2§4 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
|hn(!> of a lluralist. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
MORE ABOUT NEIUMBIUM. 
Sept. 27.—I am in receipt of a very interest¬ 
ing letter from Z. W. Maple of Oregon, Mo., 
who says that the Nelumbtum luteum Is 
exceedingly abundant in a small lake near 
by. My correspondent states t hat, it is some¬ 
what difficult to obtain seed, as the hogs 
swim out into the lake and break down the 
capsules and eat the seed. It is well known 
that the Indians valued the seed quite highly 
as food, and the distribution of the plants in 
our Northern ponds and lakes is supposed to 
have been done through their aid, 
The Nelumbhim being common in Southern 
vraters, it would not be strange that the 
Northern tribes should desire to possess so 
valuable a plant, and the latter knew enough 
of the propagation of such things to sow 
seeds in situations corresponding with those 
in which they were originally found ; hence, 
it is thought that the Introduction of this 
water plant into Northern waters, came 
through their agency. Had this plant been 
originally a native of Northern localities, we 
should find it more abundant and widely 
distributed, like the common white water- 
lily. My Missouri corresnondent says he has 
distributed many packages of Nclumbium 
seed, hut not one of the recipients have 
reported results. To one who endeavors to 
disseminate choice plants for no other reward 
than the pleasure derived from the thought 
of doing their fellow-man a good turn, such 
neglect of the acknowledgment of favors is 
certainly discouraging. Cut it is a common 
fault, and there are few persons having an 
extensive or limited correspondence who are 
not more or less annoyed at the tardy 
acknowledgments of favors. When it, cost 
ten to twenty-five cents to send a letter by 
post, there was a reasonable excuse for a 
limited correspondence ; but now, when a 
favor may be acknowledged by a penny 
postal card, everybody can afford to practice 
the common civilities of life in such matters, 
if they do no more. 
question, is there not room enough for other 
people to make exchanges of useful articles, 
such as -seeds of fruits and forest trees, flower 
seeds and roots ? The farmers could scarcely 
promote their interests more than to ex¬ 
change samples of the various kinds of grain 
grown upon their farms, as well as seeds of 
vegetables,cuttings and roots of fruit trees 
and other plants.This exchanging of samples 
of the various products of the farm could 
scarcely fail to be of great value to all parties 
interested in a material way, and would 
tend to familiarize the farmers of one section 
with the operations of those in another, as 
well as promote emulation and social inter- 
BEST METHOD 
WINTERING BEES. 
Specialists in science endeavor to become 
familiar with the doings of all persons inter¬ 
ested or at work in their particular branch, 
no matter where they are located, and farm¬ 
ers would find it to their advantage to prac¬ 
tice more of this sort of exchange of ideas as 
well as products of their labor. If I was an 
Hastei'ii cultivator of wheat, I should cer¬ 
tainly want to try some of Oregon and Cali¬ 
fornia varieties even if they did revert to 
something old and well-known. T he samples 
which I have received from the Pacific 
coast, arc superb, showing that either the 
climate or soil, and perhaps both, had 
brought this grain to a point seldom reached 
in the older States. It would not be advis 
able for ordinary farmers to expend much 
money in testing such things, but by ex¬ 
changing samples the facts in regard to 
value might be obtained at trifling expense, 
and If n variety or kind should prove desir¬ 
able a stock could soon be produced from a 
very small beginning. Our farmers must, 
not only read more, but write more if they 
expect to rank with men of other profes¬ 
sions, using all the aids to be gathered from 
every source. 
AH EXCHANGE OF USEFUL ARTICLES. 
With our facilities lor transporting small 
parcels by post to almost every part of the 
country, there should be an immense amount 
of exchanging of useful articles between 
friends, however remote from each other 
they may reside. 1 am reminded of this by 
a note from a correspondent residing in 
Southern Utah, who desires me to send him 
a few seeds of sassafras. Of course seeds of 
this tree are of no value here beyond the cost 
of collecting, bub in Utah a man might, prize 
a, few specimens of sassafras very highly. 
Then, there are plants, trees, shrubs, miner¬ 
als, shells, insects and other natural produc¬ 
tions of Utah, which are of value to special¬ 
ists residing elsewhere: henc9, there are 
motives for producing a lively and profitable 
exchange. 
