134 
On Bees—No. 4. 
A swarm of bees weighing seven pounds when hived, should 
not be compelled to warm more than one bushel of space by 
their animal, or rather insect heat. As “the condition and 
perfection of the brood combs, and young broods in a hive of 
bees determines its success and profit to its owner,” the atten¬ 
tion of the Apiarian must be most scrupulously directed to this 
point. When bees are compelled to warm more space than is 
necessary for their convenience at work, the young are liable 
to a chill; and if they escape death, are feeble in their best 
state, under such circumstances, and the family of bees fre¬ 
quently dwindle away, and leave their feeble young, dead larva; 
and chrysalis to the merciless depredations of the moths, 
while the meager and scattered remnants of their reduced 
colony join in, and unite with the bees of other hives. If a 
swarm of bees weigh over seven pounds at hiving, the drawers 
in the upper apartment furnish a ready means to enlarge their 
tenement by admitting the bees into such portions of space as 
their number require ; and this depends very much on the state 
of the weather; if very hot, more room is required : the bees 
show this by leaving the boxes of honey as the weather grows 
cool. Ten pounds of bees should be allowed all the space con¬ 
tained in boxes which fill the upper apartment or chamber of 
the hive which should hold a half bushel. All families of bees 
weighing less than seven pounds at swarming, should be doubled 
in with each other, until a good swarm is collected, and their 
numbers increased to. correspond with the space allotted them. 
The perfect bee hive in all the classes is admirably calculated 
for these purposes. When the bees increase in number beyond 
the capacity of the swarming hives, the collaterals are added 
as the increased population of the bees demand; and here it 
should be remarked, that if a non-swarmer is extended, the col¬ 
lateral box should be added first, even before the bees are ad¬ 
mitted into the chamber drawers. When the collateral box is 
filled with bees, the thermometer will determine the time when 
more space is necessary for their accommodation, or the man¬ 
ager may determine the appropriate time to admit the bees into 
drawers, or boxes, by glass windows covered by doors or slides. 
If swarming, non-swarming, or dividing off swarms is designed, 
the thermometer only will govern the Apiarian so that the bees 
will raise the heat of the hive to swarming temperature, or the 
manager can ventilate his hive in such a manner as to reduce 
the heat of the bees below 100°, and prevent swarming. If the 
thermometer falls below 50° at any time during the breeding 
season, the cause should be eagerly sought and the remedy 
quickly applied, to save the young broods from a chill; want 
of honey may be the cause, or too much ventilation, or too 
much space allowed. Half starved animals or insects are inca¬ 
pable of engendering a healthful animal heat: and this is the 
only most healthful heat for bees. One of the most prolific 
causes of death among the bees, is want of healthful animal 
heat, emanating from their too thinly populated body, occasion¬ 
ed by too much space allowed, which compels the bees to keep 
warm rooms, other than those they occupy, or a too thinly popu¬ 
lated community. Who among us is there, that would think 
of keeping our children and infant babes warm in a cold day, by 
kindling a fire on the hearth and set the doors and windows 
open ? As the successful culture of these little insects so much 
depends on this point, it is hoped my agricultural and philo¬ 
sophical readers will not be impatient while the subject is con¬ 
sidered a little more in detail. Animal heat in cold winter 
weather, is as necessary to preserve the health and lives of the 
old bees, as it is in summer to preserve the young; the only 
difference is, old bees will endure a lower, or cooler tempera¬ 
ture than young ones: but after all, the most prosperous and 
healthful stocks will keep up a constant buzzing noise in the 
hive, as in summer, in the coldest weather in the winter; more¬ 
over, no moldy combs are found in such hives, nor moths to 
injure the stock, nor dead young bees, nor feeble ones, nor sting¬ 
less bees, which is a sure indication that they were chilled while 
in the chrysalis state. In short, the whole stock exhibits the 
strongest marks of strength, health, vigor and wealth. They 
swarm early in the season, and are able to take the best possi¬ 
ble advantage of the early as well as later yield of honey ; but 
while we pass the rooms in garrets, small out-houses, bee 
palaces, and a variety of hives, houses, &c. designed to keep 
bees in, without remark, it will not be improper to prescribe 
remedies for some of the evils complained of. 1st. It is of the 
highest importance that the apartment occupied by the bees in 
the winter, should be well and abundantly stored with honey. 
