1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



87 



EXTRACTS AND BEPLIES. 



DO FROGS EAT BEES ? 



In the hot weather, last summer, I raised a 

 hive containing bees about three-fourths of an 

 inch from the bottom board, so as to give them 

 more air. One evening early in autumn, when 

 passing the hive, I accidentally espied a common 

 green frog on the board near the hive. The que- 

 ry arose at once, can he be after bees ? Ui)on 

 looking around I found several others near ; and 

 here I will say I do not recollect ever to have 

 seen the frogs so plenty at a distance from the 

 water, as they were in this vicinity last summer, 

 owing, probably, to the wet season. 



But to my story. The next evening I went to 

 the hive after dark, and found the frogs there 

 again. One was close to the edge of the hive, and 

 when a bee which acted as sentinel came near, the 

 frog made a slight stretching motion, and then 

 remained quiet until another came along, when 

 the motion was repeated. I then drove the rep- 

 tile away, and lowered the hive to the bottom 

 board. In a few minutes I saw two frogs creep- 

 ing towards the hive in a very cautious manner, 

 but as the bees were secure, I left them. 



The following evening the frog placed himself 

 at the entrance of the hive, as if determined to 

 devour every unlucky worker that was out in the 

 twilight. 



I have never been in the habit of destroying 

 the life of beast, bird or reptile, without being 

 well satisfied that the injury done was in excess 

 of the benefits bestowed. I am fully convinced 

 that toads are very beneficial in a garden, and I 

 have always considered frogs entirely harmless, 

 therefore I never killed one intentionally. But 

 my faith in their innocence is somewhat shaken. 

 It may be that those frogs were in search of 

 moths and other insects instead of bees. I think, 

 however, if the operation is repeated next sum- 

 mer, I shall make a post viortem examination of 

 at least one frog's carcass. 



In the meantime, I hope others will give their 

 opinions, founded upon facts. If frogs are really 

 guilty, let them be condemned ; if not, let their 

 innocence be proclaimed. L. Varney. 



Bloomjidd, C. W., 1860. 



FENCE POSTS IN HEAVING SOILS. 



In the monthly Farmer for December I no- 

 ticed several articles from correspondents about 

 setting fence posts in heaving soils ; one of which 

 recommended having them sufficiently long to 

 reach below the frost ; another recommended fill- 

 ing a considerable space around them with small 

 stones, and a third to fill around them with grav- 

 el. These clayey soils in which it is found so 

 difficult to make fence posts stand are among the 

 very best in the country ; and the difficulty of 

 making any fences but the zig-zag stand upon 

 them is one of the greatest drawbacks to their 

 cultivation. 



One of the best farms in my own county has a 

 large extent of this kind of land, and a few years 

 since the owner getting tired of "wavy lines" for 

 fences determined to try straight ones ; and to 

 prevent the posts from rising, set them full four 

 feet in the ground. In about two years his fence 

 was high enough to admit his calves to pass un- 

 der it, about the third year his yearlings, and at 



the present time I am informed his cows can do 

 the same Avith little inconvenience. 



In my own opinion the whole system of setting 

 posts in the ground is generally a bad one. Fenc- 

 es can be built v/ithout the zigzag, so that the 

 posts will not only remain v/here they are put, 

 but will outlast the board. 



What would be thought of the farmer who 

 should set the post of his house or his barn in the 

 sand or in the mud, or in clay, even if he filled 

 around them small stones or gravel ? 



The durability of our fences is certainly not 

 of less importance than of our barns and houses. 

 And no farmer should be satisfied with a post and 

 board fence that will not keep its position on the 

 worst heaving soil, and last at least thirty years. 

 Charles R. Smith. 



East Haverhill, N. H., 1860. 



reclaiming grass lands. 



"A Subscriber" wishes to know how meadow 

 land may be reclaimed ? And you, Mr. Editor, 

 have truly answered, that the ditch, plow and 

 manure will reclaim it. But what if the manure 

 is not to be had ? My experience is to go ahead 

 without the manure, and is justified by an exper- 

 iment on a piece of wet meadow, the muck being 

 from two to five inches deep, with a stiff clay sub- 

 soil. This piece was plowed in August, 1859, 

 and made as smooth as the plow and hoe would 

 make it. Next a light harrow was used until the 

 soil was well pulverized. I then sowed on herds- 

 grass seed at the rate of three pecks per acre. The 

 land was then harrowed, the sods turned down, 

 and roller passed over it, making it quite smooth. 

 The result was a heavy crop of grass, certainly 

 at the rate of two tons per acre. I think that 

 fowlmeadow or some other meadow grasses might 

 be more profitable, in the end. The exper- 

 iment has led me to plow several acres more of 

 land in the same condition, and I hope with like 

 results. Solon R. Berry. 



Theiford, Vt., Dec, 1860. 



Remarks. — This is certainly encouraging. 

 There are many instances where it is advisable to 

 plow seed without manuring. Some grass lands 

 are not poor, but, for some cause are "bound out," 

 the grasses have lost their roots. Upon plowing 

 and reseeding such lands, fine crops are sometimes 

 realized at once. 



TIME FOR CUTTING TIMBER. 



I noticed in your paper of last week quite a 

 long article on the subject of cutting timber, the 

 best time to do it, &c. I have had more or less 

 experience for many years in cutting wood and 

 timber, and making fence, so that what I have 

 to say on the subject will spring from experience. 



About twenty-five years ago, I set a man to 

 chopping wood some time in the month of June, 

 and it so happened that he only cut one tree, a 

 chestnut, about a foot in diameter, and split and 

 piled the same. I drew it in the winter after, and 

 it dried the best and brightest of any wood I ever 

 cut. I have cut some thousands of cords since. 

 There is one objection to cutting wood between 

 the time of the sap having passed up into the 

 branches and back again into the roots. One year 



