1873. J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
49 
The Trophy Tomato. —Col. Waiiug'e 
premium of $100 for the beet tomato grown from his 
Headquarters seed has been paid to Mr. E. 8. Renwick, 
of Millbum, Essex Co., New Jersey, for a very fine 
smooth tomato, weighing 19% ounces. There were others 
larger, but they were much inferior in form to this one, 
which was absolutely perfect. The entire Headquarters 
stock of the Trophy tomato has been sold fora large sum 
to Peter Henderson & Co., the well-known seedsmen and 
gardeners, who know a good thing when they Bee it. 
Henderson & Co. intend to keep up the quality of the 
Headquarters seed by a most careful and rigid selection 
of the fruit from which the seed is taken, believing that 
if they follow the course by which this tomato has been 
developed through a quarter of a century, they will im¬ 
prove it still farther. 
Cranberries.-“H. P. D.,” Phillips, Me., asks 
how it would answer, in absence of sufficient water to 
flow a plantation, to construct a reservoir and lay on hose 
from that, and sprinkle the vines with water before sun¬ 
rise after there had been a frost.—This matter being re¬ 
ferred to Mr. J. J. White, author of" Cranberry Culture," 
he replies: “The plan proposed by Mr. D. would, in 
my opinion, counteract the ill effect of any ordinary frost, 
and might be of practical value upon a small scale. It 
would be of little use, however, upon a large plantation, 
the proper time for applying the water being so limited.” 
Tabor.—It is necessary to repeat that we can 
not undertake to procure laborers for farm, house, or any 
other work; that we know of no way to procure cheap 
Chinese or other labor. When we wish help, we go to 
the intelligence and emigration offices and get the best 
we can find. Sometimes we are well suited, but twice 
out of three times we get that which is not help in any 
sense. Those who have written about labor will please 
accept this as an answer, and those who propose to write 
will consider themselves answered in advance. 
Condensed. .Hilk.— “ J. B.,” Pulaski Co., 
Va., would go into the business of condensing milk for 
the New York market, but lacks information about it.— 
We advise him and others who seek similar information to 
turn tiieir ideas toward some other mode of disposing of 
their milk, unless they have a large capital to invest, and 
either possess or can secure the requisite technical skill. 
It is a very different business from canning fruit or oys¬ 
ters, and requires extensive buildings, costly machinery 
which is protected by patents, and experience only gained 
by practice. There have been many failures, and the man 
who has made the only striking success is one who 
possesses rare genius as an inventor. 
Farming without Hard Work.— 
“ Cultivator," Meadvillc, Pa., asks: “ Could I succeed in 
general fanning if I studied good buoks ? I have not taste 
or ability for hard work."—No, sir ! Not all the books in 
the world will make a farmer, nor all the advantages of a 
farm, well stocked, freely given by a father, without hard 
work. Farming must be learned by actual practice, as 
painting, printing, or making horseshoes; when it is 
learned, if one has the means and is a good manager, he 
may succeed with hired help and constant supervision. 
But he must know what to do and how it should be done, 
thoroughly, or he will surely fail. 
I>siiry Hatters.— l! E. J. T.,” Marion, Ill., 
asks if deep tin milk-cans standing in water will ru6t, 
and if circulation of air is necessary in a milk-room.— 
Tin cans kept constantly in pure water do not suffer from 
rust, it is exposing them to air when wetand letting them 
dry slowly that rusts them. Every milk-room should be 
perfectly well ventilated, but should not have strong 
drafts blowing on to the milk. 
Hag'iiolia..—“H. A. L.,” Nord, Ind. Yonr 
question not understood. We read your other word as 
“ Oantawbid," and know no such tree. 
Hog Taws in Ohio. —John S. Bowles, of 
Ohio, writes that they have three laws in Ohio against 
dogs, besides the one making their owners responsible 
for the damages they may do. 1st. “ Any person can kill 
a sheep-killing dog at any place.” But we presume the 
person nine the risk of being able to prove that the dog 
kills sheep. He can not do it on mere suspicion. 2d. 
“Any person can kill any dog running at large off his 
master's premises unless his master is with him ”— 
or, we presume, some one else that has him in charge. 
3d. “ Any person killing a dog at any place or under 
any circumstances can only be made responsible for 
the value of the dog reported for taxation, at the an¬ 
nual assessment. If the dog is reported for taxation 
worth $5, the owner can recover not more than $5. 
