352 



NEW ENGLA^TD FAEMER. 



Aug. 



horse, placed them in water, and visited the place 

 every day, until the hairs revived and becanie a 

 kind of snake. 



When I tried that experiment with hairs, I lived 

 in the central part of New York State. About 

 that date, William Frazier, of Oxford, Ct. Co., re- 

 lated to me the following case, which occurred in 

 that vicinity. A man, apparently in good health,' 

 was suddenly affected with severe pain at the neck 

 of the bladder and urethera. His physician could 

 not ascertain the character or cause of "his suffering. 

 The paroxysms of pain were most severe when he i 

 urinated, yet there was no evidence of gravel or 

 stone in the bladder. A few days after the attack 

 of the complaint, a hair snake was discharged from 

 the urethera, when his sufVering immediately ceased. 

 It came from him, the tail, or top end of the hair, 

 forwards; and it is not known to many that hairs 

 have a kind of barbed roughness, and that rough- 

 ness slants towards the top, or outer end of hairs. 

 The passing of the hair snake, tail end forward, 

 clearly accounted for the pain experienced when- 

 ever the man passed urine. HiS physicians were 

 satisfied that the snake was a vivified hair, which 

 the man had, by some means, swallowed. 



The fact that hairs of animals, when deposited in 

 water for some length of time, become hair snakes, 

 is a truth too well established by numerous experi- 

 ments to be denied, or in any degree questioned. 

 Friend Gage says he has found hair snakes of dif- 

 ferent lengths and difl'erent colors, under flat stones. 

 I have also noticed the same kind of creature; but 

 have su])posed them to be a kind of worm ; and an 

 entirely different species from the hair snakes which 

 are found in pools of water ; but I have not com- 

 pared them together, under microscopic inspection. 

 Worms which hatch from nits deposited in limbs of 

 trees, become millers and butterflies; and tadpoles 

 (or pollywogs, as they are called,) leave their rear 

 appendage, have legs, and become toads and frogs. 

 Who knows but that those snakes produced by crick- 

 ets pass through a similar metamorphosis, and be- 

 come crickets? Those who have opportunity and lei- 

 sure for the purpose, will doutless give this subject 

 further investigation. Wellington Rose. 



West Pillsfield, Ms., 1857. 



Whether this arises from any injurious influence of 

 the salt water, or simply from the pasturage not 

 being so good for th'-m,! am not able to say, but I 

 should suppose the latter to be the principal cause. 

 That they do not do as well within a few miles of 

 Boston as they do further back in the country, un- 

 der equal management, is a fact, be the cause what 

 it may. Bees and bee culture is an old subject, as 

 old as the river. It shall be mj object to tell what 

 can be done, and to leave the speculating part of bee 

 culture out. First, as regards their house, or bee- 

 hive. That which gives to bees room enough to 

 work to advantage, which properly protects them 

 from vermine and the weather, which allows their 

 owner to inspect their operations and condition, and 

 admits of removing surplus honey without destro)'- 

 ing the bees, and can be properly ventilated at all 

 times, is the best. There are numerous patent 

 hives before the public at the present time, claim- 

 ing all these advantages and a host of others. Each 

 one has its advocates, and he who enters upon the 

 keeping of bees will doubtless make that selection 

 which he supposes to be the best. Whatever that 

 may be, it should be of simple construction and ea- 

 sily managed, and fulfil the foregoing indications, 

 or be discarded. Any person with ordinary me- 

 chanical tact, can construct a hive after his own 

 fancy, to answer the above requisites. But it is a 

 question, whether it would not be cheaper to buy 

 one, such as he might fancy, than to make one him- 

 self. A good hive, ail ready for occupancy, can be 

 purchased for three dollars and fifty cents. I have 

 lately made half a dozen, after a patent of my own, 

 each of which cost more money. Whatever may 

 be the style of architecture, the hive should be work- 

 man like, of the best materials, and thoroughly 

 painted white, so that it will stand the weather — 

 "solitary and alone," and keep its inmates dry and 

 warm. NORFOLK. 



King Oak Hill, 1857. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BE^ CULTUEE. 



Mr. Editor: — Allow me again to call the at- 

 tention of the readers of the Mew England Far- 

 mer — who keep bees — to their spring management 

 Tbose who have looked after their stocks, have no 

 d 'ubt observed that during the few mild days we 

 have already had, their bees were up and stirring. 

 They have passed through a very severe winter, 

 and that "Winter Management" has been good 

 which brings them out this spring, not greatly re- 

 duced in numbers and in a healthy condition. I 

 propose to offer a few suggestions on Bee Culture, 

 and to give such directions as will enable any one 

 'o go into this interesting branch 'jf rura' tcono- 

 my with profit and success. T would say, howev- 

 er, to begin with, that it is my opinion that bees 

 do not do as well in the Eastern part of Massachu- 

 setts, or any where near the salt water, as they do 

 farther back in the country. New Hampshire and 

 Vermont are fine tStates for the culture of bees. 



For the New England Fanner. 



HOW TO MAKE MAPLE SUGAR. 



Mr. Editor: — I notice in your paper of May 

 2d an inquiry concerning the best method of mak- 

 ing maple sugar. The inquirer said he burns from 

 one to two cords of wood, in making 100 pounds of 

 sugar. I have been accustomed to making sugar, 

 and will give my methods. I usually tap 100 

 trees ; draw my sap to an out-building, where J 

 have a fifty gallon kettle set in an arch,M'ith a flue 

 that carries the fire around the kettle. I have 

 made this spring 400 pounds, and have not used 

 over two cords of wood, and that of the poorest 

 kind. I use hemlock tops, old fence boards, and 

 the like ; never burn hard wood, as that always 

 commands a good price. My wood is all j)repared 

 and put into the building one year before hand, so 

 as to have it well dried. Flat-bottomed pans are 

 used mostly in this vicinity, and are considered the 

 best, as they v.ill boil away more sap, with a given 

 amount of wood, than a kettle. 



There has been more sugar made in this town 

 this spring than has been for many years. Many 

 of the farmers in this vicinity have made 2000 

 pounds ; and one man in an adjoining town, I am 

 informed, has made 6000 pounds from 900 trees. 



Woodstock, VL, 1857. H. F. K. 



