692 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER.' 
October 23 
“Mr. R. W. Vater, of Plymouth, Wis., reports a 
strange case. He, in 1896, bred a Guernsey bull to 20 
grade one-half to seven-eighths Holstein cows. This 
year, he has 20 heifer calves as the result, and in 
color, not one shows a trace of the Holstein, and 
they are, he says, very promising. It is strange be¬ 
cause the Holstems usually breed their color very 
strong.” 
WHITEWASH AS W/HTER PROTECTION. 
Last week, The R. N.-Y. noted the results of some 
experiments at the Missouri Experiment Station with 
spraying whitewash on plum and peach trees. It was 
stated that this coating of whitewash had held the 
buds dormant during the winter, and prevented swell- 
ing'on sunny days, and thus avoided danger from 
spring frosts. Some well-known horticulturists give 
below their views regarding this matter. 
I have never tested anything of the kind, but heard 
of it being done in southern Ohio several years ago. 
There may be something in it, but I cannot think 
that, generally, it will show such a marked difference 
as indicated from Missouri. I shall try individual 
trees the coming winter in different sections of the 
orchard, and carefully note the difference, if any 
there be. j. h. hale. 
Connecticut. 
I have practiced, for many years, the washing of 
the stems and main branches of fruit trees with lime 
water, colored with flowers of sulphur. I have little 
doubt that it lessens the tendency to blight and sun- 
scald of apple trees by lessening the absorption of 
the sun’s rays, and in winter, if kept on, it prevents 
the gnawing of rabbits. We have not tried the 
spraying to retard the opening of the fruit buds, but 
can readily believe it worthy of trial, not only on 
peach trees, but the Japan plums and other trees 
that bloom early. It is quite as easy to believe as 
that it will prevent sunscald of the stem. 
Iowa. j. L. BUDD. 
I was at Columbia while the experiments of white¬ 
washing trees were being carried on. It seemed to me, 
at that time, that a thick coat of the wash would be 
quite a protection, and it proved to be so. I have 
never tried the experiment, but was so well pleased 
that I shall have a number of experiments this next 
winter in many different locations. The whitewash 
serves like a coat of ice, only better, and protects the 
buds, it seems to me. Besides, we know that a ther¬ 
mometer wrapped in white or covered with white¬ 
wash will not go so low as will one wrapped in black 
or other color. There may, possibly, be a practical 
feature in this. I hope so. l. a. Goodman. 
Missouri. 
I am very much interested in your statement of the 
work of the Missouri Experiment Station, as I started 
a series of experiments several years ago in the same 
line, but did not use lime alone. I have always 
thought that there could be some means devised by 
which the absolute humidity attending sudden low 
temperatures of from 10 to 15 degrees below zero 
could be prevented, for I feel sure that, if the mois¬ 
ture were less about the buds and twigs of our peach 
trees at such times, they would come through all 
right. I have known more than 90 per cent of the 
buds to be killed when the thermometer had not reg¬ 
istered more than seven degrees below zero. I have 
had in mind another series of tests this winter on the 
same lines, and shall give the lime wash full trial. 
Our difficulty has been in making the wash adhere 
for any considerable time during freezing weather. 
Massachusetts Station. s. t. maynabd. 
I have been interested in the whitewash or lime 
spraying of peach trees in Missouri. I have not tried 
it, but I plan to spray an orchard of 500 apricots this 
winter. It is true that dark-colored wood will absorb 
sufficient heat on a bright, sunny day to start the 
circulation of the sap, and the cherry, peach and 
apricot are very susceptible to this winter heat. I 
do not believe that a well-matured dormant peach bud 
of a hardy variety can be injured by a temperature 
of over 25 degrees below zero, for the finest crop of 
peaches I ever raised came through a winter of 26 de¬ 
grees below zero. The orchard was in a direct north¬ 
ern exposure, which the sun did not reach until noon. 
Our greatest danger in New York, to peach trees, is 
in January and February. We frequently have a 
week of very mild temperature with clear, sunny 
days, when the buds start. This is frequently fol¬ 
lowed by zero weather, and with the encasement of 
the buds thrown open somewhat, it does not require 
even zero temperature to weaken or destroy them in 
that condition. I should say that the light color of 
the buds and wood from the lime, with its small ab¬ 
sorbing power of heat, would have value, and I shall 
test it the coming winter, and also shall set boards on 
the south side of the bodies of some trees to shade 
them during the winter, geo. t. powei,L. 
New York. 
