318 



NEW ENGLAJND FARJUER. 



July 



three to four feet high ; at every joint there is 

 one reed-like leaf, joined on the top of the 

 sheath, which embraces and covers that joint 

 of the stalk below the leaf, and is clothed with 

 soft hairs ; the leaf has none, but has several 

 small longitudinal furrows running parallel to 

 the midrib. The stalk is terminated by a 

 large, loose panicle hanging on one side. 

 This variety is one of the smallest, has much 

 leaf and the head branches out something as 

 our red top grass does, and aflfording a great 

 deal ofv-fihe, juicy fodder. 



Mr. Flint ^in his Milch Cows and Dairy 

 Farming, slays, "it is a very valuable crop for 

 fodder in soiling, or to cure for winter use, 

 but especially to feed out during our usual 

 period of droughts. If designed to cut for 

 green fodder, half a bushel of seed to the acre 

 should be used ; if to ripen seed, twelve 

 quarts, sown broadcast, about the last of May 

 or early in June. * * * It is very palat- 

 able and nutritious for milch cows, both green 

 and when properly cured. The curing should 

 be very much like that of clover, care being 

 taken not to over-dry it. For fodder, — either 

 green or cured, it should be cut before ripen- 

 ing. In this state all cattle eat it as readily 

 as green com, and a less extent will feed 

 them." 



This variety of millet is worthy of a more 

 widely extended cultivation, for several rea- 

 sons. It may be got into the ground a little 

 after the hurry of Indian corn planting is over. 

 What is not wanted for green fodder may be 

 cured at a quarter part of the cost of curing 

 fodder corn, and is more easily cut up and 

 taken to the stock than corn. It may be cut 

 with the scythe and pitched upon the cart as 

 grass is cut and loaded. The plant being a 

 small one compared with corn, there is less 

 waste in its use. 



It requires a good soil, such as will produce 

 . a fair crop of Indian corn. 



"WHY BEES SWARM. 



,The bee-folk are an intense people in their 

 ■way, but with all their zeal and study, they 

 are at loggerheads over the commonest con- 

 cerns of the hive. At a recent meeting of 

 the jyjichigan Bee Keeper's Association, which 

 is reported in the Prairie Farmer, the (jues- 

 tion was asked, why do bees swarm ? Which 

 was discussed theologically, scientitically and 

 naturally, after this sort : — 



A gentleman present regarded this question 



of no practical importance. It was enough to 

 know that bees do swarm. To inquire into 

 the why of their swarming would be a waste 

 of time. 



Mr. Otis did not so regard the inquiry. He 

 wanted to know the why, and should not rest 

 until the problem is solved. The strongest in- 

 stinct God has given to the honey-bee is the 

 love of storing honey. This instinct is so 

 strong that she will remove the young larva 

 from its cells and destroy it, that she may 

 make room for the gathered honey. But she 

 does not thus destroy the brood unless crowded 

 for room by an unexpected rich harvest of 

 honey. It is to guard against the destruction 

 of the brood that queen cells are started pre- 

 paratory to swarming, which takes place as 

 soon as one or more is sealed over. 



The Creator has implanted in the queen bee 

 such unparalelled hatred towards a rival that 

 but one normal queen is permitted to live in a 

 family of bees. This hatred is so strongly de- 

 veloped that she will make divers attempts to 

 destroy a rival while yet in the cell. But the 

 worker bees keep the cells guarded, which so 

 exasperates the old queen by the time one or 

 more is sealed, that she rushes from the hive 

 to find a new home, being accompanied by the 

 majority of the colony. These are, therefore, 

 the reason why bees swarm : — 



1st. The want of combs to hold honey. 



2d. To save the destruction of the brood. 



3d. The hatred between rival queens. 



This fine theory was somewhat marred as 

 follows : — 



Dr. Conklin. — My bees do not always wait 

 until they have ^ea^ed queen-cells. Two years 

 ago 1 opened a hive of bees as soon as the 

 swarm had left, and found no queen-cells — no, 

 not even the signs of any being started. 



Mr. Baldridge. — If I understand friend Otis 

 rightly, he assumes that bees do not swarm 

 until the hive is full of comb, and the comb is 

 full of brood and stores. And not then, even, 

 unless there is one or more cells sealed. 

 Now, my bees swarm sometimes when the cav- 

 ity is not more than two-thirds full. I think it 

 is natural at the proper season for bees to 

 swarm. As a rule, the cavity will be fall, the 

 combs well supplied with brood and stores, 

 one or more queen cells sealed, and the tlowers 

 secreting honey rapidly when the swarm issues. 



Mr. Moon. — My bees also swarm when the 

 cavity is only part full. They also swarm 

 when they have no queen-cells started. The 

 cause is excessive heat. Bees will swarm at 

 certain seasons of the year, when there is no 

 apparent cause ; in the honey season it is as 

 natural for the bees to swarm as for the sun to 

 rise or the tide to How. — Ohio Farmer. 



Rick, the great staple of South Carolina, 

 the cultivation of which was confined to the 

 river swamp lands, is now grown on the up- 

 lands. The seed of the swamp rice is sed. 



