40 
K>00RE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
Jiairw  |]ust)aiil)rir. 
THE  CHAUTAUQUA  EXPERIMENTS  IN 
FEEDING  DAIRY  COWS. 
The  reiwrt  of  the  Coiuniittce  appointed  by 
the  WcMtern  N.  Y.  Dairymen’s  Association  on  L. 
W.  Millku's  experiments  in  wintering  cows  ex¬ 
clusively  on  inoal  during  the  past  season  is  before 
us.  The  Committco  consisted  of  E.  L.  McCul- 
LOOQU  of  Ebs’klon,  N.  Y.,  Chaii-nian ;  Dr.  Geo. 
S.  Haukikon  of  Sinclearvillc,  Philiv  Laeei.l  of 
Stockton,  CitAUSfEY  Waruks  of  Stockton,  Dr. 
P.  G.  Pickett  of  Stockton,  and  O.  C.  DisiooKr 
of  Pomfret. 
Wo  give  the  lca<ling  iiointa  of  the  report,  or 
such  as  will  bo  of  intorost  to  dairymen.  The 
Committoo  vlsiUsl  Mr.  Miller’s  herd  from  time 
to  time  during  tlie  winter  while  tliey  were  Itoing 
fed  on  meal  and  after  they  were  put  back  again 
to  hay.  The  herd  was  an  average  lot  of  fihatau- 
qua  County  cows,  the  live  weight  being  about 
1)00  pounds.  They  were  foil  for  seven  weeks  on 
corn  meal  exclusively,  the  average  quantity  per 
day  being  abohl  three  tjiinrts  for  each  cow.  Tho 
Committoo  observed  the  following  points  : 
The  cows  dill  not  ruminate ;  they  were  very 
quiet;  did  not  ovlnco  any inordinato  desire  for 
food  when  hay  was  shown  them,  and  not  so  much 
as  when  cows  are  fed  On  hay  alone  in  a  little  less 
(piaiitity  than  they  will  oat.  They  u'ei*o  more 
quiet  than  cows  fod  on  meal  and  a  small  feeding 
of  hay — say  four  or  live  iwuiids  per  ilay.  No 
signs  of  Bulfei-lng  or  unrest  wore  discovered ;  no 
loss  or  gain  in  weight  of  Hesh  was  noticed  from 
tho  time  they  were  pul  on  a  meal  diet  to  the  time 
of  going  ba<5k  ngainon  hay,  Thirtoou  days  afUw 
being  put  again  on  liay  tho  Committee  could  not 
discover  anything  about  them  that  would  denote 
that  they  had  been  wintered  in  any  other  than 
tho  usual  way  on  hay.  They  were  fllhsl  up  like 
other  cows  fod  on  hay ;  their  stomachs  were  suf¬ 
ficiently  distendod  for  iligesting  hay,  and  they 
were  ruminating  in  tho  usu^  manner.  Tlie 
calves  ilropiM^d  from  thuse  cows  were  of  moro 
than  ordinary  size,  fleshy,  strong,  active  and 
healthy,  and  in  partnritiun  cases  of  retention  of 
the  placenta  were  urmsiially  rare. 
Tho  Committee  state  further  that  these  cows 
have  been  U’oated  in  this  way  for  several  winters 
at  a  greater  or  bias  length  of  time  each  year,  and 
by  referring  to  notes  from  cheese  factory  reports 
it  is  found  that  these  cows  somotime.H  prodneo 
more  milk  per  day  than  any  otlier  herd  of  tho 
factory.  During  July  lost,  for  Instance,  the 
daily  yield  per  cow  was  29  pouud.s  .1  ounces,  or  1 
iwimd  11  ounces  moro  than  any  other  iiord. 
And,  fniin  affidavits  of  persons  who  have  ol> 
served  tho  point,  it  appears  that  such  meal-fed 
cows,  when  tm-ned  to  grass,  take  on  lle.sh  faster 
than  Uiose  wintered  in  tlie  usual  way,  other  con¬ 
ditions  being  equal. 
