o£5 t q 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
i'-.z-u for Soiai3B«:.- "A. C," Knoxvillc, 
T ■:■ ; in the South there is no Boiling crop 
that pi :b more or richer milk when fed to cows than 
con ■ it be cow-peas. The Southern corn, he 
thinks, being much sweeter than the Northern, induces 
the cow s to consume more of it than they would of other 
feed. He further writes that "the Agriculturist^ by lay- 
ing down broad truths and common-sense views which 
are as much applicable to the South and West as to the 
Norih and East, is doing a great deal to improve its 
readers." 
Chickens in <lie Barn.-" N. F. F," 
Sandwich (no State). Chickens will not thrive if shut 
up on a barn floor. They are for better to he cooped on 
the ground out of doors in a dry place. Probably a large 
proportion of sudden deaths amongst young chicks are 
due t<» over-feeding ami cramming. They require f ed- 
ing very often and very sparingly. A quarter of a pint of 
corn la ample supply for a hen for one day without any 
other food, and one teaspoonful of corn-mnsh or coarse 
meal per day is sufficient for a very young chick. 
S*iz<" of 31 Ton of II;ay. — As usual at 
this season we have ninny inquiries as to estimating hay 
in hulk. *' Ordinary " bay is such a vague term that no 
rule cm be given to estimate it as such. But 600 cubic 
feet of timothy, or hay of two-thirds timothy and one- 
third clover, well packed in a stack or mow, will weigh a 
ton. 800 cubic Suet of clover alone, or com in on meadow 
grass made up of 'timothy red top, white bent or fescue, 
will make a ton if well-packed. 
Ooin*? We*t. — After a lengthened visit to 
that pari of Central and Western Kansas included in the 
valley of the Arkansas River, we can not hesitate to re- 
commend that portion of the country as especially favor- 
able for those who desire to move where cheap lands, 
some free homesteads, fertile soil, abundant water, per- 
fect heal thf illness, and extensive range for stock may be 
found; all these with short winters and a season of ten 
months during which the plow may be kept constantly at 
work may there be enjoyed. We understand that the 
Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad has over two 
millions of acres for sale in that valley, but that the gov- 
ernment homestead^ are about all taken up ; consequent- 
ly the country is already comparatively well settled. 
Tfii« Icllowstoiie Regio n.— Since the 
wonders and capabilities of this heretofore unknown re- 
gion have been made known through the government ex- 
plorations it has been a country of great interest, an in- 
terest which the reservation of a large tract for a national 
park will only increase. The Northern Pacific Railroad 
tr iverses the valley of the Yellowstone and will do much 
towards d rveloping the country. Aside from this means 
of communication with the region we now learn that 
the river is navigable for 550 miles, and that it presents 
less obstacles to navigation thau the Missouri. With 
a navigable river on the one hand and a railroad on 
the other we may expect the country will prove attractive 
to those who are seeking a home in the "far West." 
Grass for a. Name. — "Learner." The 
epecimen is Conch -grass {Triticum repens), called also 
Quack, Quitch, Sqnitch, Twitch, and several other names. 
The grass is relished by cattle and makes good bay. It 
is, however, a great pest in cultivated land, and on ac- 
count of the vitality of its long and strong roots difficult 
to exterminate. 
Tl*«»4SrapoCVop in Missouri.— Messrs. 
Isidor Bush & Co.. the largest grape and wine firm in Mis- 
souri, under date of July 1st, say : At this season of the 
year the prospects of tiie growing crop are yet too uncer- 
tain to be relied upon. Wo are glad to state, however, 
that the condition of our vineyards is by far better than 
generally expected. Concord* which is more largely 
planted than any other variety of grapes, gives promise 
of a fair crop. A few other varieties come out with fine 
clusters. ('>/ nth tana, our best red wine grape, adds the 
glory of having remained unharmed during the intense 
frosts of lasl winter to its other superior qualities; and 
while [| remains true that we shall have no crop whatever 
of Catawba and other fine varieties, they make at least a 
very fine growth of young canes, the most essential basis 
fora crop in 1874. Reports from the vineyards of Ger- 
many and France indicate that their prospects for a large 
grape crop this year have again been nipped in the bud 
by heavy frosts as late as April 25th— consequently the 
news from the European wine districts continue to pre- 
dict a further advance of the already very high prices. 