But it is often quite difficult to interest, a 
person in a subject of which he (or she) is en¬ 
tirely ignorant ; at least that has been my 
experience. If five or ten cent silver coins 
were to be found lying about loose, no 
matter if not very abundant, there would be 
no difficulty in finding collectors, because 
the value of such things is fully known to 
everybody ; but ask the same person to 
gather certain weeds, insects or other speci¬ 
mens of natural history, worth twice or five 
times as much each as the half dimes or 
dime':, and the chances are that they will 
refuse to make a move In that direction. 
However, the masses are not, really to blame 
for their indifference in regard to the studies 
of the naturalist, because they have been 
taught to look upon scientists geneiafly as a 
kind of an eccentric race, whose labors were 
scarcely worthy of notice. A man who will 
risk his life in climbing mountains, crossing 
rivers, oceans and deserts, encountering all 
the various hardships imaginable just for 
the sake of gathering a few weeds for an 
herbarium or insects for Ids cabinet, deserves 
very Uttle sympathy, according to the pre¬ 
vailing opinion among a majority of man¬ 
kind. 
It is a little better nowadays, thsin it was 
in the time of the immortal Linne ; still, : 
epithets are not wanting even now for hurl¬ 
ing at the heads of those who seek a knowl- i 
edge of nature outside of those channels : 
which have been worn full of ruts through < 
constant and frequent use But suppose we 1 
leave the ordinary naturalist out of the < 
i PROPAGATING RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES. 
Sept. 88.—It is very frequently the case 
that a man has a plant or two, of some 
choice variety of raspberry or blackberry 
which it. would be desirable to multiply 
more rapidly than in the natural way of 
suckers or taking root from the tips of the 
canes. All of the blackberries and Hie 
greater part of the red raspberries, may be 
propagated very rapidly from cuttings of 
the roots. A man who has one good, strong 
plant or stool to start with can soon increase 
his plantations to an almost unlimited extent 
and a very small cost. , 
In the fal), as soon as the frosts kill the 
leaves, dig up the plant or plants to be. propa¬ 
gated from, being careful to sec ire every 
root, from the largest down to those the size 
of a knitting needle. Take a pair of shears 
or sharp knife and cut up the roots into 
pieces about two inches long ; smaller will 
answer if the variety is very scarce, but the 
size named is a convenient one to handle. 
When the cuttings are made, take a box, or 
boxes, as the case may be ami some elean 
sand if it can be had, put a Jayer of this in 
the bottom, then seatterin a Jayer of cuttings, 
then another layer of sand, and so on until 
the box is full. The box should then be 
placed in a cellar where they wifi not freeze 
but it should be cool enough to prevent 
growth. Almost any ordinary cellar will 
answer the purpose very well, care being 
given not to let the sand and cuttings dry up, 
although but a slight amount of moisture is 
required. 
By the following spring the cuttings will 
have produced a number of buds on their 
surface, from which shoots may be expected 
soon after being planted out. As soon as 
the ground is in condition to work easily 
take out the cuttings and drop or sow them 
in drills covering about two inches deep. 
The cuttings may be picked out from the 
sand or all sown together. I have kept the 
cuttings in sand, also in moss from the 
swamps, and the results were equally satis¬ 
factory. If the cuttings are put into a good 
rich soil, and well cultivated during the 
summer, they will produce as good plants 
the first season as any one would wish to set, 
out, and I think far preferable to the ordinary 
suckers taken off from old stools. The black 
raspberries and varieties of the Purple Cane, 
do not propagate very readily in this maimer, 
although moderate success may sometimes 
be attained m a very warm cellar, or where 
artificial heat can be given them. 
A. Solisbcbg of Camargo, Ill., who has 
been unusually successful in wintering bees, 
contributes his method in the American 
Bee Journal : 
The practical feature in successfully win¬ 
tering bees, it is to so pack them for winter 
quarters that there will be no conflict with 
nature's laws, or in other words, that a dry, 
warm temperature be secured. 
How can this be done ? 
1. By placing the hive in a good, warm, 
dry cellar, or a house built exclusively for 
that purpose. And when deposited I always 
raise the lid a quarter of an inch on one side 
or end of the hive, partially closing the fly- 
hole so as to exclude mice. The mercury 
should range at about 45” Fahrenheit. When 
the proper season rolls around put them lip 
immediately after they have flown out, or 
in a very few days after, aud leave them un¬ 
disturbed in midnight darkness, and all will 
be right in the spring. 
