172 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ November 



space between it and the hive all around, and six in- 

 ches higher than the hive. The hive is then set in 

 the box, and a passage is kept open between the two 

 by placing two strips of board, three inches long 

 and one-half inclj thick, on the IJottom of the box — 

 one on each side of the entrance. A piece of board, 

 three inches wide, is then laiti across the two strips, 

 80 that the bees can pass out and In when the weather 

 will permit. The cover is then taken oil' the hive and 

 two sticks, one-half inch thick, are laid across the 

 frames and a piece of cloth is spread on the frames, 

 covering the wliole top of the hive. Tlien all the 

 space around and over the hive is filled with dry 

 wheat chaff; then a tight cover should be put on to 

 keep it dry. Chaff is preferable, because the work 

 can be done as soon as the honey season is past; it can 

 be done at odd hours, when it will not interfere with 

 other business ; the packing prevents the escape of 

 any scent of honey from the packed hives to attract 

 bees from other colonies ; the bees have an oppor- 

 tunity to fly at any time during the winter when the 

 weather will permit ; there is no carrying of heavy 

 hives filled with honey to and from the bee-house; 

 during the cold weather of May these packed hires 

 will be much warmer than those outside. The bees 

 will spread over more surface of comb, a larger 

 amount o'f brood will be found there, and the colony 

 will increase in size much faster and sooner than it 

 could be made to do on the summer stand without 

 protection ; after the bees are prepared for winter 

 they need no more care till the following April. A bos 

 can be made of good pine lumber, with a good bot- 

 tom and tight board roof, at a cost of about sixteen 

 cents, and if they are put in the dry through the 

 summer they will last for yeais. 



S. K. Boycr thought that if bees are properly cared 

 for and then hung up in a shed, no cold could injure 

 them. He bored ten holes in the top of each hive, 

 and when he took off the surplus honey, pla«ed a 

 small cotron cushion over these holes, placing in turn 

 an extra box over that. Every particle of sweat es- 

 capes and is absorbed by the cushion, and there ic no 

 danger of the bees freezing. 



J. F. Hershey said he had never succeeded in win- 

 tering on a summer stand; he has a house into 

 which he moves his bees in winter. 



D. H. Lintner winters on the summer stand. This 

 fall he opened the lower part of the hive, took out 

 the frames and drummed the bees together, only 

 leaving enough in the body of the hive to cover the 

 comb, then he carefully covered them. 



U. K. Meisky tried every plan of wintering bees, 

 and lost in all of them, but thought the summer 

 stand plan was the best. 



Peter S. Keist found that wintering them on the 

 summer stand was the best, even if nothing is done 

 to them. He would recommend that the whole box, 

 or at least the frames, be covered. 



Do Bees Sting Fruit. 



In the discussion of this much mooted question J. 

 F. Hershey gave his denmonstration of the negative. 

 He had taken a bunch of grapes from the vine, 

 dipped them in honey, and laid the bunch inside of 

 an Italian hive. When he opened the hive he found 

 that the honey had all been cleaned off the fruit, 

 but not a grape was broken. He then cut a few of 

 the grapes open, replaced the bunch and shut the 

 hive. When he again examined the fruit he found 

 that the grapes cut by him were eaten, but the others 

 were untouched : not a grape had been broken by 

 the bees. Mr. H. showed some grapes which had 

 been in the midst of a swarm of bees for forty-one 

 days. Some of .them were glued together with wax, 

 but not one was broken. He had seen bees run over 

 whole bunches of sound grapes and never stop until 

 they came to a broken skin. 



Jlessrs. Boyer, Martin, Lintner, Meisky and Dif- 

 fenderffer had made similar experiments and obser- 

 vations, all with the same result. That settles it. 

 Bees do not sting healthy fruit. 



Freezing Bees. 



Messrs. Boyer, Hershey and Lintner agreed in the 

 view that bees do not freeze. They may starve, and 

 this is mistaken for freezing, but they are blooded, 

 often lie dormant as if frozen, but revive when 

 warmed and do not freeze to death. 



Foundation for Comb. 



Mr. Hershey read a paper taking strong ground 

 for the utility and profit of a comb foundation. It 

 saves one-fifth labor. With a foundation 12 inches 

 square 2,000 bees can go to work at once, but if they 

 begin with an empty frame, only five or six can begin 

 to work, and very gradually a few more and much 

 time is lost. 



I. G. Witmer agreed with this view, and other 

 members expressed themselves altogether in favor of 

 using a comb foundation. 



The association adjourned to meet on the second 

 Monday in February, 1879. 



LINN.«;AN SOCIETY. 



A stated meeting of the society was held on Satur- 

 day, October 2ti, Vice President P,ev. J. H. Dubbs in 

 the chair. Six members present. 



Donations to the Museum. 



