the virtues,” and Virgil calls it a “ray of 
divinity.” Shakespeare and Milton devoted 
to it their thoughts and words of praise. Mr. 
Newman briefly enumerated some of the hooks 
on bees: beginning with the “Histone of Bees,” 
published at Oxford, England, in 1609, and 
coming down to the present day, more 
than 100 volumes were written. 
' 'Success in Bee Culture” was the title of a 
paper by C. F. Mutb, O. Successful winter¬ 
ing of bees is one of the foremost requirements 
ot the coming crop. Success in this depends 
upon a strong, healthy colony in the Fall, 
together with plenty of honey and dry, com¬ 
fortable quarters. Mr. Math preferred a 
large brood-chamber, with a large surface 
above the brood for the accommodation of 
surplus arrangements. In the Spring he over¬ 
hauls his bees, and all colonies are confined to 
as many combs as each one can well cover. 
Outside the division-boards he hangs combs of 
honey, and when the weather is warm the 
bees will carry the honey over into the brood 
nest, which answers every purpose as a stim¬ 
ulant for breeding up, aud is preferable to the 
feeding of liquids. The division-boards do 
not touch the bottom of the hive by about half 
an inch, which allows the bees to pass under. 
As the season advances more combs are added. 
When swarming time arrives, after-swarming 
can be prevented by cutting out surplus queen 
cells several days after the issuing of the first 
swarm. Queens cannot be entirely prevented 
fi’om entering the upper stories, uuless queen- 
excluding honey boards are used. In raising 
extracted honey, when the combs of the upper 
story are filled, they are exchanged for empty 
ones, and whenever a comb of brood is found, 
it is placed at the left of the honey-chamber. 
After the extracting is finished, the hives con¬ 
taining brood in the upper stories are again 
overhauled, aud if the number of brood combs 
indicates that the queen has beeu neglecting 
her work below, the brood nest is looked over, 
aud combs with honey aud bee-bread, if any 
there be. are exchanged for combs with brood 
from above; otherwise the combs of brood 
with the adhering bees arc used to streugtheu 
weak colonies, make nuclei, or form uew colo¬ 
nies. When the combs are again filled, the 
process is repeated. In closing, Mr. Muth 
said: “1 do not want to winter my bees on 
sugar sirup, as I fail to see the advantage and 
the good policy in so doiug. It is, of course, 
uncertain what the next Winter may bring 
forth, but so far as wintering is concerned 
with pollen or without it, and with natural 
stores, I will run a race with any of you who 
feed sugar sirup. With the above method I 
believe my bees have gathered as much as the 
bees of anyone of you. The interests of sugar 
refiners have not been benefited at the ex¬ 
pense of bee-keepers. My neighbors do not 
suspect me of producing honey from sugar 
sirup, and my labor has not been excessive, 
but has met all the requirements ol’ my bees. 
In the discussion that followed some thought 
it admirable to spread the brood and add 
combs, if dotw at the proper time and under 
the right conditions, Mr, A. P. Root, O., be¬ 
lieves that letting the colony alone would be 
exactly as well and a great deal easier. He 
also suggested that a vury proper place to test 
and decide the advisability of spreading the 
brood would be at an apiary connected with a 
State agricultural college, which every such 
college should have aud sustain. 
“The Bee of America” was a topic brought 
up by the query: “Has Apis Americana been 
reached?” It was thought that whether or 
not the bee of America had been reached, 
many bad attained their ideal bee. Prof. Mc¬ 
Lain, who has charge of the (J. S. Agricul¬ 
tural Experimental Station at Aurora, Illinois, 
advised that, in breeding, if more attention 
were paid to the drones employed in the fertil¬ 
ization of the queens, far greater advance¬ 
ment could be made, aud also more rapidly; 
that prepotency is on the side of the drone. 
After some more discussion upon the subject, 
Mr. T, (i. Newman said that in deciding the 
merits of an ideal bee, five points are essential 
and may be enumerated thus: The queen 
must be prolific, in order to have the hive full 
of bees at the proper time to gather the har¬ 
vest of honey wheu it comes; the bees must be 
industrious to let nothing escape then vigor¬ 
ous search while gathering the nectar; they 
must be docile, to allow the apiarist to mani¬ 
pulate them and the hive with pleasure, in 
order to be profitable; they must he hardy 
and strong to endure the rapid changes in this 
very changeable climate, and they must be 
beautiful in order to secure the admiration of 
the fanciers of fine stock. 
