228 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
there is any necessity. The remontants should now 
6how a second bloom. 
Verbenas, though common, have no superiors as 
bedding plants. The past few years have added 
many new seedlings, some of remarkable beauty, 
and others quite fragrant. Keep well pegged down, 
and layer a stock for Winter flowering. 
Weeds—Keep from the borders, walks, and also 
from growing among the grass upon the lawn. 
Wild Flowers—Many of these are now in bloom. 
Note the desirable kinds and mark the spot where 
they are to be found, to be transplanted at the ap¬ 
propriate season. The peculiarities of soil, shade, 
moisture, etc., where they grow naturally, should 
be borne in mind for future guidance. 
Green and Mot-Houses. 
Scarcely anything need be said with reference to 
these, more than to cite the directions oflast month. 
As most of the ordinary house plants are now in 
the open ground, they have been referred to above. 
A good supply of potting earth should be pre¬ 
pared, both for present and future use. It is better 
after having lain in the heap some months, hence a 
large stock should be provided. A good potting 
soil is made of 3 parts leaf mold, 1 part loam, 1 
part sand, and 1 part old manure. 
Houses should be put in readiness to receive ten¬ 
der plants the latter part of next month. It is al¬ 
ways better to have any painting done some weeks 
before plants are brought in. 
A good stock of cuttings of various kinds, intend¬ 
ed to form late Fall and early Winter flowering 
plants, should now be put in and properly cared for. 
A house, or frame is needed to start them well. 
Potting should be attended to now, that the 
plants may be ready for an early Winter bioom. 
Apiary in August. 
Prepared by M. Quinby—by request. 
Bee keepers the present season, taking Mont¬ 
gomery Co. as a sample, will have a difficulty to 
contend with, just the reverse of the one last year. 
The bees then obtained too little honey, this year 
too much, at least, for their future prosperity. So 
great a portion of their combs will be filled with 
honey, that the number of cells left for breeding 
will be insufficient to keep the colony in its usual 
strength. This will be the case should there be no 
unusual change in the yield of honey this month. 
The remedy is at hand for those having the mova¬ 
ble combs. It is simply removing one or more out¬ 
side, or any other combs that may be filled with 
honey throughout, and substituting empty frames, 
or frames with empty combs. Make room for them 
near the middle, by moving those in the center out¬ 
ward. The full combs can be set away, and given 
to any late swarms that do not obtain sufficient 
winter stores, or, if the colonies from which they 
were taken, have not enough, they may be re¬ 
turned. When not wanted thus, save for the table. 
“ Buckwheat swarms” are liable to issue from the 
10th to the 25th of the month in many sections. In 
such cases I have usually advised taking away the 
queen, and returning part or all of the bees to the 
parent stock. When an increase of stocks is de¬ 
sired, and surplus combs like the above can be had, 
these late swarms may be hived, and made safe for 
winter stores, by adding one or two of the full 
frames, after they have finished their season’s work. 
Small swarms that have only half filled the hive, 
will suffer more from the moth worm than full 
swarms ; they should be looked to often. Stocks 
that have over-swarmed, or are queenless, are some¬ 
times ruined before it is suspected; the worms 
work out of sight among the combs, unmolested 
by the bees. The indications are, fine powder, like 
specks on the floor ; they need a little examination 
to distinguish these from the chips of wax that will 
also accumulate. These infested hives must be re¬ 
inforced, or some of the combs must be broken 
out, leaving only what the bees can protect. 
Should these remedies fail, take out the bees, and 
save the contents, before all is destroyed, and a 
swarm of moths matured to molest other hives. 
Boxes taken off early must be watched, to keep 
the worms from spoiling the combs. When they 
are first hatched, their course is marked by a white 
thread-like line. Subject them to the fumes of sul¬ 
phur to destroy them. They must be kept dry, and 
In a cool place when possible. 
Into which are thrown various useful or interesting 
Items, Replies to Questions, Extracts from Letters, Glean¬ 
ings from other Journals, etc. 
Premiums for August. —Many of our distant 
readers will be interested in the Publisher’s offer of Pre¬ 
mium Strawberry plants on last page. Other premiums 
of books on the same page, and of new wheat, on page 
255, are continued this month. The standing premiums 
are omitted to save space. Those interested will find 
them in July number, page 218. 
The Prize Articles, called for on page 231, will 
need, and we trust receive early attention. The time al¬ 
lowed for preparing the first three, is necessarily very 
short, but we desire the information for our October issue. 
