1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



421 



powder. This did pretty well, l)ut it is more ex- 

 pensive than helleliure. and so we sent off for some 

 fresh liellobore. This cost less, and did i he business 

 pretty well. But by tliis time we discovered tliat 

 air-slacljed lime answers just as well as eitiier of 

 tlie above, and costs practically nothing-. You can 

 use it in the bellows just the same as the insect- 

 powder. Perhaps the amount of hellebore and 

 pyrethruni that had been administered before we 

 tried the lime may have had something- to do with 

 the success of the latter. The great tiling- with 

 these pests is to take a stitch in time. Go over your 

 bushes twice a day. Loolt carefully at ttie leaves 

 out of sight down near the ground; and whenever 

 you see half a dozen worms at work, go to work 

 with your powder th:it very hour. If you wait over 

 niglit, or, say, over Sunday, you may find every leaf 

 oflf your bushes before you suspect that such a thing 

 is possible. 



SEED BEANS FOB FLORIDA AND OTHER SOUTHERN 

 LOCALITIES. 



I have told you something of the great bean in- 

 dustry of Florida, and that it commences ordinarily 

 as early as December. From that time on, snap 

 beans are shipped north until we can grow them 

 here in our own locality. Well, they do not use the 

 wax or yellow beans. They say they do not do as 

 well as the green-podded varieties. And another 

 thing, they can not raise good seed in the South. It 

 all has to be brought from the North. Of course, 

 where they get such extravagant prices for green 

 beans in mid-winter, they want the very best seed 

 to be had. After considerable inquiry there seems 

 to be a pretty general agreement that a green-pod- 

 ded bean called " Best of All " is what is wanted. I 

 wrote to several of our northern seedsmen in regard 

 to the best bean for Florida, and there seemed to be 

 a gener;il agreement in regard to this variety. Now, 

 I am going to undertake to furnish our southern 

 friends with beans for seed for less tlian they now 

 have to pay— four or Ave dollars a bushel. If some of 

 you wish to turn in and help, I have no objection at 

 all. I have secured 4 bushels to plant of this variety. 

 Best of All, and can supply any of you, who want 

 to try it, at the following prices: Pint, 16 cts.; 

 quart, 35 cts. ; peck, S1.50. If wanted by mail, add 

 at the rate of 8 cts. per pint, for postage and pack- 

 ing. When we get some nice seed, I think we can 

 dispose of it readily by an advertisement in Glean- 

 ings or in some of the papers that circulate in the 

 Southern States. So far as I can learn, it is a great 

 yielder; and the dry beans can probably be furnish- 

 ed nearly if not quite as cheap as our ordinary field 

 beans. Of course, I had to pay a high price to get 

 the seed of this variety to start witli. I wish some 

 of the friends in Florida, who have grown the Best 

 of All, would tell us a little more about it. 



grown by the market-gardener the prices will gen- 

 erally be considerably lower. Whatever you do, do 

 not get the blues, and let your ground grow up to 

 weeds. Get at it and do sumethinij at once. 



THE RECENT FROST. 



Very likely the question is coming up with many 

 of our readers as to what shall be done. Well, it 

 wants some advi^, from somebody of wisdom and 

 years of experience, many times, to say just what 

 is best to be done. A year ago a patch of wax beans 

 was, to all appearance, "gone up," as the boys say; 

 but on examining closely I found buds between the 

 leaves, that seemed to be unharmed. I waited three 

 or four days, and had just about decided to harrow 

 them up and plant again, when 1 thought I would 

 wait a little longer. We had a warm rain, and al- 

 most every beanstalk started. I planted some more 

 right after the frost, to see which would do better; 

 and the frost-bitten ones gave a pretty fair crop of 

 wax beans ten days or two weeks ahead of the 

 others. Of course, the frost-bite set tliem back; 

 but when they once got out leaves, the large root 

 that was unharmed gave them a big send-off. At 

 other times I think I have fussed with frost-bitten 

 stuff when it would have been better to cultivate it up 

 and plant anew. Sometimes you can plant between 

 the hills or put another row alongside of the frost- 

 bitten row. The latter way makes cultivation diffi- 

 cult. Putting a hill between the others does pretty 

 well; but in gathering the crop it takes too long to 

 hunt it up here and there; and unless it is worth 

 considerable money it costs about all it comes to. 

