208 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
if the liquid is not frequently stirred. Use a tablespoon¬ 
ful to a pailful of water. It may be applied by means uf 
a watering-pot, a syringe, of which there are various 
kinds sold at the implement and seed stores, a garden 
engine, or by means of a whisk of broom-corn. It kills 
the perfect insects and larvae or grubs, but does not kill 
the eggs. Watch the vines, and if a new crop has 
hatched out, renew the application. Insist that your 
neighbors on all sides shall kill the insects also, else 
later in the season they will keep you supplied. Paris 
green is a most virulent and Deadly Poison, and should 
be kept and used as such. Keep the stock of poison 
where no one else, by accident or design, can get at it. 
Keep the utensils with which it is applied, where they 
cannot be got at to be used for any other purpose until 
they are thoroughl 3 r cleaned. Use care and common 
sense, and do not forget the nature of the article you are 
dealing with. See to it yourself. Persons with cracks 
or sores upon their hands should not meddle with the 
poison. “Will it poison the potatoes, or the soil, and 
injure future crops ? ”—is a very frequent and proper 
question. We are warranted in saying decidedly, No. 
The investigations of Ur. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agri¬ 
cultural College, of Prof. Cook, of the N. J. Geological 
Survey, and of other chemists, show most conclusively 
and satisfactorily that no danger whatever can result 
from either of these causes. A member of that body of 
savans known as the “Immortals,” a year or two “got 
up a scare ” without knowing what had been done by 
others. F. W. Uevoe & Co., cor. Fulton and William 
streets, N. Y., advertise that they make the pure article. 
Forest Tree Planting'. 
FIFTH ARTICLE. 
So far as planting itself goes, the season has passed, 
but there remains quite as important work, the caring 
for the trees already planted. As with orchard planting, 
many think that when they have procured and set the 
trees, they have done their duty, while the fact is that 
neither fruit or forest trees can be expected to thrive 
under negleot. Cattle and other animals, especially 
goats, are most destructive to young trees, and will soon 
render the plantation valueless. Where the law makes 
every man look out for his own animals, enforce the 
law. Upon its progress during the first few years the 
future growth and vigor of a tree will largely depend, 
hence young plantations, if there is no crop between the 
rows to require cultivation, should have the soil cultiva¬ 
ted for the sake of the trees, and the earth should be 
stirred sufficiently to keep it loose and open, and to de¬ 
stroy weeds, and this should be done until the trees are 
large enough to shade the ground. Many think that the 
necessity for tree planting exists only in prairie coun¬ 
tries, and that it is likely to be profitable only in the 
newer States, while the fact is that in the older States 
there is a vast area that can be more profitably devoted 
to forest trees than to any other use. Much of the land 
now under the plow docs not pay for cultivation, and 
people are slowly waking up to the fact that it will pay 
them better to concentrate their labor upon the really 
arable land, and devote the rest to forest growing. 
TREE PLANTING IN MASSACHUSETTS 
is likely to receive an impetus from the prizes offered by 
that excellent association, the Massachusetts Society for 
the Promotion of Agriculture. The trustees offer $3,000 
in prizes. First, for European Larch, the best planta¬ 
tion of not less than five acres, $ 1 , 000 , and two other 
prizes of $000 and $400. In Barnstable, Dukes, and 
Nantucket Counties, Scotch or Corsican Pine or the two 
mixed, must be used instead of larch. The plantations 
must be upon land unfit for agricultural purposes, and 
must have had originally not less than 2,700 trees to the 
acre. Second , for the best plantation oi American 
White Ash, not less than five acres, two prizes of $600 
and $400. These should have had originally not less 
than 5,000 trees to the acre. Full particulars with re¬ 
gard to these prizes, which are to be awarded in the 
summer of 1837 for trees set in the spring of 1877, may 
be had upon application to the Secretary of the Society, 
E. A. Perkins, Jamaica Plain, Mass. The prospectus is 
accompanied by directions for planting, and for procur¬ 
ing young trees for the purpose, both at home and 
abroad ; so thoroughly in earnest are these gentlemen, 
that one member of the Society, Mr. Francis Skinner, 
Brookline, Mass., offers to those who prefer to import 
larches and pines for this purpose, to transmit their or¬ 
ders and procure the passage of the trees through the 
Custom House, all free of charge. The Society publish, 
with the matter relating to these prizes, the excellent 
paper on Tree Planting, presented to the Mass. State 
Board of Agriculture, by Prof. C. S. Sargent, Director of 
the Botanic Garden and Arboretum of Harvard Universi¬ 
ty, a contribution to the literature of arboriculture that 
has already been noticed in the American Agriculturist , 
and which should have a wide circulation, as it is full of 
interesting facts and statistics. We think that the So¬ 
ciety has acted wisely in confining the jirizes to so few 
trees, and the selection of the European Larch for poor 
soils, and the Ash for profitable cultivation upon better 
land, is judicious. There is no tree so little appreciated 
at its true value as our native White Ash. While it is 
one of the most beautiful of ornamental trees, its value 
as timber is great, and yearly increasing on account of 
the growing demand for export. We have nowhere seen 
the valuable qualities of this tree so well presented as in 
the paper by Prof. Sargent, and had marked it for in¬ 
sertion here, but the restrictions of space oblige us to 
postpone it to another month. 
Bee Rotes for June. 
BT L. C. ROOT, MOHAWK, N. Y. 
Those who increase tlieir stocks by natural swarming, 
should now have their hives in readiness as bees usually 
swarm most freely, in our northern latitude, during the 
present month. Do not allow hives that are to be used 
for swarms to stand in the hot sun. After a swarm is 
hived, be sure to protect the hive from the hot sun, by a 
good roof or cover. When this is neglected swarms of¬ 
ten desert the hive. 