8. To secure the desired end in out-door 
winter ; if the hive is large, holding more 
than the requisite amount of winter stores 
it must bo contracted to a proper size, and 
ventilated at the top, so as to let the surplus 
moisture escape and yet secure the animal 
heat of the bees. This is easily done. Re¬ 
move the surplus frames from one side of 
the hive, slipping in a dividing board, filling 
in between it and the outer wall with leaves 
or sfiaw. Cover the frames with a piece of 
cloth of any description, first laying a few 
small Strips of board across the frames to 
give the bees a pass or passes over the tops 
of the frames under the cloth. Now, put 
the second story on and fill it with leaves, 
straw or some other fine, warm material and 
place the lid on, contracting the fly-hole to 
about one inch, and if the swarm is very 
strong raise the lid one-fourth Inch on one 
side to dry up the moisture that collects 
rapidly on the top of the straw. 
Hives should be placed near the ground 
and underpinned with straw, to secure the 
heat of the earth. Bees cannot be success¬ 
fully wintered out door und empty combs 
prevented from molding, where the hive is 
not contracted to a proper size. The arrange¬ 
ment is in conflict; with the laws of success, 
and disastrous results must follow. The 
moisture thrown off in animal respiration is 
in fine particles like steam when exhaled 
from the Jungs, and never will condense into 
drops until it reaches a stratum of atmosphere 
colder than the blood. When it cannot 
escape, at the top o( the hive it settles in 
drops at the furthest and coldest part of the 
hive, and when lodging on empty combs 
they are blighted with mildew and in a few 
years worthless, whereas they should last 
good ten or fifteen years. When the size of 
the hive corresponds with the size of the 
swarm the whole internal air of the hive is 
kept warm, aud the particles of moisture are 
borne upon the atmosphere, and condense in 
the top of I lie hive above tlm straw where 
they will never get back, leaving the hees 
dry and warm, in which condition cold sel¬ 
dom affects a good swarm. 
-- 
SURPLUS HONEY AND CARE OF BEES. 
We extract the following from an essay on 
bee culture, read by Mr. J. A. Crane before 
the Board of Agriculture of Vermont: 
As fast as boxes are filled and capped they 
should be removed, and replaced by new or 
empty ones if the harvest will warrant it, 
and as soon as the harvest fails, all should be 
f ully pack the boxes, three in width and 
four in length, and on one end mark the net 
weight, with the owner’s initial letters 
October and November are the best months 
to ship to market. 
After the honey harvest is past and all the 
boxes removed, the bee-keeper should again 
go over his hives to see that all have abun¬ 
dance of honey for winter. If any hive is 
found that is lacking in food it should at 
once be supplied, or else the stock must be 
broken tip later in the season and united 
with some other colony. If there is a defi¬ 
ciency of bees in any hive, they must be sup¬ 
plied with brood from hives that can spare 
it, or else they must, be stimulated by feed¬ 
ing to rear young hees, or two or more such 
united. Also at this inspection the age of 
every queen should he noticed. Ir any queen 
is found that is three years of age or nearly, 
it should be destroyed aud replaced by a 
young queen. A queen three years of age 
may winter well, but is apt, to fail early the 
next spring, which is very injurious to the 
prosperity of the colony, l prefer after the 
harvest to destroy all old queens over two 
years of age, and give the colony a young 
one instead, If a hive contains a young, 
ferti'e queen, an abundance of yonng bees 
hatched out the last, of the summer, aud 
plenty of honey, it possesses the most essen¬ 
tial requisites for successful wintering. Comb 
two or three years old is preferable to new 
comb, as it is warmer. 
JndttStl[titI SCopitJij 
NOTES FROM WESTERN NEW YORE. 
Ex f.octk from Warsaw. Wvoming Co., 
N. Y., to Elmira. The day is delightful the 
recent rains having laid the dust. The fo- 
liege is in its most beautiful state, green 
enough not to speak too loudly of coming 
winter, but changed enough to show some 
of the most gorgeous t ints. It Is just the 
season to make a selection of native trees, 
shrubs and vines for ornamental with view 
to autumnal effect. Here is the soft maple, 
brilliant scarlet: sugar maple, red, green 
and golden ; sumac, dark red; ash, dark 
brown : oak, dark red ; hickory, yellow ; 
hemlock, dark green; pine, light' green ; 
Virginia creeper, dark rrd ; and thorn, bril¬ 
liant with red fruit. Yonder is a hillside, 
covered with young treesdiRplaying all these 
hues, a beautiful picture. Plant your arbor¬ 
etum with the choicest trees from all lands 
and you cannot produce a finer effect. How 
much beauty might we add to our lawns 
atid farms by making the most of our native 
trees, shrubs and vines. 
