82 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



September 26, 1832» 



HONEY. 



Mr FESsEiNDE?i — Agreeably to your request, I 

 send you an account of my method of obtaining 

 honey under glass, as exhibited at the Horticultur- 

 al rooms OH Saturday last. My hives are made 

 of boards 12 inches square on the bottom, and 

 .ibout 8 inches in height, or about half the size of 

 common hives. In the back of each of my hives 

 I put glass, with a wooden slide to cover it on the 

 top. 1 make three holes about an inch in diame- 

 ter, which I stop with corks. After the bees be- 

 gin to work I procure such glasses as I choose, 

 say large tumblers, or any bell or other shaped, 

 being open at one end only, placing sticks across 

 them inside for the bees to attach their comb to. 

 I then pull the corks from the hive, and jilace 

 over the holes the glasses, inverted, and cover 

 them over with anothr^r hive ; the hack part of my 

 apiary is opened by wooden doors. By this sim- 

 ple arrangement, I amuse myself and friends 

 when I choose, (though rather to the annoyance 

 of the bees) by opening the door and slipping the 

 shde from the glass when I can observe them at 

 their work. When the gla.sses are filled or near- 

 ly so, early in the morning I take the top off, stop 

 the holes again, and what few bees remain in the 

 glasses soon return to the general family ; in 

 this manner you will observe the bees are not de- 

 stroyed. The whole process is pleasing, profita- 

 ble, and instructive of the best morals, industry, 

 and prudence. 



The mode mentioned above, I am aware is fa- 

 miliar to many, but ])erhaps will be new and use- 

 ful to some. Yours with respect, 



B. V. FRENCH. 



Braintree, Sept. 17, 1832. 



standing in the midst of a wilderness of trees, ei- edy, which repeated trials and the experience of 

 ther of native growth oi planted by the proprietor : many years have pioverl efiectual. The roots of 

 of the soil and the mansion. Sir John Sinclair trees newly planted, not having time to fix tliern- 



condenuis this practice, and observes that " trees, 

 at a proper distance from a mansion house are not 

 only ornamental but useful ; if too near, they oh- 



sclves firmly, the trees are liable to be shaken by 

 every blast ; accordingly when the wind rises, the 

 bends with it, and (the soil not being elastic) 



struct the free current of air, and send forth great ^ leaves a cavity about the trunk, which in winter 

 quantities of moist exhalations, which render it : becomes a receptacle for water; this certainly 

 constantly damp. Thick woods, therefore, ought : tends to injure the roots, and when it freezes com- 

 to be avoided, near a house, more especially in a plelely destroys them. 



flat country. At a proper distance, however, they The remedy I recommend is this: when your 

 are of service, from the shelter they afford against trees arc planted out aiid juoperly settled in the 

 cold winds, and from the shade they yield against ground, throw round the stem of each, a small 

 the heat of solar rays." wheel-barrow full of coarse sand, or fine gravel as 



The late A. Parmentier, in a treatise on " Land- free as possible from loam : whenever the tree is 

 scape and Picturesque Gardens," published in Fes- !>liaken, the sand will roll down, (in the same mnii- 

 senden''s jVem American Gorrfencr, observed, that , ner as corn in the hopper of a mill) fill up the 

 " Rows of trees should never be planted in front | void, and thereby prevent the water from lodging, 

 of the house, particularly when the house has and the roots from jierishing. — Farmers'' Mag. 

 been built in good taste, and at great expense. It' .Mode of preserving Apples.— When the fruit is 

 may be objected to this that the shade is wanted, quh,. ripe commence gatlicriiig, taking care not to 

 and this I would not exclude; but instead of one bruise any of them. They are then to be car- 

 row in front, 1 would plant thick groups of trees j ,-ied to the fruit-room, and placed thinly on 

 on the three other sides, and leave the front open j shelves, with proper divisions, so as to keepeach 

 to public view; otherwise the taste and expense | variety distinct ; allow them (ree air for six or 

 are in a great measure thrown away." 1 eight days, then jjrocure a quantity of sand, which 



An old maxim contradicted. — Sir John Sinclair's j is dried thoroughly on the flue, and mix with it 



Code of Agriculture, contains the following ob- 

 servations on an aphorism, which has been the text 

 of many an agricidtural discourse. " It has long 



one pound of powdered nitre to each bushel of 

 sand, then dry the jars ihoroughly: these jars 

 should be made of glazed stone ware, and in a 



ITEMS OF RURAL ECONOMY, 



Original and Solecteil. l>y l]ie Eelilor. 

 Gathering Turnips. — A writer in the Garden- 

 er's Magazine gives the following directions. " The 

 first, second or third week in October pull up ev- 

 ery turnip on the farm, whether they have done 

 growing or not : if they have not all the better. 

 Lay them carefully across the tops of the ridges 

 or drills; let them remain in this state a week or 

 fortnight before cutting off the tO])s and tails. The 

 grand advantage of leaving on the tops is, that the 

 roots become doubly nutritious, as well as doubly 

 durable." 



