104 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July, 



them oft a few at a time ; at one end of the 

 branch there was a small cluster of bees; 

 leaving this for the last, I scraped them in my 

 hat, and on spreading and running out I 

 spied the third one ; this one was somewhat 

 larger than the others ; I gave her to the 

 smaller number. Both stock did well ; in 

 fact, they are Ijoth working on the frames 

 and boxes. I then examined the mother 

 hive, and found three queens, all young, and 

 three queen cells almost ripe for hatcliing. 

 On the tenth day after, from the same hive, I 

 had anotlier swarm, and determined to con- 

 clude my examination. I found two queens, 

 and again looking into mother hive, I find 

 four queens and no cells ; they being cut oft', 

 as they were of no more use, as they were 

 stuck on the edge of the frames, and of a 

 round shape on the inner side, not six-square, 

 like all others. On the fifth day after the 

 second swarm they threw oft' the third, it 

 being small and contained but one queen. 

 Looking in mother hive again, I find but 

 two queens ; perhaps the thu'd gave me the 

 slip, as they are very shy, not wishing 

 to be seen. There was no more queen cells, 

 and have been none since ; this part of the 

 breeding for the season is done. I made this 

 examination to gratify my own opinion, never 

 believing that one queen was capable of rear- 

 ing so many bees as to keep up the supply of 

 deforms, cripples and natural deaths, which is 

 only six or seven weeks of life duration during 

 ■working season, and also give three swarms 

 and leave a large family at home, all in two or 

 three months. If there is but one queen, 

 what is the use of from four to eight hundred 

 drones in each old stock. Divide those drones 

 in each swarm, allowing one hundred for each 

 queen, there is none too many. Some writers 

 say that the queen meets the drone in the air ; 

 I never saw a queen leave the hive or return 

 to it, except when swarming, and they are 

 then the last to leave home. I had a bee- 

 keeper to tell me, the other day, that if the 

 queen was not pregnant within twenty days 

 after coming off with the swarm she never 

 would be, but she would lay eggs that would 

 hatch drones, and drones only. I said to him, 

 this would suit those who breed game cocks 

 for the pit, as they need keep nothing but the 

 hens, as they will assuredly lay eggs, and 

 hatching nothing but cocks it would be a sav- 

 ing of expense, and no risk to run in hatching 

 what is wanted. The queens will not leave 

 the mother hive until they are pregnated, as 

 we will see on examining the new swarm the 

 next day — we find an egg in every cell, al- 

 though tliey are not more than a quarter of an 

 inch in length. There are many things yet to 

 be learned about the honey-bee. Book agri- 

 culture is of but little use, self-experience is 

 the best always. — Tmirs respectfully, Win. J. 

 Pyle, June 1st, 1878. _ ' 



For The Lancaster Fabmer. 

 BLACKBERRY CAUSALITY. 



Friend Ratiivon : The branch of a species 

 of blackberry left with you by John B. Erb, 

 Lime Valley; after a thorough inspection, I 

 agree with you, as you surmised it to be, is "a 

 morbid aftergrowth, which is makiug an eftbrt 

 to run into a second crop of flowers and fruit, 

 and is injuring the first crop." I have quoted 

 your words, having substantially come to the. 

 same conclusion. I will now give my reasons. 



1st. The excrescence-like appearance of a 

 dense conglomeration of vegetable growth 

 from the axillary leaf buds, of a rusty color 

 and dry, scorched appearance, reminded me of 

 a rose bush infested with a red fungus ( Coleoa- 

 porium pingue is one of the names given to it), 

 attacking the rosaceous plants in May and 

 June ; the above name refers to the Europeim 

 species, but on comparison with the illustra- 

 tion, I could detect uo difference. However, 

 on closer inspection, I had to abandon the 

 idea of fungoids discoloring the stipules and 

 leaves. Then I queried, could it be caused 

 by the sting of an insect, causing a flow of 

 sap and diversion in the normal development, 

 so as to induce an excrescence V I found, how- 

 ever, tlie central axis of growth and cells 

 healthy or green, and the outer only dry, 



snufE-colored and shriveled up ; no sign of an 

 egg or larvpe, hence I had to abandon that 

 supposition. JSTow for the true cause. If we 

 study cell formation and growth in plants we 

 find the formation and development follow 

 certain laws of plant life if not arrested, 

 checked or interfered with. These checks 

 and interferences are also governed by laws, 

 and thus antagonism is experienced, which 

 nature, in its prolific life-forces, attempts to 

 overcome, by putting forth renewed activities. 