A t Portage we cross the Genesee over the 
new iron bridge in fuLl view of the high 
banks and the beautiful grounds of Mr. 
Letcrwohtji Hereabouts are many fences 
of pine roots, which will long outlast the 
timber that grew above them, used in the 
first high bridge, which was burned in May, 
1S75, 
INJURY FROM FROST. 
The corn along the route has been badly 
cut hy the trost. One field on a slope is yet 
green. . Farmers might use hillsides which 
escape early tresis for peaches, grapes, corn, 
tomatoes and other tender crops. My own 
vineyard, on a southeast slope, has not yet 
been touched by £ro-t, except the two rows 
at the foot of the hill on flat land. 
GROWING AND CURING (CODER CORN. 
Almost ev-ry farmer now raises a patch 
of fodder corn. Some of it is fed without 
curing directly from the field, a partis cured 
for winter use. It is generally sowed broad¬ 
cast, aud cut and cured like hay. I tried 
that, method for two years, but found ic very 
difficult to cure and keep it in large quanti¬ 
ties. The first year the weather was rainy, 
and it was injured in the field, and much of 
it spoiled in the stack. The second year I 
fed and sold the most of it before frost. 
This year 1 raised about three acres, have 
cured it without difficulty in wet weather 
have fed horses and cows on it one montn’ 
and expect to keep them nearly all winter on 
it., My method tins year is to to w in rows y 
l'eet apart, with garden drill, run the culti¬ 
vator as soon ns the rows can be seen and 
two or three times afterwards. Small bovs 
i. t , , ,, ^» , .. .1 I I__ 1 L • - . » 
" uu T" « ,u 1 'T L oe cut it up very fast, and like the work laying 
removed, as the combs become soiled by the it in rows. After lying three to five days it 
bee -, if they remain very long in the hive is rapidly bound in small bundles that can be 
Gravel Walks.— A correspondent who 
wants to utilize a gravel bed in walks can do 
so best, by combining it with asphalt urn 
which is easily procured at low rates and 
makes a cheap and durable walk. Used 
alone where there is a natural or arfcifical 
drainage gravel makes an excellent walk 
which improves by use. Three or four inches 
deep is sufficient. 
after being filled. And just here I want to 
say a few words about boxes. For market, 
they should be with glass sides and ends, 
with top and bottom of wood, aud of a size 
that, w hen filled will weigh about four 
pounds. I make mine six and a quarter 
inches long by four and a quarter inches 
wide, and five and a half inches high out¬ 
side. Two nice, white pieces of comb should 
be attached to the top before the box is uailed 
together, to induce the bees to commence, 
aud guide them in building straight combs 
lengthwise of the box ; such combs being 
the most suitable size for the table. When 
ready to ship to market these boxes should 
be made tidy inappearauce by removing all 
propolis, and if the glass side of a box is 
badly soiled it should be removed and re¬ 
placed by a cleaner one. Cases should be 
made with open sides, that the quality of the 
hone} 1 - may be seen at a glance, and large 
enough to hold twelve boxes, in these care¬ 
ts rapidly bound in small bundles that can be 
bandied with a fork, and drawn to the barn. 
There it is set up out-doors near the shed and 
stable where it is ted. My method of setting 
Up is to drive pieces of board into the grouutf, 
and nail a strip of old board or lay a pole on 
top. I then set three or four bundles of 
Blanks on each side, and bind with two bands 
at the top. It is now secure uutd itis needed. 
It. has cured without losing its green color, 
except the outside leaves, and^ cows and 
horses eat it up clean without cutting, ard 
grow' far on it. 
THE STATE FAIR. 
Arrived at Elmira, we give two days to the 
N. Y. State Fair, which is to me the most 
satisfactory exhibition of the kind 1 have 
ever attended. As I learn that the Editor of 
the Rural is on the ground, I will not go in¬ 
to particularc, except to say that I was 
greatly pleased with the Holstein cal tie, en¬ 
tered by Col. H. C. Hoffman of Horse-heads. 
I mention these, because the breed is new to 
me, and because the careful record kept by 
the owner shows that they are a superior 
breed, both on account of the quantity and 
the quality of the milk they give. 
Warsaw, N. Y. C. H. I)Ann. 
-P ---_r 
