14 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
the production of a multiplicity of crops ; but we 
think that in process of time our American 
agriculture will find its best interests to lie in re¬ 
stricting its productions to such particular crops 
as the land shall most freely and profitably produce 
with a given amount of labor, and outlay in ma¬ 
nures. 
Such considerations, therefore, will form an im¬ 
portant item of calculation in the amount of fenc¬ 
ing which a farm of a given size will require in 
the convenience of working it, or the range to be 
given to the stock kept upon it. 
To a large grain grower, “ short bouts ” in plow¬ 
ing are an unmitigated nuisance. Extensive bot¬ 
tom lands, overflown by annual or occasional 
floods, will not admit fences at all, and in such 
cases, contiguous owners resort to conventional 
modes of securing their fields and crops, and 
which, when necessity compels them, they find 
no difficulty in effecting. In many parts of the 
country we have often seen a large farmer re¬ 
move into a neighborhood and buy out two, three, 
or half a dozen small ones, contiguous to each 
other. He enters at once upon the new estate, 
takes up all, or most of the intermediate fences 
which separated their small lots, and lays them 
out into larger ones ; pulls down their small and 
inferior tenements, and builds for his own occu¬ 
pation on a site suitable for his own future wants 
and objects. There is positive economy in this ; 
r or while with additional capital he starts and 
works the farm better than before, he makes it 
doubly productive, with a less amount of labor, 
and a greatly lessened amount of fence repairs. 
Thus, therefore, large farms require less fencing 
to the acre than small ones. 
Again, much depends, in the extent of fencing 
required, upon the face of the land and the char¬ 
acter of the soil. We have seen farms in some 
parts of New England and Eastern New York so 
cut up in their natural conditions of stony and 
free, hilly and swampy land, that without enor¬ 
mous comparative outlay to equalize them, in or¬ 
der to devote their mixed spots of ground to their 
best uses, numerous small inclosures, without re¬ 
gard to form, had to be made. Hence those 
crooked walls, shapeless fields, and inconvenient 
approaches have to be submitted to, which takes 
away half the profit and all the pleasure of their 
cultivation. Such are in a bad fix, decidedly ; and 
we fear that we shall have to pass them over in 
the main points of our discussion, or leave their 
proprietors to such incidental benefit as they may 
gather from what we have to say on the subject 
of fencing at large. 
With these preliminaries then, we see no way 
to proceed but commence at the beginning, as if 
on a farm we are about to enclose and sub-divide 
there were no fences at all, casting about to know 
where the farms are, what are the best and most 
available fencing materials at hand, and proceed 
to build them in the cheapest and most permanent 
manner—presuming by the way, that the “make¬ 
shift” process has already passed, and that a sub¬ 
stantial system is to be adopted for the coming 
time. We shall suppose, also, that the business, 
or branch of agriculture to which the farm is to be 
devoted is already settled in the mind of its own¬ 
er, and he knows exactly what he wants, and 
has the means to accomplish it. In this view, in 
our next number, we shall proceed to describe the 
different kinds of fences best adapted to the coun¬ 
try, and the manner of making them. 
It is in vain to put wealth within the reach of 
him who will not stretch out his hand to take it. 
Politeness is like an air-cushion—there may be 
nothing in it, but it eases your jolts wonderfully. 
Honey Boxes. 
Several recent subscribers, ask for a descrip¬ 
tion of what we last month (page 363) called “ the 
simple unpatented glass honey boxes used by Mr. 
Quinby.” The annexed engraving of a box re¬ 
ceived from Mr. Q., in 1857, will show the gener¬ 
al form. It is, say 5 inches wide, 6 inches long, 
and 5£ inches high. The top and bottom are made 
of boards £ inch thick. The four corner uprights 
are square pieces say five-eights ofan inch through 
and 5 inches long. These are set up at the cor¬ 
ners and held in place by small nails driven into 
their ends, through the bottom and top board. 
For the sides, common window glass is cut into 
the required size. It can be cut without waste, 
by choosing the panes of the right size. The 
glass pieces are placed against the uprights, on the 
outside, to complete the box, and are held there 
by bits of tin, slit with shears part way through 
the middle, and the slit enl shoved through the 
uprights, corner-wise, from the inside outward. 
The slit end is then bent over the edges of the 
glass, one' part to the right, the other to the left. 
The box is here represented bottom side up to 
show the hole in the bottom piece. These boxes 
are set side by side over a common box hive, 
the holes meeting other holes in the top of the 
hive. A box cover is set over the whole tightly, 
to shut out rain and keep the boxes dark, other¬ 
wise the bees will not work in them. 
ANOTHER FORM. 
