18G1.] 
AMERICAN AG-RTOL7ETTTRTST 
165 
each were separate. Together, they may store a 
little more surplus honey, but one of the colonies 
is lost, as such stock next Spring is of no more 
value than a single swarm. When two or more 
swarms issue at one time in the same yard, they 
may join. If one has clustered, the next, when fly¬ 
ing near, will often settle with it. If a swarm is 
being hived, another seeing it, is almost certain 
to go in also. These things can often he prevented. 
When one swarm has commenced flying, and there 
are indications that another will start before the 
first is hived, sprinkle the last thoroughly with 
cold water, before any leave, to keep them back. If 
the first has clustered, oris in process of being hived, 
cover with a sheet to keep out of sight. If two 
large swarms do actually cluster together, divide as 
nearly equal as possible, in hiving, and set the hives 
20 feet apart as soon as the bees are in. If each has 
a queen, they will remain quiet, if not, they will 
gather into one hive, a few going at a time, when 
the operation of dividing must be repeated. 
Should it be decided to leave them together, it is 
not desirable to get a larger hive in consequence, 
but give additional room by putting on the surplus 
Doxes immediately, and if still more room is need¬ 
ed to accommodate the bees, an empty hive, invert¬ 
ed under the first, will be sufficient for a few days, 
until they get established. This last must not re¬ 
main until the combs are extended down into it. 
Very large swarms have no more bees at the end of 
a few months, than colonies of the proper size. 
Remove all swarms to the stand as soon as the 
bees are in, and shade for a few days, raising one 
side of the hive half an inch... .Boxes may be put 
on all very large swarms immediately on being 
hived. On others it is unnecessary until the hive is 
nearly full. Do not let any time be wasted by the 
bees remaining idle outside, for want of room to 
store honey in a season of plenty. The surplus 
honey is the leading object in bee-keeping; by neg¬ 
lecting this for a few days in the proper time, all 
the profits of the season may be lost. The loss is 
not only what would be collected during the time 
of the neglect, but what they might subsequently 
store, if they only had a beginning. The bees of 
old stocks will rapidly enter the boxes, as soon as 
they are crowded in the hive. The first swarm is 
not delayed by additional room, as long as they are 
crowded. 
After-swarms are not affected at all by adding any 
amount of room. After-swarms usually issue from 
the 8th to the 13th day after the first. They need 
not be looked for later than the 18th... .It is said 
that the swarming season is the best in which to in¬ 
troduce the Italian queen to the native bees—that 
less trouble and risk will be incurred than at any 
other time. Remove the queen that issues with the 
swarm, which should be the first from the stock. 
She may sometimes be returned to the old hive 
with advantage. Confine the swarm a few hours, 
until they fully realize their loss, when the Italian 
substitute may be introduced. I have introduced 
only one in this way, but succeeded without difficul¬ 
ty. Bees confined in hot weather, should be se¬ 
cured with a thin cloth, and kept in a cool place.... 
Put up a box near the hive for the wren to nest in; 
he will destroy a multitude of the moth worms. 
---»=o<—---- 
Massachusetts Agr. Reports.— The Annual 
Report for 1860, of the Mass. Board of Agriculture, pre¬ 
pared by their accomplished and indefatigable Secretary, 
Chas. L. Flint, was placed upon our table, May 1st, and 
6000 copies were distributed through the members of the 
Legislature to their constituents, a month earlier. This is 
the first State Annual Agr. Report for 1860, which has yet 
appeared, and the promptness is worthy of imitation else¬ 
where. It is a carefully prepared work of 564 pages, and 
eontains much information of practical utility. The 86 
pages devoted to the “ Cattle disease ” will be matter of 
very general interest, as it gives the whole history of the 
disease, its treatment, etc. Lengthy and valuable re¬ 
ports on Sheep, and Horses, are given. Shorter Reports 
on Mules, on Flowage of Lands, complete the first half 
of the volume. The second half is devoted to reports 
from the several County and Town Societies of the State 
etatistios, etc. The whole work is a valuable contribu¬ 
tion to o ir Agricultural Literature. 
Into which are thrown various useful or interesting 
Items, Replies to Questions, Extracts from Letters, Glean¬ 
ings from other Journals, etc. 
Read First the article on page 167, then look through 
the Calendar, and see if there is not something more you 
plant or sow at once. 
The Special Premiums offered by the Publisher, 
on pages 192, close this month. Look at them again. 
