The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-19
Hill Country of Judea Items.
reported for the V1RGrNIAN.l

end of this laborious and all important
work last week. Never before have we
seen our wheat fields so well shocked. We
have been agreeably surprised with the
harvest. 1t is much better than we had
anticipated. But in no part of Augusta
is one more likely to be deceived in his
estimation of Il wheat crop a few weeks
before harvest, than i'll the Hill County of
Judea.
During the fortnight before perfect ma
turity, wheat improves more in the Hill
Country than in any section of country we
know of. Messrs. j. III. and d. M. Craun
are prepared to commence threshing as
soon as the weather becomes favorable,
and we suppose by next week we can tell
something about the yield and quality of
our wheat.
Since harvest we have been principally
engaged in blowing corn nor at this season
is there anything that pays farmers better.
| The blowing Immediately after harvest, as
a general thing, benefits the corn crop
more than any other, and should always be
done etfectually The soil should be torn
up to the depth of the fallow. Then it
will be opened for the free circulation of
air and the easy penetration of the roots
that make the ear. But after this ear
making system of roots has begun to form,
which is never the case to any extent until
| the tassel begins to make its appearance,
no blowing can be done without great in
| jury to the crop, for the roots can be broken
only at the expense of the ear.
One day last week while prevented by
| the rain from farm work. we visited Mr.
Crousehorn, one of our oldest and most in
| dependent ,JudeanS. His sons. John and
| George, are exceedingly industrious young
men. Bes s crrying o their fathers
large farm they pay particular attention to
the bee business. They impaired to us
some valuable knowledge which we will
| report, as the bee business should be of
special interest to Virginians possessed
of land adorned with flowers and
| favored with abundant dews. at the
beginning of this season they had 81
| colonies. During this season these 81
have increased to IS. This increase of
colonies is valued at about one hundred
dollars. Besides this increase our young
friends up to this time have extracted
three thousand pounds of honey, and ex-
pect before the season ends to extract one
Thousand pounds more. They have ready
| sale for it at l24 cents per pound. SO at
tho ond of thiS caaSon THAR honav aud in
crease will amount to six hundred dollars.
This is an income from fifty-seyen colonies
equal to that of an ordinary farm. The
Messrs. G. do not rob their bees of the
comb. They take it out of the hive, eX-
tract the honey, and replace it again in its
former position, which during favorable,
season will refill in two or three days. In
! thus extracting the honey and replacing
| the comb in the hive great saving is eff
| fected, 1t requires rs much time and labor
for bees to build a pound of comb as to
gather and store twenty pounds of honey.
Hence the feasibility of using an extractor,
which is a simple and cheap device that
can be manufactured at cost not ex-
ceeding three dollars.
Nearly all the colonies belonging to the
with the common bee. The Italian bee is
very much the color of the yellow jacket
and between the size of the hornet and
! common bee. Owing to their superior size
| they are able to procure honey from flow
ers which the common bee cannot reach.
They are readily crossed with the common
bee, and as characteristic of all superior
races the cross breeds take far more after
| the Italian side both in size and general
appearance. The lifetime of the bee is COM
paratively ephemeral. Sixty-six days is the
limit of their longevity. From the time
the queen deposits the ovary in the comb
cell until the birth of the bee is sixteen
days. For twenty-one days after birth the
young bee rarely ever goes outside the
hive, but, remarkable to say, performs the
ingenious work inside. 1t builds the
comb, fashions the cells and stores the
[ honey. After twenty-one days old the bee
| confines it's labor nearly exclusively to out
door work. 1t gathers the sweets profuse
throughout nature, brings it to the en-
trance of the hive and there unfreights its
| burden, which is taken UP and stored away
by the young bees. 1t is instructive to man
to learn that the Young bee is first taught
the exquisite skill of evaporating nectar,
fashioning comb-cells, and storing honey;
| &C.. before thrown Oh the outside world to
shift for itself How this illustrates that
nature requires man to be thoroughly
| trained in science and art before he
launches out in the great pursuits OF life.
| Man like the bee is made for work. Human
| life, though short, is sweet if employed
with the industry of the bee. But woe
unto the life spent in idleness-all is bit
terness.
| Mrs. Elizabeth Propes has been visiting
her son-in-l laws, Mr.. d. M. Craun. She
is IS years old; has living children, 70
grand children. and 81 great grand children,
all in fine circumstances.
| Monday night, the 9th inst, John b.
Seawright, only son Of John Seawright,
attack of scarlet fever. DR.. Crawford,
the family physician, was Immediately
sent for, but being unwell was not able to
respond to the call. DR.. Cross, of Burk-
town, was then called in and after a care
| full examination pronounced the disease a
severe attack of firlx, but on his next visit
found it to be scarlet fever in it's worst
form. On Thursday evening DIR. Brown,
Of Bridgewater, was sent for and came to
| find the young man dead. Both doctors
advised that the corpse should be buried
as soon as possible. So on Friday evening
at four o'clock the burial took place at the
Augusta church cemetery. Young S. was
only in his teens and Was one of our most
promising young men. He was endowed
with an uncommon intellect, and possessed
those frank and genial manners that al
ways make many and true friends. Above
all he was blessed with the most enrolling
feature of human nature, truly kind
heart. He is much lamented by the COM
munity. The death of this much beloved
young man was terrible calamity to his
two devoted little sisters and aged father,
| who all dotted on him. But few weeks
bo xx,;fa Of tbic A4;oto fothor loft fo,.