Use the Curry-Comb. If we were a horse, our partiality would hardly be less for the curry-comb and brush than for the oat-bin. Winter Care of Stock. Food and drink alone are not enough to ensure health and thrifty growth. It must be food of the right kind, prepared in the The skin of every animal is improved in right manner, and fed at the right time. healthfulness by cleansing and friction. The Nor is this all; there must be security from pores are thus kept open for the free escape the fierce storms of wind, rain, sleet and of the perspiration, and the skin itself is snow which are not uncommon in this northrendered soft and healthy. Whereas, if the ern clime. And then there must be a propskin be neglected it becomes dry and fever. er assorting of animals, so that one will not ish, to the closing of the pores and the great be perpetually vexed and tormented by discomfort of the animal, because of itching | another. But there is yet one other thing and other disagreeable sensations. And scarcely less important, viz.: kind treatthen there is another argument in favor of ment-handling, currying, bedding, petting. regular and faithful currying: By clever Observe these suggestions, and you will save treatment of this sort your influence over about half your feed, and at the same time your animal is strengthened, so that, while keep your animals in better condition. he is made happier he is also more inclined to render cheerful obedience to his master. No animal confined to a close stable, particularly, should fail of a thorough currying, combing and brushing, at least once a day. The farmer, unless using his horses and oxen every day, is often tempted to neglect this work of currying, because they are not likely to be seen by his neighbors, or because the weather is so uncomfortable that he prefers to sit by the fire. This wou't do. Somehow they must be nicely curried. some WATER FOR SHEEP.-There are farmers, says the Genesee Furmer, who entertain the opinion that sheep do not need water in winter. Others think if the sheep need any water, they can satisfy their thirst by eating snow! That sheep need water there can be no doubt. In Mr. Lawes' recent experiments, the sheep were allowed all the water they wanted, and those fed on hay alone drank, from February 22d to March 22d, on an average, 33 lbs. of water per head per week. The next month they drank 40 lbs. each per week; the next month, 45 lbs.; the next month, 394 lbs.; and during the whole period of seven months each sheep drank on an average, 40 lbs. week. per LESS LAND, more pains bestowed in cultivating it, and a variety of good stock, will be found highly profitable. THE BEE-KEEPER. Why Bees Work in the Dark. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, MADISON, Dec. 2, 1864. FRIEND HOYT:-I enclose an explanation of a fact that may interest some of your readers. You may have published it, but I do not remember it. Yours, &c, JOHN G. McMYNN. A life time might be spent in investigating the mysteries hidden in a bee-hive, and still half of the secrects would be undiscov ered. The formation of the cell has long Scheibler has enclosed honey in stoppered flasks, some of which he has kept in darkness, while others have been exposed to the light. The invariable result has been that the sunned portion rapidly crystallizes, while that kept in the dark has remained perfectly liquid. We now see why bees are so careful to work in perfect darkness, and why they are so careful to obscure the glass windows which are sometimes placed in their hives. The existence of the young depends on the liquidity of the saccharine food presented to them, and if light were allowed access to this, the syrup would gradually acquire a more or less solid consistency; it would seal up the cells, and in all probability prove fatal to the inmates of the hives. THE HORTICULTURIST. Orchards. MR. EDITOR:-The people of Wisconsin have, undoubtedly, ere this, learned that it requires a vast amount of money and labor to suitably start and arrange an orchard. And this, too, years before they may look for any remuneration or proceeds from the capital actually invested. But in spite of all these costly preliminaries, requisite to start an orchard, how few there are who really know how to appreciate one after they have it. And in order to more fully depict the recklessness which some people manifest in this important branch of husbandry, I shall deem it nowise improper for me to tell you what I saw, a few days ago, while traveling through the country. On a beautiful hill stood a fine white house, while near by some generous hand had seen fit to plant a large orchard. The trees had been well selected, and now, as