are fully aroused and sensible of the formidable intrusion. A few moments more of smudging will change the sound to a dull "hum," when they will begin to "travel," or leave the hive. This conquering process usually occupies twenty minutes-more or less, according to the strength of the stock and the amount of stores on hand. Sometimes half an hour of smoking will not conquer them, and if you find them at this time in a state of great uneasiness, and very vicious, you may conclude they have no queen, or, at least, none able to lead off in the evacuation, and you may proceed at once to the next operation of tearing down the old domicil. the Having previously supplied yourself with some small box or hive of very nearly the same width and breadth of the old hive, to serve as a temporary receptacle for the bees, take the hive from its place on the stand, and invert it upon some blocks of wood upon ground, so as to be firm; place the temporary box over it, and blow the smoke a few minutes into some hole at or near the top of the hive, bottom up. A few minutes will usually suffice to drive most of the stock from the combs to the empty hive above, which can then be set entirely off upon the old stand. Then, with the saw, loosen the combs all around the sides, and with the ax start off one side of the hive, or, if a "gum," halve it so as to divide the combs with the least break age. Commence removing the combs with the long knife, and carefully brush off all stray bees into some old box, handy for the purpose. natural position as possible, and at the top of the hive. But the supposition is that the transfer is being made to the "movable comb hive." "The brood comb can be fitted to the frames by a little cutting and trimming. Even small pieces can be put into the corners or fastened to the upper part of the frame, always fitting the best edges to the top bar, and filling that part first. To fasten in the comb we have tried several ways, such as cementing, and tieing in various ways, but the best found is to provide a quantity of thin, straight splints from lath, as long as the depth of frames; tie them in pairs at one end, so that the sticks may pass loosely each side of the frame; and dispose several pairs upon the table so that they may easily be brought up as needed. Place the frame top down upon the "stays," and fill with comb as before directed. Bring up the splints upon each side and tie at the other ends, as before, using enough of the stays to make all just barely secure from falling under its own weight and that of a few hundred bees that will soon take possession of it and make it fast at every point necessary for their uses and purposes, and if possible will remove every thread used in tieing the splints. The best tieing used is good stout glazed thread. We nearly ruined some good stocks once by using candle wick and tape, instead of the splints and thread. Small pieces of comb can be tied to the upper part of the frame by simply passing a thread around them, with a bit of shaving under the thread to prevent cutting in. These threads and splints can all be removed in about a week, more or less according to the strength of the stock. Sort out that which contains brood in the different stages of growth, from the egg to the full grown larva, and lay it carefully by, until the hive is emptied. Now this brood comb After arranging the frames or combs in the is of the greatest worth, and, especially at hive, put it upright upon some clean boards, this time of the year, may, if saved to the or a newspaper upon the ground. Then take stock, double their value. And here comes in the stock in the temporary hive and shake one of the great advantages of the frame them out before the new hive, when they will hives, by which all the valuable comb is read-speedily take possession and can be removed ily saved. In any event, contrive some way to the old spot, by a careful hand, in a few of staying in the brood comb as nearly to the minutes after they all get in. would like to hear the opinions of those having practical experience. We have tested his Bee-veil or Protector, made of linen, and find it immeasurably superior to the old-fashioned bee-hat, being light, cool, comfortable to wear, and a very slight obstruction to the sight, and all united to perfect protection against the sting of the bee. It is a good If it be desirable to see the queen, then, when shaking them from the temporary hive, have a newspaper or white cloth before the hive, and gently shake out a few at a time, and, as they travel in, have about two pair of good sharp eyes watching for her majesty; easily known by her large size, bright brown color, long, pointed abdomen, and short wings. See that she enters the hive; yet there is lit-thing. tle to fear in this quarter, if she is sound. If young brood or eggs are found in the worker comb, they are