1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



43 



and ether which has been provcc] to be of a 

 temperature minus one liuiiuied and forty-two 

 degrees centigrade, and tliat it would he ali.so- 

 solutelv iniiiossiblc for the sun's rays to pene- 

 trate tiiis cold envelope for a distance of il2-, 

 000,000 of miles and preserve any portion of 

 heat whatever. According to Pleasonton, 

 all our heat is evolved from the earth, and 

 the heat and cold of our atmosphere are regu- 

 lated by the dislance of this cold envelope 

 from the earth, Not being a scientist, and 

 not having much time or space at my disposal 

 I shall not pretend to explain Gen. Ploason- 

 ton's ideas. Let those who wish to read his 

 book send to Scribner for it, inclosing S'J, and 

 they will get it. Hut "the iiroof of the pud- 

 ding is in the eating." While I cannot ex- 

 plain scientilically the operation, I know that 

 the blue light, in conjunction with the ])lain 

 light, has i)roduce(l wonderful effects, both in 

 curing disease and otherwise. It costs noth- 

 ing to try it, for, although a patent has been 

 issued to Gen. Pleasonton for his discovery, 

 he has not sought to profit by it. Let 



Whoever Desires to Experiment 



with it, whether upon vegetable or animal 

 life, go ahead. If upon vegetable life, the 

 proportion of blue glass to transparent should 

 be about one-eighth; if upon animal life, let it 

 be about equal— one-half blue and one-half 

 transparent. The glass used is a dark pur- 

 plish blue, and can be obtained almost any- 

 where. Get a few panes cut to the size of 

 your window panes, and insert them alter- 

 nately in the sash, and then let the lame, the 

 halt, and the blind sit within its influence. 

 It is soon tested, and at a trifling cost. The 

 results already obtained and certified to by 

 men of known character and standing are sntli- 

 cient to make ridiculous the one who would 

 cry '■humbug." Facts are facts, and cannot 

 be wiped out. Whatever one may think of 

 Gen. Pleasonton's theories, or his explanations 

 of the results obtained by his cx]ierinients, no 

 one who reads his book can doubt but these 

 results have been obtained. In France, his 

 book attracted the attention of the best scien- 

 tists, who are now experimenting with the 

 blue glass. What results have been obtained 

 is not known. All scientists admit that elec- 

 tricity is a force regarding which very little is 

 known. They are all striving to learn more 

 regarding it, and to make it more subservient 

 to the will of man. Perhaps Geu. Pleasonton 

 has got 



A Step in Advance 



of all of them, and holds the key of the»pnzzle 

 in his grasp. I should add, however, that he 

 is.exceedingly'niodest regarding hisdiscovery, 

 and says: "I do not profess to teach any one; 

 but, as a human atom among the masses of 

 mankind, for whom all knowledge should be 

 "disseminated, I venture to imi)art to the pub- 

 lic the conclusions to which I have arrived on 

 these subjects, and that the public may attach 

 to them whatever value they please." When 

 I see a near and dear relative daily advancinc 

 from sickness to health, gaining strength and 

 vigor from the application of his theory, I for 

 one attach very considerable weight to it. In 

 the hope that others may be induced to exper- 

 iment in this dir8f;lion, where no possible 

 harm can follow and raueh good may result, 

 I have written this letter. — Qhicago Tribune. 



GOLDEN RULES FOR BEE-KEEPING. 



1. For success. The successful bee-keeper 

 should be firm, fearless, promjit, provident, 

 persevering, systematic and self-reliant. 



2. For situation. The apiary should be in 

 a sheltered position, near a small stream, and 

 where a variet}' of honey -plants, some of which 

 yield abmidani, and others constant supplies of 

 the nectar. 



3. For removing bees. Allow for abund- 

 ant ventilation, close up firmly, invert and 

 place in a spring wagon, so that combs run 

 with, and not across the wagon. Unless re- 

 moved a mile or more, hives should be moved 

 by degrees, only a foot or two at a time, or 

 many" bees will be lost. 



4. For hives. Tlie general advantages of 

 manuf.acture, simplicity, capacity, wintering 

 anil adaptation to the requirements of the 

 particular apiarian are to be considered. It 

 is essential that every hive, frame, box, and 

 movable part be of the same size so that each 

 will lit with all. 



