I confidently trust, that it will suffice to satisfy you and 
most of your readers of its actually having been done 
in the two cases stated. 
But to be serious, Mr. Guthrie writes sufficiently 
like a practical farmer to justify the belief, that he 
knows better than to suppose that the cause of Ameri¬ 
can Husbandry can possibly be benefited, either by ut¬ 
tering extravagant opinions in regard to mere matters 
of taste, which can never be settled ; or by positively 
asserting, on no better authority than such opinions, 
that the Bohan potatoes “ are undoubtedly as poor for 
stock as they are for the table .” If he will take the trou¬ 
ble to analyze them carefully, and thus prove that they 
contain, either none at all, or very small proportions of 
the highly nutritive properties discovered in all the oth¬ 
er varieties of this very valuable root heretofore ana¬ 
lyzed, then indeed, we will listen to him and thank him 
for his information. But, until then, I believe most 
of his readers will think that his denunciations of the 
Rohan potatoes might as well have been reserved for 
table-talk among his friends. 
I remain, gentlemen, your friend and constant read¬ 
er. JAMES M. GARNETT. 
Essex county, Va. Jan. 12, 1841. 
The Self-Protecting Bee-Hive.—[Fig ]5 -l 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Enclosed, you will 
receive a drawing of the hive which I left at your of¬ 
fice a few weeks since, and if agreeable to you, you 
will confer a favor on me, by giving it a place in your 
very valuable periodical. 
The hive at your office, is of the exact form, and of 
the most suitable size and workmanship for use ; and 
it contains all the principles of my patent. By the con¬ 
struction of this hive, three very important principles 
are brought into operation. 1st. The communication 
from drawer to drawer, thereby enabling the bees to 
pass freely from one drawer to the other, making as it 
were, but one drawer, when in fact there are two, 
thereby producing the most happy effects, and causing 
the bees uniformly to build in both drawers at the same 
time, when without the communication, they usually 
nearly fill one drawer, before they commence in the oth¬ 
er. These drawers are removed by means of two right 
angled metalic slides. 2d. A perpendicular hive is ob¬ 
tained which should always be the case ; without which 
the economy of the bees is much disturbed. It is well 
understood among apiarians, that bees always build 
their combs in perpendicular sheets, without regard to 
form or size of the apartment, consequently if the bot¬ 
tom of the hive is contracted, some of the filth must 
lodge in descending, thereby causing much derange¬ 
ment in their operations ; but if the hive be perpen¬ 
dicular, all filth disengaged by the bees, immediately 
falls to the bottom, when it is at once discharged by 
means of the inclined plane. 3d. The base or protect¬ 
or. The base is the best possible discharger of worms 
and other filth. The planes may be constructed to any 
degree of inclination desired, without injury to the hive 
or bees ; they furnish an opportunity for the bees to 
alight and enter both at front and rear sides of the 
hive, at the same time, enabling them to crawl to any 
i part of the hive without again flying. Bees on return¬ 
ing to a hive, at a cool season of the year, partially 
i benumbed, if obliged to fly after once alighting as from 
a suspended platform, frequently die for want of 
i strength to rise ; and that too at a season when their 
I numbers are more wanted to produce animal heat suffi- 
I cient for the wants of the brood. It is not unfrequently 
the case, that whole colonies when thus treated, perish 
in the month of April. The hive is ventilated by clo¬ 
sing the planes more or less as circumstances seem 
to require. 