2d. That all communication to any apartment not occupied by 
the bees be stopped, so as to prevent the escape of animal heat. 
3d. That the bees are so numerous that their animal heat will 
consume a great proportion of their vapor, and keep the honey 
warm, and combs dry. 4th. A good supply of pure air, unadul¬ 
terated by fire heat, or any other impurity. 
As it is proved beyond controversy, that two feeble swarms 
united in the fall, will consume no more honey during the win¬ 
ter than one when kept in separate hives, the practice of doub¬ 
ling and even trebbling the weak and thinly populated hives in 
the fall, cannot be too highly recommended, not only as a mat¬ 
ter of economy in preserving the lives of all the bees, but also 
nearly half the honey they would have consumed. M. D. E. 
Gelieu, a modern French Apiarian, who has cultivated bees 64 
years with the finest success, says, “he should regret leaving 
the world without making this discovery known to the public.” 
The same Apiarian says that when he first tried the experiment 
by doubling his swarms in the fall, he supposed a double quan¬ 
tity of provision must be provided to prevent starvation. “ The 
more mouths the more meat;” but on weighing all his hives in 
the spring following, found that his double hives had consumed 
no more honey than his single ones. The writer says, “I could 
not believe my eyes, but that there must be some mistake; nor 
could I be convinced, until I had repeated the experiment a 
hundred times over, always producing the same result.” This 
interesting and intelligible Apiarian went on, year after year, 
following these experiments, until he wintered five families in 
a hive, which did not consume three pounds more honey than 
his ordinary hives. M. P. E. Gelieu closes up the account by 
experimenting on 36 hives, the result of which is, that the 
double swarms consumed 10 ounces more honey each hive on 
an average than his single ones. “ All the facts in the case are 
inexplicable.” “It is a question for philosophers!” “Poes 
the animal heat make the honey more nutritive ?” I think there 
cannot be a doubt that the heat kept up in. the hive by a more 
populous community, renders the honey more nourishing to the 
bees; moreover the animal heat is raised to that degree, that the 
bees are kept comfortably warm in the coldest weather, and 
less food is required. It is a subject of the highest interest to 
the Apiarian, as it unfolds new principles, and commences a 
new era in the life-preserving system which is so fast and so 
justly gaining ground in this age of improvement. Well might 
the Reverend and illustrious M. P. E. Gelieu express his sur¬ 
prise, “ that in more than a thousand writers on bees, that 
a single one had never thought of uniting their weak swarms in 
the fall with stronger ones, and save the bees alive, and honey 
from waste.” The advantages of this system of management 
are incalculable. To accomplish the objects set forth in the 
foregoing essay, together with all other facilities of managing- 
bees in the best possible manner, my mind has been directed to 
the construction of a variety of hives, among which is the sub¬ 
tending hive, made as it should be. The method of doubling 
swarms in the fall for wintering, will be illustrated in my next 
number, objections removed, &e. 
All letters must be post paid. JOHN M. WEEKS. 
Salisbury- Vt. July 11, 1841. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
“Protection against Drouth.” 
Messrs. Editors —Under the above head, I have seen in some 
of the journals, an article copied from the Yankee Farmer, 
the first paragraph of which reads as follows :—“In tillage, the 
best protection against drouth that can be conveniently prac¬ 
ticed to a great extent, is frequently stirring the earth, so as 
to keep it light and loose. In this way the earth at the surface 
is in many small particles, which serve as a non-conductor of 
moisture, and retains it below, where the roots obtain a supply.” 
The first part of this quotation is correct; the latter part is 
incorrect, and the fact directly the reverse, as indeed the writer 
himself demonstrates in the course of his article. This subject 
is one of so much practical consequence to the farmer, that 
with your leave I will make a few remarks upon it, as farmers 
and gardeners are not apt to perform labor in cultivating a 
crop, unless there seems good reason to suppose it will be 
repaid. 