The  Hon.  Flint  Blanchard,  PreHidont  of  tho 
Association,  a  gentleman  who  is  well  known  for 
the  pai-t  he  has  taken  in  dairy  matters,  says  be 
has  met  with  the  Committee  several  Ibaes  and 
fully  concurs  in  their  report.  As  to  the  practical 
side  of  this  question,  ho  says : 
“  Should  1  find  in  tho  fall  of  187G  that  I  lacked 
feed  for  thirty  oi-  forty  cows  for  thirty  or  forty 
days,  I  should  not  sell  off  a  per  cent,  of  those 
cows,  nor  should  1  buy  hay,  nor  should  I  cut 
down  on  their  doily  feed  of  hay  and  add  a  little 
daily  ration  of  grain  witli  the  hay  to  make  it  go 
further ;  but  when  my  cows  wore  all  dried  off,  I 
should  keep  them  on  meal  exclusively  for  thirty 
or  forty  days,  and  then  go  bock  again  to  hay. 
“Other  ways  of  making  this  method  useful 
to  us  will  readily  occur.  Thus  we  may  keep 
more  stock  with  a  given  amount  of  meadow  land, 
or  wo  may  utilize  the  corn  crop  in  tho  place  of 
hay  at  any  time  when  the  meal  would  bo  cheaper 
than  hay.  Many  ways  will  occm-  to  us  as  to  how 
to  utilize  a  fact  in  nature  when  it  has  once  beeu 
disco  vere<L" 
Again  ho  says: — “I  am  of  tho  opinion  that 
when  Mi\  Miller's  rules  aro  followed  in  this 
matter,  as  laid  do\m  iu  his  tioatise  on  “  Meal 
Feeding  and  Animal  Digestion,’’  that  not  only  is 
meal  feeiling  cheap,  safe  and  reliable,  but  wo 
have  some  evidence  to  show  tliat  the  treatment 
goes  to  improve  the  after-milk  prcaluctiou  of  the 
cow." 
Ho  thou  refers  tt)  Miller's  herd  of  cows 
(though  only  an  average  lot  iu  apiioarauce)  as 
often  outstiippiug  other  herds  of  his  town 
(Stockton),  also  to  Tuosiah  Dyne's  experiment 
in  meal  feeding  exclusively,  as  pointing  iu  tlie 
same  direction ;  and  he  thinks  the  logical  conclu¬ 
sion  caimot  be  resisted,  that  exclusive  meal  feed¬ 
ing  has  a  tendency  to  influence  the  animal  both 
to  milk  production  and  her  capacity  for  laying 
on  fat  when  changed  back  to  other  feed,  after 
she  has  ceased  to  give  milk. 
Wo  have  had  oeiarsion  heretofore  to  refer  to 
Mr.  Mii.i.iiu’s  exiMirimonts  in  oxclnsivo  meal 
feeding.  The  facts  given  differed  so  widely  from 
what  was  supposed  to  be  required  in  nuiintainiug 
the  life  and  health  of  the  cow  that  many  were 
inclined  to  have  but  Uttle  faith  iu  Mr.  Miller’s 
L 
thcorj-.  The  report  of  this  Committoo>  comjmsod 
of  gentlemen  of  weU-known  integrity  and  stand¬ 
ing,  must  bo  of  interest.  It  seems  to  eOiTobo- 
rato  iu  all  essential  particulars  the  statements 
which  have  lieen  previously  given  by  Jlr.  Miller. 
Those  interested  in  this  system  of  meal  feeding 
will  do  well  to  obtain  that  gentleman’s  pamphlet 
on  the  subject. 
FODDER  CORN  FOR  THE  DAIRY. 
Fouder  Corn  can  bo  put  iu  as  late  as  tho  20th 
of  .Tune  and  even  up  to  July.  Late  crops  make 
excellent  fall  feed  for  dairy  stock  when  grass 
begins  to  fail  and  deteriorate  on  account  of  frost. 