I am incredulous respecting the degree of protec¬ 
tion by whitewash said to have been realized in the 
Missouri experiments. If the paroxysm of cold were 
to come and go as a flash, it might pass so suddenly 
that time would not suffice to reduce fully the tem¬ 
perature of buds thus protected; but temperatures do 
not change thus suddenly and, notwithstanding the 
admitted slight protection of the lime coating, it is, 
to me, inconceivable that such paroxysm of cold could 
fail to reduce the temperature of a fruit-bearing twig 
to that of the atmosphere about it. It is a recognized 
fact, however, that changes of temperature, occurring 
slowly, are usually less fatal in their effects. In such 
case, buds might escape fatal injury, while they 
might have been ruined by a more sudden paroxysm, 
of the same intensity. It is, therefore, only from such 
slightly retarded changes of temperature, that we 
can conceive of any benefit from the use of white¬ 
wash. Personally, I have had neither observation 
nor experience in the use of such applications for 
this purpose. t. t. lyon. 
Michigan. 
CHEAP PAINTS FOR THE FARM BUILDINGS. 
Farm buildings should be painted before showing 
that they need paint badly, because one coat of paint 
then does better and is far more economical than two 
coats later, when the surface has become very dry 
and porous. Indeed, a single coat of boiled linseed 
oil applied when the paint first shows signs of fading, 
is all that will be found necessary at such a period, 
because it is the oil only that is lacking in the paint 
or, rather, pigment, and the oil restores both color 
and texture, and makes the surface as good as ever. 
Under such a system of treatment, I would advise 
putting on, in the first place, three coats of the best 
paint. But if there be a danger that the paint will 
not receive due care afterwards, it may be as well to 
use a less expensive paint. Of such there are several 
varieties, and some of them wear about as well as the 
average paint. I will give some of the cheap paints 
that are especially useful for farm buildings, roofs, etc. 
A friend lays this paint problem before us for solu¬ 
tion : “I have a weatherbeaten barn that must be 
painted. I bought and applied some paint to the barn 
doors, and two gallons of linseed oil, at 40 cents a gal¬ 
lon, hardly made a respectable grease spot on them. 
What shall I do, seeing that I cannot afford to go all 
over that barn with such costly material ? Is there 
no good cheap paint ? ” And here comes another ques¬ 
tioner, by this morning’s mail, a Maryland farmer, 
who wants a cheap paint for a lot of old, weather¬ 
beaten farm buildings. He adds : “ Please send me 
a formula for a cheap paint that you think is all 
right.” 
Paint for Old Buildings. 
If the surface is extremely dry and open, a milk 
paint will answer. This is made simply by slaking 
the lime as usual, and then thinning the mass with 
skim-milk or with buttermilk, the former preferable. 
An agreeable color may be imparted by means of 
dry yellow ochre, or umber, or any dry earth pigment. 
If lampblack is to be used, first break it up in vine¬ 
gar. Care must be exercised when making a milk- 
and-lime paint. Strain the slaked lime, then stir in 
the sweet skim-milk until the mass is about like good 
rich cream. If you get it too thin, the paint will 
“run,” unless the woodwork be very porous. Apply 
with a good whitewash brush. By the way, don’t 
waste a quarter on a brush, but add one or more 
quarters and get a brush that will not only work 
more satisfactorily, but that will last years, with care. 
By adding a solution of salt to this paint, it will be¬ 
come much harder, and will be fireproof. It is excel¬ 
lent for shingled roofs. 
Here is another formula for a cheap paint, one con¬ 
taining an additional element of durability—oil : In 
three gallons of clear, soft water, boil one pint of 
flaxseed for one-half hour ; take it off and add water 
enough to make four gallons ; let it stand to settle, 
pour off the water in a pail, and put in enough whit¬ 
ing (bolted gilders’) to make it as thick as whitewash ; 
then add one-half pint of linseed oil, which must first 
be emulsified by adding sal soda to it, and shaking it 
up in a bottle until it becomes yellowish white. Stir 
the mixture thoroughly; or more flaxseed may be used 
in place of the oil, though the latter makes the paint 
more durable. 
Paint for Shingle Roofs. 
Especially where the buildings are near a railroad 
should the roofs be protected against hot cinders and 
sparks. The unpainted roof becomes, in time, a veri¬ 
table tinder box. Here is a very good non-inflam¬ 
mable composition for the purpose : Make a mixture 
of equal parts of lime water and vinegar, and add one- 
half pound of salt, one-quarter pound of alum, and 
one-quarter pound of white vitriol (zinc sulphate), 
each of these in powder form. Boil the mixture. Add 
pne gallon of linseed oil and boil again. Cotton-seed 
or any other drying oil will answer as well as linseed 
oil. Take from the fire and add, when cool, one gallon 
of crude petroleum ; put back on the fire and heat to 
the boiling point. It is then ready, making about 
three gallons of material. Ordinary whitewash is 
fireproof, but salt or alum should be added, and if 
thinned with skim-milk, it is still better. Coloring 
matter may be added, but care must be taken not to 
add too much, as the cohesion of the lime would be 
thereby impaired. 
