MAY 42 
ment must be consulted in training the run¬ 
ners so that the plants in the matted rows are 
not allowed to set too thickly. From three to 
five inches is thick enough. If the bed is not 
wider than five feet, it can be cultivated to 
the center from either side, and the berries 
can be picked to the center from either side 
without mutilatiug the plants. 
Oak boards an inch thick and six inches 
wide (ordinary foucing plank) may be placed 
around the edges of the beds and secured in 
position by slabs or stakes. This prevents the 
soil from washing from the bed during heavy 
rains, and also assists in retaining the moist¬ 
ure. In late Fall or early Winter the bed 
should be mulched with wheat, oat or rye 
straw, pine leaves, decayed tan-bark or wood- 
pile chips. This mulch should be allowed to 
remain on the bed until after the bearing sea¬ 
son the following Spring, when it may be re¬ 
moved or worked into the soii. 
The above method, for garden culture, has 
given me better results, with less trouble, 
than any plau I have ever adopted. 
Caldwell Co., Ky. A. B. Coleman. 
Aloes fob Cabbage Worms.—A friend 
and his neighbor saved their cabbages last 
year by sprinkling them by means of a water¬ 
ing pot with water in which aloes had been 
steeped—ten cents’ worth of aloes sufficed for 
a large cabbage patch. f. m. 
Sl)i' %yiaxim. 
THE LANGSTROTH HIVE. 
PROFESSOR A. J. COOK. 
The following is a description of a hive in 
which the staudard Langstroth frame is used. 
Such hives have the substantial merit of beiug 
by far the most used of any style in the coun¬ 
try. Many bee-keepers think with myself 
that these frames are less excellent in them- 
//'/<, x //fr 
Bee-hive:—Fig. 195. 
selves than are such frames as the Gallup, 
which are 11V inches square outside measure. 
The standard Langstroth frame is 17% inches 
long by 9% deep. The top bar is l l -£ inch 
longer than the bottom bar. This gives 
three-fourths of au inch projection at the 
ends, by which the frame hangs on the hive. 
The top bars should be strong and heavy, so 
as uot to bend. They should never be leas 
than 5-16ths of an inch thick. Many make them 
three-eighths, and I have seen them half-an- 
inch thick. The end bars may be from 3-10ths 
to one-fourth of au inch thick, and the bottom 
bur even thinner. The width of all the bars 
may be seven-eighths of an inch. It is no 
harm if they are a full inch. 
The body of the hive should lx* a bottomless 
box without top. The length of this box 
should be One iueh greater than the length of 
the top bar, or 20 % inches long, outside 
measure, ami should lx* made of good inch 
pine lumber. We see that the frames run 
lengthwise ami that the ends project half-an- 
inch over the ends of the hive. If eight 
frames are used (some prefer ten), as each 
frame takes with the spaces between 1% inch, 
the hive should be 11 inches wide, outside 
measure. Some follow Mr. Langstroth, and 
rabbet the inner upper edges of the end pieces, 
so that the emis of the frames may rest on 
these rabbets instead of the top of the hive. If 
the rabbet is cut it should be three-fourths of 
an inch ouch way. In this ease the hive or 
box must be three-fourths of au iueh higher, 
or 10 inches. If the frames rest on the top of 
Bee-hive — Fm. 19fi. 
the ends, without the rabbet, the hight need 
be ouly iF, inches. This gives one-fourth 
of an inch space between the bottom bars 
and the bottom hoard. The bottom board 
should be 14 inches wide and 25 long. This 
should be nailed to two cross-pieces of 2x4 
scantling, which raises the hive four inches 
from the ground. The scantling should ex¬ 
tend cross-wise of the bottom lx>ard, aud 
should bo about four inches from the end. I 
prefer that this board be separate from the 
hive. Many, ou the contrary, nail it to the 
body of the hive—the box described above. 
^A V-shaped cut on the top at the middle 
of one end of the bottom board, gives the 
bees a convenient entrance to the hive. The 
base of the cut which should be one-quar¬ 
ter of an inch deep, should be eight inches 
loug. Thus the entrance to the hive, when 
the body is shoved to the end of the bot¬ 
tom board, is inches. By shoving the 
hive back the entrance can lx* entirely 
closed, or so restricted, that only one liee can 
pass at a time, which is often very desirable, 
in times of robbing, with weak colonies and in 
early spring, when the weather is cold. 
A second half-story should be one inch 
longer, and as much wider than the body of 
the hive, so as to rest on shoulders nailed 
about the body of the hive, one inch from the 
them extensively, and that the loss and disaster 
resulting from a similar boom 13 or 14 years 
ago will be repeated. In this section (Junneau 
Co., Wis.) the growing of hops then seemed 
to demoralize the farming community. The 
general improvement of farms was neglected, 
extravagant habits formed, money borrowed 
for new buildings, horses.wagons, harness, etc., 
and when the inevitable tumble in prices came 
consequent on overproduction, many were 
almost ruined, and many lost their farms and 
everything, who, but for hops, might have 
been comfortably circumstanced. Then, un¬ 
derneath these considerations, there is the 
question whether it is right to grow aud fur¬ 
nish any of the materials for the making of 
intoxicating fluids i R. w. 