 If you decide to plant over, I would work the ground 

 up thoroughly with cut-away or other harrows, fine 

 it down, and roll it, as in the first place, then put in 

 your crop just as nice as you know how. As the 

 second planting comes right in the very best part of 

 tlie season, it will oftentimes give a much better 

 product than the first, any way; but on most things 



MY NEW WHEEL FOR 189l. 



I have had it .some little time, but I did not men- 

 tion it, because it took me some little time to decide 

 that I liked a wheel as light as an 18-lb. Rambler. 

 When I undertook to ride it with my winter cloth- 

 ing, overcoat, heavy l^oots, etc., someway the wheel 

 and I didn't get acquainted. But the warm weather 

 came, so I could put on my light summer clothing, 

 light shoes, etc., and I have just begun to compre- 

 hend what it is to fly through tlie air, with almost 

 nothing to add to the momentum of my own weight. 

 Well, now the wheel and I have become inseparable 

 companions. The old one seems heavy and awk- 

 ward. In fact, it is just as each succeeding- lighter 

 weight has previously thrown the others into tlie 

 shade. I get on and off now with the greatest ease, 

 and ride as slowly, if necessary, as one would walk, 

 and go around obstacles almost easily and safely. 

 At the same time, when I have a g-ood stretch of 

 road there seems to be almost no limit to the speed 

 that may be attained. By the way, I wonder if the 

 next great move in this world of ours is not going 

 to be along the line of dropping uselpss weights 

 and encumbrances; or, to put it in a spiritual sense, 

 to "lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so 

 easily beset us, and run the race that is set before 

 us." Somehow I seem to have g-otten my text at 

 the end of my little sermon; but, my good friend, if 

 you do not weigli any more than about 130 or 140 

 lbs., and if you have never tried an 18-lb. wheel of 

 the present date, let me suggest to you that there is 

 a treat in store for you. By the way, I have not 

 had any long rides yet this season, principally be- 

 cause my presence seems at this season to be so 

 urgently needed every day here at the Home of the 

 Honey-bees. 



Kind Words From Our Customers. 



The Crane smoker you sent me is the best I ever 

 saw. W. B. AiKiN. 



Riverside, Tex. 



My goods were received O. K. They are the finest 

 I have seen. You may look for ray future orders. 

 Henry E. Liveling. 

 East St. Louis, 111., April 27. 



The garden seeds I ordered of you by mail came 

 all right in just four days from the day I ordered 

 them. We get just about twice as many seeds for 

 the money from you as we can at the stores here. 

 Please accept thanks. Mad Talbert. 



Morristown, Ind., Mar. 11. 



The goods ordered Apr. 4th arrived safely and in 

 good condition; also the queen ordered on the 8th. 

 She has been introduced successfully. My reason 

 for ordering- goods of you in preference to buying 

 nearer home is, that I am always sure of their com- 

 ing in good condition. W. W. Conner. 



Washington, D. C, April 29. 



one big colony WORTH TWO OR THREE SMALL 



ONES. 



I make just as few swarms as possible, as one 

 large swarm gathers as much honey as three or four 

 small ones. The bad windy days for handling bees 

 1 am busy making- or putting together and painting 

 those new hives I got from you, which are the nicest 

 you ever sent me. You have really outdone your- 

 self on this order. H. T. Gifford. 



Vero, Fla., April 33. 



Your card of the Itith ult. is at hand, also Glean- 

 ings for March 1st. In reply to your request for 

 postals regarding- "hive argument," I say keep it 

 up and we will sift tlie grain from the chaff. 

 Gleanings is getting better each year, and all are 

 given a lair hearing. Bloom is coming on, and bees 

 are rearing brood very fast. Prospects are very 

 good for a fair crop. J. W. Griffin. 



I Descanso, Cal., Mar. 8. 



