1893 



(iLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



861 



offered to share my dainties, but I said I didn't 

 know but they might be poisonous. She thanl<- 

 ed me. but said she had "no hankering for 

 them." Whether the doubt hindered me. I do 

 not know; but T sipped a little of the broth, bit 

 the fleshy part of one. but swallowed none of it. 

 Some one tapped at the door, and I answered 

 the call. While I stood a moment at the door I 

 felt ill. but thought it was only from standing. 

 However. I ate no more mushrooms that morn- 

 ing. I was going to work with the bees: and 

 almost as soon as I was alone I raised a cover; 

 but before I could do much more I was so sick 

 that I went to the house for repairs. I returned 

 to the yard, closed up the hive. and. again feel- 

 ing very sick, went back to my room, having 

 first told my nearest neighbor that I was glad 

 she had not " hankered "' for ray mushrooms, for 

 I was sick. I grew so much worse that I con- 

 cluded I would write a note to the doctor: but 

 before I was ready to write I was too ill to do 

 so. A young schoolgirl friend came in to take 

 my note and find a messenger for me. I said to 

 her. "Just take those two mushrooms that I 

 have not cooked, and show the doctor what I 

 had for breakfast. Tell him I am sick — to 

 come, or send me some remedy, as he thinks 

 necessary." That was the longest speech I 

 made that day. My neighbors, one and anoth- 

 er, were with me all day, and at one time sever- 

 al were there at one time. They wanted me to 

 make my will. But I said. " The boys will not 

 quarrel over what little I have; and if I have 

 poisoned myself with mushrooms, I'll never let 

 father know." I was reminded by the friend 

 who had " no hankering for them" that T should 

 not have that to do. Well, I was cold. cold, 

 cold, all through. I did not know but I should 

 die. Well, probably thanks to mv good neigh- 

 bors and the doctor. I could eat a dish of mush- 

 rooms to-night — if they were the approved sort; 

 but if I were not sure, I should prefer to first try 

 them on a mad dog, or something that had to be 

 killed. 



I fear the difference can not always be well 

 marked. I had gathered mushrooms from my 

 childhood, and had reason to feel ashamed not 

 to recognize the false from the true. " Mush- 

 rooms proper to be used in cooking grow in open 

 pasture-land ; for those that grow near or under 

 trees are poisonous." So says Home and Health, 

 and the reference is doubtless to the variety you 

 describe; but I have found truffles growing in 

 woods, and some edible varieties even grow on 

 trees. A pamphlet published by the Agricultu- 

 ral Department, Washington, which I presume 

 could be had for the asking, gives very good il- 

 lustrated descriptions of several varieties. I 

 have read it, but have not now access to it. 



Tiffin, O., Oct. 10. Ruth Moore. 



[My good friend, I read your article through 

 with almost breathless interest. I wanted to 

 have you tell us clearly and plainly whether 

 one could not tell at first taste, even by the 

 broth, that the mushroom is not of the edible 

 kind. If the poisonous mushroom, when cooked 

 and seasoned, tastes like the edible, and at the 

 same time such dire effect** follow as you de- 

 scribe, then indeed there is danger ahead. I am 

 very glad that the government has been so 

 thoughtful as to send out a bulletin on this sub- 

 ject, and I will try to get it at once. My princi- 

 pal test has been that the mushroom should be 

 light red or pink underneath — that is. when it 

 is small, before the pink has turned to a dark 

 brown or black ; and 1 should like to know 

 whether there is anv poisonous varif^tv having 

 this pink color on the under side. The toad- 

 stools that grow out of manure-heaps, or in the 

 woods, are always perfectly white on the under 

 •.side as well as on top.] 



EVERBEARING RASPBERRIES IN GENERAL. 



Dear Mr. Root: — I have just been reading 

 what you have to say about the new everbear- 

 ing Gault raspberry; and referring to the May 

 number, page 402, I find you telling friend Al- 

 len, of Salisbury, Md.. " Don't let a thing be 

 boomed — at least editorially — until some experi- 

 ment station has tried it, and declares it possess- 

 es merit."' As I have no faith in everbearing 

 raspberries except under forced or artificial 

 conditions. I should like to look into the causes 

 that lead to its productiveness. What you say 

 is very favorable to the fact; but, did you ask 

 Mr. Gault some important questions? He 

 seems to have a secret (?) as to propagation. 

 May be he might tell you. as I can, how to 

 make most of our raspberry-bushes bear twice 

 and bear big berries. As for his secret, he has 

 none with people who have already practiced 

 both stem and root cuttings with raspberry 

 culture: and if his plants are very distant from 

 others he might propagate also by seed-plant- 

 ing. The trouble about most people, when 

 they find small fruits fruiting out of season, is, 

 that they fail to look into causes. Ten or 

 twelve years ago my sister, who lives on the 

 "Eastern Shore " of Maryland, called my at- 

 tention to some raspberries which she had for 

 dessert during September, saying that they 

 bore every year from June till October. My 

 fondness for horticulture soon brought me to 

 the spot where they grew. The plants were on 

 the west side of a close-boarded fence. It did 

 not take me a minute to get my chin over that 

 fence and find the chief cause of their bearing; 

 for, close to it. ran a gutter which carried off 

 the wash-water from a pump up the street. I 

 did not tnke up any of these plants, which were 

 of the Brandywine sort, for transplanting, 

 knowing that, without half shade and great 

 moisture, they would not differ from other 

 raspberry-bushes, because they could not. Mr. 

 Gault's bushes, you will find when the hot suns 

 come on. will quit, unless he shades and waters, 

 which won't pay. As for fall bearing we have 

 S'^veral sorts that will do that without urging. 

 The English have many of the "twice-bearing" 

 sorts. The Antwerps do best with me. but they 

 have to have special cultivation, just as I be- 

 lieve Mr. Gault's must have. 



Now, instead of sending to an experiment 

 station, suppose you get six of Mr. Gault's new 

 prolifics. and plant, alongside of them, six Ant- 

 werps. or Cuthberts. for that matter, and give 

 the usual out-field cultivation, and notice 

 whether there is any difference. I venture to 

 say that there will be none, after the second 

 year at least. Should you wish to get a suc- 

 cession of frujt, treat them again alike, as I 

 suggest, and note the difference, if any. In the 

 first experiment, give them no more water than 

 the heavens afford, and no pruning. In the 

 second experiment, cut down all of the suckers 

 and shoots within two or three inches of the 

 ground, and both Mr. Gault's and yours will 

 bear in the fall. If you desire the fruit to be 

 unusually large, cut down to the ground all 

 suckers, leaving a strong shoot or two. 



The impossible nowadays seems always hap- 

 pening, so Mr. Gault may have a berry with a 

 greater tendency to fruit successively than any 

 now in cultivation; but I don't believe it will 

 fruit during the drouthy months. Raspberries 

 fruit on old wood; and yet. if the old wood 

 ("growth of the preceding year) is cut down to 

 two or three inches from the ground, from this 

 stock will spring shoots that will fruit in June; 

 and yet you seem to claim this as a feature 

 (see article) of the " Gault Perpetual." when it 

 is common to other sorts, and makes me think 

 that, notwithstanding your knowledge of small 