Even stone buildings should be kept looking nice. 
Any good lime wash is good for walls, but a more 
durable and pleasing finish is had by using a paint 
made as follows : To one-half bushel of lime, wetted 
with water enough to cover it, add one gallon of boil¬ 
ing hot raw linseed oil. The lime, of course, must 
first be slaked, and while hot, add the oil, stirring 
constantly until the mass is like cream. If too thick, 
thin with skim-milk. Add coloring matter, if desired, 
and give two coats, carefully laid on. First clean off 
the wall, and plaster up broken fplaces. The work 
will then look well for several years. The paint is 
equally adapted for woodwork. 
Tin or Metal Roofs. 
Tin won’t rust; it is the iron under the alleged tin 
that rusts. Prevent this as much as possible by keep¬ 
ing the roof painted. Graphite paint is best, and lasts 
for years. Shingles are fast supplanting tin for even 
flat roofs. They are more durable and equally 
adapted for the purpose. a ashmun kelly. 
THE STORY OF THE BUMBLEBEE ‘ 
Will you give us a talk on bumblebees and how to Increase 
their numbers ? With the advent of the mowing machine and 
horse rake, we have noticed that the bumblebee has become 
scarce; as we take it, the rake and machine have destroyed and 
cleared the fields of mouse nests, in which they made their home 
and hatched their brood. With the decline of the bumblebee, we 
note the decline of Red clover and the increase of droughts. 
Westtown, N. Y. E. V. b. o. 
“ Our native social bees belong to the genus Bombus, 
and are commonly known as bumblebees. Of these, 
more than 50 species from North America have been 
described. The honey bee is an introduced, domesti¬ 
cated species, which now lives wild in all parts of 
the country, building its nest in hollow trees and in 
other situations. The clumsy rover, the bumblebee, is 
an old friend of us all. As children, we caught her 
off the thistle blossoms, and imprisoned her in emptied 
milkweed pods, and bade her sing for us. We robbed 
her nest in the hay field, and tried to believe that 
the strongly-flavored honey, mixed with dirt, was de¬ 
licious. And all our lives the sound of her droning 
has brought us visions of blue skies, roadsides golden 
with buttercups, and fields purple with clover blos¬ 
soms. And she has deserved all the attention and 
affection bestowed upon her, because she is usually 
good-natured and companionable. She is a happy- 
go-lucky insect, and takes life as it comes without 
any of the severe disciplining and exact methods of 
her cousin, the honey bee.” 
With the bumblebees, the queens are larger than 
either the workers or the males, and are the only ones 
that live through the winter. They may be found, 
always singly, hidden away in decayed trunks of 
trees, under fodder stacks, under leaves or moss, or 
in sheltered and dry situations. That they sometimes 
winter in the old nests is both stated and disputed. 
In early spring, we often see one of these great queens 
flying low, and inspecting our meadows and pastures 
for a building place. She becomes the foundress of 
a new colony. Selecting some spot, under a stump or 
sod, or often in the aoandoned nest of a field mouse, 
she immediately collects a ball of pollen which she 
mixes with honey, and in which she deposits a small 
number of eggs. The larvse or grubs, hatching, begin 
feeding on the pollen, and push out in independent 
directions, increasing in size, and making large cavi¬ 
ties in the mass. On reaching full size, each spins a 
silken covering, which is thickened by a wall of wax 
added by the queen, so that a cell is formed in which 
the grub transforms to a pupa. The development is 
very irregular, and a nest examined at almost any 
time during the summer will be found to contain in¬ 
sects in all stages of growth. 
The first brood is composed of workers, and after 
their appearance, the quee n leaves the work of pro¬ 
visioning to them, and devotes herself almost ex¬ 
clusively to home duties. The workers are assiduous 
in their labor of collecting and storing up pollen, and 
in the care of the young. They assist the newly- 
formed bees to emerge from their cocoons, helping 
them cut and remove the lid, and pulling them out 
with their jaws. More eggs are laid by the queen, 
and new cells are constructed, the peculiar manner 
in which the cells are made accounting for the irregu¬ 
larity in their arrangement. The nest rapidly in¬ 
creases in size, as the queen remains fertile through¬ 
out the summer. In the construction of their nests, 
the bumblebees adapt themselves to circumstances in 