We like this latter clause, unless malice or wanton 
cruelty, or sheer thoughtlessness can be shown. Much as 
we detest sheep-killing dogs, we would not make a law 
thut allows a man to kill a pet dog, merely to spite ns on 
the payment of his assessod or real value. We have had 
doge that we would not have had shot for ten times their 
real value. 
Drilling- Corn in Straight. Rows.— 
Mr. II. Willard, of Wisconsin, says he drills his com in 
rows four feet apart, sowing two rows at once with an 
ordinary grain-drill. To make the rows straight, he 
“ takes a light rod and fastens it to the center of the 
tongue of the drill with two staples, in such a way that it 
can be easily moved from one side to the other, and rest 
on the frame of the drill just forward of the wheels. A 
trace-chain is suspended from the rod to run in the last 
row planted, and thus act as a guide. At the end of the 
row, before turning round, the rod is changed to the other 
side, and it will then indicate the exact point at which to 
start ahead.” We have frequently recommended a simi¬ 
lar plan, but thank Mr. W. for calling attention to it 
Greenhouse Construction.-- 111 H. D.,” 
Chillicothe, Mo., inquires for more definite information 
about the construction of “Cheap Greenhouse,” given 
by Mr. Henderson in December number of Agriculturist. 
Mr. Henderson supposed that any carpenter, or any one 
handy with tools, could easily find a way of fitting the 
rafters to the glitter or ridge-pole to a greenhouse, as 
there is no reason why it should be in any way different 
from the rafter that is fitted to the wall-plate and ridge¬ 
pole of a barn-roof. 
Fish-Culture. — “ R. C.,” Meadville, has 
a place with a little brook that can be dammed without 
much trouble, and would try fish-culture; he wants ad¬ 
vice.—The great difficulty in fish-culture is to have a 
proper locality. If trout are to be raised, there must be 
spring water of even temperature the year through, and 
safety from freshets. Then there must be a natural ap¬ 
titude or taste for the pursuit, and patience and plenty of 
that common-sense which is rnoBt uncommon. Then, if 
in addition to these one has the necessary means, he had 
better write to Rev. Wm. Clift, Mystic Bridge, Ct., or 
some other expert, and engage him to examine the 
water privilege and lay out his ponds. 
Peacla Orchard. —A Rhode Island corre¬ 
spondent has sufficient faith to set out a peach orchard. 
The land is just cleared, and he asks us if it would be 
better for him to bum the brush and leaves, or remove 
the brush and burn it elsewhere and let the leaves remain. 
—We should by all means follow the last-named proceed¬ 
ing. The ashes from the brush will be useful herenfter. 
The advice is not asked, but we will state that the best 
peach-growers in Delaware grow corn between the rows 
until the trees come into bearing. 
>orth.f;istcrn Ilce-Keepors’ As¬ 
sociation will hold its third annual meeting at the 
Butterfield House, Utica, N. Y., on the 5th and 6th of the 
present month. All interested in bee-keeping arc in¬ 
vited to attend and participate. 
Rape for Cattle. — B. Ross, of Minn., a6ks 
if rape is a good crop to raise for cows.—No. Its chief 
value as green food is for sheep. We do not think it is 
likely to become a common crop in sections where the 
snow is so deep that sheep could not eat it on the land 
during the latter part of autumn and winter. 
The American Bee Journal.— This 
periodical, devoted to the interests of bee-keeping, and 
long and ably edited by the late Samuel Wagner, at 
Washington, D. C., is henceforth to be published at 
Chicago, under the editorship of Rev. W. F. Clarke, the 
recently-elected President of the North American Beo- 
Keepers' Society. Mr. Clarke assumes charge of the 
Journal at the request of a large number of the leading 
apiarians of the country, who believe that in his hands 
it will be ably conducted, and will be devoted, honestly 
and impartially, as heretofore, to the advancement of 
apiculture. Mr. Clarke is an experienced agricultural 
writer and a practical bee-keeper. He was for several 
years editor-in-chief of the Canada Farmer. Having 
confidence in the American Bee Jonmal under hiB man¬ 
agement, we commend it to all who are interested in 
bee-keeping. Price $2 a year, in advance. 
North Amerioan Bee-Keepers’ Society. 
The above-named Society held its annual meeting at 
Indianapolis, December 4-6. Its proceedings were of 
great interest to bee-keeper j, who were in attendance j 
from all parts of the United States and Canada. Among I 
the resolutions passed, was one authorizing' the President 
to address a circular to all North American bee-keepers, 
inviting them to co-operate with the Society by forming 
neighborhood, county, State, Territorial, and Provincial 
associations, for the promotion of bee-keeping. Tho 
officers elected for 1872-3 were: President— Rev. W. F. 
