bees being injured in the least by tobacco smoke, 
provided it was properly used. 
I am now no alvocate of tobacco smoke being used 
to frighten bees, (as a belter and cheaper material can 
be used for the same purpose. Last season in all 
ray operations I used punk wood smoke to frighten 
bees. Strictly sneaking, it is not punk, but hard 
maple wood pretty nearly decayed, or what is termed 
“dozy.” The ilmoke of this wood is not quite as 
pungent as that t>f tobacco, hence the inexperienced 
operator is not st> liable to “ sicken ” the bees. It Is 
better than tobacco, or sweetened water, for this 
reason: —ItB cost in simply the expense of procuring 
the wood. Not so w r ith either tobacco or liquid 
sweets. A piece of wood 10 or 12 inches long, and 1 
or 2 inches in diameter, will iaBtfor a long time — 
much longer than a roll of cotton rags and tobacco of 
the same dimensions,— thereby enabling the opera¬ 
tor to examine a larger number of colonies. The 
wood, if it he sufficiently “dozy,” will burn readily 
and give a continuous smoke,—it will burn until 
wholly consumed. In my operations the coming 
season, I presume I shall use at ieast half a cord of 
this wood; if so, it must be obvious that a sufficient 
quantity of tobacco, or sweetened water, 
would be no small expense. I seldom have 
... occasion to use the liquid sweets only at the 
-_x Fairs,— it is then quite necessary. It is used 
1 / in connection with the smoko of wood. The 
/ smoke of the wood is perfectly harmless, costs 
comparatively nothing, will effect in most 
cases the object desired is therefore prefer¬ 
able to tobacco or sweetened water —hence 
I can safely recommend It for general use. To 
conclude, let. it suffice to say that it is not at 
all surprising to me that your correspondent 
should attach to hiKtriturwethe initials H. H. T. 
Were I to promulgate similar erroneous views, 
I, too, would moat certainly he too modest to 
present, rny real name to the public, but instead 
would also attach to my articles, as an apology, 
a few initials, or some high sounding rum de plume. 
M. M. Baldridge. 
Middleport, Niag. Co., N Y , March, 1861. 
turn off increase in fat lambs and yearlings, keep 
more breeding ewes, and raise more lambs. 
My answers to the above are, 1st, I do sell my 
mutton sheep, which consists of my surplus wethers 
only, immediately after they are shorn. 2d, My 
lambq when kept in good thrifty store order, are both 
large ami fat enough, shear heavy enough, and make 
large sheep enough — being fully equal in size to the 
average of the class to which they belong. 
In regard to weight of fleece and size of sheep, 
allow me to give an extract from the “ American 
Shepherd, ” page 242, which embodies my own expe¬ 
rience, and I believe is the true doctrine:—“The 
American wool-grower need not over-feed simply 
with a view to make heavy fleeces, as the wool of 
sheep, when fat, is comparatively Coarse, and the 
expense of the food used in placing them in this 
condition, together with the reduction of the value 
of their wool, will more than counterbalance the 
gain from the increased weight. The wool of the 
Haxon and Merino variety is never so beautiful and 
perfect in all respects as when it is natural , and this 
follows only from keeping the sheep in healthy store 
order, and nothing beyond that.” 
Mr. J. says, by high feeding, I could turn off my 
increase in fat lambs and yearlings. I never sell my 
lambs or yearlings, because I need 400 sheep or over 
to keep for growing wool, and at. no other age do 
sheep shear nicer wool, or more value in proportion 
to the feed they consume, than lambs and yearlings. 
