THE BUBAL HEW-VORKER. 
holes d at bottom of the box. passing in 
front of the first wire, behind the second, in 
front of the third, and out at the other side of 
the box. 
A REVOLVING STALK RAKE. 
In the Winter the fanner may profitably 
spend some of his spare time in repairing his 
tools, or in making necessary implements. 
Among the earliest farm operations is the rak¬ 
ing and burning of last year’s corn-stalks; in 
preparing the ground for another crop. A good 
heavy rake is needed, Although many persons 
use a common bay-rake or a harrow, neither is 
as good as a special rake, 
Figs. 30 and 2? show a “revolving” stalk-rake 
which does good work, and may be handled by 
any boy old enough to drive a team. Take a 
piece of wood (Fig. 26., A) five inches square 
and 12 feet long. Bore 16 two-inch holes 
the center of which a cord extends back to the 
piece G. D, D, are heavy iron bolts put through 
the frame 17 inches from the front end. 
In using the rake, it is connected with a 
wagou, the bolts, D, D, being hung over the 
hind part of the wagon. C of Fig. 26 rests on 
G of Fig. 27, and thus prevents the rake from 
turniug uutil the driver by means of the lever 
at his side, draws the piece G forward far 
enough to allow it to pass. A small piece of 
iron may be put at each end of C, Fig. 26, and 
also on the piece G (Fig. 27), where that piece 
rests. This prevents it from wearing so rap¬ 
idly. s. r. SHULL. 
A HARDY SCRAPER. 
Mr. Joseph Todd, of North Madison, Ind., 
Fig. 30. 
writes us that he finds the scraper shown at 
are your chap;” and are addressed to that 
frailty so common with human nature—the 
endeavor to buy cheap, with the vain hope of 
getting more than one’s money’s worth. 
I am aware that it is often difficult to draw 
the line that shall separate honesty and fraud; 
and that even an honest man may, perchance, 
become so far befogged by self-interest, as, un¬ 
consciously, to step over the line, Still, as 
between the man who sells beautiful fruit, 
knowing it will be overrated in quality, and 
hi m who ekes out his packages with refuse, 
I can see no difference save in degree, since 
ail aim to lead the buyer to hope to secure 
more iu his purchase than can possibly be 
realized. 
The beauty of this fruit will doubtless sell 
it for a time to those who know nothing of its 
quality; but it will be folly to hope that the 
same buyers will continue to call for it, or that, 
it can, if extensively grown, ever be recognized 
as a favorite in the market. 
HOW CAME “COMET” PEARS IN THE 
MARKET? 
2S), that it is larger than any blaclt-cap, though 
smaller than the average blackberry. The ad¬ 
vertisement reads: “By crossing a blackberry 
with a raspberry, a fruit partaking of the 
Fig. 23. 
shape, flavor and habit of the raspberry (with 
just a perceptible aud unusually pleasant taste 
of the blackberry)—with the glossy black color 
and hardy character of the last-mentioned— 
has been obtained; while as regards product¬ 
iveness, etc,, it will vie with the very best 
raspberry yet known. ” This seems not, as yet, 
to have been alluded to by American journals. 
through it, making the center of the first hole 
four-aud-a-lialf inches from the end. The 
other holes must be nine inches from center to 
center. This will make the center of the last 
hole just four-and-one-half inches from the 
other cud. These holes are for the teeth, 
which should be made of good, tough wood, 
such as oak or hickory, perfectly dry. They 
should be two inches in diameter and 45 inches 
long. This lea ves 20 inches as the length of the 
teeth on each side of A. Nine inches from each 
end of A. a round piece, two inches in diameter 
Fig. 30 a very handy implement. It is made 
from a worn-out cross-eut saw, with a broken 
fork handle for the handle. The blade is 12x5 
inches. A hole is made iu it, through which 
the tang of a broken fork is driven into the 
handle aud fastened. The blade is secured to 
the shank by riveting while hot, or by a thread 
and nut. The teeth are good to get. manure 
from grass or to loosen hard cakes on the 
floor of the stable. Such a tool for use about a 
stable or pig pen is almost invaluable. It costs 
but little and is easily made. 
