204 
OOBE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER. 
I DO BEES INJURE FRUIT! 
Eds. Rural New-Yorer I was not a 
little surprised to find you copying (S6e Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker, Aug. 30,) without com¬ 
ment, and consequently indorsing* an article 
which appeared in ft late number ef the 
American Bee Journal, und which purports 
to be a criticism o£ an article from my pen 
in the New York Tribune of June 23d, lust. 
That which you have copied from the Amer¬ 
ican Bee Journal is from ft correspondent of 
that journal, and I much question if Mr. 
Clark, the editor, agrees with his corre¬ 
spondent. Hud the latter vented his wrath 
in the columns of the New York Tribune, as 
he should have done, instead of transferring 
his criticism t»> a new field, I might have 
given him more fuel to feed that wrath. As 
it is I simply ask of you to copy the original 
article, winch I herewith inclose, that your 
own reader* may judge how successfully this 
loud-mouthed critic can misrepresent, mis¬ 
quote and—bawl. 
I never fear the truth, and never write 
anything that 1 am not ready and competent 
to defend, in advising extreme measures in 
an extreme case, I by no meant make gen¬ 
eral war upon bees ; l'or 1 have too long com¬ 
muned with these busy little insects not to 
have an admiration for them us great, at 
least, os that professed by some of theirmore 
noisy champions. If in exceptional seasons, 
when no flowers offer their coveted sweets, 
those bee-keepers who have large apiaries, 
with fruit-growers for neighbors, would 
properly feed their bees, said neighbors 
would have little cause to complain. 
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 8, 73. C. V. lllLRY. 
DESTRUCTION Of FRUIT BY BEES. 
I live just outside a large town—have 
about an acre of ground, thickly set with 
all the choicest early and late varieties of 
large and small fruits in hearing during the 
season, for family use, the surplus being put 
up for winter. There are also some orna¬ 
mental trees, and evergreens, including an 
arborviLie hedge to shelter tire small birds, 
which become very tame under the kind 
treatment they receive. My neighbors for a 
long distance either don’t appreciate this 
kind of a home or are not disposed to expend 
the necessary labor and money to acquire it, 
which, of course, is none of my business, this 
being a free country. 
f hke fruit, large and small, to become 
thoroughly ripe; hut from early to Lite in 
the season the place is infested with myriads 
of bees, belonging to persons that fail to pro¬ 
vide food for them. Large numbers come 
from town, with nothing but brick walls 
and cobblestones to extract honey from. It 
is unsafe for my children to pick berries or 
fruit when they are ripe. The choicest 
peaches, the sweetest pears, aud the most 
delicious grapes are hollowed out by the 
starved und ravenous insects, Many times 
last season, while reaching for a particularly 
fine specimen of fully ripe fruit, J and others 
of the family were severely stung by bees 
lurking within. My loss last year in moneyed 
values was considerable, in addition to the 
annoyance and injury, all caused by selfish 
people who keep bees for profit, and cause 
others to feed them on costly diet. 
It is very disheartening to find nothing but 
skins and stems on a heavily loaded grape¬ 
vine, left to fully mature the grapes. Not¬ 
withstanding my large variety and abund¬ 
ance, it is now rare to obtain an uninjured 
specimen or whole bunch of grapes, unless 
pulled before being ripe. Forbearance has 
long since ceased to be a virtue, and as the 
nuisance or loss, m alarmingly on the increase 
each season, i now desire in self-defence, to 
know in what manner I can poison or destroy 
them.— J. W. Penn. 
REPLY Bt PROF. C. V. RILEY. 
During very dry seasons, such as we have 
experienced in this country for the past two 
years, when honey-producing flowers are 
scarce, bees, which in ordinary seasons do 
little or no injury, are apt to become great 
nuisances in the manner described by your 
correspondent. There are those who believe 
them incapable of injuring fruit at first hand, 
and who contend that they simply follow in 
the path of birds and wasps which first cut 
the skin. This is pure sent iment, and uttered 
by those who blindly magnify the virLues of 
the honey bee, and are guiltless of hawing 
given tire subject serious investigation. 
