pitman. 
ANSWEBS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
1£ i v c n . 
We liave many inquiries in regard to 
hives, which we will endeavor lo answer to 
the satisfaction of ail concerned. The best 
movable comb hive wo have yet tested— 
combining the most desirable features, with 
the fewest objections, being at the same time 
cheap and simple in construction, is made as 
follows :—Get good soft wood lumber—we 
think pine is preferable to any other—a 
plump inch in thickness after it has been 
dressed upon both sides, and eleven inches 
in width. For tlie end pieces of the hive 
cut. up tho boards sixteen inches Jong, and 
the pieces for the sides of the hive nineteen 
and one-half inches. Rabbet the inside top 
edge of i lie end pieces, five-eighths of an inch 
wide by an inch in depth. The front end 
board should have an opening cut in its bot¬ 
tom edge five inches in length by five-eighths 
of an inch deep for an entrance for the bees. 
Now nail together and we liave an empty 
box sixteen Inches wide, seventeen and one- 
half inches long and eleven inches deep, in¬ 
side monsuro. The bottom board Is cut 
twenty-four inches long, from boards eight¬ 
een inches wide. Strips four inches wide 
by eighteen in icngihahould be nailed across 
it on the bottom side near each end, to pre¬ 
vent its warping. The top board is cut the 
same length from lumber twenty-one inches 
in width. Null strips an inch square and 
twenty-one inches long to each end to pre¬ 
vent its warping. 
The frames arc each composed of four 
pieces:—The top bar an inch square and 
eighteen and one-half inches long, the end 
pieces nine and one-half inches long, one 
inch wide, and half an inch thick : the hot- 
tom piece sixteen and one-half inches long, 
one inch wide, and one-fourth of an inch 
iliick. The lower edge of the lop bar should 
he beveled to a sharp edge, and a piece an 
inch and a-lialf long and half an inch deep 
he cut from the under side of each end. 
Now nail the end pieces of the frame to the 
shoulders thus made on the top bar, then 
nail thy bottom piece lo the end pieces ofllie 
frame. If a couple of nails lie driven through 
the lop bar into the end pieces the frame 
will bo more solid and substantial. 
We use Loring’s patent brads to nail the 
frames together, and think them superior to 
anything elso for this purpose. Use those 
licit are an inch unit a quarter long for the 
top bar, while those a half inch in length 
will be I lie l ight si/.e to use in the bottom 
piece. They Can he obtained of most, coun¬ 
try hardware stores, and are superior to any 
other brand we have ever used. In putting 
the frames together, care should be used to 
get them true, ns much of their practical 
value will be lost if they be left crooked and 
•winding. Eleven of these frames will go 
down into the hive, leaving them the right 
distance apart, and a half inch space be¬ 
tween them and the hive. Now set. your 
hive upon the bottom board, placing the 
back end even with the end of the bottom 
board, letting it project in front of the hive, 
thus forming a convenient alighting place 
for the bees. 
If any should desire lo have the bottom 
board stationary, if may be nailed to the 
hive; but wo prefer to leave it unfastened, 
ns there are many advantages in having a 
movable bottom. The top hoard is set over 
the hive, leaving u half-inch space between 
it and the top of the frames. IL should not 
be fastened to the hive, hut a flat, stone may 
he laid upon it if necessary, lo keep it in 
place. We now have a hive holding 2,353 
cubic inches inside the frames, but only one 
story in biglii, or what is commonly known 
as a one-story hive. 
If we wish to obtain surplus honey, either 
in frames nr with the extractor, we remove 
the lop hoard and set an empty hive directly 
over i ho full one. This should lie done just 
as early in the season as lho bees become 
strong in numbers; and if wo wish (hem to 
commence work at once in the upper story, 
we remove one-half the frames from the 
lower hive and place them iu (he upper one, 
with the adhering bees. Fill in with empty 
frames in both parts, placing a full frame 
between each empty one. When box honey 
is desired, place an empty hive, with the 
frames removed, over the old hive, and set 
the boxes directly upon the frames. 
We would urge upon all tho importance 
of making all hives of a uniform size, as wo 
cannot obtain the best results from the mov¬ 
able frame unless they are of a uniform size. 