5. For handling. Move gently and with- 

 out sudden or violent motions in all work 

 about the apiary. 



C. For subduing. "Bees filled with liquid 

 sweets do not volunteer an attack." Hence, 

 cause thcin to fill themselves with honey by 

 smoking or fii^hting. 



7. For smoking. Use dried buffalo chip 

 from the cow pen. It costs notliii>g. is the 

 best material, and when lighted lasts a long 

 time. 



8. For protection. U.se a bobinet vail 

 sewed up and open at the both ends, one 

 fastened with rubber around the hat, the other 

 secured under the coat collar. 



9. For sweeping bees. U.se a green twig 

 or a bunch of asparagus, never a feather. 



10. For stings. Do dot flinch if stung. 

 Scrape the sting out with a knife or finger- 

 nail, pinch the wound and apply soda, liarts- 

 horn, or whatever alkali is found best by the 

 particular party. 



11. For increase. Rear queens, or have 

 queen cells ready from nuclei before the swarms 

 are made. Make but few swarms if honey is 

 desired. 



12. For nuclei. Use the regular frames 

 and hive with division hoards to diminish or 

 increase at pleasure. No extra, useless comb 

 is then needed, and they are easily increased 

 to stands. 



18. For inserting queens. She should be 

 fertile, the bees aware of their loss, no queen 

 cells started, the same scent given, and the 

 bees quiet, when she is released. 



14. For strength. Keep only prolific queens, 

 feed in times of honey drought, check undue 

 swarming by destroying queen cells, and if 

 neces.sary, by inserting combs of capped brood 

 or uniting stocks. 



15. For honey. Keep the hives very strong 

 if much is desired. The neater the box, or 

 jar. the better the price. 



1(1 For a queenless colony. Give it a 

 qui'en, queen cell or eggs at once, or unite it 

 with another colony. 



17. For queens. Raise queens from select 

 stocks. Keep only prolific ones, and supersede 

 the third year after the close of the spring 

 honey harvest. 



18. For record. Keep a record of the age 

 of each queen, all examinations and condi- 

 tions of the hive, on a card or tablet fastened 

 conveniently in the top of each hive. 



19. For using extractors. Use sparingly 

 except in the midst of a honey harvest, or 

 directly thereafter, to give the qiieen room for 

 laying. 



20. For comb guides. Use sharp angles, 

 or strips of comb in the centre of the frames, 

 and tip the hive forward at an angle of 25 

 deg. 



21. For worker comb. Have combs built 

 in colonies which have young queens, and 

 always near the centre of the hive, or use 

 artificial foundations. 



22. For raising drones. A square inch or 

 two of drone comb is sufficient in a hive to 

 prevent the rearing of useless drones. 



23. For cleansing comb. If dry, first soak 

 and then direct a stream of water from a 

 syringe iqion the comb so inchned that tiie 

 water carries away the filth. 



24. For feeding. Time— after sunset, with 

 tepid syrup if cool. Season— liquid food in 

 sununcr and fall, and solid candy in winter. 

 The syrup should vary from eijual part.s, by 

 measure, of .sugar and water, for summer, to 

 two of suijar to one of water, for fall feeding. 

 Alittle vinegar may be added in summer to 

 prevent storage, and a little cream of tartar 

 in autumn to prevent crystallization. Freshly 

 ground oat.s and rye for pollen, fed in a diy, 

 sunny i)lace in spring. 



25. For removing propolis. Alcohol cleanses 

 it from glass, benzine dissolves it, but the best 



way to remove it from quilts is by rubbing iu 

 colil weather. 



For wintering. Stocks should be strong in 

 bees, heavy with stores, prottcled from sud- 

 den changes and depredators, with veutilation 

 according to temperature. 



27. Against moths. Strong colonics with 

 fertile queens. 



28. Against robbers. Contract the en- 

 trinces — entirely if necessary. Leave no 

 sweets exposed. 



