AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.-VALUE OP HEN-MANURE.-HEAVY FLEECES. 
289 
having the bees remove to the lower box, the top 
of which is now closed, what certainty have we of 
the safety of the queen ? In general, the queen 
would be in the old hive, or at least she might be 
there on its removal; and as the queen never goes 
out of the hive but once, and then for a purpose 
connected with her own fertility, how is she to be 
transferred to the new habitation ? She would not 
do it voluntarily, as other bees that daily sally forth, 
and if the new habitation contain no larvae from 
which the workers may produce a new sovereign, 
as before described by me, their ruin is certain. 
The result of such a state of things would be appa¬ 
rent on the following spring. The bees would have 
dwindled away greatly in numbers, and no activity 
would be manifested in sallying out for pollen, as 
in cases where the bees are prosperous. 
There is a new hive going round the country called 
the “ subtended” hive, I think, which has for its 
main principle, the transferring of bees to new habi¬ 
tations, by a change of drawers ; there being three 
drawers, and every third year, the bees are forced 
into a new domicil. This is precisely the same 
principle upon which Mr. Allen acts with his two 
boxes, and it will sooner or later “ blow up bees, 
hives, honey, and all.” 
Admitting that the aforesaid plan works well, and 
that the bees suffer no detriment from the change, 
it is not the most 'profitable course to pursue in the 
end, as I shall endeavor to show. 
T. B. Miner. 
Ravenswood, L. I., Sept., 1847. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 
It would be astonishing beyond measure if we 
could ascertain with certainty, the amount of loss 
annually sustained by our farmers in consequence 
of using worthless or worn-out implements. “ I 
can make out with this,” costs many a farmer a 
large portion of his labor. Any one can save a 
dollar whenever it is earned, but the important ques¬ 
tion always is, does it cost more or less than a dollar 
to do it ? In many instances it costs three, five, or 
ten. I know a plantation in my neighborhood, 
which lost last year, in that single season, in my 
opinion, from §1500 to $2000 by attempting to 
cultivate with old worthless tools. To counter¬ 
balance this loss, they saved possibly $100. I have 
frequently seen a man at w r ork with a hoe, when, 
if he had been supplied with a good one, he would 
have paid for it in the extra labor of a single day. 
On this subject there are two rules necessary to 
be laid down and acted upon. First, make it a 
matter of principle always to exercise the best 
judgment and acquire the best information in the 
selection of the most approved kinds of implements 
for each kind of work. Secondly, never suffer a 
tool much worn, or out of repair, to be used. Lay 
it aside for repair, or what, in many cases, is still 
better, throw it away as soon as possible. 
How important is a good plow! I should think 
a man, with two horses and a good plow, would do 
as much work in a day as is frequently done in 
this part of the country in a day and a half with the 
implements often used, chiefly made in the western 
country. Not only do poor plows do but little 
work, but they do it very badly. They never 
plow deep enough, and hence the complaint 
of “ dry weather.” The weather would not be so 
very dry if the ground had been plowed deep in the 
spring, instead of being scratched. 
In this part of the country, most of our agricul¬ 
ture being the cultivation of cotton and corn, we 
have a good deal of plowing between the rows. 
Here we use the turning plow a great deal too 
much and too late in the season. Once plowing 
between the rows of corn or cotton is enough, if 
you give the rows a sufficiency of light work, with 
the cultivator or sweep, afterwards. But never de¬ 
cide against them because they “ don’t clean the 
land or work well.” The reason is they are not 
made right, and want throwing away. A good 
sweep or cultivator does the handsomest and most 
complete work imaginable, leaving the ground in 
neat order without tearing up the roots of the corn or 
cotton, and will go over the ground two and a half 
times as fast as a turning plow. R. Abbey. 
Near Yazoo City, Miss ., July loth, 1847. 
VALUE OP HEN-MANURE. 
The complaint of the fly on turnips and of bugs 
on cucumber and other similar vines is one of yearly, 
and sometimes, of longer occurrence. The mischief 
done by these little pests, is very provoking, and 
frequently results in losses of labor and good crops, 
which are very discouraging to cultivators. I have 
lately been informed by an intelligent and skilful 
cultivator, that the following preparation affords an 
ample and complete remedy. Take hen-manure 
one part, reduce it as well as you can to powder; 
then with an equal part of plaster of Paris [or 
guano] incorporate well together, and sprinkle the 
mixture over the vines or sow them over the drills 
of your turnips. 
Hen-manure is free from the seeds of foul weeds, 
and in consequence of the great abundance of am¬ 
monia it contains, it possesses a great effect in push¬ 
ing plants forward. Hence, for tomatoes, peppers, 
and similar plants, in our northern climate, it 
possesses high value. It is well worth being 
saved with care by farmers and gardeners for every 
purpose of cultivation. Care must be used, how¬ 
ever, in its application, for if given in too large 
quantities and placed in too close proximity to the 
roots of the plant, its effects are fatal. Its value 
for all purposes is greatly increased, by being mixed 
with charcoal, or when this is not at hand with 
plaster. Every man who keeps hens, should 
have his hen-house so constructed as to save all the 
manure, and save it dry as may be, and he will find 
it no inconsiderable item in his matters of rural 
economy. W. Bacon. 
Mount Osceola , June 14th, 1847. 
Heavy Fleeces. —Mr. A. L. Bingham, of Corn¬ 
wall, Vermont, writes us that his flock of 390 
Merino sheep averaged the present year’s shearing, 
a fraction over 5 lbs. 7 oz. each, per head, of clean- 
washed, well-tagged wool. Few buck-fleeces were 
among these to swell the average. Mr. B. has re¬ 
cently increased his flock to 500 ewes, and having 
procured for a fresh cross, a superb Merino buck, 
from the late importation of Mr. Taintor, of Hart¬ 
ford, Ch, he will be able doubtless, another year, to 
show a lot of lambs which will do him great credit 
as a breeder. 
