248 
THE CULTIVATOR 
August. 
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cient to discolor slightly the salt, or about one-twentieth 
part. They are regularly and constantly fed with this 
mixture the season through. 
The disease being considered as allied to the itch, 
the sulphur mixed with oil was also applied to the backs j 
of the sheep immediately after shearing, and whatever 
effect this mixture may have had upon the rot, the 
grease was found to have increased the weight of wool 
about a quarter to half a pound per head. The practice 
of applying oily substances externally to sheep, and the 
beneficial results, have been elsewhere known, and this 
experiment further establishes the advantage. 
The cost of these materials for large flocks, may be 
lessened by purchasing in quantity in New-York city. 
Flour sulphur is often retailed at twelve and a half cents 
per pound; in New-York it costs three dollars per hun¬ 
dred, and fifty cents additional, as freight, brings it to 
only three and a half cents per pound. Lard and lamp 
oil are costly as external applications; but train oil, or 
oil of the true whale, is only about 32 cents per gal¬ 
lon in New-York, if bought by the barrel, or $10 per 
barrel; this would be enough for 2000 head of sheep, or 
half a cent per head;—the sulphur mixed, and the labor 
of application would be about 2 cents per head. 
It is of great importance not to draw hasty conclu¬ 
sions; but the above remedy, it is believed, if not 
totally removing the rot, which longer trial may accom¬ 
plish, will certainly be of the highest benefit in lessen¬ 
ing its formidable nature. 
THE STRAWBERRY. 
Mr. Tucker —I am pleased with your strong com¬ 
mon sense notice of my letter on the character of the 
strawberry plant, though like many others, your mind 
is still unsettled on the subject. My mind is relieved 
from all anxiety on the subject, for when the attention 
of such men as Professor Kirtland, Buist, Wilder, and 
Jackson, have been drawn to it, and their doubts re¬ 
moved, even the most skeptical of our scientific Euro¬ 
pean gardeners and botanists must deem the subject 
worthy their notice. For 26 years I have endeavored 
to draw the attention of the latter to it in vain. I was 
listened to with patience till candor compelled me to 
admit that my attention was first drawn to the subject 
by the opinion of an ignorant market woman. From 
that moment I was compelled to be silent. But the day 
is as near at hand as the millerite day of judgment, when 
these learned and scientific men will be compelled to 
admit that the old woman was a better botanist than 
Linnseus, so far as the character of the strawberry plant 
is concerned. With our ignorant market gardeners, I 
had no difficulty in making converts. They knew Mrs. 
Abigust could raise larger and finer fruit than they did 
cm the same space of ground, and five times the quanti¬ 
ty. To be certain of having the same kinds, they even 
stole her plants. But in a single year, they became 
barren also. I pointed out to them the difference be¬ 
tween the staminate and pistillate blossoms, and they 
saw that the former did not bear a single fruit, (for the 
staminates we cultivated at that period were entirely 
barren,) whilst the former produced a perfect berry to 
each blossom. They required no other evidence, not 
being botanists, and soon compelled Mrs. A. to quit the 
business. 
The subject has been for two 3 r ears before a commit¬ 
tee of botanists and market-gardeners, appointed by our 
Horticultural Society, and their report will soon be 
made. It is also before the Horticultural Society of 
Boston, and we shall soon know their opinion on the 
subject; and their attention will be especially directed 
to the justly celebrated seedling of Mr. Ilovey, and its 
character will be settled. 
1 cannot be surprised at the doubts of others, when 
Mr. Hovey is entirely ignorant of the character of his 
own seedling, after cultivating it extensively for 12 
years, and his attention having been drawn to the sub¬ 
ject some years since. You say truly, my reply to Mr. 
Downing “does not demolish, but overleaps his asser¬ 
tion.” With my friend Downing, I have less patience 
than with others; for from his just celebrity as a horti¬ 
culturist, I expect him not to be nearly, but exactly 
right. When he has for a single season, devoted as 
much attention to this plant as I have done each year 
I for 20 years, he will freely sustain my views. Ten 
acres of Hovey’s seedling, if entirely separated from all 
others, will not in ten years produce a full-sized, per¬ 
fect fruit. For fifteen years we cultivated the Hudson 
only, and for that period I kept a bed of them separa¬ 
ted from all others, to make new plantations from, and 
during that period they did not produce a single fruit. 
“ Facts are chiels that winna ding, 
And downa be disputed.” 
And even our European gardeners admit that the 
principles I contend for are true in this climate, but 
still contend that in Europe, all species and varieties 
are perfect in both organs, and uniform bearers, and no 
difference in the size and appearance of the blossom, 
which they now admit to exist with us. But they con¬ 
tend that our plants, if returned to Europe, would re¬ 
cover from their defective organization, and become 
perfect in both organs. I marvel if the change would 
take place as suddenly as it does with us. Fifteen years 
since, I imported eight or ten varieties of strawberry 
plants from England, and they blossomed within two 
weeks after their arrival, and wonderful to tell, all but 
one variety were defective in the female organs, and 
after 2 or 3 years’ trial, were deemed of no value ex¬ 
cept to impregnate the pistillate variety, which I still 
have, and which I feel bound in truth to say, has re¬ 
tained her purity and chastity of character, and would 
never bear fruit if left unmolested. 
In tw r o things we can beat the mighty East. In the 
abundance of our strawberries, and in the cultivation of 
the Cactus. The Night-blooming Cereus is with me 
now in its glory. I have had more or less blossoms on 
several plants in tubs and pots, for the last two weeks. 
On one plant I had 69 buds and blossoms, and 38 of 
them in full bloom on Saturday evening last, besides 
numerous blossoms on other plants. 
Cincinnati, June 17, 1846. N. Longworth. 
THE QUEEN BEE. 
Mr. Editor —Dr. Bevan, and other celebrated wri¬ 
ters on the nature and habits of bees, say, that second 
and third swarms have very often two or more queens 
when they leave the old hive, and before they com¬ 
mence operations in their new habitation, there will in¬ 
variably be a battle, wffiich lasts till all but one are 
killed; but that an instance never yet occurred where 
all were destroyed, even if in their pitched battle both 
were placed in such a position that both would receive 
a death wound at the same time, nature or instinct 
would teach them to desist, and avoid a close onset for 
the purpose of preserving one alive. 
A few days since something very singular occurred 
with my own bees, which goes to disprove this asser¬ 
tion. On the 15th of June, at 1 o'clock P. M.,a second 
swarm came out of one of my hives. I soon had them 
hived anti placed upon the stand close by the old hive. 
In the afternoon they were very quiet, and none left the 
hive for forage. The following day being very warm 
and close, they kept unusually quiet, and I soon per¬ 
ceived that there was something wrong. At 11 o’clock 
A. M., they all rushed out of the hive with great noise 
and confusion, and I expected they would soon leave 
for the woods, but contrary to my expectations, they 
all returned again to the old hive. I soon, however, 
discovered the cause of this strange movement. On the 
bottom-board I found two dead queens, and in all pro¬ 
bability, the only two that were with the young swarm. 
In their contest for the mastery, they probably both in¬ 
flicted at the same moment a death wound, and as soon 
as the bees discovered their loss, they again returned 
to their old habitation. I could discover no trace of 
combs in the new hive, and hence I have reason to be¬ 
lieve that the bees were almost twenty-four hours silent 
spectators of the furious and deadly contest. 
Catawissa, Pa„ June 1846. William J. Eyes. 
