hummom. 
NEW YORK FARMERS’ CLUB. 
After a month’s vacation and recreation 
the learned savans gathered together again. 
August 31, eager to see. hear, or say some now 
thing. Many old faces, and few new ones, were 
present. There was anxious Inquiry made how 
the “great dailies” had got along without the 
illumination of the Club’s wisdom, and whether 
they had committed its membership to anything 
ludicrous. The gracious and imurnauimous Com¬ 
mander of the Club asserted that tin* papers 
oould not Involve any member of the Club in 
their meshes against the said member’s will — 
that members were only responsible for what 
they might respectively say or for the way they 
might respectively vote. One learned gentle¬ 
man had refreshed himself reading the weekly 
World during vacation, and said he had failed to 
discover anything in Its agricultural columns 
involving the honor or good name of the Club. 
This gave great satisfaction, and the Club's Com¬ 
mander asked members if they were satisfied 
with the test imony given fts to the good behavior 
of the newspapers. A gentleman of note from 
New Jersey said‘“ Yes, so l'ar as the dailies are 
concerned; but 1 should like to know how other 
papers represented here have been treating us 
—the licit w.Nt.w-YoitKEU for instance? 
The Club's Commander immediately arose 
with great dignity nnd with a genial smile break¬ 
ing over his countenance like the first rays 
of sunlight on a summer morning, said ho 
would vouch for the Rural New-Yorker, He 
indorsed il. without reserve. Its reports were 
rnithfully made, and Us humor good for the soul, 
and for sour, gloomy natures. It set down 
naught in malice. Its reports were gay and fes¬ 
tive, as well as condensed and accurate. He be¬ 
lieved in sunshine. He would have life brighter. 
Perish the man who would suppress a ray of the 
brightness of the Rural New-Yorker, or of 
any other paper even that of the Tom’s River 
Courier! 
Wo arc glad to say these very proper senti¬ 
ments were greatly applauded, and the Club en¬ 
tered upon Us arduous duties with great good 
spirits, and apparently with malice toward none 
and charit y for all. 
Colic in Horses. J. B. Lanowortuv, Alfred, 
N. V., sends the following cure:—“Stir wheat 
Hour into cold water until it Is as thick us will 
run freely. For an adult a largo tea-cup or tum¬ 
bler full is enough -fora horse a quart may be 
required. Repeat tho dose In from twenty lo 
forty minutes, if necessary. However, tho 
second dose is rarely needed.” 
Destroying Angle Worm**.—.1. B. Lanoworthy 
writes the Club {—“Something over two years 
ago I asked your Club concerning angle worms, 
and wits told that 1 could destroy them by put¬ 
ting ou salt at the rate of six to twenty-five 
bushels to the acre. 1 applied about twenty-live 
bushels to the acre, sowed broadcast, soon after 
plowing; bill the worms did not seem to be dis¬ 
turbed in the least. Tim ground where they are 
quite plenty Is very hard and lumpy. Now, gen¬ 
tlemen, cannot some of you advise mo how to 
get rid of I hem, without being to more expense 
than the land is wort h ?" M r. Todd advised him 
to raise ehiekens enough to consume them. Mr. 
Lawton indorsed this advice, with much talk. 
He was asked by Mr. Fuller what kind of hens 
he kept that If permitted to run in the garden 
would destroy angle worms and not disturb 
fruit ? Mr. Lawton kept mixed breeds, with 
puro Brahmas and some fancy fowls. Mr. Ful¬ 
ler suid his experience was that fowls permitted 
to roam over the premises would destroy more 
fruit, than angle worms. Mr, Lawt()N wasasked 
by tin- Fl’olessor of Laxly Rising If he kept 
Hhanghals. Reply “One or two.” Professor 
of Early Rising—*' Had as soon have hogs In my 
garden as Shanghai chicks." Dr. Trimble naked 
if anybody knew that the earth worm does any 
harm? This question was not answered, hul 
Mr. Fuller proposed another conundrum, to 
wit:— Is this Club going to recommend keeping 
fowls in the garden? My chickens will leave 
corn to feed on tomatoes and strawberries. 
Prof. Lawton recommended growing tomatoes 
enough for the chickens to feed upon. 
