A READY RULE FOR FARMERS. 
349 
6th.—Yes, most decidedly, and better. 
7th.—65 degrees. 
8th.—Not at all important 
To make Bacon. —All right, except the direction 
to “ smoke continually in damp weather,” and that 
is all wrong. At such times the hams will be cov¬ 
ered with drops of moisture, which, if smoked in, 
will give the meat an acrid taste. In packing 
away, first put the ham in a cheap cotton bag, and 
then charcoal is better than ashes. 
New York State Ag. Show. —I have but one com¬ 
ment to make. “ The arrangements made by the 
citizens of Auburn are ample and satisfactory. 
There is room, and a hearty welcome for all .” A 
similar announcement was made last year The 
result proved that strangers, from different portions 
of our country, walked the streets of Utica in a 
cold frosty night, for want of shelter, while others 
paid the most exorbitant tavern bills {increased 100 
per cent, for the occasion ), while the fare could not 
well be worse. I hope the Auburn welcome will 
be less frosty—that is all. 
Pennock’s Grain Planter. —I have seen it work, 
and it is what it is recommended to be, except that 
it will not “ work so well on hilly and rough land, 
as smooth.” But it would work well on the west¬ 
ern prairie land; and in connection with a harvest¬ 
ing machine, which cuts, threshes, winnows, and 
bags the wheat, what an immense business could 
be done. The letter heretofore alluded to, from 
Indiana, informs me that “ Mr. Davis, of Au Sable 
Grove, near Oswego, Illinois,” had such a machine 
in. operation upon his farm this season. Will you, 
my dear Major, give us a detailed account of size, 
cost, motive power, amount of wheat harvested per 
day, and if it really works satisfactorily. Don’t 
hesitate; the request comes from an Auld Lang 
Syne friend, and the information is much needed, 
We have theory enough of such machines; we 
want the practice. 
Management of Bees. —The remarks of Mr. 
Miner upon this subject seem well calculated to do 
good. Since I saw “ Bevan on the Honey Bee” 
recommended by some correspondent of this paper, 
I have bought one, and I much like the hive de¬ 
scribed by him. As you appear to be a practical 
man, neighbor Miner, will you tell us if you have 
any objection to his hives. But if it is required by 
nature that bees should haye a hive no deeper than 
wide, How does it happen that they flourish so 
well in a hollow tree? I once saw while on a 
journey to what was known twenty years ago only 
as “ the West,” a hollow beech tree completely 
filled twenty feet, while the cavity was not over 
eight inches diameter. There was evidently no 
“ sparseness of working bees” in this natural hive. 
When “ doctors disagree” so much as they do 
about the right way to manage bees, it is very diffi¬ 
cult for us ignorant mortals to tell which is the 
right way. I fully agree with you in opinion that 
many of the patent hives are only patent novelties. 
Hives, with drawers, like those of Mr. Weeks’ pa¬ 
tent (from which yours seem to be copied), are very 
convenient when it is desired to sell the honey in 
the comb, as the drawers are of a convenient size 
for retailing. 
Ladies' Department. — Knitting .— This is a very 
pleasant and well-written article ; and if the author 
is a lady, and single withal, Solus is bound to quit 
his bachelor’s life, and go where he can get his 
stockings knit at home. If he don’t I am sure 1 
shall. I agree with (Miss, of course) E. L. that 
knitting for farmers’ boys would be far better than 
idleness; but I must say, that I do not believe she 
will live to see such a specimen of universal indus¬ 
try in America. While it is the fashion for far¬ 
mers’ girls to murder music, and daub paper with 
many colors (calling them pictures), and spin ten 
times as much street yarn as they knit stocking 
yarn, and while “ the store ” gives credit, and sells 
“ so cheap ,” she must never expect to see the boys 
patiently devoting their time to “ knitting work.” 
Boys’ Department.—Good Tools .— Most heartily 
and earnestly do I join in the appeal of “ Lert” for 
good tools for the boys. But while I see men them¬ 
selves so destitute of judgment, as to continually 
use the very poorest possible kind of tools, How can 
I hope to see the boys provided with such as they 
ought to use ? Why, Mr. Editor, I have seen men 
doing an extensive haying this very month, that 
don’t own a rake nor pitchfork (except a forked 
stick) in the world. One of my near neighbors has 
borrowed and kept all this summer, for the use of 
one of his boys, an old hoe of mine, so poor that I 
won’t use it myself. How can we ever reach such 
farmers, or effect a reform for the benefit of the 
boys, while men pursue a course towards them¬ 
selves so erroneous ? However, let us never 
despair, while we have such good tools as our good 
pens and types; but keep steadily at work, and be 
assured that if we cannot induce the present gene¬ 
ration of men to furnish good tools for their boys 
we may so enlighten the minds of the boys to the 
wrong practised towards themselves, that, when 
they become men, they will be sure to furnish their 
boys with “ Good tools ” 
And here I must close my review of the present 
month, without being able after jumping over seve¬ 
ral articles, to reach the “ Editor’s Table.” It is 
my object to write with a free pen, but not a cavil¬ 
ling or caustic one. I wish my comments to be 
useful, and to induce further communications, and 
not deter any one through fear of criticism. I am 
not a critic—a fault finder. I seek information, 
and am willing to impart what I possess, If I differ 
in opinion with those I comment upon, I pray them 
to reply in the same courteous and pleasant mood 
that I now feel towards them. 
May it be for mutual good that I should con¬ 
tinue a Reviewer. 
A Ready Rule for Farmers.— We have been 
frequently asked to explain the difference between 
the price of wheat per quarter and per barrel The 
simple rule is this. Multiply the price per quarter 
by 7, and divide by 12; the result will give the 
amount per barrel. Thus 56s. per quarter multi¬ 
plied by 7 and divided by 12, gives 325. 8d. per 
barrel.— Quebec Gazette. 
To Prevent the Ravages of the Clothes 
Moth. —You have nothing to do but to place shallow 
boxes in your drawers, with a little spirit of turpen¬ 
tine in them ; and as the turpentine evaporates and 
penetrates the cloth, the larvae will protrude, and 
be found dead on the surface. 
