130 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
a large bag, as “ Set A.” The price of “ Set A” is $7. The 
small bags will be packed together in large bags or boxes 
for shipping. To last month’s list of extras, we have 
added Kainit, III6, and rectified Peruvian Guano, brand 
“ Oneco,” and thus include samples of all the more im¬ 
portant kind of artificial fertilizers in the markets. The 
“Oneco” brand of guano differs in having a third as 
much nitrogen, and a good deal more phosphoric acid 
and potash, than the “ Standard.” No. IVa is a high- 
grade “ammoniated superphosphate.” The pamphlet, 
with explanations and directions, which will accompany 
each lot sent, is prepared especially to tell what the 
fariners^ought to know about the fertilizers and the ex¬ 
periments, and will doscribe at length the experience 
of farmers last season with similar ones. Blanks will 
also be sent for recording and reporting results. 
Bee Notes for April. 
BT L. C. ROOT, MOHAWK, N. T. 
In many locations bees, which have been wintered in¬ 
doors, should be placed upon their summer stands this 
month. I can not too strongly warn persons against 
the common practice of removing bees from their winter 
quarters too early in our northern latitude. Unless the 
spring is unusually early, do not set them out until the 
first of May. The blossoming of the Soft Maple tree is 
a good indication of the proper time for each locality. 
I am strongly opposed to the practice, so often advo¬ 
cated, of setting bees upon their summer stands before 
natural forage appears, and feeding to stimulate breeding, 
before the weather is sufficiently warm. Until this prac¬ 
tice is discontinued, we shall be sure to suffer by what is 
known as “spring dwindling.” 
Many swarms of bees are placed upon their summer 
stands on April 1st, in fine condition, and before May 1st 
become so much reduced, that many of them never re¬ 
cover. When bees are taken out of the cellar, all ventila¬ 
tion should be closed, except at the entrance, and that 
should be contracted. Too much pains can not be taken 
to economize the heat. All openings in the top of the 
hives should be kept well closed. If movable comb hives 
are used, all combs, except those occupied by bees, should 
be removed, and a close-fitting division board be placed 
at the side of the combs left in the hive, thus contracting 
the space in the brood chamber in proportion to the size 
of the swarm. These directions apply also to hives that 
have been wintered out-of-doors. 
Tlie Parasites of the Honey Bee, 
I have investigated this subject for two years past, and 
during the past winter have given it special attention. 
While examining the dust which is found upon the bot¬ 
tom-hoard under a swarm when wintering well, I dis¬ 
covered numerous minute insects. Ihave sofarobserved 
six different forms, but have not become sufficiently 
acquainted with them to determine whether or not they 
are all distinct. I have studied their habits, and the cir¬ 
cumstances under which they are found, to such an ex¬ 
tent, that I feel warranted in the belief that much of the 
uneasiness of bees in winter-quarters, and consequent 
poor success in wintering, is largely due to the presence 
of these parasites. My observations also indicate that 
the immature young bees which are often thrown from 
the hives during spring and summer, sometimes in large 
numbers, have been destroyed by these insects. These 
facts lead ns very naturally to an explanation of what has 
been the greatest mystery and obstacle to bee keeping, 
viz., foul brood. I am decidedly of the opinion that both 
this plague, and its almost total eradication, are due to 
the operations of different varieties of parasites. Our ex¬ 
perience with cabbage and currant worms, potato beetles, 
and other pests, whose devastations are sensibly checked 
by their respective parasites, corroborates this view. I 
find, upon a study of Packard upon “Our Common In¬ 
sects," that the subject of parasites on honey bees has 
received considerable attention abroad, and that the cause 
of foul brood is therein attributed to the feeding of 
these parasitic insects upon the immature bees. 
Weight of Swarms. 
The amount of honey consumed during February, by 
the four swarms mentioned in previous months, is as 
follows :—No. 1, 1J4 lbs. ; No. 2, lbs.; No. 3, 3)£ lbs.; 
No. 4, (the swarm kept, out doors), 4M lbs. 
Questions and Answers. 
Introducing Queens. — “When shall T introduce 
Italian queens into black stocks? ”_The best time is 
when swarms are being increased. Make swarms artifi¬ 
cially, and introduce the queens to such swarms. If the 
entire apiary is to be Italianized, the queens in tho old 
swarms should be changed later in the season. 