 For instance, an early warm spring starts the 

 sap, the buds swell, the leaves nnfold their 

 tender tissues and develop cell after cell ac- 

 cording to the pattern and lUtimate design of 

 the plant ; thus, in its precocious venturing 

 forth by the stimulus of the warmth and 

 moisture of early spring, it has thrown oft' its 

 winter safeguards and a sudden cold snap or 

 chilly weather will cause the tender vessels 

 to shrink; a cold rain may cause a check 

 and produce like results. It only needs a 

 clicck, a few days dry or warm weather 

 acting on the exposed portions of the plant. 

 Without sending a reinforcement from the 

 soil the aqueous or volatile portions of the sap 

 will exhale or evaporate, causing the external 

 cells or tissues to collapse and become aggluti- 

 nated, by converting the ligneous or wood- 

 forming portion of the sap into a tough 

 mass, clogging up, so that the subsequent 

 flow of sap cannot penetrate the outer tissues ; 

 these now dry up or are imperfectly devel- 

 oped ; but as the fruit or blossoms appertain 

 to the central axis of growth, they may con- 

 tinue the struggle and attain to some degree 

 of development,as seen on the branch in ques- 

 tion. Yet, to account for the dense con- 

 glomeration in the axil of the older and lower 

 leaves, we find in some cases adventitious 

 buds or young branchlets, where the com- 

 pression of the cells causes the elemental 

 vitality used normally in a gradual elonga- 

 tion of the stem in its growth to produce in 

 succession out of the leaf — the calyx, corolla, 

 stamens and pistils to the berries in forming 

 the fruit. These are all represented under 

 the microscope in an undeveloped state, and 

 seemed pressed out of place laterally, causing 

 a confusion and conglomeration. I find the 

 rudiments of pistils and stamens comprising 

 the yet green and growing centres, traces of 

 the corolla and calyx, leaf-like in the medley, 

 with the leaves proper having died off, and of 

 a snuff-brown color. 



The molecules of matter taken up and used 

 in the normal growth of the plant by the life 

 forces, become refractory,and the building uj), 

 in this particular, becomes a "babel of confu- 

 sion," and an abnormal development through 

 conflicting forces evidently existing, in the 

 vegetable as in the moral or animal kingdom. 



This, then, is an evil, that without protection 

 to the plant after it has thrown off its winter 

 suit, and is not prepared for a chill — I advise 

 a coveriuK of some sort to meet cases like this. 



A young man went to the tip-top house, on 

 the White mountains,New Hampshire, a week 

 ago, on one of our warmest days in June ; he 

 was glad to pay a painter at work there for 

 the use of a heavy overcoat, while on the 

 mountain. Circumstances alter cases. 



P. S. Will Mr. Erb inform us whether 

 bushes of the same species, behind some shel- 

 ter, or some protection against cold wind or 

 rain, wereaft'ected in like manner. — J. Stauffer, 

 Lancastir, July 2, 1878. 



[Having thoroughly examined Mr. Erb's 

 blackberry branch, we could detect nothing 

 that appeared to have its origin in insect in- 

 festation, and deeming it a subject that would 

 come legitimately under vegetable physiology, 

 we turned the matter aver to our friend, Mr. 

 Stauffer, as coming more fully within the 

 scope of his specialty. We would suggest, 

 however, that when such a morbid growth ap- 

 pears, we should act in the case as we do 

 when " suckers " appear on corn, or any other 

 plant; for when the fruit is set on bearing 

 branches made the previous season, all eftbrts 

 of the plant to bloom and bear another crop 

 in the same season, will render both crops 

 abortjve — Ed.] 



For The Lancaster Farmer, 

 REVU OF JUNE NUMBER. 