29. Against ants. Pour coal oil, or car- 

 bolic acid into their haunts. Seal honey in 

 jars or jjlace it on a bench or swinging shelf, 

 with a good wiile chalk mark around the sup- 

 ports. Ants cannot cross a fresh chalk mark 

 if wide and continuous. 



30. I-'or general success in all points. 

 Keep your stocks strong I Stuong I I 



Four things to lie learned : 



1. How to succeed in artificial fertilization. 



2. How to coax bees to use old comb in 

 constructing new. 



3. How to prepare pollen for use in the 

 cells. 



4. How to make comb foundations that 

 will not stretch. 



Yea and 



5. How to winter successfully without 

 comb. — Bee-Kecper''s Magazine. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society. 



A stalcii moetine of Hie Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural ami horticultural .Society, was held in tlie 

 rooms of tlic Linn;pau Society, on Monday afternoon, 

 March .5, the following named gentlemen being pres- 

 ent : 



Calvin Cooper, president; Johnson Miller, eccre- 

 tarv; D. \V. f{ancl<, Henry ,M. En;rle, Reuben Wea- 

 ver, Martin D. Kendip, John C. Linvillc, Levi W. 

 firotf, Mr. Hitler, Levi Pownall, E. K. Hershey, 

 John B. Erti, Jacob B. (iarber, Simon P. Eliy, C. L. 

 Hunsccker, Prof. S. S. Hathvon, Peter S. Heist, John 

 Buslions;-, Christian Coble, Georse W.Sehroycr, John 

 .Miller, Adam Shreiner, Levi S. Relet, Jacob R. WIU 

 mer, Klias Hershey. 



Crop reports bcin? called for, Mr. Esole stated 

 that there was very little to report; frequent frecz- 

 inir and thawinp had browned the wiuter wheat 

 somewhat, but had not hurt it. Some of the peach 

 buds had been liilled by the severity of the winter, 

 hut there were enouerh unhurt to insure a i;ood 

 yield. The lowest temperature during the season, 

 at tiis place, was C decrees below zero. The lowest 

 during the past month was is above zero, and the 

 highest fi.5. Tlie rain fall during the past monlb 

 was 2'.c inches. 



Mr. HiLi.EK, of Conestoga, said the fruit in his 

 neightiorhood was unhurt. The thermometer at no 

 time marked a lower temperature than 2 degrees 

 atxjve zero. 



Mr. J. B. Err had noticed that the winter wheat 

 was in some places injured by repeated freezing and 

 thawing. 



President Cooper had examined a great many 

 peach buds and found them all kilted. The lowest 

 temperature was 6 decrees lielow zero. 



Mr. E. K. Hersiiet read an Interesting paper 

 on the question referred to him at last meetinEr: 

 "How much lime should be used toanacreof landf" 

 He said agticullural chemists greatly dilTeiecl as to 

 the utility of lime on laud. Some say that the con- 

 stitueiilsof lime, if they at'; not already in the soil, 

 must be put there by the farmer. Others regard 

 lime as of very little account under the best circum- 

 stances, while sometimes it did alisolute harm. Mr. 

 Hershey thought that its chief utility is its quality as 

 an alkaline re-agent. He thought many farmers 

 used entirely loo much of it. He recommended 

 from 15 to 30 bushels per acre, according to the na- 

 ture of the soil, and to lie employed annually as a 

 top dressing, in as line panicles as possible, after be- 

 ing slaked. As the application ol lime as a fertil- 

 izer was a question on w hicli farmers greatly differ- 

 ed, he urged members of Ihc society to make experi- 

 ments and lay the r res-jlts lielbre the society. 



Mr. H. M. Ej)«i,E lliouiht too much lime was 

 generally used; smaller quantities more freqliently 

 applied will do more cood than the large quantities 

 sometimes used; some farmers use from 100 to 15o 

 liuslicls per acre; this is too much. 



.Mr. J. C. I.ixviLi.E said some soils would hear 

 from 100 to .00 bushels per acre, while others would 

 not bear M bushels. Where the soil is not more 

 than six inches deep and one-half gravel, it will not 

 fake up much lime; it should therefore be put on 

 sparingly. In clay soil it may be put on more heav- 

 ily. Where there is not much vegetable matter In 