It  is  a  gi'oat  saviug  to  tho  hay  crop,  and  many 
dairymen  are  enabled  to  carry  stock  along  until 
the  middle  of  January  witliout  feeding  hay,  solo 
reliance  being  placed  on  corn  fodder  which  is 
propei'ly  cured  and  shockoil  in  tho  field,  whence 
it  is  used  from  week  to  week,  as  wanted. 
In  raising  corn  fodder,  good,  rich,  mellow  soil 
is  required.  There  is  no  crop  that  will  boar  ma- 
mu’ing  better  than  corn;  but  iu  Into  sowings 
well-decomposed  manures,  well-lncoiqKnatod  in 
tho  soil,  are  best,  unless  tho  weather  happens  to 
bo  moist,  as  fresh  baru-y.ard  manures  aro  liable 
to  bocomo  diy  and  of  little  use. 
We  have  grown  good  crops  of  corn  fodder  on 
sod  in  old  meadows,  tho  crop  of  grass  being 
taken  off  in  Juno,  tbo  land  iimucdiaUily  plowed 
and  sowed  with  corn.  And  in  seasons  when 
there  lias  been  a  light  hay  crop  wo  have  known 
many  dali  junoii  to  resort  to  this  motliod  to  ob¬ 
tain  tho  requisite  amount  of  fodder  for  carrying 
their  stock  through  tho  winter.  Tho  best  way 
to  grow  this  crop  is  to  drill  in  tho  seed,  and  if 
largo  drills  are  not  at  hand,  it  will  bo  found 
more  advantageous  to  use  small  ones  rather  than 
to  HOW  broiulcast.  Wo  like  tho  rows  to  be  at 
least  twenty  inches  to  two  foot  apart,  as  it  al¬ 
lows  tho  air  and  light  to  bo  properly  distributed 
through  tho  plants,  while  tho  wide  space  will 
admit  of  horso-hooing,  which  will  add  to  tlio 
growth  and  value  of  the  crop. 
From  two  to  four  husholsof  seed  aroused;  tho 
latter  quantity  when  sown  broadcast;  but  wo 
prefer  not  to  have  the  stalks  grow  too  thickly 
together,  as  hy  oxcluduig  tho  sunlight  the  stalks 
are  apt  to  bo  weak,  liable  to  be  prostrated  by 
winds,  and  are  less  nutritious  tkan  when  Uie  seed 
Is  not  so  thickly  sown. 
Much  has  been  said,  first  and  last,  concerning 
the  Value  of  corn  fodder  for  tho  production  of 
milk,  and  some  liave  urged  that  It  Is  of  little  or 
no  account.  This  latter  opinion,  if  it  does  not 
originate  from  prejudieo,  must  have  come  from 
the  mannor  In  wliioh  the  crop  is  grown— by  being 
sown  too  thickly,  thereby  obtaining  plants  that 
could  not  properly  mature,  and  iu  consequence 
lacldng  the  nutritive  elomouts  of  a  weU-grow'ii 
crop. 
We  have  used  fodder  corn  for  many  years  in 
our  own  daiiy,  and  always  with  tho  best  results. 
It  promotes  a  flow  of  milk  and  keeps  up  the  sup¬ 
ply  at  a  timo  when  it  would  be  diflicult  to  obtain 
any  other  crop  to  take  its  place  for  this  purpose. 
And  it  produces  a  milk  of  good  quality,  us  we 
have  rei>catedly  domonstrateil  by  resorting  to 
the  proper  analysis  of  dilleront  samples.  We 
urge,  therefore,  upon  all  dairymen  to  grow  a 
patch  of  fodder  corn,  and,  oven  if  it  should  not 
Ix)  wanted  for  soiling,  there  will  bo  no  loss,  since 
tho  crop  cun  he  used  for  corn  fodder,  thus  not 
only  increasing  tho  supply  of  good  milk  at  this 
season,  but  talking  the  place  of  hay  and  making 
an  imixirtant  saving  iu  tho  moro  expensive  kinds 
of  cattle  food. 
- - 4  »  »  '  ■- - 
PRESERVED  MILK. 