If there is any axiom in agriculture that will not admit of 
dispute, it is, that the power of soils to absorb water depends on 
their fineness and friability. This is equally true, whether the 
water is drawn from the earth by capillary attraction, or from 
the atmosphere by combination and absorption. It is true that 
frequently stirred soils give off water by evaporation more rap¬ 
idly than that not stirred or made fine, but the loss is far more 
than balanced by the additional power conferred of acquiring 
it. The fact is, that because the stirred earth is a good “ con¬ 
ductor of moisture,” and prevents its remaining useless be¬ 
low, that hoeing plants is one of the best methods of counter¬ 
acting drouth. Loudon says, “ the power of the soil to absorb 
water by capillary attraction, depends in a great measure, 
upon the state of division of its parts; the more divided they 
are, the greater is the absorbent power.” * * * “ The 
power of soil to absorb water from air, is much connected with 
fertility. When this power is great, the plant is supplied with 
moisture in dry seasons; and the effect of evaporation during 
the day is counteracted by the absorption of aqueous vapor from 
the atmosphere, by the interior parts of the soil during the day, 
and by both the exterior and interior during the night.” 
Chaptal says—“ All soils have not the same affinity for water, 
which arises from their different degrees of tenuity, or the di¬ 
vision of their particles, and from the nature of the substances 
which enter into their composition. In general, the more finely 
the parts of a soil are divided, the better they absorb water.” 
* * * “ The absorbing powers of a soil, have always been 
found to be in proportion to its fertility.” To the same effect, I 
might quote Davy, Grisenwaithe, and Liebig, but this is need¬ 
less, as the experience of almost every farmer has proved to 
him, that in dry weather the soil is moist in exact proportion 
to the frequency of its being stirred, and the consequent fineness 
or tenuity of its particles. 
The pure earths or alumina, carbonate of lime, and silica, 
are bad absorbents, and require the mixing of vegetable or ani¬ 
mal matters with them to produce this power. Chaptal ar¬ 
ranges the power of absorption in the elements of a fertile soil 
as follows :—Vegetable substances, animal substances, alumi¬ 
na, carbonate of lime, and silica. Davy found that 1,000 parts 
of a soil celebrated for its fertility, and which contained more 
than half its weight of finely divided matter, gained in an hour, 
by exposure to a saturated atmosphere 18 grains in weight; 
while the same quantity of earth from a coarse, unfertile soil 
gained in the same time but 3 grains. These facts are demon¬ 
strative that the absolving and capillary powers of a soil are 
depending on its fineness, and that the reason why stirred earth 
is moist, is because its conducting powers are increased, not 
diminished by tillage or pulverization. 
But the Yankee Farmer in the same article from which I have 
taken the above paragraph, has overthrown its own premises; 
and rarely have I seen a greater sacrifice of consistency in 
support of a theory, than is presented by the following extract, 
when compared with the latter part of the first quoted sentence. 
That paper says:—“Last season we cultivated a few acres, 
mostly dry land, and the drouth was severe indeed. Where the 
soil was frequently stirred, and kept light and loose on the top, 
there was a constant moisture a short distance from the top; 
but where the earth remained unmoved, it dried to a great depth. 
A narrow strip running across the piece, was left for turneps. 
On this the soil became dry below the ordinary depth of plow¬ 
ing, and the weeds were almost dead for the want of moisture, 
while at the side, weeds of the same kind in the edge of the 
plowed ground, were fresh and vigorous, and the soil was dry 
only a few inches on the surface.” 
What then becomes of the theory that tilled, or fine earth, 
serves as a non-conductor of moisture, and keeps it below? It 
is clear that the Yankee Farmer’s practice is better than its the¬ 
ory, but all error in theory, has a tendency to lead to error in 
practice, to counteract which must be my apology for troubling 
you with this. An Onondaga Farmer. 
History of the First Imported Berkshires. 
To Syday Hawes, Esq., are we indebted for the introduc¬ 
tion of the now famous and popular Berkshire breed of hogs. 
It is well known in this section, that when he emigrated to 
this country in the fall of 1832, and settled on the farm I now 
occupy, called “Three Hills Farm,” he brought with him 
three Berkshire pigs—one boar and two sows, since known 
by the names of “Jack of Newberry,” “Peggy,” and 
“Streatly.” 
