FARMERS' REGISTER 



356 



»iIii;CTIOi\S FOU CLEAUING LAND. 



From the Encycloprcdia Americana. 

 Take a view of all iar<re treet>, and see which 

 way ihey may bo felled for the jfreaiest number of 

 small trees lo be felled along-side or on them. Af- 

 ter (ellinir the larjre trees, only lop down their 

 limbs ; l)ut all such as are (ellcd near ihem should 

 be cut in suitable len<2:tlis for two men to roll and 

 pile about the large trees, by which means they 

 may be nearly all burned up, without cutting into 

 lengths, or the expense of a strong team, to draw 

 them together. 2J. Fell all the oiher trees parallel 

 and cut ihem into suitable lenirths ; that they may 

 be readily rolled together without a team, always 

 cutting the largest trees first, that the smallest 

 tnay be loose on the lop, to /eed the fires. 3d. On 

 hill-sides, lell the tiuiber in a level direction ; then 

 the logs will roll together; but if the trees are felled 

 down hill, all the logs must be turned round before 

 (hey can be rolled, and there will be stumps in the 

 way. 4ih. By following these directions, two mon 

 may readily heap and burn most of the timber, 

 without requiring any team ; and perhaps the 

 hranils and the remains of the log-heaps may all 

 be wanted to burn up the old fallen trees. After 

 proceeding as directed, the ground will be clear 

 ibr a team and sled to draw the remains of the 

 heaps where they may be wanted round the old 

 logs. Never attempt either to chop or draw a 

 large log, until the size and weight are reduced 

 by fire. The more fire-heaps there are made on 

 the clearing, the better, particularly about the old 

 logs, where there is rotten wood. The best time 

 of the year to fell the timber in a great measure 

 depends on the season's beini; wet or dry. Most 

 people prefer having it felled in the month of 

 June, when the leaves are of full size. Then, by 

 spreading the leaves and brush over the ground 

 (lor they should not be heaped,) if there should 

 be a very dry time the next May, fire may be 

 turned through it, and will burn the leaves, limbs 

 and top of the ground ; so that a very ffood crop 

 of Indian corn and pumpkins may be raised amonii 

 the logs by hoeing. After these crops come oH, 

 the land may be cleared and sowed late, with rye 

 and timothy grass, or with oats and timothy in the 

 spring. If what is called a good burn cannot be 

 liad in May, keep the fire out until some very dry 

 time in July or August ; then clear oH' the land, 

 and sow wheat or rye and timothy, harrowing 

 several times, both before and after sowing; for, 

 alter the fire has been over the ground, the sod 

 of timothy should be introduced as soon as the 

 other crops will admit, to prevent briers, alders, 

 fire-cherries, &c. from springing up from such 

 seeds as were not consumed by the fire. The 

 timothy should stand four or five years, cither Ibr 

 mowing or pasture, until the small roots of the 

 forest trees arc rotien ; then it may be plouched ; 

 and the best mode which I have observed is, to 

 plough it very shallow in Ihe autumn ; in the 

 spring, cross-plough it deeper, harrow it well, and 

 it will produce a first rate crop of Indian corn and 

 potatoes, and, the next season, the largest and best 

 crop of flax that 1 have ever seen, and be in order 

 to cultivate with any kinds of grain, or to lay 

 down again with gra.5s. These directions are to 

 be understood as applying lo what are generally 

 called beech lands, and the chopping may be done 

 any time in the winter, when the snow is not too 



deep to cut low stumps, as the leaves are then on 

 the ground. By leaving l!ie brush spread abroad, 

 I have known such v/inter choppings to burn as 

 well in a dry time in August as that which had 

 been cut the summer belijre. 



TIIK CEE-MOTH. 



From the Franklin Farmer. 



Mr. Editor. — Having had some experience in 

 the management of bees for several years past 

 during a part of which lime my apiary has com- 

 prised twenty hives ; and having been a close 

 observer of the bee-moth ever since iis first ap- 

 pearance in this vicinity, I am induced to present 

 a few litcts which I have obtained by close obser- 

 vation, and which may probably assist some o( 

 your readers in checking the ravages of these de- 

 structive insects. 



During the past summer I have kept a number 

 of the maggo;s and the flies under glass tumblers 

 and small boxes for the purpose of particular ob- 

 servation, and now write with one ol each before 

 me. 



The moths are butterflies or candle flies of a 

 pale ashy color; and when full irrown are about 

 half an inch in length, with reddish backs, small 

 sharp heads, short and delicate horns, and without 

 a proboscis. Their wings are small and double, 

 and when in a slate of rest are kept close to the 

 body. During the day they may be found sitting 

 upon the retired parts of the outside of the hives, 

 and may be easily taken with the fingers. About 

 the dusk ofevening and morning the lemales may 

 be seen sitting with their wings extended, inviting 

 the embraces of the males, while others are fiiiting 

 to and fro, ant! occasionally one may be seen to 

 dart with great velocity into the entrance of the 

 hive. The bees will not pursue the moths on the 

 wing, and the moths far outstrip them in flight on 

 l(30t. The moths live about ten or twelve days, 

 during which time I cannot perceive that they take 

 any nourishment whatever. The only object of 

 their existence seen)s to be to deposit their egoa, 

 which are small, round and white, and of which I 

 have seen ten Uropped in rapid succession. For 

 this purpose nature has most skilfully provided 

 them with a sor^ of proboscis about the sixteenth 

 of an inch in length, which is contracted and pro- 

 truded from their tails, and vibrated with great 

 velocity, as wasps or hornets do iheir stings, which 

 it somewhat resembles. With this admirable 

 apparatus the eggs are deposited in places which 

 are inaccessible to the bees, or they would be de- 

 stroyed by a thrifty and a spirited hive. As soon 

 as the young magcot casts its shell, it envelopes 

 itself in a web which is closely attached lo the 

 hive or stand, and which is impervious to the bees. 

 These webs are enlarged as tiie maggots grow, 

 and they grow fast and fatten kindly, no matter 

 whether a poplar or pine plank, or honeycomb 

 and its didicious sweeis, are the elements upon 

 which tliey subsist and weave their webs. 



From one ex|)eriment I am satisfied that the 

 maggots will attain their full size of half an inch in 

 length, and the thickness of a large knitting needle, 

 in the short space of -.^ight days : but of this 1 can 

 speak with greater certainty hereafter, as I now 

 have two lots of eggs under observation. 