Among  the  earliest  experimenters  in  preserving 
milk  we  find  Mr.  Newton  of  Isuidou,  who,  in 
1835,  originated  the  following  process : — Ho  add¬ 
ed  about  a  fiftieth  paid  iu  weight  of  pulverized 
sugar  to  tho  milk,  and  evaporated  it  slowly  by 
Bubjeotiiig  it  to  a  gentle  wainitli.  When  it  was 
cvaiiuratod  only  to  tho  con.iibteiicy  of  simp  he 
bottled  it ;  but  if  miule  as  thick  as  honey,  he  put 
it  into  pots ;  and  if  the  mixt'ire  was  evaporated 
still  farther  until  it  became  as  thick  as  paste,  it 
was  made  into  lozenges,  or  reduced  to  a  powder 
and  combmed  with  other  matters,  such  as  tea, 
coffee,  or  chocolate.  * 
We  believe  the  late  Gale  Borden  of  White 
I’laina.  N.  Y.,  was  tlie  first  to  conceive  tho  Idea 
of  employing  the  vacumu  plan  for  eliminating  a 
large  percentage  of  water  fi'oni  milk.  Of  tho 
vai'ious  methods  which  have  from  time  to  timo 
been  invouted  for  condensing  milk,  we  believe 
Mr.  Borden’s  is  tho  only  one  tliat  has  stood  the 
test  for  making  a  good  produet^ — timo,  labor  and 
eheapuesa  being  taken  into  account. 
We  should  bo  glad  to  see  the  business  so  ex¬ 
tended  and  simplified  that  what  is  called  “  plain 
preserved  milk  ’’  (milk  not  treated  with  sugar) 
could  be  put  ou  the  markets  in  all  om’  cities  and 
villages  at  comparatively  cboai»  rates. 
- 
VALUE  OF  MILK  FOR  MAKING  FLESH, 
Experiment's  have  been  recently  made  to  as¬ 
certain  tho  quantity  of  different  foods  which 
needs  to  be  eaten  fo  make  one  [lound  of  flesh. 
Tlio  conclnaion  arrived  at  l.s  that  It  requires  25 
pounds  of  milk.  100  iiounds  of  turnips,  50  ixiunds 
of  potatoos.  50  pounds  of  caiTuts,  8  pounds  of 
oahneal,  7>i'  pounds  of  barley  meal,  and  3)4 
ixiunds  of  beans. 
IBERKSHIRE  SWINE. 
The  American  Berkshire  Swine  Association 
about  a  year  since  offered  a  prize  of  one  hundred 
dollars  for  tho  Ixist  essay  on  the  above  named 
breed.  Tho  award  has  lately  boon  made  tfi  lion. 
A,  B.  Alien  of  Flushing  N.  Y.,  agoiitloman  whoso 
name  is  fauiiliar  to  tlie  readers  of  the  Rurai. 
New-Yorker.  This  valuable  essay  has  just 
roiicliod  UH,  publishod  in  pamphlet  form,  in  ad¬ 
vance  of  its  appearance  in  Vol.  1  of  tlio  Amori- 
ean  Borksluro  hocord. 
Wc  make  some  oxti'ai;ta  from  this  paper  which 
will  doubtless  intorost  many  of  our  roAders.  Tho 
essay  itself  is  well  worth  tho  careful  perusal  of 
every  broodor  iu  the  oountry  : 
FORMATION  OF  THE  IMPROVED  BERKSHIRE  SWINE. 
Tradition  tolls  ns  that  thi.s  w'as  made  by  a  cross 
of  tho  black  or  deep  plumed  colored  Siamese 
boar,  on  tho  old  uuimiu'ovod  Berkshire  sows. 
Otlier  traditioiw  assort  that  tho  hlaok  and  white 
spotted,  and  even  pure  white  Chinoso  hoar  was 
also  sparingly  nsoil  to  assl.st  in  tho  same  pur- 
IwiHo.  I  can  well  believe  this ;  for  I  often  saw 
swine  in  Berkshire  spotted,  about  half  and  half 
black  and  wliiUi,  in  addition  to  the  reddish  brown, 
or  buff  and  black,  and  so  on  almost  up  to  a  |)uro 
plum  color  or  black.  The  produce  of  the  aliovo 
cross  or  crosses  was  next  bred  together,  and  by 
judicious  subsequent  seluctions,  tho  improved 
breed,  a.s  wcuow  find  it,  became  iu  duo  tiiiu:  fix¬ 
ed  and  permanent  in  all  its  deshablo  points. 
