1869.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
387 
soon brook a foreign rival on her own English ground, 
as the jealous queen of a community of bees, anol] f 
her own rank within the precincts of licr domain. For 
convenience of obtaining honey and preventing swarm- 
ing, I would recommend a hive made somewhat as fol- 
lows: Make movable frames for the combs, as in com- 
mon movable-comb hives, but let the spaces between the 
frames, at the top and ends, be closed with strips of tin, 
forming ends and top of the hive proper, and leaving no 
space for a current of air to carry off the warmth needed 
for the colony in winter and spring. No honey-board, 
will be needed, and, consequently there will be no space 
between it and the top of the frames. The frame?, by a 
simple device, may be made to stand directly on the bot- 
tom, without being supported at the ends. An outer bos 
should then be made, large enough to enclose the whole, 
and also give room for surplus boxes at the sides and top 
of snfficient aggregate capacity to hold 150 lbs. of honey. 
The boxes for the top are placed directly on the frames ; 
or the space intended for the boxes may be filled with 
frames instead, thus forming a very large hive ; and when 
the honey is desired for home consumption, this will 
probably be the cheaper and better way. For winter, 
the boxes or extra frames are removed, and the space 
filled with dry hay or straw. The colony can then re- 
main on the summer stand through the winter, with 
more safety than in even the common box hive. Special 
care should be given to ventilation by*apcrtures below 
and above, provided with slides so as to be opened or 
Ehut at. pleasure. All storms, and cold, driving winds are 
shut out. by closing the entrance at the side, except in the 
finest weather, when the bees may be allowed to fly. 
The Langstroth hive can be converted into one of these 
when the frames arc of a proper size for a sufficient num- 
ber of boxes, and the extra trouble of handling the frames 
is not considered much. The hive should be made double 
width, and the combs and bees transferred, and boxes 
set by the side of the combs, as in the other. By trans- 
ferring, certain advantages may be secured, viz. : straight 
combs, and combs containing only worker cells — except 
a few for drones to pacify the bees. 
The hive thus far described, I consider the best for 
surplus honey yet brought before the public. It is also a 
partial nou-swarmer. To make it entirely so, I use the 
following device : Nail together strips o£ board to make 
a box about eighteen or twenty inches square, and three 
inches deep, with floor of thin boards, excepting a strip 
four inches wide, on the side next the hive, which should 
be of wire-cloth for sifting out dust, and for ventilation. 
To prevent the queen, who has previously had her wing 
clipped, from creeping over and escaping, strips of tin, 
two inches wide, are fastened around the inside, at the 
top, parallel to the floor, and as she is unable to holdfast 
to the underside, she will fall back, and after a few trials, 
return to the hive with the swarm, that will not go far 
■without her. The upper side of the tin should be painted 
some light color. An opening, corresponding to the en- 
trance to the hive, should be made on the side toward 
the hive. 
Owing to the great scarcity of honey, a great deal of 
feeding— probably more than at any time for twenty 
years past— will be necessary. As to methods, see direc- 
tions already given in the Agriculturist. If a swarm has 
not made comb enough to hold snfficient honey for win- 
ter, it will hardly pay to feed. But in other cases, it 
should begin as soon as the brood is hatched— in the 
earlypart of this month— and be continued as rapidly as 
possible until finished. By this means the bees will be 
able to store the material and seal it before cold weather. 
Editorial Correspondence. 
Notes of Travel in the West 
[Mr. JrDD has been taking a vacation from business, 
in traveling with his family at the West, and is now tar- 
rying awhile in Central Iowa. We present below some 
excerpts from his letters home.— Ens.] 
CHICAOO. 
" Chicago has materially changed during my ab- 
sence of six years. Its streets arc greatly improved ; a 
large increase in the number and growth of the trees 
gives a far more cheerful aspect to the whole city as one 
looks down upon it from any elevated building ; the 
business houses, churches, and dwellings, arc on a larger 
scale and in a higher style ; large parks arc provided for, 
and some of them begin to give promise of future 
beauty. A ride of 15 miles through the outskirts, in- 
cluding the extensive cattle yards, some five miles south- 
west of the business center, gave visible evidence that 
Chicago is rapidly extending its inhabited territory far 
outward north, west, and south. The wooden pave- 
ments, in more general use here than in any other city, 
give a freedom from noise and dust greatly to be coveted 
by the denizens of New York. "Whatever maybe thi il 
durability or cost as compared with stone, they might !>>> 
profitably adopted, at least in all the thoroughfare streets." 
THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI. 