Genesee Co., Mich. w. z. hutchinson. 
dhtml 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Vegetation in Florida. —Nothing in Flor¬ 
ida surprises the Northern visitor more than 
the long-continued production of useful pro 
ducts and flowers. Our soil is not rich, but it 
holds on mightily when once filled with 
vegetable matter. We began picking our Sea 
Island cotton in August,and ou November 1 it 
was still blooming. Our Lima Bean patch 
gave ns food for six months. The common 
snap beau can be made to bear from May to 
November. The climate and soil of Florida 
seem to have a mania for making flowers. It 
seems as though the very fence pickets want¬ 
ed to bloom. Lantauas aud oleanders bloom 
four months. The roses keep on nearly all 
the year, and the Cape Jesamine is fragrant 
aud grand from May to Christmas. These are 
connected with the orange and peach blossoms 
which are variegated with the daisies. So 
the seasons pass before us, one endless march 
of flowers. s. e. willing. 
Alachua Co., Fla. 
Wtiat Two Young Men Have Done.— 
There is so much talk in the papers of late 
about the troubles men have, in makiug a liv¬ 
ing that I want to tell what two young men 
here iu New Jersey have done. Cue of them 
got a piece of woodland within 2n miles of 
New York, He cut the wood off himself, und 
the money he got for it will go far towards 
paying for the land. He has burned and 
grabbed up stumps and set out trees aud fruits, 
built a little house and barn, and, iu fact, 
made the foundation of a good home. He has 
done this all alone, while hundreds of other 
young men wore groaning about hard times. 
The other man is a factory baud. Re has tak¬ 
en a little place, bought, a small herd of cows 
aud gone to making butter. His wife, a youug 
girl, went right out of the mill into the dairy 
aud spout a month with a good butter maker, 
learning the business from the very founda¬ 
tion. These young people will succeed aud 
they deserve to. Their work shows grit, aud 
that will count every time. They might have 
given up at the first hard pull aud gone back 
to the long grind of an existence that thous¬ 
ands drag through. They huug on to it, aud 
the result is that they are going to make their 
marks. There is a fair chance for every heal¬ 
thy mau in this country. The chance is all 
right; the failure is in the man. H. B. G. 
Passaic Co., N. J. 
Stove Gossipkrs. —I have often noticed 
with regret the valuable time wasted by farm¬ 
ers around the stoye iu the village store. In 
some cases every stove iu town has a dozen or 
more patrons who spend nearly all their spare 
time hugging it. As a rule, the topics discuss¬ 
ed at these gatherings arc unprofitable if not 
altogether damaging. Local gossip often, too 
often, t ie worst kind of scandals, form the 
chief topics of conversation, aud many a family 
feud has originated, anil many a reputation 
has been blasted around the village stove. 
Such gatherings are frequently obnoxious to 
the store-keepers, but woe he unto any who 
venture to break up the charmed circle, for a 
boycott by the haugers-on means the loss of 
nearly all the business doue iu the evening. 
These gatherings are specially attractive to 
children, and do them much injury. I hey 
hear stories which would never be repeated in 
the family circle, and find things applauded 
which would he condemned at home. The 
best story teller and the most skillful disput¬ 
ant—frequently a. man of the lowest and most 
despicable character—is too ofteu the leader 
of the crowd, and becomes the pattern for the 
boys. To be able to tell the biggest story— 
usually the biggest lie—is all that is required 
for leadership, or at least popularity, at these 
gatherings. The damage doue by these “stove 
committees” cannot be counted. J. H. G. 
R. N.-Y.—Good. Men who go and talk to 
a stove, using language that they would be 
ashamed to use in their families, deserve no 
mercy. We have frequently seen hoys haug- 
iug about these gatherings, taking their first 
lessons in vulgarity and obscenity. Business 
farmers never haunt such places; they can 
easily find more profitable work. The croaks 
about hard times aud the bitterness against 
those who work aud succeed are hatched out 
around these stoves. Keep the boys away from 
such places, and if you respect yourself, keep 
yourself away. 
GARDEN NOTES FOR DECEMBER. 
W. FALCONER. 
The Orchard.— Prune apple trees when¬ 
ever you feel like doing it. Keep their heads 
somewhat even, thin, equally spread out and 
low. Very close pruning Induces a growth of 
switches, you must try to avoid that. Prune 
standard pear trees almost any time; but don’t 
touch the dwarf trees till towards Spring. 
