142 
MINER'S PATENT EQUILATERAL BEE HIVE, ETC. 
cause it to sprout; a good soil, or one well manured, 
and a growing season. 
These remarks are made with reference to the 
absence of the rot. While this is prevalent, we 
think it safest to rely exclusively on planting the 
whole tuber, which should of course be sound, 
and of medium size. At the time of planting, put 
about a pint of oyster-shell lime directly on the 
seed, and then cover. All who have adopted this 
method, so far as we have heard, have not only 
been exempt from the rot, but have grown good 
crops of a superior quality. 
MINER’S PATENT EQUILATERAL BEE HIVE. 
The prominent advantages of this hive are the 
ease of managing the bees in the boxes within the 
supers. By a simple and original contrivance, all 
the trouble and danger of drawing out boxes from 
chamber-bored hives is obviated, and the bees are not 
aroused nor excited in the least. The beaded bot¬ 
tom board is another feature of advantage; and the 
manner of giving ingress and egress, on all sides, 
during the summer season, and the manner of let¬ 
Fig. 36. 
ting the hive down to pass the winter, with two 
small openings only, for the use of the bees, one 
in front, and the other in the rear, &c., with other 
advantages that are of great importance, together 
with its architectural beauty, commend it to the 
consideration of the public. For prices, &c., see 
advertisement at p. 167 of the present number. 
The Language of Nature. —The pages of the 
bright volume of Creation, that are daily and 
hourly unrolled before us, «re “ written,” to use 
the impressive words of Lord Bacon, “ in the only- 
language which hath gone forth to the ends of the 
world, unaffected by the confusion of Babel.’ 
ADULTERATION OF FOOD.—No. 11. 
Although not considered, strictly speaking, as 
articles of food, there are several liquors, or drinks, 
employed in domestic economy, in which adultera¬ 
tions are practised by the manufacturers and vend¬ 
ers, that we shall next endeavor to point out, with 
the view of putting our readers on their guard, 
and checking, in some measure, the evils attending 
this nefarious traffic. 
Cider .—This beverage is frequently mixed with 
various substances for improving the color 3 but as 
these are generally innocuous in their character, it 
is not deemed of sufficient importance to notice 
them here. After being kept some time, or when 
it has been fermented in too high a temperature, 
cider contains such a quantity of acetic acid, that 
it cannot conveniently be drunk, unless some 
means be taken to get rid of the excess of acid. 
This is usually done by the addition of lime, chalk, 
or pearlashes, which are comparatively harmless; 
but the worst of all frauds practised on this drink, 
is the application of litharge, ceruse, or sugar of 
lead, for the purpose of correcting acidity. These 
substances are all poisonous, and the 
reader need not be told that when 
taken into the stomach, they are most 
deadly in their effect. 
Porter , Ale , and Beer .—These fluids, 
perhaps, as a prepared beverage, are 
the most general in use, and, indeed, 
when made exclusively of malt, hops, 
sugar, and water they become, at 
once, as expressed by M. Dumas, “ a 
healthful, refreshing, and even a nour¬ 
ishing drink •” yet, it is much to be re¬ 
gretted that they should be subject to 
more heinous and more wicked adul¬ 
terations than any other articles in 
commerce, notwithstanding stringent 
laws have been enacted in various 
countries to check these frauds and 
punish the offenders. 
We think we can no better describe 
this wholesale method of administering 
slow poisons, than by transferring to 
our columns the following narration 
supposed to have been related by an 
old, ruined, broken-down grogseller, 
to an audience collected in a low, 
drinking house :—“ In the first place,” 
said he, “ the brewer adulterates to 
save his malt; then the publican, (ven¬ 
der,) adulterates it to increase its 
quantity. His business is to make one butt of 
beer into two, aye, and sometimes three. Ha! ha! 
Now, how do you think he does it ? He deluges 
it with water; then, of course, it is so weak and 
flat, that no one can possibly drink it. It wants 
alcohol, or spirit, in it; it wants the bitter flavor ; 
it w T ants pungency; it wants age ; and it wants 
froth. All these are supplied by adulteration. 
Cocculus indicus, henbane, opium, and Bohemian 
rosemary are used instead of alcohol. These are 
all poisons ; and the Bohemian rosemary is of so 
deadly a nature, that a small sprig produces a rav¬ 
ing intoxication. Ha ! ha ! That’s good so far ! 
Then aloes, quassia, wormwood, and gentian sup¬ 
ply the place of hops, and give bitterness to the 