His Chimney Decays. — Some months 
ago II. vv. N., Winnebago Co., Wis., wrote us that his 
chimney f^li to pieces, the mortar losing its cohesion 
\ 
and the bricks crumbling. We wrote for further particu- 
lars and learn that the chimney is 24 feet high from the 
point where til'' BtOVC enters it. and from the StOVe b;. 
way of the pipe to the chimney is 00 feet. The kind of 
stove is mentioned but we do not know the pattern. M e 
judge that the trouble is due to incomplete combustion 
of the wood. As fire is kept all winter the combustion at 
night must be very slow, and a good part of the wood is 
subjected to what, is called destructive distillation. If 
wood be put into a retort orair-ii _ at cylinder and heat ap- 
plied to the outside a portion of the wood will be driven 
off in the form of gas and vapor, and a large share of it be 
left behind as charcoal. If the vapor be condensed it will 
be found to be strongly aeid. Indeed, this is ju-t the 
process for preparing impure acetic acid or wood vine- 
gar. A very similar state of affairs exists in onrfrii i 
stovcal night when the combustion is slow. A portion 
of the wood is distilled rather than burned, and owing to 
at length of pipe the acid products gel cool and 
condense hi the chimney and act upon the lime and 
bricks. We do not see how he can help the matter unless 
he keeps a stronger fire at night, or shortens big pipe bo 
that Vie aeid vapors may pass into the air before they 
are cooled enough to condense. 
Gapes and Lice in Chickens. — "E. 
Van A.." Monroe Co., Pa., and others. When the cause 
of i complaint is known the remedy is easily found. The 
cause of gapes is the presence of worms in the chickens' 
throat. T ic worms are supposed by some to be the larva; of 
lice which infest the fowls. The chicks hatched are free 
from lice ; they must therefore come from the hens. Lice 
abound in filth, and are absent from perfectly clean houses 
and yards. Therefore clean out the roosting places thor- 
oughly; no half measure? "ill do. Let there bono wood- 
en floor, but fr sh earth constantly dug over or renewed. 
Tear out of the building every cleat or board that leaves 
a joint wherein vermin can bide. Wash the house with 
hot lime-wash and fill every crack. Pass the roosting- 
poles through a fire of straw or scald them, and soak them 
every week with lard and kerosene oil or crude petroleum. 
Anoint the lousy hens with lard and carbolic acid or 
kerosene oil beneath the wings. In the same way make 
the hens' nests clean and free from vermin. Such a vig- 
orous campaign against the enemy routed them complete- 
ly from our fowls : and with a good range and fresh sta- 
tions each day for the coops and persistence in these pre- 
ventive measures we never had one case of gapes amongst 
e viral hundred chicks or any lice on onr hens afterwards. 
Tumble down sheds and roosts over hog pens or filth will 
certainly harbor lice, but indecent houses specially ap- 
propriated to them fowls will rid themselves of any ver- 
min that may annoy them ; and fowls decently kept pay 
well for the decent accommodation. 
2\ew York State Dairy mens' As- 
sociation,— The report of the first annual convention 
of the New York State Dairymens 1 Association has been 
received. Its contents will be found of great interest to 
all who are concerned in dairying, not only in New 
York, but in other States. We feel obliged, however, in 
the interests of dairymen themselves, to notice with ob- 
jection a remark made by the author of a paper contained 
therein on "Dairying in Oswego County. 1 ' otherwise 
unexceptionable. He takes occasion to say that " the 
general introduction of improved stock is prevented by 
the mammoth prices at which they are held by those 
who deal in them ; when a thorough-bred heifer is held 
at 500 guineas, small-fry farmers must take back Feats, 
and let wealth and arrogance without especial merit head 
the column." How totally uncalled for and incorrect this 
remark is must have been very apparent to the majority 
of those who heard it read, as it is to every one who 
knows anything of the business of raising thorough-bred 
stock, aud of the character of those wealthy — but tar from 
arrogant on that account— gentlemen engaged in this 
pursuit. The country generally owes a great debt to 
such men. It is they who have built up races of improved 
stock which have added millions to the income of small- 
fry fanners who have been intelligent enough to appre- 
ciate the. value of their costly and unprofitKble efforts to 
themselves, at least in a pecuniary sense. It is not they 
wdio make the money. Farmers without the control of 
large capital could not afford the lime, leisure, and ex- 
pense needed to soek out choice specimens, and to spend 
a life-time in eradicating faults aud building up and add- 
ing to points of excellence. They are really and in fact 
pubUc benefactors while seeking pleasure, in pursuing 
each his particular hobby with the greatest perseverance 
and intelligence. As to the profit to a '"small-fry farmer" 
who has $500 or $1,000 to invest iu a choice animal in 
expending this sum in improving bis stocky we need not 
enlarge. The facts speak for themselves, and they are 
plain and numerous. The dairy interest can not afford 
to permit a slur to be cast upon the efforts or character 
of the improvers of our stock. Those gentlemen do not 
need any defence ; it is, on the contrary, in the interests 
of the " small-fry farmers,* 1 the producers of onr beef, 
butter, and cheese, thai for them we point onl how unde- 
served and uncalled fora: irks. We know they 
hold no such ideas, nor sympathize with any • 
The Farmers' Declaration of Indeue - 
dence. 
