278 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1824. 



FARMER'S CALEJ^DER. 



BEES. When we consider the various uses to 

 which honey and wax are applied as well in 

 medicine as the arts, we shall be led to con- 

 clude that these insects would be highly worthy 

 of the attention of the rural economist, even 

 should the requisite care be accompanied with 

 considerable labor and expense. But the cost 

 of keeping bees is very trifling, after the bee- 

 house and hives are made, and the care will 

 prove merely an amusement to any one who has 

 a mind fitted for philosophical inquiry and expe- 

 riments. 



It is sometimes worth the while to feed bees 

 during the winter, and early in the spring. 

 The quantity of provisions, the bees may have 

 in store is to be known by the weight of the 

 hive, and its contents. The weight of the 

 swarm, and of the hive or box containing them 

 should always be known, and marked ; and then, 

 after reasonable deduction, for the weight of 

 the comb, the remainder of the whole weight 

 must be honey and bee-bread. The swarm 

 should weigh from four to sis pounds. To as- 

 certain their weight, that of the empty hive 

 should be first known, and marked on it ; and 

 then the addition to that will be the weight of 

 the bees when put into it. 



If, however, the weight of the hive or box 

 and of the swarm have not been ascertained in 

 proper season, and there is no way to inspect 

 the inside of the hive, the bee-keeper may per- 

 haps form some conjecture by the apparent 

 weight of the hive, when poised in his hands, 

 whether the bees are deficient in provisions. 



Trie best method of supplying bees with food, 

 is by small canes or troughs, conveyed into their 

 hives. " There are two seasons in which the 

 feeding of bees become necessary, and these are 

 in winter and spring ; at these seasons, the hives 

 should be carefully watched, and when found 

 light, an immediate supply be given them. Il 

 is the opinion of our author, that it is best not 

 to feed profusely, by giving a great quantify at 

 a time, but gently, say about two pounds a month, 

 and that the feeding should be in the morning 

 early before the bees leave the hive, and al- 

 ways in pleasant weather, and that the entrance 

 of the hive should be closed immediately after 

 feeding to prevent robbery from other hives. 

 Or, it may be considered most prudent and safe 

 to administer food at evening, after sunset. 

 when the entrance of the hive need not be clos- 

 ed ; but the vessel containing the honey must 

 be removed before the next morning, to pre- 

 vent robbery as before. Care should be taken 

 not to delay feeding your bees till the old store 

 is all exhausted, for they will then become fee- 

 ble and if you preserve your bees, you will lose 

 much of their labors the next season. Sugar is 

 sometimes administered as food for bees, as' well 

 ns clear honey ; Mr. Huish considers the first as 

 improper food and often exposing the bees to 

 the dysentery ; and adds, " Wherever honey is 

 given it should bu mixed with some good old 

 white wine ; in the proportion of six pounds of 

 lioney to one of wine ; it should then be placed 

 on a slow tire, and stirred until the honey is all 

 dissolved, then poured out into a jar or other 



vessel for use, " Dissolve one pound of sugar in 

 a quart of good old ale ; boil and skim it until it 

 is clear, wlien cooled it will have the consis- 

 tence of honey, and may be given your bees. 

 A little salt added to the food is both safe and 

 useful, especially when they are threatened 

 with dysentery. Molasses and water boiled, 

 with little salt, may be a good substitute, toge- 

 ther with a little treacle." — Farmer's Assistant. 



Dr. Anderson observes in substance that du- 

 ring the frequent mild days of winter, and the 

 warm mornings of spring, which are suddenly 

 succeeded by a nipping frost, or sleety rain, 

 bees are awakened from their torpid state, and 

 consume their food. They are likewise often 

 allured by unseasonable warmth to leave their 

 hives, and are chilled before their return so as 

 not to be able to fly. To prevent these evils he 

 advises to place the hives in an ice house to be 

 kept till the spring is so far advanced that the 

 bees may be safely trusted abroad. We do not 

 know whether this hint has ever been acted on, 

 but it may be well to try the experiment. 



EWES AND LAMBS. DesHc's New England 

 Farmer says, " if sheep are fed with a little In- 

 dian corn, about half a gill a day to each, it will 

 keep them in good heart, prevent the wool from 

 falling off, and enable the ewes to rear their 

 young much better." Potatoes are better food 

 for breeding ewes than turnips, which it is said 

 are apt to injure the lambs. The Farmer^s Ma- 

 nual tells us that the best nursing for feeble 

 lambs is to keep the ewes well, and recommends 

 not only potatoes and Carrots but white beans in 

 small quantities, so as not to excite fever. If 

 your lambs are feeble they will require to be 

 nursed with warm milk, given frequently in 

 small quantities. Ewes milk is best, and if a 

 ewe does not give milk enough for her lamb 

 there is little probability that the lamb will live. 

 Therefore as before intimated yon must doctor 

 the mother for the sake of her offspring. 



If your sheep have colds and discharge mucus 

 from the nose feed them well, and occasionally 

 give them pine boughs or spread tar on a hoard, 

 and strew a little fine salt over the tar, and the 

 sheep will lick the tar, and get well immedi- 

 ately. 



