The Number Of Days Bees Were Out In January And February, 1880

From the Detroit Post and Tribune. As a record showing the extraordinary weather we have had during the past two months, I send an extract From my bee diary : January 4- Bees out to-day- first time for nearly eix weeks. So far the weather for the winter has been inild and cloudy. January fi - Bees flying a very little. January 7- Bees flying a very little. January 11- Bees flying a very little. January 17 - Bees out five hours. January 18 - Bees out two hours. January 19 - Bees out two hours. On that day I supplied all uiy colonies with flour candy - that is I took common white sugar and made it into candy and thickened with flour, making it as soft as it ermld be handled. The bees ate this candy freely. January 25 - Bees out two hours. January 26 - Bees out two hours. January 27- Bees out four hours. Nuinber of days in January on whiuh bees flew, lo. ÏEBBÜAKY. February 12- Bees out four hours. February 16 - Bees out six hours; examined two oolonies and found brood (hatched eggs). February 17 - Bees out all day. February 22 - Saw two bees out. February 24 - Bees out halfan hour. Fi'lnuary 26 - Bees out seven I ours. On this day I couiDiciiccd stimula;ivc feeding - liont'y and water. Februarj 27- Bees out all day. February 2ö- Ikes out all day. Saw on day first (wiliow) pollen on tre biíes. Pollen is fuod for brnod. Since the 28th the bees have not been out, but are quiet. All have eggs and brood. Ñuiuber ol days in February on whieh bees veré out, eight. The hives are on tlioir suinmer stands and packed around wUh 8 or lü iuches of 8awdust. With Iuhs packing around thein they would have flown oftener - the sawdust tending to keep the temperatura even - cool when it is warm and warm when it is cool, and the even temperature tends to keep the bees quiet. a. b. Wkkd. At a recent potato show in Kngland, nearly 1,400 plates were -hown, a large number of which were of American varieties. A farmer should look ahead, think in advanee of nis work and have bu plans well laid. The winter is a good time for his mental labor. Mr. Mecbi, the famous farmer of ItothamsU'ad, England, says of his balance sheet for 1879: " This is the first time in the last fifteen years that my farm balance has been on the wrong side, and it proves to me how sad must be the titiancial pontion ofa vast number of Britishagricuhutists." A succesful dairyman f'eeds his cows night and inorning the ycar round, and in eacb feed puts a teaspoonful of ealt. Ho considers this niethod of silting cows preferable to the usual one of siving animáis salt once or twiee a week, and thinks his method adds largely to theamount ot' milk eiven. The best way to preserve manure is to haul it to the field 00 which it is needed as fust as it accuinulates. llave a wagon or fled always rcady on which to tlirow the manure as it accumulates and baul it out when there is a good load, and spread it on at once. This is the latest appróVed plan. A few hours, and sometimes days, niiclit at this season of' the year, bc profitably spent in looking over the tools and machines and putting thcni in repair. A bolt will bc f'ouod wanling in one place and a nut in another. These can be attended to now, aod save much trouble when work pnMMk A correspondent advi.-es the use of soft soap in oleasing fruit-trees of' inteota One of his trees in a young orchard looked badly, and was f uil of aots ; he applied soft soap to tho tree, trunk and branches, and n a short time the leavex feil off, and the tree seemed to be dead. Uut it non put :)ut new leaves, and grew more vigorously ih:iu before.