THE CULTIVATOR. 
tation of the mineral theory 5 but its Wald be re¬ 
membered that the results might have been very 
different on other soils. The following is in sub¬ 
stance the experiment:— 
An incendiary reduced to ashes a pile of barley- 
stacks, from some 3.2 to 15 acres of barley . The 
ashes were scattered over about half an acre of 
ground, adjoining the stacks,—thus concentrating 
the mineral constituents to about one twenty- 
fifth of the land from which they were taken. A 
turnep crop, a barley crop, and a crop of seeds, 
taken subsequently from this half acre, showed 
no perceptible superi'orty over the rest of the 
field—neither portions of the land yeilding more' 
than ordinary products. 
Bees. 
In a former article, (April, 1852,) I gave some 
few hints on the attention due to bees when swar¬ 
ming, If those suggestions are carefully observed. 
the inexperienced operator, though at first dis¬ 
trustful. alike of his skill and safety, amid such 
myriads of volatile and irritable subjects, will by 
degrees acquire confidence by success, and come 
at length to esteem this exercise a most agreeable 
pastime. Arrayed in the simple defences of veil 
and mittens, one will soon learn.to face the foe 
without the slightest apprehension of personal 
danger, and will regard the needful attentions be¬ 
stowed on his industrious charge, as the most 
agreeable of all rural exercises. 
It may be well here to say, that one must not 
look for entire uniformity in the movements of 
swarms. They vary materially in temperament, 
in apparent organization, in .time and place of 
alighting, in disposition to enter the new hive, 
&c. The operator is simply to wait their time 
to alight, after which he must not rest until they 
are secured. The whole art of hiving seems to 
consist in bringing the bees gently to the mouth 
of the hive, and then with something soft, like a 
table-brush or the feather end of a quill, keeping 
them in motion ifntil they have passed up into the 
hive;, when the bottom board should be closed, 
and the hive carried and hung in its place. Eve¬ 
ry movement requires moderation. Any rude 
thumps or sudden jostlings awaken instant alarm 
and irritability, resulting not unfrequently in the 
sudden departure of the whole valuable swarm to 
the distant forest. The domestication and con¬ 
sequent usefulness of the honey bee consists, not 
in any direct exercise of control, for their light 
wings bid defiance to all human restraints, but in 
a process of encouragement, (by the kindest treat¬ 
ment,) of their instinctive propensity to hoard; 
so as to secure above the supply of their own 
wants, a ‘portion of their delicious store for the 
remuneration of the owner’s .care. In this view 
no robbery is involved in the act of appropriating 
the surplus product. The claim is good-for rent 
of tenement and actual service, while the tenant 
swarms suffer nothing in amount of supplies. 
But the domesticated tenants of the hive and 
their faithful keeper, are not the only lovers of 
the delicious hoard. Many a greedy stomach, 
without certificate of title, is attracted to the api¬ 
ary , bent on plunder, utterly regardless of the 
rights of property, watching assiduously for an 
unguarded entrance, or a contiguous nook in which 
to riot without molestation. Legions of busy 
ants will enter through a pin-hole, and the moth- 
miller, at a single sweep through the .ranks of an 
unprotected comb, will deposit eggs enough to 
desolate the hive in a month. Once fairly in 
possession, this terrible foe intrenches himself in 
his silken shroud, and cannot he dislodged till 
the last morsel of sweet is consumed. From his 
own kind too, the honey-bee often experiences 
sudden and overpowering onsets. A hive that 
at sunrise is full of treasure and brave defenders, 
may ere the close of day be rifled of both, and the 
defrauded keeper can discover no trace of goods 
or robbers. 
Inaccessible walls, a competent garrison and a 
well guarded entrance, constitute the main de¬ 
fenses of a castle against lawless marauders of what¬ 
ever name- The depository of honey, likewise, so- 
terribly beleaguered, must have close joints, ample 
forces , and as contracted an entrance .as will 
Gomport with the performance of necessary labor. 
The moth has never effected a lodgment in any of 
my hives,* and I think no swarm has ever suffered 
a penny’s worth from this greatest pest of the 
apiary. This fact, is doubtless attributable to 
attention in some degree to the above precaution. 
Late in autumn, I remove riiy hives to a dark 
cellar, which is tolerably dry, with cemented bot¬ 
tom, where they hang on the same frames till the 
snow is off in April. If the chambers are open 
to allow a current of air to pass through the comb, 
it is less liable to mould. Shduld the lower edges 
of the comb become moulded, after removing them 
from the cellar, blow a little tobacco smoke into 
the hive, and the bees will become so stifled that 
one may safely lay the hive on the ground and 
trim off the injured portions, without detriment 
to that which remains. 
A variety of useful suggestions might be added, 
but they will readily occur to fhe practical ope¬ 
rator, and experience is a good teacher. H. W. 
Bl LKI.EY. 
How I Bought a Horso that had the Heaves, 
AND HOW I TREATED THAT DISEASE. * 
BY HENRY F. FRENCH^ EXETER, N. H. 
Mr. Editor —Did yon ever read “ The Adven¬ 
tures of a Gentleman in Search of a Horse?’’ I 
read it, years ago, and have never* been so fortu¬ 
nate-as to see it since. If I recollect aright, it 
gives the Experience of a man, who set out to pur¬ 
chase a perfect horse, and with about the same 
success that King Solomon had in trying.to find a 
perfect woman; and tells how he, like all the rest 
of us, got cheated again and again, In different 
ways, as the best of people will, and indeed are 
more likely to be than anybody else. Once he 
bought a fine animal that was advertised, as 11 sold 
for no fault, only the owner wants to leave town.” 
and the new proprietor was led to feel the full 
force of the language, the first time he wanted to 
leave town, for his new steed could not be induced, 
by any suasion, moral or physical; to budge a sin¬ 
gle rod from his stable door. 
Perhaps it was not that gentleman, but another, 
who having purchased a nag, which was repre¬ 
sented as free from all faults, and found him 
stone blind, brought him back to the seller 
reminded him of his statement. 
