AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
963 
with odors of the dung-heap, to permit us to be¬ 
lieve that the ammonia is all washed into the soil. 
Hence it is our practice to compost our manures, 
and to keep them in the barn-yard until thorough¬ 
ly decomposed. Then, certainly, there will be no 
sweetness wasted on the desert air ; and the ma¬ 
nure may be applied on the surface, or turned un¬ 
der to any depth required by j.he crop to be raised. 
We believe that manure should be placed just 
about where it is wanted. Certain grasses have 
their roots very near the surface, and will be most 
benefitted by surface manuring, which should be 
applied in the Fall. Red clover and some grains 
strike their roots deeper and need to have the soil 
manured accordingly. So with fruit-trees. Let 
the application of manure be adjusted to the wants 
of the plant and the tree. * 
-«*-.——* o a——-— 
Early Fattening of Animals. 
The philosophy of increase of fat in animals is, 
that the digested food not needed to supply waste 
in the system, is laid up in the form of fat around 
the muscles, ready to be absorbed again into the 
circulation if needed. Waste is induced by ex¬ 
ercise, or use of the muscles, and also by com- 
Dustion in the lungs, of the digested food, to sup¬ 
ply animal heat. Hence, the same amount of food 
given in warm weather will, if digested, afford a 
greater surplus of fat than when fed in cold weath¬ 
er. Hogs or other animals intended for fatten¬ 
ing should be shut up this month. Many advocate 
making the size of the fattening pen so small that 
the animal will have but just room to stand or 
lie. While confinement favors rest and a disposi¬ 
tion to fatten, too close quarters are not health¬ 
ful for the animal, which needs moderate exer¬ 
cise to promote digestion. The quality of the 
flesh produced must be somewhat impaired by 
any confinement that interferes with the health. 
The appetite may be kept up by change of food, 
a frequent supply of green vegetables, such as 
corn, cabbage leaves, pea-vines, and the refuse 
of the garden. Cooked food digests much more 
easily than raw, and is in a condition to yield 
more nourishment, and is also better relished by 
most kinds of stock. Cleanliness in the fatten¬ 
ing pens should not be overlooked. Although 
pigs proverbially are filthy, they are not really so ; 
they do not delight in the effluvia of their own 
droppings, as any one can see by noticing that 
they generally appropriate one portion of the pen 
to filth. An occasional washing and scrubbing 
with soap suds will conduce much to their thrift— 
all animals keep in condition more easily when 
the skin is kept clean and healthy. 
Dark Stables. 
It can not be doubted that light exercises a 
very important influence upon animal as well as 
upon vegetable economy. Every one’s feelings 
bear witness to the stimulus afforded by its agen¬ 
cy; a dark day or a dark room induces lassitude 
and repose, which is quickly dissipated by the 
bright sunshine. Many diseases are much 
more virulent in shaded situations; and the eye 
especially can not long retain its full power if de¬ 
prived of light. From mistaken notions on this 
subject, or from false economy, it is a general 
practice to exclude light from the stables of 
horses and other animals. It is supposed by 
many that they thrive best in the dark. Where 
the animal is stabled for a brief period of rest, 
darkness will undoubtedly favor his repose. In 
the season when flies are troublesome it may al¬ 
so be well to darken the stable to exclude them, 
but when animals are stabled permanently in 
darkness, they can not but suffer in various ways. 
The horse, especially, is very much subject to dis¬ 
eases of the eye, and there can be but little doubt 
that this tendency is increased by confining him 
permanently where the eye, in waking hours, is 
strained to an unnatural position to perceive ob¬ 
jects around him. Horse jockeys find an advan¬ 
tage in the use of such stables. The animal be¬ 
ing brought into the glare of day is confused and 
startled, and by his high stepping and half-uncer¬ 
tain manner impresses a novice with an idea of 
his spirit and action. Even if the quiet induced 
by darkness may favor increase of fat, it is not 
conducive to muscular strength. Muscles de¬ 
prived of the stimulus of light, become flaccid, 
an.d the apparently high condition induced by this 
means is soon lost by active exertion. Men 
whose employments confine them to poorly light¬ 
ed apartments soon lose the color and the energy 
of full health, and the same results follow simi¬ 
lar treatment of animals. 
Besides this, a dark stable will seldom be kept 
in that cleanly condition which favors full health. 
The “ corners ” will be neglected, especially if 
the care of animals be entrusted to the “ help ” 
who are usually content if the stable looks nice. 
When building stables, ample provision for light 
will cost but little more than imperfect fixtures, 
and in the end will be found more profitable. 
- « 3 t I. ■ ina -^- pi - ► - 
Packing’ a Sleigh Away. 