I describe the construction of the Self-protecting Bee- 
' hive, as follows. Observing that my improved hive 
consists of three parts, viz : 1st. A perpendicular hive 
| thirteen inches square more or less, as seen in the ac¬ 
companying drawings, fig. 15, A. 2d. The chamber 
i with communicating drawers at the top of the hive for 
extracting the surplus honey, without destroying the 
bees, as seen in fig. 15, B. B. 3d. The base or protect¬ 
or. The base is a square frame of the size of the body 
of the hive, about four inches deep, without top or bot- 
i tom, on which the hive rests, as seen in fig. 15, C., be- 
] mg connected and held in place by dowels, as seen at 
I X. X. and hooks as seen in the figures. The front 
and rear sides of the base are narrower than the 
1 other sides by about an inch, leaving room at the bot- 
i tom, for the play of the inclined planes, which form a 
bottom for the hive ; consisting of two inclined planes 
slanting from the top of the base to the bottom. These 
inclined planes consist of boards hung within the box 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
of the base, on pivots passing through the sides near 
the top edge of the center of the sides, and extending 
below the lower edge of the base in front and rear, with 
a play of about an inch, as seen at F. which re¬ 
presents the plane inclining to the front. G. the front 
of the base. H. The pivots on which the inclined 
planes hang. D. The projection of the inclined planes 
at the bottom of the base. E. The hook to close it 
tight against the bottom of the base when required. 
The base or protector should be separated from the 
hive during the process of hiving, when the bees have 
entered the hive, it may again be added, and the planes 
hooked up, when it may be carried to any situation de¬ 
sired, without injuring the bees. The base may also 
be added to any hive of suitable size and form already 
containing bees. 
Individual rights for constructing and using the above 
described hive may be obtained at five dollars each, by 
addressing the subscriber. WILLIAM M. HALL, 
Wallingford, Ct., Dec. 9, 1840. Patentee. 
The Farmers’ Agricultural Society. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —In concurrence with 
a suggestion made by Mr. Peters, in the last number 
of “ The Cultivator,” I forward to you the names of 
the officers chosen for the current year at a meeting of 
the “ Farmers’ Agricultural Society,” held at Butternuts, 
Otsego county, January 6, 1841 : 
Francis Rotch, President, Butternuts. 
Wm J Bownej j Vice Presidents > Butternuts. 
Addison M. Snick, Secretary, Butternuts. 
Thos. Hollis, Cor. Secretary, Gilbertsville. 
Hezekiah Gregory, Treasurer. 
Wilson B. Pearsall, David S. Bundy, Lewis G. Col¬ 
lins, John A. Davis, Wm. Musson, John Alexander,— 
Executive Committee. 
The Society also received the statements of crops en¬ 
tered for premiums, which were examined and decided 
upon, and all premiums paid. The first premium for 
carrots, was awarded to Sutton Pearsall, for 10,680 lbs. 
of good, clean, sound roots, obtained from 44$ rods of 
land. Mr. Pearsall seemed to think they were not a 
much more expensive crop than the ruta baga, provided 
they were grown on a suitable soil. They are unques¬ 
tionably more nutritious, but will not perhaps be so 
securely kept through the winter, without greater care 
than is required for ruta baga, nor is the richness of the 
carrot more than an equivalent for the greater weight 
of ruta baga that may be obtained from the same quan¬ 
tity of land. This root by chemical analysis is found 
to contain 98 parts of soluble matter in 1000 ,• of which 
95 will be sugar, and 3 starch. 
The first premium for turneps was awarded to Wm. 
S. Bowne, for 515 bushels of ruta bagas, weighing 60 
lbs. per bushel; grown on 67 rods of land. They were 
thoroughly topped, tailed, and cleared from dirt—30,900 
lbs. Here is nearly a third more weight than of car¬ 
rots on the quarter acre, but the soluble matter, which 
is the nutritious portion, is only 64 parts in 1000, of which 
51 are sugar and 9 starch ; so that for feeding purposes 
these two crops are about alike. But how is it with 
the land ? The turnep crop has returned a much larger 
amount of vegetable in the tops than the carrot, nor is 
it quite so fastidious as to its soil, nor does it claim 
quite such nice culture, but then it is not so valuable as 
feed for dairy cows. 