Hives should be painted at least six weeks 
before wanted for use, and if artificial swarm¬ 
ing is practiced, all should be of a. uniform 
color. Wc like this hive much the best of 
any we have yet tested, combining simplici¬ 
ty, cheapness and efficiency. It is far pre¬ 
ferable to the many (so-called) improved 
hives that are covered with a patent. 
We have received a host of inquiries from 
Rurvt^ readers, concerning our new hive, 
which \Tc mentioned some lime since in 
these columns. Many liave requested us to 
give them a complete description of it 
through the Rural New-Yorker, with il¬ 
lustrations; while many more have express¬ 
ed a desire to receive the same by return 
mail. In reply to all, we will say that wc 
resolved long ago to recommend nothing to 
the bee-keeping public that bad not been 
thoroughly tried and tested. Now we have 
not, as yet, changed our mind in this respect, 
nor are we likely to. We were in hopes to 
have been able to have tested our new hive 
the past season, but have not been able to 
do so. If life and health shall be spared to 
us we intend to do so another season. As 
wo have, said before, we have every reason 
to believe that it will prove to be the very 
best hive yet brought to the notice of the 
public; but so many people have been swin¬ 
dled by using untried inventions that we do 
not feel disposed to recommend a hive that 
lias not been tested. 
An Exjil.'iuntiou. 
We presume that many of our corres¬ 
pondents are wondering why their inquiries 
have not been answered, before this, through 
the Rural. When we offered to answer 
all inquiries sent us, we little expected t-liat 
we should receive such a host of questions 
as liave almost deluged our office ever since. 
Still, w e should have been able to have an¬ 
swered all in due season hud we been blessed 
with health and strength as heretofore. But 
wo are enabled to resume our labors once 
more, and we can assure all that their ques¬ 
tions will receive Attention at an early day. 
Nearly all ihe inquiries we liave received, 
Unit remain unanswered, w ill lose none of 
their value by the deb}'. 
Hubert A. Bcncn. 
- ■»■*■+ - 
BEE NOTES. 
Prevent ins Here front Miurniiiiir. 
Tiie Scientific Press says:—One of our 
bee-keepers prevents liis swarms from leav¬ 
ing bis promises by killing all the “ queens” 
but one in each hive, and then clipping one 
wing of each. If they then attempt to leave, 
they go no faster than the queen travels on 
foot, and arc consequently easily hived. 
We are not sure whether this “cruel dodge" 
is new or not. 
How to imilto Food. 
Those that have honey generally dilute it 
in water, bringing them nearly to the boil¬ 
ing point., thereby uniting them better. A 
cheaper food is composed of sugar and wa¬ 
ter. Purchase the 12or 13 cent sugar, and lo 
three parts of sugar add one part of water, 
and scald ihem, and you liave a good and 
digestible food, easily made. This must nev¬ 
er be fed without being heated, else the bees 
may become diseased. 
Ho Hrco Nocil Mult? 
B. J. Watkins, in Bee-Keepers’Journal, 
says :—“ I sail my bees •whether they require 
it or not, and here is my method : Fill a 
vessel, trough, bucket, or anything that will 
bold water, with water, shavings and salt, 
and set in the yard. They will soon find it, 
and through May and June, and all through 
the breeding season, the vessel will be cov¬ 
ered with bees. If bee-keepers would do 
Ibis, their bees would not be losing time in 
hunting for salt fish heads and salt cu¬ 
cumbers.” 
Honey in ilic Itlounnilun »f California. 
The Plumas county National says Unit, 
quite a large quantity of honey is now found 
in the woods near La Porte, and bee-bunt¬ 
ing is becoming a favorite pastime. Since 
the introduction of bees in this State, our 
immense forests are gradually being coloniz¬ 
ed by these industrious honey manufacturers, 
and such is Ihe mildness, as well as the ge¬ 
niality of our climate, that they will multi¬ 
ply rapidly, and our land before long, like 
that of ancient Canaan, will be overflowing 
with honey, if not with milk. 
How io F«:cil Bees. 
Ella Dunlap, in the Chicago Tribune 
says-.—Experience in this, as in other things, 
is an advantage to the beekeeper, enabling 
him to economize labor. At the same time 
(lie life of the bee family must not lie sacri- 
tied by a mistaken disposal of your time. 
