40 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the Neic England Farmer. 

 REMEDY FOR THE BORER. 



I derive much information, as well as pleasure, 

 in reading your useful journal. I saw awhile since 

 in the Farmer, a communication concerning a 

 remedy for the borer, by F. N. Thayer, Black- 

 stone^Mass. No one can deny the value of such 

 a discovery, if effectual, when we consider the 

 thousands of trees destroyed by this insect, and 

 many others made worthless. If this remedy is 

 good, the public ought to know it. I have tried 

 it — 1 admit at first with little faith — and found it 

 most satisfactory ; easily applied, the trees pro- 

 tected soon revived, and were not troubled with 

 the borer, whilst all others suffered more or less, 

 in spite of all the digging out, till they looked 

 more like a target than a fruit tree. I feel that 

 that the trifle paid for the information was well 

 invested, and feel thankful to the inventor for a 

 remedy that removes the greatest difficulty to 

 fruit-growing. With my present knowledge, I 

 should not think of planting young trees without 

 using this remedy. And then I should see my 

 trees grow with their natural vigor without being 

 marred and bored by this creature. If all who 

 plant trees would use it, I think we should soon 

 hear little of the borer. Its value to the commu- 

 nity cannot be overrated; with* it we can raise all 

 choice fruits ; without it, fruit-growing requires 

 our constant care, and then we often fail. 



Such is my experience, Mr. Editor, with this 

 ingenious discovery, that shows a thorough knowl- 

 edge of the habits of this insect. 



Cumberland, R. I., 1863. A. C. Farmer. 



Pur the Neio England Farmer. 

 A PEW WORDS ABOUT BEES. 



In the Farmer for Dec. 5th, I notice a quota- 

 tion fron^ an article written by Mr. J. Hazen, for 

 the Country Oentleman, in regard to overstocking 

 with bees. 



No doubt it can be done, but it is not so often 

 as some suppose. Honey does not exist in con- 

 dition to be gathered by bees at all times and sea- 

 sons, and must be gathered in its season or not 

 at all ; as it vanishes like the manna of the Isra- 

 elites ; but while it lasts millions of bees can fill 

 their sacks as well as thousands. Hence swarms 

 that are not ready to gather in honey harvest 

 have no stores. 



I have become satisfied, from thirty years' ex- 

 perience, in bee management, with close observa- 

 tion, opening and examining swarms at all times 

 of the year, that it is from the mismanagement 

 of the beekeeper, or no management at all, that 

 bees do not store more honey, even to fabulous 

 quantities. I have frequently taken one hundred 

 pounds of honey from a single swarm, in one sea- 

 son, and left plenty for winter ; have done it this 

 last season, and as the writer says it has been a 

 very poor honey season. 



In hives generally used bees have family store- 

 room for about an average winter, (and frequent- 

 ly are not allowed to fill ihat,) hence in hard win- 

 ters for bees, they are short near spring, and fre- 

 quently starve. Those that survive have not suf- 

 ficient stores to warrant supplies for breeding, 

 hencfc breed little till the honey harvest comes ; 

 then there is a small stock of bees to do the work 

 of rearing brood, gathering honey, pollen, etc., 



and keep up the necessary warmth in the hive. 



The consequence is, late swarms, honey season 

 far advanced, or nearly over, the honey of the 

 old stock consumed by brood, while some of the 

 young swarms nearly fill their hive with comb 

 and some honey, and later swarms less, or next to 

 none. 



Should the fall be favorable for honey, some of 

 the largest swarms will lay in sufficient for win- 

 ter. Late swarms of few bees can do but little, 

 and should either be doubled, sometimes tripled, 

 or returned to the parent stock. 



A small supply of honey and pollen furnished 

 to swarms in early spring will send out early and 

 large swarms, which will store large quantities of 

 honey for man and bees, in proper hives, in aver- 

 age seasons. Bees too often starve through the 

 negligence of their keeper, and they s'ometimes 

 die leaving plenty of honey ; sometimes die of 

 disease. J. Curtis, Practical Apiculturist. 



New Britain, Ct., Bee. 8, 1863. 



For the AVuj England Farvter. 

 A QUERY FOR ARBORICULTURISTS. 



Does the sap which enters the roots of a tree 

 go into the general circulation ? or does each 

 root-branch furnish nutriment to a corresponding 

 portion of the loss — the two mutually acting up- 

 on and sympathizing with each other ? 



In my orchard are three apple trees, standing 

 in wettish ground, rapidly descending on one sid^ 

 to soil so wet as to produce sage grass, on the 

 other gradually rising to dry and warm soils. 

 On the wet side the limbs have been dying until 

 full one-half of the top of each tree has been re- 

 moved, while the up hill side of each top remains 

 healthy and bore a good crop of fruit this season. 

 Now if the acid is poison, drawn in by the roots 

 dipping into the mud, and has been carried into 

 the general circulation, why not the whole tree 

 die.'' R. B. u. 



SAFE FARMING. 



What a farmer wants, is success ; and he wants 

 it immediately. If your book or your newspaper 

 tells him what to do, he wants to be certain ; he 

 cannot afford to experiment. Well-to-do farmers 

 may do that. But the man who buys a farm, or 

 but a few acres, does it to reap benefit from it. 

 He may have a family dependent upon his first ■ 

 year's success ; or he may have debt to pay, which 

 is generally the case. He must have success the 

 first year, and the years immediately after. If 

 not, be may lose his farm. Success in farming, 

 as in life, is what we want. 



''Can I depend upon my book ? Will my Val- 

 ley Farmer or other agricultural journals not de- 

 ceive me ? I want to know this, if I am to fol- 

 low their directions. They are published to make 

 money; that is clear. Do they also look to the 

 good of the farmer ?" 



Yes, if your publisher is honest. Or, if not, it 

 is for the interest of the publisher that he print 

 what is beneficial, for that is what his paper is 

 taken for. It is necessary then to at least appear 

 honest. 



The young farmer, beginning life under such 

 delicate circumstances — of debt and dependence 

 — should not fear. If an agricultural book or pa- 

 per misrepresents, it is only what the world some- 

 times does ; in all its departments (the world's) 



