. 
Leaves, sawdust, tanbark, old hay or straw spread around 
these, prevent them from drying, and furnish a gradual 
supply of manure to be washed down to the roots. 
Pansies, Petunias and Verbenas—Plant out, ff, m, and 
sow seed for late plants. 
Perennials and Biennials—Divide and reset old roots. 
Transplant last year’s seedlings, ff, m. 
Portulaccas—Sow, ff, m, in patches of distinct colors. 
Roses—Plant, ff. Bring from houses, f, m, and turn 
into a deep rich soil. Train climbing and pillar varie¬ 
ties. Destroy slugs on leaves by whale oil soap mixture 
described elsewhere. Layer old wood, f, m. 
Stocks and Wall Flowers—Sow, and plant out, f, m. 
Turf—Renew, ff, any bare spots on the lawn or in the 
grass edging and walks. 
W’aler new planted shrubs, trees, and flowers as needed. 
Weeds should give place to flowers. Do not allow 
them to get a start in these grounds. 
GreeEi and 13o>4 ISonses. 
Fire heat may now be nearly suspended, except in col¬ 
lections of tropical plants, and during damp, foggy, or 
cool weather. Abundance of air is required to harden 
the plants for a removal to the open ground. Some of 
them may be taken from the hot-house to the green-house, 
and afterwards to the open air, rather than carry them 
from a high temperature to exposed situations at once. 
Towards the middle of the month, the work of removal 
may begin, carrying out the more hardy first. Arrange 
them ill a convenient, tasteful order, and screen from 
high winds. Some of them may be turned into the bor¬ 
der for Summer blooming, relying upon younger plants 
for flowering next Winter. Where the pots are placed 
on the ground it is well to put ashes under them to keep 
away worms and other insects. 
Achimenes and Gloxinias—Keep in a warm situation, 
partially shaded. 
Azalias—Water and syringe freely now that they are 
growing rapidly. Cut back straggling branches to form a 
compact head. 
Bulbs—Plant out any still remaining in pots or glasses. 
Cactuses—Syringe for insects. Strike cuttings, ff. 
Callas—Water freely while in flower. 
Camellias are now in a fine growing state, and need 
frequent waterings. Syringe the foliage, to keep down in¬ 
sects. Give them an airy situation. 
Carnations—Take to border, f, m, stake those in bloom. 
Chrysanthemums—The stock may still be increased by 
cuttings, suckers and division of roots. 
Cinerarias—Late ones are still in bloom, and need fre¬ 
quent waterings. 
Cuttings of Cactuses, Euphorbias and other succulents. 
—Make these, f, m, partially drying them before striking, 
as they will be jess liable to rot. 
Fuchsias—Plant out in borders, m,or shift those intend- 
ed to bloom in pots. Water freely. 
Grapes require care according to the degree of forcing 
they have received. Some vines may now show good 
sized berries or nearly ripe fruit and require little water, 
especially among the bunches. Others are later and need 
frequent syringings and pinching back. A portion may- 
need thinning with scissors. The borders should be un¬ 
covered, manured and forked over. 
Inarching—May be performed on woody plants that do 
not root readily by cuttings, such as oranges, lemons, etc. 
Insects—Allow no stronghold to become colonized at 
this season. It will be more difficult to dislodge them 
afterwards. Water and tobacco fumes will usually do it. 
Japan Lilies—Shift or plant out. Tie up flower stalks. 
Layer, ff, woody and herbaceous plants to increase them. 
Oranges, lemons, oleanders and myrtles—Carry to open 
ground and water frequently. Plant seeds for a stock. 
Pelargoniums are beginning to bloom. Watch the ap¬ 
pearance of the green fly and fumigate to destroy them. 
Roses may all be removed to the open grounds, f, m. 
Increase the stock by cuttings, ff. 
Water freely, both before and after removing plants 
from the houses. Evening is the best time to apply it. 
Apiary ist May. 
BY M. QUINBY. 
If this month should prove cold and wet, many light 
stocks of bees would fail to get a supply of honey, although 
pollen might be carried in quite freely. During every 
turn of wet or cool weather, that confines them to the hive 
for more than a day or two at a time, it will be necessary 
to watch all stocks that have a scanty supply of stores. 
If examined daily, and a colony is found destitute and ap¬ 
parently dead some cool morning, they may be revived, 
by inverting the hive, and pouring a few ounces of hone) 
or syrup of sugar among the bees ; then confining them lo 
the hive with a cloth over the bottom, and bringing it to 
the fire to warm up. In a few hours if the feed is taken 
up.it maybe returned to the stand.Keep a good 
lookout for robbers as the danger is not over, till plenty of 
honey is obtained from flowers.As soon as there are 
bees enough to protect the combs properly, the front side 
of the hive may be raised half an inch.Continue the 
search for the moth worm in all stocks not crowded with 
bees.Swarms may be expected in many places the 
last of the month, if the weather is favorable, and stocks 
in good condition. Have hives in readiness, that they 
may be hived without delay. No noise is needed to make 
them cluster, nor is any wash necessary to make them 
like the hive. Let the hive be clean, and not too smooth 
inside. Be sure to make the whole swarm enter by stir¬ 
ring gently with the feather end of aquill, orif necessary, 
a moderate sprinkling of water. Carry immediately to the 
stand, raise the front side half an inch, and put up a shade 
for the hive in the middle of the day.In small apiaries 
of 20 stocks or less, in good condition, it is best to prepare 
two empty hives for one old stock. When a greater num¬ 
ber are kept, an average of one and-a-half will do. There 
will not be more than bees enough in any number of 
swarms that may be thrown out, to profitably occupy a 
greater number of new hives when properly distributed. 
With a large number of stocks, most of the small or after 
swarms may be united till strong colonies are formed. 
Where but few stocks are kept, the small swarms must 
of necessity be further apart, and many of them either 
hived alone, or returned to the parent stock. 
- < 9—4 - ' « — ■ 
How Cane Sugar is grown and Made •■•11. 
(Continued frontpage 102.) 
TILLAGE OF THE CANE FIELDS. 
The planting season extends from the first of December 
to the first of March, according to the latitude and cir¬ 
cumstances of the planter. In southern Texas, it begins 
several weeks earlier than in Louisiana. It follows im¬ 
mediately upon the close of the grinding season, and it 
is only in case of overflow, or hindrances beyond the 
control of the farmer, that it is delayed later lhan the first 
of March. 
The first labor after the planting, is lo bring up the 
young cane as uniformly as possible. Though a large 
vigorous plant at its maturity, it is very feeble at the start, 
looking much like the first shoots of broom corn. As soon 
as occasional blades are seen in the rows, indicating that 
the shoots are ready to break through the soil, light har¬ 
rows are drawn over the surface. This is the more ne¬ 
cessary from the fact that the soil throughout the whole 
sugar districts is largely mixed with clay, and bakes soon 
after it is stirred. The rains are frequent, and without 
this light harrowing, the crop starts without uniformity, 
and many of the shoots show themselves quite too late to 
be of any service. 
After the blades are up a few inches, tillage commences. 
They first “ run around ” the crop, as it is called, by 
turning a furrow from the cane on each side, with alight 
mule plow. The hands immediately follow with hoes, 
brushing out the young shoots, and destroying ail weeds 
