o4U 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Aug. 15 



ber of crops that are cut per year and the average 

 yield." 



Sweet clover is a native of the elevated and arid 

 reeions of Western Asia. For years it has been 

 thought to be of little value— a weed by most farm- 

 ers. It has been used as a .soil renovator, and to 

 furnish bee jjasturc by a few until iiuitc recently. 

 In the northern part of the limestone belt In Iven- 

 tucky, which borders on the( )hio Hiver. it has been 

 and is being grown quite extensively for pasture, 

 seed, and hay. It seems to be peculiarly adapted to 

 this section. Meing a legume it delights in a lime- 

 stone soil, and, apparently, the harder the better. 

 For hay our experience is limited to one year. It is 

 a pure biennial, and ordinarily can be cut only 

 once. Ours was cut when the blossoms first aj)- 

 peared, though it may be cut very much sooner, 

 and some years you might get a second crop. Our 

 yield was at the rate of five tons per acre. AVe 

 found it hard to cure projierly. and harder to han- 

 dle, as much of it was from 7 to 8 It. in height. As 

 to feeding value. I find no data. My horses ate it 

 witli great relish, and made splendid gains. It is 

 laxative, but does not alfect the kidneys as does 

 clover or alfalfa. 1 would give it a value for feed- 

 ing stock a little above red clovei — am still experi- 

 menting witli it. One farmer in tliis county .sowed 

 4.") acres last March, and a friend in Central Ken- 

 tucky 250. I think its greatest value is as a soil 

 renovator, and, incidentally, for pasture for live 

 stock and honey-bees. 



Poultry Department 



By A. I. Root 



Mol{E AHOfT THE KELI.ER.STR.\SS WAY: THE OTHEU 

 SIDE OF THE QUESTION. 



Mr. A. I. Hoot: — In regard to Mr. Kellerstrass and 

 his winning only one first out of 24 entries it is only 

 natural if what Mr. Iv. claims is true. He claims 

 that Ills birds were waylaid on account of the snow 

 blizzard, and so were not in show condition when 

 tliey arrived at Madi.son Square Garden. From 

 there he went to Raltimore. and, with his birds in 

 the pink of condition, won every first prize otTered. 

 Now, we do not know wliat kind of stock Mr. K. has: 

 in fact, we never had any dealings with him: but if 

 his birds were not in condition, as he claims, he was 

 not in the race. Condition means all in showing 

 birds. We have known men to go to the show-room 

 with really first-class birds, but have known others 

 to go with birds inferior to the former in every re- 

 siject. except condition, and win over the ft)rmer: 

 and still further, if Mr. .lonos will take the trouble 

 to look over the poultry journals he will see that 

 Mr. K.'s customers are winning right along, which 

 shows that there must be some breeding hack of 

 them. 



In regard to Mr. K. copying iiis writings, we do 

 not have his liook: b\it it seems to us tliat there is 

 really a little more "fuss" in all the poultry jour- 

 nals than seems necessary. 



As stated l)efore. we never have had any dealings 

 with Mr. iv., but gave you a few facts as we know 

 them, so you can have a look at both sides. It is 

 only fair, and we know you would have it so. 



Yours for the chickens every time. 



l.ititz. I'a., .July 29. Snavet.y i.'kos. 



After having visited the Kellerstrass plant and 

 inspected it, and met Mr. K. himself, 1 ha\e credit- 

 ed him with deserving his success, .\lthough 1 

 can not doubt .vour personal statement as to tlie 

 "almanac," I still think your correspondent may 

 be mistaken as to Mr. K.'s claims concerning win- 

 nings at Boston, etc. I recall seeing Kellerstrass' 

 statement to the effect that " Kellerstrass White Or- 

 pington" had won certain ijlaces where 1 under- 

 stood him to mean stock of his strain. Peoi)le here 

 advertise and talk of " K." stock in that way. and 

 are understood. I have no interest in the matter 

 except that of fair play. Hope your correspondent 

 will look into the matter thoroughly and report. 



Oklahoma City, Okla., .luly 22. <i. I. Gokdon. 



with your feelings of resentment of any business 

 Tuan charging a price for his catalog, be it much or 

 little. I paid Kellerstrass lor his book, and felt that 

 he was simply a grafter for getting money in that 

 way. I also bought some of his eggs at -*30.()0 per 15. 

 and got seven chickens out of the 15 eggs: .5 eggs 

 were infertile, and :? chicks perished at not over the 

 fifth day of incubation. 