Klirep Offal fur Mntltlre. Mr. LANOWORTHY 
asks how to convert the head, legs and blood of 
sheep into manure. The President said incor¬ 
porate them with the compost heap. [Break up 
the bones and treat with sulphuric acid as di¬ 
rected in previous numbers of the Rural — 
Eds. Rural.! 
Disposal of Apple*.—E. B. BARKER, Bristol, R. 
I., usks what is the most profitable use a farmer 
can make of sour apples too poor to sell, and 
which he don I want to make Into cider. The 
Commander of the Club Advised, If the gentle¬ 
man had eonsoteutilous scruples against cider as 
a beverage, let him grind his apples and make 
the cider Into vinegar. That is the most profit¬ 
able way to dispose Of them. We need more good 
cider vinegar. [Sensible advice.— EDS. Rural.] 
Norway Oats.— H. T. WILLIAMS, Dover, Del., 
had tested these oats, and thought, them prom¬ 
ising. Ho sowed seed weighing twenty-eight 
pounds lo the bushel, and got thirty bushels per 
acre, weighing thirty-eight and forty pounds 
per bushel. They arc not as early as the varie¬ 
ties commonly grown—a week or ten days litter. 
A story was also told of somebody in 1 ■uuessee 
who had gathered from four bushels sowed on 
five acres, seven hundred bushels, averaging 
thirty-eight pounds per bushel. HuhaceGkek- 
ley had seen w hat purported to be samples of 
this big crop, but he had only thegvower’s state¬ 
ment as to the amount of the product. 
A Distemper Among Cow s is announced from 
Vermont by A. J. Post. The animals discharge 
a yellow phlegm from the nose, followed after 
a little by blood; and they breathe with dlffi- 
culty. 
A Cabbage Worm is destroying the Vermont 
oabbage crop also. Mr. Fuller advises sprink¬ 
ling them with lime. 
Plastic Slate Roofing.— E. B. Ladd, Lawrence, 
Kansas, had. on the recommendation of Solon 
Robinson, obtained and used the Plastic Slate 
Roofing; and he finds that it gives a bad taste to 
the water—he uses cistern water—and asks for a 
remedy for the difficulty. The letter was re¬ 
ferred to the Plastic Slate Rooting Company! A 
member suggested that tho Company be asked 
to report to the Club. Another doubted if it 
would. Horace Greeley said there was [no 
doubt but they would, and would probably state 
that It was not their roofing which Mr. Ladd was 
using! (Audible smiles.) 
Early Rose Potato.— JAMES Driver of Ohio 
bought four pounds of Early Rose potato, for 
which he paid $2. Cut them to single eyes, 
planted them, and dug twelve bushels as the 
product. 
Lightning-Rods. - John Hancock, Barre, 
Mass., has built a large barn with a cupola and 
copper weather-vane surmounting it, supported 
by an iron rod. He asks if there is danger it will 
be str uck hy lightning. Mr. Greeley says yes; 
and Mr. Hancock is advised to connect the vane 
with the earth by a lightning-rod. 
Tobacco Dust. — ,T, \V. Dukens, Louisville, 
Ky„ asks if tobacco dust, is of any value to farm¬ 
ers and gardeners ; if so, what it. is worth, de¬ 
livered in New York City. Dr. Trimble says 
a strong solution of tobacco will destroy most 
insects. Has never used It in any other shape 
nor for any other purpose. It him no effect up¬ 
on tho cur.Culio. Would have lit tle faith in the 
value of tobacco dust as an insect exterminator. 
Horace Greixey said ho bud paid $10 per ton 
for tobacco stems with which to mulch his 
young fruit trees, and thinks they would bo 
worth £20 per ton for tho purpose; fancies iho 
insects kept away from the trees a lit lie more in 
consequence of the tobacco mulch, but cannot 
say positively, for hots not a very close observer. 
The Professor of Chemistry does not doubt 
that, the steins and dust of tobacco have a 
manurial value. Mr. Fuller reoommonds its 
application to lands nearer home; thinks more 
will be realized from il than by shipping It to 
New York. 
