So 
AMERIOAlSr AGI^IOULTURIST. 
[March, 
SaAV-tlitst as ail Al»sorbeiit.— " H. S. 
G.," Rose Co.; Ohio. Saw-dust will make a very good 
absorbent for mixing with night-soil for its removal in 
the absence of earth, coal-ashee, or muck. 
BCoots for at ogs.— " P. E. P.," Greenboro, 
Del. Mangels are more easily grown in our climate than 
turnips or carrots. They are also as nutritious as these, 
if not more so than turnips. They are to be preferred 
to any other root crop for hogs, sheep and cattle. 
Cement for a Cellar.— '*R. W.," Fay- 
ette Co., 111. Where the ground is level, and wet, it 
would be best to have the cellar above ground. It might 
be built of double logs, cemented on the outside and in- 
side, and the space between filled with earth. Such a 
cellar would be frost proof. 
XUe use of StamcUions.— "D. J. S.," 
Georgetown, Ohio. The stanchions are placed at the 
head of the stall, with a feed trough outside of them. 
The cow's head is put through the stanchion, and the 
post is then pushed to its place, so that the cow is held 
by the neck, and can move neither forwards nor back- 
wards. The standing floor is just so long that the hind 
feet are upon the rear edge of it, and the gutter is be- 
fiind the floor. The droppings then fall into the gutter, 
and are out of the way of the cow's feet. 
"%Vool Product of California for 
1876. —The Wool Report of E. Grisar & Co., of San 
Francisco, gives Ihe total production for the whole State 
as follows: 5>s. 
Total spring wool 30,0f)5.519 
Total fall wool 24,235,451 
Pulled wool 2,250,000 
Grand total for 1875 56,550,970 
Of this was exported. 52,588,311 
Value of exports $8,200,000 
The above figurea represent an enormous growth of 
this pastoral interest in California. If the average year- 
ly product is taken at 8 fts. per sheep, the number would 
amount to over 7,000,000, or at least one-sixth of the total 
of all the flocks in the United States and Territories. 
When all the great western pastures on both sides of the 
Rocky Mountains are occupied, only to a very moderate 
extent, the wool product of America can supply the 
whole world. It is encouraging to notice that the wools 
of California are becoming popular with manufacturers, 
and that there is a ready sale for all qualities, some of 
which, bringing 10 cents per pound, still fill a place in 
our markets with profit to the growers. 
'File J erutiiialein Artichoke Again. 
— On reading the reference to Mr. Palfrey's History of 
New England, communicated to the American AgHcul- 
turist, (page 49), by the Hon. W. C. Flagg, I addressed a 
note to my venerable friend, the author of the History, 
asking for the authority upon which the statement was 
made, that otir Indians raised "a species of sunflower, 
whose esculent tuborous root resembled the artichoke in 
taste." Mr. Palfrey replies : " I presume I had authori- 
ty for my statement, not only because such was my habit, 
but because the subject was out of the range of my 
studies, and I could scarcely venture to do more than 
transcribe from something before me. When I am able 
to go to the Library, I will make some search. I should 
begin by looking into Josselyn's books, his ' New Eng- 
land Rarities ' and 'Account of two voyages.' He pre- 
tended, you know, to be a naturalist, after the measure 
of those days." — I have looked over the first of these 
books (Tuckerman's edition), but find nothing which 
bears upon the point. It would he very interesting to 
find any cotemporary mention of the " artichoke " at the 
first settlement of the country. But it seems, on the 
■whole, more likely that the reference, when found, may 
relate to the Indians much further west than New Eng- 
land. The accounts of the French explorers of the re- 
gion between the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Missis- 
sippi should now he searched. A. Gray. 
Catalogues Received. 
As spring approaches we do not find the paper half 
large enough to allow us to say all that we would like. 
There is a general crowding up, not only of reading mat- 
ter but of advertisements, and our notices must also be 
crowded. We usually try to notice in brief tlie leading 
.features of the Catalogues, but this month our friends 
must he content with merely a bare acknowledgement. 
SEEDSMEN. 
Beach. Sons & Co., No. 7 Barclay St.. N. Y., continue 
the "American Garden " as a quarterly, and catalogue. 
Benson & Bukpee. 223 Church St., Philadelphia. 
Vegetable seeds, with specialties in field seeds. 
Hugo Beter. New London, Iowa, has his seeds 
*'■ grown in and for the Wnat." 
B. K. Bltss & Sons. No. .SI Barclay St.. N. T. Their 
main catalogue, a ponderous tome ; the Gardener's Al- 
manac and Abridged Catalogue, more compact, and a 
special Potato Catalogue. 
J. Bolgiano & Son, Baltimore, Md. Illustrated list 
of vegetable and flower seeds. 