To feed a large quantity, allowing much 
time to elapse between the feedings, is not 
good economy, ns when ibis is done the bees 
store away the fi>od that we give them, ami 
it does not keep so well ns honey, mid 
must be fresh, therefore should bo given to 
them daily. This should be done for ihe 
same reason that good farmers deal out the 
buy to their cattle, instead of given the ani¬ 
mals the privilege of going to the slack and 
helping themselves. The manner of serving 
the food to the bees is n subject of some im¬ 
portance. The honey-hoard is usually used 
for the dining-tabic, and the provisions are 
sometimes placed in the cells of pieces of 
honey-comb, and the bees me given access 
to Ibis by leaving a small opening in the 
honey-board, which will allow them to enter 
in single file. Small dishes, like cup-plates, 
are sometimes used for holding the liquid. 
In this case, tiny slicks, or straw, should be 
dropped in to be used as flouts by the bees. 
Inbustrial jstomtuz. 
T v 
OHIO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The regular annual meeting of the Ohio 
Stale Horticultural Society was held at Mil¬ 
ford, in the county of Clermont, on tlie 
22 d, 23d, and 24lli days of November. Cler¬ 
mont is one of the southwestern counties of 
Ohio, near to Cincinnati, and wns selected 
for the place of meeting on account of the 
abundant apple crop of that region this 
season. 
This annual meeting of the Ohio Society 
Is partly for an exhibition of winter fruits; 
but more for the transaction of business and 
for general discussion of pomologicnl sub¬ 
jects; forallliough.it is called a Horticul¬ 
tural Society, it is composed mostly of pro¬ 
fessional nurserymen, and the discussions 
turn mainly upon apples and grapes, which 
form the staple of their business, and the 
vegetable depart in cut of horticulture re¬ 
ceived but little attention at their hands. 
For tin: last twenty years preceding the 
year 1807, this association was called the 
Ohio Bornological Society, and for several 
years it acted in connection with the Lake 
Shore Grape Growers’ Association; but as 
it was hard to make expenses on ils own 
book, the two Societies were merged, in 
1807, and the name changed to Ohio Hor¬ 
ticultural Society, in the hopes of enlisting 
a larger variety of horticultural interests, 
and by these means also to secure the pub¬ 
lication of the Annual Reports along with 
those of tho Slate Board of Agriculture, at 
the expense of the State, which is now done, 
and also an appropriation of $500 annually 
is received from llie Slate Treasury for the 
expenses of the Fruit Committees in mak¬ 
ing observations during the season. 
These fruit men are a persevering set of 
people, and though their mimial meetings 
scarcely ever call together over a dozen or 
two of members, yet these dozen or two are 
as happy and talkative as if they were as 
many hundreds. 1 have met with them 
rather constantly for over twenty years, and 
see tho same men on the lead now that were 
on the lead twenty years ago; and they are 
just as enthusiastic in their pow-wows over 
a plate of apples, as ihe horsemen are over 
their fast ltugsKor I lie cattlemen over their 
sleek liihds. livi then there is an innocence 
about these applcmen that wc do not see on 
the turf or in tho hull-ring. 
The show of apples at this meeting wn 9 
only middling as to quantity and fair as to 
quality, and the only circumstance which 
occurred In this connection, that requires 
record, was the naming of an apple oflocal 
fame, changing it from its ambiguous name 
to that of Clermont, by which name it is to 
go upon the catalogues and be known among 
the pomologists. 
The sessions of the Society were presided 
over by the veteran and accomplished Dr. 
John a. Warder, with the equally veteran 
M. 11 . Rated ax as Secretary. Reports were 
received from the local Societies of the 
Slate, and from our representative to the 
American Pomologicnl Convention at Rich¬ 
mond, Vn., in Sept. last. Prof. Orton of 
the Stale Geological Survey, addressed the 
meeting on the soils and rocks of that part 
of the State as well adapted to fruit, culture 
and also lo the growing of timber trees. On 
the evening of the first day there was a 
large public meeting of the citizens of the 
town, along with the Society, at which the 
Rev, T. J. Mulish delivered an address of 
welcome in which lie proceeded very hu¬ 
morously to tell what lie knew about horti¬ 
culture, and how his strawberries cost him 
a dollar apiece, and how the calf jumped 
through Ihe sash of bis liot-bed and the frost 
killed bis radishes that night; and he pre¬ 
sumed that tlie reason of liis being called 
upon to speak on that occasion, was that lie 
might be exhibited as an awful example. 