A rare and remarkable fish caught in the Susque- 

 hanna river, below Safe Harbor, by Mr. .Sheets, 

 fisherman, was handed to Dr. S. S. Rathvon, by 

 whom it was submitted to the chairman on Ichthy- 

 ology, Mr. J. Stauffer. This odd compound of rep- 

 tile, ganoid and trout, was new, but its relation to 

 the western mudfish, the Amia occidentaih, was at 

 once seen upon close inspection. This specimen is 

 believed to be the Amia calca^ from the waters of 

 Carolina. DeKay says : " From various but imper- 

 fect reports, I have reason to believe that the Ainia 

 C'alva is also found in Pennsylvania." Mr. Stauffer 

 says from all he can learn this fact was not before 

 established, as is it now is beyond a doubt. It is 

 said there are ten species in North America. Anda 

 is the only genus of the family Xxiijtte, expressly 

 made to receive this singular class of fish. Dr. Kirt- 

 land states that a species is frequently taken in Lake 

 Erie, where it is known as the " dog fish " and the 

 " lake lawyer." It is distinguished by its ferocious 

 looks and voracious habits. The flesh is rank, rough 

 and not eatable. It is as a soft rayed fish, mouth 

 much like a trout, but Dr. Vogt, in 184.5, found its 

 internal structure to agree with the primitive order 

 of fishes, the Ganoids; only it has no bony scales, 

 but the air bladder is cellular, like the lungs of rep- 

 tiles, and has a pair of tubular nostrils (cirri-like) 

 on the upper part of the mouth and a buckler (so 

 called) between the branches of the lower jaw, like 

 a pocket. Why called Buckler is uncertain ; the 

 word " Buccal," means appertaining to the mouth. 

 This is certainly an interesting as well as an " odd 

 fish." An enormous puff-ball, from Martha Kamp, 

 of No. 419 High street, Lancaster city, weighing 

 four pounds, and measuring thirty and one-half 

 inches, and twenty-eight inches in circumference ; a 

 variety of the Lycoperdon giqanUum. Bottle A. 1., 

 a Red Bat, Veapertiiio 7ioi'eboracenU, by Linn:eus 

 Rathvon ; Bot. B. 2, sundry insects, Bot. c. 3, para- 

 sitic crusticians. {Itiopodian) the TAvonecn ofulis, 

 of Hager, CymMhoa ovalia of Say. This was found 

 fastened by its sharp claws to the gills of a rock fish 

 — per L. Rathvon. Bot. d, 4, of edible snails, and 

 larvffi of Lepidopterous, apparently those of the 

 Abraxes or currant moth, collected by Mrs. Gibbons, 

 in France, with a variety of other insects. Bot. E, 

 5, "Camel Cricket," {Mantis Carolina), a wheel 

 bug. JiedHviua norinariics, wood borer, spiders, &c., 

 from A. Heinitsh, D. D. Rohrer, S. P. Eby and C. R. 

 Bear, severally in the order named. Bot. 7, G. 

 Larva, pupa, cocoon and image of the willow saw- 

 fly, Selandria nalisix. Mrs. Gibbons also presented a 

 chalk-cliff flint, picked up from a public road in 

 France, Macadamized with it ; also, large pods and 

 seeds of a poppy employed for extracting oil for 

 various uses. Prom New Providence we received 

 two specimens of rich ocraceous oxide of iron. The 

 balance of minerals, fossils, etc., of Mrs. Dr. Korfoot. 

 Bot H. 8. Specimen of edible and pleasant flavored 

 pepper. The yellow fruited Capsinnn, per C. A. 

 Heinitsh . He also had for inspection the skeletonized 

 fibrous portions of a Oucnrbilaceux vegetable, used in 

 Japan for a wash-rag. It may do for horses, but 

 rather coarse for a delicate person to use. A bril- 

 liant red card with Chinese characters — translated, 

 " His Imperial Chinese Majesty's Envoy Extraordi- 

 nary and Minister Plenipotant.iary — Chen Lan Pin," 

 one of two given to Rear Admiral Wm. Reynolds. 

 Also, a Chinese writing by one of the Prophets on 

 both sides of a smooth bark, presented to Mrs. 

 HeinitBh. These are interesting to look at. To the 

 Historical Collections. 



A massive key of the old Lancaster jail, about l.SO 

 years old, from Samuel Evans, esq., obtained from 

 the Peart family, near Columbia. Mrs. Zell men- 

 tioned that there was a bunch, among which were 

 even larger keys, that her father had bought among 

 old iron, which she would look up, and has since 

 found them. 'Squire Evans also donated a pair of 

 monstrous iron clad wooden-soled brogans, left in 

 exchange for lighter ones by a Russian peasant, 

 with the Peart family fifty years ago. 



J. Stauffer also donated a map of the borough of 

 Lancaster, on parchment, giving the lots and num- 

 bers enclosed in different colors, to distinguish those 

 of the Hamilton estate (Adamstown included) lots 

 of Mr. Samuel Bethel, those of Henry and John 

 Moser and Isaac Whitelock. Complied from the 

 original surveys. This map is very old — ink very 

 pale. 



Donations to the Library. 



Circular, "Bureau of Education," No. 1,1878. 

 The Lancaster Farmer, for October, 1878, and 

 sundry book notices and circulars. 

 Papers Read. 



J. Stauffer read a paper. No. .504, on the Amia, 

 illustrated by a correct drawing of tlie tish. Dr. S. 

