92 
EXPERIMENTS WITH CORN.-STINGLESS BEES. 
EXPERIMENTS WITH CORN. 
I promised last summer to furnish you the re¬ 
sults of some experiments in which I was then en¬ 
gaged with different manures on corn. The 
excessive drouth of the season undoubtedly affected 
the results materially. Yet, as we have small 
reason to suppose the past to be the last dry sea¬ 
son, they may be as valuable as though the eco¬ 
nomic result had been more favorable. It is not 
any single result, but the average of many that 
must be our guide. The experiments were all con¬ 
ducted under my own eye, and with all possible 
care and exactness. The ground covered by the 
different manures, varied from one-tenth to three- 
fourths of an acre, and was of an uncommonly uni¬ 
form character. The different manures were ap¬ 
plied side by side, in strips through the whole 
length of the field. I have reduced the whole to 
No. 1 . 1 acre, no manure.. 
acreable results, in bushels of 56 lbs.; the grain 
was shelled in January. The loss in weight on the 
sample measures, from the last of October, when 
husked, to the first of January, when it was shelled, 
was 22 1-2 per cent., on the gross weight, being in 
accordance with the results of previous experi¬ 
ments. I should state that experiment No. 1 
(covering 3-20 of an acre) included the outside row 
on the north side. 
Field No. 1 , soil a free loam, in places gravelly; 
subsoil sand and gravel. In 1841, in corn ; 5 cords 
half-rotted stable manure plowed under; seeded to 
rass in spring of 1842 on winter grain. Top- 
ressed with 25 bushels ashes per acre; again in 
’44, with 3 cords of compost. Average yield of 
hay 1 ton per acre. April, 1845, sod inverted 8 to 
10 inches deep; rolled and harrowed. May 12 th, 
planted with white flint corn, 4 by 3 feet apart. 
.. 25 50-56 bushels. 
5. 
TOP-DRESSED AT FIRST HOEING. 
bush, soot, 2 1-2 do. plaster. Cost $1,25. 
“ unleached ashes. “ 2 , 00 . 
“ hen manure, a 12 1-2 cts. per bush. “ 2 , 00 . 
“ Poudrette (Minor’s), a 50 cts. per. bush. “ 7,50. 
Gain 43 lbs. 
“ 49 “ 
• “ 332 “ 
“ 353 “ 
“ 363 “ 
26 37-56 
26 43-56 
31 46-56 
32 11-56 
32 21-56 
200 lbs. Peruvian Guano, a 2 3-4 cts. per lb. “ 5,50. 
The hen manure was scraped up from the floor (of earth) of the hen-house from time 
to time, and contained considerable sand, &c.. 4 3-12 f ' 
Same field adjoining the above on south side, sod inverted, rolled, harrowed, and 8 cords of half-rotted stable 
manure harrowed in, planted as before. 
No. 7. 1 acre. Stable manure alone. 42 10-56 bushels. 
“ 8. 1 “ “ “ and 15 bush, unleached ashes. Cost $ 2 , 00 . Gain 80 lbs. 43 34-56 “ 
“ 9. 1 “ “ “ “ 15 “ hen manure. “ 2,00. “ 373 “ 48 37-56 “ 
“ 10. 1 “ “ “ “ 20 “ Poudrette. “ 7,50. “ 494 “ 50 46-56 44 
“ 11 . 1 “ “ “ “ 220 lbs. Guano (Peruvian). “ 0,50. “ 534 “ 51 30-54 “ 
Your readers can draw their own inferences as seemed intent on clearing their house. A hole in the 
side of the log, about three-quarters of an inch in 
diameter, answers the purpose of the entrance as a 
common hive. They are not so large as the com¬ 
mon honey bee ; but they have a neat aspect for an 
insect. As they are such harmless little creatures, 
it would please me very much to get a swarm of 
them. But I fear the number is so reduced, that it 
will require an apiary-man of more skill than I 
possess, to take the best care and make the most of 
them. I wash such a person would present him¬ 
self, and take the colony under his protection. 
Something novel and curious at any rate—-perhaps 
something useful might arise from it? An entomo¬ 
logical description is desirable, but this must be 
postponed, on account of its nicety and difficulty, 
until a future day.” 
If Mr. Mitchell made an entomological examina¬ 
tion of this interesting little insect, I never had the 
good fortune of seeing it published; indeed, since 
the publication of the above, I have not seen the 
little Colony in any way noticed. Dr. Mitchell 
died in September, 1831, and I should think it 
almost certain that he left an entomological descrip¬ 
tion of the insect. The probability is that this little 
colony, by being so much reduced, or by the severity 
of our climate, did not survive through the ensuing 
winter. 
Will not some of our enterprising ship-owners 
in the Mexican trade, cause to be sent to this coun¬ 
try a few hives of these stingless bees, as there 
is much more attention paid and interest felt for bees 
in the United States now, than was in 1830 ? I 
have no doubt they can be placed under the care ol 
to the economy of the different applications. The 
stable manure costs, spread in the field, $3,00 per 
cord. The concentrated manures are charged, like¬ 
wise, at their cost in the field. L. 
Rahway , New Jersey, January, 12 , 1846. 
STINGLESS BEES. 
I lately noticed among the exports of Cam- 
peachy, wax, the produce of wild stingless bees; 
this reminded me of a notice I had once seen of a 
hive of stingless bees sent to Dr. Mitchell. The 
following is the notice alluded to, being an extract 
of a letter published in the New York Evening 
Post in 1830, from Henry Perrine, Esq., U. S. Con¬ 
sul, dated San Juan, Baptista de Tabasco, Mexico, 
July 20th, 1830, to Samuel E. Mitchell. 
44 I send you by Capt. Powers, of the schooner 
Washington, a hive of stingless bees; which you 
may dispose of as you think proper.” Dr. Mitchell 
then says : 44 The bees have arrived in a lively con¬ 
dition, and though they were received only yester¬ 
day (Sept. 1st), are now making their excursions to 
and from their habitation with great vivacity. 
Their dwelling place is a hollow log, part of a 
natural excavated tree, in which these little crea¬ 
tures delight to live. The little swarm, after hav¬ 
ing been released from its imprisonment, came 
forth, and the members visited the flowers of the 
contiguous garden. It was observed as a proof of 
their economy, that after being immured during the 
voyage, the notable insects came forth loaded with 
the remains of their deceased associates, or with 
some excrementitious or foul matter. They thus 