Cooking Food for Block.—M. K. Young, Glen- 
baven, Wis„ writes the Club as follows:-“To 
your reply to Mr. Rodgers, of Lyons, Iowa, iu 
relation to this subject, 1 except, and I can sus¬ 
tain my objection in fewer words by giving my 
own plan, probably, than in any other way. I 
use a pan instead of kettle for economizing Tucl, 
of tho following dimensions a ml inn tonal: Four 
foot four inches long, twenty-six Inches wide, 
five Inches high; bottom of sheet-iron; sides 
two-tneh hard maple, dovc-tailod ; top,inch piue 
boards, buttoned with strong wood screws. This 
pirn is placed in an arch, with proper chimney 
draft, and from the lid a steam pipe enters a box 
upon the side, just above tho bottom boards. A 
false bottom, with Inch auger holes two Inches 
above said bottom boards, is used to allow the 
steam to act upon all parts of the contents of the 
box alike. A close lid placed upon tho box be¬ 
fore raising steam. This pan will cook a box of 
potatoes, holding twenty bushels, alter tho 
steam le up, In thirty minutes. I have timed it 
often. Indeed, the processor cooking is so rapid 
Unit another important, advantage results—the 
wood used for fuel is just completely charred, 
and upon the application of a little water you 
have u nice lot of charcoal, enough for your 
hog3 till more is made in steaming, to which, you 
know, hogs on high feed should at all times have 
access. Why docs Mr. Rogers think of using 
water to make mush of his potatoes? Belter 
food the potatoes when cooked without any 
mashing or watering. The hog, though devoid 
of reason, can toll much better than Mr* Rogers 
how much water ho wants with Ids potatoes. 
And why does Mr. Rogers think of a separate 
1 rig‘ for cooking meal? Or why think, rather, 
of cooking meal ut all ? Why not steam Ids corn 
in tho ear with hts potatoes, and lei the hog do 
ids own shelling arid grinding? I will guarantee 
that, when the corn Is steamed to (lie pulpy 
softness of the roastiug-ear, tlud the hog will 
make it. available for less toll than the miller. 
In feeding the hog cooked potatoes let me sug¬ 
gest to Mr. Rogers the mixing in this season of 
Hubbard squash or sweet, pumpkin when lie 
steams his potat oes. Then he has the sugar and 
thestim.li, and, unless in very cold weather, the 
corn may be adjourned. This I suggest from 
but a very little dilTnrcnt experience the use of 
sweet apples. I might say that my * rig’ lias not 
cost me more Hutu ninety cents a your. For 
thirteen yoam It has been used when the stale of 
the pork and potato market indicated Its use." 
Cistern Filter. Mrs. H. E, ROBINSON, North 
Warsaw, N. V., asks for “suggestions for a 
thoroughly good cistern filter." None wore 
given, though It was stated that In Charleston, 
S. C.,und in the West, cistern water is used ami 
filtered, and the Information might lie furnished 
by some one in t hose localities. [W© never yet 
saw a Tollable and really valuable cistern filter. 
Wo have hud occasion to use filters however, 
and advise every one who uses min water for 
cooking or drinking to have one In the kitchen. 
We have used Kedzie’s and also Davis’s one 
made In Rochester, N. V., we believe, and Hie 
other in Chicago, III. Both gave satisfaction.— 
Eds. Rural.] . ■* 
Deep vs. Hint I low Plowing.—This novel subject 
was introduced by an inquiry from James Hart- 
sock, Clinton, Mo., who “would like to know 
whether prairie sod should be broken deep or 
shallow for fall wheat,” assorting that in Mis¬ 
souri three inches Is called shallow, and five to 
six inches!, deep. Mr. Greeley was unable to 
advise. He behoved shallow plowing of fresh 
prairie soil was preferred. But, the inquiry gave 
him an opportunity to say that, having (raveled 
pretty extensively recently, lie is convinced from 
careful observation of growing crops that the 
wickedness per pet rated In this Chib room of ad¬ 
vising shallow plowing had cost the country 
fifty mil lions of bushels of corn this year.. In 
the South he had seen in one day ton thousand 
acres of corn that would not yield fivo bushels 
per aero, and acres upon acres which will uofc 
give otic good sound ear. On some soils In the 
same latitude where the root© find way into the 
porous subsoil, regardless Of the depth of plow¬ 
ing, good crops are found, despite the drouth 
which the Southern people assure you is the 
cause of the short crop. Not ten cents per day 
will thousands of poor whites and blacks realize 
this year from (heir labor upon their corn crop, 
because they do not know that corn requires for 
its roots, and to withstand the August drouths, 
more than three inches of soil in which to grow. 