Among the first who appreciated this superior breed of 
swine, were F. Rotch of Otsego, F. Booth of Ballston Spa, 
Lossing and myself, who obtained pigs of the first litters. It 
was not until 1834, however, when Mr. Hawes exhibited 
them at one of our Fairs, that they attracted much attention ; 
and in fact, they were in so little demand, even in 1835, when 
I purchased them, which was in July, that most of his spring 
litters were still on hand, and the boars were altered with the 
intention of fattening them for pork. 
If we are indebted to Mr. Hawes for the first importation 
of them, we are equally indebted to the Cultivator and other 
agricultural papers, for a more extended introduction and 
dissemination of them through the United States, where now 
the “land shads,” “alligators,” &c. are fast disappearing, 
and the round, plump and stately Berkshires are taking un¬ 
disputed possession. 
“Peggy,” said Mr. Hawes to me, “wa3 bought at Read¬ 
ing, Berkshire, of a laboring man.” Peggy was Mr. Hawes’ 
favorite sow, and from her some of our best Berkshires have 
sprung; and it is supposed “Maxima,” the famous large sow, 
Mr. Lossing purchased of the Shakers, was a pig of hers. 
Peggy was in color a blue-black, with considerable white on 
her head, neck and body, and generally cast her pigs much 
lighter colored than either of the other imported sows. She 
was the smallest of the lot, but long in the body, small head, 
ears small and upright, legs short and medium size, hams re¬ 
markably large and well let down. I purchased her of Mr. 
PI. in 1835, and slaughtered her in 1840. I have now a 
daughter of her 6 years old, got by “Jack of Newberry,” that 
will weigh about 500 lbs., and for size of hams, I challenge the 
country to produce her superior. 
“Streatly,” continued Mr. Hawes, “was bought of a large 
farmer at Streatly, Berks, seven miles from Reading.” 
Streatly was larger and longer than Peggy, of ajet black color, 
Wlt ,, a white stripe in her face, white feet, and some 
small white spots on her body. She was larger in the head 
and longer in the snout, ears longer and pitching forward. 
She was long in the body, more rangy and straight on the 
back, and tail set on higher, and was not equal to Peggy in 
the ham. She was famous for having large litters of pigs, 
seldom having less than twelve at a litter, and sometimes four¬ 
teen to sixteen. I slaughtered her in 1839. 
“Jack of Newberry” was the first imported Berkshire boar 
brought to this section ; was a large, rangy and superior ani¬ 
mal—as the stock he left behind him is ample evidence; was 
about as light colored as Peggy, and slightly tinged with red 
or rusty color; w'as long ana round in the body; very sloping 
from the hips to the tail; large and heavy hams for a boar; 
fine large shoulders, with a short thick neck, and medium 
sized head and ear; would w r eigh probably, in ordinary con¬ 
dition, from 350 to 400 lbs. Mr. Hawes sold him in 1835, to 
a gentleman in Troy, and afterwards he was sold again to a 
farmer in a western county of this State, which is the last wo 
heard of him. “Jack of Newberry” was to the hogs in this 
country, what the “Godolphin Arabian,” was to the horses in 
England. 
In the summer of 1833, Mr. Hawes imported another Berk¬ 
shire sow, called “ Sally,” which he said “ was bred in Nor¬ 
folk, from Berks stock.” She was the largest and coarsest 
sow of the three ; was larger in the head and legs, ears large, 
broad and drooping more over the eyes, body long, deep and 
capacious, very sloping on the rump, and tolerably good in 
the hams, color blue-black, a little tinged with rust, more 
white, and spots larger than either of the others. Sally, when 
young was rather a shy breeder, and Mr. Hawes disposed of| 
her to H. Holland, Esq., of Ballston Spa, and I purchased 
her at his sale in the fall of 1836. I took three litters from 
her, one of which numbered eighteen, and then sold her to D. 
C.Collins, Esq., in May, 1838, when she died just after littering, 
much regretted by her owner as well as these who had en¬ 
gaged her pigs. 
