18741 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
49 
contains some of the best of Mr. Beecher's miscellaneous 
writings, and in saying this we give it sufficient 
commendation. 
How to Paint, by P. B. Gardiner: S. R. Wells, New 
York— Almost any one of ordinary "gumption" can 
learn to paint sufficiently well to do ordinary jobs about 
the house and premiBes. To those who wish to do their 
own painting this little work gives hints about mixing 
and applying colors that will essentially aid the novice. 
Price, 75 cents. 
Elements op Animal Physiolooy, by John Angell ; 
a reprint of an English work by G. P. Putnam's Sons.— 
Tills seems to be a very compact and comprehensive 
little work, giving much useful information, and well 
illustrated. Messrs. Putnam are to be congratulated 
upon the generally excellent character of their elemen- 
tary science series, of which this work is a part. 
Handbook op the Treatment op the Horse, by 
Charles Wharton : J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. 
Most works upon the horse and its management are too 
bnlky and cumbersome. This neat little work of 137 
pages contains about all that a person who keeps hut one 
or two horses needs to know. BesideB the portion which 
relates to general care and management, it gives an ac- 
count of such ailments as can be safely treated without 
the advice ot a veterinary surgeon. Price, $1.55. 
Handbook op Hardy Trees, Shrubs, and Herba- 
ceous Plants, by W. B. Hemsley : Estcs & Lauriat, 
Boston.— This work is based upon the excellent work, 
V 'Amateur desJa?'dinx, in 4 vols., by Decaime & Naudin, 
although it can hardly he called a translation of it, as the 
arrangement is different, and it includes only the hardy 
plants. This work, however, presents the same elegant 
illustrations as the original. From our knowledge of the 
French work we are safe in commending this to those 
who wish to know something of the botanical relation- 
ships of the plants they cultivate. As far as we have ex- 
amined it, the work appears to be well done and the 
descriptions remarkably free from technicalities. 
Price $7.50. 
Domesticated Trout. How to Breed and Grow them, 
by Livingston Stone : James R. Osgood & Co., Boston. — 
This is not a very recent work, but it has been overlooked 
until now. Mr. Stone is a high authority in piscicul- 
ture, and has done much towards introducing fish into 
onr waters. This work contains a very full account of 
tin- art and mystery of trout raising, and is produced in 
the exec lent style characteristic of the house by which 
it is issued. Price $3.50. 
Chimneys, Furnaces, FniEPLACEs, and Steam Boil- 
ers, and Steam Boiler Explosions are Nos. 1 and 2 of the 
neat science manuals issued by D. Van Nostrand, New 
York. No. 1 is by R. Armstrong, and No. 2 by Zerah 
Colhurn. They are small handbooks of 75 to 100 pages 
each, and must be very useful to all who have to do with 
furnaces and steam. Price 50 cents. 
Rational Horse-Shoeing. — This little work is de- 
scriptive and explanatory of the method of shoe- 
ing horses with the Goodeuough shoe. It Is a book 
that should be read by every hoise owner, because it 
teaches a rational system of treatment of the horse's 
foot, by following which the greater part of the troubles 
which affect the foot of the horse may be avoided. Un- 
fortunately, few owners of horses are sufficiently edu- 
cated in tills respect to enable them to resist successfully 
the ignorant and injurious methods of shoeing practiced 
by blacksmiths, by which the hoof is burned and its most 
important and necessary parts are cnt and hacked away. 
The system taught in this book is in operation in most 
ef the largest horse-car stables in New York and Brook- 
lyn, as well as in those of the owners of some of the 
most valuable high-bred horses. This fact is alone a 
remarkable indorsement of this practice of treating the 
hoof of the horse. 
Catalogues Received. 
Landreth's Rural Rcoister and Almanac for 1874.— 
This contains, besides an almanac and useful calendar of 
operations for each mouth, a catalogue of the seeds raised 
anil sold by the old and reliable house of David Lan- 
dreth & Sou. Philadelphia. 
Hiqhtstown Nurseries. — Thomas J. Pullen succeeds 
his father, Isaac Pullen. at one of the oldest nurseries in 
the country, at Iligbtstown, N. J. This nursery makes a 
specialty of peaches. 
