330 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[SEPTEMBfeft, 
and bright. Cut the drain no wider than is necessary for 
the tiles. In such land, a drain two and a half to three 
feet deep, 14 inches wide at top and 3 inches at bottom, 
ought to be cut for from 15 to 20 cents a rod. 
About Muck.—“ W. M.” asks if “ muck, in conjunc¬ 
tion with commercial manures, such as superphosphate, 
nitrate of soda, etc., would come anywhere near the 
standard of stable manure as a fertilizer for exhausted 
land.”- ! do not think there would be anything gained 
by mixing superphosphate or nitrate of soda with muck. 
If you have muck on the farm, or near by, throw it up in 
the summer to dry. When dry, it can be used in a variety 
of ways as most convenient—1st, it can be made into a 
compost with lime or unleached ashes ; or (2nd) it can 
be composted with stable manure; or (3d) it, can be 
drawn at once directly to the field, and spread as top¬ 
dressing on grass land. A good superphosphate is a 
capital manure for turnips. I do not think it will pay on 
wheat. For barley nitrate of soda and superphosphate, 
at the rate of 200 lbs. each per acre, will probably pay. 
Tin muck will be a slow and lasting manure. The com¬ 
mercial manures we should aim to use only on crops that 
will pay for their use the first year, 
Dbaininq a Pond. —“ W. H.,” Kansas, says there is a 
pond of about three acres on the farm that he proposes 
to drain. It receives the surface water of about 100 acres. 
He will dig a drain to the river,-about 50 yards long. 
The bottom of the drain will be loose black soil. He 
can not get tiles, and asks how he had better make a 
stone drain. I think 1 would make a board drain, by 
nailing, say 6x7 inch boards together A shape. This 
would be cheaper than a stone drain, and not so likely to 
sink in the loose earth. But would it not be better to 
simply make an open ditch for a year or two, until you 
see how it is going to work, and how large a drain will 
he required to carry off the water? 
Bee Notes. 
BY M. QUINSY. 
If we compare the amount of honey delivered in New 
York market 15 years ago with what it is now, we shall 
find that the present quantity exceeds the former by one 
half. In the counties in Central New York—perhaps all 
the counties in this and other States—there are now prob¬ 
ably not more than one-fifth the number of bees there 
were at the time mentioned. We can not explain all the 
causes that led to these results, but some of them are 
evident. The bees that are left in Jhe country must 
be managed differently from what they then were, or the 
honey would decrease proportionally. Most of the bees 
left are in the hands of the improved culturists, who sup¬ 
ply the market. Consumers are indebted to improve¬ 
ment for their supply. As there is one thousand times 
as rr nch honey produced in the flowers as is collected, 
and which must be wasted, of course it is evident that | 
we ought to do all we can to encourage the cultivation of - 
bees by observation and experiment, and by adopting 
the management of the most successful bee-keepers. 
I Y’.slted such an one about July 1st; arrived at 4 
p. m., and as he was absent, I had an opportunity of in¬ 
specting the premises. The house fletween the bees and | 
street, was on the west side ; that and the trees protect¬ 
ed them from prevailing winds. The grounds were 
smooth, and descending just enough to drain off the Bur- 
face water. On the north side was a close ordinary board 
fence, two feet from which stood a row of hives, twenty- 
five in number, six feet apart. Fifteen feet in front was 
another row, and the same distance apart. There were 
three rows, all perfectly straight, each hive like every 
other; each of all—boxes, frames, and combs—was like 
every other part. The hives were painted four different 
colors, none of them very dark. Different colors alter¬ 
nated, so that three different colors were between every 
two of one color. The first time a bee leaves a hive— 
like a sensible person—it. marks its locality to guide its 
return, and thus avoid entering the wrong hive. When 
hives are all nearly alike and of one color, they should 
be set irregularly, and face in different directions. 
Five of his hives had swarmed out the day I arrived ; 
all of the swarms had returned after flying a few minutes. 