" After this, my second trip of 335 miles, from 
Dubuque to St. Paul and the Falls of St. Anthony,— this 
time after having been twice up and down the Rhine, 
and many times on the Hudson— I am certain that the 
Upper Mississippi far excels those two noted rivers, in 
grand and interesting scenery. The broad Valley is 
bounded by high hills and bluffs, often in grotesque rocky 
piles and cliffs ; the stream, sometimes a single body of 
water, is more frequently divided into from two to a 
dozen or more channels and sloughs, that inclose almost 
innumerable islands of every conceivable form — all cov- 
ered to the water's edge with a deep green herbage, 
shrubbery or trees. Lake Pepin, so called, is an expanse 
of the river for about 30 miles, to an average width of 
about five miles of deep water. No one should cross the 
Atlantic for sight-seeing until he has visited the Upper 
Mississippi, and 1.200 or 1,500 miles of its lower broad, 
lake-like current, that meanders gulf ward through the 
immense valley " 
ST. PATTL — MINNEAPOLIS. 
" St. Paul has grown largely since I was here, 
eleven years ago, and now contains many buildings of 
very fine architectural design. When its streets arc well 
paved, and other improvements, now contemplated or in 
progress, are completed, it will be one of the finest cities 
in the country. An extensive system of railroads, radi- 
ating in all directions, is already under considerable 
headway Minneapolis, at the Falls of St. Anthony, 14 
miles by river, though only 9 miles by land from St. Paul, 
has a water power equaled by but one or two other 
places in the civilized world. The largest lumber mills 
I have ever seen, perhaps the largest on the continent, 
are located here, and the city has already grown to large 
proportions. Minnehaha Falls, a most beautiful cascade, 
and Fort Suelliug, 4 and 5 miles down the river, are well 
worth the tourist's visit. The high, dry atmosphere of 
this region, as well as the interesting scenery hereabouts, 
and on the way hither, may well attract a large multitude 
of pleasure and health seekers. I am much indebted to 
the kind attention of Judge Crowell, of St. Paul, an old 
college friend, for the facilities afforded and information 
given respecting this interesting locality " 
MINNESOTA. 
" This State is rapidly filling up with an enterpris- 
ing and industrious farming population. The wheat crop 
of this year is estimated at twenty million busluls! And 
I can partially, at least, endorse the estimate, after riding 
down through the almost continuous succession of vast 
fields of splendid grain, which stretch back on either 
side as far as the eye can see, on both sides of the Mil- 
waukee and St. Paul Railway, which runs south from St. 
Paul for 70 miles, and curving south-cast for 140 miles, 
crosses the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, and extends 
nearly due east 193 miles through Wisconsin to Milwau- 
kee. For good winter wheat, Minnesota is excelled 
only by Russia, I think. Fifty to one hundred thousand 
from the older States, and from the northern kingdoms 
of Europe, can find good, cheap farms in the invigorat- 
ing, healthful, and health-giving climate of Minnesota." 
NORTIIEHN IOWA. 
u I can hardly advise any well-settled farmer cast 
or south of Ohio to take the ride I have enjoyed over the 
North-western Railroad, from Chicago to Omaha, 494 
miles, lest he should be discontented with his present 
lot, and instantly ' pull up stakes 1 and move. For two 
hundred miles west of Clinton, a thriving new town on 
the Mississippi, one rides through as fine a region as the 
sun looks down upon. The country for this distance is 
mostly occupied by cultivators, though there are many 
unimproved and improved lands in the market at mod- 
erate rates, for a Western man is usually glad to sell and 
go farther west. Another 135 miles takes one to the 
junction of the Missouri Valley R.R., extending up to 
Sioux City (pronounced SooCity). There is considerable 
unoccupied land along this portion of the road, and par- 
ticularly in the north-western counties, well worthy the 
attention of enterprising young Eastern farmers. Twenty- 
four miles southward from the junction we reach 
Council Bluffs, opposite Omaha, the beginning proper of 
THE PACIFIC RAIXr.OAD. 
11 I had not intended to visit the Golden State the 
present year— a decision I regretted after riding 572 miles 
west of Omaha, over the Union Pacific R. R. Whatever 
maybe said of the hasty building and imperfection, I 
have never journeyed over any railroad with more real 
comfort than I did with my family for twenty-seven hours, 
from Omaha to Laramie (572 miles). The ordinary cars 
are very commodious, while a seat by day and a bed at 
night, in l Pulman's Palace Car,' is a luxurynnrleed. (An 
extra expense of $S per twenty-four hours secures a sec- 
tion with four seats, and four excellent beds at night.) 
