230 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



the body of the hive. As soon as one box or 

 a set of boxes are filled, remove them, and 

 put empty ones in their plaees. I have often 

 been told if we manage in this way we shall 

 get no swarms. I think diiferently. Snpi>os- 

 ing you ilo not get so many swarms — which I 

 think you will, or nearly as many — you will 

 get a large amount of surplus honey, whieh 

 you can readily turn into cash, and make bee- 

 keeping a prodtable and pleasant business. 



In conclusion, 1 would say, use the best 

 movable comb hive ; have everything nicely 

 arranged about your apiary ; perfectly under- 

 stand your business, and you will find bee cul- 

 ture both i)leasant and profitable. 



EXTRACTS AND KEPLIES. 



THE TITLE OF FAltMER. 



When men are subjected to as rigid examina- 

 tions Ijcfore they are called fariiiei-5, as they must 

 be lieforc they are called lawyers or doctors, then, 

 and not till then will farmers take the rank to 

 which they are entitled among the professions. 

 Would you affix "M. D." to the name of one who 

 had spread a plaster or moulded a box of pills, but 

 who knows no more of medicine or the human sys- 

 tem than that ? If you would not, why c;ill a uian 

 a farmer who knows no more of the profession 

 than may be known by loading a cart with manure, 

 or holding a plough to turn it into the soil } Q. 



A^ew Hampshire, March, 1871. 



Remauks. — Perhaps the most practicable means 

 to accomplish the object proposed by our corres- 

 pondent would be to get some congressman to 

 move his proposition as an amendment to the Civil 

 Service Bill, providing that the same commission 

 which decides the qualifications of candidates for 

 public service shall also rigidly examine the fitness 

 of those who aspire to the rank and title of fanner. 

 This is an age of progress, and a process that shall 

 assort men, as our best winnowing mills do grain 

 and seeds, may be invented and brought into prac- 

 tical use, and thus save much time over the old 

 practice of testing and knowing them by their 

 fruits. 



THE nCSSlCY FAHM. 



Is the "Buzzy" Fann alluded to by you in the 

 Fakmeu of last week the same as the Benj. Bussey 

 Farm, or is it some new establishment ? 



E. Cooper. 



Winchester, Mass., March 8, 1871. 



In connection with notices of Percheron horses, 

 Jersey cattle, &c., I have frequently seen the 

 "Bussey Farm" mentioned. At the time of estab- 

 lishing the Agricultural College I remember it was 

 also si)okcn of. Can you give some information as 

 to the history and present condition of this prop- 

 erty ? What is the Bussey Farm ? o. w. v. 

 Worcester County, Mass., March 12, 1871. 



Remarks. — Our Winchester friend is probably 

 criticising a typographical error. "Buzzy" was a 

 misprint, and our allusion was to the Benj. Bussey 

 Farm. Though not claiming to be well posted on 

 the subject, we will say, in reply to "G. W. P.," 

 that wc understand that what is known as the 

 Bussey Farm, is part of a large property, includmg 



several valuable city estates, that was willed by 

 Mr. Bussey to Harvard College, on certain condi- 

 tions, — one of which was the establishment on this 

 iitrni of an agi'icultural college or school, — which 

 conditions the college accepted. 



We understand that of the income of this fund, 

 one-fourth was appropriated to the Law School, 

 one-fourth to the Divinity School of the college, 

 and one-half to the estal)lishmentof an agricultural 

 branch or school, on the Bussey Farm, at the ex- 

 piration of a life lease vested in certain children 

 and grand children of Mr. Bussey, the last of 

 whom we understand is the wife of the present 

 occupant, Hon. Thomas Motley. Though the col- 

 lege has not as j-et obtained possession of this farm, 

 wc understand that the Trustees have made ar- 

 rangements with the occupants, by which they 

 are soon to erect a building for a laboratoiy, as a 

 beginning of the proposed agricultural school, in 

 connection with Harvard College. Ample means 

 for this commencement have been accumulated 

 from the income of the fund above referred to. 

 Hence Massachusetts is to have two agricultural 

 colleges. Gov. Andrew, it will be remembered, 

 earnestly advocated the union of the national fund 

 for the establishment of an agricultural college 

 with this fund thus previously vested in the cor- 

 poration of Harvard College by Mr. Bussey. 



CATTLE GNAWING BOARDS. 



It seems to me as though people were rather diffi- 

 dent al)Out advancing any ideas with regard to the 

 cause or cure for cattle gnawing boards ; and I have 

 been thinking that I would give the ball a start, 

 hoping that some one will keep it moving till some- 

 thing definite is ascertained. 



Aliout nineteen years ago we had a very dry 

 summer. There was but little more than one-half 

 the usual amount of hay cut, which was princi- 

 pally done by hand. The gi-ass was filled with a 

 guni that would stick on the scythe near the edge 

 when the grass was Arx, and it was necessary to 

 either wash the scythe or scrape the gum off with 

 a knife occasionally in order to have it cut well. 

 The grass required but little drying, and it made 

 solid, heai-ty hay, of which l)ut a trific more than 

 one-half of the usual amount, in bulk, was re- 

 quired for a foddering. The pastures, too, were 

 veiy dry, and in some instances cows were fed with 

 ha_y in haying time ; a thing not very often done in 

 thLs vicinity. 



In the fall cattle come to the barn hungry for 

 sticks, boards, bones and in fact almost anything 

 they could get hold of. The colts were as bad as 

 the cattle. The marks tlicn made by their teeth 

 can I)e now seen on the timliers in the shed where 

 they run that winter. Salt, ashes and dut were 

 given to them, but did little or no good. 



The past season, although not equal to that nine- 

 teen years ago, was very dry. The hay is well 

 filled "with gum, is hearty and spends well. When 

 cattle came to the bam last fall they would eat a 

 piece of board with as much relish as a dog does a 

 bone. 



Sometimes a cow will be lame in a dry summer, 

 and have what is called the bone disease, ft)r which 

 1)()ne meal is highly recommended; but I think 

 that is some like the prescription of the doctor 

 who rcconnncndcd his patient to eat hearts, be- 

 cause he had the heart disease. 



Now it seems to me that the cause of all these 

 difflculties must be the want of some quality or 