Another  feature,  aside  from  tho  half  and  half 
block  and  white  sixits  hitherto  occasionally 
found  to  mark  tho  improved  Berkshire  Bwiiio, 
which  may  be  adduced  in  support  of  tho  supixisi- 
tion  of  a  spiu'ing  cross  with  tho  white  and  light 
H{Kjttod  Chinoso,  is  tho  shape  of  tho  Jowls.  All 
those  which  I  have  bred  in  my  piggery,  nr  im¬ 
ported  at  different  times  direct  from  llliiiia,  or 
have  soon  elsewliero,  had  mneh  fuller  and  fatter 
Jowls  than  the  Biameso.  Borne  of  the  breeders 
ill  England  preferred  the  fat  jowls,  beeauso 
caiTying  tjm  most  meat ;  olliors  tbo  leaner,  as 
they  said  thN^ve  their  stuck  a  liner  and  high¬ 
er  bred  look  in  tho  head. 
THE  SIAMESE  SWINE. 
In  tlio  same  volume  of  Professor  X,ow,  which 
contains  tho  Berkshire  portrait  as  do.scribed 
above,  is  a  colored  plate  of  a  Siamose  sow.  She 
is  a  dark  slate,  varying  to  that  of  a  rich  plum 
color.  Tho  two  hiud  foot  aro  whibj;  the  fore 
legs  and  feet  white,  shaded  iu  front  with  plum. 
I'lie  face  is  dished ;  head  flue,  with  short  erect 
ears;  shoulders  and  hams  extra  large;  back 
brootl,  with  a  deej),  round  and  lougish  btsly. 
This  BOW  is  represented  with  a  slightly  swayed 
or  hollow  back,  at  which  wc  need  not  wonder, 
cousidoriug  its  length,  and  that  shu  has  a  litter 
of  nine  groat,  fat  pigs  tugging  awTvy  at  her  dugs. 
Those  I’rof.  Ijow  says  were  got  by  a  half-hnsl 
Chinese  boar,  w  hicli  1  presume,  from  tho  color  of 
tho  pigs,  was  white ;  for  some  of  them  wore  pure 
white,  while  others  aro  mixed  slate  or  jiluin  and 
white,  and  one  is  a  buff,  with  black  spots,  like 
tlio  original  Berkshire. 
CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  BEST  OF  THE  IMPROVED  BERK¬ 
SHIRE  SWINE  AT  THIS  TIME. 
Bnout  and  head  lino  and  rather  short,  but 
lai'ger  in  proisutiou  to  the  body  iu  tlie  male 
than  in  Uie  female,  and  with  a  bolder  and  moro 
deterniiiied  expression;  face  dished  and  broad 
between  the  eyes ;  jowls  full  or  tliiiuier,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  fancy  of  the  breeder ;  eyes  bright  and 
expressive ;  ears  small  thin  and  upright,  or 
iaclinhig  their  ixiiuts  a  little  forward,  neck  short, 
rather  full  iu  the  tlu'oat  and  harmoniously  swell¬ 
ing  to  tbo  shoulders  ;  chest  broiul  and  niotKrate- 
ly  arched;  rump  nearly  level  with  it;  well  let 
down  iu  the  twist ;  body  of  good  loiiglh  and 
depth,  round  with  well  sprung  ribs,  and  straight 
along  tho  sides  and  under  tho  belly  ;  slioulders 
above  all,  in  tho  hoar,  extra  thick,  yet  sloping 
Riiioothly  to  tho  body ;  hams  broad,  round, 
deoj)  and  so  thick  through  from  sido  to  side, 
particularly  in  the  sow  and  harrow,  tliat,  stand¬ 
ing  dii'cctly  behind,  oxcoiil  when  pretty  fat,  tho 
sides  of  tho  body  aro  scarcely  seen  botween 
them  and  the  shoulders ;  legs  flue,  strong,  of 
moderate  length  and  set  rather  wide  apart ; 
feet  small,  with  clear, , tough  hoofs;  tail  slender 
and  well  set,  with  a  haudsomo  curl  near  tho 
rump ;  hones  fine  and  of  an  ivory-liko  grain  aud 
hardness ;  offal  very  light  iu  comparison  to 
weight  of  carcass ;  liair  line,  soft  and  silky ;  no 
bristles,  even  on  tho  boar ;  skin  thin  and  laellow, 
with  clastic  handling  of  the  flesh  beneath ;  quick 
aud  spirited  In  movement;  stylish  in  carriage 
and,  in  the  hoar,  more  especially,  hold  and  im¬ 
posing  iu  presence. 