surely provided with a queen or the means of producing one. But if this is not the case, then, without any delay, take from some good strong stock a frame or card of worker comb well furnished with fresh eggs, and give them thereby the means of raising a queen. In transferring, all good worker comb should be saved, and drone comb rejected. For a few days after the transfer the entrance should be reduced to a small passage, that the stock may easily defend against robbers. The principles of breeding cannot be dwelt upon here, but should be well understood, to enable the bee keeper to use the many ways of renovating, transferring and multiplying his stocks. In the use of the movable comb hive, if rightly constructed, twenty to thirty minutes are sufficient to transfer and thoroughly examine any stock; and for economy's sake will soon be adopted by all enterprising bee keepers. J. C. PLUMB. "LAKESIDE," MADISON, Wis. Beehives. We should like to hear from any person or persons in the west who have had K. P. Kidder's patent hive in use one or more seasons. Are they a good hive, and do they fill the recommend of the inventor? Has any one tried wintering bees out of doors in his double hive? Have any of the readers of the WisCONSIN FARMER tried his comb-separators and found whether they compel the bees to build combs perfectly straight, and all brood comb? We have never seen the hive in use, and having heard considerable said concerning it, ROLLING PRAIRIE, Wis. L. L. F. THE POULTERER. Preserving Eggs. Since the "hen-persuader' has failed in its object, and fowls cannot be prevailed upon to lay eggs all the year round, it is advisable for those who are fond of eggs to preserve them in seasons when they are plenty. However close and compact the shell of an egg may appear to be, it is nevertheless full of minute holes and pores invisible to the naked eye. The effect of these holes is apparent in the decrease of the moisture of the egg, and the subsequent change in the contents occasioned by contact with the air. "As full as an egg is of meat" is an old saying, but in all stale eggs there is a vacancy proportioned to the loss they have sustained by evapora tion. If the end of a fresh egg be applied to the feels warm, because the albumen of the egg tongue it feels cold, but in an addled egg it being in contact with the shell absorbs heat from the tongue more rapidly than the airbubble in the fresh egg. If the pores of the eggshell be kept closed, the contents must be kept intact, as no change can occur, and the object is to close this atmospheric connection in the cheapest and simplest manner. Any kind of varnish will answer the purpose in one sense, but will defeat it in another; as eggs, being particularly affected by strong scents, would lose their delicate flavor by the odor of the coating. A better plan would be to employ beef saet or mutton tallow, provided the egg can be kept in a cool place. The egg should be dipped in the fat and afterwards wiped off, as any excess of grease over that required to fill the pores would become rancid. After this the egg should be set perpendicularly, with the small end uppermost, and placed in a box filled with bran and tightly covered up. If the egg is placed on its side, the yolk will adhere to the shell. Charcoal finely pulverized is a good substitute for bran, as it is a deodorizer and be received from the grease. will absorb any disagreeable effect that might Some dealers are said to practice dipping with all the ground left on its roots. their eggs in diluted sulphuric acid. This is following. Consequently it becomes a cripple a feasible plan, chemically, as the action of by being transplanted in the spring, save the acid on the chalky shell would deposit sulphate of lime in the pores and thus close the connection. Strong vinegar would doubtless answer as well as vitriol. Eggs acquire an unpleasant odor by coming in contact with strong smelling substances, such as mahogany sawdust, lime water and musty straw; and the greatest care should be observed in having all the materials used each excellent after its kind. It is a common practice to preserve eggs in lime, but they are at best doubtful when so kept, and cannot be praised. An egg is very much like a razor-either excellent or else good for nothing; and those who preserve eggs for market would do well to give the above mentioned recipes a trial.