miner's ornamental bee house, etc. 
55 
Massachusetts stands second only, | was passed through, between the rows, and the 
They then received a 
which they 
iu,uuu. ivictosatii uncus smuua oc^unu. umj, . t i*i-> ^u.^,^ ■.u.vugu, v^>. 
the United States, as a manufacturing state, hav- ) weeds, if any, removed. 
,000,000 invested in this department of in- light top-dressing of gy 
$109,000,000. 
in the L 
ing $52. 
dustry; while New York has $69,000,000, and 
Pennsylvania $50,000,000. 
Indian corn appears to be the great staple of the 
country ; the whole quantity for the year being set 
down at about 472,000,000 bushels, valued at 
$141,573,000. The hay crop takes the next 
place, and is estimated to be worth $128,000,000. 
Cotton stands next, being estimated at 2,400,000 
bales, worth $64,800,000. The wheat crop, this 
year, is supposed to be equal to 105,858,000 
bushels, and is valued at $63,514,000. The pro- 
ducts of the dairy, it is supposed will be worth 
$42,360,000, and the potato crop $40,600,000. 
These last estimates are undoubtedly erroneous 
in several respects. The product of New England 
is largely underrated, while that of other states is 
exaggerated. This arises from various causes, 
high prices at which corn and some other items are 
charged, excess of production, &c. The result, 
however, is in the main correct, and shows the im- 
mense value of our internal production and ex- 
changes, as compared with our foreign commerce. 
And it further shows conclusively the propriety of 
fostering these, and our home industry in prefer- 
ence to those of foreign nations wherever they 
come in conflict. 
CULTURE AND PRESERVATION OF POTATOES. 
Having the present year, notwithstanding the 
severe drought, succeeded in growing and pre- 
serving a fine and healthy crop of potatoes, I have 
decided to furnish you with an account of the cir- 
cumstances under which they were produced, and 
my opinion relative thereto, for insertion in your 
journal, should you deem it worthy of a place 
therein. 
About the first of May, I planted five acres in 
the following manner: the soil was a dry, mica- 
ceous, sandy loam, gradually rolling with a southern 
exposure ; the seed used was both white and pur- 
ple Mercers, principally large ones, cut into three 
pieces, and rolled in gypsum, and allowed to lie 
but a few hours after cutting. The field was an 
old sward, chiefly of moss and garlics ; the manure 
applied was entirely from the yards, made from the 
cow and horse stables and the styes, about twenty- 
five two-horse loads per acre, spread broadcast 
before the plow — the land having been heavily 
limed several years previous. The planting pro- 
cess commenced with the tillage, by dropping the 
pieces of the tubers (prepared as above), about one 
foot apart in the bottom of every other furrow, 
which was five inches in depth and ten inches 
wide, strewing them with ashes and fine charcoal 
(from a locomotive, in which pine wood was con- 
sumed), about twenty bushels per acre. The 
plowing was performed in the usual manner, in 
lands of twenty-five yards each. 
Immediately after planting, the ground was 
thoroughly rolled. After it had lain a few days, it 
received repeated harrowings, lengthwise of the 
furrows, in the warm part of the day, which was 
continued until the tops were three inches in height, 
after which they remained without tillage until they 
were some eight inches high, when the cultivator 
psum, after 
remained untouched until fit to harvest, which was 
done as soon as the skins of the new tubers were 
firmly set, but before all the tops were entirely 
dead. We began to dig about the first of Septem- 
ber, before the autumnal rains commenced. They 
were placed in a cool, dark cellar, and spread on 
the ground floor about eighteen inches thick, where 
they remained for two months, when they were 
assorted and placed in bins about four feet deep, 
there to remain until marketed in the spring. 
They have so far kept perfectly, there being no 
visible traces of disease in the entire crop. 
The yield was about 250 bushels per acre, which 
was a much greater product than I anticipated on 
account of the excessive drought. The whole 
expense of the tillage of this crop did not exceed 
4 cents per bushel, independent of the planting and 
harvesting, which cost not less than 10 cents per 
bushel, making the aggregate cost of producing the 
five acres (including the seed, 80 bushels at 80 cts. 
per bushel), $239. Potatoes of the quality of 
mine are now worth 80 cts. per bushel in Philadel- 
phia market, which would make the net value of 
the crop $761. Truly, this is not so lucrative as 
some of the miners of California have represented 
the raising of gold to be ; nevertheless, I think 
the Mercers, well roasted, set quite as well upon an 
empty stomach as gold ore, and judging from the 
effect produced upon the morals and customs of 
the nations in which the precious metals are found 
most abundant, I much prefer being classed with 
the cultivators than the miners. 
John Wilkinson. 
Mount Airy Agricultural Institute, 
Dec. 27th, 1848. 
MINER'S ORNAMENTAL BEE HOUSE. 
The engraving hereunto annexed represents an 
ornamental bee house, executed from an original 
design, expressly for my new work, entitled 
" Miner's American Bee Keeper's Manual," now in 
press, and shortly to be published by C. M. Saxton. 
This cut represents something entirely new, in 
bee culture ; nothing of the kind ever having ap- 
peared before, to the best of my knowledge. That 
such a bee house would be a beautiful ornament to 
a gentlemen's grounds, or flower gardens, there can 
be no doubt ; and when we take into consideration 
the great profit derived from the labors of the bee, 
it must be admitted by every person familiar with 
the true management of them, that money cannot 
be spent for any ornamental, nor other use, from 
which a greater harvest would be reaped. It is true, 
that, from the careless management of most bee 
keepers, many persons do not meet with the suc- 
cess that has been anticipated ; but, where is the 
business, that yields a revenue, that takes care of 
itself "? The bee will often produce a rich harvest, 
without any care on the part of the owner ; but that 
such a result, should generally be the case, is more 
than we ought to expect. 
I have said, and do still contend, that every 
prime family of bees, is one hundred dollars at in- 
terest ; that is, equivalent thereto! It is but a 
small affair, to make bees, taking one family with 
