1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



367 



sandy and gravelly soils. It has been known to 

 have as good effect as dung from the barn yard, 

 in the culture of Indian corn, on dry and sandy 

 soils. The advantage of mud (or manure is not 

 limited to a single season, for it mends, as it were, 

 the constitution of the soil, and restores to a hill 

 side, or an elevated piece of ground, those fine 

 and fertilizing parts which rains and snows have 

 washed away. 



But farmers on the sea coast have great ad- 

 vantages over others, as respects the use of mud 

 for manure. The sediment of salt water, which 

 may be taken up along the shores of the sea, 

 contains some fertilizing substances not to be 

 found in fresh water deposites, and abounds more 

 than any other mud with putrified animal sub- 

 stances. If it be taken from flats, where there 

 are or have been shell fish, it is calcareous as well 

 as putrescent manure, and answers all the pur- 

 poses of lime as well as of animal matters taken 

 from farm yards, &c. The best manure, how- 

 ever, is obtained from docks, and from the sides of 

 wharves in populous towns, having been rendered 

 richer from sewers, the scouring of streets, &c, 

 as well as refuse animal and vegetable substances 

 fallen or thrown into such places. 



Dr. Deane observed, that "mud lhat is newly 

 taken up may be laid upon grass land. But if it 

 is to be ploughed into the soil, it should first lie 

 exposed to the frost of one winter. The frost will 

 destroy its tenacity, and reduce it to a fine pow- 

 der; after which it may be spread like ashes. But 

 if it be ploughed into the soil before it has been 

 mellowed, it will remain in lumps for several 

 years, and be of less advantage." 



A layer of mud is an useful ingredient in a 

 compost heap, and should be underlaid, or over- 

 laid, or both, with quick-lime, or horse dung 

 covering the whole with loam or other rich earth. 

 But a still better mode of disposing of all sorts of 

 earthy manures, is to lay them in farm yards to be 

 thoroughly mixed with the dung and stale of ani- 

 mals; and we believe this mode of management 

 is in most general use by New England farmers. 

 It requires more labor, and the increased expense 

 of twice carting; but the advantage it aflbrds in 

 absorbing and retaining the stale of cattle, will be 

 more than equivalent to such labor and expense. 



From the Bucks County Intelligencer. 

 HOW TO GET RID OF THE BEE MOTH. 



Conversing, a few days since," with an intelli- 

 gent farmer in the south-west part of Bucks 

 county, I queried with him relative to his success 

 in raising bees, which were observed in a corner 

 of his garden. I had noted nothing remarkable 

 in the situation or position of the hives — neither 

 was there any thing peculiar in their form — but 

 the bees in all of them appeared uncommonly ac- 

 tive. The farmer pointed to a number of boxes 

 and calabashes, which he had placed in various 

 parts of the garden, elevated in such a manner 

 as to attract lorens, which I could perceive had 

 established a residence in each of these simple 

 and easily prepared apartments. These, he said, 

 were the guardians of his bees; and they effect- 

 ually protected the latter from their natural ene- 

 mies' — the mode of doing which he thus briefly 

 explained: 



"I raise the hive above the bench with little 



blocks at each corner, say from one and a half to 

 two inches, so as to allow the wren to pass under 

 it. This being done, the little domicils should be 

 raised in different situations about the garden, ta- 

 king care to have one or more of them contiguous 

 to the bee-hives. The wrens will then watch the 

 moth, with great assiduity, as I have frequently 

 seen, often entering the hive after the miller, seiz- 

 ing it, and bearing it to its young, or devouring it 

 on the spot. I have often seen the little bird en- 

 ter the hive, and in the twinkling of an eye returning 

 with its prey, without, apparently, disturbing the 

 bees in the ieast, or even manifesting the least de- 

 gree of fear, although the bees were on all sides. 

 Since I have been in this practice," he continued, 

 "I am not conscious of having had a single hive 

 materially injured by the bee moth." I observed a 

 number of the habitations above named, about 

 the garden, and they all appeared filled with sticks, 

 as if occupied by wrens. My friend observed 

 that he found it necessary not to leave the door 

 of the entrance too large — as blue, birds would 

 sometimes take possession under such circum- 

 stances, and these were implacable enemies to the 

 wren. 



This little specimen of practical philosophy 

 pleased me exceedingly, and set me to reflecting 

 how much useful knowledge might be obtained 

 by a little observation, and at a very small share 

 of expense. While on the other hand, by ne- 

 glecting to make a proper use of our senses, we 

 are continually persecuting some of our most 

 useful auxiliaries in the animal creation! Take 

 as a specimen the unrelenting persecution with 

 which we follow the king-bird, as a bee catcher! 

 Experience has proved that this bird never dis- 

 turbs the working bees — but a quantity of drones 

 have frequently been found in their crops! The 

 black bird is also proscribed; and he is destroy- 

 ed without hesitation by every urchin who can 

 carry a gun. But observation teaches us that 

 the principal food of all the different tribes bear- 

 ing this name, is the various families of nox- 

 ious insects which infest our fields and orchards — 

 among which may be classed those destructive 

 worms which have committed such ravages 

 on our corn fields the present season. The wood- 

 pecker and sapsucker have also been placed un- 

 der ban, as enemies to the interest of the or- 

 chardist. But the enlightened Wilson has 

 shown that they should properly be ranked 

 among his truest friends. lie also, if I mistake 

 not, confirms the above trait in the character 

 of the king bird. If our attention were more 

 devoted to inquiries of this nature, besides the 

 practical utility which would naturally result, we 

 should, moreover, be taught alesson of humanity, 

 and learn how much a knowledge of the laws 

 of nature is to be preferred before the crude no- 

 tions and false prejudices which so much abound 

 in the world. 



"As he who studies nature's laws, 

 From certain truths his maxims draws." 



AGRICOLA. 



From the Troy Budget. 



ELECTRO-MAGKETISM APPLIED TO MECHAN- 

 ICAL OPERATIONS. 



An obscure blacksmith of Brandon, Vermont, 

 sixteen miles south of Middlebury college, hap- 



