The National tribune., 1889-05-30
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
TRANSFERRING BEES.

the hive bottom-side up, and with cold chisel
and hammer pry open and cut the nails from
two sides of the hive This will lay the combs
bare, so that they may be reached conveniently.
Lay the frame to receive the combs fat upon
board which has been previously guttered out
one-half by one-half inch on every two inches
of surface. This will allow wooden needle to
pass under the comb after it is fitted into the
frame. BY this means a cord of hard Irvine is
drawn over the comb and around the entire
frame and securely tied, spanning the frame
every two inches. After the combs have all
been removed cut, fitted and tightly bound
into the frames, place them carefully into the
new frame hive and raise the old hive, which
contains the majority of the bees. With brush
of soft material or stiff feather gently remove
the bees into the new hive or to its entrance.
In arranging the combs place those containing
the brood in the center and see that the brood
occupies compact mass in the hive In day
or two the bees will have fastened the combs
in the frames, and will ultimately remove the
Irvine fastening. They cannot do this if
wooden strips or tin fastenings are used. Only
combs that are straight should be used FILL
which would recommend rather than crooked
combs, but combs containing brood should all
be used.-Americaa Agriculttrist.
THE BEST CORN FOB sILAGE.
In selecting corn to plant for the silo ii is not
wise in northern ATTITUDES to decide wholly by
weight and amount of crop. Experience has
abundantly proved that the best variety of
corn for silage is ono which is capable of ma
turing its grain in the latitude where planted.
Trials made at the Minnesota Experiment Sta
tion showed that the large Southern sweet
corn, while it yielded much greater weight of
silage than yellow flint, contained no more
nutritive value, as the former was cut in an
immature state to escape the frost, while the
latter bore ears which were glazed when cut
The large corn yielded many tons of useless
weight to handle, and required increased space
for storage, while the silage made from it was
inferior in quality to that of the well-matured
yellow iintcorn This precaution applies only
to situations which are liable to vistations of
early frosts. Corn should be cut for the silo
just as the kernels have become glazed, and
no variety should be planted which cannot
reach this condition before the first killing
frosts.
FEEDING YOUNG CHICKS.
There is no end to the different feeds that
are employed for young chicks. We have ex-
perimented for years, and cannot say that we
yet are thoroughly satisfied with our plan, al
though we have had the best of results and
have not lost single chick this season yet. But
we find, as the warm weather is advancing,
that the new broods need somewhat different
care. Our cake composed of Gornmeal, bran,
meat, bone, etc, as given in former issue, can
be dispensed with fer it is mainly intended as
a Winter feedl and we now take ground oats,
corn and wheat, and add beef scraps each morn
ing; give cracked wheat noon and evening
This we find has al the forcing qualities neces-
sary especially where there is no attempt made
for early broilers. But even with this feed, we
can produce as plump springers" as anyone
could wish to see. Care must be taken that
stock intended for keeping for breeding pur-
poses are not forced too much. If too highly
fed, the combs Of the cockerels are apt to fall
over, which lessons their valve in the fancy,
broiler man here gives cracked wheat as the
first food, but we do not like that so well. We
have given pinhead oatmeal with good results.
We cover the floor of our brooder with bran,
and the chicks generally pick out their first
meal from this, and it seems to do them good.
Then we throw oatmeal grits or pinhead oat-
meal to them if we have it, and at once begin
the feed of chick background oats, wheat and
corn. Of course we keep ground oyster shells
and charcoal constantly before them. Our
chicks are bright and grow very well, and are
never troubled with the many ills which chicks
are heir to.
We were amused sometime ago at reading
the directions laid down by poultry writer
one who raised his chicks on paper. He had q
bill of fare for the first day, so much for the
second day, and so on. To follow out his plans
would almost necessitate a kitchen to every
brooding house, and French cook in command.
What we want, and what the people want are
the simplest and most practical methods of do
ing everything, and the palmer the diets of
your stock the healthier they will be and the
better the results. Tho idea of dosing young
chicks with sulphur and condition powders
1t is shame. The little vitality they have
got when Matched cannot resist the powerful
effects of physics, and yet would-be chicken
men persist in such methods Give nature a
chance, and throw your polished methods to
the four winds, ETC. Germantown Telegraph.
NUMBER OF EGGS IN A HEN.
The question having been asked US how
many eggs are in hen, we have scratched our
Uranium and begun research. We have read
that German naturalist once instituted some
careful investigations, in which he discovered
that the ovary of hen contains about 600 en-
bryo eggs He also found that some 20 ofthese
are matured the first year, about I20 the Sec
ond year, 135 the third year, 144 the fourth.
and after that the number decreases at the rate
y
that after hen is four years old she is not very
profitable, and had better be parboiled and then
roasted Exchange.
SECRET PREPARATION.
A French apothecary has given away secret
which, it is claimed, is an unfailing tonic for
debilitated fowls and young turkeys during
the critical stage. This gentleman recon-
mends it from experience: Take cassia bark
In fine powder, three parts; ginger, 10 parts
gentian, one part; anise seed, one part; car
Donate of iron, five parts. Mix thoroughly by
sitting. A teaspoonful OF the powder should
be mingled with the dough for 20 turkeys each
morning and evening 1t is of the greatest
Importance to begin the treatment fortnight
before the appearance of the red, III and to con-
tinue it two or three weeks after.
Z NOTES.
Feeding young pig corn is putting fat on
Its carcass at time when ii is much more i'm
portant it should be making bone aud muscle.
10 make success of peach growing one
should select elevated sites and warm, sandy
soils, or localities near large bodies of water.
In most situations a peach orchard should be
we'll cultivated. So advises practical horti-
culturist.
- Where land Is cheap and farmer has
plenty of it, it does not necessarily follow that
intensive work, whereby the labor and manure
are crowded into a small area, is the most prof
liable. Thorough work, however, is always
best. b
While fat sheep are not bringing anything
like the prices of a year ago. they are made at
distinctly less cost and there is unQuestion-
ably good margin of profit to the painstaking
feeder For good returns for feeding, taking