Lancaster County Cattle. — The establish- 

 ment ov the Royal family ov Manor must be 

 a grand affar. The netues and clenlines de- 

 scribed is worthy ov imitation by ane won hu 

 keps stock, specialy for the Dary, Tobaco and 

 pigs in won bilding sut very wel together. 

 The smel ov both is alwas obnoxious to un- 

 perverted olfactories. 



The Bohin Doomed to Death. — When grat 

 doctors disagre the comon pepl hardly no 

 what to do with the robins. We lik ther 

 music, but wen tha tak our cheries, we fel 

 quit nutral whether the birds or insects de- 

 stroy tliem. 



The Cultivation of Wlieat.—The New York 

 Tribune thot it smeld a Yanke in the whet 

 cultivation in ym' counte, but he sems to liav 

 turud out a comon Pennsylvania Dutchman. 

 The Tribune barks up the rong tre somtifns. 



Lancaster County Farming. — Messrs. G. & 

 D., tu farmers from Berks county, hu pad a 

 visit to the farm of Levi Grofl', in Lancaster 

 county, mak a very favorabl report ov his 

 whet cultivation. Tha beter report to the 

 Tribune that tha found the obscure Yanke. 



Haymaking. — Ther sems to be much interest 

 manifested in the tim to cut gras to mak gud 

 ha, and the tendency sems toward cuting erly. 



Hoio to Save Plums and Gooseberries. — If 

 this proces shud prov a certan remedy aganst 

 the little turk, he ma yet be banished. It is 

 worthy ov trial. And why not hav thos fin 

 larg goosberies, if tha can be gron by such an 

 esy proces. 



Sixty Thousand Species of Bugs. — No won- 

 der we sometimes get alarmed when we think 

 how rapidly tha multiply. Hu cud calculat 

 ther numbers. 



Thin Out Yoiir Fruit. — This articl, with the 

 editor's comeuts, is so ful ov instruction, and 

 ov such vast importance, that it is never out 

 ov plac. The thining can be don with ad- 

 vantag until the frut is nerly ful gron, but 

 beter erly. 



Oame and Fish Law of 1878. — We fer the 

 stat wil own al the fish and fowl by and by. 

 It makes no provision for a man to fish on his 

 own premises. 



Plymouth Bock Foiols. — Thes ar fin birds, 

 perhaps non beter, but yu no pepel will not be 

 satisfid with any thing nativ. Fowls as wel 

 as other things must hav som foren twang to 

 mak them popular. What folly. 



Berit time to Harvest Wheat. — This question is 

 ov more than ordinary importance to the pro- 

 ducer as wel as the consumer. P. S. R. seems 

 to ocupy both sids ov the question, so we 

 hardly no which he favors most. Perhaps he 

 tuk both sids so as to be sur he's rit. 



Local Fruit Nomendatur. — This is a sensibl 

 articl. Yur counte has a far list ov gud fj-uts 

 alredy, but stil mor ar coming. 



The Tomato. — This has becom such an im- 

 portant articl ov diet, that ther may alwas 

 something nu be sad about it. 



Rambling Thoughts. — A. B. K. sems alwas 

 to hav a stor ov exelent ideas whether ramb- 

 ling or otherwise. 



Around the Farm. — We infer that Ruralist 

 must alwas hav his bisnes in gud trim, as he 

 is continualy around the farm. 



A Simjile Refrigerator. — Ice having becom 

 so much an articl ov necesity, that any discov- 

 ery whereby it ma be economised shud be 

 fully tested, hu nos but ther ma be as much 

 rum for improvment as in electricity. 



Utilization of Waste Matter. — This is won 

 ov the most important subjects, and wil aply 

 in so many cases. Chemistry is continually 

 making nu discoveries, and we ma sun con- 

 clude ther is no such thing as wast. In 

 Agriculture the dran by wast is simply enor- 

 mus. 



State Board of Agriculture. — We ar watch- 

 ing that institution with a critic's i, but hav 

 thus far found nothing to condem. We pre- 

 dict for it a grand futur. 



How to Use Fertilizers. — The Scientific 

 American puts this question in the proper lit. 

 No dout it wil pa to us fertilizers, if farmers 

 just nu what and how. 