The Fourth of July was largely celebrated in the V 
ern States by Farmei one, County conventi 
granges, and other bodies that join in the present . 
monopoly movement. The celebration by fnrn 
asp cially general in the State of Illinois, and al mo 
the gatherings there was r< id Dei trationofln- 
■ by tin Stati .1 ' i met -' Association. 
tcument, which is too long for 
i our column - of the Dec- 
laration. In the place of th against 
England =o forcibly put in the older instrument this con- 
tains serious charges against railroad corporations and 
corrupt legislators, aj 
'■ We, therefore, the prodnct ra of this stair in out -■ 
ral counties assembled, ou this the at oivcr < 
day that gave birth to a nation 
eminent of which, fl - . , ,, 
we are still so ju-: r f to 1 
Judge of the wor d i font >ns, do 
solemnly declare that we w I n e all lawful and pi si 
means to free ourselves fi"om the tyrant opoly,and 
that we will never cease our ■ vt ry 
department of our governni at gives token tl 
sotions extravagance is ovet of the 
purity; honesty, aud frugality, with which our fathers in- 
augurated it lias taken u- p ice 
" That to tins end we net i I i Ives abso- 
lutely free and independent ofi connec- 
tions, and that we will give our suffrage only to such 
men for office, from the lowest officer in the state to the 
president of the* United States, as we ha 1 
to believe will use their best eni motion 
of these ends ; and for the support of this declaration, 
with a firm reliance on Divine Providi ace, we mutually 
pledge ro each uther our lives, our fortunes, aud our 
sacred honor." 
Bee Notes. — Advice to Beginners. 
BY 31. QUINSY. 
It is said, and the assertion is pretty well sustained, that 
a queen bee, when everything is favorable, will deposit 
on an average 3.000 eggs ■. , ,,,.,„ 
of bees consists of some 20.000. ' 
will lay were all cared for until batched into bees we can 
easily see that every ten days will at this rate fun 
large ewarm. We can also see that every day a pro 
situated colony is without a fertile queen there must be 
a great lack in the increase. As many proportionally die 
in such a stock as in one that is maturing bees. Enough 
bees to make several swarms die off annually from any 
thrifty stock. The age of a worker bee is but a few 
weeks. 
A piece of comb an inch square will contain about fifty 
cells— worker size. A hive of only ordinary size will 
contain from 60,000 to 60,000 cells. We can all readily 
see the advantage of having an ahuudance of comb in 
suitable coudition to receive the eggs that a queen will 
deposit, and, above all, that there should constantly be 
a queen depositing eggs. In the natural procec 
Bwarmlng colonies are without a laying qii ;i a I 
teen to eighteen days. la ordinary artificial swarming 
about twenty dayB. A colony thai designs throwing off a 
swarm — to make the time -will begin 
preparations several days beforehand to provide a succes- 
sor to the queen that is to leave, and to make a sure 
thing of it usually several young queen Bare reared. When 
the first cell containing a queen is sealed over, the old 
queen and most of the i> ti -warm. In mak- 
ing an artificial swarm the old queen is taken with the 
bees, and the old stock is left destitute the same as in the 
other case. They do not usually have any queen cells 
started, and have to begin from the eggs or any young 
larvae, and it will take them some days longer to mature 
a queen. When bees, if only a hundred or two, are de- 
prived of their queen and have • ? larva?, they 
will at once commence preparations for one, aud it will 
take them from ten to sixteen days to mature it. In 
eight days after leaving the oil. when all is favon 
/he will begin to lay. But there has been a loss ol 
or three weeks in v^^ laving. Every bee-keeper wl 
disDosed to turn the industry of Ins bees to the best ac- 
count should begin to rear queens eaily that Ihej 
be ready by the time he has swarms, either natural or ar- 
tificial, thereoy gaining many bi 
I have found it most economical to rear queens in small 
boxes. Those made on the Langetroth or common mova- 
j ble comb nunciple will answer as well as any. 1 use 
i three combs nbont five inches sqnare. suspended in frames 
' that will go in a box easily. No top or bottom nailed 