The first premium for potatoes was awarded to Fran¬ 
cis Rotch, for 1616 baskets of 71 lbs. weight, making a 
total of 114,736 lbs., grown on two acres and seven- 
eighths of an acre of land ,• being at the rate of 604 
bushels per acre, at 66 lbs. the bushel. Part of these 
were the Merino or South American potato, and part of 
them were the Rohan ; it was, however, ascertained by 
measurement that the Rohan did not yield as well as the 
Merino,by 17 per cent,though planted upon the same soil, 
and receiving precisely the same culture,which was chief¬ 
ly done by the plow, the hills being sufficiently wide apart 
to allow cross plowing between them ; this was deep, and 
made the hills large and full. For a time the vines were 
so luxuriant as to create some doubt about the crop, but 
in consequence of ample space between the hills the 
tubers were matured and grew to a large size. The 
land was a light soil, broken up the year previous for 
corn, which was a light crop ; the following spring it 
was manured with leached ashes, after which it was 
twice plowed and planted with potatoes. In point of 
labor this crop, I presume, is much less expensive than 
either turneps, carrots or beets, and is perhaps as easily 
saved as either of them. The potato affords about 
230 parts of soluble matter in 1000, of which 175 may 
be starch, perhaps 17 sugar, and the rest gluten. This 
is a large yeld of nutriment ; but the potato in its raw 
state is not I think so valuable for cattle as either of the 
other roots ; for sheep, horses and pigs, it answers well 
without being cooked. 
The second premium on potatoes was awarded to 
Hezekiah Gregory, for one half acre of Rohans, pro¬ 
ducing 183 bushels, of 66 lbs. to the bushel; making 
12,178 lbs. This crop was very materially affected by 
the drouth ; still I am rather inclined to question the 
superiority of the Rohan over the Merino as a general 
crop for feeding. 
These premiums are the first offered by the socie¬ 
ty for the better culture of root crops, and the pro¬ 
ducts show how imperfect we are in this department; 
and now T allow me to pass to a subject somewhat con¬ 
nected with the foregoing, and offer you my experience 
on steaming roots. 
37 
Strongly impressed with the great advantage of cook 
ing the potato, I resolved on erecting a steaming appa' 
ratus, and accordingly had a wooden boiler made with 
a sheet iron bottom, which was carefully set in brick 
work. A leaden pipe conducted the steam into a large 
cask (holding about 12 bushels) slung in the center on 
two pintles, so as to turn out its contents with great 
ease. I put about three pails of water into the box, 
and soon had my fire burning : a little Indian meal 
stopped any trifling leak that might be and I waited 
the moment of boiling. Never was truer saying, than, 
“ the watched pot is slow to boil.” There I stood, hour 
after hour, philosophizing upon the whys and where¬ 
fores—every thing was cold, the brickwork hardly dry; 
the chimney too had never been heated ; and then I deci¬ 
ded the draft was too strong ; this however was soon 
checked, and at length the water did boil, and the room 
to my satisfaction soon became a perfect vapor-bath. 
I made all safe, shut up the apartment, and left results 
for the full experiment of the next day. I could not 
however, get rid of certain misgivings which were 
strengthened by recalling to mind a casual remark of 
the late Judge Buel, “ that he had returned to the old 
fashioned way of boiling potatoes, and on the whole 
was best satisfied with it.” But then the more modern 
improvements of a wooden box and sheet-iron bottom ; 
and then, to top all a little “ go-cart,” and a railway 
might materially alter the case, and it was all described 
in the Cultivator. Moreover, Mr. Bement, one of the 
committee on modern inventions, approved it; indeed 
he had one erected on this scientific principle, of expo¬ 
sing the least possible surface to the action of the fire, 
to procure in the smallest space of time and with the 
least expenditure of fuel, the greatest quantity of steam. 