D 
and 40 inches long, is put through it at right 
angles to the teeth. These pieces, B, B, extend 
22 inches on each side of A. C is a piece 49 
inches long, and five inches wide at the center, 
for a space of five inches, which is to go through 
A. It then tapers off to throe inches wide at 
each end. It. is two inches thick aud must be 
made of good, tough wood, as it is to rest on 
the frame, Fig 27, and keep the rake from turn¬ 
ing. The teeth and the pieces B, B, and C, 
should be firmly fastened in the piece A. C is 
exactly iu the center of A. In the center of 
the spaee between the sixth and seventh teeth 
counting Horn each end, the piece A should be 
cut round, four-anci-onc-half inches in diame¬ 
ter, and for a length of four inches. 
Fig. 27 shows the frame which connects the 
rake to the wagon, and on which is placed the 
apparatus for “emptying” it. Thu pieces A, A, 
are four inches square aud 00 inches long. Near 
one end of each piece a kind of “boxing” 4% 
inches in diameter, is made iu which the parts 
O, O, of Fig. 26, may revolve. K, K, are small 
pieces of board one inch thick nailed to the 
piece A, in order to cut away less of the piece 
by the “boxing”. The center of this boxing 
should be nine inches from the end of the piece 
A, and half an inch below it, that is, on a line 
drawn through the centers of the boards K, K 
L is a piece of iron bent so as to form the re¬ 
maining part of t he circle and extending about 
six inches on each side, so that it may be bolt¬ 
ed to the piece A, as shown iu the cut. The 
pieces A, A, should be 40 inches apart from 
outside to outside. B is two inches thick, 12 in¬ 
ches wide and of the form shown in tbe engrav¬ 
ing. It forms a seat lor the driver. F is two in¬ 
ches thick aud six inches wide. It must l ie sunk 
into the pieces A, A, until it is “flush”, or even 
with them. Its back edge must be just far 
enough from the “boxings” to allow the piece 
C of Fig. 20 to pass, a little over 24’ ^ inches 
from then - centers. G is one inch thick, four iu- 
ches wide, and about 43 inches long. It is fast¬ 
ened at one end only, with its back edge one 
inch nearer the “boxings” than that of the 
piece F. A guard, H is placed across the oth¬ 
er end of it, which leaves it free to be drawn for¬ 
ward about three inches. H is a curved spring, 
one end of which rests against G, while the 
other end is fastened to a piece, E, placed across 
the frame. C is a lever 18 inches long, from 
pomolagkffl. 
A NOTE FROM PRES. LYON. 
FALSE PRETENSE IN HORTICULTURE. 
Brother Collins is so delightfully candid 
in his advocacy of the principle of false pre¬ 
tense in marketing fruits, as applied to the 
Lawson (Comet) Pear, that I am impelled to 
turn the matter inside out, and look ut it from 
different standpoints. 
* But first, iu self-defence, I may he indulged 
in the statement that Mr. Collins, in person, 
presented specimens of this pear before the 
committee of the American Pomological Soci¬ 
ety, at Grand Rapids. Michigan, ou the 10th 
of September last. The specimens were ap¬ 
parently in perfect condition; not at all de¬ 
cayed: and I cannot recall any statement to 
the effect that they had essentially suffered iu 
quality from having beeu kept. On testing, 
the quality was so utterly indifferent that, a 
very moderate taste sufficed. 
I hail no previous personal acquaintance 
with the variety, and knowing that the Ster¬ 
ling is usually marketed, in Michigan, as early 
as the end of August; aud ought, iu New Jer¬ 
sey, to be from one to two weeks earlier, l felt 
warranted in the supposition that they cannot 
greatly differ iu season. 
