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THE GENESEE' EATl]\rER. 



SPIRIT OF THE AGRICULTURAL PBESS. 



Give Hens Meat.— The iVew England Farmer says "it 

 is not generally understood that the hen, being omni- 

 Torous, requires, to ensure fecundity, a very liberal al- 

 lowance of meat! When enjoying her liberty, in the 

 fields, pastures or door-yards, the principal part of her 

 Bustenance is derived from insects, worms, &c. She par- 

 takes but sparingly at such times of grain, and often 

 when the article is supplied, leaves it for the more in- 

 viting food which nature supplies her with in her favorite 

 haunts. Now, if we confine her where, the natural pro- 

 pensity for this description of food can not be gratified, 

 even though we supply the best of grain, and in abund- 

 ance, she will cease to lay. The privation affects her 

 health, and there will necessarily be an end of profit until 

 this deficiency is supplied. When fresh meat or fresh 

 fish can not be supplied, the common scraps of the 

 butcher, which are hard and compact and can be kept 

 any length of time, answer the desired purpose." 



Maggots in a Hat-Stack.— The Scotsman says consid- 

 erable talk has been created among the fai-merS near 

 Denny, in Stirlingshire, by the appearence of rather a 

 singular phenomenon in a hay-stack belonging to a flesher 

 there. The hay, which was bought and put up in good 

 condition, has recently, in consequence of the wet weather 

 which prevailed, become heated, and, coincident with this 

 transmutation, it became infested with an animalcule 

 somewhat similar in appearance and size to that which is 

 found in old cheese. So rapidly have the animalcules in- 

 creased in number that around the foot of the stack they 

 are at present lying fully half an inch thick. Several 

 practical farmers in the neighborhood have visited the 

 stack, and declared that in all their experience they had 

 never witnessed anything of the kind. 



LvK'iK Deposit op Honkt.- A somewhat singular dis- 

 covery was recently made in a house in St. Louis. The 

 Arfjiix g.ive fhe following account of the story : 



"The inmates of one of our largest up-town mansion 

 houses were surprised to find a large number of bees liv- 

 ing about in two of the upper rooms. As the little f-i- 

 low.s continued to occupy the places, a bee naturalist was 

 sent for to investigate. On entering the nxjins, he e.\- 

 claimed, 'You have honey somewhere here,' and pro- 

 ceeded to search for it. On removing the fire-board, he 

 discovered that one flue of the chimney was full of honev- 

 conib, which was hanging down into" fhe fire-place, aiid 

 the honey dropping from it; proceeding to the top of the 

 house to .sound the chimney, he found it the same; one 

 flue of the chimney was full, and the bees were industri- 

 ously at work tiiere al.so. These flues of the chimney had 

 never been used; they were plastered smooth inside, and 

 were pcrlectly dark, a stone having been ]>laced on the 

 top of eiich flue. The bees had descended the adjoining 

 flues, and found small holes about ten inches from the 

 top of the chimney, leading into the closed flues, and 

 thirnugh these holes they had made their way in and out. 

 Thevhave, as is supposed, occupied these places for three 

 Tears, having been kept warm in winter by the heat from 

 the adjoining flues. On removing the 'fire-board, the 

 bees, seeing the great light which had broken in upon 

 them, descended to the room and gathered on the win- 

 dows, until they were covered to the depth of three 

 inches. It is estimated that there are in the two flues 



How to Prevent Wet Feet. — A writer 



fhe 



from 10,000 to 50,000 bees, and from 2,000 to 3,000 pounds 

 of honey." 



Cr\nbep.ribs.— The Cape Cod HepuhUcan ^VlS a table 

 showitur that in the town of Harwich between f<eventv 

 ami pJL'hty growers raised, last year, \J,-i:) bushels of 

 eraubcrnes, which sold for the sum of 112,249.50. 



changes' Maffazirie says: 



"1 hiive had three pairs of boots for thp last six yea 

 and I think 1 shall not re(|uire any mor«- for the next .• 

 years to come. The reason is that I treat them in t 

 following manner: I put a pound each of tallow a 

 resin in a pot on the fire; when melted and mi.xed 

 warm the boots and applv it hot with a iiaiiiter's bru 

 until neither the sole nor the leather will soak any mo 

 If it IS desired that the hoots should immediately take 

 polish, dissolve an ounce of wax in a teuspoonful 

 lampblack. A day or two after the boots have be 

 treated with the tallow and resin, rub over them this w 

 and turpentine, but not before the fire. Thus the e.xteri 

 will have a coat of wax alone, and shine like a mini 

 Tallow or grease becomes rancid, and rots the stitchii 

 and leather; but the resin gives it an antiseptic qualii 

 which preserves the whole. Boots and shoes should 

 so large as to admit of wearing cork soles. Cork is 

 bad a conductor of heat that w'ith it in the boots the fc 

 are always warm on the coldest stone floor. 



The Farmer's Calling.— The MassachuMtts Flourjlim, 

 addresses its readers as follows : 



"Is it not better, Oi complaining Farmer friend < 

 ours, to have the back-ache sometimes as you follow tl 

 plow, or swing the scythe, than the heart-ache always i 

 you follow in the chase for wealth amid the selfish cor 

 petitions of city life, or attempt to swing great ente 

 prises upon capital that is not j-ours? Is it not better 

 have the countenance well browned with tan, than th 

 the soul should be begrimed by contact with all the dir 

 tricks of politics and of trade ? Is it not better to hardt 

 the hand by honest toil, than to harden the heart by tt 

 dishonest practices which prerail where clotb is tl 

 standard of respectability and success, which is .so ofte 

 only another name for money-gelting, is esteemed tl 

 highest virtue?" 



Taste op Tornips i.v Milk.— A correspondent of tb 

 Boston Cultivator says that cream affected by cows eatin 

 cabbage or turnips, or turnip-tops, may be improved b 

 grating into it quite a large quantity of carrots. ]f von 

 cream is suflTicieutly yellow, use the light-colored carrots 

 He recommends putting the carrots in warm water o 

 milk after grating, and straining it into the churn befor 

 commencing to churn. 



Disease Among Armt Horsrs.— Dr. Kobixson, Veterl 

 nary Surgeon to the 1st N. Y. M. R., Writes to Wilhi 

 Spirit in regard to a disease which is now causing s( 

 much dev.astation among the caralry horses in the L'ni 

 ted States Government employ. He has lost eight or fer 

 horses in his regiment from this disease, which he say; 

 approximates closely to apoplexy, caused by ovcr-exer 

 tion, change of food and climate. 



Indian Corn for Horsbs.— The Irish Farmers' GazM* 

 says truly that "Indian corn is more nutritious, and at 

 present cheaper than oafs." It recommends boiling if, 

 or "just bruised and steeped in cold water for three oi 

 four hours," and adds: "Horses for quick draught do 

 well on it given raw; fir slow draught it is best boiled 

 and given warm, but not hot." 



Making Game of Chickens,— It is well known that fhe 

 flavor of meat depends largely upon the kind of food on 

 which the animal was fed before being killed. The 

 Scottish Farmer thinks that by gi'^ing chickens some 

 berries or essences mixed with their food, we might 

 give chickens the flavor of garnet 



