Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-07
AGRICULTURAL.



Agriculture, and published in the late
annual report of that body, we extract
the following:
81 made many inquiries and collect
ed quite q number of items, facts, OF
at least supposed facts, in relation to
the change of farm crop seeds, but as
it would require entirely too much
space TO give the details of tenth part
of them, must content myself by Civ
ing a simple statement of the eonclu-
siOns i arrived at, based, of course,
upon the statements detailed TO me-.
1t appears that any farm crop, rs
wheat, for example, may be much i'm
proved by culture on a farm with ap-
propriate soil; but there is a limit to
the improvement of this variety, which
| will designate as variety A, on this
farm. which / will designate as farm
No. i. After the limit of improvement
has been attained on No. 1, it will then,
for series of years, remain stationary,
and after that, even with the
best culture, will deteriorate.
But if, when it has attained its limit on
No 1, and is then transferred to farm
No. 2, then it will improve again tn
farm No. 3, etc. Whist the variety A
is deteriOrating on farm No. l, the VA
rety b, under proper treatment from
farm No. 2 or 3, will improve by the
side of il. Hence, the German farmers
have adopted n system of seed ex-
changes and are anxious to obtain seed
from foreign countries. They seem to
have giAen this subject great atten-
ton, and take into account the kind of
soil, meteorology, and level above the
sea where the seeds are grown, and L
am inclined to think they make 1t |
point to obtain good seeds from elevat- |
ed regions grown on an inferior soil.
The exchanges are conducted mostly |
by the local agricultural societies. The |
agricultural association |
have made many apartments in the ex-
of seeds, and now recommend,
rs the result of their experience, that |
seeds from a good rich soil, to cold |
and Indifferent one is profitable, and
ofce 9ersG. F"
NOTES ABOUT BEES. The past season
has not been very favorable for bees in
this section. During the months OF
May and June we had much cold, stormy
weather, which prevented the bees from
getting good start. | had occasion to
look In several of my hives about the
10th OF June, when | was surprised to
find them almost destitute of honey;
one hive did not contain a pound. The
was as Iexpected, none Of
eight hives swarmed, and very few of
those owned by neighbors. Still / have
obtained nice lot of surplus box hon
ey, averaging 20 lbs per hive-One hive
yielding 81 pounds, another 81 pounds;
two feeble stocks not giving any sur
plus. This is a small yield compared
with some of the accounts which we
read of; yet, when the season and To-
cality are considered, L think it is doing
very well.
L use the movable comb hive, recon-
mended by Mr.. Quinby. aud like il
very well; yet, in former years, have
been unable TO induce them to work
freely in the boxes, owing to the diff
Guilty in passing from the frames to the
boxes, from any part of the hive, by
simply passing up. am satisfied that
bees will store much more honey when
they can pass easily from the hive 10
the boxes than they Will when they
have to pass through small entrances,
and difficult TO reach at that.
There is some danger that the queen
will pass up and fill the boxes with
brood If the hOney-bOard and bottom
Df boxes are removed, as / have de
although if the hive is large
enough to accommodate the queen
/ do not think it will often be
lone.
have found brood in the boxes only
in two instances, and those in the
height of the honey harvest. Thin
strips, an inch wide, fastened together,
of an inch apart, and laid at
The top of the frames at right angles
with them, or perhaps wire cloth, with
coarse meshes, would prevent the queen
rom ever going into the boxes.
took away all the drone comb from
the breeding apartment of my hives
Early last spring, and replaced it with
worker comb; so they have not been
5axed to support host of useless con-
.umers. All the comb so removed,
which was white aud clean, / put In
-he boxes for guide combs, and am sat
SIZED that Is the best use to put them
%. My bees are the common black
Kind. If had the Italian, perhaps /
might show better record. g. r. p.
b Country Gentleman.
New VARIETY OF WHEAT. Mr.. James
Saw, of Rutland, Dane county, has
eft at our office new variety of
spring wheat. The seed came from the
south of Russia, and was obtained
the patent office. 1t is six
rowed, with beard six inches long and
has very firm, wiry straw. MIR. Saw
says he has a piece which will yield
fifty bushels to the acre. The heads
are not remarkably long, but the berry
is large and plump. 1T it will yield as
it must stand very thick
upon the ground. Itripens about even
with the club wheat.
If this wheat has good Touring quail
tiles, it must be a great improvement
upon the varieties in general cultiva-
ton, for a time at least. Some varieties |
of foreign wheat viii yioid well, nut
are of poor quality for -four. Many !
years ago, about Green Bay, they used !
to raise the Siberian spring wheat. 1t |
yielded bountifully, but had thick,
tough skin, and was about as hard as
Single nails, and the -four had dead,
sand like quality. This has none of
the appearance of the Siberian wheat,
aud may be as good as any for flour.
We may expect TO hear more of this va
riety in another year. Almost any vari-
ETY. of wheat will improve by so wide
a change of locality, and hence seed
should frequently be imported. - WIS
consin Farmer.