FARMERS' REGISTER— PRESERVING BEES IN WINTER. 



119 



inexhaustible mines of iron ore, of the richest 

 quality; some of them are worked with conside- 

 rable profit. The salt works in Washington county 

 are, in time of peace, a source of great profit to 

 the owners, and an extensive convenience to a 

 large section of the western country, but in time 

 of war, they will prove to be national blessings. 

 Bituminous coal has been discovered in various 

 parts of the state ; extensive mines of it, we all 

 know, have been worked to great profit for many 

 years. This coal possesses some valuable proper- 

 ties, which will secure for it an increasing demand 

 from abroad. The gypsum found in Washingtcn 

 county, in great quantities, is said to be as valua- 

 ble as that brought from Nova Scotia, and is now 

 applied to similar purposes, by the farmers of west- 

 ern Virginia and Tennessee. Plaster in small 

 quantities, has been also found in many other parts 

 of the state; and it is probable, that if proper 

 search were made, valual^e beds of it would be 

 discovered both in middle and lower Virginia. 



" In almost everj^ section of lower Virginia there 

 are immense beds of marl, containing Irom sixty 

 to eighty percent, of lime. Until lately this marl 

 has been considered by the inhabitants of that coun- 

 try rather a nuisance than a blessing. But, within 

 a few years past, some of their more enlightened 

 farmers have made many conclusive experiments 

 with marl as a manure in cultivation, and have 

 proved tliat their marl and other marine deposits 

 constitute an invaluable treasure, and if properly 

 applied, are capable of redeeming and greatly en- 

 riching the whole tide-water country. 



" Permit me to observe, sir, in passing, that the 

 spirit of inquiry on this subject has been excited 

 principally by the successful experiments and ju- 

 dicious observations on calcareous manures, which 

 have been carried on for the last ten years by Ed- 

 mund Ruffin, I^sq. of Prince George. From the 

 work on calcareous manures, which he has lately 

 given to the world, it is evident that he is not only 

 a. practical operator, but a scientific cultivator. His 

 book is a work of solid merit. All such efforts 

 augur well for the agricultural interests of the state. 



" But to return. The mineral springs among 

 our western mountains are not surpassed, in varie- 

 ty or medicinal properties, by those of any other 

 country in the world. Chalybeate springs are 

 found in every section of the country. The hot 

 and warm, the white, the salt, and the red sulphur 

 springs, possess properties peculiar to themselves; 

 but all of tliem have been found efficacious in the 

 cure of those diseases incident to our cities and 

 alluvial country. It is to be greatly regretted, sir, 

 that these springs have not been accurately ana- 

 lyzed, and their properties made known to the 

 world. Such an analysis would be of incalcula- 

 ble benefit to the public at large, but especially to 

 physicians and patients, who reside at a distance. 



"This concise enumeration, includes nearly all 

 the mineralogical facts, which have been disco- 

 tVered in the state. But these facts, Avhen we take 

 into consideration, that most of them were disco- 

 vered by accident, are sufficient to prove, that, in 

 11 probability, the mineral resources of Virginia 

 ire very extensive and valuable. It is believed, 

 pat there but few subjects more worthy of public 

 patronage, or that would be protluctive of more 

 extensive benefits to our citizens, than a complete 

 geological and mineral survey of the whole state, 

 lut we have no reason to believe that this desira- 



ble object can be secured immediately. There is, 

 however, no doubt, but that this society can, by 

 its united effisrts, render important aid for its ac- 

 complishment ; by collecting and classifying the 

 various minerals, geological facts, and natural cu- 

 riosities, which may be obtained from all parts of 

 our countr)^ In this way it will not be difficult 

 to form an extensive cabinet of minerals and a 

 museum of natural curiosities here at the capital 

 of the state. Such an establishment Avill be not 

 only an object of interest to all intelligent visitors, 

 but a source of highly important information to the 

 naturalist, agriculturist, and statesman. If our 

 legislators will co-operate with us in this enter- 

 prise, they can give us important assistance, by 

 affording a medium of direct and easy communi- 

 cation, annually, between this society and every 

 citizen in this commonwealth. When it shall be 

 generally known that there is established at the 

 seat of government, a common place of deposife 

 for minerals, and that those specimens which are 

 fonvarded to it will be examined and perhaps ana- 

 lyzed by competent persons, there will be no diffi- 

 culty in rapidly increasing our cabinet. I appre- 

 hend, sir, that, as we progress in collecting speci- 

 mens, men of science, for the sake of their own 

 improvement and that of others, will most willing- 

 ly assist in examining and analyzing them. By 

 these simple means, much valuable information 

 can be distributed among our citizens, and great 

 eood be done." 



Preserving- Bees in lYinter. 



From the Genessee Farmer. 



Bergen, Genessee Co. May 17, 1833. 

 Mr. Tucker : — I have seen several articles 

 on the subject of bees in your valuable paper, the 

 Genessee Farmer, and being a subscriber, I wish 

 to give to the public the fruits of my experience. 

 I have kept bees for fifteen years. Last spring a 

 friend of mine told me if I would bury my bees 

 in the ground I could keep them through the win- 

 ter in that manner ; accordingly I buried two hives 

 that had but very little honey. 1 was confident 

 that they would not winter for the want of food; I 

 therefore thought I would fry the experiment. I 

 took them from the ground the 18th day of April, 

 and found them in good health. They had not 

 made use of the honey, as there appeared to be as 

 much honey in the spring as when I put them in 

 the ground. They must be buried below the 

 frost, and in such manner as to prevent the air 

 from coming to them. 



H. D. GIFFORD. 



On this subject, we find the following para- 

 graph in the newspapers — where it originated we 

 know not : 



Preserving Bees in Winter. — Mr. Etheridge, 

 of Montrose, Penn., who keeps a considerable 

 quantity of bees, buried seven hives in the ground 

 last fall by placing them in the ground, covering 

 them first with straw, and then burying them in 

 the earth to the depth of about ten inches. About 

 the first of the month he took them out, and found 

 them to be in excellent condition. Some of the 

 hives when buried were poorly provided with ho- 

 ney, and Mr. E. is of opinion that they could not 

 have been preserved through the winter in the or- 

 dinary way. 



