126 
AMERICAN AGrlilOULTURIST. 
[April, 
Soil iJor BJarley.—“'WTiat is the best soil 
for barley, and what is the usual amount of seed per 
acre ?”--A rather light sandy loam, provided it is rich 
enough, is best for barley. The crop can bo got in early, 
and it makes a lair growth before the drouth sets in. 
But if the land is poor, the crop Suffers greatly from 
drouth on a sandy soil, and is frequently not worth har¬ 
vesting. And the same is true on a wet, cloddy, heavy 
soil, that is not half worked. But on a well-drained, 
thoroughly worked clay loam, we usually get the best 
barley, simply because such soils are naturally richer 
than light land. If the sandy loam was equally rich in 
available plant-food, the barley would be equally good— 
and we think better. If sown with a drill, on good land, 
2 bushels is sufficient; wc have had a good crop from l-ft 
bushels, but prefer more titan 2 bushels rather than less. 
—— 4 - 
Bee Items.— By M. Quinby. 
■* ^ 
Stairtiaig atm Apisatry.—Some one writes: 
“ Why not tell people who have never kept bees how to 
start?”—This is what I have been doing for the last fif¬ 
teen years, and now there is a class advanced to “ Fourth 
Reader," and anxiously waiting for the “ Fifth.” These 
must he kept along, and at the same time the primary 
class duly cared for. The first thing for beginners to do 
is, to procure some reliable work on the natural history 
and management of the bee, study it thoroughly, and 
come to an understanding, if possible, of what a swarm 
of bees will do under all circumstances. There is very 
much spurious teaching and miserable guess-work in in¬ 
structions concerning the apiary. The man who writes 
without experience of his own, giving only what others 
have said, will copy an error as readily as truth. Or 
sometimes a person interested in some particular point 
in a bee-hive will so distort the truth, that it is hardly 
to bo recognized. When a correct knowledge of the 
fundamental principles of bee-keeping lias been acquired 
by careful study, the next thing is to get a hive or t wo of 
bees; if in movable combs, all the belter. Obtain them, 
if possible, of some reliable person, one who knows 
what he is selling, and at the same time will not take 
pay for a worthless article. Bees in the box hive arc 
more uncertain than other stock. No man can guarantee 
tlie future prosperity of any liivo after it passes beyond 
his control. In purchasing stocks, reject the very heavy, 
and very light. A large number of bees is more desira¬ 
ble than heavy stores—especially at this season of the 
year. Locate them on the summer stand at once. If 
moved afterward, let it be for two or three miles. Mov¬ 
ing short distances in the apiary is bad. Place the 
stands six to ten feet apart. Recent observations in re¬ 
gard to tho spread of diseased brood dictates a greater 
distance between stands than formerly recommended. 
Provide hives for the swarms, and if you have not al¬ 
ready movable combs, with proper study you should by 
this time be sufficiently well informed to desire them in 
some form. I will not now recapitulate the advantages 
of movable combs, nor describe the method of transfer¬ 
ring combs, but will say it is a paying investment as soon 
ns the advantages are comprehended. That the tyro may 
have confidence in his operations among the bees, lie 
may want to keep them from his face and hand:—from 
liis face by a bee-veil, such as described in “ Bee-keep¬ 
ing,” page 221—from his hands by thick woolen or rub¬ 
ber gloves. Any one who expects to do much among 
bees should learn to handle things “ without mittens,” 
until ho finds out that a bee sting is not “killing.” 
After preparing a veil according to the directions referred 
to, punch the pith out of a piece of elder or other pithy 
wood, ten inches long, or bore with a slender gimlet 
through a suitable Stick of wood, and insert this tube in 
the wire cloth opposite the mouth, by which it is to ho 
held when it is desirable to use smoke to pacify the bees. 
Hard wood, nearly rotten, sawed or split into pieces an 
inch square, makes the cheapest smoke. Have it thor¬ 
oughly dry, ignite one end, and blow the smoko in any 
desired direction on any demonstrations of anger. 
The !Sec Ms»lsi«Ey Ag’aiin.—R. M. Argo, 
Lowell, Kentucky, says: “ Since writing you a few 
weeks since, I find the malady is far worse than I then 
thought, all over the State. I believe that by the 1st of 
April, about all will be gone. Strange to say, my bees 
are all right to this time, also those of four of my neigh¬ 
bors, that were attended founder my directions. I am 
asked to account for it, but cannot, and I write to you for 
your opinion and advice. Tho bees did not starve ; both 
honey and pollen are left—from fifty to seventy-five pounds 
in each hive. Some say it is cholera, others that poison 
honey was gathered last fall. Why did it not attack my 
bees, and those put up under my direction ? I would 
here remark that mine were all fed last fall on sngar 
(coffee). Some think they were saved because they 
were fed, others that they escaped because they were 
Italians; in proof of which latter view, James Adams, 
eighteen miles from here, has ten Italian colonics all 
right, while the black bees arc all gone. It was my 
opinion last fall, as well as that of others, that bees 
would starve; that is Why I fed mine. But they have 
died from a far different cause.”—It was suggested in a 
previous number that the malady has continued to spread 
by the bees taking the honey from hives in which the 
bees were all dead. Mr. Argo's bees were “put up,” and 
having had no chance to obtain such honey, escaped. 
