1819. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



187 



dollars per thousann, the thorn plants for each rod of 

 je cost mo only ten cents. When they had 



grown two years, each thorn was cut down so as to 

 leave only three inches of the Btem above ground. — 

 This bad the effeel of causing several shoots to spring 

 up from each root: these have grown, and now the 

 hedge present- a vigorous appearance, varying from 

 four feet to six and a half feel high, and ii promises 

 to make a very good fence in two or three years 

 from this time. The land on which I planted the 

 i quality : — thai on which it has at- 

 1 the height of six feet and a half, is a good 

 mellow loam, but that on which it is only four feet 

 high, is a stiff hard clay. If 1 plant another hedge, 

 I shall plant the thorns eight inches apart, and pre- 

 viously manure the land.. 



I think it cannot be doubetl that we have several 

 species of thorn indigenous to ihis country which 

 would under proper management, make admirable 

 hedges: for I believe that, all things considered, no- 

 thing will be found comparable to the thorn for hedg- 

 farm fences, whether we consider its hardiness 

 and durability, its habit of growing in such close 

 proximity, one to another, as to constitute, from its 

 formidable and numerous spines, an impenetrable bar- 

 rier, its adaptation to the climate of all the northern 

 and middle states, and perhaps to some of those in 

 the south, and its ease of propagation by seed, and 

 consequent cheapness. Dr. Beck, in his Botany of 

 the Northern and Middle States, enumerates eight 

 distinct species of native thorns. I have noticed 

 five or six varieties of the thorn scattered over my 

 own farm, several of which would apparently, from 

 their low, bushy growth, make excellent hedges: 

 and it is to be hoped that ere long our enterprising 

 nurserymen will so test all the native sorts of thorn 

 as to be able to point, out such kinds as are best adapt- 

 ed to the purpose of making good permanent farm 

 fences. I may add that although mice are numerous 

 in my field, yet they have not attacked the Newcas- 

 tle thorn planted by me. This is not the case with 

 the English hawthorn (Cratagus Oxycaniha) plant- 

 ed at the distance of a few miles, where, during the 

 winter, the mice frequently girdle the plants and do 

 much injury. H. R. — Va-rick, Seneca Co., JY. Y., 

 June, 1849. 



WOOL GROWING. -LARGE FLEECES, &c. 



Messrs. Editors: — In looking over the old num- 

 bers of your valuable paper, I find several statements 

 from those engaged in the growing of wool. My at- 

 tention was particularly drawn to the statement some 

 gave of the great weight of fleece from their Meri- 

 nos. Now, sir, my sheep quite come up to some of 

 the Merino flocks, they being of the Merino grade. 

 I have at present 11*. including old and young — 38 

 iambs. The fall of '46, I purchased, at the State 

 fair at Auburn, of Reed Burritt, of Burdett, Tomp- 

 kins county, a Merino buck lamb, one of the five that 

 took the first premium at the bi id fair. The aggre- 

 gate weight of his fleeces is 23 J lbs. His first fleece 

 weighed 7 lbs., second 7§ lbs., third 8£. I have 

 70 of his stock, including 28 Iambs. Two 2 year- 

 old ewes, with lambs by their sides, clipped 12| lbs. 

 of well washed wool. My 54 old sheep clipped 4 

 lbs. 3 oz. per fleece; forty of them are ewes; year- 

 lings average four lbs. per head. 



Last fall, at the State Fur at Buffalo, I purchased 

 a yearling Merino buck of J. D. Patterson, of 

 Westfield, Chautauque count y. He is a noble sheep, 



good sin-, well formed and well wooled; his >' 



Weighed 8J lbs. well washed. I have ten lambs of hi 



stock, which bid fair to make the right kind of b1 



I have brought my flock up to what they are, with- 

 out the expense of purchasing high priced 



or abroad; indeed, I have purchased none but 

 the two above mentioned. The ii hi - 



been made by a proper selection of bucks, changing 



them every or every other year, and bre< 



my best ewes. I thought, if- 1 could get 



of sheepthat would average i lbs. per fleece, I 



be satified — but my ambition goes beyond that 1 



anticipate getting up a flock that all 



old will average 5 lbs., and laml 



grain to my old sheep; I give a few oats in the 



to my lambs, during the first four weeks of feeding ha v. 



If any oi ly read this article has a I 



of Merinos that come to the last above figured, they 

 will much oblige one of the many readers of your 

 paper by making it public through its pages. Sam- 

 uel EmiBREB. — Milo, Yates Co., ,V. Y., June, 1849. 



A CHEAP BEE-HIVE. 



Messrs. Editors: — In getting up the plan of a 

 bee-hive to meet the wants of the farmer and me 

 chanic, there are several things that should be well 

 understood — the object being profit and economy. — 

 A large hive seldom swarms much after the first sea- 

 son of swarming, if they have a plenty of room for 

 their increase. I have always found those hives the 

 most profitable that hold only what honey it req 

 to winter a midling sized swarm, and comb enough 

 to raise their young in. I have used board, tub 

 straw hives, and have examined most of the patent 

 hives that have been offered in this vicinity. 



Thro years ago I got up a hive that I think i 

 nearest what the farmer wants, of any I have ever 

 seen. I wil endeavor to describe how it is made. — 

 I select two suitable boards, one inch thick — one of 

 them thirteen, and the other fifteen inches wide. I 

 saw two pieces from the one 13 inches wide, for the 

 front and back part of the hive, twenty inches long; 

 then two more fifteen inches wide, the same length; 

 then I measure off 10|| inches on one side, and 11 on 

 the other side. Strike lines across, and saw them 

 into by them, to make the sides of the main hive 

 and sliding doors. For the chamber to set the box- 

 es in, take the two pieces 11 inches long, nail them 

 to the boards 13 inches wide, the longest sides out; 

 then a square piece from the board 13 inches wide, 

 makes the floor between the main hive and chamber. 

 From the edges next to the front and back boards, I 

 cut out a strip two or three inches long, sufficient 

 for the bees to pass from the main hive to the boxes. 

 I then nail the floor firmly, level with the Ion 

 edges of the side boards. A board 17 inches square 

 makes the top of the hive, with some gimlet holes 

 to slip nails into to hold the sliding doors in their 

 place, completes the hive, except four sticks through 

 the main hive, two each way, to support the comb. 



To make boxes, select good house siding, wide 

 enough to use six by eight window-glass for the 

 ends; plain them to g of an inch thick; make the 

 boxes l'JJ inches long; cut the edges of two of the 

 boards to make a place for the bees to enter it from 

 the main hive; nail them together with inch brads. 

 Two boxes will stand in the chamber, and hold 16 

 lbs. each, when well filled, and seldom any thing in 

 them but the clear honey and white comb. Alvin 

 Wilcox.— West Btoomfield, .V. Y., April, 1849. 