Good dining saloons, at proper intervals, furnish very 
palatable meals at 75 cents to $1.25, as yon go west. (If 
the proprietors would pay a few cents more per pound 
for first quality batter to use with their fine bread and 
rolls, and in cooking their steaks, mutton chops, and 
other meats, no one would grumble at the saloon and 
hotel fare across the continent. I embody the concurrent 
testimony of all the travelers whose opinions I heard ex- 
pressed, and they were generally outspoken) The 
Railway gradually and imperceptibly rises en the sloping 
plain, from an altitude of 900 feet above the sea at Omaha, 
until, at Sherman Station, 549 miles west of Omaha* 
the track reaches an altitude of 8.-250 feet— 2.000 feet high- 
er than the summit of Mt. Washington, in the White 
Mountains of New Hampshire— the highest point ever 
reached by any Railroad in the world, I believe. The 
mountain passes of Switzerland are narrow gorges, shut 
in by snow-covered peaks on either hand. This pass, 
over the eastern and highest ridge of the Rocky Mount- 
ains, crossed by the Railroad (the Black Dills), is more 
like a broad valley or plateau, with here and there some 
rocky ledges, and many piles of bare rocks, which, from 
their appearance and the curious forms assumed by them, 
render the name Rocky Mountains quite appropriate. 
The towering snow-capped peaks, seen on either hand, 
are too distant to materially chill the atmosphere. Fine 
pasturage, and some clumps of growing oats, nearly ma- 
tured, were seen at the highest point. If I remember 
rightly, few trees or shrubs and little herbage were seen 
in Switzerland above an altitude of 4,000 or 5,000 feet " 
THE PLATTE VALLEY. 
" For nearly 300 miles west of Omaha the Pacific 
Railroad follows up the valley of the Platte River. 
Through all this distance, and still farther west, the land 
appears generally good, though few Ranches or farm build- 
ings, except the Railroad stations, are seen after the first 
75 or 100 miles. Here is a large country open to settlers, or 
to be open as soon as surveyed, which is now brought 
into direct railroad communication with the rest of the 
world. The alternate sections for 20 miles on each side 
of the railroad are reserved by Government, and offered 
to purchasers at the uniform price of $2.50 per acre. The 
Railroad Company own the other sections, which are of- 
fered at from $2.50 to $10 per acre, according to location, 
nearness to stations, and quality. Mr. O. F. Davis, Laud 
Agent of the Union Pacific Railroad, has opened a laud 
office in Omaha, to give information, and dispose of the 
company's lands as far as surveyed by Government. I 
felt greatly tempted to look after one of these sections of 
land for myself. I am sure there are many fine locations 
to be secured by the first comers, both from the govern- 
ment domain and the Railroad lands " 
LARAMIE PLAINS. 
" I spent nearly three days at Laramie, in W}-oming 
Territory, 24 miles west of Sherman, and 1,100 feet 
lower altitude. This town, of 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants, 
supports a Daily Paper, has a fine school building and 
large school, with organized churches, now worship- 
ping in the school building and elsewhere, but with 
church plots purchased, and two edifices going np. I at- 
tended two Sunday-schools here, and in a little talk with 
the scholars of one of them, the Union Sunday-school, I 
found there the representatives of twenty-six States and 
Territories! (As the town is not two years old, the 
Sunday-school children were of course all bom else- 
where.) ThCtc are several hotels, one large, neatly kept, 
and very good one, — except the charge of §5 per day, and 
bating the lack of 'Orange County Butter,' above re- 
ferred to. This defect will be remedied, probably — and I 
hope so, for the benefit of the multitude of travelers 
from our own and other lauds, who ought to, and who 
doubtless will, come hither to enjoy the scenery and the 
pure, exhilarating atmosphere. I find several sojourning 
here already, seeking health. Laramie Plains is some 
40 miles wide, between the Black Hills on the east, and 
Medicine Bow Mountain and other ridges on the West. 
The surface is a rolling prairie, with the Laramie River 
winding through it. The railroad here runs north north- 
west Though 7,123 feet above the sea, or nearly a 
thousand feet higher than Mt. Washington, I am now 
sitting writing, at P. M., with windows and doors open, 
with ordinary summer garments on, and feel no chilly 
sensation. I am told that cattle pasture here nearly all 
winter. Dr. LI. Latham, Surgeon of the Union Pacific 
Railroad hospital (located here for the salubrity of the 
climate), has an excellent garden plot of an acre or so, on 
ground broken up only last spring, and immediately 
planted. I noticed very fine peas, of good size, large po- 
tatoes, sqnashes, etc. Dr. L. is making observations 
upon the climate and productions, and will doubtless be 
happy to furnish any information desired. Quite a 
number of gentlemen, some of them from Europe, are 
making this a centre of their summer hunting grounds, as 
antelope and other large game abound in thi&region.. . " 
[Other notes from Mr.. Ji*dt> upon prairie farming, etc., 
must necessarily be deferred for want of space.] 