JVew plan of sticking Peas. — Procure a number 

 of .slim poles about 5 feet long, and drive them in- 

 to the ground at the distance of three or four 

 yards. Pass a small line along the poles, taking 

 a turn round each, within three inches of the 

 ground ; raise the next turn three inches, and so 

 on in succession, till you have attained the com- 

 mon height to which the peas rise. The tendrils 

 of the peas seize and tsvist round these lines, and 

 they are supported in a more attractive and profit- 

 able manner than they are by the common st.ikes. 

 When spread regularly along the lines, they have 

 a fine circulation of air, more advantage from sun- 

 shine, and pods can be pidled at all times without 

 injuring the straw, [vines or haulm.] This mode 

 is so cheap, simple, and possesses so many advan- 

 tages, that it is likely to be soon generally adopt- 

 ed. — Scotsman, [Edinburgh.'^ 



We believe that this method of training peas has been 

 adopted in some few instances in^this country. — Ed. 



Trees should not stand too near Dwelling-houses. 

 — In travelling through most parts of the northern 



been considered ns an uncontrovertible proposi- 1 conical shape, to throw the weight on the jars 

 tion, and approaching to the nature of an axiom, and relieve the fruit. [The cone for this purpose 

 that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two ! we conclude must he inverted.] At the expira- 

 blades of grass to grow upon a spot, where only j tion of eight days examine the fruit and wipe 

 one grew before, would deserve better of man- each fruit with a soft towel. (Never allow the 

 kind, and do more essential service to his country, fruit to sweat, for although recommended by 

 than the whole race of politicians ])iit together. Iniany it is hurtful to the flavor, injurious to the 

 " There never was a greater instance of sophis- appearance, and renders it in.«ipid and mealy.) 

 try, than this doctrine of Swift's, who seems not to Put it quantity of mixed sand at the bottom of the 

 have been at all aware of the immense benefit, con- jnr, ihen place a layer of fruit in such a way that 

 ferred upon agriculture, by a judicious system of each api>le tuny be kept apart ; cover them with 

 civil policy. In fact, the prosperity of agriculture the sand, again place a tier, and go on thus till the 

 depends upon the politician. The better and the jar be filled within a few ir.ches of the. top ; this 

 more equitable the civil policy of a country, the upper i)lace fill with sand, seal the lops with put- 

 more perfect will its agriculture become. Those ty-lime, attaching a ticket descriptive of the fruit, 

 politicians and statesmen, therefore, who by re- &c, &c. The jars are to be kept in a room free 

 moving every obstacle, and furnishing every prop- from frost. — ll'm. Jacfison, Cul. Hor. Soc. 



er encouragement to agriculture to promote iis „ .• ><• ? , j ■ n/- i i 



^ , ■? . , , . , ■ Preservation m plants during Jrtnter by spring 



advancement, have a higher clami to the grati- ^ , a i ,• 1. • . • c .i j i i i 



,'. , , , , , , loater. — A horticulturist in Scotland has availed 



tude of mankind than those who have merely per- ,. u- /•.i i . <• • . • .u 



, . , , . , himself of the heat of spring water, in the preser- 

 formeil a secondary or practical part, winch part 



,,, ^ , II i_ , vation of delicate iilants. He places boxes of pine 



they never coud have performed at all, but under „ i ,i . 



,■' . ..; I,,.- wood over the water, 



the protection of wise laws, regularly administer- 



covering them with some 



, . , . . ,. , . ,, I coarse stuff, and in these boxes he places pots of 



ed, and executed with impartia ny and vigor. i ra , i .. . c i 



' I J & 1 cauliflowers, lettuce, various sorts of pelargonium?. 



Making Butter in ft inter.— A writer for the | Indian chrysanthemums, Chinese primroses, &c, 



Farmer's Magazine, published in Ireland, obseri 

 that he has found it a very good way to add in 

 winter^ hot water to milk directly as it comes from 

 the cow, it makes it yield the cream better. The 

 trays in which it is set should also be scalded with 

 hot water, or else warmed by the fire, before the 

 milk is set in them. Chafing dishes of charcoal 

 are kept in dairies in frost, but the cream does not 

 rise so well. The best dairy maids never put the 

 butter in layers in the firkin ; but leave the sur- 

 face every day rough and broken, in order to 



and by this simple and economical method, pre- 

 serves them all winter. He is of opinion that by 

 means of the temperature of lunning water, win- 

 ter gardens may be constructed for a farm or vil- 

 lage. Care must be taken to renew the air in the 

 boxes.— Bit. Univ. 



PERNICIOUS EFFECTS OF VITIATED 

 RYE. 



Rye is liable to be diseased by an insect de- 

 positing its animalcula in the grain, which causes 

 unite better with that of the succeeding churning. ^ it to sprout and produce an excrcsenee like a 



Planting Trees. — It is a well known fact that 

 in all plantations a great number of trees perish, 

 especially in high situations ; this sometimes pro- 

 ceeds from want of care in raising them, &c, &c, 

 &c. But there is another and more extensive 



cock's spur, of a hard texture. When ground 

 down with the flour, or used in distillation, it 

 proves a mortal poison ; and at times has proved a 

 pestilential scourge of Europe : it has been equal- 

 ly fatal to America, and is supposed to have been 



eUtes, we frequently perceive mtnsioo houses cause, against which I am about to propose a rem- the chief cause of the plague in London. In 1811, 