GOOD BEER. The season of the year has now 

 arrived in which beer of the superlative degree 

 will be quite a luxury, and almost one of the 

 necessaries of life. We have seen many re- 

 cipes for making beer, but none which we think 

 quite equal to the following ; taking into consid- 

 eration cheapness, and simplicity in making, and 

 excellence of the beverage when produced. It 

 was furnished by a friend, who can have no oth- 

 er motive in the communication than what aris- 

 es from a laudable wish to benefit his fellow 

 creatures. 



Ji Recipe for making Beer. 

 Boil 10 ounces Hops in 3i pails of water one 

 hour, or until the leaves settle at the bottom of 

 the kettle. Then strain it into a 20 gallon cask 

 in which must first be put G quarts and one pint 

 of good thick molasses. Fill it up with cold 

 water. Add one pint irca-er's yeast. Roll it 

 over and shake it well. Let it remain in the 

 cellar 24 hours with the bung out, after which 

 it must be bunged light, and in one week it will 

 be fit for use. If bottled it will very much im- 

 prove. 



\ 



MR. ABBOT'S HARRo%v. The drawing and descrif, 

 tion of the newly invented harrow, which we have pul 

 lished, pajfe 276 of this day's paper will, we believt 

 be found an acquisition to the agriculturist. We havfi'f 

 carefully perused the descriptions, and drawings of Enj 

 lish implements of the sort,as well as compared Mr. k\ 

 bot's with those now in use in American husbandry 

 and so far as we are able to judge, Mr.Abbot's is decidetfc'I 

 ly superior to any of them ; its cheapness and the sin 

 plicity of its construction are not among the least of i( 

 merit3,it is so broad and as it were fortified bythe positia 

 of its timbers, that it cannot fail to be very strong an< 

 durable. It will be observed that the teeth are so place 

 that not any two of them move in one tract, and that tlu cli 

 tracts are at equal distances from each other, which as ''f' 

 desirable things in the construction of harrows. Sir 3oi) * 

 Sinclair says that " teeth of harrows should either b 

 round, or perhaps with a sharp edge, bent forward, lik 

 so many coulters, as they make themselves cleaner thai 

 when they are square, or of any other shape, and wofK '', 

 easier after the horses." We should believe, howeveii ^, 

 if the teeth were square, and set diagonally, so that on 

 corner of each might go forward in the line of motioBi *' 

 that the harrow would be as easily drawn and perfoiH 

 as good work, in ordinary cases, as in any shxjk 

 which could be given them. If the ground be roDJ ft 

 the teeth of the harrow should be set standing a lit j 

 backwards, so that they may not be so liable to catdl ''" 

 or hang by roots, stones, &c. But when the ground! 

 smooth, the teeth should slant a little forwards. T^rt 

 best w.iy to fasten harrow teeth according to Dr. Deant 

 is with shoulders under the harrow, and nuts screw^l 

 on above. A friend, however, has suggested that a b^ 

 ter and cheaper way is to place strong slips of timui 

 over the beams of the harrow so as to press on the hei 

 of the teeth and confine those slips in that position 

 spikes, or iron pins, with screws. 



Harrows of the construction abovementioned are 

 sale at the Agricultural Establishment, No. 20, JVfcl 

 chants' Row, Boston. 



» 



Dui 



Tmi 



ed 



°1 



Fires. — On the 14th inst. an extensive Saw-mill 

 tablishment, and a Ship-house in New York, wit] 

 new Steam-boat, building to ply between that city aSil'' 

 New Haven, two brigs, and a large quantity of timb€)i ■',' 

 lumber. Sic. including the entire timber for a new sh^ ''" 

 were destroyed by fire together with one of the C^ f" 

 Engines, deserted in consequence of the rapid spreu "' 

 of the flames. A stable in Newton, N. Y. togetM '' 

 with its contents, and three valuable horses were dtfH ™ 

 stroyedbyfire on the 6th inst. — A large three sfoHl '" 

 brick house, belonging to Jacob Ridgway, Esq. ofPlw i™ 

 ladelphia, was destroyed by fire on the 12lh inst. " 



InloTicalion. — A man named Armstrong, who livt^i ^ 

 in a small cabin and alone, on Scotia Brush Creek," ;" 

 Ohio, was lately burnt to death, while in a state ofin- f ' 

 toxication. He had lain down by the fire, in tbf ' 

 course of the night, which communicated to one of his 

 hands, and entirely burnt off the flesh — burnt out tail 

 eyes, and so far burnt the skin from his head as to 

 show the bone. — He lived but a day after this uuhapof > 

 circumstance, utterly deprived of reason. 



The sum of one thousand and four dollars was s4l^< 

 scribed in the town of Newark for the benefit of W* 

 Greeks. -^ 



Dr Geo. F. Klingle of the Northern Liberties, Sh 

 nounees the death of a lad aged 14 years, from inhdmt\ 

 (ether. It is hoped his fate will prove a warning W 

 others. He suiiered excruciating pain from MondHi 

 the 1st, to Saturday the 6th, on which day he dim 

 [U. S. Gazettt. 



Dr. Percival, who has made himself eminent for tab 

 poetical effusions, has been appointed by the Presidenl 

 and Senate an Assistant Surgeon in the Army to be ,, 

 stationed at West Point. The duties of Lecturer on |„ 

 Chemistry are assigned to that station. 



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