THZ WI80QNBIN FARMBR.



S. Ide, East Shelby, Orleans County, N. Y.,
has onb with double walls, with an air space
between; the inner one of straw, the outer of
wood, which serves to protect the draw from
the weather, and as fhr as the sides of the hive
are concerned, would do a peat deal to pro-
tect the bees and keep out theftese  It i well
made, durable and aseewbat eoutly. The one
I have is more simple, easier made, and prob-
ably may answer just as welL It is made to
correspond in respeet to heigt lenmth and
breadth, to a wood hive tat I have, wnth mov-
able combs, so that th eoabs, bees, &c., may
be transferred at any time. I would suggest
that any one disposed to make the straw hive
who already has the movable combs, that they
make it the same size of the wood hive, inside
measure of course, as the straw will be much
thicker than boards. It will be unnecessary
for me to describe the frames, manner of sup-
porting them, or size of the hive.
  To make a hive, take strips of board, say
one inch thick by two inches wide, and make
two rectangular frames, halving or framing the
corners together, and keeping the under sur-
face in the same plane. These ames must be
of the same use, and of dimeisions according
to the size of the hive required. On the under
side of the bottom one, cut a passage way for
the bees, three inches wide by three-eighths
deep. Lay this on the bench before you, and
nail to it upright strips of lath-let them be
an inch wide by one-fourth inch thick-the
length corresponding to the height of the hive.
the lower ends being even with the lower sur-
face of the frame. If very smooth work is de-
sired, these laths may be let into the frames
just their thickness. When to be painted, it
should be done before filling in the straw.
These laths should be about four inches apart,
inside and out, the two at the corners joining
together. Now take long, clean straw. Rye
straw is the smoothest, if unthreshed the bet-
ter; get it even, and cut off the head, wet it
and lay it between the upright pieces of lath,
bending it round the corners in such a way as
to make the walls of the hive, and press it
close. When half full, if the hive is a deep
one, pass some small annealed wire around the
inner and outer lath to keep them froi spread-
ing. Having pressed the space full, lay the
second frame upon the straw directly over the
first, nail the upper ends of the lath to it and
the hive, with the exception of the tops, mova-
ble, of course, as in all movable comb hives;
one of wood, to be used during the gathering
of surplus honey, and the other of straw, ior
winter and spring. The straw top may be
made on the same principle as the hive. Make
a frame of the proper size and two inches deep;
nail pieces of lath on the under side, sinking
them in so as to leave a level surface, fill in
above them with straw and bind it down with
lath nailed above. It will be unnecessary to
leave any passages for ventilation, and s the



wood top is used in the honey season no holes
are necessary in the straw top to communicate
between the boxes and hive. Allew the hive
to dry out as fast as possible, and when dry,
it is ready for the bees. They may be trans-
ferred at any time. If the weather is cold,
take them into a warm, dark room, using a
candle to work by. Such a hive, with no ven-
tilaton but that afforded by the porous absorp-
tivemass of straw of the sides and top has
been found freefhim frost, and the bees in very
comfortable condition when the thermometer
stood at 10° below sero. As I have heretofore
given my views relative to the advantages of
straw hives, in the  srw, I will not repeat
them here-N. Quaiy in N. B. Fober.



THE POULTERER.
       Ts r n rs ss w m r m r To~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1



Ias en Ohikams.



  First of all, if in confinement, in the dust
corner of the poultry-house, mix about half a
pound of black sulphur mong the sand and
lime that they dust in.  This will both keep
them fre from parasites and give the feathers
a glossy appearance. If infested with the in-
wsets, dampen the akin under the feathers with
a little water, then sprinkle a little black sul-
phur on the skin. Let a bird be covered with
the insects, and they will di.sappear in the
course of twelve hours. Also, previous to set-
ting a hen, if the nest be slightly sprinkled
with the sulphtr, there is no fear of the hen
being annoyed during incubation, neither will
the chickens be annoyed by them. Many a
fine hatched brood pines away and dies through
nothing else, and no one knows the cause.
Having had an ostrich under my care that was
pining, I looked into his feathers, and observed
thousands of parasites. I employed tobacco-
water, also lime-water, under my then master's
orders, to no effect. In his absence, I well
dampened him, and sprinkled him under the
feathers with black sulphur, when next day
they were examined with a microscope, and
every one was dead.  Having had some ma-
caws, also parrots that were addicted to biting
off their feathers, I employed the black sul-
phur by well syringing them with water, then
sprinkling the sulphur ever their skins. If
tame, sponge the skin, then rub gently, with
the points of the fingers, with the sulphur ev-
ery other day for about a fortnight, when the
parrot or macaw will cease to destroy his plu-
mage. It is not a remedy which has not been
proved, for I have used it these two years with
success.-7e Piedd.

  2W To save your gardens from the ruinous
soratchings of old hens with chickens, put
them in coops. The chickens will do better,
and the hens full as well.



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