Alfred Bkidgeman, No. 876 Broadway, N. Y. Separ- 
ate cataiugues f-r vegetables and flowers, both neat, 
compact and full. 
Burleigh & Brother, Plainfield, Conn. Flower and 
vegetable seeds, and greenhouse plants. 
BuscH, HoLLisTER & Carter, St. Paul, Minn, New 
comers, but evidently old hands. 
Cole & Brother, Pella, Iowa, ofier premiums of use- 
ful books and papers to those who purchase liberally. 
Henry A. Dreer, 714 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, in 
one compact volume has seeds, flowers, fruits aud im- 
plements. 
J.\aiES J. H. Gregort, Marblehead, Mass., has* his 
usual specialties aud novelties, and everything else. N. 
B. — Mr. Gregory introduced the Huhbard Squash. 
Peter Henderson & Co., 35 Cortlaudt St.. N. Y., have 
a catalogue of " Everything in the Garden." It seems 
to offer everything save the most important— brains. 
Hovet & Co., 35 N. Market St.. Boston, Mass. This 
old house keeps pace with the youngest. 
HovET & Company, Chicago, Elinois. Vegetable and 
flower seeds, and implements, and very full. 
A. Howard & Co., Pontoosuc and Dallas City, El., 
send their 10th annual list. 
Geo. W. Park, Mt. Vernon. O. Flower and vegetable 
seeds, bulbs, and window plants. 
Wm. Rentite. Toronto. Canada. Vegetable and flower 
seeds, especially full in grains. A creditable catalogue. 
Wm. H. Spooner. Boston, Mass. As compact, neat 
and full as heretofore. 
J. M. Thorburn & Co.. No. 15 John St., N Y. Their 
flower seed list uniform with that of vegetable seeds, 
with novelties, and a separate catalogue of Gladiolus and 
other spring bulbs. 
TiLLrNGHAST BROTHERS, La Plume, Luzerne Co., Pa. 
Select vegetables and new potatoes. 
Vandeheilt Brothers, No. 23 Fulton St., N. Y., have 
their usual condensed bnsiness-like catalogue. 
E. Wtman, Rockford, lU. Flower seeds and bulbs. 
Washburn &Co., lUO Tremont St.. Boston Mass.. ofl*er 
to purchasers of their peeds to the amount of $1 and up- 
wards, selections from Prang's choice chromos. 
FLORISTS. 
Wm. a. Harkett, Dubuque, Iowa. A general collec- 
tion with some novelties of his own. 
Peter Henderson, 35 Cortlandt St. N. Y. Besides 
the standard sorts, an unusual number of novelties. 
HooPEs Brother & Thomas, Westchester. Pa. The 
Greenhouse Department of this establishment is very 
full of choice novelties. 
Long Brothers, Buffalo, N. Y.. add to their catalogue 
a useful talk on " Common Sense in Horticulture." 
Pray's Greenhouses, Central Falls. R. I., offer geueral 
stock, with specialties in tho way of Pnnsies. 
George Such. South Amboy, N. J. A list of choice 
Gladiolus, and numerous other seasonable things. 
W. B. WooDRTTPF. Weetfield, N. J. Green-house, bed- 
ding and vegetable plants. 
NURSERYMEN. 
John Butterton, Hammonton. N. J. Frnit and orna- 
mental trees, and shrubs, and hedge plants. • 
Lapham & Anthony, Clayton, Del., call theirs the 
"Dollar Nursery," as they offer small fruits in convenient 
dollar collections. 
Henry S. Rupp, Shiremanstown, Pa. A tree cata- 
logue, and another of roses and other ornamental plants. 
H. M. Thompson & Son, St. Francis, Wis. Evergreen 
and other forest trees and tree seeds ; very full. 
T. C. Thurlow, Newburyport, Mass. Fruit and orna- 
mental trees, especially evergreens. 
J. A. Vaughan. Carver, Mass. Trees and shrubs, with 
cranberries as a specialty. 
D. E. HoxTE, Northampton, Mass. Small fruits and 
seed potatoes. 
IMPLEMENTS, FERTILIZERS, Etc. 
W. H. Bo-wker & Co., 43 Chatham St.. Boston Mass. 
The " Stockbridge " and other fertilizers, chemicals, etc. 
Giant Powder Co.. 61 Park Place, N. Y. Price List 
aud methods of using Dynamite. 
QuiNNEPiAO Fertilizer Co., New Haven, Conn. Fish 
guano, scrap, German Potash Salts and other fertilizers. 
The Dayton. (Ohio') Machine Company. Sulky rakes; 
cultivators, folding harrows, blacksmith's drills, and the 
Giant Tire and Band Bender. 
