1< )2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
f Amu.. 
tile. Tlie stands in a yard thus covered, need be raised 
only a very lilclo, to be out of the way of grass and weeds, 
and are always dry enough for a bee to alight on it safely. 
The labor of preparing a yard in this way, will be quite as 
likely to make a p rying return, as that of building an ex¬ 
tensive bee-house... .More moth worms maybe found 
chilled in the morning on the floor of the hive this month 
and next, than at any other season ; they may be readily 
scraped out and destroyed_The flour feed recommend¬ 
ed last month, should be given more sparingly, as they 
begin to get pollen from the flowers. It will probably soon 
be neglected altogether-Those having the movable 
ci,mb hive, should avoid opening and exposing the interior 
in the middle of a warm day ; it might induce robbing at 
any time before the flowers yield honey. Early in the 
morning while the air is frosty, is not a good time on ac- 
< mint of chilling the brood ; the air should be nearly warm 
enough for them to fly, before operating....As long as a 
r.rlony is prosperous and healthy, it seldom pays to trans¬ 
fer from the box hive to the movable frames. But if it is 
decided to doit, now is the time for the operation. 
Agricultural Lectures at Yale College. 
The lectures and discussions at New-Haven, 
which were in progress when we went to press 
lust month, closed up with the highest satisfac¬ 
tion to all concerned. During the course, about 
sixty lectures, of an hour or more each, were 
given, generally at 11 A. M.,2Jand P. M.,and 
occasionally iri the evening. Almost the whole of 
each day, not devoted to the lectures, was occu¬ 
pied from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M., and later, in discus¬ 
sions, part of the time in formal meetings at the 
Hall, and at other times by groups gathered at 
the hotels, or rooms of individuals. It is cer¬ 
tain that at no other time in the present or the 
past, has there been such a thorough talk be¬ 
tween practical men upon the subject of agricul¬ 
ture generally, including general soil culture, 
stock raising, etc., and upon horticulture, includ¬ 
ing fruit growing, and general gardening. We 
believe nearly two hundred persons were present 
throughout the whole course, while four to five 
hundred attended during part of the time. It 
can not he otherwise, than that most of these 
persons gathered many new ideas, and that every 
one carried home much material for after thought, 
all of which will tend to modify and improve 
practice. 
The gathering was eminently one of practical 
men, including not only those who were called 
upon to deliver formal lectures, but also those 
who took part in the discussions, and those who 
attended merely as listeners or students. The 
leading lecturers were not wordy, self-styled pro¬ 
fessors—those who could write and talk on any 
subject better than they could practice, but they 
were those whose prestige and reputation re¬ 
sulted from what they have done in their several 
pursuits. For example, it is worth while to hear 
and talk with such men as Cassius M. Clay and 
Lewis F. Allen on the selection and breeding of 
cattle—men who have attained reputation and 
eminence by their successful labors in the busi¬ 
ness. We might say the same of Wilder, Grant, 
Harry, etc , who talked on fruit growing, of Fitch 
,'n insects, Johnson on agricultural chemistry, 
iin.' so of others. Almost every farmer would 
make quite a journey, to sit down and talk fa- 
miliarl) with any one of these men with regard to 
their specialties. Those attending the conven¬ 
tion at New-Haven, enjoyed such intercourse 
with many of the class of men referred to. 
Most of the lectures were familiar talks, rather 
than formal discourses, and the speakers general¬ 
ly allowed themselves to he interrupted at any 
time just as pupils would question a teacher in 
tlie school room. After an address of this kind, 
the lecturer usually sat down upon the stand, and 
answered a multitude of queries :n the subject of 
the address This, and the sla* discussions, 
we consider among the most valuable features 
of the convention. Any' skillful speaker can 
make up quite a lecture from books, but it is a far 
different thing to discourse of his own views and 
practice, and be ready to give reasons drawn 
from his own experience and observation, for 
the faith that is in him, and the suggestions he 
may offer. 
We repeat, that the arrangements and exer¬ 
cises were highly satisfactory to all who accept¬ 
ed the invitation to be present—we wish 
they had numbered by thousands, instead of by 
hundreds—and this satisfaction was expressed 
freely, not only in private conversation, but by 
formal resolutions at the close, giving a hearty 
and unanimous vote of thanks to Prof. Porter, 
who was chiefly instrumental in getting up and 
carrying on the enterprise, and an equally unani¬ 
mous request that a like convention should be 
called during next Winter. 
We are glad to feel assured that this will be 
done, and that in all probability we shall have a 
continuation of similar meetings from year to 
year. A large sum, over $40,000 we believe, has 
already been contributed toward the erection of 
commodious buildings for the Yale College Scien¬ 
tific and Agricultural School, and during the 
Summer,a complete set of models and paintings of 
animals, of different kinds of agricultural imple¬ 
ments, opfruits, etc., will be gathered for use in 
illustrating future lectures and discussions. The 
experience of the past will afford valuable sug¬ 
gestions for future plans and arrangements. It 
may be early to talk of the matter, but every 
cultivator, who can possibly do so, should, in lay¬ 
ing out his plans ahead, make arrangements to 
attend a month at New-Haven next Winter. 
Report of the Proceedings. —Several persons 
have inquired, whether full reports of the doings 
and sayings would not be published. This would 
be entirely impossible—a dozen dollar volumes 
would hardly suffice for the purpose ; and further, 
no complete record was kept. Several daily and 
weekly journals were represented, and very con¬ 
densed outlines of a part of the sayings were 
published. We have copies of these reports, be¬ 
sides some fifty manuscript pages of our own 
notes upon the talks about domestic animals 
alone. These written out, would fill several hun¬ 
dred pages. We intended to have given an in¬ 
stalment in this number, but have neither time 
nor room left. All we can promise, is to give 
the gist of the matter in future' articles upon the 
several topics, with perhaps occasional extracts 
from the leading lectures and discussions. 