Those who have carefully watched them 
during such seasons as 1871, 1872, in vineyard 
or orchard, especially in Autumn, will not be 
likely to hold such erroneous views. In thus 
condemning the little busy bee I expect to 
have most bee keepers down on me, as well 
as many of my scientific friends, as, for in¬ 
stance, Dr. H. Hagen and Dr. A u Gray of 
Cambridge, and Dr, A. J3, Packard, Jr., of 
jjfcJalem, Mass,, each of whom spiritedly- took 
up the defense of the bees some years ago, 
when the people of Weuham, in that State 
voted, by a two-thirds majority, that no bees 
should be kept in that town. These gentle¬ 
men entirely overlooked the real facts, how¬ 
ever, and sim ply endeavored to show that 
bees could do no injury to fruit by frequent¬ 
ing the flower’s ; but that they were beneficial 
in aiding fertilization and cross-fertilization. 
In this position 1 fully concur, and I have no 
* Mr. Riley’S conclusion that we lDdorse the r-rtl- 
ele referred to SB act legitimate. We publish many 
articles us industrial news or opinions that we lire 
neither prepared to Indorse or denj —both selections 
and from correspondents Our object in doing so I- 
to provoke dlscucoiou. We did not see the article 
Mr. Rilby sends us, or we should haveeopled It first. 1 
sympathy with the bee prejudice which has 
at times possessed people with the belief 
that fruit is injuriously affected by the bees’ 
visits to the flowers and abstraction of the 
nectar. The existence of this kind of opi- 
phobia at the present day is, I take it, more 
imaginary than real, and the objects on to 
bees, under certain circumstances, comes 
from the real and direct injury which they 
do to the fruit. 
The mouth of the honey bee is fitted both 
for lapping and biting—a characteristic of 
the order l iymcnoptrra to which it belongs. 
The lower hp forms a tongue by which it 
laps up nectar, and the upper jaws are fitted 
for biting and cutting, though they are not 
generally used for purposes of manducation 
as with other mandibulate insects, and where 
there is a choice the bee doubtless prefers an 
already ruptured grape or peach to one which 
is whole. 
Fig. 3— Fancy Gate. 
Fig. 1 is a cheap, strong and durable gate, 
beside being neat—one which any carpenter 
will understand and can make. It is suita¬ 
ble for a square or picket fence. Fig 3 is 
anothor cheap, fancy-framed gate, which 
may be used appropriately with almost nny 
style of picket or even iron fence. Fig. 3 is 
a unique design, which i9 intended to rise a 
foot above the fence in which it is inserted, 
and to have high cased and corniced posts. 
Fig. 4 is also designed to be made higher than 
the fence, is simple, cheap, light and beauti¬ 
ful in design, and easily made. Any carpen¬ 
ter will know how to go to work to make 
these gates. 
-- 
PICKING AND CURING HOPS. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the RURAL NEW- 
Yorker asks for suggestions as to packing, 
curing aud baling hops. In response to this 
question, we call attention to an article 
published on page 154, Rural Sept. 5 ; and 
we append the following from Well’s Hop 
Circular which contains valuable suggestions: 
Aside from the importance of curing hops 
properly, there is no branch of the culture in 
which the growers should exercise more 
care than in picking. All foreign substances, 
Fig. 1—Frame Gate. 
J. F. Wielandy of Jefferson City, Mo., 
waa last year so annoyed by his neighbor’s 
bees that he lost his entire peach crop, which 
was rendered unfit for market by their injur¬ 
ies ; and these complaints are by no means 
exceptional. In such cases the question 
“ what to do” really becomes a, serious one, 
though I believe legal redress is not possible. 
The flees which injured Mr. Wiclund 
were owned by n neighbor w ho had but a 
small lot of hind and ho bee pasturage what¬ 
ever ; and on the principle that their owner 
had no more abstract right to allow his bee 
stock to depredate on his neighbors’ fruit 
than he had to turn his hogs into their corn¬ 
fields, I did not hesitate to advise the protect¬ 
ive measure of poisoning. If J. Vv.’s for¬ 
bearance should again be put to so sore a 
test, let him adopt the following defensive 
course: 
First, plant a plot of ground—as much as 
he can well spare—to milkweed, alias silk- 
weed ('Ancle-plats , the common tubr.msn an¬ 
swering the jmqjose very well). When these 
plants come into flower, the bees Will be 
seriously discommoded thereby : for the 
flowers are so peculiarly constructed that the 
pollen masses, which look like little flattened 
ovoid pieces of war, adhere firmly to the 
hair and claws of bees, n*i t hese climb over 
the rumbols in search for nect ar. The pollen 
masses, when numerous, incumber tho bees 
to such an extent that, they cannot perform 
tliosr proper functions, aud drop to the ground 
and die. I have known an apiary so deci¬ 
mated from this cause that fully one-half of 
the hives gave out. 
