Q04 
AMERICAN AQRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
Propagatio7i.—G GYHiihims and other plauU, need- 
ed for blooming next winter, m:\y now be started 
from cuttings. luarcli Azaleas, Camellias, and other 
hard-wooded plants, whenever the wood gets firm. 
! Pnmityj. — Use the knife, or with soft-wooded 
things, pinching, to bring into good shape. 
Cold GrapeiT'— The vines must not be 
allowed to suffer from dryness, and if there is any 
danger of this, water the borders with weak liquid 
manure. As the growth pushes from the laterals, 
it must be pinched as before directed. Thin the 
berries with a pair of scissors, those made for the 
ptirpose are safest, removing one half, or more, ac- 
cording to the variety ; beginners often make the 
mistake of leaving the bunches too crowded; a 
greater weight of finer fruit will result from proper 
thinning. Mildew shows itself in spots on the 
leaves, and when it appears, the vine of the house 
must be kept as dry as possible, and the syringing 
discontinued. Sprinkle sulphur freely over the 
floor of the house, and keep dry until the diflficulty 
disappears. If not troubled by mildew, continue 
to sprinkle every evening. The temperature 
should be 90° to 95** at midday, which during 
the night may decrease to about So°. 
The Apiary for 3u\y*— Prepared hi/ M. 
Qidiiby, by rcqiust. — All who have had experience 
in removing boxes from the hives, when there was 
not a full supply of honey from the flowers, have 
had some difficulty to get rid of the bees, without 
losing a considerable portion of the honey. A 
gentleman in Cherry Valley, N. T., has given me 
his method of getting the bees out, which, although 
1 have not tested it, I think must be preferred by 
some, to any method heretofore given. Firstly, he 
designates each hive with a number, and when the 
boxes are put on, each one receives the same 
number as the hive. When a bos is full, an empty 
one, to replace it, is numbered in the same way. 
'/wo slides of zinc, or heavy tin are used to slip 
between the box and hive, one to keep the bees 
from coming up out of the hive, the other to keep 
the bees in the box, and is lifted off with it, and 
the box inverted. The empty box is put on the 
full one, and the slide removed, giving the bees free 
passage to the upper box. Any number of boxes 
may be set on one board, and by striking the 
board gently with a stick, or hammer, the bees im- 
mediately leave the full for the empty boxes, when 
the slide is inserted and each box containing the 
btes returned to the hive to which it belongs, 
which is known by the number. If a large number 
of boxes arc to be taken off at one time, it will be 
necessary, without a corresponding number of 
slides, to use pieces of glass, or wood to lay over 
the holes in the tops of the hives, while other boxes 
are being taken off. The advantages of this method 
are, that no bees can fly to annoy any one ; and all 
young bees that have never before left the hive, 
and are usually lost, are returned ; the bees are al- 
ready in the box, aud go to work sooner ; the honey 
in the box is clean, etc. Boxes should never re- 
main on the hive after they are full. A few cells 
next the glass will not be sealed in a long time, and 
to wait for every one to be finished, involves the 
soiling of the combs. "When a hive has more boxes 
part full, than the bees are likely to finish, a part 
or all may be removed to some other strong stock 
to finish. No harm will be done, if changed two 
or three times. One box finished, is worth two or 
three half full. 
Should a hive refuse to swarm, and a great many 
bees cluster outside for want of room, a second set 
of boxes may be put on by making holes through 
the top of the lower ones. Those part full should 
be raised, and empty ones put under. It is not 
good economy with the movable comb hive, to 
allow colonies to become so crowded with bees, as 
to remain outside in large numbers, for a long time. 
When all cannot find employment in the hive and 
boxes, it is well to remove some of the full combs — 
every alternate one, when more than one is taken — 
and supply empty frames to be filled. The full 
combs containing brood, may be given to weak, or 
late Bwarms (after jarring off bees), thus making 
those vigorous and valuable, that might otherwise 
be almost worthless. In the swarming season, 
such colonies may be divided. 