“ To-morrow” came—my wood Avas all split up fine and 
Avas dry—the boiler Avas nearly filled—the cover admira¬ 
bly secured and calked tight—the lead pipe of about 
18 inches, attached (Avhich entered the cask beloAV the 
false-bottom,) the potatoes Avere put in, an old piece of 
carpeting laid over them, and then came the cover which 
fitted on to the cask. I hoav looked at my Avatch, light¬ 
ed the fire, regulated the draft, took care that the flame 
struck this said sheet-iron bottom at the very mouth of 
the arch, and that it could only escape into the chimney 
by an opening just the size of a brick ; put on more 
w r ood and attended to that part of the business with all 
the skill and diligence of a regular “ furnace-man.” 
My journal runs thus :—“Lighted the fire at2o’clock— 
turned the steam into the cask at half past 3—by half 
past 4 the cask felt Avarm, and the steam shoAved itself 
at the top—at half past 6 the potatoes were still hard 
on the top of the cask—shut up shop in despair and left 
the fire to burn out—at 9 o’clock report was made that 
some steam Avas still generated—and the next morning 
I found twelve bushels of potatoes admirably cooked! 
My man looked on in utter contempt of “ book farming” 
and its science ; for he has been in the habit of boiling 
on the very snoiv, Avith a good bed of logs, eight bush¬ 
els of potatoes in about tAvo and a half hours, and this 
too with a common cauldron in the open air ! “ Thinks 
I to myself ” it may be more scientific to steam ; but boil¬ 
ing is more practical—and it Avould seem that some 
others are adopting the same opinion ; and noAV Ave are 
to have the ne plus ultra in “ Mott’s Agriculturist’s 
Furnace.” I do not quite understand the engraving ; 
and hope Mr. Bement will favor us with another re¬ 
port, on further trial, and if there are any objections 
or difficulties, state them at once. 
I am inclined to think there is too often a morbid sen¬ 
sibility on this subject, and that an undue consideration 
for the inventor may Avithhold from the public a know¬ 
ledge of defects, not at first discovered, but which a 
further trial of the article may have subsequently be¬ 
trayed.—Query ? Would it not be an advantage to have 
the rim of the cauldron so cast as to &dmit a close 
cover or a steamer to set close over it ? and why not 
have points of attachment cast on the boiler so that it 
may, Avith a small crane or lever, be raised from the 
stove, and its contents “ up-set” into a “ receiver.” I 
hope to hear more of this said furnace, for such a con¬ 
venience is very much Avanted by farmers. I once saw 
a boiler Avith a large discharge pipe cast on to and with 
the bottom ; Avhy Avould not that save time and trouble, 
and alloAV of the potatoes being dried off after boiling, 
by draAving aAvay the Avater. " Yours, &c. R. D ’ 
Butternuts , Jan. 17, 1841. 
The Mulberry- Inquiry, 
Messrs. Editors— I have a feAv Italian Mulberry 
trees that are on the point of being destroyed by a Avorm 
seven-eighths of an inch in length, Avhite, Avith a red 
head ; wliereAmr a tree is bark-broken, it commences 
and works along under the bark, and unless it is dug 
out and killed, it soon destroys the tree. I have tried 
lime to no effect. If any of your correspondents knoAV 
a remedy, I should be obliged could I learn it through 
your invaluable paper. C. M. L. ANDREWS 3 
Maccdon Center, January 2, 1841. 
Feeding Silk Wbroils—Inquiry. 
. Messrs. Editors —I wish to inquire through the Cul¬ 
tivator, whether silk Avorms, partly reared on the Avhite 
mulberry, may be fed with safety on the large leaf Can¬ 
ton, or multicaulis , and also whether they may be fed 
with these kinds together or alternately with an advan¬ 
tage ; and if not, Avhat is the best method to be pursued 
Avhere these different kinds are to be used '( Some in¬ 
formation, drawn from actual and fair experiment 
would be useful at the present time. Yours. 
Ashfield. Mass. Jan. 11, 1841. R, q. 