The Flower Garden.— Beach, Son & Co., 76 Fulton 
street. New York, publish their peed and bulb catalogue 
in the form of a quarterly journal. The portion devoted 
to horticultural matters is ably managed. 
B. K. Bliss & Sons publish a tender to their enormous 
Illustrated catalogue in the form of an "Abridged Cata- 
logue and Gardeners' Almanac." This contains all the 
novelties of the season and the leading articles in the 
larger catalogue iu a compact form. 
Bryant's Nurseries.— The catalogue offers a good 
assortment of fruits and an especially full list of ever- 
green and deciduous ornamental trees. Another list con- 
tains a large variety of tree seeds, especially those of 
native kinds. 
Charles A. Reeser's catalogue of plants and seeds 
presents an attractive list of the standard varieties. His 
place is at Ph-asautville, Venango Co., Pa. 
Henry A. Dreer, Philadelphia, catalogne for 1874, 
contains the usual standard flower and vegetable seeds 
with several novelties and specialties. 
The following European catalogues have recently 
come to hand : 
A. Charoze, trees and greenhouse plants, Trelaze, 
near Angers, France. 
J. Monnier <& Co., seeds, Trelaze, France. 
Clt. IIuber & Co.. Hyeres .— This is one of the largest 
seed-growing houses in France, and their catalogue of 
both vegetable and flower seeds is very full. They also 
offer fine greenhouse plants. 
J. C. Schmidt, Erfurt, Germany, seeds, plants, and 
trees. Bouquets and ornaments of dried flowers are a 
specialty with this establishment, and their illustrated 
catalogue shows to what a wonderful extent this trade Is 
carried on. 
Louis Van Houtte, Ghent, Belgium.— Probably no 
horticultural establishment in the world is better known 
than Van Houtte's. The present catalogue is mainly 
devoted to Alpine and herbaceous plants. 
James Blackley, Leyton, London, Eng., has a cata- 
logue entirely devoted to new varieties of carnations, 
with the varieties handsomely illustrated. 
Benjamin Reid & Co., Aberdeen, Scotland.— Cata- 
logue of timber trees, conifers, and shrubs. 
Bee Notes.— Advice to Beginners. 
BY M. QUINSY. 
It was probably colder during the month of November, 
1873, than ever before in this latitude so early in the 
season. The coldest morning was two degrees below 
zero. December was very mild. The snow pf Novem- 
ber is about gone, and the mercury has been down to 
nine decrees once or twice only. Had I known that the 
weather would be as it has been, and that it would con- 
tinue so throughout the winter, I should not have advised 
housing bees, even in this latitude. The pleasant sunny 
days have been frequent, and all-snfficiont for their 
health. Those who have been negligent or heedless, 
and left them in the open air, if January proves mild, 
may let them remain. Look to them often. See that 
dead bees do not fall down aud choke up the entrance. 
With a bent wire all can be cleaned out at any time ; or, 
if warm enough to melt snow and ice. raise the hive oc- 
casionally and sweep out all clean. If mice have been 
at work small crumbs of comb will be scattered on the 
bottom board, which will suggest a trap at once. Do not 
mistake the brown particles like pin heads, perhaps 
smaller, that will be seen on the bottom board, for 
crumbs of comb. These particles after cool weather 
commences, may always he seen, and arc worth observ- 
ing closely. The quantity indicates the size of a colony, 
better even than a sight of the bees. If no mice scatter 
it, it may be seen directly under the spaces between the 
combs in little ridges sometimes a half inch in depth. 
If the cluster is strong and the time of confinement has 
been long there will be a large quantity. You may tell 
the exact number of combs that contain bees between 
them, and how far they extend each way, by the length 
and size of the ridges. In purchasing stocks in winter 
observe this first, and any hive not showing streaks of 
this substance under more than one or two combs you 
may be satisfied has bnt few bees without looking to see 
them. It is not profitable to buy such for stocks at any 
price. When bees arc in health it is apparently dry, and 
but few dead bees are mixed with it. Until very recently 
I had supposed it was simply the fine particles or 
wax that had covered the scaled honey iu the cells, and 
bitten to pieces by the bees in getting at the honey. 