By keeping them till they are 2 or 2J years old, I am 
enabled to select the best shearers, und then sell the 
surplus bucks and ewes for breeders, for a better 
price than I could obtain for them fatted, after taking 
the extra cost of feed into consideration. It may do 
for a mutton grower to sell his young sheep, but no 
wool-grower worthy of the name will allow his lambs 
or yearlings to be taken indiscriminately by the 
butcher or any one else. I want but 100 lambs per 
year, and find no difficulty in raising them from 120 
ewes, some of which will be barren. I do not think 
it pays to raise auy more, when we consider that 
breeding ewes require nicer feed and care, and shear 
less than the same sheep would if kopt dry. This 
allows me to sell 100 sheep per year, about 50 of 
which are ewes, 10 bucks, and 40 wethers. The 
wethers are kept till the third shearing, and during 
the last winter I feed them as high as I dare, without 
injuring their wool, and in the interval between 
foddering and shearing, I give them as good pasture 
as I have, in which they become good mutton, aud 
sell at as fair a protit us Mr. Johnston’s, when his 
extra feed is considered. The wool grown during 
the seven or eight weeks they are at grass will be 
comparatively coarse and gross; but most of it wil) 
be left by the shearers, so that the fleece taken off will 
actually have been grown when the sheep were in 
thrifty store order only. 
I make no pretention to any extra honesty, but 
refuse to grow very heavy fleeces from self-iuterest. 
If 1 should take Mr. J.’s advice, and keep my sheep 
fat, the respectable wool buyers acquainted with my 
wool wonld, on examining it, say that K. Jl. had 
taken up high feoding, that his wool had become 
coarse and greasy, ami that boreafter it must he con¬ 
sidered second instead of first quality, and be bought 
for from 5 to 10 cents less per pound than before. It 1 
is true I could boast of having larger and fatter 
sheep, and heavier fleeces, but I could not shake 
from my mind the unpleasant fact that. 1 obtained 
that luxury at the cost of about $100 per year in 
the depreciated value of my wool. 
Although I believe one of the very best uses for 
good hay is to feed fine wool sheep; yet I would not 
object to feeding grain when accessary, providing 
wool growing sheep were not made fat thereby. 1 
would feed grain if my hay were damaged, and even 
straw aud grain if short of hay. I have kept my 
sheep almost entirely on hay for the last 20 years, 
and never yet learned that it did not pay. I believe 
that straw, corn spilks, and coarse fodder can be ffid 
to a better profit to growing store cattle, but have no 
room to give my reasons therefor in this article. 
Mr. Johnston made one admission indirectly, for 
which I thank him, viz., that it takes 25 tuns of hay 
to keep 100 of his sheep through the foddering sea¬ 
son — that is. 500 pounds for a sheep. Of course he 
must speak from his own experience, since he knows 
nothing about what my common sized store fed 
Merinoes cat. This is also in accordance with 
auother ex T ract from the book referred to, page 245, 
which is true, viz.— “It may be Laid down as a rule 
by which the unwary may learn, that, after knowing 
the usual average weight of carcase and fleece of a 
given breed, if he hears of auy very extraordinary 
individual instances of either, generally it may he 
ascribed to extra feeding, and at a cost accordingly.” 
I have never weighed the hay fed to my sheep, but 
judging from what I have seen weighed, and by the 
rules given to estimate the quantity of bay in a mow, 
I do not beliere that 400 of my average sized sheep 
will consume 50 tuns of hay during the foddering 
season. Since rending Mr. J.’g article, I have inquired 
of a number of men who keep sheep similar in size to 
mine, and they generally answer from 10 to 11 tnns 
to the 100 sheep. — but if such sheep should use 124 
tnns, it will bo seen that it is but half the quantity 
for Mr, Johnston's. Hay has sold here thus far 
this season for $5 per tun at the barns. s. H. 
Conesus Center, N. Y., March, 1861. . 
®l)e 3fcu)0 tfunimtser 
Italian Bee*. 
We have a host of inquiries about the habits and 
value of Italian Rees. We have seen these bees, 
particularly the queens, examined them with some 
interest, and this is about all. A good deal that is 
said about Italian bees in America, is founded upon 
the opinions of European Apiarians. No one, we 
think, has had sufficient experience in this country 
to speak with confidence. Dr. Kirtland and others, 
from last year’s experience, are favorably impressed, 
thinking the Italian are more industrious, less 
affected by cold and sudden changes of the weather, 
and more prolific than our common bees. A few 
persons have obtained Italian Queens, and they are 
bound to make money by the operation if they can. 