- Scientific American. THE HORTICULTURIST. Cultivation of Strawberries. Everybody is aware that strawberries never grow to full perfection, if not kept entirely free from weeds, especially from the white clover, its greatest enemy. Now the only season in which a thoroughly clean bed may be prepared, and weeds kept off, is the latter part of the summer. Taking it for granted that plants set in the spring will hardly bear any, except a few crippled berries, and that those set out in the fall are sure to yield a tolerable crop, there is no loss of time by fallplanting I am inclined to believe that a good variety may degenerate in consequence of spring planting. mud; hold the leaves up with the fingers of your left hand, and fill up with dry, pulverized, light ground, until the heart of the plant is fairly covered. The following described method of setting the plants will secure general success, even in very dry seasons: Make a hole which will ED. FARMER: -You wish to have my opin- give ample room to the roots of the young ion as to the proper time of making a straw-plant, and fill it with water. When the ground berry bed, and setting out the plants. I won- is saturated with water set the roots in the der that there should exist any difference of opinion in regard to that subject. There can be no doubt that the best time is between the 1st of September and the 10th of October, just as the development of the young plants will allow. I derive my opinion from observation of the natural peculiarities and tendencies of the plant, which, as a general thing, does not propagate by the seed, but by runners, and the next generation of which is bound to develop and grow to maturity in the latter part of the summer season. It is well known that strawberry plants will not bear transplanting when the stock has become solid and wood-shaped; further, that the young plant is best fit and has the most decided tendency to take root while the mother plant continues to send out runners, which it does not in the spring. Experience also tells us that the strawberry stock is very delicate and sensitive and takes offence at any disturbance while being in the process of blossoming and fruiting; and that each young plant which grew from a runner in the summer has its blossom-bud in the spring next Stable manure should never be used for winter covering, as it will often suffocate the young plants, and stock the bed with weeds and white clover. The best covering is a thin The latter layer of dry leaves or sawdust. need not be removed in the spring, and will very soon become an excellent fertilizer. EMIL ROTHE. Items from our Flower Garden. DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS Should be grown in the shade; in such spots and under the drip of trees, it grows and blooms far better than if exposed to the sun's rays unprotected. The habit is also more graceful and the color richer. This peculiarity is very desirable, as but few plants do well in such situations. PANSIES Should receive a good deal of attention now, and the finer sorts carefully propagated. The seedlings of the new French style do well and are really beautiful. We have raised, this season, quite unexpectedly, several seedlings with carnation striped flowers. Has any one ever heard of such? The parent plants were of the above mentioned French variety, and had no trace of stripes. A dampish location is best for the pansy; the soil a good rich loam. Water should not, however, staud about the plants at any time. FORSYTHIA VIRIDISSIMA. any situation, and with little or no care. To the five or six sorts now in possession, it would be desirable to add another dozen or so; then something might be written about them. The shrubby varieties should be well manured every year or two, and a good portion of the same seems, at least in our poor soil, a decided benefit to all. WILD FLOWERS Don't receive the attention they deserve. Some of them are well adapted to garden culdelicate blue flowers, as early in bloom as the ture; among them the Hepaticas, with their crocus, and individually much handsomer, should be grown in shade. This is also the white flowers with orange-red anthers. A case with Tiarella, having spikes of small fine plant of it has grown in our garden, at the very root of a cherry tree, for two years, and is now in bloom, which makes up well in bouquets. The American Cowslip, Dodecathebut succeeds best in damp, somewhat shaded on meadia, will grow either in shade or sun, spots, should be oftener seen in collections. The Lady's Slippers, Cypripedium, needs a peculiar soil, and are usually found in damp woods, on decaying wood. Pot culture will be most successful with them, and they richly repay the trouble. DAHLIAS, If not yet planted out, should be immediately. Ours are already in the ground. Give them plenty of sun, moderately rich soil, and water occasionally in dry weather. The same may be said of the fine varieties of the GLADIOLUS. By planting the bulbs at different times, say a week apart, if you have an abundance of them, a succession of bloom will be secured. When the spikes show, tie to light stakes, for otherwise they will bend down and be unsightly.