COIOR  AND  r.*ARKINQ. 
The  most  favorite  color  among  tho  best  broed- 
ors  in  iterkshii'o.  in  1841,  was  a  deep  rich  xihini, 
with  a  sliglit  flecking  ou  tho  body  of  while,  or  ii 
little  mingling  with  it  of  buff;  a  small  blaze  iu 
the  face ;  two  to  four_  foot  white,  aud  moro  or 
loss  white  hair  iu  the  tail.  The  i.ilum  color  was 
preferred  to  the  black  or  slate,  because  it  carried 
rather  higher  style  and  finer  points  with  it,  a 
superior  quality  of  llesh,  softer  hair  and  thinner 
sldn. 
Tho  above  is  no  ideal  descriiiliou  of  choice  im¬ 
proved  Berkshire  swine,  for  I  found  several  such 
iu  ti'avorsing  the  country,  aud  purchased  aud 
sent  thorn  home  to  grace  my  own  piggery. 
S'ljc  |i|)iiu‘uiit. 
EXPERIENCE  WITH  BEES. 
Julia  M.  Wiikelook,  iu  writing  to  the  Patron’s 
Helper  on  her  experience  with  beos,  says  : 
Many  persons  who  have  kept  boos  ou  tho  old 
plan  have  a  strong  improssiou  that  they  should 
not  bo  moddloii  witli,  aud  tliiiik  that  the  little 
workers  can  aud  will  do  all  thoii'  “  house  clean¬ 
ing  ’’  iu  spring,  attend  to  all  their  family  matters, 
increase  at  theii'  own  ploiisnro,  anil  lay  up  stores 
for  futim>  need,  better  without  any  assistance 
tbnu  witli  it.  A  case  of  this  kind  came  under  my 
observation  this  season,  tho  relation  of  whicli 
may  he  of  benefit  to  some  of  your  readers. 
Neighbor  A.  had.  by  tho  advice  and  suceoss  of 
his  friends  who  were  controlling  tlioir  bees  ad¬ 
vantageously,  beau  induced  to  adopt  such  hives 
as  were  eoiivuuient  for  oxainining  bees,  aiul 
really  seomod  to  foul  that  ho  was  trying  tho 
“  now  way  ’’  of  bce-koepiug,  but  for  some  reason, 
he  had  not  visited  thorn  this  yooi',  and  it  was 
then  near  the  middle  of  Jiino.  Ho  had  walked 
near  tho  hives,  and  discovered  that  some  of  them 
were  not  so  busy  as  were  some  others,  and  wisely 
mistrusted  that  there  miglit  bo  one  hive  at  least 
without  a  queen,  in  which  case  ,  as  a))iarifui»  well 
know,  tho  whole  family  must  sooner  or  later  die. 
At  this  time  wo  wore  induced  too.xamiiio  neigh¬ 
bor  A.’s  boos — some  less  than  fifteen  swarms — 
aud  found  many  swarms  apiiureully  doing  well 
as  to  liouoy,  aud  raising  brood,  but  liaviiig  never 
“cleaned  bouao”  this  sjiring.  The  dead  bees 
wore  from  one  to  two  Inches  thick  on  tho  bottom 
of  most  ol  tlie  hives,  in  the  midst  of  which  were 
brown  moths,  wxikrouchOH,  ants  and  some  other 
insects,  drawing  BUstoiiance  from  lliisfilUiymass, 
which  tho  bees  had  not  been  able  to  remove. 