Tke Household Department appears to be 
specially valuable this month. We again solicit our lady 
readers to contribute useful matter for that part of paper. 
Two Good Schools. —We neglected last month 
to call attention to the advertisement of the Fort Edward 
Institute, as we intended to do, but it was perhaps un¬ 
necessary, as we have before spoken of the School and 
its Principal in the highest terms. We now desire also to 
strongly commend the Ellenville High School or Semi¬ 
nary. We are personally and intimately acquainted with 
the Principal and Preceptress, andean assure our readers 
that those who place their children under their care, will 
intrust them to kind, faithful, Christian Teachers, who will 
spare no effort to improve them morally as well as men¬ 
tally. The full particulars as to terms, etc., can be readi¬ 
ly obtained by sending for a Catalogue or Circular, as 
per announcement in the advertising columns. 
Feed for Horses. — Important Experiment .—The 
London Omnibus Company use 6000 horses. A recent re¬ 
port states that 3000 of these, fed daily on 16 lbs. of bruis¬ 
ed oats, 7X lbs. of cut hay, and 2% lbs. of cut straw for 
each horse, did as much work and kept in as good con¬ 
dition, as the other 3000 which were each fed with 19 lbs. 
of unbruised oats, and 13 lbs. of uncut hay, per day. 
Calling the 2% lbs. straw equivalent to 1J£ lbs. of hay, 
and the saving is 3 lbs. of oats and 4 lbs. of hay per day 
for each horse. Thus, then, the mere bruising of oats, and 
the cutting of hay effects a yearly saving for each horse 
of 34 bushels of oats, and 1,460 lbs. of hay ! These ex¬ 
periments, made upon so large a number of horses, and 
continued for a considerable length of time, are very con¬ 
clusive, and forcibly indicate the advantage of what has 
been so often urged in the columns of the American Ag¬ 
riculturist, viz.: the grinding or crushing of all grain, 
and the cutting of all hay and other forage fed to horses. 
The same thing will be found partially true of other ani¬ 
mals, though the ruminants—neat cattle and sheep—masti¬ 
cate their food more in chewing the cud, and hence the 
bruising of oats or other grains is not so important for 
them as for horses and swine. 
Good Prices for American Cattle.— The 
animals taken from the Thorndale herd, to England, to 
fill orders received by Samuel Thorne, Esq., their owner, 
were sold at the following prices, according to the Lon¬ 
don Agricultural Gazette. 2d Duke of Thorndale, $,2000; 
3d Duke of Thorndale, $1,500 ; 4th Duke of Thorndale, 
$2,000; Thane of Oxford, $1,250 ; Imperial Oxford, 
$1,000; Lady of Oxford, $1,250; Hero of Thorndale, 
$1,000; in all $10,000, which equals the sum paid by Mr. 
Thorne several years ago for their sires, the two Grand 
Dukes. 
Tlie Clothes Wringer.— Mrs. J. F. Sawtell, of 
Worcester Co., Mass., writes July 4th: “The Clothes- 
Wringer received as a premium for obtaining subscribers 
to the Agriculturist, I like very much indeed, and wish to 
strongly recommend it to the lady readers of the Agricul¬ 
turist, and advise them by all means to get one, and 
thereby save much time and strength. Though much has 
been said in its favor, none too much has been said. It is 
everything I expected, and more_My little girl, not 
quite 8 years old, often wrings my clothes for me, and 
likes the fun... .My husband at first opposed my choosing 
this premium, for he is one of those on the look out for 
humbugs, but he is as much pleased with it as I am, and 
thinks it a great saving of time and hard labor.” 
[There is no mistake about the value of this implement, 
and we intend to keep talking about it until every house¬ 
wife in the land shall be the possessor of one. It not only 
saves much hard work, but it also saves garments much 
more than its cost. Perhaps it can be got through the 
Publisher’s Premiums, see page 218, July No., as cheap¬ 
ly as otherwise.—E d.] 
Choking of Tile Drains.—C. C. Simpson, Kent 
Co., Md. Well laid tile drains are in little danger of 
choking. If they have a uniform grade—no depressed 
places—the fine earth filtering in through the joints wifi 
be carried off. The greatest danger is from roots of trees; 
if one of these find its way to a joint or opening, it will 
grow rapidly, and often displace or clog the tiles. No 
deep rooted trees should be over or near tiles. Faults, or 
choking of tiles, can generally be discovered by the wet¬ 
ness of the soil at the defective points. 
