Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-14

handled after gathering ceases in the
autumn. To take out extra comb, ex-
tract the uncapped honey, and prepare
for winter, is often the most dreaded
work of the season. The bees seem
cross at the failure to obtain labor, and
cannot endure disturbance. By using
bee tent, made of wire gauze or mosquito
netting, and large enough to set over the
hive and operator all this danger and
trouble is avoided. The bees are appar-
entity frightened into good behavior, and
are as amiable as though in the midst of
the honey harvest. The bee tent also
prevents robbing, which is quite likely
to be induced If we work with the bees
when they are irritated from enforced
1dleness. - Western RanaI.
DARWIN gives much evidence to the
effect that bumblebees are necessary to
full crop of clover seed. DR.. W, J.
Beal, who has experimental largely for
the past few years, says: ''These expert
ments, with those made by Darwin and
others, make it look as though bees and
bumblebees help to fertilize the flowers
OF white and red clover, and cause the
plants to set seed more freely" The
common black bee cannot work on red
clover, and as the bumblebees are few
IN number early in the summer, we see
very plausible explanation of the COM
monty observed fact that the first
crop of red clover seeds poorly while
the second crop bears we'll. The Ital-
ian, Oyprian and Syrian bees work on
redsclover, and so many make it less de-
pendent on the bumblebees.
PROF. SAMUEL JOHNSON, of the Mich
lgan Agricultural College, speaking of
the experiments with ensilage at that in
stitutlon, says: ''It is to be regretted
that so many extravaganza statements
have been made in relation to the value
OF ensilage-the number of cattle that
could be kept from the product of O sin
gle acre, etc. Practical, thinking men
have been deferred from Investigating
this subject and giving it such attention
as it really deserves, because of the wild
statements of impractical enthusiasts"
But he continues in these words: 81 am
confirmed in the belief that three tons
of the ensilage is equal in feeding value
to one ton Of hay. The yield OF ensil-
age corn was eighteen tons per acre,
equivalent in feeding value as a COM
blned ration of six tons of hay. Ensil-
age means the growing of an equivalent
to six or ten tons of hay per acre."
VIoK's Magazine has the following
plan for catching slugs: Take some
pieces of slate or fiat stones, or fat
pieces of tir, and lay them about in the
garden among the plants, distributing
them very literally; just at shutdown 90
out and place teaspoonful Of bran on
each piece of slate or tin, and the slugs
will soon become aware of it and begin
to gather and feed on it. In about two
hours when it is dark, go out again with
lantern and pail containing salt and
water, and pick up each piece on which
the slugs are found feeding. and throw
slugs and bran into the brine, where
they instantly die. It is we'll also to go
around in the morning, and many slugs
will be found hiding under the pieces of
slate and can be destroyed in the brine.
By following up this method persists tent
ly for few weeks the garden may be eff
fectually rid of the nuisance.
BROWN BROTHERS, of Norfolk County.
Mass, furnish the New England Home
stead this testimony in favor of feeding
ensilage to COWS: "We fed ensilage to
twenty COWS from October Is, 1882, to
April 90, 1888. Then hay was bought
and fed until rye was large enough to
cut. This was followed by oats; then
sweet corn and Hungarian was fed.
The silo was filled with corn and opened
October 1, 1888, and the ensilage rations
again commenced. The COWS have done
splendidly. They are plump and healthy
and can be got ready for the butcher at
short notice. Dry COWS and bull have
been kept in a better condition and at
less cost on ensilage than on the best
English hay. Our crop of ensilage corn
was poor last year, because we didn't
plant it early enough and because the
season was dry. We have proved to our
own and our neighbors' satisfaction that
sixty pounds Of ensilage is as good as
twenty pounds of the best hay. The
work of SLIDING corn is no harder than
haying, and less expensive. Ensilage
will be fed as long as the world stands;
the more farmers investigate it, the