-K. in Ohio Farmer. Tender Apple Trees. MR. EDITOR:-Will those having orchards and nurseries report what varieties show the effect of the past winter's cold and changes? The following varieties (one year set) with me show a slight coloring of the bark on the south side of the tree, and will probably be more or less scarred: Sweet Bough, White ́ Winter Pearmain, Fameuse, Dominie, Northern Spy, Tompkins County King, Maiden Blush, Carolina Red June and High Top Sweet. My location is sheltered by groves, and the lowest point I observed the thermometer was 30° below zero. ROLLING PRAIRIE, Wis. L. L. F. Good Apples omitted from Mr. Plumb's List. [The following communication would have appeared in the winter, had it not been by some accident mislaid.] potted vines; but I am sure that I give good advice when I recommend their purchase only in cases where no out-door grown vines can be obtained.-T. B. MINER, in Country Gent. Give your Strawberries Plenty of Room. MR. EDITOR:-I see among the many names in your list of apple trees that some of the Every cultivator must be aware that strawbest for this country are left out, such as the berries push roots more than a foot into the Roxbury Russet, Hurlburt, Cranberry, Pip-meable by manures suitable to the nature of ground, provided it is deep and rendered per pin, Baldwin and Bellemont, all of which I have grown for years, and we think them superior winter apples. I thought I would tell you how I stopped the Sapsuckers pecking my trees. I took from the milking yard a wheelbarrow load of fresh cow manure and plastered it on the trees, under the limbs, just where they peck. They finally left. Also I have saved a considerable many trees from dying when the bark was frozen close to the ground, by plastering around the tree pure privy manure. OAK CREEK, Wis. JOSEPH DIBLEY. Grape Vines in Pots. I advise all purchasers of grape vines to buy those grown in the open air, if the variety desired can be thus obtained. Every horticulturist will admit that the open air vines are much the best. Three years ago I received a lot of Delaware vines grown in pots, with long, slender roots, not much larger than horse hairs, and canes about the size of knitting needles. I set them out in the best of soil; about one-half died, and the balance were inferior in size, roots, and vigor to some grown by me in one season in the open air from cuttings. Cuttings of the Delaware are very hard to strike root in the open ground. Layering the vines is a more successful method of propagation, At the same time that I received the Delawares, I also purchased some Hartford Prolific vines, which had been propagated in a forcing hot house, and though four years old, they are no larger nor better than good strong one year old vines, grown from cuttings in the open air. Perhaps my vines were retarded in growth more than is usual with such the soil. They extend obliquely more than a foot and a half in all directions round the plant. If they are planted so closely that the roots entangle each other in struggling to obtain their nourishment, it may be easily conceived that the produce must in consequence be diminished, not only in the first, but also in the second, and more especially in the third year after planting. By some, this is ascribed to the plants being exhausted; but this is an error arising from mistaking the effect for the cause. It would be more reasonable to say that the elements of nutrition in the soil become insufficient for the demand. These observations show the necessity of planting widely apart, so as to prevent the roots of strawberries and other plants from coming in contact with each other, if we wish to obtain fine produce. Those who plant exclusively with a view to crop, and to obtain the fruit in full perfection, cut off the runners in spring and summer as they are produced. The fewer runners a variety of strawberry throws out, the easier a plantation is kept in order. A variety naturally disposed to make few runners is preferred to those that produce many, if in other respects it possesses equal merit-a property which is becoming more and more appreciated by connoisseurs.-M. de Jonghe in London Gardner's Chronicle. ed near the ground to varieties which are DWARF APPLE ORCHARDS.--Apple trees graftgood bearers, and brought into bearing early, will remain dwarf trees. We know a tree of this description, thirty years old, from every part of which the fruit can be picked by a man while standing on a chair. Such trees are suitable for gardens, as they cast but little shade, are easily gathered, and are ornamental. When dwarf trees are set in orchards they should be set near together.-Ex. A REMEDY FOR MELON BUGS.-A gentleman who has had much experience in raising melons informs that the best thing to keep bugs from the vines is: Sulphur, one tablespoonful; yellow snuff, one tablespoonful; Cayenne pepper, one tablespoonful; ground mustard, one tablespoonful. Mix the whole with half a pint of flour, and apply to the plants when they are moist. |