Regulate the growth of peaches, plums, aud 
cherries, but scrupulously avoid unnecessary 
cutting or pruning. Stake securely the weak- 
stemmed, top-heavy, young trees. In the case 
of newly-planted stock, some dirt piled up over 
their roots and around their stems not only 
protects the roots considerably, but saves the 
trees a good deal- from being racked about by 
wind-storms. 
The Vineyard. —Prune tho grape-vines. 
Don’t leave a lot, of long spur-snags; hut cut in 
close if the eye of the base is a good, plump one. 
Keep a good supply of sound, stout, firm, short- 
jointed wood, aud do away with loug, uaked, 
blind vines. If you want to raise a few more 
viues by means of layers uext Summer, save 
some fine, young fanes now, and shorten them 
a little. Iu the Spring all you need do is to 
(dhow them into the earth, and fasten them 
there by a stamp of the foot or a boo iced peg. 
By Fall they will be well-rooted plants. Or 
if you waut pieces of vines for cuttings or 
cions, cut them now, aud bury them in the 
earth till towards Spring. If your vines are 
of somewhat, tender sorts, take no risks, but 
bend them down, aud bring the shoots snugly 
together and cover them over a few inches 
deep with dirt. 
Strawberries.— Have the patch thorough¬ 
ly clean from weeds. Mulch among the plants 
with rich, well rotted manure, and after the 
ground freezes, say towards the end of Nov¬ 
ember or early in December, strew some light 
mulching, salt hay or sea thatch, broadcast 
over the plants and leave it undisturbed till 
early next Spring. The manure enriches the 
ground, the thatch preserves the plants from 
injury by sunshine or searing winds in Win¬ 
ter and also in a gieat, measure prevents their 
being thrown out of the ground by frost. 
Many growers do not remove this strawy 
covering till after the plants have yielded 
their fruit in Summer. 
Currant Bushes. —“Fix” them up now 
and haveuo bother with them iu Spring when 
you will otherwise be busy enough. Iu prun¬ 
ing merely cut out the old, enervated wood, 
tip the strong, youug shoots aud remove the 
little switchy stuff that comes up close about 
the crown or stem of the plant. Then clean 
out the patch, slightly fork the ground between 
the bushes, aud apply a heavy mulching of 
cow manure. 
Gooseberry Bushes.—Tu pruning preserve 
the stout arching shoots, keep the bushes 
somewhat thin aud low-headed. Remove the 
sprouts that, arise from about the necks of the 
planks. Fork the ground lightly and mulch 
heavily with cow manure. I have had the 
best success with gooseberries in a cool, deep, 
loamy soil, in a sheltered, but not sunny ex¬ 
posure, when heavily mulched, and grown as 
low-headed bashes. When grown as stand¬ 
ards, that is on high stems, no matter under 
what other circumstances, or how much 
sulphur I used, all the berries mildewed 
before they ripened. 
Raspberries.—A s soon as the crop of 
berries bad all been gathered in Summer, all 
of the old canes should have been cut out aud 
the young ones thinned out to the requisite 
number for next year’s use. But if this has 
not beeu done, do so now, and then lay the 
canes down and cover them with some earth. 
Of course many varieties are very lianly and 
survive our Winters without iujury; but 
where their survival is questionable, better 
lay down the canes and cover them and be 
safe. When 1 do uot lay down ray raspberry 
canes over Winter. I mulch the ground 
among them heavily with manure. Tree 
leaves are also a good mulehiug in this case, 
Blackberries 1 treat iu about the same 
way as raspberries, only I seldom mulch them 
with manure over Winter; I prefer waiting 
till Spring till I have cut out the multitude of 
suckers that are sure to come up all around. 
Chou de Burghley. —This is said to be a 
cross between a broccoli und a cabbage, and 
originated with Mr. Gilbert, the Marquis of 
Exeter’s gardener, in Lincolnshire, England, 
some years ago. Tho source whence it came 
gave it impetus. It was vigorously pushed; 
“everybody” grew it; many welcomed it us a 
valuable desideratum, and others rejected it 
as u veritable humbug. At first a great many 
“rogues” occurred among the seedlings. As 
soon as it made its debut, I got seeds of it and 
grow it here, but concluded all my seadlings 
Were “rogues." I then sent directly to Gilbert 
and got, the genuine article. Tho seedliugs 
grew all right, but they ueithcr hearted nor 
flowered, aud i have grown it every year 
since then. I have a lot of it now, but have 
not met with a whit bettor success. My sow¬ 
ings were mudo at different times. But the 
hogs and cows are fond of it, that’s some com¬ 
fort. Have any other Rural readers suc¬ 
ceeded with it? 