In Haleru Co., N. J., the headquarters of the 
shallow plowing advocates, shallow plowing suc¬ 
ceeds, I believe, because the subsoil is such that 
surplus water pasties through it, and in a dry 
time the roots pass below the three Inches 
plowed to the moist subsoil. We umst warn 
people against the miserable and monstrous fal¬ 
lacy of shallosv plowing, or we shall have famine 
in this country; indeed, they are threatened 
wi th it jn parts of Virginia now, where they have 
depended almost wholly upon the corn crop. 
Mr. Bruen said that not only do people fail to 
plow deep enough, but they fail to plant their 
seed deep enough below the surface. His prac¬ 
tice i> to plow deep, and when ho plants dig out 
a hole fire or six Inches deep and plant the corn 
in it, covering the seed only about an inch how¬ 
ever. The roots thus start where they ought to, 
and tho culture is easier, because the soil washes 
about thecorn and a cultivator does most of the 
hoeing. Mr. Lawton endorsed Mr. Greeley’s 
remarks. Mr. Fuller remembers to have said, 
when David Petit's letter was read to flic Club, 
that if it influenced (ho practice of the people in 
plowing as widely and gem.'rally as it would be 
read, It would cause more damage toagrleulturo 
than tho Club had benefited in a score of years. 
He did not believe Mr. Greeley's figures were 
out of the way. It had nut only shortened tho 
crop in the South where the drouth has been 
severe, but in the North, where the ground has 
been Hooded with too much water. During a 
trip through the central part of New York re¬ 
cently, he Imd seen corn fields, shallow-plowed. 
Hooded with wafer which was held upon the sur¬ 
face by an impervious hard-pan. Tho lesson of 
the season North and South is that deep cult ure 
ta essential. On his own grounds, upon which 
there bus been but one good shower since some¬ 
time in May, lie indices a marked difference lit 
the growth of vegetation upon beds trenched 
but eighteen Inches deep, compared with others 
which had been dug up t wo and a half feet to 
get out the roots ol' plants for propagation. 
Dr. Trimble said the attributing tho failure 
of the crops to shallow plowing- is entirely un¬ 
fair. Ami ho did not think wo should be so 
vain as to attach so much inlluenee to our rec¬ 
ommendation as Mr. Greeley had done. The 
subsoil of Salem county is not alluvial, and yet 
it will prevent, roots from extending' below the 
depth of plowing. But it is a fact Unit t he deep¬ 
est plowed soils there yield tho poorest crops. 
The Salem county farmers grow from year to 
year the best com crops lu the couutry, and 
they don’t do It by deep plowing. D is tho ma¬ 
nure and the culture which Is given to their 
corn fields that secures them success. They 
allow nothing but corn to grow on their corn 
fields, and they furnish it food, keeping the 
roots whore they oau get all the benefit to bo 
dorived from such feeding, and from sunlight 
and nlr. 
Potato Frauds. — ROBERT ItALBY, Cnrrolton, 
Carrol Co., O., writes the Club:—“ I forward you 
a potato which 1 raised this summer from seed 
obtained from Henry Philips of Toledo, 0., 
who represented It to be genuine Early Rose. 
This man Philips pretends to lie an extensive 
dealer in seeds, potatoes, Ac., and sold the seed 
from whloh this potato was grown at forty dol¬ 
lars per barrel. I planted on the 22d of April, 
and these potatoes are still growiug. From what 
we know of the. Early Rose. Ibis is not that kind. 
One barrel of thorn were planted by the people 
in and around rmr village, and we should like 
the Club to inform us what kind of potatoes we 
have, and If 1 hoy are not Early Rose, this Henry 
Philips of Toledo, Ohio, should he exposed and 
Ills swindling opera! ions stopped; add we know 
of no better plan to do that than to have a few 
words from the flub, which will be read with 
Interest, not only by hundreds of people about 
here, but by thousands in every State.” 