Note also the special Seed premiums on page 188, and the 
business items on page 189. The Standing premiums are 
yet continued, for which see page 186. 
Illr. Risliop's Premium Rouse Plan. 
To several inquirers. This premium offered in our Dec. 
No., was awarded by the committee to Albert C. Nash, 
Milwaukee, Wis. We expect to publish the plan, but 
have preferred to wait until the structure is so far com¬ 
pleted, that any modifications or improvements introduc¬ 
ed during the erection, may be shown with the engraving. 
Letters for “John §mitli.’>— A correspondent 
writes: “ We had a good laugh at two of your subscrib¬ 
ers last week. They had complained because their seeds 
were not forthcoming, as they sent the seed envelopes 
all right, they said, some two months ago ; but last week 
they were returned, and it came out that they had been 
sent to “ John Smith, Albia, Monroe Co., Iowa ” ! ! ! the 
address being copied from your sample seed envelope. 
Strange to say, John refused to send the seeds. Please 
notify him that his chance in these parts at next election 
will be slim, in consequence of his rash act.”—A careful 
reading of the printed directions for sending for seeds, 
would have saved several subscribers some trouble. The 
sample seed envelope was intended only to show parties 
where to write their own name and address, on the en¬ 
velopes sent for seed. We are under obligations to the 
Postmaster at Albia, Iowa, for having kindly forwarded a 
number of such misdirected letters. 
Tlie N. T. State Fair for 1861 is to be held at 
Watertown, Jefferson Co., Sept. 17th to 20th, inclusive. 
Premium lists can be obtained of the Secretary, B. P. 
Johnson, Albany, N. Y. 
Cotton in XItali Territory.— Thomas Bullock, 
of Great Salt Lake City, sends a good sample of cotton, 
and writes: “ Last Spring I received through the ‘ Agri¬ 
culturist Seed Distribution,’ a parcel containing 34 seeds 
of Sea Island Cotton, and 33 of the Petty Gulf variety. 
They were placed in charge of Hon. Wm. Crosby, at 
Santa Clara, in the south part of the Territory. The Sea 
Island did not succeed, but the Petty Gulf produced ex¬ 
ceedingly well, and proves to be far superior to any othet\ 
variety raised in the county. From these 33 seeds, about 
8 lbs. of seed were produced, or enough to plant an acre, 
and worth at least $35 here, this year. Mr. Crosby raised 
cotton for 35 years in Mississippi, and he pronounces the/ 
result with this seed very satisfactory. He feels confi¬ 
dent that there is good cotton land enough in that single 
county to raise a supply for the whole Territory. The 
cotton region is limited to narrow strips of land that can 
be irrigated, along the Rio Virgin and Santa Clara rivers ; 
the general features of the country are barren deserts and 
mountains, unfitted for any kind of cultivation. About 
50,000 lbs of cotton were raised in Utah Territory last sea¬ 
son, but lack of sufficient machinery as yet prevents the 
manufacture of all that can be grown in the Territory.” 
Oats on a Wheat Mead. —Francis Schreiner, 
Moss Grove, Pa., sends us a slip from the June (1854) 
Penn. Farm Journal, (which "■•as merged into the A m- 
erican Agriculturist in 1857,) in which he gave an account 
of a head of Spring wheat, upon which were four large 
plump oat grains, growing among the wheat kernels. The 
head was kept in a bottle for a number of years, and was 
examined by many persons, so that there could be no 
mistake about the facts. The only way we can account 
for the circumstance, is, that as the wheat grew along¬ 
side, or in contact with the oats, parts of two heads may 
have grown together, after the manner of inarching, or 
grafting by approach, just as we sometimes see two differ¬ 
ent trees in a forest partly united. Mr. S. does not, how¬ 
ever, advocate the idea that wheat will turn into either 
oats or chess. His motto is: “put clean seed on a clean 
soil, and a clean crop may be looked for.” We see also 
by the printed document before us, that Mr. S. is ahead of 
us ; for so long ago as 1854 he offered his farm to a trans- 
mutationist neighbor, if he would change a patch of wheat 
into chess. 
For Corn Pulling Rirds.— Kernels of corn 
strung on horse hair six or eight inches long, are very 
annoying to crows and blackbirds, and they generally quit 
the premises, after devouring one or tv»o kernels thus pre¬ 
pared. White strings or cotton twine, stretched around 
the field on stakes, are suggestive of traps and snares, and 
are among the cheapest and most effective scare-crows. 
