106     THE WISCON8IN FARMER.



middle of October to the end of November giv
them their winter dressing, which consists i
cutting down the stalks close to the ground ani
clearing the beds from weeds; drawing them
off at the same time with a rake into the al
leys, to be buried or taken to the compost heal
to be mixed up with other litter and again re
turned to the soiL Cover the whole of the be(
with two or three inches of manure; the alleyi
must be dug spade deep, at the same timi
spreading some soil over the manure on thi
beds, and level the whole evenly. It may b
supposed that the annual dressing in this wa)
will in a few years considerably raise the bed:
but by the spring forking and raking, togethei
with the hoeing and dressing during summer,
a considerable portion of the earth is being
continually drawn again into the alleys.
   As soon as the frost is fairly out of the
 ground in the spring, loosen the surface of the
 beds with a fork, introducing it three or four
 inches into the soil, turning up the earth with
 care not to wound the crown of the roots.-
 Then make the surface of the beds even and
 equal, drawing off the rough earth, stones, &c.
 into the alleys; finish by stretching a line
 along the edge of the beds, and trim them off
 neatly with a spade. Stirring the bed in this
 manner enables the shoots to rise in free
 growth; admits the air, rain and sunshine in-
 to the ground, and encourages the roots to pro-
 duce buds of a strong size. A full crop may
 be expected the fourth season after planting.
 The proper method of cutting them is to scrape
 a little of the earth away from each shoot;
 then, with a sharp pointed, long bladed knife,
 cut off the shoot slantingly, about three inches
 under the surface: taking care not to wound
 the younger buds that are advancing below in
 different stages of growth.  It is in the best
 state for cutting when it is four inches above
 ground, and while the top remains close and
 round. The cutting should never extend be-
 yond the middle of June.
 Asparagus beds, with good culture, will con-
 tinue to give bountiful crops for twelve or fif-
 teen years.  It is frequently forced on dung
 hot-beds, and in the hands of the initiated,
 with great success; but to go into the general
 minutiae of forcing kitchen vegetables would
 take us entirely beyond our limits; a few hints
 however, will give an idea of the operation.
 Prepare a hot-bed of two lights, in the way
 directed for cucumbers, about two feet high at
 back and twenty inches in front. Cover it
 with four inches of soil; lay thereon roots that
 are at least four years old; cover them three
 inches with the same soil, and give the whole
 a copious watering. Admit air at the back by
 tilting the sash daily, in sunshine. In two
 weeks, or three at most, you may expect to be
 able to cut for the table. A bed of this sort
 will produce daily, or at least every two days,
a dish for the table, and continue in bearing
three or four weeks. The process may be car-



e ried to the extent of the demand. Where pro
a perly managed, it will fully compensate eithei
a as a luxury or a marketable article.
a



   THE BEE-KEEPER.

                dHrandling Be.

    It is of primary importance to the apiarist
 that he be so far familiar with the nature and
 habits of the bee as to enable him at all times
 when necessary to handle them with impunity,
 and without danger to himself or harm to the
 bees.
   The question arises at once, can they be so
 handled? And the answer as promptly comes
 in the affirmative. We have knowledge of no
 animal so dependent upon man for its pros-
 perity as the bee. The reason for this will ap-
 pear in a subsequent article on - The wants of
 the Bee." Hence it was designed by the All-
 Wise First Cause that we should tame them
 and control their operations.
   Within two years past a gentleman from In-
diana appeared on a public occasion with a
swarm of bees in hit hat, and during the exhi-
bition he would frequently fill his mouth with
them, thereby causing some who joined the
crowd of spectators while the bees were in his
mouth to exclaim "The Evil One is among
us! " as they saw the bees goiAg in at a hole
in the hat and coming out of the mouth, as
they supposed through an opening in the crown
of the head,-the idea of their passage through
the head being no more marvellous than to see
this irascible insect so fearlessly handled.
  Many similar instances of fearless handling
could be cited, but the fact is better known
than the method by which it is accomplished.
  When bees swarm they are easily hived-the
operation being performed with barqeapds and
unprotected face. The reason is that they are
gorged with honey. It is found that bees hav-
ing their honey-sacks well filled will never vol-
unteer an attack. Hence, when any operation
is to be performed with them, if they be plaoed
in this condition they are wholly under our
control, and may be handled as freely as flice,
as long as the operator avoids pinching or oth-



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