The potato was exhibited and pronounced to 
b© totally unlike the Early Rose. Dr. 11 ex am nit 
says It Is a potato known as the Monitor, which 
is brought out every year under a new name—It 
already has a dozen, more or leas,— and is used 
to cover a great deal of humbug. Ilisacour.se, 
though productive, potato, not to be compared 
in quality with the Early Rose, and is in no wise 
like it in appearance. Dr. h mo dot. believo, 
however, that Hen nr iTTiTtr.; sold this .seed 
knowing that it was not the Early Rose. He had 
had some deal with him aud had held a butter 
opinion of him. Seedsmen do not always grow 
their own seed, and are liable to bo Imposed 
upon in purchasing as well as ot her people. 
Mr. Greeley said a seedsman ought to know 
what he is selling when lie is gelling $4tt per 
barrel for seed potatoes. He lias no business to 
be Ignorant In such case. There can be no ex¬ 
cuse of that sort urged in his favor. 
Land Shark* in the West. J, B. MemKUR, 
Pleasant mil, Mo., writes the Club: “I went, 
not. long since, up to Topeka to the National 
Land Company to purchase some of the railroad 
Lends, us t understood they were agents for the 
railroad company. I inquired about, railroad 
lands, tho price, &c., and was astonished to find 
they asked from $5 to $20 per aero for the same 
lands which the railroad company were then 
Offering from $1 to $0 per aero, t thought there 
must be a swindle somewhere. I did not pur¬ 
chase any. I went up to Junction City; there I 
met with the traveling agent, of tho railroad 
company. The way I came to know him was 
that he had a plate of steel pinned to hia coat, 
with the initials U. P. R. R. on it. I asked him 
something about railroad land; lie said he was 
the traveling agent of the railroad company for 
the selling of their lands. I asked him what 
they held them at; he told me from $ I .No 
to $« per acre. I asked him how it, came that 
tho National Land Company were asking from 
*5 to $20 per acre for the same lands. Ho said 
that could not be, as the railroad company had 
put those lauds Info the hands of the National 
Land Company of Topeka for salt, at from $1.50 
to $6 per acre. Now, then, gentlemen of the 
Club, I came to the conclusion that t his land 
Company was swindling the land buyers out of 
from $5 to $14 per aero, and putting this snug 
little sum into their own pocket, besides the per¬ 
centage that the railroad company paid them. 
Now, I do not say that all land agents are swin¬ 
dlers, but that some of them are I have no 
doubt. T would say again to Eastern men com¬ 
ing West beware of these land sharks, and do 
not let yourselves he swindled In this manner: 
but, If you can find tho owners of the lands that, 
you wish to purchase, you can save at least from 
twonty-flve to fifty per cent, of your money. 
Again, these land sharks are doing more to raise 
the price of land upon the poor man than all the 
gold gamblers in the world. Now, I have kno .vn 
where men put their farms in tho hands of some 
of these pirates for sale at a certain price, say 
$10 to #15 per aero. They at once put them up 
at $15 to $20 per acre, and would induce men 
sometimes to go in debt fora part of the land, 
and take a mort gage or deed in trust from them, 
and, in case they failed to make their payments 
at the proper time, they would soil them out, at 
perhaps one-half what they paid; and l his is not 
all, for they would either buy the lands back 
themselves or employ an agent, to do so for 
them. Now, if you don’t call this rascalit y, l lion 
J don’t understand .English. If any one can 
throw any light on this subject, I wish they 
would do so." 
Slump Fuller.—C. C. Robinson, Virginia. III., 
asks where he may obtain the Little Giant 
Stump Puller? Mr. Todd replies:—Of Bowen 
Sc Brown, Vineland, N. J. 
-wtrb. 
POULTRY ENEMIES. 
Next to the weasel, the mink is most 
dreaded among poultry, In localities near 
salt marshes, swamps, ponds, and sluggish 
Streams they most, abound. The ravages of 
the mink are easily told from those Of the 
weasel, or any other animal, lie almost al 
ways carries off a portion of his prey a.ud 
tries to secrete it. If you tind a half-grown 
chicken or old fowl dead and dragged wholly 
or partly into a stone wall or under some 
building, you may he certain it is t he work 
of a mink; and if you go to work right, you 
will be just os certain to trap him. 