Smearing corn with tar, and rolling it in lime, not only 
renders it unpalatable to birds, but promotes its growth, 
and is at least a partial preventive against smut. A litile 
corn, soaked in a solution of strychnine and water, and 
scattered around the field, is generally fatal to birds, 
ground squirrels, gophers, and vermin. As much strych¬ 
nine, as will lie on a dime, is enough for a quart of water, 
which will soak two quarts of corn, or more. Grea-t care 
should be used in handling strychnine, as it is a powerful 
poison. Common arsenic will answer, though it is mucli 
less effective than strychnine. 
Young Corn Stalks for Milch Cows. —Geo. 
S. J. Oliver, Hamilton Co., writes that a neighbor who 
fed green corn stalks abundantly last season, found that 
the cows decreased in milk. This is the only instance of th.: 
kind we remember to have heard. It is not improbable 
however, that when corn is sown thickly broadcast, the 
stalks may be too small and watery for substantial milk- 
producing food. We believe it is preferable to plant the 
com in drills, and let the stalks get well grown before 
feeding. Planted this month, (June,) the stalks would ac¬ 
quire considerable size and consistence by the last of Au¬ 
gust, when most needed for feeding. 
Cheap Corn Planter. —C. B. Osborn, Fountain 
Co., Ind., uses a corn planter made as follows : A light 
frame, similar to the beam and handle of a plow, are 
mortised together, with the upright piece extending only 
to the beam. The beam extends about four inches back 
of the upright, and a large hoe is attached to it. It is 
drawn by a horse, the hoe being lifted at each hill to cover 
the corn. It can not well be used on stony ground. 
Selecting Seed Corn.— Our practice is, to select 
only from stalks having two or more ears, and to reject 
in planting the small, imperfect kernels at the butt and 
top end. The stalks from the small kernels will not be 
as large and vigorous, as those from the large, perfect 
kernels. If this selection adds only two bushels to the 
yield per acre, it pays well for the trouble. 
Chinese Sugar Cane. —This may be forwarded in 
the Spring, by draining or subsoiling the land, by plowing 
concentrated manure in the hill with the seed, and by 
having well ripened seed. The season may be lengthen¬ 
ed at least two weeks by these precautions. It is import¬ 
ant that the crop should have good, rich land, so that it 
may not be stinted for want of nourishment. Frequent 
stirring of the soil witii the cultivator or hoe w ill also aid. 
Grass for Prairies.— Kentucky blue grass does 
well upon the prairies, and so does herds-grass, which 
for large yield and good quality, stands among the first of 
our cultivated grasses. Deeper plowing will remedy the 
drying up, of which our correspondent complains. 
Red Top makes only a second rate hay. It is very 
much better to sow Timothy, or herds-grass, wherever it 
will grow. This is of the first quality, and is highly rel¬ 
ished, both as grass and hay. 
When to Cut Grass.— Ferd. Dieckmann, Sag! 
naw Co., Mich. Grass yields the most nutritious hay, 
when cut just as it passes out of flowering, and the seed 
is commencing to form. It will need more care in curing 
than if left to ripen the seed, as it contains more moisture. 
Tlie molding you complain of probably resulted from 
storing it before fully cured. 
Coal Ashes — Borers— Cranberries, etc.— 
Jas. Slaven, Morgan Co., Mo. Notes on all these sub¬ 
jects, containing the information asked for, have been 
giveninthe former numbers of the present year ; and we 
can not so soon repeat them. 
Cider Pommace for Manure.- “ D.,” Water 
town, Conn., writes that cider pommace, used as manure 
on an adjoining farm, was injurious to growing crops for 
three years, or more. It was spread and plowed in on a 
field devoted to corn, which proved almost an entire fail¬ 
ure. Those places were poorest, where the pommace 
had lain in heaps before spreading. The remaining acid 
of tlie apple probably caused the injury ; this might bo 
neutralized with ashes or lime. “ D.” thinks the best use 
for pommace is to spread it in pasture ground, to be eaten 
by cattle. Milch cows should have it only in limited 
quantities at first. 
Gas Liquor. —Charlotte Co., Va. The water used 
for purifying the gas manufactured in cities and .arge 
villages, contains considerable quantities of ammonia, and 
when it car. be conveniently applied, would probably be 
worth securing; but we have no data to judge whether 
the percentage of ammonia is large enough, generally, to 
