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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



SUMMER PBUNIIfG APPLE TRhlES. 



We have often called attention to this subject, 

 and are happy to know that the practice of prun- 

 ing trees in the spring, while the sap is in mo- 

 tion, has been entirely discontinued by large num- 

 bers of our best farmers. For the comfort of 

 those who controvert the theory of summer prun- 

 ing, we wiil say that we are not acquainted with 

 any living horticulturist who is distinguished in 

 his profession, who is the advocate of spring prun- 

 ing ; nor do we know of any eminent writer on 

 the subject, either in this country, or in England, 

 or France, who would recommend the orchardist 

 to prune his trees while the sap is in active mo- 

 tion. No one thing, in our judgment, is so cer- 

 tainly destructive to bur apple orchards as to trim 

 them in the months of March, April and ^lay, and 

 if the season is a warm and early one, they had 

 better not be touched during the last of February. 



At some moment of more leisure we will col- 

 lect the authorities which favor summer pruning, 

 and think they will be sufficient to settle the mat- 

 ter conclusively in any observing and unpreju- 

 diced mind. 



These remarks have been suggested by noticing 

 in the Germantown Telegraph the following par- 

 agraphs. We have been on the grounds of Mr. 

 Freas, the editor of the Telegraph, have observed 

 his trees, and heard his opinions, and are happy 

 of an opportunity to lay the latter before the 

 reader. 



It is a pretty well established fact that apple 

 trees — and we would add pear trees — pruned from 

 the middle of July to the middle of August, sus- 

 tain the operation with much more advantage 

 than if pruned at any other period of the year. 

 If pruned at this time, the wound will heal over, 

 and make, v/hat surgeons would say of a properly 

 amputated arm or leg, a handsome stump. If 

 the brandies be lopped in winter or spring, the 

 stump generally leaves a perpetual scar ; and if 

 after the sap has commenced flowing, a bare bone, 

 as it were, projecting from the living parts of the 

 tree, a'ad remaining there until it rots away, when 

 frequently the decay continues on, as a sort of 

 gangrene, into the very heart of the tree, much 

 to its injury. Who has not observed this in his 

 experience ? 



We have more than once witnessed the benefits 

 of pruning in midsummer, and have always been 

 impressed with the advantages over the system 

 generally pursued. On one or two occasions, 

 some years ago, we adverted to the fact, and now 

 again call attention to it, especially as the season 

 for trying it is at hand. 



Adulterations of Food. — We want a little 

 touch of French depotism in these matters. Every 

 drop of milk brought into Paris is tested at the 

 barriers by the lactometer, to see if the "iron- 

 tailed cow" has been guilty of diluting it — if so the 

 whole of if is remorselessly thrown into the gut- 

 ter ; the Paris milk is very pure in consequence. 



If a tradesman adulterates any article of food of- 

 fered for sale, he is first fined, and then made pub- 

 licly to confess his fault, by means of a large 

 placard in his window, setting forth the exact na- 

 ture of the trick he has played upon his custo- 

 mers. Imagine some of our leading tradesmen 

 obliged to sit in sackcloth and ashes, and suffer 

 this moral pillory ! One or two rogues thus ex- 

 posed would have a marvelous effect in keeping 

 the sand out of the sugar and the burnt beans out 

 of the coffee, — Once a Week. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BEES. 



Mr. Editor : — For several years past bee cul- 

 ture has been growing in interest throughout New 

 England, and among most all classes ; but more 

 especially among the mechanics and professional 

 men. The culture of the bee is a most fascinat- 

 ing employment, and one every Avay adapted to 

 the female department of the household. I am 

 often inquired of as to the price of a swarm of 

 bees. Let me say the spring of the year, before 

 swarming time, is the best time to purchase, be- 

 cause ordinarily you get two stocks instead of 

 one ; if you buy a new swarm, you get no cost 

 from it the same year. To ascertain whether the 

 swarm is a good one, say any time during the 

 month of May, try its weight, and see that this 

 is right ; a common hive will weigh about twenty- 

 five pounds. The Langstroth hive, as made by 

 Mr, Fryc, of this town, weighs about forty-five 

 pounds ; but it is too heavy ; the bees, five or 

 six, and the comb and honey, from ten to twenty- 

 five pounds ; though few of our common hives 

 have this quantity of honey in them at this sea- 

 son of the year. See that the comb looks bright 

 and clean. If it is two years old, it will be of a 

 darkish yellow color. The older, the darker the 

 comb will be ; observe also whether there are 

 bees between nearly all the sheets of comb. A 

 person who is accustomed to seeing bees often, can 

 tell pretty well as to their health. A good healthy 

 swarm will have a peculiar look about them which 

 cannot be described. There is a bright, brisk, 

 lively, wide-awake look and movement about 

 them which settles this question. If you can 

 purchase a swarm which answers this description, 

 with a fair hive, complete as to boxes, &c., any- 

 where within fifty miles of Boston, for ten dollars, 

 take it, if you want; it's cheap enough; and if 

 you give the bees the care they ought to receive, 

 it will pay you fifty per cent, the first year. Last 

 season bees did poorly in all this region. May 

 was too cold and wet for them, and few bee-keep- 

 ers "had a swarm in May (or Jmie) worth a load 

 of hay." This month and the next are the two 

 harvest months in bee culture in New England. 

 What extra honey is made by the bees after the 

 20th of July, will not be more than what you will 

 be obliged to give your stocks in the fall. Bees 

 require as much care during this month, as any 

 other during the year, and many stocks are lost, 

 dying of starvation, simply from want of a little 

 timely attention from their master, I find the 

 early morning the best time to attend to all bee 

 matters, where it is necessary to come in contact 

 with them. My rule is, whenever I am about to 

 do anything about the hive likely to disturb them 