 S. Rathvon read a descriptive list of articlesi de- 

 posited. No. 505. Mrs. Zell had a few plants to be 

 named. Scientific gossip on the fish, scolopeudron, 

 etc., was indulged in. Under new business a bill for 

 alcohol and fish for thirty cents ordered to be paid ; 

 Mr. Heinitsh declined charging for the jar. A vote 

 of thanks was had for the same. After a pleasant 

 session the only regrets expressed wa» the meagre 



attendance at these meetings, and the want of more 

 active co-operation in the building up of this society 

 to give it a wider field of usefulnessr Thanks are 

 due to those who deposit matters of scientific or 

 historical interest ; many things become lost through 

 the negligence and indifference of persons having 

 relics in their possession. 

 On motion, adjourned to Saturday, November 30. 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The October meeting was held at the residence of 

 Josiah Brown, Fulton township, October 5th. Mem- 

 bers all present. The visitors in attendance by invi- 

 tation were Levi Kirk, Alfred Wood, Joel Carter, 

 Isaac Bradley, Samuel Brown, of Morgan county, 

 Ohio, and Lewis Brown. 



Montillion Brown exhibited two apples from trees 

 that were bought for the Golden Russet. One of 

 them was a red apple, splashed with brown, and 

 covered with small white dots. The other, a striped 

 apple, resembling the Northern Spy. No one present 

 was able to identify them. He also exhibited aFalla- 

 wiiter apple and double potatoes. 



Wm. King exhibited an apple for name. N«t 

 named. 



Franklin Tollinger, corn raised from seed from 

 Kansas, and planted on the 24tli of June. One of 

 the ears was yellow ; the rest of them red. All the 

 ears solid color. The corn was well ripened ; grains 

 very soft and mellow. 



Rebecca D. King exhibited an ear of corn that had 

 been pulled green and dried on the cob. 



Josiah Brown, very large sweet potatoes, one of 

 which measured fourteen and a half inches in length. 

 Questions Asked and Answered. 



Day Wood asked the opinion of the club whether 

 wheat was likely to advance in price or not. Very 

 few of those present looked for much advance, but 

 most of thera thought it best to hold it while under 

 a dollar per bushel. 



.\i ontillion Brown : Is it the experience of members 

 of this club that manures that produce large fodder 

 will also make large ears? 



Day Wood h.ad noticed the corn on a piece of 

 ground where manure from the hog pen had been 

 applied. Some of the very large stalks had no eari 

 on them, and on the remainder the ears were small 

 in proportion to the size of the stalk. 



C. S. Gatchell : Highly manured ground will pro- 

 duce large fodder, but the ears will not be in propor- 

 tion. Bone makes large ears. 



E. H. Haines : Stable manure that ii in a great 

 measure composed of straw will produce an excess 

 of straw. Bone increases the yield of grain more 

 than straw. The experience and observation of other 

 members confirmed this opinion. 



Isaac Bradley recommended mixing fertilizers, or 

 rather spreading each kind over all the ground where 

 the crop was to be put in, thus making it all alike ; 

 woidd top dress with lime ; most other fertilizers 

 ■would plow down. 



Rachel B. Gatchell; Is there any advantage in 

 souring milk at this season of the year. 



Melissa Gregg, Mary A. Tollinger, Deborah Jack- 

 son, Rebecca D. King and Grace A. King were all of 

 the opinion that there was very little if any advan- 

 tage in it at any time, if the milk was set in a warm 

 place. 



E. H. Haines puts souring in his milk during cold 

 weather. Dairymen do it because they have found 

 by experience that the cream will separate from the 

 milk better when soured. He had not yet found one 

 that could give any reason why it should be so. 



R. B. Gatchcl : Freezing milk has the same effect. 



Dinner was now announced, and the morning ses- 

 sion came to a close. 



Afternoon Session. 



After doing justice to the many good things set 

 before them, the club were taken over the farm by 

 Lewis Brown, brother of the host, who was at the 

 time in poor health. 



When again convened in the house, the observa- 

 tions made ob the manner of conducting the farm 

 were such as might be expected to be made after 

 looking at one of the best farms in the lower end of 

 the county, stocked with fine short horns, and care- 

 fully cultivated. As one of the members observed, 

 it was an extra farm and in extra order. 



The host made the following report of his farm : 

 12 acres of wheat, 30 bushels per acre ; corn last 

 year, 70 bushels per acre ; clover seed, 2i}^ bushels 

 off nearly fourteen acres. 



Literary Exercises. 



Sadie Brown, daughter of the host, read " The 

 Aspect of the Times and its Lesson," by Longfellow. 



Anna E. Wood read, from the Practical Farmer, a 

 humorous articled entitled " The Proceedings of the 

 Bungtown Farmers' Club," in which some good ideas 

 were thrown out. 



C. S. Gatchell read "The Thoughts we Think," 

 from the same paper; Sadie Brown, "The Old Store 

 House," an original essay written by one of the 

 members, giving some interesting reminiscences of 

 the times twenty-five years ago, when he first came 

 into the neighborhood, and commenced the mercau- 



