164 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[June, 
be frequently cut. This is generally done with the 
scythe; there are machines which do the work 
well, but as the makers of them do not advertise, 
we do not know where they are to be had. The 
English makers advertise a number of patterns. 
The turf should not be allowed to grow close to 
the trees, but should be cut in a true and a well 
defined circle from 3 to 6 feet in diameter, accord¬ 
ing to the size of the tree. Keep this free of weeds. 
Hoses. —If restricted to one flower, probably the 
choice of the majority would be the rose. The Re- 
montants and Hybrid Perpetuals are replacing the 
older sorts, and the running kinds are among the 
most popular climbers. Their beauty is not to be 
enjoyed without labor as they are much preyed 
upon by insects. The rose bugs should be shaken 
off early in the morning and destroyed or picked by 
hand, and the slugs, which soon destroy the leaves, 
should be treated to a solution of 1 lb. of whale oil 
soap, to 8 gallons of water. As soon as the Re- 
montants have flowered, they should be headed 
back to induce Fall blooming. A much finer show 
of late flowers, if these are desired, may be se¬ 
cured by sacrificing the Spring bloom altogether. 
Transplanting. —Many of the annuals will needto 
be transplanted. Give Asters, Balsams, Zinnias, 
and other strong growers ample room to develop 
themselves; single specimens of these are much 
finer than when grown in masses. Some of the 
tender plants will need shading for a few days. 
Verbenas may still be put out. Peg down the 
branches so as to make a showy dense mass. 
Water. —Except newly transplanted things, it is 
not often necessary to water. When it is applied, 
the surface soil should be removed and replaced 
after the watering. This will prevent the earth 
from caking, as it often does after surface watering. 
Box Edging. —Last month was the proper time 
for making new and trimming old edgings, but it 
may be done successfully, early the present month. 
Petunias. —Put out rooted plants and transplant 
any seedlings ready. Give plenty of room. 
Heliotropes. —These are usaally put out too early. 
They need settled weather. If the plant has drawn 
up, it should be cut back, to form a compact growth. 
Vinca. —This old fashioned plant, known as Peri¬ 
winkle, and sometimes as “Myrtle,” has some very 
pretty varieties with variegated foliage, which seem 
to be hardy. They are fine for vases and baskets. 
Green ami SSot-ESoiases. 
A large majority of the plants are now out of 
doors, either turned out into the borders, or placed 
where they will ornament the grounds. The trop¬ 
ical plants are still kept in the house, as well as 
other delicate things. Let whatever is left in the 
houses be tastefully arranged, in order to avoid the 
desolate and rubbishy look that most green-houses 
present during Summer. Give plenty of air. 
Camellias should be placed where they will have 
partial shade. Cut back to give the plant a proper 
shape and see that insect pests are destroyed. 
Cuttings. —A stock of Geraniums, Fuchsias, Chrys¬ 
anthemums, Heliotropes, etc., should be propa¬ 
gated to furnish plants for winter blooming. 
Grapes.—When the fruit is ripening the syring¬ 
ing overhead should be discontinued. Thin out the 
late crops. Bearing shoots 6hould be shortened to 
three leaves beyond the bunches and all unnecessa¬ 
ry shoots pinched off. Air freely and water as needed. 
Inarch those hard wooded plants which do not 
strike readily from cuttings, nor from layers. 
Oranges, Lemons, etc., may be budded this month. 
Potting. —Rapidly growing plants need more pot 
room and should be shifted to larger sized pots. 
Potting soil should be always at hand. Sods from 
an old pasture piled up and allowed to decay make 
an excellent compost, this mixed with sand as may 
be required, will answer for the majority of plants. 
Seedlings started in the green-house may be pot¬ 
ted off or set out in the grounds as fast as ready. 
Verbenas. —A stock for winter flowering should 
be propagated from cuttings. They strike easily. 
Water. —Plants in small pots will dry out rapidly; 
give a supply of water as needed. See that the 
pots out of doors have thorough drainage, or the 
earth in them will remain soaked after heavy rains. 
Apiary in June. 
