142 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[September, 



or ornamental in ve/jpetation. So says the Fanciers' 

 Journal, and we find the following in an exchange on 

 this subject: 



" The advisability of keeping fowls to run in a gar- 

 den is a question tliat has puzzled me much, and is 

 still undecided in a ' ruralist's ' household. A dozen 

 times has the domestic council decided that every 

 ' fowl's ' head should come off and as many times has 

 the decree been revoked, and as I write this a brave 

 old Brahma struts the door crowing defiance in my 

 ears. 



" During the winter we think fresh eggs and an 

 occasional fricassee are not to be despised, and broi'ers 

 in July and AuerTist are always acceptable; but when 

 we see the seeds of our vegetables being scratched 

 up, or the small fruits disappearing, and the ripening 

 tomatoes hacked into by the. voracious feathered 

 bipeds, there comes a tcmjxirary change in our ideas 

 of their usefulness. At such times one has need of a 

 large amount of natural philosophy,' else desperate 

 measures might be resorted to in saving one good 

 thing by destroying another. 



" At this moment two broods of young chickens, 

 accompanied by their maternal parents, are running 

 about the lawn and garden, every hour or two com- 

 ing up to the kitchen door for a few crumbs in the 

 ■way of relish with the many insects they have been 

 devourintf. It is these frequent visits and the confi- 

 dence with which they ask for what is wanted, as 

 well as their beauty and cunninsrwavs, that blastsall 

 of our resolves to have no more fowls on the place. 

 There is something about a chicken for the first 

 month or two of its life which is peculiarly attrac- 

 tive, and the pleasure derived from seeing them run- 

 ning about repays for all the damage they may do 

 afterwards. 



" I am always ready to dispose of the hens until the 

 epring broods of chickens begin to appear; then my 

 heart fails me, and I begin to count how much good 

 they may do in killing noxious insects, and I even 

 keep an eye on their movements as they scratch off 

 the heads of the young asparagus beetles, or tear up 

 a hill of melons or cucumbers in searching for cut- 

 worms. There are no currant worms on my planta- 

 tion, although these insects are abuudant in ray neigh- 

 bors' gardens, and have been for several years; in 

 fact, I have a bountiful supply of all the various 

 fruits and vegetables thriving in this climate, although 

 two or three dozen fowls roam at large and eat what 

 they please in my garden. There go those little round 

 balls of the softest down as fast as their little legs 

 can carry them for a few more crumbs, and I'll wager 

 something that they will not be disappointed. Well, 

 chickens are chickens every time, no matter whether 

 Brahmas or Bantams; besides this, we have 'chicken- 

 hearted ' people who like to have such petp about, 

 even if the profits cannot always be found in dollars 

 and cents." 



• 



Those who Breed Bantams as a Specialty 



Have found that the smaller the size of this tiny and 

 beautiful class of poultry, the more desirable they 

 have become, in late years, as well as the more sala- 

 ble — other qualities being equal. 



The Black Bantam, or the Gold or Silver-laced 

 Sebrights, and the varieties of modern Game Ban- 

 tams, arc all bred now-a-days for pets ; and their 

 diminutiveness — other qualifications of fine plumage, 

 form and carriage being retained — is quite a desid- 

 eratum. 



It may not be new to some fanciers, but we make 

 the sugircstion (after known successful trials,) that 

 the early I'all of tlieyear is the best time to hatch this 

 class of birds. They are generally a tender chick to 

 rear, but with average good care these little birds will 

 mature well after hatching in August or September. 

 The cooler weather retards titeir growth, and they are 

 thus kept below attaining the stout proportions of 

 their race, that are hatched at an earlier period in the 

 season. 



Bantam fanciers who aim to breed the smallest 

 specimens of their respective varieties, who hatch 

 their chickens about this time, or up to a month later 

 in the year, will find their birds next spring, on the 

 average, one-fifth less in weight, and, with proper at- 

 tention, quite as healthy, as well-formed, and as per- 

 fect in general development and feathering, as their 

 earlier-hatched brothers and sisters of the same spe- 

 cies. The fact is worth understanding by those who 

 covet the lesBer-«Jztrf Bantam fowls. 



To Beginners. 



To those who intend to go into the poultry raising 

 business we would say a few words. The autumn is 

 a first-class time to begin. Do not strike out too 

 largely at first ; commence with only one or two 

 breeds ; we would not advise more than one. Buy 

 good stock of the particular stock you intend to try, 

 from some well-known breeder who will sell you 

 what he represents, and almost directly you will be- 

 gin to get returns for your investment, for the pullets 

 will lay through the winter, when eggs realize their 

 best value ; then early in spring (this depends, how- 

 ever, on the sort you have) look after getting from 

 your neighbors a few old hens, to use for setting pur- 

 poses. After having mated your birds carefully, 



which should be done quite early, save all eggs, and 

 then commence breeding operations. Keep an ac- 

 count of all receipts and expenditures, and give the 

 readers of the Gazette your first year's experience. 

