‘Iht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
10G3 
The Bees and the Tractor Again 
S IXCK reading Howard II. Mignerey's version of 
the lines and the tractor matter, on page 1)01. 
in which he disagrees with Howard (}. Wood, on 
page M l. regarding the effect of using a tractor near 
the hives. I am inclined to side with Mr. Wood. M.\ 
only experience with this combination occurred this 
Summer when harrowing in a piece of buckwheat, 
one end of which was near the bees' headquarters. 
My hoes are well I taHani’/.ed and have made no 
t rouble I Ids season. 
My lirsl round with the tractor and harrow was 
uneventful, hut before my second trip they had 
evidently appointed a couunlltee to wait upon me 
if l “dared to do that again.” Immediately upon 
my reappearance 1 was besieged by a hunch of 
"delegates.” who paid no attention to explanations, 
and before I could speed up and get away I was 
presented with two forcible and penetrating argu¬ 
ments, one between the eyes and the other back of 
the ear. which went a long way con¬ 
vincing me that there was something 
vineing argument than the bees gave me on the 
occasion mentioned. We are every day walking or 
working within a few feet of these same hives, and 
the occupants seldom pay any attention to us. but 
hereafter, if I have m.v tractor with me and have 
occasion to work near the bees, I shall take no 
chances, but quietly slip the machine in my pocket 
until out of sight and hearing of the bees. 
Connecticut. <\ n, pease. 
Feeding Milk to Young Colts 
A short time ago an editorial referred to the use of 
cow’s- milk for young horses. What experience has 
been had. and what quantities would he given to a 
yearling colt in addition to the usual grass and grain 
feed? o. C. 
New York. 
UK lirst matter to be considered is its use for 
the feeding of an orphan foal or one whose dam 
does not supply an adequate amount of milk, ttreat 
of porridge made of equal quantities of linseed meal 
and oatmeal, as well as a tablespoon of molasses. 
This is fed four times daily. Clydesdale foals are 
the ones fed, and take larger amounts than those of 
the light breeds. Returning to the American method, 
it may he added that when the foal is a month old 
he may lie allowed lo on I a little oatmeal, and at six 
weeks a little bran may he added. At two months 
sonic sweet skim-milk may bo substituted for a part 
<>*’ the whole milk, and al three months Hie foul may 
have all the sweet skim-milk he cares ‘o rake three 
times a day. lie will then lie eating freely of grain 
and grass, and may also have tine hay if lie wants 
it. When any draft foal is four weeks old it is well 
to start feeding a mixture of crushed oats and wheat 
bran, to he well moistened with whole milk or sweet 
skim-milk. A double handful of the grain mixture 
fed three limes daily will suffice during the first 
month after the feeding of grain starts, and after 
that the amount may lie gradually increased oO per 
cent or more, Tills grain feeding is 
necessary if the draft colt is to be got to 
to the Wood theory, and that a tractor 
is not the honey-bees’ favorite musical 
instn.. My tractor Is not one of 
the big “hat t leships" used for big 
farming, but is a little one. and of 
course the exhaust is not so powerful 
nor noisy as that from the log 
machines, hut it is evidently enough to 
arouse the ire of the bees, and I fin¬ 
ished harrowing that end of the buck¬ 
wheat piece in the twilight of the eve 
ning after the bees had said their 
"Now I lay me down lo sleep.’ 
Ml*. Mignerey's statement that his 
bees are stationed ‘Just 30 feet from 
the railroad tracks." where trains are 
passing many times a day. lias no 
weight in the argument with me. lie- 
weigh around 100 lbs. for each month of 
age at one year old, wide is managed 
by the experts in draft horse breeding 
who aim to exhibit their colts. It is 
always best to mix Hie skim-milk with 
the feed. Some let colts drink skim- 
milk. hut when* that is done there is 
considerable danger from scours. if 
the milk is allowed as a drink the rule 
is to start with a very little at first, 
feeding three times daily, and grad¬ 
ually increase the amount, at the same 
time carefully watching the condition 
of the bowels and lessening the amount 
the moment scouring threatens. In 
some cases it is even better to substi¬ 
tute warm water containing limewater 
and sweetened with molasses until the 
cause the noise and jarring of Hie Irritation of the bowels subsides. The 
trains are as much a part of tin* on- Drying Dir harl/j Onions exact amount of skim-milk to be fed 
v iron men t of his bees as is Hie a ecus- to any colt cannot be specified. The 
turned quiet which doubtless prevails 
at the Wood apiary. All life, which 
Includes bees, accustoms itself to the 
conditions and peculiarities of its sur¬ 
roundings, an illustration of which 
came to my notice four years ago when 
a robin built Its lies! and raised its 
family between Hie ties and directly 
under the rail on Hie iron railroad 
bridge crossing the Honsa tonic River 
near my place, SO times nearer to the 
thundering of the trains than are Mig¬ 
nerey's bees. This same robin, had it 
built Its nest in the quiet old orchard, 
would have created a panic in its 
household at a noise equivalent to one 
railroad train within one foot of its 
nest. 