Tho  hives  were  then  earefiilly  cleaned,  hut  this 
is  not  tho  object  I  had  in  (elliiig  tliis,  but  siinfily 
to  urge  upon  those  wito  think  that  boos  sliould 
never  bo  diaturlxid,  the  importance  of  asoeriaiii- 
ing  wliotlior  they  need  assistance  or  not.  In  tho 
case  referred  to,  the  bees  could  not  have  removed 
the  I'uhhisli,  however  aimoying  it  must  have  Loon 
to  the  little  laborers,  whose  strength  is  limited, 
oxeoiit  in  self  defense.  They  undoubtedly,  in 
Honio  cases,  throw  dead  bees  and  other  tilth  from 
the  hives,  but  they  do  not  always  do  it,  oven 
when  they  are  ati'ong  in  numbers  and  rich  in 
stores.  1  have  soeu  many  colonies  this  year 
wliich  had  deail  bees  still  clinging  in  the  comb, 
where  they  had  died  last  winter  or  spi'ing,  and, 
contrary  to  our  general  supposition,  not 
boon  removed  by  the  living  bees.  Whether  the 
honey  came  earliej'  in  flowers,  and  they  consid¬ 
ered  their  time  demanded  in  tho  field  or  not,  wo 
cannot  teU,  hut  supposo  Uio  lalsir  roijnisito  for 
house  cleaning  tiiiist  have  boon  beyond  their 
abilities,  as  they  are  supposed  to  have  a  jast  esti¬ 
mate  of  what  they  oiui  perform,  Di  raising 
brood,  they  liavo  such  correct  estimates  of  thek 
strength  and  capacities  that  the  increase  of 
honey  will  cause  the  queen  to  lay  more  eggs,  or 
a  deeroaso  of  honey  will  cause  her  to  diminish 
tho  quantity.  And  in  cases  wliero  dearth  of 
honey  comes  suddenly,  from  drouth  or  grass¬ 
hoppers,  or  other  cause,  bees  have  been  known 
to  destroy  soiuo  of  thek  brood,  where  they  had 
more  than  they  could  fcsid  and  take  good  cure  of. 
The  hoc-keeper  should  always  carefully  exam¬ 
ine  his  beos  in  spring,  and  remove  all  dead  bees 
(or  any  thing  else)  which  may  become  offeiisivo, 
from  the  hives.  Bometimes  it  is  best  to  remove 
moldy  comlis  as  worthless,  although  tho  bees 
sometimes  clean  such  combs ;  but  it  is  a  question 
whether  tliey  could  not  build  new  comb  nearly  as 
quick,  aud  with  more  safety  to  themselves,  as 
mold  is  known  to  be  very  poisonous,  and  must 
have  a  deleterious  effect  on  tho  bees,  while  re¬ 
moving  It  from  their  combs. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
Dticerne  Clovru  vou  Bur  1’a.stiirage.— It 
acenu  rather  late  in  tlie  day  to  proclaim  tlio  mer¬ 
its  of  Lucerne  as  a  forage  plant  or  for  beo-jias- 
tui  age,  considoiTng  tliat  it  has  been  cultivated  by 
agi’iculturists  for  twenty-five  oeutnrios  or  moro. 
Still,  as  every  generation  have  to  learn  some 
tilings  from  practical  l^\poITeuce,  perhaps  ours 
may  bo,  in  a  measure,  e,sciisuble  for  not  knowing 
that  box's  can,  and  do  gatlier  honey  from  tho 
flowers  or  this  ancient  jilaot.  But  it  Is  not  a/l- 
visablo  to  create  a  “  biicerno  m-ania,”  in  order 
that  some  one  may  make  a  foi  tune  in  soiling  the 
seal  uudor  aomo  one  of  its  luauy  names. 