 We have only just said a few words now to those who 

 intend to go in for poultry raising. Our future num- 

 bers will contain each mouth the necessary instruc- 

 tions, which will enable all amateurs to steer their 

 course safely, and to make the result of their ven- 

 ture profitable to themselves and encouraging to 

 others. — Phlla. Fanciers' Gazette. 



Poultry Raising in Cities. 



There are numerous persons residing in cities who 

 desire to keep poultry, but think they cannot do so 

 in confined quarters. No doubt a great many sigh 

 for the advantages the country offers ; still it is not 

 impossible to raise poultry successfully in cities, even 

 in confined quarters. Some of the yards attached to 

 city residences are beautifully adapted for poultry 

 raising, but even in the smaller yards it is practicable. 

 The chief things to remember are, first, no over- 

 crowding ; secondly, keep only those breeds that cau 

 stand confinement ; thirdly, secure to them the ad- 

 vantages of the country in the way of fresh, green 

 food, such as lettuce, cabbages, squashes, etc. 

 Cochins, Brahmas and Spanish are as good as any, 

 and will stand confinement very well. Many of the 

 renowned birds in the show room have been reared 

 and matured in cities. 



Fight Vermin. 



A very important duty of the poultry breeder is to 

 see that his chickens are free from vermin. Sprinkle 

 sulphur continually over the chickens, roosts and 

 houses, the latter two occasionally washed with kero- 

 sene. If you find the slightest symptoms of the pres- 

 ence of vermin, get rid of them immediately. Some- 

 times careless breeders will lose whole settings of 

 eggs, simply by not occasionally sprinkling the hen 

 and nests with sulphur, or other good insect powder, 

 that the poorhens, unable to stand the dreadful pests, 

 have forsaken their nests. A careful breeder will 

 never allow the subject of lice among his poultry to 

 trouble him, but will see that he " has none of it." 



Now IS THE TIME to Commence poultry operations; 

 there are probabilities of a great demand the coming 

 year for eggs and chickens. We predict a good result 

 for those who begin in earnest. 



BEES AND BEE CULTURE. 



How Bees Know their Homes. 



Bees are not attracted to their homes by instinct, as 

 by a magnet, but are governed by their senses in mak- 

 ing the locality. In early spring a large percentage 

 of the bees that fly out are young ones that have never 

 been out ; and the older ones that have been confined 

 to their hive one-half or sometimes all winter, seem 

 to have to some extent forgotten their situation ; con- 

 sequently, when they fly out in the spring they do not 

 leave the hive in a straight line, but only go a few 

 inches, then tnrn their heads towards the hive and 

 oscillate back and forth in front of it ; then moving 

 further back, still hovering in front of the hive, with 

 their heads towards the entrance, occasionally advanc- 

 ing towards it, as if to note more particularly the place 

 of entrance and its immediate surnmudings, they 

 then increase the distance, taking a survey of build- 

 ings, trees, fences, or any other noticeable objects 

 near by, after which they start in a direct line from 

 the hive. 



On returning, they come directly to the hive and 

 enter ; the surrounding objects and the color of the 

 hive seem to be noted by the bees. After the bees 

 have become familiar with their course in the spring, 

 should the hive be moved ten or twenty feet, the bees 

 in flying out will not note the place ; but if they are 

 in a clear, open space, they will generally find the 

 hive. 



But should other objects intervene, or hives be set- 

 ting close by, a large number would miss their way 

 and be lost, even if the hive should be moved only 

 three or four feet from the old stand. They would 

 cither wander aljout until they would die or attempt 

 to enter other hives, and very many of them be killed. 

 If I wish to move them a few rods after the bees have 

 formed their course, I do so gradually, not exceeding 

 the breadth of the hive each day, until I get them 

 away from other hives ; then move them three or four 

 feet each day, and coutiiming in this way until I get 

 them in a permanent place. Before moviug, if a hive 

 is closed and shock raped, or smoke blown into the 

 entrance, it alarms and surprises them, and they are 

 much more apt to note the change when they come 

 out. In moving half a mile or more the result is dif- 

 ferent ; they note the new locality, and all returutoit. 



