130 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[APRfL, 
The New York Horticultural Society. 
The regular monthly meeting was held at the rooms 55 
"West 33d St., New York, on Tuesday, March 6th, and as 
an important feature in these meetings is now an exhi- 
bition of plants and flowers, the numbers present were 
larger than at any previons meeting. Fifteen new mem- 
bers were elected, and Dr. Geo. Thurber, Editor of the 
American Agrindtuii^t was elected an Honorary mem- 
ber. At this meeting a series of Essays or Lectures was 
inaugurated by Augustus Boilean, who gave a lecture on 
the culture and general management of fruit trees, par- 
ticularly the methods of pruning and training, illustrat- 
ing the process by actual specimens, which he handled 
in a way to show that he was master of the art. Mr. 
Boileau is well known in the city as a Practical Horticul- 
turist, being Bcperinteudent of the grounds around 
Trinity and St. Paul's churches, and to his enthusiastic 
taste is due the gorgeous displays that have been made 
in these for 7 or 8 years past.— The premium awarded 
for Hyacinths was to Wm. C. Wilson, Astoria, L. I. For 
Azaleas in pots to Wm. Bennett^ Flatbush, L. I. For 
collections of cut Violets and Azalea blooms to George 
Such, South Amboy, N. J. To Isaac Buchanan, Astoria, 
\a. I., for cut blooms of Orchids. To James Eidder. In- 
wood, N. T., for cut blooms of Cinerarias and Stock Gil- 
Uflowers. To Wm. Bennett, Flatbush, L. I., for fine 
Bpecimens of Dendrdbium nobJie, and to Thomas Ascott, 
Flatbush. for a collection of English Primroses. To 
Thos. Tait, Port Richmond, S. I., for a fine collection of 
succulent plauts. A fine plant of the new Orchid, Pha- 
lanopsis SchiUeriana, was exhibited by James M. Patter- 
eon, Newark. N. J., and cut sprays of BougainvUlea gla- 
bra^ Oncidiujn luHdum, and fine specimens of Camellia 
blooms by S. Henshaw. New Brighton. S. I. An exquis- 
ite specimen of Lilium longifioi^m. and an immense 
flower spathe of the curious Aroid, AmxyrplKyphaUus Bi- 
wm, f rom the C. L. Allen Co., of Queens, L. I.— The 
meetings are held at the place above named, on the first 
Tuesday in evsry month. The next will be held on 
Tuesday, April 3d. The subject of the Essay for that 
day. then to be given, will be on *' Ornamental Designs 
in Flowers," by David Fonlis, New York 
Old Seeds with New Names. 
We learn that the parties engaged in pushing the 
*' Pampas Rice " do not like what we have said about it, 
and have published their views about us in some paper 
which we have not seen. We have no reason to modify 
what we have said. We claim that the article offered as 
'* Pampas Rice " is not a rice at all, and farther, from our 
examination of the seeds, we are very confident that it 
is a furm of "Durra," or SorghuTn vulgare. It will be 
remembered that our remarks had no reference to the 
plant itself, which has its uses, but we most positively 
protest against giving old and well-known plants new 
and deceptive names. Success in farming, gardening and 
fruit-growiug of all kinds, largely depends upon accuracy 
in the names of the seeds, trees and plants, and any one 
who intentionally sends out a poor variety, under the 
name of a good kind, or who attaches to an old and well- 
known variety a new name, not only deser^'es exposure 
but could intentional fraud be proved, the seller could be 
made to pay heavy damages. There is much of this 
TTlAtJD UPOX FARMERS, 
in offering old seeds under new names, practiced every 
year. Whenever it is practicable, we follow up the new 
and wonderful seeds. Sometimes we get them, and 
sometimes, like the chap with his wonderfal Broom 
Corn, we send the money and get no seeds. We have 
received several hand-bills or posters, setting forth the 
claims of a wonderful wheat ; they read : " The attention 
of fanners is called to our 
XEW SPRING WHEAT ! 