The eggs were set under a splendid White Hock 

 hen, and under conditions that were highly favor- 

 able in every way for a good hatch. I al.so sent to 

 Wm. Cook A- Sons, .Scotch Plains, N. J., and got 25 

 of their best eggs and set them under another fine 

 White Rock hen. Both are as ideal hens for hatch- 

 ing as could be desired, and make the best of moth- 

 ers. From t:ook's 15 eggs I got 10 fair chicks; :5 eggs 

 were infertile, one died early in the process of incu- 

 bation, one egg was broken about the 15th day. and 

 had a chicken well advanced in it. By comparison 

 of the two lots of chickens 1 believe the Kellerstrass 

 chickens are going to surpass the others in every 

 way, although I am keeping them under exactly 

 the same conditions, on free range, pure water, 

 fresh-air homes, and plenty of whole.some food. I 

 wrote Mr. Kellerstrass of the results of the luitch: 

 he ignored my letter entirely. His literature inti- 

 mates that he will make good. etc. : but Kellerstrass 

 is in the_business for what there is in it. He is an 

 astute advertiser. In all his me'-hods he shows 

 adroitness. There are several things in connection 

 with his literature that might throw him open lo 

 censure by discerning people: yet 1 believe that his 

 stock is of superb quality and of splendid vigor. 

 The seven chickens I have give every evidence of 

 great vigor and vitality. As a foundation stoclc 

 they will no doubt prove to be cheap, even at the 

 price they cost me. 



I wisli you would write to Ernest Meiere, Secre- 

 lar.v and Treasurer of the American Orpington Club, 

 Flusiiing. Iv. I., and ask for the club's catalog: you 

 will thereb,', no doubt, see that Kellerstrass would 

 not dare to claim in the way of winnings what the 

 club and competitors knew he did not win, as they 

 would expel iiim peremptorily, and also tlirovv liim 

 out of tlie club. I have been trying for a hong time 

 to get foundation stock that was entirely free from 

 hereditary disease, and I believe I have succeeded 

 in the Kellerstrass stock. 



Cleveland. ( ihio. July :M. W.M. B. Hess. 



Special Notices by A. I, Root 



THE WV.\NDOTTES — ANOTHEK I'OUI.TIJ vnOOK. 



The i)oultry literature is getting to be sometliing 

 fearful. The poultry-b(iol;s.to say nothing of the 

 periodicals, would make (luite a library of them- 

 .selves. In my hand is a nice large poultry-book, 

 beautifully gotten uj). and it is all about the W'van- 

 (tottes and luithing else. There are eight kinds of 

 Wyandottes all together: and tliis book is devoted 

 entirely to a discussion of these eight kinds. Tliere 

 is nothing said about po\iltry-houses, and not much 

 about fetding poultry. It is all pictures of the birds 

 and pictures of the feathers. My the way. there is 

 one colored plate of the J'arlridpe Wyandotte that 

 is almost worth a dollar of itself to frame and h:uig 

 ui) in a room. The jirice of tlie book is si. 00. There 

 are 160 pages. 9x12: The book is published by the 

 lieliable Poultry .lournal Publishing Co.. Qulncy. 

 111., or HufTalo, N. Y. 



^fr. A. I. Root:— In the .lune 15th i.s.sue of f Slean- 

 iNGS I read with interest your papers including 

 your comments on ICellerstrass" catalog. I agree 



" KKP SHOES" AND 'VEI.LOW NOSES." 



Is any thing prettier, in the whole domain of na- 

 ture, than a newly hatched chick? Yes, a newly 

 hatched diicK: Our good friend. Kent .lennings, of 

 Mt. Ciilcad, ()., was kind enough to send nu' 15 eggs 

 of his choicest strain of Indian Runner ducks about 

 a month ago: and to-day. July 18, ten very lively 

 little ducks with the mo.st comical and bewitching 

 ■■ red shoes" are delighting the babies, ".lean " and 

 " Katharine." and some older ones. No bootblack 

 ever got such a taking "shine" on any pair of shoes: 

 and their bright and inquisitive eyes, with the com- 

 ical yellow bills, are "too cute for any thing." They 

 are already sampling rolled oats and milk with 

 great gusto: and as I am just ofT for Florida. " grand- 

 ma " must look after their rations for a while. 