June is the swarming month in the Apiary, and 
at least one new colony should be expected from 
each old stock. A hive from which no swarm is¬ 
sues should be examined. If they have refused to 
leave for want of a queen, they will usually be 
found weak, when it is best to drive them out and 
unite them with some other stock. If the colony 
is strong, a new queen, or a cell containing a queen, 
can be introduced from some other hive. If a hive 
has failed to swarm from diseased brood, drive 
them into an empty hive to commence anew.... 
When two swarms issue as the same time, they are 
apt to settle together. To prevent this, sprinkle 
the bees of one hive with water, as they are about 
to start, which may be usually discovered by the 
commotion about the entrance of the hive a few 
moments before flying. The sprinkling will delay 
them until the first swarm can be hived....The 
first issue from a hive is usually large enough for a 
good colony, the second half as large, the third a 
quarter, consequently two of the second, or four of 
the third will be needed to make a swarm equal to 
the first. If second swarms issue late in the month 
it is advisable to make one strong stock by uniting 
two. It can be readily done within a day or two 
after issuing. It has been proposed to prevent the 
issuing of a second swarm by returning the old 
queen to the hive. This would only be likely to 
end in one of the following results: The queen 
might destroy all the royal cells, and go on laying 
eggs for three or four weeks, until auothcr swarm 
had matured, when she would issue, leading out a 
second swarm. Or she might leave the royal cells 
undisturbed, and issue the next day, taking with 
her a small swarm. Or she might entirely disap¬ 
pear without being heard of again ; at any rate her 
presence would not be likely to prevent a second 
swarm. Prevention can be accomplished in the 
movable frame hive, by cutting out the queen cells 
after the first swarm has issued and after the young 
queen has taken her place, and not allowing any 
such to be perfected... .If a second swarm can not 
be well disposed of otherwise, return it to the old 
stock. Hive it first, carry it nearthe old stand, and 
let it remain until next morning, when all the 
queens but one will usually be destroyed, as well as 
the supernumeraries in the parent hive. Shake out 
the swarm, and find and secure the queen ; then put 
a few bees at the entrance, with something on 
■which the rest may creep there, and they will all 
readily enter_All new swarms should be kept 
6 haded during the middle of the day... .When bees 
cluster iu a crowd at the outside of the hive, it is 
time to add boxes to receive surplus honey. If the 
honey is intended for home consumption, a -wood 
box will be sufficient; for marketing, those with 
glass sides are preferable. They should be not 
more than five inches deep. The bees will work in 
them more readily if pieces of nice white comb are 
placed in the top. They can be fastened by dipping 
one edge in melted beeswax, and applying before it 
cools. Old colonies should be induced to begin in 
the boxes before they swarm, as the bees will be 
more likely to finish up the work, than to begin 
after swarming, especially if the colony be not very 
strong. Remove the boxes as soon as filled. It is 
not usually advisable to put on boxes immediately 
after hiving ; the bees are likely to rear brood and 
store bee-bread in them. It is safe to put them on 
after the swarm has been hived three or four days. 
To Keep Rabbits from Gnawing Trees. —John 
M. Lacey, Mahaska, Iowa, writes that after trying other 
expedients, he has for the last two years given the trees 
a coat of soap and sulphur, and that they have been un¬ 
harmed by the rabbits. He says he saw the Hint in the 
£ griculturist, and thinks we should republish it annually. 
A Curculio Talk. 
At the Fruit Grower’s Meeting, held May 7th, the cur¬ 
culio question was brought up and discussed at length. 
Some members took the ground that the plum crop was 
the least valuable one, and might be left to this insect, 
while others complained that they could not raise apples 
in seasons of scarcity owing to the depredations of the 
curculio. Dr. Trimble, of New-Jersey, who has made 
this insect a study for years, thought it was coward¬ 
ly to give up any of our fruits to their insect ene¬ 
mies. He showed a vial containing 100 curculios (bred 
from apples), another vial with 100 pea bugs, and a 
third vial having 100 grains of buckwheat, to show' that 
the three were nearly of the same size. After pronounc¬ 
ing against the various solutions and powders recom¬ 
mended for their extinction, all of wdiich had proved 
valueless to him, he said the only reliable method was to 
turn the hogs into the apple and plum orchards, to eat up 
the punctured fruit as it fell from the trees, or pick it up 
by hand, and destroy it, This disposes of the embryo in¬ 
sect, which would be troublesome the next year. But 
when the curculio comes, his plan is to jar it from the 
trees upon sheets, using care not to start the bark. 