“ I would be glad to keep a one horse sleigh, 
if it were not for the bother of having it around 
under foot all Summer.’’ So said a friend to us 
last Winter. He kept a horse, a family wagon, 
a lumber or truck wagon, and a cow, and bad 
just about barn room enough to keep them in 
conveniently, with the necessary feed, tools, etc., 
and an extra stall, and wagon room, to be used 
when a visitor called. So he dispensed with the 
use of a sleigh for a month or two in Winter, 
rather than have it around all the rest of the year, 
in the way generally, and needing to betaken out 
of doors when an extra wagon came in. 
Happening the other day into the barn of a 
neighbor, who was similarly situated, we found 
him packing away a light sleigh in a novel but 
convenient manner. He has an extra stall, and 
a place for the lumber wagon in a lean-to built 
against the original small barn which contained 
the hay loft. The roof of the lean-to was quite 
sloping, and under the lower part of this the 
lumber wagon was kept, leaving room for a stall 
and a wagon or sleigh on the side next to the 
main barn. Removing the thills of the sleigh and 
putting ropes around it, he hoisted it up along side 
of the barn under the sharp angle of the lean-to 
roof, partly over the stall. There it hangs en¬ 
tirely out of the way, leaving room on the floor 
under it for putting another wagon or for other 
purposes. Straw was put under the hoisting rope 
to prevent marring the paint, and inside of the 
sleigh box were stowed sundry light articles not 
needed for Summer use. The thills were laid on 
top of the sleigh, and a piece of canvass or cloth 
was spread over it before hoisting, which keeps 
dust from gathering in and upon it. In this case 
a common pully was attached to the rafter by a 
short rope, and the hoisting rope passed through 
it. This is not necessary when there is help 
enough at hand to lift the sleigh up easily. 
Lesson —When a sleigh or other implement not 
in common use, is in the way, hang it up. 
--»-- 
Bees breeding in Winter. —Jas H. Willian, 
Spencer Co., Ind., writes that last Winter during 
the coldest weather he had occasion to move one 
of his hives, and a portion of the comb fell down, 
which contained bees in all stages from the egg 
to the full formed insect, proving, he thinks, that 
breeding goes on in the hive during Winter. 
-——-=<»«--—»- 
Rapid Swarming of Bees. —R. F. E., Litch 
field Co., Conn., writes that he had three swarms 
of bees, which issued from one hive in five days ; 
one on June 15th, another on the 16th, and the 
third on the 19th. Each swarm settled, was hived 
without trouble, and all are now doing finely. 
What do old bee-keepers say to this 1 
---- — -*-=.- 
Driving Bees from Honey Boxes. 
I observe on page 231 of the August Agricultur¬ 
ist directions given for “ driving bees from honey 
boxes,” which might, and probably would, be ob¬ 
jectionable, and although “ advice unasked is ill 
received,” yet, having this season driven the bees 
from over 200 pounds of honey, contained in 
boxes holding only from 3 to 8 pounds each, the 
only outlet for the bees being an ljinch hole, my 
experience may be of some value to some of 
your many readers. I remove the box, and set 
it near the hive, with one end of the combs down¬ 
ward, giving it a few taps to alarm the bees, say 
once in every five or ten minutes—sometimes 
not so often. After it has remained in that posi¬ 
tion, say half an hour, take the box or receptacle 
and rest one edge on the alighting board, or bench 
of the hive, a few inches from the entrance, with 
the hole in the honey box facing the hive. I keep 
rapping at the box for a few minutes, by which 
time nearly all the bees will have left it, and 
entered the hive. The bees being filled with 
honey, there is no danger of their stinging from 
the rough treatment they receive. Through 
negligence I once allowed the box to remain 
where it was first moved to, for “three or four 
hours," and on examining I found it full of rob¬ 
bers, which adhered to it quite tenaciously until 
they too had filled themselves; and if left “three 
or four hours ” in the morning, uncovered, much 
of the honey would probably be carried off l 
robbers. R. C 
Baltimore, Md. y 1859. 
Consecutive Swarms of Bees—Impregn., 
tion of Queens, etc. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
The manner in which my last communication 
was printed (p. 231,) shows that there was a 
misconception of my meaning, and I therefore 
beg of you, to permit me to set myself right. I 
said in that communication after the word 
“later,” “and was in the character of a second 
swarm ; and the one to which I was called on the 
following day, came in the character of a third 
swarm.” The old hive certainly swarmed three 
times. The first swarm was not observed by any 
one ; and as the queen was lost, the swarm re¬ 
turned to the old hive. As soon as another queen 
was ready to accompany the swarm, say about 
the 9th or 11th day, the swarm came again, and 
was hived ; and on the next day, another swarm 
came, to which I was called ; and this swarm had 
the character of a third swarm. 
It may be laid down as a well established fact, 
that a young swarm of bees never returns to the 
old hive, unless the queen is lost. One exception 
to this rule we met with this season ; and in that 
case, the queen positively refused to leave the 
old hive ; for as often as she came out on the 
board in front of the hive, she invariably returned 
to the hive. The consequence was, the young 