From fifty to seventy-five pounds of honey were often 
left, when it had been supposed there was danger of starv¬ 
ing. On the theory advanced, this case could bo account¬ 
ed for by supposing the hives first infected to have been 
robbed. Mr. Argo’s bees being fed would account for 
their not starving when put up. That his stocks escaped 
because of their being Italians is not sufficiently proved, 
as another individual writes that his Italians suffered 
with the others. I would urge still further extreme care 
in not leaving a deserted or dead hive standing. Every 
man, with a live hive remaining, should see to it that all 
dead stocks within an area of several miles are removed. 
Personally inspect every hive, whether dead or other¬ 
wise, that such as are dwindling and liable to bo robbed 
may be driven out, and all honey put out of the way of 
doing harm. With regard to the original causes, J. E. E., 
of Gettysburgh, Ohio, says, “ There were great quantities 
of what wc call lioncy-dew observed on the bushes in 
this vicinity.” If others in Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky, 
have noticed anything of tlie kind. I hope they will report, 
as it is corroborative of the suggestion made in February. 
Cultivation of Broom-corn. 
It is usually said that any soil which will prodr.ee In¬ 
dian corn will produce broom-corn. But while this may 
be true in a general sense, a profitable crop of broom-corn 
requires cleaner, warmer, and richer land than that on 
which Indian corn is often raised with advantage. 
Broom-corn does not often germinate as soon, or grow 
so rapidly for the first few weeks, as Indian coni. Con¬ 
sequently it is more liable to injury from weeds. It is of 
the first importance to plant only on clean land, otherwise 
the labor of hand hoeing and weeding will bo very great, 
and if delayed for a few days the crop may bo severely in¬ 
jured. If the land is clean, a ^.-shaped harrow, with a 
tooth taken out in the centre, drawn along the rows, 
will destroy the small weeds, break the cnist of the soil, 
benefit the plants, and save a great amount of band hoeing. 
Broom-corn is often planted on the same land year after 
year, and when the land is very rich, such a course is most 
profitable, as the thorough culture of the crop makes the 
land cleaner every year, and there is less labor in hoeing. 
But when broom-corn is raised in rotation on the upland 
portions of the farm, a good plan would be to plow under a . 
heavy crop of clover in June, and summer-fallow, and fall- 
fallow the land by repeated “cnltivatorings,” harrowings, 
and plowings, to kill the weeds, and make it rich and mel¬ 
low. A soil so treated would be likely to give double the 
growth obtained on land planted without, any previous 
preparation. The expense of hoeing and cultivating 
would be greatly reduced, and the profits of the crop 
would be quadrupled. The yield varies from 500 lbs. 
to 1,500 lbs. per acre. A poor crop is grown at a loss, 
a good one at a large profit. It is said that few people 
have ever engaged extensively in growing broom-corn 
without ruining themselves. The fluctuations in the 
price may have something to do with this result; but 
it is not improbable that it is also due in part to the 
profits derived from a small crop planted on well-prepar¬ 
ed land leading to an extensive planting on land in poor 
condition. Tiie labor of hoeing would be far greater 
per acre on the latter, and if it could not be obtained in 
tlie right season would be still farther increased, and would 
be likely to lead to discouragement, neglect, and failure. 
If tlie land is warm, dry, clean, mellow, and rich, tho 
crop should be planted early—say as early or a little earlier 
than Indian corn. As the plant grows very slowly at first, 
other things being equal, early planting is very desirable. 
From the remarkable effect which plaster, on some 
soils, has on the growth of sorghum, it is probable 
that it will prove equally useful for broom-corn. Un- 
leachcd wood-ashes are also highly recommended; but 
if the soil is in good condition, we should not look for 
so great an effect as from the plaster. The great point is 
to encourage tlie early growth of tho plants and the de¬ 
velopment of tlie roots. And plaster, in the case of sor¬ 
ghum. and probably in that of broom-corn, seems to have 
this effect. In Mr. Harris’ experiments on sorghum, on 
a light loam soil near Rochester, N. Y., tho plot having 
no manure produced only one and a half tons of stalks 
per acre, while the plot having 250 lbs. of plaster applied 
with the seed at the time of planting produced nearly 
twelve and a half tons per acre. (See American Agricul¬ 
turist ., vol. 21, p. 861.) One ton of unleachcd hard-wood 
ashes produced only a little over eight tons. Of all the 
manures used, plaster was not only by far tlie cheapest, 
but had tho greatest effect. 