Single grains measuring One-Half Inch in Length, and 
the Average close to that." The seed came from Valpa- 
raiso two years ago. The parties in Tennessee own the 
entire stock on the continent. It has '■'■ Produced this 
season 63X Bushels on Half an Acre," and other things 
are said in its favor. We sent our 25 cents for a sample 
package and in turn received 25 grains of wheat, but the 
package was marked in large type " Touzelle Spring 
Wheat." The advertisement, or hand-bill did not an- 
nounce it as "Touzelle," but as a *'New Spring Wheat," 
and nothing said in the description about Tonzelle, 
though at the bottom of the hand-bill there is, in small 
type, a certificate from some people who have *' seen sin- 
gle grains of Touzelle Sprinir Wheat, which measured 
one-half inch in length." This, the only mention of Tou- 
zelle, i& introduced in such a way that one might readily 
OTerlook it — as we did—at the first reading. Now. in 
this case, we have not a word to say against the wheat 
itself, but to the manner of bringing it out. If this wheat 
is '* Touzelle," why not say so in the advertisement T Bnt 
"Touzelle" ia a name already applied to a well-known 
wTieat, which has been in the country for nearly ten years, 
or long enough to show that is not adapted to general 
cultivation. If this is a spring wheat derived from the 
ordinary Touzelle, why not say so ? The whole thing is 
surrounded with douh% and is presented in a most un- 
satisfactory manner. The statement of a yield of 127 
bushels to the acre we pass without comment, though 
every wheat-grower will have his own notions on this 
point. We are very much in favor of the introduction of 
new and promising varieties of wheat, and all other 
seeds, but they should be presented in a manner that will 
not he open to suspicion. 
The Prickley Comfrey Once More. 
When a new plant is offered, or an old plant is pre- 
sented for a new use, we hold it our duty to give an ac- 
count of it, and from the best som'ces, trusting that our 
readers will have the intelligence to decide whether it is 
worth while for them to try it or not. Before we pub- 
lished a word upon the subject, we had read suflBcient in 
the English and French agricultural journals to convince 
us that it was worthy of trial here ; but it was only after 
it had been tried for one year or more in this country, 
and we found that plants could be had that we published 
it A New England paper is disposed to grumble over 
the matter, and his strong point is that Prof. Gray charac- 
terized it as a " weedy " plant. Of course he did, and had 
he been asked to describe either the Jerusalem Artichoke, 
or the Hubbard Squash, he would naturally say that they 
had coarse, weedy foliai^e. It is harly fair to thus try to 
put Doct. Gmy in a position of antagonism to the plant. 
Another person finds that it will become a weed. 
How this may be, time only can tell, but we have not no- 
ticed that carrots and parsnips are any the less grown, 
because the plants, when they escape from cultivation, 
become miserable weeds Did not we have abundant 
evidence that people do read advertisements, onr experi- 
ence with the Prickley Comfrey would lead ns to doubt 
if people really do read them. Several have written that 
they have searched all through the llarch No., and 
could not find it advertised, while the advertisement of 
It. H. Allen & Co. occupies a conspicuous place at the 
top of the middle column on pa^ie 112. and reference is 
made to the advertisement in a Basket Item on page 87, 
which we put in for the very purpose of stopping the 
flood of inquiries that poured in upon us. 
N. B.— Take Notice, Everybody ! We have neither 
plants nor seeds of Prickley Comfrey nor any other j)lant 
for saU. Prickley Comfrey was advertised on p. 112 in 
March last. We are informed by the gentlemen in charire 
of our Advertising Department that the plant will also 
be offered by Mr. O. E. Ashbumer. of Richmond, Ta., 
the gentleman who furnished the account of cultivation 
given in January last. Finally, we have no new facts in 
relation to the plant, beyond what we have already given. 
It wilt be this year tested over a wide range €t country, 
and the results will go far towards settling its real value 
to the American farmer. 
Bee Notes for April. 
BT L. C. BOOT, MOHAWX, N. T. 
swarms of bees on the roof of hia storCj and reports a 
yield of 181 lbs. of extracted honey from each. The for- 
age there must he remarkably good, as this is a very large 
yield. In New York and Brooklyn, bees arc being kept 
to advantage. From what I know of Philadelphia. I 
should say that bees could be kept there successfully. 
As to where the hives may stand, I should think that 
there were very few who could not find room for at least 
one swarm. A very small plot of ground will accommo- 
date them, or they may be placed before any window in 
an upper room, or attic, or even on the roof. In the vil- 
lage of Ilion, a mile from my home, are several swarms 
arranged on the roof of a piazza, and of the house, as 
shown in the engraving here given. 
