548 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



foot. This brick was recently taken from the 

 chimney of a house built more than a century 

 ago. 



On the afternoon of the second day the people 

 assembled in the hall above, to listen to the 

 speeches, which were very entertaining. The Pres- 

 ident, Mr. Thaxter, of Edgartown, was prevented 

 from being present by sickness. His place was 

 filled by Dr. Pierce, of the same town. He con- 

 gratulated the farmers on the bountiful harvest, 

 which had been as a reward for the labors of the 

 past season. He was followed by several other 

 gentlemen who v/ere, with but one exception, pro- 

 fessional men. 



Why is it that there are so few practical farm- 

 ers to speak on such occasions ? Is it for want of 

 education ? With the present advantages en- 

 joyed in our common schools, the young farmers, 

 at least, ought to be as capable of speaking upon 

 agricultural topics as the young physicians. 



Novih Tlsbury, Oct. 19, 1860. H. G. N. 



WATUBAL LIB'E OP THE HOJXTEY BEi3. 



The majority of persons who have the care of 

 bees, entertain the idea that the working bees live 

 many years. Their conclusion is drawn from the 

 fact, that colonies sometimes inhabit the same 

 domicil a long period — fifteen or twenty years — 

 never thinking that as fast as they die off naturally 

 and from other causes, they are continually re- 

 placed by a new progeny. The natural life of the 

 honey-bee worker does not exceed six months, 

 and from recent experiments, I believe does not 

 exceed in the summer season three months. 



By the aid of the Italian or Ligurian bee, this 

 may be easily and satisfactorily tested. On the 

 2d of July last, I gave to a very powerful stock of 

 native bees a pure Italian queen. To-day, Sept. 

 15, this stock was examined, to ascertain what 

 proportion of the bees were of the Italian race. 

 The stock is in a Langstroth hive. Taking cut the 

 frames one by one, both sides of each comb were 

 carefully inspected, and so far as I could ascer- 

 tain, at least nine-tenths of the bees were purely 

 Italian. 



Also on the 17th of July I gave an Italian 

 queen to another stock cf native bees. This stock 

 was also examined to-day in the presence of a 

 friend, who assisted me in the examination. Ex- 

 amining the combs as before, we did not find in 

 this stock a single noiivebee ! 



This change has taken place, as will be ob- 

 served, in less than two months. Since the 17th 

 of July, I have taken out of this colony combs of 

 maturing Italian brood — giving them to other 

 stocks — more than enough to make a good colony 

 of bees. Tlius it will be seen that the natural life 

 of the honey-bee in either of these instances 

 would scarcely exceed three months ; also, that it 

 requires only a fev/ months to change an apiary 

 of native bees to those of the Italian race. — M. 

 M. Bald RIDGE, in Country Gentleman. 



Book Premiums. — We see it stated that the 

 California State Agricultural Society ordered of a 

 single publishing firm in New York, agricultural 

 books for premiums to the ainount of full two 

 thousand dollars. 



EXTKACTS AND KEPLIES. 



GAS LIME. 



Will j'ou, through your columns, inform your read- 

 ers of the value as a fertilizer of lime obtained from a 

 gas manufactory ; and in what manner it should be 

 used. Is it good for trees ? G. T. Hawes. 



Beverly, Oct. 17, I860. 



Rejiakks. — We find the followmg in relation togas 

 lime in the "American Muck Book :" — 



Gas lime, hov/cvcr, in no case, if po.-sil)Ie, should be 

 wasted, as it would appear that it may always be safe- 

 ly employed with good effects under the following cir- 

 cumstances : — 



1. It may be used directly upon mossy land, upon 

 naked fallows, and in spring when preparing for tur- 

 nips. 



2. In composts, in which the whole of the soliilile 

 salts of lime will have a tendency to be converted into 

 gypsiumby the action of the air; and consequently the 

 Ijenefits, which result from a large application of gyp- 

 sum, will be obtained by laying such composts upon 

 the land. 



3. As it appears usually to contain only a small pro- 

 portion of caustic lime, it may with safety be mixed at 

 once with barnyard or other animal manures, though 

 not in too large quantity. It may also prove a valuable 

 admixture wirnigaano, on which its action would ulti- 

 mately be to fix rather than expel the ammonia. 



4. Strewn sparingly over the young turnip plants, it 

 is stated that it prevents the attack of the turnip fly ; 

 and harrowed in, when the ground is naked, if the 

 quantity be considerable, slugs and wire Avorms disap- 

 pear from its effects. 



5. If applied in too large quantity, it is liable to bej 

 injurious to crops of young grain. But grass lands, 

 though at first browned by its application, soon recov- 

 er and repay the cost by yielding a greener and an ear- 

 lier bite in spring. 



Gas lime, fresh from the works, it is also stated, is 

 one of the best materials to lay under the floors of 

 farm buildings ; for it not only serves to absorb and 

 fix the fertilizing gases in such situations, and after- 

 wards will form a good manure, but being excluded 

 from the air, it retains its disagreeable smell for a long 

 time, and is much disliked by vermin and rats. 



KEEl'IXG CABBAGES TUROUGU THE WINTER. 



Can yon tell me through your paper the best way to 

 keep cabbages sound and good until spring? I have 

 now a good dcai of troar)le to keep (hem in a cellar, 

 and thiaipht you might know some better way. 



North Hanson, Oct., 1860. A. E. Luther. 



Remarks. — They are kept well in a cool cellar, set 

 in sand just as they stood when growing. Miner s 

 Rural Amcricmi says cabbages may be kept m good 

 condition through the winter, by laying down rails or 

 poles, or strips of boards, just far enough apart so 

 that when the heads of cabbages arc set upon them, 

 with the roots up, they will not touch the ground. 

 Leave the cabbages where they grew as late as possi- 

 ble and not freeze, and then place them upon the rails 

 or poles as above, with roots upward, and then bank 

 up the earth on each side about a foot deep, covering 

 the roots about six inches deep, and in the spring the 

 cabbages will be found as fresh and green as they were 

 in the fall, with the exception of a few of the outside 

 leaves being decayed. 



Another plan is to dig shallow trenches in a dry 

 place, about two feet apart, and plant the cabbages in 

 them as cIol-c as possible. Then drive stakes or small 