Had the hives been close together, and of one color, they 
might easily have gone into a wrong hive. The queen, 
unable to fly, moved only a few feet from the hive, and 
crept back with the bees—the stand being arranged so 
that she could do this. Knowing pretty well that the old 
queen would issue with the first swarm, the owner had 
found and clipped off one wing, to prevent her flying 
with the bees. They were left without any one to care 
for them particularly, and there was no fear of their go¬ 
ing to tlie woods. The first move of the bee-keeper, 
when he got home, was to break up the swarming fever, 
in order to secure the strongest colonies. He said he 
was satisfied long since that a strong colony divided into 
tw moderately so, will not secure half the quantity of 
surplus they would if they remained together. Hence 
the motive to prevent swarming. Up to this time he had 
operated to make all equally strong. I never saw a lot of 
70 hives that were so nearly equal in strength as this 
one. .His weakest were re-inforced by help from the 
strongest in this way: A comb full of brood near maturi¬ 
ty, and sealed up, was taken from the strongest hive, 
divested of mature bees, and given to a weak one. This 
brood required no attention from those it was given to 
further than to be kept warm. It would all mature and 
hatch out in a few days, and remain where matured, add¬ 
ing greatly to the strength of the stock. Two or three 
combs, even if taken from different hives, make a weak 
hive as strong as the best. The hives from which the 
brood was taken were supplied with clean, empty combs, 
which were soon filled. The yield of honey up to this 
time had been only moderate. Hence there was more 
brood than honey in every comb. He had boxes on every 
hive; extracting, in which they were just commencing, 
seemed unnecessary so far. His hives are described in 
the American Agriculturist , June, 1873. Without them, 
he says, he could not afford to manage bees. On his ar¬ 
rival he commenced operations at once. Took off' the 
roof and top of the hive. Raised the latches of the 
corners, and took away the four sides, and left the combs 
and the 24 boxes at the sides and top as yet standing on 
the bottom board, not disturbing a bee. The boxes 
could be picked up from any side, and set off’ with the 
bees in them, which left the first outside combs and bees 
on them exposed, but they seemed so demoralized by the 
sudden exposure to the lijlit, that they showed but little 
disposition to sting. If any anger was manifested, the 
smoke was at hand to quiet them. A person stood on 
each side, unhooked and picked up a comb, and looked 
it over for the queen, when, if not seen, it was hooked 
on a bottom board placed at the side, just large enough 
for six. Another was looked over in the same way, until 
the queen was found and put in a cage. Two combs were 
left on the old stand with six empty frames pul on with 
them; the boxes were then put on the same as before, 
and the hive shut up. The queen was then put in. The 
combs on the new bottom board had most of the bees 
shaken from them in front of the old hive, and were then 
covered with a box just large enough to do it—entrance 
very small. Enough young bees would remain to nurse 
and keep warm tlie immature brood, and it was all that 
they were expected to do for three or four days. The 
time taken to do this did not exceed ten minutes. The 
bees in the old hive would continue to work in the boxes, 
and put new white comb in the empty frames. At the 
end of three or four days, the frames with the new combs 
were to be removed, and the old ones returned to the 
original hive, after removing all queen cells from them. 
The new white comb that was built in the empty frames 
was to be taken out and put in boxes, before any brood 
had advanced to mar it—it is made faster in the hive than 
in the boxes. It seems to be pretty well understood that 
when a surplus box is put on empty, it is longer before 
the bees even begin to make comb, than it takes to fill 
the box with honey when they have combs to hold it, 
ready made and put in. A piece, an inch square, is a 
great encouragement to .gin in the boxes, but a piece 
of new white comb, the full size of the box, is still 
greater, because they have nothing to do but fill it, and 
lengthen the cells a little and seal over. Experience has 
proved this correct in the past, and more particularly the 
present season. Secretion ol wax has been more tardy 
this season than usual. And I have no doubt that this 
artifice to get combs ready made to put in his boxes—in¬ 
stead of having it made there as they want to fill it—will 
add thousands of pounds of honey to the amount he will 
get—counting all his stands—I came near putting it 10,000. 
It has not been a good season in this section for ex¬ 
traction, it having been so very wet, without, a whole 
week of pleasant weather—several weeks can be counted 
up to this time, July 1st, without a pleasant day. So 
little honey was obtained early, that there was plenty of 
room in the comb for brood. The bees seemed to get 
plentv of pollen to nourish it with, and nearly every 
square inch was filled, when a half dozen pounds would 
exceed the whole amount of the honey in the hive—one 
hive contained even less than a half pound, and yet had 
commenced to store in the boxes. This state of things 
being general, led to the prediction that it was going to 
be a swarming season. I ventured the suggestion. It 
has been verified. Every fair day through July has sent 
out swarms. I doubt, whether my friend succeeded in 
breaking up the swarming fever ; I have not heard. But 
this is quite certain, that he succeeded in getting a good 
supply of pure white comb for his boxes. When a good 
quantity of empty old comb is on hand, and given to the 
bees as they begin to accumulate honey, and if extracted 
thoroughly, it has a tendency to discourage swarming 
more than anything else that we have discovered. 