Strawberry Bee —Rows Two Feet Apart—See Page 296— Fig. 193. 
top. This need not be more than eight inches 
high. Some make this high enough to make 
the hive two stories, In this case, comer-posts 
are nailed in the top-story, and thin boards 
nailed to these, on which rest the frames. 
These are needed, so that the upper story shall 
be virtually no longer than the lower story. 
A shallow cover rests on shoulder pieces 
nailed about the second story oue inch from 
the top. This should be rain-proof. It may 
be covered by tin or made roof-like, by using 
two boards and a gable. A narrow single 
1 ioard along the ridge makes this very tight, 
and the form of such a cover makes the hive 
look neat. 
I use an oil-cloth above the frames in Spring. 
Summer, and early Autumn, which is re¬ 
placed by a piece of heavy cotton in Winter. 
If we work mostly for extracted honey, a 
two-story hive is used. If we only intend to 
raise comb honey except as the good of the 
bees requires extracting then the story-and- 
one-half is best. 
[We have known of just such cases as that 
above mentioned.—E ds.] 
-♦ * * ~ 
Remedy for Sore Shoclders and Doll- 
Evil in a Horse.— In this hot climate it is a 
difficult matter to keep our horses with sound 
shoulders; nearly every one has his favorite 
remedy. Mine is a strong decoction of oak 
bark and alum with which I wash the sores. 
I had a horse afflicted with poll-evil; the place 
would heal aud remain sound for three or four 
months, then break out and run for a week or 
ten days. I tried the above wash on him; it 
is now over a year since the sore healed. Of 
course the hair does not grow on that place, 
but I think I have got him cured. s. H. H. 
-- 
^Biscfilancmts. 
WOOD ASHES FOR PLUMS AND 
CABBAGES. 
In the Rural of February 17, W. J. N. asks 
what will prevent his plums from falling when 
not more than half ripe, aud my experience 
Sorghum for Feed. —The’Breeders 1 Gazette 
mentions that the evidence in favor of sorghum 
as a valuable crop to be grown for feeding to 
stock is accumulating. It has some decided 
advantages as a soiling crop. It can be drilled 
safely even earlier in tbe season than can corn; 
in fact, some practice drilling the seed late in 
the Autumn so as to secure the earliest practi¬ 
cable growth in Spring. It is relished by most 
if not all kinds of stock when fed green. Con¬ 
trary to what might be supposed, it seems to 
be valuable for Winter feediug when cured as 
Strawberry Bed—Matted Rows—See Page 296—Fig. 194. 
suggests a preventive. On our farm there are 
several nice plum trees that always dropped 
their fruit when about lialf-grown. 1 tried 
different remedies, all of which failed entirely 
except fumigating with sulphur, which was 
partly successful and might have been com¬ 
pletely so had I persisted in its use. By the 
advice of a friend I tried wood ashes applied 
round the trees close to the trunk, early in the 
season—generally in March—and ever since 
my first application the plums have remained 
ou the trees until fully mature. Another good 
result is that sprouting is thereby prevented— 
a considerable advantage. I also sprinkle 
wood ashes over cabbages while the dew is on, 
and they adhere and prevent the worms from 
doing any serious injury. Of course 1 have to 
repeat the treatment after a shower. By this 
means, however, 1 have had plenty of cabbages 
when my neighbors have had none, though 
they used ** bought" remedies. Last season we 
ust*d coal, and I sprinkled the ashes the same* 
as wood ashes, but I do not like them so well. 
They prevented injury from the cabbage 
worm but not from the. caterpillars, but these 
are large and it is uot much trouble to pick 
them off. 
Danger from Overproduction of Hops. 
It is to be feared that the present high price 
of hops will lead thousands of farmers toplaut 
is ordinary corn fodder. In some trials horses 
are reported to have shown themselves espec¬ 
ially fond of it. As forage plants we may 
again call the attention of our new subscribers 
to the Rural Branching Sorghum, the seed of 
which may also lie (billed in of course. The 
trouble is to get the pemnae seed. We know 
of 20 instances or more in which adverse re¬ 
ports have shown that the seed sown was of a 
one-stalked variety. The Rural Branching 
Sorghum sends up many stalks aud will grow 
the faster for being cut back. 
--- 
Planting Sorghum Seed.— Mr. Roth thinks 
that the ground for Northern sugar cane 
should be Fall-plowed deep, as caue roots run 
very deep. Cultivate in the Spring, work 
thoroughly and pulverize well. He thinks 
rows three feet apart a very good distance for 
caue. Mark the rows with a light marker, 
making three rows at oue crossing. Drop 
eight or teu seeds in the cross and cover light¬ 
ly. He finds scalding the seed before planting 
a very good policy. The water should not be 
boiling-hot, however. Liberia Cane should be 
thinned out more than other varieties, as it is 
liable to sucker; but it does not blow dow n as 
the Amber does. Missing hills can bo supplied 
by thinning where too thick, aud transplant^ 
ing. 