•--« Mi o a-^ gai — » a- — 
How to Conduct Experiments. 
A correspondent writes that he planted a bushel 
of one kind of potatoes, cutting them into pieces 
containing one or two eyes, and dropping two 
eyes in a hill, which returned him 56 bushels. A 
bushel of other kinds treated similarly,, gave hut 
one third or one fourth as much, and hence he 
concludes the first named variety is greatly su¬ 
perior. This, quite likely, is the case, hut the ac¬ 
count of the experiment does not prove it; for 
some varieties of potatoes contain many more 
eyes than others, bushel for bushel, and would, 
if planted in the method described, occupy a larger 
plot, which would be likely to yield the greatest 
return for the amount of seed used. As no 
statement was made of the space covered by each 
kind, we can draw no correct conclusion In 
conducting experiments like tlie above, every 
fact bearing on the matter should be noted at the 
time of its occurrence, and written down ; then 
nothing important will he lost by forgetfulness. 
There is frequently a failure to place the 
different subjects treated, under the same condi¬ 
tions. Thus, in comparing several soi ls of grain, 
if large patches, say of an acre or two each, are 
sown indifferent portions of the field, there may 
be so great a difference in the soil, exposure, 
etc., as to materially affect the results. The lev¬ 
el at tlie foot of a hill is more favorable than the 
slope, a bed of sand underlying one patch would 
afford better drainage than would be enjoyed by 
another plot resting upon clay. Uniformity should 
be secured in such cases, by sowing alternate 
narrow strips, the whole length of the field. 
Experimenters often try to ascertain too many 
things at a time ; thus : a person planted several 
varieties of corn, to test their comparative yield, 
and attempted also to decide the value of differ¬ 
ent fertilizers by using a separate one on each 
kind planted. But when the crops ripened, it 
could not be determined whether the greater yield 
of one sort was a result of its own peculiar habit, 
or the effect of tlie special manure used. 
One season's cultivation is insufficient to test 
any plant or mode of culture. Tlie weather may 
he unpropitious, insects may prevent success, or 
failure may result from influences discoverable 
only after years of trial. If every cultivator 
would each season try some one experiment, 
carefully note all the facts of tlie case, and com¬ 
municate them for the benefit of others, the sta¬ 
tistics thus obtained, would push the science of 
agriculture forward with rapid advances. 
Hogs at the West. 
In our February issue, page 40, we pre¬ 
sented a table, showing tlie number of hogs 
packed during 1858 in sixty-two of the principal 
Western towns. The statistics have now been 
made up for 1859, and we give below very inter¬ 
esting tables, exhibiting the aggregate of hogs 
packed both in 1858 and 1859, in eight of the 
principal pork-raising States, together with a 
statement of the average weight of the dressed 
hogs, tlie average yield of lard per hog, the ag¬ 
gregate yield of lard, etc. 
Number of Hogs slaughtered at tkeWest, during each of the 
last two 
seasons: 
1958-9. 
1859-60. 
1858-9. 
1859-60. 
Ohio. 
.638,397 
G30.8581 Missouri. .163,774 
190,260 
Indiana.. 
.412,289 
404,046| 
Iowa.163.914 
166,930 
Illinois... 
.591,380 
504.935 
Wisconsin 33.932 
54,500 
Kentucky.397,117 
320,4871 
Tennessee 65,172 
26,800 
Grand 
Totals. 
2,350,822 
Decrease.. 114,213 
Aocrn.g'e weights of Hogs; also yield of Lard per Hog. 
Av. weight p Ilog. Yield of lard IP 1 Hog. 
1S5S-S1. 1859-60. 1858-9. 1859-60. 
lhs. lbs. lbs lbs. 
Ohio .190 191 6-19 26 26 
Indiana.1851- 1921 23 27 
Illinois.,.187 191 27 30 
Kentucky.219 197 36 31 
Missouri.190J 194 2-9 25 26 
Iowa.181 1921 28 29 
Tennessee. . .212 189 28 26 
Wisconsin.230 207 28 29 
These aggregate weights of equal numbers of Hogs 
each year, compare as follows : 
1858- 9. lbs.401.786,362 
1859- 00, lbs. 402,294 695 
Decrease. 2,491,667 
This is about equal to 11-16 of 1 per cent. 
The total yield of Lard in each State is as follows : 
1858-9. 1859-60. 1858-9 1859-60 
Ohio.lbs 16,470,772 17,629,1441 Misso’ri 3,769,350 4,818.220 
Ini' 9 257,017 10,665.783] low a . .. 3,771.402 4,840,144 
Illinois.15,967,260 15,148.Q50|Wis .... 950.096 1,580,500 
Ky.14,260,212 9,991,097 Tenn.. . 1.8 24.816 690.800 
Total lbs. 66,276 925 05,406,738 
Decrease. 870,186 
This decrease is equal to slightly over 11 per eent. 
We have the following result for 1859-60 : 
Decrease 111 No.. 48 per cent, equal to 114,213 Hogs. 
Decrease in wglct, 11-16of I p. cent, equal to 16.94 6 
Total decrease.131,159 
This is equal to 5J per cent less than the crop last year, 
1 j per eent loss than tlie crop of 1857-58, but 163 per cent 
greater than the crop of 1856-57. Shipments to the East 
this season and last, as fat as ascertained, from Oct. 1 to 
Feb. 1, were 277,120 in 1659, and 214,037 in 1860, showing 
a decro isc of 03,083. 