One peculiarity of the animal makes his 
capture easy—he always returns to a spot 
where he has hidden his quarry, or where 
lie Ills made a raid; and if lie misses it, will 
go searching around for it, A. knowledge of 
this faet led to the invention, some ten years 
since, of the Irap we now illustrate. It is 
not patented, and our rout lei’s tire free to make 
and use it. 
The trap should be three feet long, one foot 
wide, and one foot high, outside measure¬ 
ment, and may be made of ordinary faced 
pine boards. N is the only solid part of the 
top, to which is hinged the lids L and D, 
and also in which the standard Bis mortised. 
The lid L is held up by the rod A, in which 
are one or more notches, to elevate it the de¬ 
sired height, catching or hooking over the pin 
fj, and projecting a few inches beyond. 
Under A, and hinged into the standard hy 
the pin P, is the lever T, also projecting an 
inch or more beyond. C is a treadle-hoard, 
hinged At Y to ihc bottom of the trap, and 
connecting by the wire VV to (lie lever 1', 
elevating it about two inches when set. II 
is the bait box, separated from the main trap 
by a wire screen, X X, O is a window, of 
which there should bo one on each side about 
three or four inches square, also covered 
with wire or wire doth, and D is the lid of 
the bait box, Listened down by the pin E. 
If you have a chicken or fowl that has 
been killed hy the mink a night or two pre¬ 
ceding, put that into the bait box and dose 
the lid, placing tho trap as near the spot 
where the dead fowl was found as you can. 
If a live fowl is put in, no harm can be done 
to it, th(' screen effectually protecting it. 
The mink enters the trap, and as soon as 
his weight gets well up on the treadle it 
pulls down the lever T, the projecting end 
of which dislodges the rod A, and drops the 
lid L. It is best, to have a weight upon I,, or 
else a catch to hold it down when sprung, 
as we have known an old mink to pry up 
the lid and get out. We have never known 
this trap to miss when set immediately suc¬ 
ceeding the depredations of one of these 
varmints. 
The original trap, which we have in our 
possession now, has probably caught fifty 
minks, it having passed the rounds of 
our acquaintances and neighbors for miles 
around. The past spring, in a small village 
about a mile from our house, one pair ot 
minks killed filly-seven fowls in less than a 
month. Of the above number not less than 
ten were sitting hens, and in one case four 
liens Were killed In one night, all within two 
days of hatching. After trying all kinds of 
traps they came for ours, and in forty-eight 
hours the minks were caught and the 
slaughter ceased. Young minks not one- 
third grown will suck eggs. A friend of 
ours once found three young ones iu his 
stable, each with its head inside of an egg 
shell, and as effectually trapped as any one 
could wish. They were soon dispatched. 
Next to the mink, the skunk is the most 
destructive to poultry. Wo have had three 
entire broods, thirty-seven chicks with two 
or three hens, killed in a single night by 
these animals. We al, that time, some fifteen 
or more years ago, put our liens and chick¬ 
ens on the hare ground. The skunk dug 
under, and then had the fun all to himself; 
since then we have made all our coops \v ’th 
hard bottoms, and have lost no more chicks 
from that cause. The only way we have 
trapped the skunk was with eggs, of which 
they are passionately fond. Neither are 
they particular about the quality, as they 
seem to favor a rotten one, or one with a 
dead chicken in it, as well as the heat and 
freshest. Tie the egg in a piece of netting, 
and fasten it to the treadle of a steel (ray, or 
to a common box trap. Take care that it 
is a t rap you do not wish to use again soon, 
for it will doubtless be too highly flavored 
to suit a refined taste. Find their burrow 
and act your trap near the mouth. It is 
nearly useless to set a trap where a theft, has 
been committed. The animal may not go 
back there again for months. He might 
possibly be caught in a night or two, but 
the chances are ten to one against it. 
Crows and hawks are to be classed among 
the enemies of poultry. The limner prey 
only On young chickens and eggs. Catch 
one and hang it in your poultry yard; no 
other crow will come near it. The quickest 
and surest trap for crows is to place a steel 
trap in the shallow water of a pond, so that 
the jaws, when open, are. just under water. 