Secondly, make a mixture of sweetened 
water, ruin, and the ordinary fly poison of 
the shops (cobalt and aisamic), and place in 
shallow pans in exposed places, or saturate 
Strips of cloth or paper with it, and attach 
them to the trees. The king bird or bee 
martin (Tyrannus carolinennis) may also be 
encouraged. The end justifies the means. 
cdfaijm <3;cuitomii. 
FANCY WOOD GATES. 
I would like it if you would publish gome 
designs for fancy wood gates for yards and 
gardens.—W m. Eakin. 
Complying with our correspondent’s re¬ 
quest, we re-publish four gates which were 
given in the Rural New-Yorker in lSGy. 
Fig. 2—Fancy Framed Gate. 
such as leaves and stems, should be kept 
from the hops. Instead of stripping the hops 
off from the vines and tendrils, with the 
hands, as is too much the custom, each hop 
should be picked off separately ; even when 
in clusters, they should be separated. Hops, 
in order to sell well, should be cleanly picked. 
Many glowers are known to exercise less 
care in picking when there is a prospect of 
high prices. While a few hundred pounds 
may be gained in weight by careless picking, 
they seem to lose sight of the fact that the 
quality and value of their produce becomes 
much impaired. In districts where blight or 
rust is threatened, there may be many poor 
and discolored hop*. Great care should be 
taken to instruct pickers to reject all such, 
or pick them separately, for by mixing them 
with good ones, the value of the stock be¬ 
comes at once impaired aud less saleable. 
Where it is found impossible to induce pick¬ 
ers to follow these instructions—and this is 
too often tho case—the hops should be thor¬ 
oughly mixed in the pile, before bailing in 
order to insure uniform quality. 
Curing hops properly is very important. 
Nature may do her part well, and the grower 
may have secured a large crop of superior 
quality, yet, by his inexperience in the art of 
curing, the hops may be ruined, either by 
over-drying, or by not drying enough. The 
hops, by being light-dried and scorched, lose 
their natural rich flavor and aroma, wliiie 
those not sufficiently dried are liable to heat 
in the bale and become worthless. 
The best time to bale is on a rainy day, as 
the hops are more pliable, and pack better. 
It is important that the hops be put up in 
the best possible shape. Shaggy, loose- 
packed, irregular shaped bales are almost 
invariably thrown out by the inspector. 
California growers are in the habit of 
binding their bales with iron bands or stout 
ropes ; sometimes a single bale containing as 
many as six bands or ropes. The practice is 
superfluous aud entirely unnecessary ou hops 
intended for shipment to this market; and 
all packages thus sold here are subject to 
actual tare. 
Fig. 4—Fancy Gate. 
Growers who can afford it should possess a 
patent hop press. Several varieties are in use 
the cost of which ranges from £40 to &50, In 
disti-icts where but few hops are grown, it 
would be a good plan for growers to club 
together, and share the expense of a patent 
press. The several varieties of patents in 
use all turn out about the same sized bales, 
viz.:—Ij^feet in length, 2% feet wide, and 18 
inches thick. 
Hops should be put up to weigh as near 200 
lbs. to the bale as possible. Slacked-pressed 
or light bales do not sample or sell as well as 
those properly put up. On the other hand, 
when compressed so much as to exclude the 
air, the hops are quite liable to heat in the 
bale, particularly if they are a little slack- 
dried. 
In baling, none but the best 3-ply twine 
should be used. 
We would particularly urge upon growers 
and forwarders of hops the necessity of plain 
marking. No grower should be without a 
stencil plate, bearing the initials of his name. 
The full name, if not a long one, would be 
better. These plates can be gotten up at 
small cost, cut from sheet brass, and are of 
sufficient durability to last a grower a life¬ 
time. The letters should not be over 3 inches 
square. 
