1864.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3 
lag to larger pots and bringing to the light, and a 
finer bloom will soon repay the trouble. 
Shutters .—Now that fuel is so dear, much may be 
saved by the use of shutters, which can be kept on 
during nights and excessively cold days. 
Ventilation must be provided whenever the outer 
temperature will permit. In cold weather avoid a 
draft and ventilate at the top of the house only. 
Water shouid always be soft, and of the tempera¬ 
ture of the house. Give freely to most growing 
plants. Succulent plants need but very little extra 
moisture as their leaves evaporate very slowly. 
Apiary in Jannury. 
Prepared by M, Quinby—By Request, 
At the commencement of cold weather, the bees 
crowd closely together, in order to keep warm,— 
the whole colony often occupying less than one 
quarter of the combs. The cluster is in that part 
of the hive where there is no sealed honey, where 
the combs are thin, and where there are many 
empty cells, into which the bees creep. They pack 
themselves more densely as the weather grows 
colder. During this month many small swarms 
usually freeze to death. The larger ones generate 
moisture, that gathers on the sides of the hive and 
on the combs. Protracted cold weather will often 
cause this moisture to freeze, so that no combs or 
honey outside the cluster of bees can be reached 
by them. When they have consumed all the honey 
contained in the few open cells within the cluster, if 
this state of things continue, they must starve. 
Moderate weather usually supervenes in time to save 
them; but if it does not, the hives should be taken 
to a warm room for a short time, to melt the frost 
and give the bees an opportunity to reach the honey. 
The sun being allowed to strike the hive, will 
dissolve the most of this frost, even in severe 
weather. Some care must be observed that it does 
not run to the bottom and freeze again, and close 
the air passage. Raise the hive occasionally, at a 
time when there is no frost, and sweep out dead 
bees, dirt, etc. When mice have gained access, it 
may be known by the nibblings on the floor of the 
hive. They should be excluded by the means 
recommended last month. Sweep away snow from 
the alighting board lest it choke the entrances, 
except where sufficient falls to cover the whole 
hive, for then it will efficiently protect it from the 
cold. Bees in the house will only need looking to 
occasionally to see that no mice get at the hives. 
Ventilating Corn Cribs. 
“Parmer,” Loraine Co., O., writes to the Agriculturist 
that a corn crib should stand well up from the ground, 
and be built as open as possible, so that the ears do not 
fall out, especially at the bottom. To provide thorough 
ventilation, when filling the crib, place billets of wood 
three to four inches in diameter, and two to three feet 
long on the floor of the crib, each directly over a' crack 
or auger hole. As the corn rises, draw up the billets a 
few inches at a time, keeping the upper ends above the 
corn. When the crib is filled, take the blocks entirely 
out, but before doing so, place a few ears in position to 
prevent sliding in at the top. Every opening will remain 
as an escape pipe for moisture. In this simple manner 
good corn may be sa-ved from becoming musty. 
Tools for the Workshop. 
“What tools does a green farmer want, who is something 
of a mechanic f' This question is asked by a young and 
not very green farmer, who perhaps wants to draw out 
the Agriculturist , on a hobby. For one the writer does 
not feel independent unless he has the means to do almost 
any little.job of repairing that “turns up” unexpectedly. 
To this end he needs across-cut saw and a splitting saw, 
each of large size, a good bench axe, a claw hammer and 
a lighter one, a bit-stock and set of a dozen bits, an inch, 
IX, and 2-inch auger, a set of rasps and files for wood and 
for metal, several chisels and gouges of different sizes, 
mallet, a square and compass, and a plumb rule, a 
wo foot rule, a 40-foot tape line, 2 planes, 2 screw dri¬ 
vers (one to fit the bit-stock), 1 gimlet, 1 drawing knife, 1 
oil stone, 1 mason’s trowel, a cold chisel and punch, and 
two vises—one having 3-inch, the other IX-inch steel¬ 
faced jaws. With these and a carpenter’s, work bencn, 
with a fixed vise attached, and a stock of nails and 
screws, one can get along very satisfactorily. There is 
occasionally furniture to be mended, and to this end one 
needs a glue-pot, a brad-awl and some brads. The tin¬ 
ware springs a leak now and then, and a soldering-iron 
(copper) and some slicks of soft solder, a lump of rosin, 
and a phial of soldering liquor (zinc dissolved in muriatic 
acid) are wanted. The harness gives way, or the seams 
in some leather work rip, and then one finds a little kit 
of saddler’s tools, awls, wax, thread, some lace-leather, 
and a belt-awl, a rivet-set and copper rivets very conveni¬ 
ent. A larger rivet-set and some iron rivets, with some 
hoop iron will enable one to make hoops for parrels, tubs 
and pails, without troubling the cooper. With brass, 
copper, and iron wires of various sizes, strong pliers, 
and jutting nippers, a vast number of broken things can 
be mended, and made strong as new. Now and then it 
happens that a horse is brought to the door with a shoe 
loose ; anybody who can drive a nail, with a little practice 
can drive a horse-shoe nail ; so add a few of these to the 
list. The light hatnmer will do to drive them, and a bit 
of iron a pound in weight, will serve to drive against in 
clinching. With the foregoing, one is quite above being 
annoyed by little accidents of that vexatious kind which 
cannot be provided against by any amount of foresight. 
