1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



307 



ing substances must lodge among the combs, 

 there to remain among the bees until they can 

 remove it in the spring. In the hive to which I 

 referred, the refuse matter will fall upon the bot- 

 tom board, to be removed by the apiarian at 

 pleasure. 



Of the adaptation of bee culture to New Eng- 

 land, of the profit and pleasure it affords the bee- 

 keeper, when properly managed, I need not write. 

 But of the losses and disappointments which 

 have followed the efforts of many who have at- 

 tempted bee culture, the greater part have arisen 

 from the thousand and one inventions of men, 

 to improve the habitation of the honey-bee, none 

 of them improving or even changing its habits 

 or instincts, in the least. As the first thing we 

 can do for a swarm li bees is to furnish it with 

 a house, I deem it of the utmost importance that 

 it should be as near in accordance with their na- 

 ture and habits as may be. "Amicus." 



JiJast Washington, N. H., 1858. 



HOQ-YARD COMPOST. 



In the immediate vicinity of your hog-pen, 

 have a yard, strongly and permanently enclosed, 

 and of sufficient size to afford ample accommo- 

 dation to the number of swine you intend to 

 keep. Into this cast as much good muck, chip- 

 manure, sods, forest scrapings, loam from the 

 road-side, saw-dust, refuse hay, straw, haulm, 

 and weeds that have not gone to seed, as will, 

 •when firmly compressed, form a stratum of one 

 foot in depth over the whole yard. On to this 

 let whatever liquids can be spared about the 

 premises be directed, such as suds from the wash 

 room, the wash from the sinks, a portion of rain 

 water from the eaves, and whatever else that can 

 be obtained that possesses any virtue. These 

 fluids all contain more or less fertilizing matters, 

 and if mixed with the other materials, will induce 

 a thorough fermentation of the whole mass, and 

 secure its ^preparation for the use and sustenance 

 of crops. 



A few quarts of corn, peas, buckwheat, or 

 other grain, scattered over and dug into the ma- 

 nure, or dropt into holes made with an iron bar, 

 •will operate as an inducement to the swine to 

 root and turn the mass, and thus effect the thor- 

 ough incorporation of all the parts, so that, by 

 their assistance, and the effects of a proper de- 

 gree of fermentation, you will have, in the end, 

 instead of the crude collection originally depos- 

 ited, a perfectly homogeneous article of great 

 richness, and at a moderate expense. 



We mention the labor of the swine in this 

 connection because it is a popular belief that 

 they can be thus profitably employed ; it certain- 

 ly admits of a question, however, whether that 

 belief is not fallacious. That is, whether the la- 

 bors of swine in rooting up, turning over and 

 mingling the common manure heaps of the barn, 

 cannot be more cheaply performed by men, at 



common wages. In order to raise pork profita- 

 bly, we must avail ourselves of two things, viz. : 

 get a great loeigld, and at an early age. Can this 

 be accomplished by working hogs, for well-fed 

 ones will not Mork much. 



Is it not, then, better to feed swine, from the 

 beginning, with as much nutritious food as they 

 will eat up clean, and with a good appetite, when 

 they will remain quiet and lay on fat and flesh 

 with great rapidity ? 



If the manure made from the process described 

 above is intended for light arenaceous soils, in 

 which there is a want of cohesibility, it would be 

 well to add a liberal percentage of fine clay to 

 the other ingredients, wherever that article can 

 be easily obtained. This is the constitutional al- 

 terant which such lands require, and, with the 

 organized and decomposable constituents of the 

 mass, will produce most immediate and favora- 

 ble effects. 



By applying this earth in the compost, it will 

 be found, that, although the quantity annually 

 used, may be small, it will, in time, produce an 

 important change, and secure a good degree of 

 retentiveness and productive energy to lands or- 

 dinarily too light for the profitable cultivation of 

 any crops but rye or corn. 



There can be no doubt, we think, that the run- 

 ning of well-fed hogs on manure heaps is of 

 great value to them ; such hogs will not root 

 much, while their constant droppings, especially 

 the liquid portions, are of the most valuable 

 character. Where they run over horse-manure 

 heaps, they keep it compact, preventing the ad- 

 mission of air, and that rapid heating which 

 quite often nearly destroys it. At any rate, in 

 one or the other of these ways, or by partially 

 using both, a large and valuable heap of manure 

 may be annually secured from the hog-yard. 

 Now is the time to begin the process. 



Hard Cement. — The following cement has 

 been used with great success in covering terraces, 

 lining basins, soldering stones, etc., and every- 

 where resists the filtration of water. It is so 

 hard that it scratches iron. It is formed of nine- 

 ty-three parts of well-burned brick, and seven 

 parts of litharge, made plastic with linseed oil. 

 The brick and litharge are pulverized , the latter 

 must always be reduced to a very fine powder ; 

 they are mixed together, and enough of linseed 

 oil added. It is then applied in the manner of 

 plaster, the body that is to be covered being al- 

 ways previously wet with a sponge. This pre- 

 caution is indispensable, otherwise the oil would 

 filter through the body, and prevent the mastic 

 from acquiring the desired degree of hardness. 

 When it is extended over a large surface, it some- 

 times happens to have flaws in it, which must be 

 filled up with a fresh quantity of the cement. In 

 three or four days it becomes firm. — Scientific 

 American. 