Wing & Evans, 38 Piatt St. N. Y., make the Manhat-^ 
tan Blood Guano. 
POULTRY. 
Wm. B. WoNDERLY. Dayton, Ohio. Light Brahmas, 
B. B. R. game bantams, the smallest bantam known, etc. 
EUROPEAN CATALOGUES. 
William Thompson, Ipswich, Eng. As usual his 
catalogue stands at the head for botanical accuracy in 
flower seeds, to which it is wholly devoted. 
Anthony Wateper, Knap Hill Nursery, Woking, 
Surrey. England. Rhododendrons are the leading feat- 
ure, but many other choice evergreens, deciduous shrubs 
and trees are offered. 
Bee Notes for March. 
BY L. C. ROOT, MOHAWK, N. T. 
This is a most trying month for bee-keeping as ordi- 
narily conducted. Bees having been so long confined to 
their winter quarters, are now very sensitive to the least 
jar. In these northern latitudes leave them entirely un- 
disturbed. Up to this date bees have left their hives aud 
fallen upon the floor of the room much less than usual. 
SUade for Hives. 
I notice that some advise evergreens for shade, but I 
consider them objectionable. There are times when I 
deem the direct rays of the sun upon the hives to be in- 
valuable. It would be better to use trees that are not 
covered with leaves in early spring, or late in the fall. 
In my experience, even a shade tree of this kind, taking 
its effect as a whole, is detrimental rather than otherwise, 
except when the hives are shaded only during the middle 
of the day. Having given the matter much attention, I 
think good roofs are preferable. These may be removed 
at any time, and thus give the hive the full beneflt of the 
sun's rays when desired. 
The swarms which were weighed the 1st of Jan., and 
weight reported, consumed 2 pounds each during Jan'y- 
Q,uestioiis and Ans^vers. 
Direction op Combs. — ''Should combs in boxes be 
built parallel, or at right angles to the brood combs ? " — 
It really makes no difl'erence. In the new Quinby Hive 
we have them built at right angles on top and sides. 
Lumber eor Hives.— "Will i-inch lumber be as good 
as thicker for hives, provided it be well painted, and set 
in a shady place ? "—It should be |-inch thick See re- 
marks above on shade. 
Side Boxes. — *' In using side storing boxes, is it eaeen- 
tial to have them on both sides of the brood combs ? "— 
No. I box as many on top and one side, as on both sides. 
How DO Bees Enter Side Boxes ? — *'From the ends, 
or from slots below?"— 
From the end. If two- 
comb boxes are used, cut 
the glass narrow enough 
to leave a passage on each 
side, gluing it into place 
at top and bottom. See 
figure 1. 
How MANY Combs ? — 
Are six combs (Lang- 
etroth) enough to be left 
on the hives, during win- 
ter, if left on the summer stand, and packed with chaff 
at the sides and top r '—If the large, modified form of 
Langstroth frame is mearit, such as Mr. Quinby once 
used, six would be sufficient, but if the shallow frame 
is referred to — 7 or 8 should he used. The same number 
as above should be used when boxing. 
Feeding Bees,--'' Is dry sugar, or candy, as good as 
syrup to feed in spring to stimulate breeding? "-Not 
nearly so good. I prefer that the syrup should be quite 
thin. Water is as essential as sugar for brood-rearing. 
Do not stimulate brood-rearing too early in spring. Un- 
der no circumstances should they be disturbed for this 
purpose while in winter quarters. 
Holding the Frames Together.— " Should i use a 
rubber cord to hold the frames of the new Quinby Hive 
together? ''—I use ordinary hop twine. 
Hook for Frames.—" Will you describe the hook for 
holding frames in position ? " — It is made of ^-iuch hoop 
iron. Cut a piece i^f in. long, bend it at right anglesf in. 
from one end. Punch two holes in the other end to ad- 
mit clout nails to hold it in place. 
Fastening the Frames.— "Does the hoop iron that 
the frames hook on to project over the end of the bottom 
board?"— No. A groove should be cut in the bottom 
■BOTTOM BOAED AWD FRAME. 
board, ^ in. deep, over which the hoop iron should pro- 
ject, leaving | in. back of the frame for the back of the 
hive to rest upon. See figure 2. 
Ventilation. — " Should there be a hole in the bottom 
board for ventilation ? " — I consider it very important 
that every hive, of whatever kind, should be provided 
with a large ventilator, directly under the combs, covered 
with wire-cloth, with a slide so arranged that it may be 
opened a little or much as may be desired. 
Correction.— In Feb. Bee Notes, I am made to say, 
" with a space between each pair of frames." when it 
should be, '* with spaces between the frames." 