This, of course, they have as good a right to do as 
the breeder of improved stock, and may at the same 
time that they enrich themselves, confer a benefit 
upon the country. We have obtained a fine engrav¬ 
ing of an Italian Queen. 
The following interesting description of the Italian 
Bee is from a German work, by H. C. Hermann. 
— A line of steamers between Ireland and France is p ro . 
jected. 
— American mineral teeth are said to be the best used in 
Europe. 
— A treaty of peace has been signed between Spain and 
Morocco. 
— The Legislature of New York, during the session just 
closed, enacted 860 laws. 
— The city of Paris has recently built 16,000 houses, and 
rents are expected to fall. 
— It is estimated that 36,000.000 friction matches are made 
daily in the United States. 
— The first passenger railroad in London commenced run¬ 
ning on the 25th of March. 
— The French line-of-battle ships are completely overhauled 
and refitted every two years. 
— Three women were baptized by a Mormon Elder at New¬ 
burgh, Ohio, on Sunday week. 
— G. A. Conkling has received the appointment of Indian 
Agent, for the State of Kansas. 
— A number of the “ first ladies ” in Chicago have offered 
their services as regiment nurses. 
— The depot of the Rome and Watertown R. R. at Camdem, 
was destroyed on Thursday night. 
— The citizens of Canandaigua are all agog over the dis¬ 
covery of an ancieut Indian grave yard. 
— The city of Detroit has been mulcted iu $20,000 for leav- 
ing a sewer unprotected A dear lesson. 
— There is a colored woman in Charleston, S. C., who pays 
taxes on $40,000 of real estate and 14 slaves. 
— The average height of Englishmen is five feet eight 
inches; of English women five feet one inch. 
— The Rank of France never discounts a piece of business 
paper which has less than three names on it. 
— There is a negro in Charleston 125 years of age. He is 
as black as jet, and bears the name of Cupid. 
— Dickens, who for years bad an income of £8,000 a year, 
is now said to be in straitened circumstances. 
— A boy in the city of New York has been sent to prison 
for thirty days, for stealing newspapers from door steps. 
— Colt's pistol factory, at Hartford, commenced running 
on double time—twenty hours per day—on Monday week. 
— It is estimated that the average number of letters to 
each box, in the New York post office, per annum, is 1,859. 
— Mr. Russell, correspondent of the Loudon Times, has 
just visited Fort Sumter, to write a newspaporiat view of it. 
— Several parties in Minnesota are about to try the expert- 
ment of raising sheep in that State, on u capital of 1,000 sheep 
each. 
— The taxes of New York city now amount to twelve mil¬ 
lion dollars, equal to two per cent, of the value of its real 
estate. 
— The gross amount expended by the Canadian Govern 
ment on the entertainment of the Prince of Wales is $282,- 
374 28. 
— After an extraordinary amount of opposition, Mr. Train 
has succeeded in completing the first line of street railway in 
London. 
— Ninety-one vessels entered at the port of New York from 
foreign ports on Tuesday, the largest number ever entered in 
one day. 
— Catharine Beecher, sister of Henry Ward, is soon to take 
charge of the boarding department of the Milwaukee female 
seminary. 
— Messrs. Brown A Blair, building movers of Boston, have 
entered into a contract to mov^a large number of buildings 
in Scotland. 
— The natives of Poland resident in New York are prepar¬ 
ing to organize a regiment for service under the President’s 
proclamation. 
— Nathaniel J. Bowditch, the distinguished mathematu 
*8 #aft*}** mwb* - -•* 
— A great religious revival is going on in the Isle ci Man. 
A great reformation in conduct among certain classes has 
been observed. 
— The Irish Pictorial of Boston comes out with a strong 
article to the Irish to rally under the flag of the country of 
their adoption, 
— The citizens of Kansas complain bitterly that their State 
was not called upon for troops, and say they will tender a 
regiment anyhow. 
— A gentleman living seventeen miles from Toledo went 
all the way to that city, on Monday evening week, to attend 
a patriotic meeting. 