Fruits in Northwestern Wisconsin.— 
Our strawberries here are Wilson, Sharpless 
and Jersey Queen. We have Cuthbert and 
two kinds of blackcaps, aud the Lucretia 
Dewberry. All need protection in the Win¬ 
ter. Pear and plum trees were killed down to 
the snow liue two years ago. We have a 
small, well-flavored pear which docs fairly 
well. Our roses and shrubs all need protec¬ 
tion. It takes lots of time and labor, but 
wheu I see the plants laden with flowers and 
fruit, I think it pays pretty well. h, l. j. 
Olivet, Wis. 
p.amo.loijic.aL 
A SIMPLE FRUIT-TIOITSE. 
As we enjoy plenty of grapes at Christmas, 
and our method of keeping is uew to us, it may 
he of some interest to readers of the Rural to 
know hew we have managed to keep unwilted 
stalks and fresh flavor among the grapes. 
Last year we converted what was originally a 
shed into a fruit and ice-house by surround¬ 
ing it with inch boards battened outside. It 
was boarded up inside, and a space 10 
inches wide between the walls was filled in 
with dry swamp muck. The shed was divid¬ 
ed in the center in the same way (see Fig. 445) 
and filled in. No doubt sawdust would 
answer the same purpose where it cau be as 
easily procured. The upper tloor of the fruit- 
house is double and the boards are about 
three iuchos apart to allow the partially 
heated air to return to the ice-house. In doiug 
this it, keeps the upper floor cool as it enters 
on the opposite side from it. Against the 
division wall and on all sides are nailed half¬ 
inch strips so that iu the ice-house there will 
be room for air to circulate through openings 
eight inches each in the lowest part of the 
division wall, while the other three sides of 
the ice-house are filled eight inches arouml 
with sawdust. There is a double door with 
glnss front in the outer one to admit light, so 
t hat it need not be open to admit heated air. 
In this building during the past season we 
stored asparagus, strawberries aud raspber¬ 
ries successfully and are now enjoying grapes 
that we have often tried vainly to keep in 
baskets in the house. They were placed in 
eight-pound flat baskets and hung up to the 
ceiling, several hundred baskets being iu the 
house at one time, besides those shelved. It 
is such a simple building as to be withiu 
reach of every farmer, aud amply repay all 
the labor and expense. The grapes are uot in 
the least shriveled, nor are they dropping 
from the stem, which 1 attribute to the even¬ 
ness of temperature in the building. Concords 
are good: Salem und Wilder plump aud with 
succulent stems; Eumelau keeps all its rich 
flavor; Niagaras as fine as ever, while Duch¬ 
ess were mistaken at. the table for hot-house 
grapes. To those near market it would be 
quite an item to keep fruit in a building of 
such simple construction till the flush of fruit 
is over, and for the family, whore there is gen¬ 
erally a feast and then a famine of fruit, it is 
worth trying The iee melted a little faster 
at the division wall, hut there was ample suf¬ 
ficiency for all our needs, and we are quite 
satisfied with the success of the experiment. 
Prov. of Quebec, Can. annie l. jack. 
<L\)t Virtnjavtb 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, AND THE 
WORDEN GRAPE. 
T note the following iu the Rural of Oct¬ 
ober 6. 
“If any one were to eat first a Worden and 
then a Concord grape, he could not tell which 
from the other As to the time of ripening, 
there is very little difference. The Worden 
bunch will not average so lurge as the Con¬ 
cord buuch. The vine of either is us hardy as 
the other. ” 
The Worden being undoubtedly a seedling 
from the Concord, would naturally have 
many of the characteristics of its parent; hut 
after growing it for a dozen or more years, I 
must say 1 find more difference than the above 
opinion of the Rural indicates; and if 1 did 
uot know the Editor to he very careful about 
such matters, I should be incliued to think ho 
had been comparing a Concord with a Con¬ 
cord; for there is great reason to believe that 
a good many vines which are growing under 
tbe name of Wordens, are Concords, aud 
nothing else. And while I have never been 
able to see the great superiority of the Wor¬ 
den over the Concord which some persons 