In the spring of 1835, Mr. Hawes imported a boar from 
another strain or family of Berkshires, who came into my 
possession with the farm, soon after he arrived, which I call¬ 
ed “ Siday,”—while others have called him “Telhurst.” To 
use Mr. Hawes’ words, “he came from Reading, but I can¬ 
not tell where he was bred.” Siday was a jet black, with 
some white on his nose and face, ups of his feet white, but 
no white spots on his body; rather coarse in the head, wide 
between the ears, (a point Mr. II. thought much of,) which 
were large, broad and upright; remarkably deep and thick 
through the shoulders, short neck, and rather short in the 
body, but broad across the hip and loin, and falling a little 
from the hip to the tail. He was not as large nor as rangy as 
“Jack of Newberry,” neither were his stock in general as 
large, but many of his pigs were beautiful specimens of the 
breed. Siday was slaughtered in 1839. The foreo-oing com¬ 
prises what is termed “ Hawes’ importations,” apcT came into 
my possession in 1835, from which most of the Berkshires in 
this country originated. 
From this importation originated the famous sows “Maxi¬ 
ma” and “Superior,” and all the “large” and “small” Berk¬ 
shires which were owned by Mr. Lossing, the Shakers at 
Watervliet, and others which have been sent to almost every 
section of this country, no other importation having occurred 
until the fall of 1833, from which pigs were raised in 1839. 
It is said that the late John Brentnall, of Orange county, of 
this State, imported some Berkshire pigs as early as 1823, but 
they were not properly appreciated, and were hardly known 
beyond the smoke of his chimney. 
C. N. BEMENT 
Three Hills Farm. 1841. 
X&anure. 
Manure is an important article in the cultivation of the soil; 
and its employment is so often referred to in the Cultivator and 
other agricultural works, that we want a uniform standard to 
designate quantities when used in the ordinary method, and 
particularly when relating experiments. In the application 
of manure, a load is an indefinite quantity. In the southern 
part of the State, where manure is purchased in the city of 
New-York, a load is a cartman’s cart-box full, containing 
about fourteen bushels, and drawn by one horse. A friend 
of mine in Connecticut, near a thriving village, purchased some 
manure from a livery stable, and I saw two loads delivered at 
his farm. It was contained in ox-carts with loose sides above 
the permanent ones, and contained at least four times the 
quantity of a city cart load; and yet these eight were in that 
case only two loads of manure. An ordinary ox-cart will con¬ 
tain two city cart-loads. But ox-carts again vary in size, lea¬ 
ving it uncertain what quantity is contained in a load. I have 
read agricultural works where the quantity of manure applied 
to a crop, was stated by the cart-load, by the ox cart-load, by 
the ion, and also by the cord. Can the Editors of the Cultiva¬ 
tor reconcile these differences, and recommend to their cor¬ 
respondents to adopt a definite quantity for a load, and for the 
better understanding of their readers, to reduce cords and tons 
into loads ? Richmond. 
Inquiry—-Hay Rigging. 
Messrs. Editors— I have been a subscriber to the Cultiva¬ 
tor some five or six years, yet among the numerous implements 
therein described, I do not recollect to have seen any mention 
made of the humble, but useful hay rigging. Cumbrous non¬ 
descripts of every form, size and weight, are to be found resting 
upon the fences and by the wood piles of the farmer. Some 
intended to be placed upon the regular body of the farm wa¬ 
gon—some having a separate body of their own, and some 
without any body, formed like the rack of a horse stall, and 
throwing the center of gravity many feet from the running 
gear of the wagon. Many farmers feel how inconvenient it 
is, in the busy season of haying and harvest, to assemble their 
whole force to “ship and unship” one of these unwieldy hay 
riggings. Now the object of this communication is to request 
from one of your numerous subscribers who understands a 
little of mechanics, and the principles relating to the “center 
of gravity,” a description of a simple and light instrument for 
the transporting of hay and grain in the sheaf; one that shall 
not be top heavy upon our rough roads, and which shall be 
so constructed, as that when wanted or not, it can be taken to 
pieces and handled by one man. Yours, &c. 
Morristown, N. J. June 25, 1841. A Subscriber. 