The hand is sufficient to jar small trees. 
He has a stout sheet made, 12 feet square, with a pole 
attached to one side, and a slit made in the opposite side 
to the centre. Two short poles are also fastened to the 
side where the slit is made, to stiffen the cloth. The 
sheet is then taken by two boys, who place it under 
the tree with the trunk in the centre, when a third 
person hits the tree two or three raps and the lads 
soon gather up what insects fall, and march off to the 
next tree. The orchard is soon gone over in this way, 
and in clear weather the process must be followed up 
each day or oftener if the insects are found at work—in 
cold or rainy weather they do not trouble the trees. 
The Dr. has satisfactorily proved that the perfect in¬ 
sect or beetle emerges from the ground in August, or four 
to six weeks after it enters the earth in the larva state, 
and spends the winter in crevices of bark, under shingles, 
and between boards of old buildings, etc., and.is all ready 
to attack the plum and apricot as soon as the fruit sets. 
This is usually about the 18th of May, and they do most 
of their damage between that time and the 1st of June. 
Hogs must do the work in the apple orchards, as large 
trees can not be jarred. Cherries are often stung and 
ripen prematurely. Birds destroy a great many of them, 
as they often take the early cherries ns much for worms 
found in them, as for the cherries themselves. 
If any one doubts that the curculio attacks the apple, let 
him gather the fallen fruit the last of June, or early in 
July and put it in a barrel with several inches of earth. 
Spread gauze or millinet over the barrel and the curcu¬ 
lios will be secured when they attempt to leave the earth. 
Strawberry Exhibition. 
AT THE 
Office of the American Agricultnrisst 
The Proprietor of the Agriculturist invites Strawberry 
Growers, of this vicinity and elsewhere, to make an exhi¬ 
bition of their choice fruit on Thursday and Friday, June 
18th and 19th.* at the American Agriculturist Office ; and 
to give zest to the exhibition, he offers the following 
' PRIZES : 
A—For best 25 approved varieties (one quart each)... $7 
B—Second prize. 5 
C—Third prize. .. 3 
D—For best dish of market berries (two quarts of 
one variety.—It will be very desirable to show 
plants with fruit in addition) . 3 
E—For second and third best do. do. $2, $1 
F—For largest three berries of one variety, (weight 
and size both beingconsidered). . 2 
G—For best New Seedling not before exhibited- 5 
H—For Second Best Seedling not before exhibited... 2 
1 —For best flavored Strawberries (one quart). 2 
j —For best quart of White Strawberries. 2 
K—For best quart Everbearing .. . 2 
L—For best quart of Bonte St. Julien. I 
M—For best quart of La Constante. .... 1 
N—For best pint of Princesse Frederick William_ i 
O—For best pint of Empress Eugenie. fl 
p_For best pint of Marguerite. 1 
Q—For best quart Fillmore. I 
R—For best quart Cutler. i 
S—For best quart of Trioinphe de Gand. 1 
X—For best quart Wilson’s Albany. 1 
U—For best quart Hooker’s Seedling. 1 
V—For best quart Hovey’s Seedling. 1 
W—For best quart Victoria. 1 
X—For best quart Jenny Lind. f 
Y—For best quart Vicointesse Ilericart deThury. 1 
No sample can compete foi more than one prize. 
The berries to come in compelilion for the premiums 
must be upon the tables as early as 11 A. M. on Thursday 
June 18th, and each specimen must be correctly labeled. 
The Awarding Committee wilt attend to their duties at 
12 M.—The exhibition will not open to the public until 
2 P.M. When the premiums are awarded. The names , resi¬ 
dence, -And places of business of the exhibitors will j>e put 
upon the specimens, and the prize samples designated. 
No Fruit exhibited will be removed before Friday 
evening without special permit. 