■--- 
Poultry on the Farm.—T he well-known 
poultry authority, Mr. I. K. Feleh, states, in 
the N. Y. World, that one bushel of com will 
grow as many pounds of live poultry as it will 
of pork. One bushel and twelve quarts of 
sound corn or its equivalent in other grain, will 
keep a fowl one year. The average hen will 
lay lOjj' dozen of eggs per annum, which 
ought to secure a profit of -81.20 to $1.75 per 
head, according to the price of eggs. Poultry 
and grain are affected by the markets of any 
special locality. Farmersshould in all branch¬ 
es of industry operate largely enough to secure 
the best results in price. Mr. Feleh would not 
have them go into poultry farming exclu¬ 
sively, but he considers that the man who 
plants an orchard has by no means finished 
his work until he shall have furnished quar¬ 
ters in the same for 150 to 200 fowls to the acre 
making it serve the double purpose of orchard 
and poultry yard. Mr. Feleh would select, if 
confined to thoroughbred stock, Light Brah¬ 
mas, Plymouth Rocks, aud White Leghorns. 
As our readers are aware, the Rural tries 
first one breed, then another—giving each a 
thorough triaL Now the best results for eggs 
that we have ever had were from Black Ham- 
burghs. We have found the Plymouth Rock as 
good as any other for an all-purpose fowl. But 
there are many strains of this breed which do 
not give satisfaction. We are now trying the 
Light Brahmas from Hon. C. S. Coopei*. The 
objection that many make to this breed is the 
dark color and comparatively small size of the 
eggs. 
- — — 
Poultry in France. —It appears from trust, 
worthy statistics published last year, notes the 
Agricultural Gazette, of London, that there 
are 40,(XX),000 of fowls kept in France, which 
produce poultry for the table whose annual 
value is £6,000.000 sterling, and 4,000,000.000 
of eggs, worth £10,000,000 sterling at the low¬ 
est computation. One-fifth of all the eggs laid 
in France are sent to England, which pays to 
foreigners for eggs and poultry the astounding 
sum of £30,000,000 annually. France owes her 
supremacy in poultry farming partly to the 
fact that she is a country of small proprietors, 
but chiefly to the more economical and min¬ 
utely industrial character of her farmers. 
They understand that successful poultry farm¬ 
ing is an art requiring care and skill, like the 
rearing of cattle or the growing of grain, and 
they treat it accordingly. 
Here is an item from the Iowa Homestead 
which will show something of the frightful 
amount of damage done to the fruit trees of 
that State:—Mr. D. Patterson, of Belle Flame, 
has 240 acres of apple orchard, planted 20 feet 
apart, containing about *23,000 apple trees. He 
thought this distance apart would protect them 
in such a Winter as the past. He has exam¬ 
ined about half of his orchard and found only 
about one in ten alive, and of those which are 
alive most'are hadly injured. The varieties 
alive are the Willow Twig. Duchess of Olden¬ 
burg, Fameuse, Utter’s Red. Iowa Blush. Tal- 
mau Sweet. Red Astrachan. His orchard has 
been planted from six to twelve years, and he 
has not had a full crop yet. He sees no differ¬ 
ence in location or cultivation as to the injury 
by this Winter. His pear trees are also dead. 
All small fruit is badly injured. 
PITHS AND REMINDERS. 
Prof. Popenoe, of the Kansas Ag. Col., 
mentions in the sprightly Industrialist, the 
weekly college paper, that cions of the Ben 
Davis Apple two or three feet in length were 
grafted upou root-sections of the usual length 
of three inches. The grafts were placed along¬ 
side of grafts made in the ordinary manner 
with cions of but a few inches in length. The 
long grafts now two-year-okl trees, look like 
three-year-old trees and are greatly in advance 
of the others..... 
At the Elmira implement trial most of the 
harrows sold were mounted. The sulky plows 
were watched with interest and their work 
commended... 
The "New Dispensation" Doctor—Dr. John 
M. Billerica, of Bailey, or Dr. Winning, of 
Billerica, or something of the kind—is himself 
"ensilaged” according to the Husbandman. 
Lying in the silo will do him good. 
Prof. Agassiz’s reply when promised lib¬ 
eral compensation if he would deliver a lec¬ 
ture. according to the Farmer’s Review, was 
this: "Why, Sir. I can’t afford to spend my 
time in making money,”. 
Lyman Wall tells the Rural Home that he 
has found that the more feitilizers he uses the 
cheaper he can grow potatoes. It costs less to 
grow two or three huudred bushels on an acre, 
than it does to grow the same amount on two 
or three acres, and the festili 2 ers are not all 
consumed by the potato crop, but a port re¬ 
mains in the soil for future crops. 
Mr. Wall thinks he can raise more mer¬ 
chantable potatoes per acre with one eye in a 
hill than from auy greater number. : 
He further says that he would prefer large 
