FARMERS' REGISTER— ADVANTAGE OF SHORT STAGES— THE BEE &c. 697 



reared in the open air, be tied up in white bags, 

 they will scarcely ripen, are small, and want fla- 

 vor ; but if other bunches on the same vine be 

 confined in bags of black crape, the contrast is ve- 

 ry striking, in the latter being fully ripe, large, 

 and of a flavor equal to those cultivated on a 

 foreign soil. This fact explains the principle on 

 which I would veil my vines with sable weeds; 

 further explanation would, therefore, be superflu- 

 ous and unnecessary. 



Respecting the Chinese method of propagating 

 fruit trees, it is merely requisite to detach a strip, 

 or narrow riband, of bark from the branch or limb 

 which is to l)e separated. The Chinese apply to 

 this a ball of earth mingled with clay, to impart 

 greater consistency to it, and this is covered with 

 nioss, and secured by bandages formed of some 

 pliant material; a small pan containing water, is 

 suspended over it and serves to keep it moist. 

 This method, as successfully pursued in this coun- 

 try, was first pointed out to me by Sir Lauchlan 

 MacLean, of Sudbury. The Italians often adopt 

 the plan ; and I have seen a large orange tree, 14 

 feet high, loaded with growing fruit, thus .separa- 

 ted from the aged parent stock, and exposed for 

 sale in the market at Naples. I have witnessed 

 the plan in full operation near the royal observato- 

 ry in that city. One obvious advantage is. that 

 no time is lost in the growth of the tree; nay, the 

 very abstraction of the ring of bark from the 

 branch rather expedites than otherwise the evolu- 

 tion of fruit. The Italians have improved on the 

 rude plan of the Chinese, by enclosing in a tin 

 case, the stem of the luture independent tree ; it is 

 filled with earth, pressed down, and covered with 

 moss, which is preserved moist in the way I have 

 already described. This part of it I have improved, 

 by suspending the tin vessel which contains the 

 water on an adjoining branch above the ball, while 

 a woollen thread, previously moist, forms a line of 

 communication, and affords a constant regular sup- 

 ply, on the principle of the syphon, and the capil- 

 lary attraction of the fibres of the thread. A lid 

 prevents the loss by evaporation from the surface 

 of the water confined in the vessel. 



A linear incision in the bai'k above a bud, it has 

 been stated, will convert that bud into a branch. 

 Last season I tried several experiments of this 

 kind on a fig, cutting out a narrow strip of bark, 

 over the bud, in the form of an inverted V, and 

 succeeded in producing branches in five out of 

 seven instances. The want of success in these 

 two, I suspect, arose from the imperfect separation 

 of the lips of the bark, and insufficient depth of the 

 incision. I am, sir, &c. J. Murray. 



January 20th, 1833. 



ADVANTAGE OF SHORT STAGES IN DRAWING 

 HEAVY LOADS. 



From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 

 Mr. Stuart Mcnteath of Closeburn, projirietor 

 of one of the richest coalfields in the island, both as 

 to quantity and quality, has very successfully cm- 

 ployed horse power to the drawing of heavy loads, 

 by dividing the road into short stages. Before 

 this expedient was resorted to, each horse could 

 travel the distance of only 18 miles, and return 

 with a load of 24 cwt. thrice a week ; that is to say, 

 the aggregate of the labor of each horse amounted 

 to 3 tons 12 cwt. weekly. But by dividing that 



V oLi. 1. — yy > 



distance into four stages of 4^7 miles each, four 

 horses can make three trips daily, and draw a load 

 of 33 cwt. each trip, or very nearly 5 tons daily, 

 or 30 tons weekly. Hence, according to this me- 

 thod, the aggregate of the labor of each horse 

 amounts to above 7 tons weekly. Suppose 16 

 horses are employed, instead of making them tra- 

 vel 18 miles one day, and return with a load the 

 following, the more advantageous plan is to arrange 

 them in four divisions, and make eacli division 

 travel only 4^ miles in succession. Were this dis- 

 tance divided into six stages, the load might be 

 proportionally increased, with less fatigue to the 

 horses ; for it will invariably be found, that the 

 most profitable mode of applying the labor of 

 horses is to vary their muscular action, and revive 

 its tone by short and frequent intervals of repose. 



THE COMMON FOWL AND PHEASANT. 



From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 



In the autumn of 1826, a wanderer of the phea- 

 sant tribe made his appearance in a small valley 

 of the Grampians, the first of his family who had~ 

 ventured so far noith in that particular district. 

 For some time he was only occasionally observed, 

 and the actual presence of this rara avis was dis- 

 puted by man)' ; wintery wants, however, brought 

 him more frequently into notice; and, in due sea- 

 son, proofs still more unequivocal became rife. 

 When the chicken broods came forth, and began 

 to assume a shape and form, no small admiration 

 was excited by certain stately, long-tailed, game- 

 looking birds, standing forth amongst them, and 

 continuing to grow in size and beauty, until all 

 doubts of the stranger's interference with the rights 

 of chanticleer effectually vanished. These hybrids 

 partake largely of the pheasant character ; and as 

 they are of a goodly size and hardy constitution, a 

 useful and agreeable variety for our poultry yards 

 may be secured in a very simple and economical 

 manner. a. f. 



THE BEE. 



• From Jesse's Gleanings in Natural History. 



I have some experiment hives which enable me 

 very atcurately to inspect the operations of my 

 bees. From the construction of the hives, the 

 combs are necessarily built between two panes of 

 glass, so that on drawing the sliders, the two sur- 

 faces of a comb are exposed to view. In this way 

 I am able to see almost every thing that is going 

 forward. 



W^hen the queen bee has an inclination to depo- 

 sit her eggs, she goes forth, accompanied by six or 

 eight working bees as a guard, and whose sto- 

 machs are filled with honey. She is very delibe- 

 rate in her motions, and seems to proceed with 

 irreat caution. She ,first looks into a cell, and 

 if she finds it perfectly empty, she draws up her 

 long body, inserts her tail into the cell, and depo- 

 sits an egg. In this way, she slowly proceeds till 

 she has dropped ten or twelve eggs, when perhaps 

 feeling exhausted, she is fed by one of the attend- 

 ant bees, who have surrounded her the whole 

 time. This is done by the bee ejecting the honey 

 from its stomach into the mouth of the queen. 

 When this has been done the bee goes away, and 

 another takes its place. The operation of laying 

 her eggs again goes on, and is succeeded by the 