I see no reason why city people may tot find bees a 
source of instructive amusement if not of profit. A 
hive may be arranged with glass sifles, so that the bees 
may be seen building their combs and storing honey. 
A case is mentioned where a teacher in a city school 
kept a hive in the garret of the school-house, where the 
scholars were allowed to see the bees at work. Cer- 
tainty good must come from such observations. What 
the returns will be. must depend upon the forage that 
surrounds the location, and the intelligence with which 
the bees are managed. 
Extracting rs' Spring.—" Will it be expedient to ex- 
tract in early spring, combs heavy with honey, or replace 
During the present month, most bees will be placed 
upon their summer stands. Heretofore, a day when bees 
could be removed from winter quarters was anxiously 
looked for, but. at present, it is considered desirable by 
many to defer it as late as possible. If the temperature 
of the room containing the bees can not be kept as low 
as 50", it will be well to remove them to their summer 
stands during the first fair days, but if they can be kept 
below that temperature, I would say, keep them in as late 
as the first of May. It would be better yet to say, take 
them out' when Soft Maple blossoms. Last spring I 
placed my bees on their stands the first days in May. and 
they brought in natural pollen the same day. As soon 
as the bees have taken the first flight, close all ventila- 
tion, and be sure that the mats are held snugly over the 
frames, if such are used. Contract the entrance, leaving 
an opening of about one inch. 
Q,ucstions and AjosTrcrs. 
CiTT Beekeepisq. — "M. J. B.," of Philadelphia, Pa., 
asks : *' Is bee-keeping possible in the city ; if so, under 
what circumstances?"— This is a question of quite gen- 
eral interest, as I receive many inquiries in regard to it. 
That bees can be successfully kept in cities, has been 
proven beyond a doubt. Whether they may be expected 
to store a large or small quantity of honey, will depend 
upon the surroundings, as it does in country locations. 
Very many will argue that, if they have ah abundance of 
flowers in their own yard, they may expect to keep bees 
successfully. They do not realize that, from preference, 
bees will work from half a mile to three miles away, and 
that if honey may be found, they will work even double 
that distance C. F. Muth, of Cincinnati, O., has 26 
AKEA^'GEilEXT OF HrTES. 
theniTvith empty combs, to facilitate breeding? I use 
eight Langstroth frames."— I would not extract in early 
spring. If the capping of the cells is broken occasion- 
ally, the bees will remove the honey to the center, and 
breeding wiU be thus stimulated. All the old honey in 
the hives may generally be used in this way. If proper- 
ly managed, each of the eight frames should contain 
brood during the best of the season. 
Structure op the Roof. — "In using the flat roof de- 
■^cribed in January Notes on a Quinby hive, with the 
frames in for extracting, ought not the sides and end of 
the roof to have pieces nailed on them, so as to make a 
tight cover, or will this be unnecessary, if I use a quilt 
on the top of the frames ? " — It will not be necessary, as 
there is a top to the hive, under the roof. 
KiXD OP Qun.T.— ''If I use a quilt on top of the 
frames, is one filled with chaff as good as one in which 
cotton is used ? " — Cotton is preferable. 
CoEBECTioN. — In March Bee Notes— "Are six combs 
(Langstroth) enough to be left on the hives "—should 
be "271 the hives." 
Ask ftuestions of Your Soil 
What a wonderful help it would be to every cul- 
tivator, ii he could say to this soil and that one, 
"tell me what you are made up of ; what is lack- 
ing iu your composition to make you grow a good 
crop of this or that kind," and the soil should 
answer: "Hack potash," or "I lack phosphoric 
acid," or ''I lack lime," etc. With such answers 
we could go right to work and supply the deficient 
element or elements. Now it is guess-work. We 
put on stable manure, and as that generally con- 
tains all kinds of needed elements, it produces good 
results. Tet, in doing this, we often add a great deal 
that is not needed, as soils usually lack only one or 
two elements. Stable manure, if purchased, is one 
of the most costly fertilizers in fact, or would be, 
if we knew just what else to buy. In all the older 
States we need, or could very profitably use, much 
more manure than can be obtained. Xow comes 
the all-important question, what shall we use — 
what will be the cheapest and best paying fer- 
tilizer ? Formerly agricultural chemists proposed 
to analyze our soils, and tell us what was lacking; 
but they now know that in the present state of agri- 