I am often asked about the proper time to put on box¬ 
es. This must be decided by the strength of the colony, 
and the yield of honey. Do not put them on until the 
bees will occupy them, nor delay them after that time. 
Smoke, and Uow to use it. 
The absolute necessity for the use of smoke in subdu¬ 
ing bees has been acknowledged for many years, but the 
methods of applying it have varied. One of the most 
primitive methods was with the ordinary pipe and tobac¬ 
co, thus furnishing an excuse for smoking. Another 
was, with a fire in an old pan of chips—blowing the 
and all inside of it revolve. This will do the work, but 
has its disadvantages. The most popular forms are made 
with a reel revolving inside of a stationary can, with a 
crank and gearing giving it a motion of about 3 to 1 .— 
Figure 3 represents this kind of an extractor, with the 
reel standing outside of the can. When made for four 
combs, the reel has four corner pieces, running from top 
to bottom at the corners, on which wire cloth is fastened, 
Fig. 1.— FUMIGATOR. 
smoke towards the bees. The use of a fumigator was a 
decided advance ; this (figure 1 ) was a tin tube with a 
mouth-piece at one end, and a tapering tube at the other, 
with which smoke from tobacco, or cotton rags, could be 
directed to the point desired. Experience proves it to be 
injudicious to use tobacco smoke, as bees show the good 
sense to bo offended by it. 
The smoke should be as mild, 
and used as sparingly, as 
possible, and yet accomplish 
the desired results. To this 
end, it is very generally agreed, 
that the best smoke is made by 
partially decayed wood, which 
will burn without blazing. The 
general practice is to cut it in 
pieces about two inches square, 
and one foot long, light one 
end of it, and blow the smoke 
from it to the bees. This prac¬ 
tice has its disadvantages, as 
aside from the sparks that are 
often blown into the hive, the 
breath is also offensive to the 
bees, and has a tendency to en¬ 
rage them. There is also dan¬ 
ger from fire, as one often 
thinks the fire on the stick is 
thoroughly put out, when it is not, and I have known 
several very narrow escapes from serious conflagration. 
The most satisfactory method is that made public by 
the late M. Quinby. The subject received his most ear¬ 
nest attention, and the result is what is known as the 
“ Quinby Smoker,” (fig. 2,) which has been received with 
general favor. The decayed wood above mentioned is 
used in this, and 
the smoke is di¬ 
rected by use of 
the bellows to the 
exact point de¬ 
sired, and all 
danger of fire is 
QUINBY SMOKEIt. 
Fig. 3.— HONEY KNIFE. 
avoided. When not in use. if set on the end, as shown 
in the cut, the valves will remain open, and afford suffici¬ 
ent draught to keep the wood lighted. To let it go out, 
lay it down on the side. 
Extractors. 
I am asked to describe the extractor, and manner of 
using it. An extractor is a machine for removing the honey 
from the combs by centrifugal force, leaving the combs 
in good shape to return to the hive to be filled. It can 
only be made serviceable where movable combs are used. 
There are two general kinds of extractors; in one the can 
Fig. 4.— EXTRACTOR, AND REEL. 
being drawn tight, which leaves a perfectly fiat surface 
on each of the four sides. After cutting the capping 
from the cells with a knife made for the purpose, (fig. 4), 
the csmhs are placed inside of the reel with the open 
cells against the wire cloth. By revolving the reel rapid¬ 
ly, the honey will be thrown through the wire cloth into 
the can. The combs are then turned, and revolved again 
to throw the honey from the other side. The process is 
simple and practical. The honey is drawn from the can 
through a gate at the bottom. 
Raising Qiucus. 
J. H. Bell asks, “What would be the best plan to se¬ 
cure fully matured queens ?” and “ How can bees be made 
to commence early queen rearing?”— 
These questions may both receive one 
answer. Select the stock you desire 
to rear queens from, and remove the 
queen. Finding themselves queenless, 
they will immediately construct several 
queen cells. The number will usually 
depend upon the strength of the stock. If it is desired to 
save the extra queens, open the hive the 9th day after the 
queen is removed, and remove all the cells but one, and. 
place them in separate hives, or nuclei for hatching. 
A Washer Cutter. 
Why a circular disk with a hole in the center, made of 
leather, metal, pasteboard, or other material, and placed 
under the head of a screw or bolt, orput between the mov¬ 
ing parts of a machine, should be called a “ washer,” the 
makers of dictionaries do not inform us. Still one who 
has to use implements or machines, or even a common 
wagon or cart, has frequent need to use a washer, large 
or small. So common is the use of these, that those of 
metal are kept, of various sizes, in the hardware stores. 
But all washers are not of metal, and one of leather, rub¬ 
ber, or even of wood, is often required, and better for the 
purpose. It is slow work to fashion a washer with the 
knife, and many will be glad to know that an effective 
little tool for cutting them is now manufactured, by 
which they may be turned out very rapidly. This tool is 
shown in the engraving; it will fit any ordinary bit-stock, 
and consists of a shank to attach it to the bit-stock, and 
a horizontal arm. This arm has a center point, and car¬ 
ries two knives, which, by means of set screws, may be 
fixed at any desired distance from the center. One knife 
is so set that it will cut the hole in the center, while the 
other cuts the outside circle of the washer. It will cut 
washers from % inch to 6 inches diameter, with the cen¬ 
ter hole of any desired size. It may be used for cutting 
leather, rubber, cardboard, or even wood, if that is not 
over 34 inch thick. We have tried it upon leather and thin 
wood, and find it to work very satisfactorily, and are sure 
that it will prove a useful addition to every farmer’s 
“kit” of tools. It is manufactured by Goodnow & 
Wightman, Boston, Mass. 