Leaving Swarms Queenless. —“ Is leaving the swarm 
qneenless 7 days in June, compensated for by the Italians 
working on red clover?” ...No. It is injudicious to de¬ 
prive a swarm of a queen for this length of time at that 
season. With practice, queens may be introduced at any 
time during the working season, without depriving the 
swarm of a queen, except for a short time. When all 
circumstances are favorable, one queen may be removed 
and another replaced at the same time. 
Adding Combs for Brood Rearing.— I would add 
combs to the center of the brood nest, and allow bees free 
access to them, and not cover any part, as suggested. 
Feeding Sugar.— “ Is not brown sugar cheaper than 
‘ coffee A,’ for wax making and brood rearing?” ...If 
pure, I prefer coffee A. 
Science Applied to Farming.—XL. 
Plans for Farm Experiments with Fer¬ 
tilizers. 
“These experiments, it is true, are not easy; still they 
are within the power of every thinking husbandman. 
He who accomplishes but one, of however limited ap¬ 
plication, and takes care to report it faithfully, advances 
the science, and, consequently, the practice of agricul¬ 
ture, and acquires thereby a right to the gratitude of his 
fellows, and of those who come after. To make many 
such is beyond the power of most individuals, and can¬ 
not, therefore, be expected. The first care of all soci¬ 
eties formed for the improvement of our science, should 
be to prepare the forms of such experiments, and to dis¬ 
tribute the execution of these among their members. — 
Albrecht Thaer, Principles of Rational Agriculture." 
I give herewith the promised plans for experi¬ 
ments, dividing them, for convenience, in three 
classes, some extremely simple, inexpensive, and 
easy ; others more complicated and costly, but all 
useful.* 
1 .—Experiments Especially for Testing 
Soils. 
Suppose a farmer wishes to ask his soil: “ What 
fertilizing materials do you most need in order to bring 
me crops ? ” Or, to state it more fully : “Of the ingre¬ 
dients of plant-food which my crops must have, what 
ones can you furnish from your own stores, and what 
ones must I give you to make up the deficiencies in your 
supply ?"—For this, 1 suggest an experiment, in 
which the three ingredients of plant-food most 
important from the agricultural point of view, viz.: 
Phosphoric acid, Nitrogen, and Potash will be used, 
each by itself ; two by two, and all three together. 
SET A. 
Bag Valuable 
No. Kind. Amount. Ingredients. 
I. Nitrate of Soda....20 lbs. Nitrogen. 
II. Dissolved Bone-Black.... ..30 “ Phos. Acid. 
III. Muriate of Potash.20 “ Potash. 
J Nitrate of Soda...15 1 “ (Nitrogen. 
AV- j Dissolved Bone-Black.. ....30 j “ j Phos. Acid. 
-, r ( Dissolved Bone-Black.30 ( “ j Phos. Acid. 
v ') Muriate of Potash. 20) “ (Potash. 
1 Nitrate of Soda. ....15) “ (Nitrogen. 
VI. •< Dissolved Bone-Black.30 y “ < Phos. Acid. 
( Muriate of Potash.. 20 ) “ ( Potash. 
VII. Piaster. 20 “ - 
That is to say, on one plot a complete fertilizer 
would be used, contained in bag No. VI. ; on an¬ 
other, the same, without nitrogen (bag V.); from a 
third, potash would be omitted; while on others, 
the ingredients would be applied each by itself. 
Nitrate of soda is chosen as the best single mate¬ 
rial, except, possibly, sulphate of ammonia which 
could he used also, to test the specific effect of 
nitrogen ; and because nitrate of soda, like sul¬ 
phate of ammonia, is a thing that our farmers 
ought to become better acquainted with. For 
phosphoric acid (soluble), dissolved bone-black, 
and for potash, the muriate ” is selected, as these 
are among the cheapest and best forms in which 
the respective ingredients can be bought. 