— Two lady post mistresses have been reappointed in Mas¬ 
sachusetts— Miss Gardner, in Hingham, and Mrs. Harriet 
Hodges, in Norton. 
— The receipts of the city of Columbus, Ohio, for the year 
ending April 4th, amounted to $70,517.59, aud the disburse¬ 
ments to $70,011.33, 
— In ten years the number of churches in Ohio has increas¬ 
ed 1,850 and the value of them $2,103,437, being 32 and 36 
per cent, respectively. 
— Miss Colfax, cousin of the Hon. Schuyler Colfax, has 
been appointed Light House keeper at Michigan City, with a 
salary of $350 a year. 
— An inspection of the bones of Charlemagne took place 
at Aix-la-Chapelle recently. The remains were found in 
excellent preservation. 
— The Cochituate water bills against eleven of the princi¬ 
pal hotels in Boston, for the first three months of this year, 
amounted to $2,068.43. 
— The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania has re¬ 
fused to permit the baulks of the State to issue bills of a less 
denomination than $5. 
— Mr. James Allen, of Providence, the distinguished aeron¬ 
aut, has offered his services to the Government, to recon¬ 
noitre with his balloon. 
— A new brush for the hair has been invented. The bristles 
are set around tubes, which convey oil, or other liquid, from 
a reservoir, on pressure. 
— The quantity of paper manufactured in Great Britain in 
1858 was 192,847,825 pounds; in 1859, 217,827,197 pounds; in 
1860, 223,576,285 pounds. 
— Gambling is said to be carried on to an extraordinary exj 
tent, just now, in Athens, Greece, where there are no less 
than 5,000 gaming houses. 
— There are one hundred and twenty weekly religious 
papers in the United States, having a circulation of about 
one million copies weekly. 
— A diver of Kingston, Ja , recently recovered a thousand 
dollars worth of ivory from a ship Bunk in the harbor of that 
city one hundred years ago. 
— Dr. John Evans, United States Geologist, died in Wash¬ 
ington, at 10 o’clock on the 13th inst., from pneumonia, alter 
an illness of only a few days. 
— On the 6th inst., two miners at work in a coal pit at 
Wegee, a few miles below Wheeling, Va., were instantly 
killed by the explosion of gas. 
— Horace Bishop died in Adrian, Mich, last week, aged 100. 
He served four years in the revolution, and stood sentry over 
Major Andre at his execution. 
— The New England Life Insurance Company has estab¬ 
lished a war rate, ax two per cent, above ordinary rates, and 
commenced the issuing of policies. 
— The water works of Philadelphia now supply about 65,- 
000 water renters, at $2 50 each, and upwards, according to 
the number of openings in the pipes. 
— Street railroads are about to be commenced at Hamburg, 
Copenhagen, Berlin, and Pesth, in Hungary. These railroads 
are to be built by American engineers. 
— Lieut. Jones, of the U. S. army, died in Saco, Me., on 
27th ult., aged 70 years and 9 months, after nearly 50 years 
suffering from wounds received in 1812. 
— The large increase of the number of Lunatics in Eng¬ 
land is attributed by eminent physiologists of that country to 
the deleterious substances mixed with food. 
Spring has Come!— The Duty of Farmers. — After two 
heavy falls of snow- in April, and much cold and unpleasant 
weather, we arc enabled to announce the advent of Spring¬ 
like skies and atmosphere. The snow storm of lost week 
which prevailed over a large extent of country, seem* to have 
cleared the heavens of the Winter so long hanging over earth 
—for, with the disappearance of the snow, we were favored 
with warm and pleasant weather. The clear sunshine and 
genial atmosphere of Sunday and Monday, gave assurance of 
a long-desired change, and a wonderful impetus to business 
in both town and country. 