Rees have proven themselves pos¬ 
sessed of reasoning powers, and in in 
telligence, ambition and enterprise we 
all have to take off our hats to them. 
amount must depend upon the condi¬ 
tion of the bowels and the appetite of 
the colt. Too nineh skim-milk causes 
pot-belly and harsh coat. Knongh, 
along with the oats and bran ration, 
helps wonderfully In developing the 
young animal. When the milk Is mixed 
with Hie feed the amount is gradually 
increased in the same manner as where 
milk is fed alone, but less is used with 
grain than is fed as a drink. Another 
plan of feeding milk h? to use it instead 
of water in making a mash of grains 
or meals for the nursing mare. That 
plan is sometimes practiced by breeders 
who purpose showing the nursing foal 
and dam at the fairs. The milk mash 
certainly puts Hie "bloom” on the foal, 
but great can* must be taken not to 
overdo such feeding. Kxperlcnce lias 
shown, however, that It is safer to feed 
the nursing mare heavily than to give 
More than tliis. they are continually 
outwitting their keeper in spite of Ills 
lifelong scientific study and compli¬ 
cated manipulation. They are very 
sensitive to unaccustomed jars and 
The picture shows Harlow Rockhill of Iowa and ('. X. Klansburg of Michigan 
inspecting a field of the new ever-hearing strawberry "Rockhill No. The 
plants here shown were set in April, the date of the picture .ltd) 1(1, with ripe 
berries on tin* Spring-set plants and a few on runners, "No. 215” seems to be tlie 
"coming berry." 
her sucking foal a heavy ration of 
meals and milk. In feeuiiig milk to a 
foal or colt of any age the feeding 
utensils must he kept scrupulously 
clean or sterilized, and the milk should 
jolts, and the exhaust of a tractor motor, or any difficulty is usually experienced in such feeding, lie fed hloodwarm and free of froth. a. h. a. 
explosive engine, may be likened in their case to 
the shooting of cannon in our ears it is displeasing 
to tlicit' peace of mind, and their nature demands 
that they light the enemy, whatever It may tie. 
Mr. Mignerey’s suggestion that Mr. Wood’s trouble 
might have come from a play spell of young hoes 
does not seem at all probable, because bees are not 
hostile at these times, and general I) in I ltd their own 
business; at least I am convinced that the attack 
upon me was no child play, mid besides, it was not 
at the time of day wlion the youngsters come out 
for their frolic. 
I am not an old and experienced apiarist, having 
been in Hie game but three years, and doubtless 
would be classed by Mr. Mignerey as a "poor bee¬ 
keeper," along with (lie one he refers lo as having 
"two swarms from one hive.” because I have done 
the same thing, yet my lfl’21 records show that l 
harvested an average of HKl lbs. of honey per colony 
against his less than *i!l from Ids eight best colonies 
M.v Spring count In 1P21 was only nine, from which 
I took lbs., more than half being comb sections, 
and increased my colonies to is. I now have 34. 
While this little contribution will not definitely 
settle the question as to whether or not bees like or 
dislike tractors, I am not looking for a more eon- 
usually for the reason Hint the feeder forgets or is 
not aware of the fact that cow’s milk Is richer in 
butterfat and poorer In sugar than that of the mare 
It is therefore necessary to select the milk of a fresh 
cow that Is poor in Imtterfat. and add to each pint 
of milk fed two teaspoons of sugar or molasses. The 
next point to remember is that the foal must at first 
have half a teacup of this modified milk every half 
hour. As the foal grows the amount of milk may 
gradually he increased, and the intervals between 
meals lengthened. Soon he may be fed six times 
dally and then four times, until at the end of three 
weeks or thereabout lie may drink milk from a 
bucket and the sugar may be omitted. If there is 
the slightest sign of derangement of tin* bowels, 
from the lirst. limewater should he added to the 
milk at the rate of throe tablespoons per pint. The 
milk must he fed hloodwarm, from perfectly clean 
vessels, and at lirst may be given from a nursing 
bottle and rubber nipple. 
In Scotland a small teaspoon of bicarbonate of 
soda Is added to each quart of milk. Instead of the 
limewater, and a tablespoon of brown sugar is also 
added, lteforc the I’oal is six weeks old the quart 
of milk Is fed six times daily; after that the amount 
is Increased to I 1 /.- quarts, to which is added a cut* 
An Asparagus Patch from Seeds 
1 IIAVK had some experience this Summer in rais¬ 
ing asparagus from seed sown in the permanent 
trenches, and should like to report results. The 
ground was manured and plowed in the Fall, trenches 
made in the Spring, about a foot. deep, and seed was 
sown thinly In row, with about an Inch of soil oov 
ering them. Although the seed was well soaked 
before planting, it took several weeks for the plants 
to appear above ground, by which time tin* weeds 
had a big start. Right here is whore trouble begins. 
Since then, up to August 10, I have certainly done 
service in the trenches trying to kill the weeds out. 
1 should he ashamed to admit how much time I have 
wasted pulling by hand the weeds from around those 
seedlings, huf since l had made the start I was do 
termined to see I ho Job through, and have at last 
got control of Hu* situation. The seedlings cover 
three-fourths of an acre, and one-year-old roots cover 
one-fourth of an acre, put In the ground the same 
day the seeds were planted. The moots are now 
sending up shoots thicker than a lead pencil, while 
those from the seedlings are about the size of tooth 
picks. The roots have been hoed four or five times 