The seven bags of Set A, for one-tenth of an 
acre each, will, with one other fertilizer, and two 
unmanured plots, suffice for an acre. For the other 
fertilizer, I would suggest yard-manure, unless 
“ Extra” No. XIII., nitrogen and potash, with no 
phosphoric acid, can be bought. This would have 
been put in Set A hut for the cost. Set A, with 
No. XIII., makes the same series as is recommended 
by Wolff “ as a test, both of the needs of the soil, 
and of the hight to which the yield at harvest can 
be raised, under existing conditions.” He says : 
“ It is of the greatest importance to the farmer to find 
out which of the more important ingredients of plant- 
food his soil, in its actual condition, fails to supply in 
[* See page 129, for list of fertilizers, cost, etc. Detail¬ 
ed explanations of points farmers will want to know 
about, with directions for making the experiments, will 
accompany each lot sent out.—E d.] 
sufficient quantity for the production of the largest pos¬ 
sible crops, and which, when directly added, would 
therefore exercise an especially favorable and profitable 
influence.—This can be done, practically, only by prop¬ 
erly conducted fertilizing experiments.The trials 
should be made on land which is exhausted, in the agri¬ 
cultural sense of the word, and would, in ordinary prac¬ 
tice, have been again dressed with stable-manure.” 
In addition to the regular set, it would be well 
to try several “ extras,” particularly Peruvian 
guano and fish, and with them, other fertilizing 
materials. The value of Mr. Bartholemew’s ex¬ 
periment, described in February, was very much 
increased by the trials with ashes, leached and dry, 
and the manures produced on the farm. 
The “ Natural Strength ” of tlie Soil to 
be Tested. 
The soil is not like a cistern, which we may 
pump dry, and must then fill up again before it can 
be of use. It is rather like a pond, which may be 
drained very low, but whose supply is being con¬ 
tinually renewed. This continual re-supply of 
plant-food is the most important feature of its 
“ natural strength.” The natural strength of most 
of our soils suffices only for very small crops. The 
crop can not rise above the level of the lowest in¬ 
gredient in the food supply. The proper use of 
commercial fertilizers, like guano, phosphates, pot¬ 
ash, salts, and the like, is to fill up the gaps. In 
a soil that has a store of available plant-food, ac¬ 
cumulated by natural processes, or left over from 
previous manuring, the specific effect of the ex¬ 
perimental fertilizers will not be so clearly marked, 
and we shall not be able to tell so well what we 
may expect from it. 
2.—Experiments to Test Especially the 
Action of Fertilizers. 
Some may wish an answer to such a question as 
this: “ Of the different fertilizers to be had in the 
markets, what ones, if any, can I use to advantage, 
and which will be most profitable ? " For this pur¬ 
pose, Set A entire, or Nos. 1., II., HI., and VII., 
separately, any of the extras, and other articles 
can be used. But where calculations in dollars 
and cents are wanted, the utmost care should be 
taken to make the experiments accurate. 
I wish to call especial attention to nitrate of 
soda, Peruvian guano, fish, bone, and potash salts. 
Nitrate of soda furnishes nitrogen, about 16 per 
cent, in form ready for immediate use by the 
plant. It is excellent for a top-dressing for grasa 
and grain, especially in spring to bring up back¬ 
ward winter wheat, or encourage the growth of 
grass on pastures, meadows, and lawns. It is used 
In immense quantities in Europe. A gentleman 
whom I happen to know as one of the best farmers 
in Germany, says that he considers it “ a sin to 
try to grow oats without nitrate of soda.” Sul¬ 
phate of ammonia is similar in action to nitrate of 
soda, and less exposed to loss by leaching out of the 
soil, but, on the whole, I think no better, if as 
good, in its practical effects. 
Peruvian guanos, as now sold, taking into account 
composition, quality, and price, are the cheapest 
class of fertilizers in the market. There are differ¬ 
ent grades, furnishing nitrogen, phosphoric acid, 
and potash, in varying proportions, and adapted to 
the varying wants of different soils and crops. Fish 
rivals guano in cheapness of nitrogen and phos¬ 
phoric acid, and, when rightly prepared, is often 
preferable to anything else. I hope that numbers 
of experimenters will try Peruvian guano and fish. 
Fertilizers for Special Crops. 
Hundreds of farmers near cities and villages, 
grow potatoes, onions, and other vegetables, for 
market. Very often the addition of some special 
fertiliser, like potash salts, to the other manures 
used, will increase the crops wonderfully. A gen¬ 
tleman recently told me of a case in point from his 
own experience. A near neighbor and himself were 
raising onions last season on similar soil. Each 
one of them treated his crops in the same way, ex¬ 
cept that he used sulphate of potash, his neighbor 
did not, and he got several hundred bushels more 
of onions on the same area. A few dollars in¬ 
vested in the potash salts, increased the market 
value of his onion crop by $200 or $300. Cases like 