— Farmers and gardeners have entered with energy upon 
the peaceful but. pressing and arduous labors' of the season 
Farmers, especially, have much to do in a brief period, as 
the labors of the Spring Campaign must be performed well 
and speedily to insure success. The time Is brief and the 
work great, while the laborers are few, for tens of thousands 
are volunteering to maintain the Government and preserve 
the Union. Those who do not join in the War for the Pres 
ervation of the Union have important duties to discharge at 
home. We said a few weeks ago t.bat every Producer was a 
Patriot — and we trust every farmer will this year demon¬ 
strate his love of kindred and conntrv by efforts to render 
the harvest as abundant as possible. Breadstuff's will no 
doubt be dear, and provisions of all kinds must command 
good prices, Let every cultivator do his best, therefore, 
toward supplying the demand. 
AN ITALIAN QUEEN. 
The yellow Italian Alp Bee is a mountain insect; 
it is found between two mountain chains to the right 
and left of Lombardy and Rhatian Alps, and com¬ 
prises the whole territory of Tessir, Veltlin, and 
South-Graubunden. It thrives up to the height of 
4,500 feet above the level of the sea, and appears to 
prefer the northern climate to the warmer, for in the 
south of Italy it is not found. 
As all good and noble things in the world are more 
scarce than common ones, so there are more common 
hlaclc bees than of the noble yellow race, which latter 
inhabit only a very small piece of country, while the 
black ones are at home everywhere in Europe, and 
even in America. 
The Italian yellow bee differs from the Common 
black bee in its longer, slender form, and light 
chrome-yellow color, with light brimstone-colored 
wings, and two orange-red girths, each one-sixth of 
an inch wide. Working bees as well as drones have 
this mark. The drones are further distinguished by 
the girths being scolloped, like the spotted water- 
serpent, and attain an astonishing size; almost half 
as corpulent again as the black drones. The queen 
has the sume marks as the working bees, hut much 
more conspicuous and lighter; she is much larger 
than the black queen, aud easy to he singled out of 
the swarm, on account of her remarkable size and 
light c olor. These bees are almost transparent when 
the sun shines on them. 
This race has nothing in common with the black 
bees; this can he instantly seen by their ways and 
manner of building. The ceils of the Jtniian bees are 
considerably deeper and broader than those of the 
black bees. Fifteen cells of the Itulians are us broad 
as sixteen cells of black kind. 
They arc oxtremolytendcr, amiable little creatures, 
and a bee-protector is not necessary with them, as, 
unprovoked, they never sting, least of all their own 
master. It is a specific Swiss bee; the Alps are their 
home, and there they thrive beautifully: the higher 
the better. The exhalations of an Italian bee-hive is 
pungent, and easy to be distinguished from a German 
hive. 
The Italian bees have decidedly the preference. If 
a piece of honey is anywhere about, the Italians are 
sure to he the first, to find it out. Loug before the 
black bees fly out, the Italians come, and are indus¬ 
trious until late in Autumn, when the black bees 
have long since ceased to work. Everywhere they 
scent the honey first, and are therefore the first to 
discover a weak neighboring hive and to rob them of 
their stores. 
Old Wagon* and Carriages. 
Almost every farmer, in the early part of his 
practice, is tempted t,o buy second-hand wagons, old 
carriages, etc., from their cheapness; hut if he keeps 
a correct account of the bills for repairs by the 
blacksmith, wheelwright, painter and others, he will 
soon discover that the first wear of the carriage is 
the cheapest. Thus a new Roi kawuy will frequently 
run two, three or four yeare, with scarcely a repair, 
and if well cared for, will seem to he almost as good 
as now: the next three years will develop rather a 
different state of things. Those who have most 
experience, find it to their advantage to sell their old 
carriages before they begin to need frequent repair. 
A carriage, like a carpet, may he worn a long time in 
good order, hut as soon as either show wear, they are 
well sold at half their cost. So says the Working 
farmer. 
Tin, Wif #at Crop of this section, as before stated, presents 
an unpromising appearance, though It Is improving of late. 
