THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



425 



NUT GRASS. 

 To tlie Edilor of tlie Farmers' Uc?istcr. 



Elizabeth City, A. C. 

 * * * You will trratiiy n»e by asking your 

 many valuable corre.s()OiKienU*, il' ihey chu fiiul 

 Hiiy way to destroy wliai is called iti this section 

 the nal-grass, a useless ami tioublesome fjrass in 

 our iiardens. I have seen no noiice ol" it in the 

 |)!i|)frs I take ; and your drawinj; atlentiou to- 

 wards it miijhl lead to souie valuable iniorinaiion. 



jMAXAGEilKXT OF BKKS. THE SUBTENDED 

 ^ HIVE. 



[The foiiowing extract is from a neat pamphlet 

 ol' 70 pages, which htis recently issued from the 

 press of Cincinnati, and lor which we are indebt- 

 td to the attention of its auilior, Thomas Afileck, 

 esq., one of the editors ol' the Western Farmer 

 and Gardener. This little treatise seems to be the 

 work of a judicious observer. Its rules (or prac- 

 tice are reasonable, because founded on the natural j 

 liabils and propensities ofthe bees ; and the direc- i 

 tions seem vvell adapted to the ends in view, 

 which are principally to guard the lives oC the I 

 bees from their deadly enemy the moth, and I 

 their health from improper exposure to too great 

 changes of temperature or worse effects of wea- 1 

 ther.— Ed. F. R.] 



From Affieclv's Bee-breeding in the West, i 

 In adopting a plan lor the keeping and manage- , 

 meal of bees, several miporiaiit points must be 

 considered. li must combine simplicity with 

 convenience, and cheapness with durability. It 

 must allow ol' the inmates proceeding in their own 

 natural way ; of the proprietor removing honey 

 when il can be spared, without disturbing or injur- 

 ing the bees. It must afford them, during winter, 

 a warm and dry habitation ; and in summer a 

 cool and airy one. Its entrances must be so 

 arranged, as to allow the bees a free passage, ami 

 yet enable them to defend themselves from ene- 

 mies. It must afford, with a reasonable degree ol 

 care, complete protection against the moth; and 

 i'acilities lor putting two or more weak swarms 

 together, where they come off late in the season. 

 And il ought to give the proprietor control over 

 his beee, as perlect as ihe nature of the insect 

 will admit oil 



All this, and more, can be attained by the use 

 of the subtended hive. It is a simple and eco- 

 nomical plan ; of easy management ; and one 

 within the means of any larnier who can handle 

 a saw, a plane and a hammer. 



The boxes of which it is composed, are formed 

 of good, well-seasoned pine plnnk — il'possible, Iree 

 from knots and wind-shakes. It ought to beat least 

 one inch thick. The boxes may be ten, eleven or 

 twelve inches square, [cubic space,] in the clear. 

 Let the plank be dressed on each side, and jointed on 

 the edges, so as to fit close, without being longued 

 and grooved. Belbre nailing them togetlier at 

 the sides, lay a thiri strip of thick while lead paint 

 on the edge to be nailed, which will render il im- 

 VoL. IX.-37 



pervious to (he ovipositor of the moth. In the top 

 cut two semicircular holes at the front, and two at 

 ihe back, ol' one inch and a half in diameter — the 

 siraighi side being in a line with the back and 

 front of the box, so that the bees may have a 

 straight road in their way from one story to the 

 other. Put the lop on without any layer of paint, 

 using eight sioui screw nails, that it may be lakeu 

 oil' to liicilitate the removal of the honey. Give 

 Ihe outside of the box two coats of white lead 

 paint, all except the top ; and let il be done so 

 long before il is necessary to use il, as that the 

 smell may be dissipated, as it is very offensive to 

 the bees. Pour a little melted bees-wax, while 

 preity hot, over the inside of the top, which will 

 enable the bees to attach their comb much more 

 firmly. Let three-quarters of an inch of the 

 thickness of the lower ed^'es ofthe box in the 

 inside be bevelled off, so as to leave but about one- 

 lourih ot an inbh of surface to rest upon the 

 stand— this will afford less shelter lor the eggs of 

 the molh. 



We will suppose the boxes, thus made, to be 

 a cube ot twelve inches inside. In that case, 

 the tunnel stand will be made thus. Take a piece 

 of two inch pine plank, free from knots and 

 shakes— what carpenter's term clear stuff j length 

 '26, and breadih 18 inches. Ten inches from one 

 end, and two Irom the other and from each side, is 

 marked a square of (burieen inches. From the 

 outside of this equate, the board is dressed off, 

 with an even slope, until its thickness at the front 

 edge is reduced to half an inch, and at the other 

 three edges to about an inch. The square is then 

 reduced lo twelve inches, in the centre of which is 

 bored an inch auger hole : tp this hole the inner 

 square is also gradually sloped to the depth of an 

 inch ; thutj securing the bees from any possibility 

 of wet lodging about their hive, and aflbrding 

 them free ventilaiion. There will then be a level, 

 smooth strip of one inch in widih, surrounding 

 the square of twelve inches, on which to set the 

 box or hive. Two inches from the front edge of 

 the stand, commence cutting a channel two 

 inches in width, and of such a depth as to carry 

 il out, on an even slope, lialf way between the 

 inner edge of ilie hive, and the ventilating hole 

 in the centre. Over this, fit in a strip of wood as 

 neatly as possible, dressing it down even with the 

 slope of the stand, so as to leave a tunnel two 

 inches in width by a quarter of an inch in depth. 

 Under Ihe centre hole, and over the outlet of the 

 tunnel, hang small wire grates, the one to prevent 

 the entrance ol other insects ; and the other to be 

 thrown back to permit ihe exit of the bees, or fas- 

 tened down to kee|) them at home in clear, sun- 

 shining days in winter. For feet to the stand, use 

 fjur to five inch screw-nails, screwed in, from 

 below, far enough to be firm. The lower side 

 ought also to be planed smooth ; and the whole 

 should have two coals of white paint some time 

 beliire it is wanted. 



The apiary or bee-shed may be of a lenglh 

 adapted to the number of stands lor which it is 

 intended ; and ought to be at least six leet in 

 depth, and six feet in height at the back. It may 

 be built in the cheapest manner, and yet combine, 

 as represented in ihe frontispiece, economy and 

 convenience, with neatness and taste. Locust 

 posts, sunk in the ground, wi'h rough plates and 

 ra.fters, covered over-head with clapboards, and 