Mr. Collins does not veuturea word in favor 
of his pear, so far as quality is concerned; but 
puts it (as he always does the Kieffer), forward, 
strictly upon its beauty, saying, “It did not 
concern me what was done with the pears, 
whether they were sold for their good looks or 
good quality.” So say a great many fruit¬ 
growers who grow aud sell worthless fruit, 
which, by its beauty, begets the expectation of 
quality in the mind of the. innocent and ig¬ 
norant buyer. So says the man who deliber¬ 
ately puts up his fruit in wine quarts und sells 
as dry quarts, or in peck baskets that turn out 
but six quarts, or in “Hour barrels” that, meas¬ 
ure out half a bushel short. So also says the 
mau who puts fine specimens on tbe top aud 
bottom of his packages, while the center is 
made up of refuse. All these processes operate 
upon the horse jockey’s principle—“Your eyes 
Noticing the article of my friend Collins, 
in the Rural New-Yorker of December 26 , 
as to the “Comet” (?) Pear, I would ask him 
one question: “How is it the “Comet” has 
borne from year to year aud sold at. from §4.00 
to $8.00 per bushel,” when he cannot, have a 
tree iu bearing? 1 was on Mr. Caywooil’s 
grounds three years ago last Fall, aud he then 
had one oldish tree and a few young trees iu 
bearing, certainly not enough to bear over 
six to eight or ten bushels of fruit. He tried 
to sell me the stock aud control of that sort, 
claiming that not a cion or tree hod gone out 
of his hands. I understood the next year 
he sold his “right” to Collins, which makes it 
but two years last Fall since he got any youug 
trees. How is it my friend Collins has had 
such remarkable success iu marketing the 
fruit as §4.00 to §8.00 per bushel? As I said, 
Mr. Cay wood tried to sell me the stock; but 
I certainly saw nothing in the fruit hut its 
bright color to recommend it. In flavor it. 
was almost third-rate in comparison with 
such sorts as Bartlett or Seekel. a. m. pukd y. 
Palmyra, N. Y. 
PEACH TREE BOX. 
Mr. R. P. McNalley sends us the sketch 
shown at Fig. 31. Thus simple little device is 
said to prevent the depreda¬ 
tions of the peaehborer. It 
has stood the test of several 
years’ trial. It is simply a box 
of four pieces of plank, about. 
15 inches long, of wood that 
will not easily decay. It is 
made around the tree aud 
sunk an inch or two into the 
Fig. 31. ground. Thus the moth, from 
which the borer is produced, is 
uuable to pass under. The side of the box 
should uot be more than two or three inches 
wider than the trunk of the tree. As the trees 
grow the boxes cau be replaced by larger ones. 
The spider that is almost sure to spin its web at 
the top of the box provides ample protection 
where the box is small. 
THE SWEET PARADISE. 
Apples are considered to be more nourish¬ 
ing than potatoes, which require other food 
with them to render them satisfying 
to bodily needs. Apples are medicinal too; a 
noted physician used to say that he used no 
medicine himself but apples aud abstinence, 
whenever he felt out of sorts. Sweet apples 
are more nutritive and more grateful to a t en¬ 
der stomach than sour, aud comparatively few 
know how excellent many sorts are, cut, sliced 
and baked. Baking imparts a much richer 
flavor than stewing. Sortie yearsago I planted 
an avenue liuc with that exceptionally erect 
ami handsome grower, the Winter Sweet Par¬ 
adise—a sort which carries its heavy and regu¬ 
lar crops well in the interior of its stately 
head, aud so it is not bent out of shape by the 
weight. 1 began to think I had too much fruit 
of that particular sort, but find them so good, 
after being au hour in the oven, that. 1 value 
them more than ever, and I cau readily sell 
any superabundance in this region of mines 
and works. G. 
Tyrone, Pa. 
RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY HYBRID. 
Mr. Wm. Saunders, of Canada, during a 
brief call at. this office, spoke of hybrids which 
he had effected between the raspberry and 
blackberry. We find iu late English papers a 
new “pure black raspberry” offered, which 
purports to be such a cross. It is called the 
“Glenfield.” It will be seeubythe cut (Fig. 
<J l)c Spimiflii. 
SIXTEENTH SESSION OF THE NORTH 
AMERICAN BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSO¬ 
CIATION. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT). 
Continued from page 25. 
Increased demand for honey; extracted and 
comb honey; Winter bee feed; when to 
extract; fumigating; our honey markets; 
honey packagef; honey plants; shipping 
bees; buying bees. 
In continuation, Mr. Walker said he had 
found it was more diffieult to sell 500 pounds 
of honey is 1868 than 35,000 pounds in 1885. 
He sells more to the 1,500 people of his town 
to-day than was sold in all St. Louis 20 years 
ago. With less labor at least twice as much 
extracted honey cau l>e secured, aud lorn’ 
times as many colonies can be eared for as 
when we work for comb honey. The cry of 
over-production is not well founded. We find 
no trouble iu disposing of our immense crop of 
extracted honey. Let every bee-keeper see to 
it that all the markets are supplied—not a 
fifth uow even know what extracted honey is. 
Dr. Mason, of Toledo. Ohio, after a faith¬ 
ful trial of both, is loud in favor of extracted | 
honey. He only extracts from the brood 
chamber. Dr. Whiting, Michigan, said, “Tier 
up, and you will secure at least double the 
quantity of extracted honey.” Mr. Dadant 
wishes ut least 12 Laugstroth frames for 
brood cboinlier, and extracts from half stories 
above, using oue, two or three, as the har¬ 
vest requires. Unless we give much room we 
are likely to be annoyed by swarming. 
C. F. Muth uses double-story Laugstroth 
hives. He has secured 103 pounds per colony 
ou the roof of his store in Cincinnati. He 
urged all to keep honey enough for winter 
stores, aud not. to feed sirup. Mr. Pettit, of 
Canada, agreed with Mr. Muth that there was 
lossiu feeding sirup. If we feed honey for 
Winter, that eases the market by just so much. 
Several present thought it paid well to feed 
sirup for winter stores. It was thought that 
sirup was as safe or safer and cheaper than the 
honey. 
Mr, Root says we must plan to work less, 
anil even though vve make less honey we shall 
receive more money. Many manipulate too 
much for the best profit. Feed no sirup, and 
permit the bees to do their own spreading of 
brood. Never so crowd the bees as to cause 
enforced idleness. No good boe-keeper ever 
permits his I.. to hang iu idle clusters out¬ 
side the hive. Mr. R. uses 10 to 10 combs in 
the brood chamber, and extracts from the 
upper story. The queen sometimes goes above 
to lay, but this does little harm. He has a six 
by twelve inch ventilator in the center of the 
bottom board, which was very useful in hot 
weather. Mr. Pettit said no honey should be 
extracted till capped. It should always bo 
cured in the hive. Prof. Cook said we save 
much time by extracting before the honey is 
capped. The honey, if kept in warm, dry 
rooms, in open vessels, would be just as good. 
He had repeatedly given such honey ripened 
out of the hive, also that ripened In the hive, 
and that drained from llret-elass comb honey, 
to people to test, and they rarely decided 
against the first, if it was well ripened. Mr. 
Hotterman, of Canada, would have honey 
ripe before extracting; would extract when 
the honey was about one-third capped. He 
found clover and thistle honey ripened much 
quicker than basswood honey. Honey, both 
comb and extracted, should always be kept iu 
warm, dry rooms. Mr. Broadman said the 
cap was air-tight, so how could it injure comb 
to bo kept in damp rooms. Prof. Cook said 
the caps were not air-tight; even comb honey 