Our advices as to the extent of injury from extreme cold 
weather, when the ground was bare, and also from heaving, 
are somewhat contradictory, but all agree that the prospect 
is unfavorable. A letter from Norfolk Co., C. W., April 16, 
says:—"In this locality wheat has suffered severely from a 
very bard spring That which has survived the severity of 
the weather Is so late that the midgo is almost sure to 
destroy it Comparing the prospect of this spring with last, 
1 do not, think we shall have more than half a crop.” We 
have more favorable report* from Ohio, Indiana, Ac. A 
friend writing from Noble Co., Ind., says: — “ We are having 
a wet, backward sprii\r' T , Mt *-v rwm looks unusually 
r _ 2 . 6 ... ivurntern Indiana. 
Mangel Wnrzel Experiment. 
James Childs, of Deerfield, Mass., President of 
Wapping Club, planted, on the 23d of May last, 47 
rods of sandy loam with mangel wurzel. Previously 
four cart loads of green manure had been plowed in, 
and one curt IosuLlS £ umpost harrowed in. Haifa 
rprouted and turn popped by hand in rotas, two or 
three seeds to the hilt, about three feet by fifteen 
inches apart.’ There were many vacancies of from 
three to seven feet, but they were cultivated und hoed 
on the 16th of June, 27th of June, and 20th of July, 
at an expense of $3.91, and harvested the loth of 
October. The yield was at, the rate of 18 tons per 
acre. One of the largest weighed IGj lbs., and an 
average rod 232 lbs. The tops weighed 54 lbs. to the 
rod, or at the rate of 4$ tons per acre. Weight of 
entire crop nearly 224 tons. Expense of crop, in 
eluding manure. $17.16. 
Wheat Growing Countries— Average Yield. — A late 
number of the IV, i'. Tribune contains an interesting article 
on Wheat Culture, and the product, of the leading cereal In 
different countries. From the figures given it. seems that 
ours is not the greatest wheat producing country, both France 
and Britain exceeding it In average yield Our last year's 
crop is assumed to be 180,000.000 bushels, but the average is 
probably only 120,000,000—and, as our system of agriculture 
is exhausting the best lands, a diminution of the yield is an¬ 
ticipated, The average yield of other countries is stated as 
follows: 
France,.191,422.248 
Britain. 145,3(H),000 
Two Sicilies,.. 64,000,000 
Canada,. 60,470,1^1 
Spain. 46.914,800 
Austria,... 27,785,568 
Sardinia,.. 19,975.000 
Russia, ex. only,.. 18,921,776 
Belgium,-- 13,360,000 
Portugal,. 5,600,000 
Turkey, ex. only. 4,629.000 
Holland.1... 3,000,000 
Denmark,... 3,000.000 
Sweden and Norway,.. 1,200.000 
" Here is an annual production of over 606.000.000 bushels, 
if the crops of this continent are included, the total may be 
safely assumed to be 900,000,000, as the unascertained product 
of Russia and Turkey must be very large. No better evidence 
of the primary value of the wheat plant to the human family 
could be given than such an exhibition as this. It proves 
that where the highest civilization has been attained, there 
the greatest production is realized." 
Soaking Seed Torn. 
Ik the Rural of the 20th inst. wo begun the 
publication of II. C. Kendall’s experience in the 
“Culture of Corn,” as given iu the Rural Register. 
The issue of that date contained his views upon pre¬ 
paring the land for this crop, and we now give his 
opinion relative to soaking the seed. He says: 
The soaking of seed corn in various liquids, for 
six, twelve, or twenty-four hours, previous to plant¬ 
ing, as is of late the general practice, is a too general 
error. If we could he insured a long continued 
drouth immediately following the planting, the soak¬ 
ing process might be productive of good results as 
insuring speedy germination; but as on the contrary, 
we are very generally viBited with one Or more cold, 
very wet rains, of unseasonable duration, just after 
we have committed our seed corn to the ground, by 
soaking it, we secure the loss of one-lourth by rot¬ 
ting in the hill, the annoyance of replanting, at a 
time when other work hurries, and the satisfaction of 
seeing that portion which has survived our hydro¬ 
pathic treatment, growing up pale, feeble, conBurop- 
tive-lookiug stalks. We hold that three pints of 
common gas tar, thoroughly stirred into a hushel of 
seed corn, until every grain receives a ooating of the 
tar, and then the whole mixed with plaster, wood 
ashes, or dry loam, until it is no longer sticky, is the 
best possible preparation for seed corn; an efficient 
protection against rot, the depredations of crows, 
jays, field mice, and ground squirrels, and the best 
protection yet discovered against the insidious 
attacks of the “cut-worm.” 