Then followed the annual address of Pres¬ 
ident Warder, with its benign moralities, 
ils meteoric rhetorics} its unpronounceable 
entomologies, and its devout thanksgivings ; 
in all of which the Doctor is well known to 
be a proficient. 
‘‘And ihe evening and the morning were 
the first day.” 
The second day’s session was devoted to 
discussions and reports. Dr. Warder re¬ 
ferred to the damage sustained by fruits in 
Southwestern Ohio by the late frosts of April 
and the excessive drouth following at a later 
period, which caused premature ripening. 
The succeeding showers, while Injuring the 
strawberries, were of benefit to blackberries 
and raspberries. Of the former class, the 
Doctor preferred (lie Wilson variety for its 
early ripening and profit, bis crop bringing 
from forty to fifty cents per quart during the 
season. The ICitlatinny found favor among 
amateurs for ils flavor. The Rochelle held 
its own, though more subject to injury from 
the severity of winters than any other varie¬ 
ty. For winter protection, corn fodder was 
recommended to be distributed upon the 
bushes. 
Geo. W. Campbell of Delaware county, I 
reported for Central Ohio : 
“ The succession of early frosts destroyed 
the finest promise that Central Ohio lias bad 
for many years of an almmlunt yield of 
peaches, pears, apples, grapes and small 
fruits generally. As a general rule, the 
apple crop may be regarded ns a failure, and 
the same may be said of the peaches and 
pears. The first blooms of grape vines were 
mainly destroyed, but the secondary buds in 
many varieties yielded a partial crop of 
medium size and clusters. Concord, Muilha 
and Delaware withstood the frost more 
favorably, ami gave better yield than other 
kinds. The Ioutis ami Eiunelans fruited 
moderately, the former ripening more per¬ 
fectly than ever before in Central Ohio. Tig: 
Etimelans ripened about the time of the 
Delawares, showing less tendency to mildew. 
The Walter grape heretofore failing in cul 
tivation, mildew of foliage retarding the 
growth of the vines through several years’ 
experience, Mr. Campbell planted addi¬ 
tional vines in wet and well-drained soil, 
placing two extra plants In poorer soil, on a 
clay hillside, the latter proving more success¬ 
ful. Grafting, however, led to much belter 
results in the Walter, it. producing finer vines 
in one season than five years' growth from 
its own roots. The Martha gave a very fair 
crop from secondary buds, though much 
smaller in cluster than last year. They are 
preferred by many people iu bis section to 
the Delawares. 
“ The Croton grape, in its vinc9, makes a 
health}' nml vigorous growth, although giv¬ 
ing but. few clusters. The fruit ripened per¬ 
fectly. This variety is of high promise, and 
compares favorably wiLli the Cbasselns Fnn- 
lainbletui as grown under glass. Its flavor 
is pure, with no marked characteristic be¬ 
yond a delicate sweetness. 
“ On exaininnlion of ilie roots of the grape 
vines, Mr. Campbell discovered little 
branches of knots or bulbs cm the fibrous 
side roots, which, Under a strong magnifier, 
revealed the aphis, or plant louse, similar to 
the Phylloxera Httata , or gall louse. None 
of the aphis appeared on out door vines this 
season on bis place, hut in two green-houses 
the vines are affected with Phylloxera col¬ 
lecting iu the leaves; the roots exhibited 
large collections of the aphis. He could not 
give, from liis present investigations, the ex¬ 
tent of the damage caused by this insect, but 
thought that many of the maladies to which 
vines were subjected were attributed to the 
presence of i tie aphis on the roots, which 
seemed to coniine its action to the surface. 
In respect to tins serious injury to vines 
brought about by the Tcllcgonia til is, popu¬ 
larly known ns tbrips, he recommended 
fumigation with tobacco smoke ns an effect¬ 
ual remedy, jf applied in the early morning. 
