220     THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



  The prairie portion of this county can not
well be beat, in this northern climate, for bee
pasturage. The white clover of the commons,
the roadsides, and the pastures, is one mass of
bloom from early in the summer till late in the
fall. This our great reliance.  But there are
many other honey-producing plants that are
by no means to be despised.
  In my next I will say something about hives.
If it treads on any patent vender's toes, I can't
help it.                          L. L. F.
  ROLLING PRAIRIE, Wis., April, 1863.



T HE POULTERER.

    Setting Hens and Raising Chickens.

  The time for raising chickens having come
a few hints, founded on experience, may prove
of service to some of our young readers.
            tELECT;X(G TIHE 1IEN.
  An old lien is usualyv more reliable than a
young one, and a hen having more or le~s of
game blood in her will usually have the more
heat about her. Avoid those hens reared from
a cross with the Black Spanish or Bolton Gray
breeds, as the characteristic non sitting quali-
ties of those breeds will be apt to injure them
for this tise Of the large breeds, the Asiatic
varieties, their large bodies and docile habits,
are of great advantage, btlt their heavy move-
inents will break the eggs and destroy tile chick-
cn.s unless specitl precaution is taken.
  In preparing nests for such, arrange matters
so that the fowls can reach their nests without
bclng obliged to step down any distance to
reach them. I have usually set them in a box
so filled as to bring the eggs nearly on a level
with the top, and then putting the box in a
corner, p':cing around the two sides other box-
es of equal height.
  One marked advantage of the large breed!
is this: they are such a hardy race, and have
usually so large a stock of spare fat, that they
can, without detriment, hatch a couple of brood,
at one sitting, the first brood being added it
that of some other hen Its soon as hatched.
have seen twenty-five to thirty-five chickens
reared (not hatched) by one of these large fowl:
of the Brahma l'ootra variety.
             SELECTING TIHE EGGS.
   lHaving decided upon the breed of fowl you
 wish to raise, you cannot exercise too much
 care to guard against impurity.  It is no
 enough to know that the fowls fto-m which thi
 eggs were obtained have all the marks of puri
 ty. Your eggs will give all sorts, unless the
 fowls that laid them are pure-blooded.  Us
 only the freshest of eggs.  Eggs even but X



reek old are not so reliable as those fresher.
'here are those who pretend to forecast the
ex of the chick, by the shape of the egg. I
,nce selected the short, thick eggs, as the most
eliable for producing pullets. The result was
Line roosters and one pullet! Do not set eggs
of the small breeds under the larger varieties
of fowls; there is a law of adaptat on between
he rough ways of each variety o; fowl, and
he toughness of their chickens, 'icit: it is not
wise to violate.
In preparing the nests, favor tee natural
instincts of the hen, selecting a reu.-ed loca-
ion-rather dark, withal.



  THE HORTICULTURIST.

L. 0. HANFORD,     CORRESPONDING EDITOR.

             Our Small Fruits.

 RAsi-tERnnt:s.-The Yellow and Red Ant-
werp Raspberries grow vigorously and seem to
be perfectly hardy en our prairie soil. The
Yellow is an abundant bearer of good fruit.
rhe lied is not very prolific, but l; ars a mod-
erate crop. Canes of both kinlds, in a rich
soil, and with good cultivation, grow to the
length of ten or twelve feet-the tips bending
over and taking root, from which an abund-
ance of new plants can be obtained. The plants
should be sct about six feet apart each way.
If any of your readers want a good raspberry
for family use, we think they will be pleased
with the Yellow Antwerp.
  We have tried Allen's Red, or, at least, what
a Wisconsin nurseryman sold us as that varie-
ty. It grew and tnultipl:cd by suckers prodi-
giously; became a perfect uliv-ince, blowed
full every year, but no fruit.  llave a suspi-
cion that I was humbugged by the nurseryman
Will your readers give their experience?!
  The American Black Cap is perfectly hardy
and bears abundantly.  The fruit when well
grown is not bad to take.  Some complain of
its dryness and seeds, but all our friends that
have called on us in its season could always
contrive to worry down a few. and wottld not
very strenuously object to taking Louie a quart
or two, if very strongly urged.
  Last year we set out three plants of Brinkle's
Orange. They bore abundantly, consequently
grew but little. We left them exposed without



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