Clarke, of Guelph, Ontario; Secretary— Rev. H. A. King, 
New York; Corresponding Secretary —Gen. D. L.. Adair, 
Hawesville. Ky.; Treasurer— Hon. M. L. Dunlap, Cham¬ 
paign, Ill. The next annual meeting will be held at 
Louisville, Ky., the first Wednesday in December, 1873. 
Bee Notes for February.— By M. Quinby. 
Mr. S. B. writes: “ Before I commence keeping bees, 
I want your decision whether it will pay to keep 100 
hives.”—I answer. Yes, and No. Either is correct, accord¬ 
ing to circumstances. He gives no conditions upon 
which to form a decision. If his bees arc in a locality 
where the principal sources of honey are deficient^- 
clover, basswood, and buckwheat—he would be likely to 
fail with that number, or any other except a very small 
one. If these sources are ordinarily abundant, and he 
expects to kill his bees to get his profit, as they did fifty 
years ago, he will find it occasionally missing in some of 
the poor seasons that we are having now, and perhaps 
lose the original stock. If “S. B.” has no knowledge of 
the business, and depends on the stories of the patents 
hive venders, that “ the use of their particular hive ” 
will make him rich without an effort, he will he deceived, 
and, like many others, wish he had not invested. 
Hud he inquired of the Agriculturist if it was profit¬ 
able to raise wheat, it would have been first necessary to 
know the man, what his ability, what his soil and cli¬ 
mate, before an answer as to probabilities could be given. 
Some men get rich and some get poor by raising wheat. 
When the country was new, the first crop on a piece of 
land, without the exercise of much skill, was a success ; 
but as the country grew older, the crop was attacked by 
the fly, mildew, and weevil, and it became necessary to 
exercise sufficient knowledge to ward off these attacks. 
So with bees ; they are not so uniformly thrifty as when 
the country was new. We have to provide means to 
avert the effects of wet, cold, dry, and unproductive sea¬ 
sons, and secure a double yield when circumstances are 
favorable. 
If Mr. S. B. has experience to aid him in emergencies, 
and understands their nature sufficiently well to know 
what bees will do under any conditions, he will be on a 
level with the mechanic who has fully served his appren¬ 
ticeship, or the physician or lawyer who has completed a 
thorough course of study, and will be likely to find the 
undertaking profitable. Something depends on what 
we mean by “ profitable.” If money-making is the ob¬ 
ject, first see if* the same amount of labor and capital in 
some other available channel will not turn to better ac¬ 
count. It may be profitable for some men to earn their 
living and be square with the world. One need not ex¬ 
pect to become a millionaire by keeping bees. Some 
expect to get money without giving in return money’s 
worth, and as I have never practiced in this school I can 
not advise. But where one wishes to make two blades 
of grass grow where but one grew before, I am willing to 
assist him with advice. 
Millions of dollars worth of honey in New York State 
alone are annually lost through ignorance of means to 
collect it. 
Tshe movablo-comb hive will aid—perhaps indirectly— 
in collecting a greater portion of this than has ever yet 
been stored. Avail yourself of this aid. Let observation 
or experience decide in what form it shall be. Let the 
hive be sufficiently large to accommodate all the bees 
with room to labor in the season of honey without 
crowding. Much honey is lost for want of room in 
which to store it. If boxes are used for surplus, get them 
ready now, before the busy season arrives, when there is 
no time to deliberately think of anything. Time is worth 
only half as much as at harvest. 
By using the extractor, and furnishing an extra number 
of empty combs, and thereby saving the bees the expen¬ 
diture of wax, and time to construct combs, the amount 
of honey over what is made in the surplus box will be 
trebled. Yon can use any good clean comb from box- 
hives that yon may have, transferred to frames—reject¬ 
ing drone comb—instead of waiting for the bees to con¬ 
struct new. If no empty combs are to be had, the empty 
frames may be put in to be filled. Once full, with caro 
they will last twenty years. In a honey harvest, they may 
be emptied once in three or four days, or a week. Have 
the extractor at once. Near neighbors, having but few 
bees, could own an extractor in partnership. 
The necessity of a large hive is apparent, even when 
surplus boxes are used. Recent experience has taught 
us that with it we can often quadruple the product of 
honey. If the beginner can not purchase his bees in 
such a hive, ready for work, get. the common box-hive, 