“The raspberries gave u light crop, though 
the fruit was favorable. The yield of straw¬ 
berries was moderate, having been greatly 
impaired by the late frosts.” 
The planting of forest trees was urged 
upon the attention of the public, as a meas¬ 
ure likely to secure beneficial results in miti¬ 
gating unfavorable climatic influences, <fce. 
The second evening session was devoted 
to a discussion of the benefits to be derived 
from the cultivation of flowers, in all fann¬ 
ers’ gardens, as an educator of good taste 
and Christian virtue. On ibis subject Mr. 
Bateiiam dwelt upon the beauty and use¬ 
fulness of flow-era; that, with them it became 
tlie duly of every one to make home attract¬ 
ive. lie did not favor their culture as a 
means of increasing the value of property, 
to which so many resorted when wishing 
to dispose of real estate, but said that they 
should be loved for their own sake: that 
through them we commune with God, and 
are taught, the beauties of liis handiwork. 
It gave him great pleasure to notice the re¬ 
markable increase in the cultivation of flow¬ 
ers among the people at large, especially 
those produced from seeds purchasable at 
low prices. Costing but little, these plants 
imparted great pleasure to children, who 
watched with intense enjoyment the bud¬ 
ding flowers. This increase in the desire 
for flowers the speaker attributed to the 
enterprise of seedmen and florists, whose 
catalogues were widely distributed ; in addi¬ 
tion to which they disseminated details of 
information concerning their culture. In 
practical floriculture, lie said Hint lawns 
were too much devoted to shade trees, rec¬ 
ommending more space for glass, inter¬ 
spersed with beautiful and attractive flower¬ 
beds of oval and circular shape. He did 
not recommend the use of too many varie¬ 
ties for beginners, thinking it better that 
their choice should be confined to no greater 
number than a dozen, including the Aster 
and Pansy. 
The rest of the time of the meeting was 
devoted to the minor details of business and 
discussions upon several varieties of small 
fruits. The election of officers for the year 
ensuing resulted in the choice of those named 
in your issue of Dec. 9lh. The following is 
tlie committee nd interim :— Leo Weltz of 
Wilmington; W. E. Hears of Milford; D. 
C. Richmond of Sandusky; W. J. Town¬ 
send of Zanesville, and G. W. Campbell 
of Delaware. 
Taken altogether, this was a very pleasant 
meeting, and tlie visitors were all hospitably 
entertained by the citizeus of Milford.—s. d. 
H. 
-- 
Cole* Co. III. As. Soc.-.Officers elect for 1871- 
*72 i Preet.— William Mili.br; VUs&rPres'ts.— 
M. II. Valvntn, L. I>. Dob; Trcm.-L. It. Hutch¬ 
inson ; Secy.— D. C. M. Evans; Directors — 
Charles Penates, Thomas G. Clmtntiors, Richard 
Roberts, E. It. Connely. J. N. Gibbs. The next 
Fair is lo be held Sept. 10—14. 
ffbe fprbsmitit. 
NOTES E0R HERDSMEN, 
Cnuccroii* Ulcer. 
I have a very fine cow Hint has a large 
swelling under and between the angle of 
her jaws, sometimes much larger than at 
other times. It has the appearance of 
being filled with water. The swelling some¬ 
times extends up on both sides to her ears. 
Can you inform me, through the Rural 
New-Yorker, how she can be relieved ?— 
G. Underbill. 
We should judge this swelling, from the 
description, to belong to a class of cancerous 
ulcers, that are, so far as wc are aware, prac¬ 
tically incurable. If the cow was ours we 
should not regard her worth saving. It may 
lie that some of our experienced herdsmen 
bold a different opinion ; if so, and they can 
suggest a remedy, we shall be glad to liave 
them do so. 
Black-Tica in Cnlvco. 
Tn inking perhaps Hint you. or some of 
the readers of the Rural New-Yorker, can 
give a remedy for the disease which I will 
describe, J write this:—Wc had two fine 
calves which we were raising. They bad 
never missed a mess until the other night. 