Wood. Drains. —A Herkimer County Farmer allud¬ 
ing to our draining articles, says he uses wo d and likes it.. 
He lays 1 inch spruce or other board in th . bottom, 1 to 2 
inch scantling on the sides, and short slabs crosswise for 
cover. He uses a circular saw, to cut and joint them- 
They will answer well for a short time, but while about., 
it, it is far better to make a permanent drain of tiles. 
Siphon Draining.— H. A. Kelly, N. Y. Only me¬ 
tallic tubes absolutely air-tight, will answer fra siphon- 
pipe, to carry water over an elevation. Any small por¬ 
tions of air entering, would gradually collect in the high- 
•est portion of the pipe, and in the end stop its action. So,, 
also, an intermission in the flow would stop the action. , 
and to start it again, it would be necessary to either npply- 
suction to the lower end, or raise the water at the upper 
end as high as the highest point of the pipe. 
Cleaning a Miller’s Dolt.— C. C. Fuller, of 
Waldo Co., Me., asks how to clean off the fine particles 
of flour that have, by dampness, hardened upon the screen,, 
and become sour. Since the reception of his query, we 
have asked several millers whom we have' chanced’ tb 
meet, but found no one who used anything but a brush. 
Perhaps a weak solution of alcohol and water, (weak 
whisky,) might answer, or for cloth bolts, we should sup¬ 
pose the careful use of water, and rapid drying would not 
injure the fabric. Some of the many practical millers 
among our readers may be able to give useful hints. 
Strawberries on an Acre.— “ Uninitiated ” re- - 
fers to Mr. Knox’s statements in the July Agriculturist, 
page 211, and gives a calculation to the effect, that 300 .' 
bushels per acre would give only 1% plants to the quart, 
if the plants are 30 by 15 inches apart, or 21 plants to the 
quart if 30 by 10 inches apart ; or for 500 bushels to the 
acre only 1 1-5 plants to the quart. This calculation should 
be by the hill or stool rather than by the single plant or 
stem. There may be more than one plant in a hill. A 
quart of Wilson’s strawberries is not an incredible nor - 
even a very large yield from a single hill, in rows 30 inch¬ 
es or 2X feet apart. We have picked and measured 33 : 
quarts from 60 hills 15 inches apart each way, besides . 
what were eaten directly from the vines ; and this from 
varieties much less prolific than the Wilson, and only the- 
next year after planting. “ Uninitiated ” begs Mr. Knox, 
to tell how he gets such crops. 
Strawberries and Blackberries in Mar*, 
ket Together.— On the 18th of July we had on exhi¬ 
bition at the Agriculturist Office, baskets of the Austin, 
Strawberry, taken from a large lot sent to market at that" 
date. At the same time considerable quantities of black¬ 
berries were also offered in this market. Hitherto there- 
has been an interval of one or two weeks between these: 
two fruits, to be filled with raspberries. By the improve¬ 
ments being made, we shall soon have an unbroken suc¬ 
cession of small fruits from the departure of frost to its: 
return. Residents of new countries need no longer wait 
for the slow growth of fruit trees ; they can, at trifling 
expense, and in a brief period, obtain a full supply of 
luscious berries of various kinds. 
Strawberries or Blackberries ?—B. C.. 
Whether Strawberries would yield the best return de¬ 
pends upon a variety of circumstances, as soil, climate,, 
season, etc. Where a full crop of both could be sold, 
strawberries would probably give the most profit per acre. 
It is safer to cultivate several sorts of small fruits. If on* 
fail, some other may do well; there is also the advan¬ 
tage of successive employment for hired help. On 10 
acres of ground a good division might be, Strawberries 
4 acres, blackberries 3, raspberries, 2, currants 1 acre. 
Parsneps, Wild and Cultivated.—“ J. H.” 
Memphis, Mich. The seed of the cultivated parsnep will 
reproduce its kind, and you need not fear to use roots 
grown from such seed. The wild parsnep which has a 
sharp, bitter, poisonous root might, perhaps, by cultivating 
for many generations, be brought up to the standard of the 
garden sorts, but it would hardly pay to attempt it. 
Horse Beans.— “ J. II.”, Memphis, Mich., write* 
that from his own experience and that of many other*, 
with seed of the Horse Bean brought from England, ho 
believes it will not grow successfully in this country. 