I know a man who had a strong early colony, and did 
not deprive it of any brood to help weak ones, but added 
empty combs in between full ones, until they had over 
thirty, 10x18 inches square. Nearly all were pretty well 
filled with brood, and when the flowers began to yield 
plentifully, there was a force of three or four strong 
swarms to gather it. Basswood, in connection witli 
clover, yielded at once for a few days. At this time he 
extracted and weighed what was collected in two days, 
which amounted to 57% pounds. This is the greatest 
amount I ever knew of. Time was when I thought 314 
lbs. a day was extraordinary. I once weighed some box- 
hives, when they had to make combs to hold the honey 
as collected. One hive gathered 12 lbs., another 16 lbs. in 
a week. The yield of honey probably was as bounteous as 
it was during the two days mentioned. I mention these 
things, to show that some of us have learned to obtain 
more from the same number of bees, in less time than 
we did only a few years since. What is there to dis¬ 
courage us ? If dairymen are to be commended for ob¬ 
taining more and better cheese from a given number of 
cows, or the farmer more wheat from tlie same number 
of acres, are we not entitled to some credit for the effort 
to obtain the larger amount and better quality of honey ? 
It is important that every hive—in most localities— 
be now thoroughly examined. See if there is a prolific 
queen and a strong colony for winter, if there is any foul 
brood, and if the stores are sufficient for winter. If the 
queen is absent, give them one. If right, and bdes are 
wanting, feed moderately every day steadily during this 
month. If queen and bees are right, and stores are scarce, 
from extracting it all out, or ot tier cause, feed a little more, 
not over two pounds a day. I will say further next 
month. Syrup made of white sugar, is good for winter 
stores. The difference in price per pound between honey 
and sugar is from 5 to 25 cents, and when the price for 
pounds enough is reckoned, it will pay for some trouble. 
Care must be exercised in taking off boxes—which 
should be done as soon as honey fails—to prevent the 
honey from being carried out. It is taken from unsealed 
combs first, and sealed ones next. Bees that are in the 
| boxes, when off, will each take its load, and immediately 
' return for more ; if they can have access to the boxes, 
they will do it at any season when honey is scarce. To 
get rid of these with little trouble, take an empty barrel— 
one head out—put in the boxes, so that the bees can 
creep out, and cover the barrel with thin muslin ; they 
will collect on the under side in the endeavor to escape. 
Turn it over quickly a few times, they will all leave, and 
if unable to get to the boxes again, will soon be quiet. 
Game Fowls and our Poultry Societies. 
It is a noticable fact that the department of 
Games in our poultry exhibitions is the great 
center of attraction. Game fowls command 
higher prices than any of the old varieties, the 
eggs sell higher, and they are more extensively 
advertised in the poultr} 1 ' journals. The secret 
of this popularity lies mainly in the use to 
which these birds are put. The game is un¬ 
questionably a good bird for eating, but is no 
better than some of the less quarrelsome varie¬ 
ties. They are prolific, but are surpassed by 
other varieties. They are quite handsome, but 
this is not what they are bred for. The only 
thing in which they excel all other domestic 
fowls, is their capacity to fight until the last 
gasp. No doubt, many breed them for their 
flesh and eggs. They are frequently crossed 
with other fowls, but their quarrelsome dis¬ 
position does not make them favorites with the 
poultry-men who only want flesh and eggs. 
They are mostly bred for the pit, and there is 
unquestionably an increasing love of this cruel 
sport, principally among a certain class in our 
cities and villages. Cock fights are common, 
held in some places on the sly, in other places 
quite openly, and attended by the same rabble 
that run after prize fights in the ring, and for 
the same reason. They show courage, and 
draw blood, and offer opportunities for betting 
and gambling. Frequently a main is fought, 
and several cocks are pitted against a similar 
number upon the other side. It is expected in 
these contests that all the cocks upon one side 
will be killed. The worst passions are stirred 
by these brute contests, and there is the same 
objection to them that there is to other forms 
of gambling. The bull fights of Spain are no 
more bloody and cruel. They tend to harden 