See if any stocks are exhausted by swarming, till 
too few bees are left to protect the combs from 
worms. If the worms cannot be kept out, break 
up the hive, save the honey and wax, and thus 
avoid breeding a swarm of moths, to infest the 
other hives. When queens are not raised artificial- 
ly, and kept to supply quecnless stocks, it is good 
economy to hive a small swarm or two, to keep the 
queens to supply destitute ones. Flag, as a mate- 
rial for hive, will answer equally as well as 
straw for wintering, but does not look quite as 
well. A better quality of straw can be secured in 
the harvest field. Select it by handfuls, make it 
even, shake out all short ones, cut off the heads, 
and put away to be made into hives, some rainy 
day before December. 
It is unnecessary to look for a second swarm, 
when the first issued sixteen or eighteen days be- 
fore. Not one in 500 will vary from this rule. Per- 
haps not one in a hundred will issue after 14 days — 
and usually not after 10 or 13. 
In the last sentence of the Apiary for June, for 
ether edge^ read under edge. 
Containing a rreat variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which, ice throw into small 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere. 
RepublisUing' Ai'ticles.— We are very 
oflen requested to republish some particular article, and 
have now a letter before us asking for the reproduction 
of an article wliich appeared only a little over a year 
ago. It would be very easy to make up a paper by re- 
printing old articles, but we are obliged to keep moving 
on. To meet such requests as these we have always on 
hand plates to print the numbers for several years 
back, and can furnish any single number or volume. 
Are tliey Relia1>le. — A correspondent in 
Princeton, N. J., wishes to purchase a large number of 
strawberry plants, and desires to know if hft "can im- 
plicilly rely apon those sent out by or , as oe- 
ing true to name." We refer to this as a sample of 
many letters we do not notice. We cannot undertake 
to specify in these cases. Their advertisements being 
found In the Agriculturist is proof of their general re- 
spectability as dealers, and we cannot go beyond this. 
It would be impossible for us to say that any nurieryman 
can be "implicitly relied on" to send plants true to 
name, as those with the best possible intentions are liable 
to be deceived by others, or to be mistaken as to the 
identity of a fruit. It very often happens that, to meet 
the demand, a nurseryman propagates a large stock of a 
variety before he fruits it, and then finds to his mortifica- 
tion that he has been selling the wrong thing. Mistakes 
like this are almost impossible to avoid. 
Delaware, ]9Iarylan«l, and Virginia 
Farms. —To many inquirers we must answer that 
there is good land for sale in the States above named, as 
well as everywhere else almost. A man can afford to 
buy poor land which is close by railway facilities, and 
thus within such easy reach of the great markets, that 
he can dispose of early vegetables and fruit at the best 
price's. If further off he must have better land, or some 
other compensation. Northern farmers are going in 
considerable numbers into Maryland, Delaware, and 
Virginia, and if they wilt only take with them the indus- 
try, frugality, and intelligence which would make them 
successful in New-York and New England, they will suc- 
ceed weW in their new homes. Never buy without seeing 
the land and knowing exactly what you will surely know 
within a week after your purchase is made. Take no- 
body's word for any thing you can see and judge of. 
I9Iissouri I>ands.— By reference to our ad- 
vertising columns in this issue, will be found the adver- 
tisement of the Missouri Land Company, of Si. Louis, 
who are prepared to furnish all necessary information 
regarding land in Missouri, and at all times facilitate the 
immigrant, or the agents for colonies, in securing the best 
and cheapest lands in the State. Heretofore the settler 
designing to purchase has been compelled to ramble over 
the State, trusting to chance or local land agents for such 
information as they may gather. This company is or- 
ganized on a very broad basis, having its local agents In 
every county, enabling Ihem to secure the most complete 
information, and make their office the Real Estate Ex- 
change of the State. The State presents manyattrac- 
tions to the enterprising immigrant. Mountains of iron, 
mines of lead, copper, etc, millions of acres of fertile soU, 
its central position, and temperate climate destine it to 
be in the future one of the most important States. 
