2 IS 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1."). 



honey, and realize much more from it than by 

 shipping it to large city markets; and in my 

 opinion there is no better way to increase the 

 use of honey than for each of us to thoroughly 

 develop our home market. It may surprise 

 you when I tell you that I have some regular 

 customers, private families, who buy over 100 

 lbs. each year: but I have a number of such, 

 and expect to keep them in spite of the fact 

 that sugar and syrups are cheap. 



ADULTERATIONS IN SUGAR. 



The truth of the matter is, molasses and 

 syrups of all kinds, at least such as we get here, 

 are adulterated so that they are not fit to use, 

 and most of the people around here have found 

 it out. Here we can also buy a large pailful of 

 jelly for a few cents. I do not think such 

 things injure the sale of honey much if any; 

 for after one has eaten such stufT a short time 

 he prefers to buy honey, even if it does cost 

 more. Most if not quite all kinds of sugar are 

 adulterated. Almost every one seems to think 

 that granulated sugar is pure, and that granu- 

 lated sugar is always alike. As you undoubted- 

 ly know, there are various kinds or brands of 

 granulated sugar; and while I have no doubt 

 that they are all adulterated, I know some 

 kinds are more so than others. 



Now, I do not think that I have ever seen 

 any honey on the table at a hotel; but I do not 

 think this is because it would not be eaten if it 

 were there. Last fall I took the train one day 

 and went to a near town where I sold some 

 honey by sample. I sold one ;M-lb. case to a 

 hotel-keeper; and when I delivered it I went 

 into the office with it, where the proprietor and 

 a number of his boarders were. I started to 

 tell him I had brought the honey he had or- 

 dered; but he did not let me finish. He hur- 

 ried me right through into a private room with 

 it. I do not think he wanted his boarders to 

 know that he had bought any honey. Very 

 likely this was not put on the public table. 

 But if it was, I have no doubt it was eaten in 

 preference to molasses or syrup. 



Southern, Minn. 



[The article on page 9:3. calling forth this, 

 was not written by me; but as no name of any 

 kind was attached to it. Mr. Davenport very 

 properly thought it was written by one of the 

 editors. The name, a iiom. de plume, was left 

 off by oversight. It should have been credited 

 to " Novice." 



This matter of developing a home market is 

 a good one; and our correspondent's scheme, 

 while by no means a new one. of leaving a fancy 

 article to sell on its merits, is mo^t excellent. 



As to adulterations in sugar: We have been 

 taught for years that granulated sugar could 

 not be successfully counterfeited, and that, 

 therefore, it was always pure. From time to 

 time, reports from the Chief Chemist, at Wash- 

 ington, showing an analysis of the foods com- 

 monly adulterated, have come into my hands; 

 but among the long lists therein I do not re- 

 remember to have seen granulated sugar. I 

 think our correspondent is mistaken in think- 

 ing it is ever adulterated. The brown sugars 



may be and probably are adulterated more or 

 less. I wish some expert on sugars would en- 

 lighten us on these points. See Editorial.— En.] 



PROFITS IN THE GROWING OF ALSIKE. 



HOW 30 ACRES YIELDED OVER $1000. 



By Frank Coverdah. 



Mr. Editor:— It, appears to me that more 

 should be known about the cultivation and 

 growing of alsike clover for profit. My eight 

 years' experience with it has most decidedly 

 prompted me to raise more each coming year. 



I first began sowing it with red clover and 

 with timothy, and afterward by itself, which 

 has proven more profitable than any grass or 

 grain crop on the farm. Perhaps some one 

 might say, " How do you know?" I answer. 

 " Because I have kept an account, and know- 

 whereof I speak." 



One year I cut and thrashed 8 acres. It 

 yielded 4 bushels per acre, and it sold for 110.00 

 per bushel, and the net value was close to $40.00 

 an acre for the ground on which it grew. To 

 be sure, clover seed was high that year. 



Now I wish to tell the readers of Gleanings 

 what the Income of 30 acres of alsike will do 

 for me this season. I cut it when the seed was 

 ripe, stacked it up nicely, and green as tea 

 leaves; hulled it, and got HO bushels of nice 

 seed. It yielded 4 stacks of good hay. or about 

 40 tons, this very dry season. It is all fed to 

 the cattle at this date; 73 of 1080 steers lived 

 from the beginning of winter with nothing else 

 in the way of hay up till about Feb. 1— nearly 

 half the winter. With the above was fed each 

 day 8 bushels of corn, and the steers look fat 

 and plump; in fact, I feel really enthusiastic 

 over the matter: and a better aftermath I nev- 

 er saw grow. 



Now let us count the profit: 90 bushels of 

 seed, we will say, will net at least $.540.00; 40 

 tons of good hay, $240.00, or a total of $780.00, 

 saying nothing of the after-growth— $26.00 per 

 acre at least — a far better showing than the 

 average cornfield, even when corn is selling at 

 40 to .50 cts. per bushel. The clover has left the 

 ground in the best possible shape to grow corn 

 or any other cereal that grows here. 



Now, kind friends, I have told you how it 

 has profited as a stock-raiser; but let me tell 

 you that, had it not been for the alsike bloom 

 this last season I could not have sold $2.50.00 

 worth of honey. So it will be proper to add 

 the above profit from honey to the proceeds of 

 alsike, which would count up to $1030. Can an- 

 other do likewise ? I would most assuredly say 

 yes; but, let me add, try all new things on a 

 limited scale, and hold fast to that which is 

 (jood. 



Delmar, Iowa, Feb. 9. 



[Farmers are complaining of the low prices 

 of the ordinary produce. J-iet some of them 