We went out to feed them nml one would 
not come up to eat. She was bloated very 
bard and it seemed very bard work for her 
to walk. Wc got her in the Imrn and gave 
her a thorough rubbing, and she seemed 
better. The next morning the bloat wns nil 
gone down, but she breathed with great dif¬ 
ficulty, nml frothed at the mouth. The 
froth had a greenish look. We got. her tip 
and she seemed to have lost the use of her 
hind parts nml could not lift up her hind 
legs. There are a good ninny dying around 
here in tlie same wav. 1 heard of one year¬ 
ling dying to-day with the same disease. Is 
it black-ieg? Is there a remedy ? — John 
9. M a comber, Washington Co., A. T. 
Judging by the description, this may be 
lilnck-leg; but wc are not sure that it is. If 
it. Is, as soon ns it makes its appearance two 
or t hree quarts of blood may be taken from 
the animal—depending, of course, upon size, 
condition and strength. The next morning 
give tlie animal a mixture composed as fol¬ 
lows:—One ounce each of nitre and madder 
in powder; two ounces each of alum in 
powder and flowers of sulphur, and four 
lablespoonftils of treacle. Mix for one drink. 
Give it iu a quart of warm gruel and a wine- 
glassful of common gin added to it. Two or 
three of these drinks, with bleeding, arc 
generally deemed sufficient to protect tlie 
animal against the future approach of the 
disease, il given every third morning. Arma- 
tagb says setmis are of great service iu the 
dewlap while they cause a discharge of pus. 
Young, thriving stock should receive oc¬ 
casional laxatives, or nitre in half or one 
ounce doses, each week while the disease is 
rife. We give these suggestions, of course, 
very much at random, for we cannot be sure 
that the trouble is black-leg; but from what 
our correspondent says, il may be. 
Il ni»imr Calve*. 
The method which we have used in rear¬ 
ing calves may be found to possess some in¬ 
terest to readers of the Rural New-York¬ 
er. With us it has proved uniformly suc¬ 
cessful and satisfactory. Tho calves are 
selected as mud) for the good qualities ot 
their dams as for their individual excellence, 
and are allowed to remain with the cmv 
from t wo to three weeks. We never remove 
a calf in biller cold weather, ns its future 
welfare depends in a great measure upon the 
start it gets; and if it is worth raising at all, 
it is worth giving a good start. Ai first il is 
offered warm skim milk. This it generally 
refuses the first, meal, and sometimes tlie 
second, but rarely ollcncy. Wc never allow 
them to suck tlie fingers, and save many a 
cold and aching hand. They readily learn 
to drink by themselves, thereby thriving 
much better and costing much less trouble. 
As soon as possible a little bran is mixed with 
the skim milk, mid skorily afterward thick 
milk is substituted for the skim milk. The 
quantity is increased until the calf receives 
about fi ve quarts of milk and a pint of meal 
twice a day. We use equal parts of bran 
and corn meal, or corn and oats. The drink 
is always warmed in cold weather by mixing 
with hot water. Calves fed in this manner, 
and having plenty or good hay, will weigh 
from 500 to 550 pounds at eight mouths old. 
They are then weaned, and continue to tin ive 
ou good hay und grass alone, the heifers hav¬ 
ing a calf of their own at 22 or 23 months 
old, and being fully able to do so. This 
method is used on an ordinary farm, with 
medium sized, good milking, native and 
grade cattle. s. d. b. 
Si emu I it u Fooil nild Feedlnt Oil Meal, 
Why is il. that those sending sketches of 
elevations of barns, and their mode of steam¬ 
ing food for stock, don’t give the Rural 
New-Yorker readers the cost of steaming 
food, the price of steamers and fixtures, ami 
feed cutters; also the names of the manufac¬ 
turers, so that we can know whether they 
will come within the reach of moderate 
farmers V 
1 have noticed two different articles, one 
in the Rural New-Yorker and one in ihe 
Detroit Tribune, about a farmer in Scotland 
feeding $ 0,000 worth of oil meal a year. 
Does niiv one know how much be fed to 
each of his cattle per day ? Or bow much it 
will answer to feed a day? 1 liave used it 
for two winters past, for horses and cuttle ; 
but I am afraid of feeding too much. I * eetl 
a handful every morning to each of my cat¬ 
tle, and three times a week to my horses. 
Rural Reader, Girard, Mich. 