Queen bees arc even more sharp in locating the hive 

 than the workers or males ; yet they make use of the 

 same means in marking their locality. On more than 

 one occasion we have accidentally allowed valuable 

 queens, which we had received from a distance and 

 had not yet introduced, to take wing and fly i^way ; 

 but they always returned within five minutes from 

 the very spot from which they took their flight. In 



order to secure this result it is necessary that all the 

 surroundings should remain unmoved until the queen 

 bee's return ; even the aparian occupy some position, 

 with hat on or off, as when the queen took her flight. 

 — Seth Jloagland, in Practical Farmer, 



September Management of Bees. 



Bee-keepers in our latitude do not calculate on 

 their bees securing much honey or pollen during this 

 month. But we have had large quantities of surplus 

 honey gathered this month from late buckwheat, gol- 

 den rod and other wild flowers, which bloom in low, 

 wild lands during the forepart of this month; and 

 when ".Jack Frost" does not show himself, both 

 honey and pollen have been gathered largelyup to the 

 first of October. The honey harvest as a general 

 thing terminates this month. 



As soon as the honey season is over, plundering 

 and robbing commences. Great care must be taken 

 to guard against it by closing the entrance of the 

 hives of all weak or small swarms; and it often does 

 not come amiss to contract the entrance of the strong 

 also, for we have seen some strong swarms robbed. 

 Bees are like mankind in this respect; some will de- 

 fend their stores fiercely, while others will make no 

 resistance. If a colony retains its drones long after 

 those of other stocks are destroyed, it will almost in- 

 variably be found queenless, and should be supplied 

 with brood from which to rear a queen. Look often 

 to your colonies, and if any weak ones are found feed 

 them up, and they can be made as strong as any by 

 spring; but will be worth comparatively nothing if 

 left to themselves. — Practical Farmer. 



Bee-Keeping for Farmers. 



Some have adopted bee-keeping as the business of 

 life; and these have mostly attained a flattering suc- 

 cess. Others engage in it as a pastime and amuse- 

 ment chiefly. 



Agriculture has made great advances of late years. 

 The intelligent bee-keeper no longer consigns his 

 favorites to a hollow log, or rude box, nor what is 

 even worse, to any of those absurd contrivances which 

 have proved the ruin of thousands of happy colonies 

 of bees, and provoked the disgust of their unfortunate 

 owners. But providing himself with some form of 

 movable comb hive, well constructed, and having a 

 sufficiently capacious brood chamber (or main apart- 

 ment) and suitable arrangement for surplus honey, 

 he enters upon the pursuit with fair prospect of suc- 

 cess. Those who have once learned how to keep 

 bees, will not soon abandon the pursuit. — Western 

 Agriculturist. 



Honey Product of California. 



The Los Angeles (California) Fxprcss says : " It is 

 stated that the honey product of San Diego county 

 this year will be fully six hundred tons. One million 

 two hundred thousand i>ounds of honey is prodigious 

 for an industry only about three years old. Los An- 

 geles county, also, is making tremendous advances 

 in honey culture, and in a few years the two coun- 

 ties will supply the world. The honey of Southern 

 California is without a rival in quality and flavor in 

 market. It is only during the last twenty years the 

 bees have been known in California, and to-day the 

 business of the apiarist promises to be one of the 

 most important in the southern portion of our State. 



" From the same county San Francisco has received 

 since December last over 5,0011,000 oranges and 

 (),000,000 lemons, while the industry is rapidly ex- 

 tending to the other parts of the State." 



Handling Bees. 



If you wish to handle bees without injury, go about 

 it carefully, without jarring them in any way; do not 

 let tlie putrid breath from your lungs go among them. 

 By the use of a little smoke at the start, it is wonder - 

 ful to see what control the apiarian will have over 

 them when properly managed. Bees when gorged 

 with honey are very peaceable. When often handled 

 they become accustomed to the practice, and when 

 done gently will scarcely notice the action. If roughly 

 handled, without due respect to them, you will be 

 obliged to notice the diflerenee with pain and regret, 

 and beat a hasty retreat. By a careful study of their 

 habits and instinct, the practical apiarian can handle 

 his bees with no more fear of harm than the farmer 

 has from the heels of his favorite horse or the milk- 

 maid from her favorite cow. 



Movable Comb Frames. 



With the movable comb frames all hives of colo- 

 nies cau be kept strong, both with honey and brood. 

 An equalization should be made, both in the spring 

 and fall. When made in the spring, it places the 

 bees nearly on a footing with each other, which is a 

 decided benefit ; yet the difference in the prolificy of 

 the queens and condition of the combs, etc., has so 

 much to do with their prosperity that it is impossible 

 to keep them near equality without frequent changes 

 during the summer. Equalizing them in the fall pre- 

 pares them to enter the long, hard, cold winters alike. 