Whenever there is real work to be done, always employ 
a mechanic. — “ Ask us some more hard questions.” 
---X ---- 
Spring Wheat Sown in January. 
Valuable Experiment. —When an experimentis well 
tried, however much we may wish it to result so as 
to indicate profitable practice, we should remember it 
is equally successful as an experiment even if it shows that 
a certain practice wiil not be profitable. J. W. G. of Rock- 
ton Go., III., writes: “One of the correspondents of the 
Agriculturist wishes some one to communicate the re¬ 
sults of sowing Fife Wheal in the Fall. I had a favor¬ 
able opportunity to try the experiment, and on the second 
day of Jan., 1863. the ground being open, I sowed two 
bushels and one-half on a little over an acre. The ground 
was plowed, sowed, and dragged the same day ; the result 
was the seed all rotted ; none of it ever came up. Some 
of my neighbors have sown this wheat late in November, 
but in no case has it done any better than when sown in 
Spring, and often not so well. A coat of snow must lie 
on it all Winter to insure its success in any degree.” 
Uotes from the Fruit Growers’ Meeting. 
Pruning Apple Trees—Keeping Grapes—The Diana Grape 
—Grape Culture — Knox’s System — Manuring, etc., etc. 
The weekly meetings of Fruit Growers at the Agricul¬ 
turist Office, continue to be well attended, and much 
valuable information is elicited in the discussions. They 
are simply free conversational gatherings, where all who 
find it convenient, drop in and hear and talk about fruits 
and fruit culture, and exhibit any specimens they desire. 
The sessions last from 1 to 2«£ o’clock on each Thursday 
afternoon. We have space for only a few condensed 
notes. At one of the meetings A. J. Goe, of Gonn., asked 
for information as to the best flight for pruning apple and 
pear trees. 
Dr. Ward said that if the branches are low, they are 
depressed each year with the weight of fruit, until they 
trail upon the ground. He trims his trees so high that the 
ground can receive a shallow plowing, with a small 
horse—uses Share’s harrow, which he finds an admirable 
implement for stirring the soil for two incnes in depth. 
He considers it necessary to have the branches so elevated 
that every portion of the ground shall get the sun’s rays 
during a part of the day. It is acknowledged that we 
have higher flavored fruit than is produced in England, 
which he thinks mainly attributable to our brighter sun 
and clearer atmosphere. If trees branch low, there is not 
sufficient sweep of wind to change the air under the 
limbs. Forest trees never develop themselves fully ; it is 
only when a tree grows alone that it attains a perfect form. 
W. S. Carpenter said Chas. Downing chooses low 
heads for fruit trees, allows them to branch two feet 
from the ground, and gives his orchard garden culture. 
For himself, he prefers pruning higher up, otherwise 
the lower branches will have to be removed subsequently 
to afford room for a man and team to go under the trees , 
besides he wants the sun to shine on the ground a part of 
the lime one great fault in pruning young trees, is leav¬ 
ing too many branches, which thicken up to a close head. 
Mr. Coe remarked that nature shut out much of the 
sunlight in forests, and still the trees grew well; hence he 
fails to see the necessity of sunshine upon the grounds 
thinks it better to mulch trees than to plow under them. 
Mr. Carpenter responded, a tree which grew in a forest 
was mainly upright, with few side branches. The culti¬ 
vator wants to change this to a handsome, easily accessible 
head—he wishes to diminish the vigor of the tree, and in¬ 
crease the pulp of fruit, which is done by surpmer pruning. 
Prof. Thurber said that the ground is generally of a 
higher temperature'than the. air, and, to get the best 
results in propagating, we apply bottom heat to plants. 
