1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



287 



ways that have been spread out on the North be- 

 tween that city and the lakes. But her citizens 

 have had the sagacity to perceive the evil ; and 

 to remedy it, propose to extend railroads to the 

 South, which will give to Cincinnati a decided 

 advantage in competing with Louisville for the 

 trade in that direction." 



LOOK TO YOUR BEES. 



There is no part of the lousiness of the farm 

 which has in itself a higher or more pleasant in- 

 terest than that of bee-tending and the produc- 

 tion of honey ; but in order to realize this pleas- 

 ant interest, there must be a certain degree of 

 knowledge of the nature and habits of the insect, 

 and of what kind of a home and accommodations 

 it needs in order to facilitate its labors and find a 

 profit from them. These will require some espe^ 

 rience, some reading and a good deal of observa' 

 tion. About all we can do in a newspaper arti 

 cle is to call attention to the subject, and make a 

 few general remarks. 



The common idea is, that the moth-miller is 

 the great destroyer of the bee, and such is the 

 fact, but not primarily — there is a serious exist 

 ing difficulty before the miller begins its depreda^ 

 tions, the swarm itself is weak and declining 

 Clean and well-fed cattle in good condition, are 

 seldom annoyed with vermin, nor do we be- 

 lieve that perfectly healthy fruit trees are often 

 attacked witli borers; it is the already diseased, 

 or neglected, in both cases, that become the suf- 

 ferers. The miller has the sagacity like an able 

 general, to approach where it will meet the least 

 resistance ; it tiien enters the citadel, quietly en- 

 circles it, saps the foundations and destroys it. 



Our first suggestion, then, is, in the words 

 with which we began — "Look to your Bees" — if 

 they are weak you must unite two colonies and 

 make them strong, or if they are already molest- 

 ed, dislodge their enemies, and let them have 

 a fiiir chance for life and labor. 



Hives should be so constructed as to afibrd an 

 opportunity for examination without disturbing 

 the bees ; if the moth is at work, or if the hive 

 needs cleaning or repairs, it can be seen and the 

 evil corrected. With the old-fashioned hive, lit- 

 tle or nothing can be done, ])ut occasionally to 

 destroy a swarm and take the honey. A weak 

 hive will swarm late, and in that case it scarcely 

 lias time to collect a winter's stock of food, and 

 thus its weakness is perpetuated. We want them 

 early, for, 



"A swarm in May, is worth a load of hay ; 

 A swarm in June, is wortli a silver spoon ; 

 A swarm in July, isn't worth a fly." 



Have hives prepared for the new-comers, and 

 everything in readiness for their rocept on when 

 they come out. If they seem uneasy wlien a1)out 

 swarming and show a disposition to leave, sprin- 



kle them with the aid of a large nyringe or in 

 any other practicable way, and if the water 

 reaches them they will soon light. 



But we earnestly recommend to all apiarians 

 and lovers of these interesting insects, the careful 

 perusal of Lanc/stroth^s work on bees, where he 

 will find more valuable information and direc- 

 tions for their management, tluin it is in our pow- 

 er to give. 



THE PRESENT CRISIS. 



The political and miscellaneous jiress abound 

 in advice to the farmers, the burden of which is 

 "50R' and plant all you can, that the wants of the 

 people may be supplied." Such advice, I think, 

 should always be given with a caution. Farmers 

 have a mania of the plowing and sowing order, 

 which propels them sufficiently in that direction 

 without foreign aid. High as are the prices for 

 grain, they are less exorbitant, if possible, 

 than the prices for butter, cheese, meat, &c., the 

 product mainly of hay and grass. It is quite as 

 necessary that we should now look to a good sup- 

 ply of yrass as of grain. Milk, as an article of 

 diet, is not sufficiently appreciated. A good sup- 

 ply of milk and of dairy products depends essen- 

 tially upon a good supply of grass, and the same 

 may be said of beef and mutton, and even pork. 



Plowing and sowing too much is the great fault 

 of American farmers. We need more and better 

 grazing lands. When a field ceases to produce a 

 fair amount of grass, it may become necessary to 

 plow, till thorouf/hly, and seed again ; and it must 

 be confessed that a large portion of our grazing 

 lands are less productive than they might become. 

 But when fields conveniently situated and adapted 

 to general tillage are once "broken up," they 

 are, as a general rule, allowed no rest till the 

 vegetable mould and the elements of grain are so 

 nearly exhausted that they will produce very lit- 

 tle of either grass or grain. 



The amount of fertilizers applied to our land 

 is utterly disproportioned to the ground under 

 cultivation, and the lalwr is as scanty as the ma- 

 nure. We are bringing so much vii'gin soil un 

 der cultivation that it seems almost impossible 

 that we could "use ourselves up" for a genera- 

 tion or two to come, but the frequent recurrence 

 of poor crops seems to indicate that we are al- 

 ready abundantly enjoying the fruits of our im- 

 providence. I am warranted in gayin;^ that all our 

 agricultural products ought to be produced from 

 half the land now employed. 



My advice in the present emergency is this : 

 Plow and sow no more, and in many cases less, 

 than usual. Find out liy reading and ubservation 

 the best methods of tilling your land, and adopt 

 them. Procure tiie best tools, and an abundant 

 supply of labor-saving implonients. Secure plenty 

 of help. AVork your ground thoroughly and in 

 many cases ditrh it without delay. At all hazards, 

 and at any reasonable cost, be up with your work. 

 Exterminate all weeds. Save, procure and apply 

 to your land whatever will enrich it. Let all the 

 slops of tlie house l>e u.sed for watering tlie garden. 

 Let all the villages and cities be ransacked for 

 food for plants. Be diligent and trust Providence. 

 Rural New-Yorker. 



