534 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 



counter-store. This is where we display 

 and sell our honey also. Well, it is my 

 privilege to gather up tempting things from 

 the fields, and make a little display of them 

 on this berry-stand. As we have unexpect- 

 ed calls for all sorts of stuff at all hours of 

 the day, we find it exceedingly convenient 

 to scatter baskets all over our grounds. 

 When we have new comers, I find it a hard 

 matter to keep them from carrying the 

 baskets up to the toolhouse, especially 

 nights. These market-baskets (peck, half- 

 peck, and half-bushel) cost only 30 or 40 cts. 

 a dozen ; and it does not pay to carry them 

 in nights, not even when it rains. A^ery 

 often we have a sudden order for something 

 to meet the trains, especially at this time of 

 year when picnics and excursions are in 

 vogue. If baskets are in the field, I can 

 call from the office window to Mr. Weed, 

 whose place is in the plant garden, and he 

 can go to the top of the hill and call to the 

 boys to bring up what is needed, providing 

 baskets are where they can grab them up 

 quickly, and set them at work. Now, when 

 1 take my morning walks, I take a basket of 

 suitable size and gather up what peas are 

 picked. Then I fill another with string 

 beans from where they are picking ; a third 

 one with new potatoes ; a fourth with black 

 and red raspberries ; may be a fifth with 

 currants and gooseberries. By this time I 

 am ready to look for a wheelbarrow. By 

 the way, we have wheelbarrows scattered 

 over the premises almost as plentifully as 

 baskets. I think there are seven altogether. 

 When I get more samples than I can carry 

 I call to some one to meet me with a wheel- 

 barrow. 



Now, when the boys bring the stuff in 

 from the fields, they just dump it down in all 

 sorts of disorder. I can not teach anybody 

 (at least I have not succeeded so far) to fix 

 up a display of fruits and vegetables as I 

 fix them up. First, I dispose of all partly 

 filled baskets, by selecting a basket of prop- 

 er size, so each one will be heaping full. 

 " Heaping full " means good measure, and 

 then you know what the Bible says about 

 good measure. Then I put all the currants 

 by themselves, all the raspberries, gooseber- 

 ries, peas, wax beans, giving the berries the 

 most prominence, peas and beans next, set- 

 ting the potatoes on a box or stool a little 

 lower. Before I get things fixed, a lively 

 trade starts up, and my display is very soon 

 disordered. When I can be spared, how- 

 ever, I just enjoy seeing things go off ; and 

 before any thing is out, some of the small 

 boys that are almost always standing around 

 (feeling sure by past experience that I have 

 work for them) are ready to go to the fields 

 and bring in a fresh supply. By the way, 

 this year we are employing quite a number 

 of little chaps at only tivo cents an haiir. Mr. 

 Weed and the time clerk concluded that 

 they would be worth that mvich, even if 

 they did play a good deal. Well, I really 

 enjoy teaching these " two-cent " little fel- 

 lows how to work and how to do business. 

 There is a full understanding between us, 

 that, when they prefer to be their own 

 bosses — that is, to be free from any obliga- 

 tions—they can be off from duty by simply 



marking their time off on the slate. There 

 is a small slate on purpose for them, sepa- 

 rate from that used by the big men and 

 women. Sometimes when I ask them to do 

 something they reply, " Why, Mr. Root, I 

 am not at work just now ; but if it is some 

 little thing you want done, I will do it, with- 

 out charge." 



Just think of the idea of these little fel- 

 lows working on a salary of two cents an 

 hour, being liberal toward myself, or toward 

 their "boss," who employs toward 200' 

 hands, at an expense of more than $20. W 

 an hour ! I mentally thank them for the 

 example they set me ; and may God help me 

 in a like way to be liberal toward them, with 

 their small modicum of strength and judg- 

 ment. Just a few minutes ago I saw one of 

 the younger ones with his berry-basket 

 hitched to his suspenders in such a way 

 that he can pick berries with both hands^ 

 instead of picking with one hand and hold- 

 ing the basket with the other. This reminds 

 me that, while in Wisconsin, I saw a sort of 

 tin box to be strapped around the waist, 

 used by friend France's pickers, for picking 

 blackberries. This tin box has no bottom, 

 but it has a funnel-shaped cover. This cov- 

 er drops the berries in such a way as to 

 spread them over the top of the box, so as 

 to have it nicely rounded . This year our 

 berries are all picked by the hour. We like 

 this better, because we can stop and start as 

 the market demands, set the boys at any 

 moment hoeing or weeding, without mark- 

 ing the time off or on. Besides, I think 

 there is a l)etter feeling among the children 

 — less strife and jealousy— where they have 

 regular wages by the hour. Of course, the 

 rate of wages is gauged by the amount of 

 work. Our strawberries have brought, dur- 

 ing this season, from 10 to 15 cents, few if 

 any being sold for less than 10. Raspber- 

 ries have only once been down to 8 cents, 

 and that was Saturday night. Of course, 

 however, all of our stuff brings a better 

 price because of being freshly gathered and 

 delivered in tempting shape, right at the 

 homes of the consumers. Now, in conclu- 

 sion, let me say again, " Isn't it fun to be a 

 gardener in the month of July?" 



THE OREGON EVERBEARING STRAWBERRY. 



Friend Root:— Will you please let us know some- 

 thing- about the new everbearing strawberry? I 

 g-ot 12 last fall, and planted them in my greenhouse. 

 They made a nice growth, and are now in my garden, 

 full of handsome berries. They are constantly send- 

 ing out more fruit-stems, but not a runner appears. 1 

 have one plant with not less than eleven fruit- 

 stems, and the berries are fully as large as Jessies. 

 If it is going to keep it up at that rate all sum- 

 mer, I should think that one plant ought to produce 

 half a bushel of berries alone. But how can we 

 multiply them, if they will not send out runners? 

 Pulling the stools apart is the only way I know of ; 

 and then the question comes, " Will that not kill 

 them?" and, when is it best to do it? 



Port Clinton, Ohio, June 9. J. Johannsen. 



Friend J., we also had about a dozen 

 plants in the greenhouse. They commenc- 

 ed sending out runners just before fruiting, 

 and we have perhaps 40 or 50 young plants. 