Bavin- observed it in some colonics where there was no 
sealed"honey, or but very liltle, it gave rise lo the idea of 
Its being excrement in a dry state. When bees are filled 
with honey, and become chilled, if only for a short time, 
tbey do not seem to digest their food properly, and their 
excrement Is discharged in liquid state-a sort of dysen- 
tery—In or outside the hive. Bees have been confined in 
comfortable quarters for seven consecutive months with- 
out discharging any faeces unless in a dry state. These 
facts suggested the idea that this substance, or a portion 
of It, may be the excrement of bees in a healthy state. 
Whether it proves to be mixed with excrement or oth- 
erwise, it will give a criterion to judge of the health and 
size of colony. Whenever the excrement is discharged 
inside in a liquid state it indicates that it has been too 
cold. The remedy is to niuke tlicin a little warmer. An- 
alysis of Ibis dust may give us further light on other 
points. 
Those who have taken the precaulion to house their 
bees need have no uneasiness about them, as very likely 
they will require less care than otherwise. If severe 
cold has been anticipated, and arrangements to protect 
them against it have been made, there may be a little 
danger of their being kept too warm. A thermometer 
costs but little ; the satisfaction of knowing instead of 
guessing how cold it is is great. Hang one in the room 
with the bees, and if the temperature is nearly steady, 
and does not go above 50° Fahrenheit, they may be jeft 
quiet, and if the least ray of light is not admitted they 
will not be likely to waBte. I know of a lot of bees that 
were put in a dark, dry, warm cellar on November 10th. 
Have now been in fifty days. The temperature has varied 
only from 47° to 49° during the time, and bees never 
seemed more comfortable and quiet. Should the warmth 
at any time go much above 50°, I would recommend in- 
troducing into the room a quantity of snow or ice, to 
cool it properly, rather than set them ont before the 
proper time. 
Profit from Hot-Beds. 
ROOT, ROCKPORD, ILL. 
There is scarcely a town of 5,000 or even 
3,000 inhabitants, but where the gardener or 
florist can make an important and very profit- 
able addition to his business by growing and 
selling hot-bed plants for the garden. Two 
causes have operated to prevent a full devel- 
opment of this branch of business in our 
smaller cities and towns. 
First, while, florists and gardeners in our 
large cities have abundant capital, their breth- 
ren in smaller towns, and especially in the 
West, either have but small means, or else have 
other urgent demands for them ; so they are un- 
able to make the required investment in glass 
and fixtures. Secondly, the plants usually pro- 
duced are not sufficiently stocky and well hard- 
ened to attain extensive sale. 
In showing how these difficulties can be ob- 
viated I shall not state merely what can be done, 
but shall confine myself strictly to what hat 
been done in my own experience during the five 
years past. Glass sashes 3x5+ feet ready for 
use usually cost $4 each, making $1(3 for a bed 
of four sashes. The interest upon this is $1.60, 
and the wear and tear as much more, making 
an annual expense of $3.20 per bed, and de- 
manding an investment of $400 for glass in 
carrying on twentj'-five beds. Believing this 
to be an unnecessary expense, five years ago I 
began using prepared sheeting, and with such 
satisfaction that it now constitutes four fifths 
of my covers. To render the sheeting more 
transparent and at the same time make it air- 
tight, use the following preparation : 1 quart 
linseed oil, 1 ounce pulverized sugar of lead, 
4 ounces pulverized rosin ; heat in an iron ket- 
tle till all is thoroughly dissolved and mixed. 
Apply while hot with a brush to the muslin 
while stretched over a frame. Endeavor to 
apply when two successive clear days can ba 
had to dry it well before placing it over the 
vapor and heat of a bed. 
Before applying this two widths of muslin 
are stitched together of such length as to make 
them a few inches longer than a four sash bed. 
The edges are hemmed (also on the machine) 
and small brass rings sewed on firmly at fifteen 
inches apart around the whole border. By 
hooking these over small nails or inverted 
hooks the cover is stretched nearly air-tight. 
When it is desired to open the beds they can 
be unhooked and rolled down as far as desired 
and fastened, or rolled entirely off upon a clean 