In too mucli shade, the ground would’not absorb sufficient 
heat to keep it of proper temperature. Repeated obser¬ 
vations show that the temperature at one foot below the 
surface, is two to three degrees higher than the atmosphere- 
M. Coe thinks that the higher temperature of the.grcuml 
is due to the internal heat, which increases as we pene¬ 
trate the earth ; that radiation reduces this warmth ; art! 
that low branching trees would, in part, check radiation, 
To this Prof. Thurber replied that observations made at 
two feet below the surface, showed a lower temperature 
than at one foot, thus proving that the heat was due to 
absorption of the sun’s rays. 
At the last meeting, Dec. 10th, A. S. Fuller in ths 
chair, and a large and intelligent audience present, the 
conversation turned chiefly on grapes. Rev. J. Knox, o' 
Pittsburgh, presented specimens of finely grown and wet 
kept Delaware, Concord, Diana, Isabella, Catawba and 
Herbemont grapes, and samples of Delaware wine. 
Mr. Knox being asked how he kept grapes in such fine 
condition, replied that they were allowed to hang on the 
vines until quite late, then picked and put in boxes, two 
layers deep, with dry grape or forest leaves between them- 
They were kept in a cool, dry place, out of the reach of 
frost. Diana keeps remarkably well, also Herbemont.— 
Concords have no w been ripe three months. Thinks he 
can keep grapes until the strawberry season. No unripe 
or imperfect berries should be left on the clusters. 
To the inquiry whether the Diana flourished at Pitts¬ 
burg, Mr. Knox replied that it was very satisfactory with 
him. He attributed the partial failure of the Diana to two 
causes,viz., lack of winter protection, (it not being entirelj 
hardy,) and want of pruning. He removes his Dianas 
from the trellis in November or early in December, prunes 
heavily, and covers them moderately with earth. Wilhoul 
this strong cutting back, they overbear. Can cover ar 
acre of vines for $10. 
R. W. Holton finds small and somewhat imperfect clus¬ 
ters on his Dianas the first year of bearing ; the second 
year they do better; but they do not attain perfection, 
with broad-shouldered bunches, until the third year. 
Mr. Carpenter thinks Diana is a good grape; does well 
under favorable circumstances ; but requires so much 
care that it will never become popular with the people. 
Mr. Knox thinks the peculiar treatment required by a 
really good grape, should not condemn the sort. With 
the conditions named, the Diana proves a valuable grape, 
and one well adapted for wine. 
Mr. Fuller wanted to know why there are no vineyard* 
of the Diana. It is a much older sort than the Concord, 
yet there are hundreds of acres planted with Concord. 
Mr. Knox thinks grape culture has been injured by its 
friends who advise great expense in preparing the ground, 
some of them advise to stir the soil three and others four 
feet deep. This is a useless expense, and positively inju¬ 
rious to the vine. From Longworth and others we had 
learned that foreign sorts were not adapted to our climate, 
and we are now learning the equally important lesson that 
foreign modes of culture are also to be discarded. Fifteen 
to twenty inches is as deep as the soil need be stirred. If 
worked much deeper, and manured heavily, the vines 
grow too rampant. He gave a brief description of his 
method of pruning, beginning with the newly planted 
vine, which was cut back to two or three eyes. The 
second year he cuts out all but one cane, and the next 
Fall cuts that back to three eyes. These produce three 
strong fruiting canes for the third year, two of which are 
bent to form the arms, and the middle one trained upright* 
The trellis is not erected until the third year. The vines 
will each mature 10 lbs. of grapes the third season, and 
throw up canes for future fruiting. The process then 
consists in cutting out each alternate upright shoot every 
year, which leaves four bearing and four growing canes 
to each vine—the vines being six feet apart, and the up* 
rights about nine inches distant and eight feet long. (They 
are fastened to upright slips of wood, as explained on 
page 116 of the April Agriculturist, 1863.^Ed.) During 
the Summer the new growth of the spurs is pinched in. 
retaining as many leaves beyond the last cluster 
as there are clusters on the spur. He has had 
' no experience in spurring down to single arms, which h« 
thinks does not afford sufficient room for our rampant 
growers, that if left to themselves would cover a tree 
11/0. feet in hlght. Prunes in November. 
Mr. Fuller has practised-this method—double spur prun 
ing—for some years, and approves it. 
Mr. Knox replied to a question concerning fertilizers, 
that he did not manure heavily, and uses only that from 
the stable, applying it near th e surface. He cultivate* 
strawberries between his grape rows, and makes them 
pay all expenses of the vineyard. 
Dr. Ward attaches great importance to surface manur 
ing. His own orchard has already been fertilized for nezt 
season, by spreading manure upon the surface. 
Mr. Fuller says 15 to 18 inches is sufficient depth for 
the vine; his greatest trouble is to cheek trie growth. 