The date of growth should be plainly sten¬ 
ciled upon every bale. In England, the law 
requires it, and the grower who neglects this 
duty subjects himself to ft heavy fine. It 
would bo well if a similar law were in force 
in this country. 
Hops should never be false packed— i. e., 
old mixed with new, or discolored ones with 
bright ones. It requires no expert to dis¬ 
cover a mixture of old hops witu new, and 
the grower once found guilty of the offense 
is always remembered. 
The best, material for marking is turpen¬ 
tine and lampblack. Many growers are in 
tho habit of substituting kerosene oil for 
turpentine. This is bad for the hops, for 
where the odor of the oil strikes through tlic 
bale, tho natural flavor of the hops becomes 
destroyed. 
No marks or shipping directions should be 
put upon the end of the bale : for tho reason 
that when stood on end, on muddy wharves, 
the marks are liable to become defaced. The 
proper place to mark it is on the narrow 
side, near the top of the bale. 
On day of shipment, consignors should 
send invoice by mail, stating how and by 
what line shipped. If the shipment consists 
of more than one growth, it should be so 
specified, with the number of bales each, 
marks of each, date of growth, &e, 
♦ ♦♦- 
DOUBLING THE VALUE OF A FARM. 
A merchant of Baltimore bought a farm 
a few years since, with a gentleman’s resi¬ 
dence, &c., upon it, for about £35,000. He 
contracted with parties for the horse manure 
from the street car companies, and has kept 
a large wagon, hauled with four mules in 
summer ami six in winter, to convey it to Ids 
land. Last month some neighbors, who knew 
the price paid for tho horse dung, and cost nf 
carnage were calculating the amount made 
off hi* hay, wheat and corn; also off his but¬ 
ter, &e.; the result of this figuring was that 
his wheat cost him upward of a dollar a 
bushel more than market price, and every¬ 
thing in proportion ; and although the pro¬ 
prietor is to some extent a novice, or at least 
was a complete one, the balance worked out 
showing a loss of about $4,1>UU per year, was 
Surprising; but it was .stated he had been 
offered £100,000 for the place, and somebody 
said more, which, allowing for rise in value 
of real estate during the last ten years, 
shows that even this mode of enriching a 
poor farm pays well; but it is a question 
whether by making a stock farm of it the 
money expended in stable manure would not 
buy tne richest kinds of cattle food to pay 
without anv annuul loss, aud yet enrich the 
soil as mucin A Working Farmer. 
SPORTSMEN’S NOTES. 
New Hampshire Game Law .—The Mirror 
and Farmer gives it as follows:—“if any 
person shall, between the first day of Febru¬ 
ary and the fifteenth day of August, in any 
year, bait, take, kill or destroy any of the 
birds called snipes, woodcocks, plover-, 
quails, yellow legs, wild pigeons or sandpi¬ 
pers, or shall within the time aforesaid sell, 
Lius’-or have in possession any of said birds, 
taken or killed in tins State, ho shall forfeit 
for everv one of said birds baited, taken, 
killed, of had in possession, the sum of five 
dollars to the use of the person prosecuting. 
Cory dal is or “Dobson.”—I was reading in 
your paper about some lisli bait called ' Lo- 
rydalis.’’ Could I catch fish with it in our 
river, the Mississippi ( We cannot find 
worms along the bank for it is so rocky or 
sandy. We use the minnow chiefly tor bait, 
and catch buss, salmon, pike, catfish, &c. 
Can you tell rne a good bait to catch ba*s 
with in our river 2—J, Stewart, Davenport, 
Iowa. 
We know nothing about Corydalis or 
“Dobson” as a fish bait, practically. »'*? 
should think you might take bass with grass¬ 
hoppers. We have caught hundreds of both 
rock and black bass with grasshopper bait. 
Catching Mink and Muskrat with Dtttd- 
Fall.—l would like to learn, through the col¬ 
umns of the Rural New-Yorker, if m.iik 
and muskrats may be caught with the com¬ 
mon dead-fall; arid if so, what, baits are 
most sure of catching them < Also, where 
can furs and skins be disposed of in New 
York city to the best advantage ? If some 
of the readers of the Rural will please an¬ 
swer the above questions they will confer a 
flavor on one of their number.— P. w. R. 