many were beginning to bear, they evidently promised their worthy propriet r a handsome reward for his patience and industry. But what a painful sight it was, as my eye glanced beyond the fence. The trees were completely ruined. A few "thoroughbred sheep" had been purchased, and in order to more fully develope their "rare points," (which, no doubt, were seated in their 1 horns,) he must turn them into his orchard. The consequence is easily imagined. Almost every tree was girded, and that beautiful orchard, which once grew upon the hill-side, in such picturesque beauty, stands a ruined whole-to be numbered with the things that were. Thus it is with too many of our farmers. They spare no means or exertion in starting an orchard, but after they have it started, the motive which first inspired them seems to die into forgetfulness, and their orchards become abused and neglected. How long this state of affairs will continue, I know not; but I sincerely hope that those who may witness these scenes, which exhibit such a want of discretion and proper judgment, may profit by them, and, when the opportunity presents itself, rear upon their ruins orchards that may prove a blessing to themselves, and an ornament to their country. P. S. EAST TROY, Dec 1, 1964. Blight in Apple and Pear Trees. Benjamin D. Walsh, President of the Illinois Natural History Society, and well known as an entomologist, recently read a paper before the Society mentioned, on the cause of the blight, or the fire-blight,” in the apple and pear tree. The conclusion to which he has arrived is, that the blight is caused by certain species of insects called leaf-hoppers. We give below a summary of the points laid down as the result of his investigations. It may not be amiss, however, to remark, that blight in pear trees has often occurred in this vicinity where no trace of injury by the insect alluded to, several species of which are well known here, could be discovered, even by experienced and careful entomologists. The following are Mr. Walsh's points: 1. Fire blight in the apple and pear is caused by two species of leaf-hoppers (Tettigonia) described by me, in the Prairie Farmer, last year, as Chloroneura melefica and Chl. maligna. 2. In the autumn these insects lay their eggs, from seven to ten in number, in slits, about one-eighth of an inch long, cut length wise, in the bark of twigs and branches, and easily recognized by their scaly, rough appearance. They also pass the winter, in large numbers, in the perfect, or winged state. 3. As the eggs lie dormant for eight months before they hatch, and as the sapwood turns brown on each side of the egg slit, there must be some poisonous fluid deposited by the mother insect in the egg slit; otherwise the wound would grow over and heal up. 4. This poisonous fluid is absorbed into the system of the tree, and blight results the next spring, even before the young Tettigonians are hatched. 5. The beak of the Tettigonian appears to have some poisonous property, for the leaves turn brown when they are punctured by it. This is called, out West, "leafblight," and may also be seen on grapevines badly infested by their peculiar leafhoppers. 6. Almost every tree has one or more peculiar leaf-hoppers. For example, two species occur on the crab, thorn, pear, and apple, the same that I believe to cause the fire. blight; another on the white elm; another on the oak; another on the sycamore, or button-wood-all three of them undescribed; and four distinct species on the grape-vine, two of which were first described by me in the Prairie Farmer. 7. On the elm it requires a very great number of egg-slits to cause blight; on the crab a less number; on the pear, a very small number. 8. On the elm and crab-apple, and most other trees, the egg is generally placed half in the sap wood and half in the bark. On most varieties of the pear, it is generally placed in the bark, not penetrating into the sap-wood. 9. The most feasible remedy for "fireblight" is to destroy the leaf-hopper eggs, as soon as possible after the fall of the leaf, either by trimming off the twigs containing them, or throwing them on the ground, or by shaving off a very thin slice of the bark with a sharp knife, wherever the egg-slits are observed, so as to cut into the eggs. It is of no use to trim off twigs which are already blighted.