On the treadle place a small tuft of grass or 
moss, making a miniature island. Then cut 
a small stick with three branches, forking in 
such a manner as to support, an egg on them ; 
stick Ibis about six or sight inches from the 
trap; lay a little moss, grass, or leaves uver 
it, and place the egg on the forks, so it will 
appear as if floating on the water; cover the 
remainder of the trap lightly with grass, so 
as to hide it from sight, for Mr. ('row is very 
observant. To obtain the egg the crow will 
light on the “ island," and find, too late, he’s 
caught. 
When hawks are troublesome, tho only 
remedy is to shoot them. You will soon 
notice that he visits your yard about a certain 
time every day, and by watching for him you 
can soon rid yourself of the troublesome vis¬ 
itor—of course, provided you are a good 
shot. H. 
- -. 
Hen Lite.—M, H. G.—Oil your hens on tho 
head and under tho wings with goose or hen otl, 
three times a week; oil the roosts with kerosene 
often, and put ashes in tho nests of sitting hens, 
and the lice will skcdadle.— w. u. 
(Tift apiarian. 
GIVE US FACTS. 
What we need most, in bee keeping, is 
facts. Here, as elsewhere, any one with an 
average fancy, especially if nature has given 
a little gift of words, can spin theories of in¬ 
terminable length, holding the simple facts 
in serene contempt. But this will never give 
us a science. Wherever there is a man who 
has seen with his own eyes, his is the. testi¬ 
mony we want. Let him say what he 1ms 
seen, and we will be very thankful. Let 
him do this, and he may be sure of confer¬ 
ring a permanent public good. But we do 
not waul mere repetitions of the statements 
of others. We have laid enough of it. 
I am personally acquainted with a .young 
man who has been making* parade of great 
wisdom in just this way. He has told the 
public through the press that Italian queens 
reared from larva 1 of two or three days old, 
instead of eggs, will not live so long nor 
prove so prolific, How does lie know ? 
From his own observations V Not at all; for 
1. chance lo know that he has had no oppor¬ 
tunity to learn in that way. No! He lues 
merely caught up a report, started by some 
one with as little knowledge of the truth as 
himself, and, seized with a desire to con¬ 
tribute to “ American literature,” lie basset 
it forth with all the gravity of well-authenti¬ 
cated fact! 
This is a fair example of volumes of trash 
that are published every year. II' a common 
regard for truth is not sufficient* to restrain 
such would-be oracles, may we not justly 
resort to somewhat harsher means? 
Tin: real truth with regard to the question 
whether queens raised from larvae are in¬ 
ferior, I apprehend to he simply that there 
is no appreciable difference been these and 
others. 1 have had ample opportunity, but 
have never been able to discover that they 
were less prolific or died sooner. 
Let me say, again, how important it is 
that he who has a fact to tell should make it 
known. Our hope of progress in bee keep¬ 
ing science, rests mainly here. It is not the 
style in which it is told, but the fact itself 
that is important to us. Besides, it is de¬ 
sirable that these, facts he stated under 
responsible names, otherwise they lose much 
of their value. But the only way in which 
a young bee keeper can become an authority 
and command the consideration due to the 
truth, is by being careful uever to make a 
statement that cannot be substantiated. 
M. C^ttindy. 
We cordially endorse this, not only in its 
application to the science of bee keeping, 
hut to all the departments of industry. Faxts 
are what we want—what men and women 
know, not what they think, or fancy simply. 
—Eds. Rural. 
-- 
How the Bees are Doing.— The bees In this sec¬ 
tion have done poorly. It has been so wet and 
cold they could not labor. My boos have only 
one-fourth of them swarmed, and this Is ifoner- 
ul ly so here. Our honey harvest appears to bo 
short. Some hives will only store up enough to 
live through the winter. Those that I left out 
on t he summer nhtiuls luivo not e warmed at all; 
aud those that, were kept in the cellar only part 
of them swarmed. Wi) would like to hear from 
Other apiarians of their success. Will others re¬ 
port? T think the Itallun beets are not equal to 
the recommendations; too much humbug. A. 
Wilson, Marcdlus, N. r. 
