NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



137 



Remarks. — Our correspondent is referred to some 

 remarks by us during the last month on the sub- 

 ject of peach blight and frost. It is still our opin- 

 ion that the peach bud is not injured so much by 

 the intensity of cold as by sudden changes. 



The cause of nine-tenths of the smoky chim- 

 neys is, that they are constructed upon wrong 

 principles. The back should be perpendicular, 

 and the throat very narrow, say three to five and 

 1 a-half inches — not over the latter distance in the 

 largest fire-places. As soon as this narrow throat 

 is passed, the back should suddenly recede five or 

 six inches. Constructed in this manner, with 

 flaring sides, and the top of the chimney contract- 

 ed to about half the size of the flue, there will be 

 little danger of the chimney smoking. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FLOWING CRANBERRY MEADOWS. 



Mr. Brown : — Reason and experience would 

 seem to indicate that cranberry meadows should 

 be flowed for two reasons, viz : 



1. Flowing disseminates the seed, especially in 

 such meadows as are comparatively new or the 

 vines thinly set. The water carries the cranber- 

 ries about and deposits them where the vines are 

 wanting, and this seed creates more vines and 

 causes them to spread. 



In the fall of 1850, we sunk a gravel dam 

 across the lower end of our cranberry meadow, say 

 twelve rods long, and left a passage for the water 

 in the centre of the dam with a gate, and flowed 

 the meadow, keeping the water on until the 20tb 

 of April following, and then let it off ; the effect was 

 to double the amount of cranberries the first year. 



2. AVater will leave a deposit that enriches the 

 soil where it has stood, a considerable length of 

 time, and then let off: that deposit was the cause 

 of the increase of my cranberries. What else 

 could it be? But does Dr. Shurtleff "controvert" 

 the propriety of flowing cranberry meadows abso- 

 lutely? I do not so understand him, at least he 

 does not quite say it in his communication on 

 cranberries of last week. He says keep dry by 

 draining, &c, which I approve of — still I would 

 annually flow for the reasons stated above. Also 

 keep dry, he says, to prevent frost ; but the water 

 will prevent frost most certainly while it is on, and 

 will have no effect to produce it we think when 

 taken off. From a Subscriber. 



Uxbridge, 1st mo. 30, 1852. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE HONEY BEE. 



Mr. Editor : — I wish to know if you can assign 

 any reason why swarms of bees so frequently die 

 in winter, and sometimes in other seasons of the 

 year, without any apparent 'cause. There have 

 been a number of cases about here, in which plen- 

 ty of honey was found in the hive, and not the 

 least appearance of worms, or of being killed by 

 other bees or insects. I have just seen two such 

 cases ; one was a last year's swarm, the other 

 was a year or two older. I should also like to 

 know if there is any way to prevent their dying 

 in this manner. Yours, &c, 



A Subscriber. 



Groton, Jan. 31, 1852. 



Remarks. — We have heard the same complaint 

 several times within a few months. Although 

 keeping several swarms, we have suffered no dam- 

 age in the way spoken of above. Our destructive 

 enemy is the moth. If a swarm becomes weak, 

 that is, few in number, it is said that it is pretty 

 sure to die during the winter, even if plenty of 

 honey remains in the hive. In such cases they 

 usually seek preservation by joining a stronger and 

 more populous swarm'before cold weather sets in. 

 Perhaps some one who has had much experience 

 can answer the questions of our correspondent, 

 and we hope will do so. 



Agricultural Capabilities of Liberia. — The 

 soil is as rich as it is at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and peculiarly adapted for the cultivation of cot- 

 ton, though since the colonists have commenced to 

 raise it none has been shipped, but this is to be 

 attributed simply to a want of means. It also 

 produces coffee of a very superior quality, from' 

 which immense wealth could be derived, if ex=- 

 tensively cultivated. Rice and tobacco have also 

 been sown with the best results. It is stated that 

 several manufacturing firms in England have united 

 in an enterprise to test, by actual experiment, the 

 possibility of procuring cotton in large quantities 

 from the west coast of Africa ; and have subscribed 

 $100,000 to carry out their objects. Hitherto the 

 principal drawback has been a want of means . 



PROFITS OF A SMALL DAIRY. 



Mr. Editor : — Several of your subscribers have 

 told us of their success in raising and fattening pigs 

 — one writer giving, at the same time, an account 

 of the profit, or rather what the pork cost by the 

 pound. If agreeable, I will give you an account 

 of the profits derived the last season from two cows 

 and three heifers — two of which were four years 

 old, the other two years old. 



Two calves sold at about a week old, at $1 each $2,00 



Two calves, sold at $4,25 each 8,50 



One heifer calf raised, which I value at 8,00 



Sold the proprietor of the U. S. Hotel, Portland, 59fi 



lbs. of butter, for 99,33 



18 lbs. butter, sold in small parcels, to others 3,00 



Cheese sold 10,49 



Total $ 131,32 



Then we must notice the amount of butter, 

 cheese, milk and cream, consumed in a family of 

 five persons, together with a hired man about one- 

 half of the time, through the summer. This we 

 will suppose to be equal to the yield of the two 

 years old heifer and one of the others. If so, then 

 we have a profit of one hundred thirty-one dollars 

 and thirty-two cents from three cows, and one of 

 them only four years old. This will give a frac- 

 tion over forty-three dollars per cow, to say noth- 

 ing of the milk, buttermilk, &c, known to be valu- 

 able as food for swine. 



One of my cows and two of the heifers are a 

 cross of the Durham short horn and native breeds, 

 and the others I suppose to be pure natives. 



My rule is, in winter, to give the cows as much 

 good English hay as they "will cat up clean," 

 salt, a plenty of good water and warm shelter. In 

 summer, a good pasture, careful not to overstock ; 