-Prairie Farmer. Keeping Fruit. A correspondent of the Valley Farmer, writing under the signature of "F. G.," says: "We ate our last Spitzenburg to-day, (June 23d,) and it was in pretty good condition, resembling a Seek-no-further when in prime order. Greenings may be kept till the advent of early fruit. The secret is, temperature, the hydrometric as well as the thermometric; in other wor is, the dampness and the heat of your room or place where you keep your fruit. A cellar will do very well. But must avoid the too dry and the too wet, else your apples will shrink when too dry, or rot when too damp. This has been thoroughly demonstrated, and is a fixed fact. But this is only half of it. Your cellar must be cold-there is no getting round that. Unless cold, your apples will not keep. If warm, they will ripen, become mellow, and lose their flavor, ending in rot. If thoroughly cold-at the freezing point or a little below-they will remain as they are as long as you keep them in that temperature, if it is a year or two, or three. If thus kept cool, they will never ripen or rot. They will keep their acid, unripe condition. And it is just so that you want to keep your fruit that is intended for spring and summer's use. When the warm weather comes, the fruit will begin to ripen under the mellowing influence of the heat, which cannot be kept thoroughly excluded. But-and here is the point-you can regulate your windows so as to have a sufficiently cool temperature to keep any winter fruit till June. That is what we are doing nowwhat we have been doing for years. And now we will tell the reader how this is done: Open your windows when the weather is cool, and close them when it turns warm. That is the whole secret. In the cool nights which sometimes bring frost, the windows should be thrown open, and the door also, if possible, if it is an outside one. When the weather begins to change, close at once, and keep your cool, pure and healthy air. Clos ing them a week or longer will not hurt the air. Especially keep closed tight when the warm winds blow. If kept open, they will, in a short time, drive out all the cool air, and your apples might as well be in your room, or out-doors. The thing has been thoroughly demonstrated-thoroughly tested-by us, and we know whereof we speak. Neglect will surely rot the fruit by spring. Care will keep it three months longer." How to Treat Dwarf Pears. I have them fifteen years old, in my garden, thrifty, hardy. productive, and bidding as fair to live the next fifty years as any standard tree upon my grounds. The com from the Eastern States are now on file. Messrs. E. W. S. & Co. are wide awake, enterprising men, and, since they really have a good thing in the Climax Adjustable Mill, we are right glad of their prosperity. They are increasing their facilities for manufacture, and expect, next season, to do even a much larger business than during the past year. May success attend their efforts. The Post Office Money Order System. On the first day of November, says an exchange, the new system of transmitting in the United States. Though new here money orders by mail went into operation it has long been in vogue in England, where the business has assumed immense proportions. As an instance of the rapid growth of the system in public favor there, it may be stated that in 1838, the sum of $1,500,000 was thus transmitted; in 1863, $86,000,000. plaints against these pests of the garden, I am fully persuaded, is owing more to neglect and mismanagement than to any iuherent difficulty. Some varieties will not flourish on the quince stoek. The fruit books will point them out. Do not plant such. They will not be productive on grass ground, or in hard, inflexible soil. Do not plant them there. They want deep, rich, mellow border, at least eighteen inches in depth. If To begin the experiment, one hundred you cannot afford to prepare a border, do post offices have been designated as not purchase dwarf pear trees. In addition" money order offices," of which the fol to being properly planted, they must have care every season. Now they should be shortened in about two-thirds of the last season's growth. This keeps them stocky, and prepares them to sustain a great burden of fruit They also want a barrow full of stable manure put around them every fall. The quince roots cannot go far in search of food. They should have all they can take up within six or eight fect of the tree. With manure and good management, dwarf pears will be a success.-Cultivator. MECHANICAL AND COMMERCIAL. Climax Power Sugar Mill. The engraving herewith presented illustrates the Power Sugar Cane Mill manufactured by E. W. Skinner & Co., of this citythe same that has taken so many prizes in different parts of the West. Numbers have been sold into other states during the past season, and we learn that several orders The number of orders in the same period increased from 188,721 to 8,000,000. lowing is a list: OFFICES. Binghampton. Cairo.... .... Chattanooga Chillicothe Cincinnati. Cleveland Elmira.... |