“ Cassius,” of Macon County, III., sends us 
drawings and a description of what he considers 
an improvement upon the above. He constructs 
the box essentially as above, but uses glass in the 
ends only. The object is to secure a strong box 
suitable for carrying honey safely a longdistance 
to market. They might be made entirely of wood, 
but *he glass ends allow opportunity to examine 
them from time to time to ascertain when full, 
&c. Further, the honey is more salable if it is 
open to view. “ Cassius’ ” description is essen¬ 
tially as follows: 
The box is, say 12 inches long, or of any other 
desired dimensions. Pine, oak, walnut or other 
easily dressed £ inch boards are used. The bot¬ 
tom, top and two side-pieces are 12 inches long ; 
the top pieces 8£ inches wide, and the side pieces 
4J inches wide. In each of these, at £ inch from 
the end, a groove is cut with a saw, £ inch deep. 
Pieces of glass 8 by 5 inches are made by cutting 
8 by 10 panes across the middle. 
The bottom is fastened to the side pieces with 
nails ; the glass is then slipped into the grooves, 
and the top put on, and fastened down with small 
screws. The outside of the -box is then 4 J by 7f 
by 12 inches and contain 44If- cubic inches, and 
according to the writer’s experience, will hold 15 
lbs. of honey when well filled. 
[As above remarked, the size may be varied at 
pkasure. We think the smaller sizes, holding 5 
to 7 pounds of honey, are better adapted to gen¬ 
eral use and sale. Five pound boxes are about 
the size for general retailing. Besides, when a 
box is to be broken, it is desirable to have as lit¬ 
tle honey as possible to be disturbed. A form, 
somewhat similar to the above, will be found 
described in Langstroth’s book, “ The Hive and 
Honey-Bee.”— Ed ] 
■--- 
“ Gather the Bones!” 
A dozen or more letters have accumulated, 
making inquiries about the value, treatment, etc., 
of hones. We have, in former numbers and vol¬ 
umes, answered every question, but will sum up 
a few hints here. We firmly believe there is no 
fertilizer so good for all crops, and on almost all 
soils, as unburned bones. We buy no other ma¬ 
nure. When immediate benefit is desired, we use 
bone sawings, obtained from factories where bones 
are worked into buttons, knife-handles, and other 
articles. This material costs us, delivered, 13 75 
per barrel of about 300 or more pounds. It is 
packed solid, and attracts moisture enough to keep 
damp. It is first mingled with four or five times 
its bulk of fine dry surface soil, and well mixed 
by mashing and sifting. A handful of it. is then 
scattered in the soil immediately in contact with, 
and around seed sown and the roots of plants set 
out. It is delightful to witness the effect. We 
use it for everything grown, with unvarying good 
results. The quantity used varies from two to 
eight barrels per acre, according to the previous 
good or poor quality of the soil. Il pays well. 
For fruit-trees and grape-vines we use large 
quantities of ground or broken bones. The larger 
the pieces the slower will be their decay, and the 
more lasting their effect. If bones merely broken 
with a hammer are used, some finely ground 
bones or bone sawings are added for more imme¬ 
diate effect. 
Bones crushed or ground in an ordinary bone- 
mill contain less fine material than is required 
for immediate effect, unless considerable quanti¬ 
ties are used. It is desirable to have them as 
near a powdered condition as possible. But if free¬ 
ly applied the fine material will be immediately 
beneficial, while the coarser portion will continue 
to yield good results for several years, according 
to the coldness or warmth of the soil, and their 
consequent slow or rapid decay. 
TO DISSOLVE BONES. 
If no mills are accessible, bones may be dis¬ 
solved in sulphuric acid. For 100 lbs. of bones 
take about 30 lbs. of acid (2 gallons), and mix 
with it, say 32 lbs. of water (4 gallons). First, 
put the water into a strong wooden-hooped cask oi 
barrel, and add the acid slowly—stirring it, as ad 
ded, with a stick. Crack the bones, or not, as may 
be convenient, and put them into and above the 
fluid. Punch them down and stir them occasion¬ 
ally with a stick. Let them stand, four, six, ot 
eight weeks, until softened and mostly dissolved. 
Many assert that they cannot dissolve whole 
bones, but they do not take time enough. From re¬ 
peated trials we know they will dissolve. The 
time will depend upon the dryness of the bones, 
and their freedom from fat. 
After standing two months, more or less, mix 
the mass thoroughly, with six or eight times, or 
more, its bulk of muck, or even with common 
soil, if need be. This makes an excellent ferti¬ 
lizer, worth anywhere all it costs, and more. Sul¬ 
phuric acid, in carboys of 120 to 160 lbs., costs 
from two to three cents per pound, according to 
distance from the manufactory. It needs to be 
handled with care, as it is corrosive to the flesh 
and clothing. 
S. W. Joy will find his queries answered above, 
except as to warmth. The dissolving liquid will 
not freeze during the first week or two at least. 
It is not worth while to take any trouble to keep 
it warm or cold. 