Tobacco Smoke tor Bees. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: —In your impression 
of March lGtb, T notice that U. H, T. has a protest 
against the use of “ tobacco smoke for quieting boes.” 
1 hasten to send, you mine, though for other and I 
hope more philosophic reasons. H. H. T. says “ it is 
inhuman to sicken the poor things,” — 1 presume he 
means the bees, — “with tin* fumes of tobacco.” In 
the belief that it. is “ inhuman to sicken ” the bees, I 
most heartily concur. It appears to me, from the 
foregoing, that, H. H. T. believes that tobacco smoke 
is used for the express purpose to sicken the bees, or 
that it does sicken them. If this be the case, n. H. T. 
evidently has a wrong view of the nse of tobacco 
smoke, or its effects* on the bees when properly used. 
When properly used, it is not, for the purpose of 
“sickening," but merely to frighten the bees, when they 
instantly commence to fill their sacs with honey. 
When the bees have their sacs tilled with honey, they 
are always peaceable and may be handled by any per¬ 
son with perfect impunity. To use tobacco smoke 
properly, just enough should be used to frighten the 
bees, and no more . 
H. H. T. again says:—“Sprinkle them with sweet¬ 
ened water, and I will guarantee yon that they will 
be as quiet, and in much better humor, than if yon 
blow tobacco smoke in their faces.” It is, indeed, 
true, that sweetened water will make bees perfectly 
docile, but it is not also true that bees are in “much 
better humor ” by being made docile by sweetened 
water than when made so by tobacco smoke. I wish 
here to say a few words respecting sweetened water 
or liquid sweets. If the bee-keeper has hut a few 
colonies of bees, and has plenty of time to spare in 
their examination, it may answer to use the liquid 
sweets only. But in large apiaries, or even in small 
apiaries where “ time is money," it will not pay to use 
liquid sweets to make the bees docile. This is a fast 
age. and to be up with the times, it is necessary to 
adopt other means to make bees docile than by feed¬ 
ing liquid sweets, which takes up too much time. 
In the closing remarks of H. H. T., he says that the 
smoke of cotton, or cotton nigs, will answer as well 
as the smoke of tobacco, “aud bo less injurious.” 
The theory that tobacco smoke when properly used is 
“ injurious " to bees, cannot he sustained. I have 
used for a series of years —except last season — 
large quantities of tobacco for smoking bees to 
frighten them, but have never known the smoke to be 
injurious, even when not properly used. I hereby 
Samples ok Fink Wool.— We have received twenty-five 
samples of wool from the Spanish Merino flock of Messrs S. 
L. A K. N. Bisskll. of Shoreham, Vt. These samples are of 
fine quality, and indicate that Messrs B. have a superior grade 
of sheep. Mr. E. Mcnson, of Tyre, N. Y., also sends ussome 
excellent samples of fine wool — which compare favorably 
with the above and others recently noticed in the Rural. 
We think Mr. M. is breeding in the right direction, and is cer¬ 
tainly entitled to credit for what he has accomplished. He 
has. no sheep for sale. 
Aldkn’s Thill HorsE-Hok. advertised in this paper, is a 
superior implement for the purposes to which it lb adapted. 
As a Cultivator we thiuk it is unequalled, while the ease with 
which it can be changed aod used for other purposes renders 
it a decided “institution” for the farmer or gardener. At a 
recent trial in this city, its advantages were clearly shown, 
every farmer present being delighted with its operation. We 
can cordially, as we do voluntarily, commend it to the atten¬ 
tion of our readers. 