It has thrown off the incubus of slavery that so long has 
impeded its progres, and now as a free State offers liome« 
to all enterprising men. Missouri stands on tlie highway 
of the nation, between the Atlantic and Pacific. Not- 
withstanding the havoc of war, its railroads are fast ap- 
proaching completion. The disloyal inhabitants im- 
poverished by the war, are selling their improved farms 
very low. The Company furnishes information and an- 
swers communications free of charge. 
Corn for Ory Fodder.— E. W. Allen. 
When the corn has its full size, cut it at the ground ; let 
it wilt in the sun a day, turn and sun it another day; 
bind with straw in small bundles, say 8 inches in diame- 
ter ; set the bundles up bracing to sustain one another in 
long rows 2 and 2, or set them against rails or a fence, or 
in very open stooks. Thus they will gradually dry suffi- 
ciently in about two weeks to put up in large round 
stooks, capped to shed rain. Before cold weather slack 
near the stock yard or put in the barn. 
HoTT to Brin;*;' np Sandy I^and. — 
James Clayton, Mason Co., III. writes: "We have a 
good deal of land in this county on which nothing but 
lye can be grown, it being nearly clear sand. What is 
the best way to improve this sandy soil ?" Such land 
may probably be brought up in two seasons so that a 
tolerable crop of clover may be raised, and after that 
corn, wheat and roots will follow in a few years. Buck- 
wheat sown now on land which has a small dressing of 
some ammoniacal manure. 100 to 150 pounds of guano, 
or 200 or 300 pounds of bone dust per acre, will give a 
good growth probably. Plow this under soon after the 
first blossoms appear, and then 6ow rye. In spring, say 
by the middle of May or first of June, when the rye begins 
to head, turn it under and sow corn or sorghum broad- 
cast, (or in drilU if the land is weedy, which it probably 
is not) and plow this under in August, and if desired, 
buckwheat or turnips maybe sowed, (the latter quite 
thickly)and this crop plowed under ; the buckwheat befare 
frost, or the turnips before hard freezing. After this you 
will be able in all probability to get a good crop of red 
clover, which means wheat or any thing else, (after it) 
provided the same system Is kept up, and a well manured 
crop is introduced once in about four years. 
Ooes Plaster, Onano, etc.« Hurt 
tUe Land ?— " R. B," Portage Co., O.— No ! not if 
properly used. If these things increase your crops, you 
must give back to the soil in proportion to the amount 
it yields, the ingredients which constitute the earthy 
part of plants. If this be neglected then in a few years 
with your big crops you will accomplish the same 
amount of exhaustion which it- might have taken many 
years to have done without any high-pressure fertilizers. 
Ho'^r to Use Bones. — " Leslie." After 
breaking them up, compost with horse manure. Fork 
over the heap bye-and-bye, and throw out the hard ones, 
mash the others ; make up another heap and use the hard 
bones again with some fresh ones. Another way is to 
break them as small as you can and throw them all into 
a heap, sprinkle them thoroughly with water, heap a 
layer of soil over them and let them heat. Keep a little 
plaster sprinkled over the outside of the heap. After 
they have heated well for some weeks, fork or rake the 
heap over ; compost the fine part any where you like, and 
subject the rest to a repetition of the process. The brok- 
en bones, after soaKing with water several days, may be 
treated with oil of vitriol, (half-water) added pretty free- 
ly, and the heap worked over with a shovel. A large 
part of the bones will be converted into superphosphate, 
and may be applied mixed with saw dust or earth. 
How to Brealf Bones -with a Sledgfe. 
L. A. Gavineau. Find a log with a hollow say 14 inches 
in diameter. Saw this so as to form a ring about a foot 
high, and split or saw a piece out of the side, leaving the 
ring like the letter C. This partial ring Is placed on a 
rock or other hard and heavy base ; the bones, one at a 
time, are placed in the middle of it and struck with a 
sledge hammer, which should be so held that the pieces, 
or the unbroken bone, if the blow does not crush it, will 
not fly through the opening made for the handle of Ihe 
sledge. With patience bones may 'be broken in this 
way, but every community should have a good milL 
I^iqnid 19Ianare.— "W. R." has a quantity 