‘When planted by hand, it is better to mark off the land 
in rows, three feet apart each way, and drop a dozen or 
more seeds in the hill, and afterwards thin out to eight 
or ten plants ; but when a drill is used, the rows should 
he throe and a half or four foot apart, and the seed 
drilled so as to have a plant every six or eight inches. 
Thinning out should never be neglected, as it is very 
objectionable to have the plants too thick. 
The crop must be kept clean. This is a point of the 
greatest importance. As tlie plants are quite small, a 
light cultivator, such as is used in the market-gardens, 
is far better at first than tho ordinary corn cultivators. 
Start it as soon as the rows can be distinguished, and run 
it as close to the hills as possible, without smothering 
the plants or disturbing the roots too much. If the 
land is clean, and the rows arc straight, the cultivator 
will leave little work for the hoc and fingers. If plaster 
has not been used with the seed, it may be dropped on 
the plants at the first hoeing. Tito plaster will probably 
do more good on warm upland than on moist bottom 
land. The cultivator should bo used as long a3 a weed 
is to be seen. Mitch of the success depends on thorough 
and clean cultivation. 
As soon as about half tho seed is out of its milky state, 
pass through ihe rows and break down the tops about 
one foot below the brush, bending them towards each 
other. The object of doing this i3 to prevent tlie brush 
from becoming crooked from the weight of the seed. 
It also accelerates the ripening. 
In this state the crop is “ tabled.” A man walks back¬ 
ward between the rows, and breaks down the plants, 
from eighteen inches to two feet.above the ground. Cut 
the brush close above the upper joint, and lay it on tho 
“tabic” to dry. In fair weather, this will take four or 
five days. Then tie into bundles, and draw to the bam. 
The seed is separated as soon as the brush is perfectly 
dry. This is done by hand or by machinery, according 
to the extent of tlie crop. A small crop can be cleaned 
with a comb made by sawing teotli in the end of a board, 
and pulling the brush through until the seed is stripped off. 
The amount of seed varies from fifteen to tliirty-fivo 
bushels per acre, according to tlie luxuriance of the crop 
and the time of cutting. The brush is better when tho 
crop is cut while the seed is in the milk, but in this case 
the yield of seed will be light. The seed is quite nutri¬ 
tious, and is usually fed out on the farm. As a marketa¬ 
ble commodity, it is very uncertain. Sometimes it is $3.06 
per bushel (for seed), and then again it is not worth 60 cts. 
-- *--JQ n - 
liaising Onions. 
BV AN OLD SEED GROWER. 
The reason why many do not succeed in their first at¬ 
tempt at raising onions is because they do not select, 
ground which has been suitably prepared in the culti¬ 
vation of tlie two or three previous wops. It is a mis¬ 
take that onions do better, year after year, on the same 
ground, simply because onions follow onions. It is tlie 
higher manuring, more thorough pulverization and mix¬ 
ture of the soil and manures, and the cleaner and moro 
careful cultivation required every year for onions, than is 
given to any other crop, that fits ground better for them. 
Unions will undoubtedly succeed better many years on 
the same ground than most other vegetables, but there is 
a limit to this success. In Wethersfield, which lias been 
so famous for its onions, the cultivation has greatly de¬ 
clined on account of the diminished product to the aero. 
The onions grown there now in many of the old gardens 
are small; they start quickly and grow vigorously tlie fore¬ 
part of tho season, but suddenly meet with a check when 
they should go on growing, even if there be no signs of 
smut or blast, and ripen too early to attain their former 
size and productiveness. Much larger crops are now 
grown in other towns. 
One great trouble among beginners on now ground is 
that the onions will not bottom and ripen at the usual 
time, but continue to grow all tlie season and produce 
too many “ stiff necks” or scallions. There are several 
causes for this. One is, the land, which is too poor to com¬ 
mence the cultivation upon, is heavily manured and 
plowed deep, bringing the poor subsoil to the surface. 
The seed in such soil comes up weak, if at all, and tho 
onions grow very slowly until they get hold of tlie de¬ 
composed manure, when it is too late in the season for 
them to mature. Late sowing, a wet season, and foreign 
or bad seed, are other causes of scallions. If they do not 
begin to bottom before September rains, they never will. 
The onion is not so particular about the character of 
tho original soil as many suppose. Good crops are ob¬ 
tained on almost any soil, not too wet or loo dry, except 
a stiff clay, light sand, or hungry gravel. It is essential, 
however, that the land should have been made rich by the 
thorough incorporation of manures in clean tillage for at 
least two years from tho sod. Corn, and then potatoes, 
carrots, or beets, are good preparatory crops. One or two 
heavily manured tobacco crops admirably fit the ground 