GROWING AND MARKETING WILLOWS 
In answer to inquiries already published, in rela¬ 
tion to the best method of growing and marketing 
the Osier Willow, the following is furnished us by 
D. L. Halsey, of Victory, N. Y.: 
“Drained swamp or bottom land I consider the 
best soil, although almost any kind of moist or sandy 
soil will produce fair crops of willow. Prepare the 
land by plowing and harrowing, so as to have a 
smooth, even surface. Stretch a line across the plat 
in the direction you wish to have the rows. Push the 
cuttings into the soil, leaving one ortwo inches above 
ground, the right end up, and eight inches apart in 
the row; the rows wide enough apart to admit the 
cultivator. Cultivate, if dry enough; if not, hoe 
twice during the first season. 
If good fresh cuttings are set, they will make a 
growth of five or six feet the first summer, if set 
early. They may he set as late as June and root 
well, hut will make a less growth of top the first sea¬ 
son. Cut all close to the ground, late in the fall, du¬ 
ring thaws in the winter, or early spring, so as to 
have them out of the way of other farm work. Bind 
in bundles, keeping the huts even, and set up after 
the manner of cutting up corn, and every willow 
should touch the ground. In June they arc run 
through a willow peeling machine, bound in bundles, 
and shipped to New York city, where they sell readily 
at one hundred to one hundred and forty dollars per 
tun, the fine willow bringing the latter price. No 
further cultivation is needed. The willow must be 
cut every year.” 
Profitable Fanning. 
The Neui-England Farmer reports an interesting 
discussion by the Legislative Agricultural Society at 
Boston, on the subject of the moat profitable kinds of 
farming in different parts of the State. Mr. White, 
of Petersham, said a farmer in Barrie kept 16 cows, 
that produced each 440 pounds of new milk cheese, 
at 10 cts. per pound—which is over $700 for the 16 
cows. Mr. Proctor, of Danvers, said that in Essex 
county, men who cultivated from 2 to 30 acres, made 
as high as $40 per acre by thorough plowing and 
manuring freely, mostly by raising vegetables. 
Onions were raised largely before the insect was 
known—many had cleared over $100 per acre, Onions 
do not exhaust the land, and successive crops for 20 
years had been raised, and at 500 bushels per aore. 
Hay had proved profitable, as well as beets and car¬ 
rots; and within a year 30 bushels of wheat had been 
obtained from an acre, Mr. Bushnell, of Sheffield, 
was strong in favor of sheep husbandry; but its profits 
had been greatly reduced by the ravages of dogs. 
Animals in which Spanish Merino blood prevailed, 
produced 3(.to 6 lbs. of washed wool per head, usu¬ 
ally selling at 50 cts. per lb. He had been engaged in 
the sheep raising for 30 years, and had increased the 
value of his land 50 per cent, by it. Land which 
The Season in Wisconsin. —Recent Letters from different 
sections of Wisconsin say the season is very backward. A 
friend writing from Waushara Co., April 18, says:—“Our 
Spring is very backward. The ground is dow white with 
snow, which fell yesterday Hardly a hushel of grain has 
beeusown north of Fox Riverthisspring.” And a letter from 
Fond du Lac Co., dated the 14th, says:—“ Spring cold and 
backward Last year at this time we had our wheat all sown; 
now we have not sown any." 
The Galen Ag. Socibtt, (Wayne Co.,) elected the follow¬ 
ing officers at its recent annual meeting: President—Hon. I. 
8. Retchum. rice-President—P. T. Chamberlin. Treasurer 
—Thos. Piumtree. Secretary —Jos. Watson Executive Com¬ 
mittee —A F. Redfield, Matthew Mackey and O H. Ketchum. 
The Society resolved to hold a Fair at Clyde, October 10th 
and 11th. 
Cashmere Goats at the West. —It is said that Mr. Ken¬ 
drick, of Chicago, has fifteen grade Cashmere goats, pur¬ 
chased in Tennessee last fall, from which he is breeding on a 
farm near that city. He proposes to test their profit in this 
climate. 
Lusua Nature —Mr. I. Raze, of Somerset, N. Y., writes 
us that he has a great curiosity—a pig with six legs. “ It has 
four hind legs, all of a size, and travels on the outside ones.” 
Where’s Barnum ? 
