The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-15
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
FIREwOoD.

.FIREwooD.
In spite of the cheapness and convenience of
coal where continuous fire is needed in cold
weather there are still many farmers who rely
chiefly upon good supply of hard wood for
their fires; and there is also large and in.
creasing class of well.to-do people in our cities
who keep open fires for the sake of the cheer
! full radiance of the open fireplace. Indeed,
there are not few wealthy people who apprec.
ate the comfort, and hearty cheer, and good
ventilation of an open fire as well as the farm
ers.
| To the thrifty farmer, or other lover of a
wood fire. We need hardly say that dry
wood will give nearly double the heat that
can be had from green wood, and that in quick
ness and convenience for kindling there is no
comparison at all between the green and dry
wood; it is true that skillful woodsman can
start fire with a few dry leaves and dead-pne
boughs or green hickory split fine; but for a
convenient fuel for cooking breakfast quickly
there is nothing to compare with good dry
wood that has been housed. 1t is needful to
have the wood nearly year old in order to be
well seasoned, and the best time for cutting
and preparing a stock of it is in the early part
of the Winter before the snow falls deeply. If
the wood is cut and corded now before the
snow falls, it can easily be hauled out of the
woods on the snow.
Pine and gray birch make excellent kinding,
but hickory and oak are the best for a hot and
enduring fire. The kinds of wood that throw
many sparks, such as hemlock spruce, chest
nut, and pine, are useful for kindling coal fires
but will not give satisfaction for open fires
for these hickory, oak, beech, and birch are the
best.
Those who keep wood fires should not forget
to save the ashes in dry shed, or spread them
at once upon the orchard and garden, where
their effect viii be seen for several years. For
fruits of all kinds wood ashes are an excellent
fertilizer.
STORING APPLES IN PITS
Mr. J. Jenkins. in recent address before
the Ohio State Horticultural Society, described
his method of storing apples in large quantities
in pits.
The pit is dug upon hillside, the length of
the pit running up and down the hill the pit
is made with sioping sides, eight feet wide at
top, with a trench one foot wide and deep in
the middle, in which is placed wooden air.
box with close sides, but covered on top with
Stats one inch apart, on which the apples rest.
This box extends through the earth wall of the
pit at the lower end to the open air, where it is
provided with sliding door for regulating the
draught of air. at the upper end the box is
carried up pcrpendicularly several feet into the
air to give draught of air; drain tile is laid
under the box with open outlet. The sides of
the pit are covered with a few inches of straw,
the apples are piled in upon the straw SO
as to make heap rounding top; this is
covered with straw first, and then with earth
six inches thick; when this covering of earth
has frozen through. the whole is covered with
foot of leaves or other litter to prevent thaw-
ing often.
The ventilating slide in the air.box is al
lowed TO remain open in cool weather, not be-
low IL or 10 degrees, so as to admit circulation
of air to the bottom of the pile of apples; when
colder it is closed, for fear of freezing the fruit
When the weather is above the freezing point,
also. the slide is closed as TO keep the fruit
cold. 84s ~ a5d4.4sl
1t is said that this kind of pit will keep
apples till late in the Spring better than they
can be kept in barrels in an ordinary cellar.
SOME POINTS IN wINTERING BEES.
The same advice for wintering bees does not
apply in all sections of the country. The in
structions for keeping In the cellar may not
apply in localities where the Winters are
reasonably mild, and where the bees do equally
well OH the stand. A writer in the National
StGctmaR says: i know that it is a matter |
little uncertain, for III the same latitude, and |
apparently the same climate, some succeed per- |
fectly by leaving the bees outdoors. while |
others find it necessary to put them in the cell |
lars. To all such my advice would be, Don't |
be in hurry about making change. If you |
have succeeded well in wnterng bees outdoors |
and some one thinks you might do better by |
putting them in the cellar, don't put all in the |
cellar this Winter, but try just few. Then, if /
you succeed with those it may be safe to try t
more another Winter There's a good deal in |
being used to thing, and the plan you've |
bee. used to may suit you best, while another |
right by you may do better by another plan,
just because he has the hang Of it. Ifyou live |
where your Winter is at all worthy of the |
name, think you will find it worth while to |
give your bees some protection Even If they |
have lived through Winters without it, they
may do better with it, Many have succeeded |
admirably with what is called the chaf hives, |
but if You haven't them in use now, it's no use |
talking about your getting them this Fall. |
Whether you have chat hives or not it is de-
sirable 10 have your bees sheltered from sweep
ing winds
"On cold, windy day you will see cattle seek
ing shelter behind straw stack, in the edge of |
a grove. behind a building, etc. Whatever
the bees. Anything to keep them from the
cold blasts A high fence is good. II there is
no natural shelter no building or anything of
that kind, pile some corn5talks about them,
making sure that you do not close up the en-
frances. Some kind of covering over the top
other than that which they have had all Sum
mer will do good. Just now there is some dis
cussion as to whether it is best 70 have every
thing sealed up tight on top, or to leave a
chance for upward ventilation by means of
some porous substance, and there arc able adYo-
Gates on both sides.
But both sides are agreed that covering is
good. whether it be of chat, leaves dry saw
dust, old carpets, or whatever. The only ques-
ton between them is as to whether il is best to
have everything scaled tight over the bees so
that no moisture or air can get up through, or
to have something like burap under the
packing material, SO that the moisture can pass
upwards slowly. If you have sealed covers as
thin board or oilcloth it is we'll to have quite
good sized entrance, the whole width Of the
hive, and at least three-e ighths of an inch deep
If upward ventilation is allowed, then so large
an entrance is not necessary. In either case
I'll tell you one thing that is useful. and that
is to have plenty of room between the bottom
OF the combs and the bottom board of the hive
Often is it found i'll Winter that the entrance
to hive is entirely clogged up by dead bees
nearly or quite running the colony thereby. So
&c l.