1880 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



35 



The spider plants are to be raised exactly 

 in the same way, and transplanted after ail 

 danger of frost is past. As they die down at 

 the approach of heavy frosts, they most lie 

 sown again every season. I would set both 

 plants at about the same distance apart as 

 yon plant corn, and give them the same cul- 

 tivation. It will take about 5,000 plants per 

 acre. As you will see from my remarks on 

 page 430 (1S7V-), I am going to try to have these 

 plants for sale in the spring, but as I have so 

 much on mv hands, it seems to me some of 

 yon might do it far cheaper. Where are our 

 green house men? You that are wanting 

 something to do might raise them in your 

 own homes this winter. Fix up your boxes, 

 and get your nice leaf mold from the woods, 

 even if it is cold and stormy, and when you 

 get a nice lot of plants ready to ship, send 

 me a sample by mail, and tell me how low 

 you can sell them by the hundred or thou- 

 sand, and I will give you a notice free. "Who 

 will furnish the nicest plants, for the least 

 moneyV 



GLEANINGS !fU5_EE CULTURE. 



-A.- I. ROOT, 

 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, 



MEDINA, OHIO. 



During this month we will pay 22c. in cash, or 25c. 

 in trade, for beeswax delivered at our depot. 



Please do not think unkindly of me, my friends, 

 if you find I have omitted some of yourconimunica- 

 tions. There are a great number of letters waiting, 

 and they are good enough for a place too. 



-•-.♦. -a— 



REDUCTION IN FREIGHTS ON BEE HIVES. 



At length, the K. R. Cos. have decided to call bee- 

 hives in the flat, or sawed lumber, as they term it, 

 only 3d class freight, instead of tirst, as it has always 

 been heretofore. As this will reduce the freight 

 bills very materially, we have all great reason to be 

 thankful. 



THAT RED CLOVER QUEEN. 



There have been great numbers of applications 

 for queens next season, from the one whose bees 

 gathered such large amounts of honey from red 

 clover, should we winter the queen, and I know of 

 no reason why we shall not, the price will be just 

 the same as fur queens from our imported stock. I 

 am afraid some of you will complain, for the queen 

 herself and her bees are rather dark, though the 

 bees show plainly the three bands. We shall hardly 

 be able to send out any before July. 



HAVING THE CUSHIONS FIT CLOSELY IN THE UPPER 

 t-TORV. 



Bees are wintering beautifully, so far; but, as we 

 have had no weather colder than 2' above zero, it is 

 not yet time for trouble. After a pleasant day, it 

 will be a good plan to look on top of the cushions, 

 and see if there are no bees that have found their 

 way above them. If your cushions are not put 

 down bee-tighr, the bees sometimes go up and try to 

 get out at the wire-cloth-covered holes in the cap, 

 and thus perish. Remember not a bee should ever 

 get above the cushions. If you can't make your 

 cushions fit bee-tight, pour in some loose chaff to till 

 up the corners. 



TEKiTIS: $1.00 PER VEAR, POST-PAID. 



HYHEZDirsT^, J.A.3Sr. X, 1880. 



Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be 

 afraid.— John, xiv. 27. 



In my report given last month, of hives, etc. sold, 

 there were' at least two errors in the figures. It 

 should read like this: 



Simplicity hives, 2,760; nucleus hives, 77; 154 story 

 hives, 863; wide frames to h"ld sections, 13,349; 

 brood frames, 45,31-1; sections, 408,978; and 10,284 lb. 

 of f dn. 



During the season, we sold 1,705 queens. Of these, 

 144 were imported; 252 were tested; 1,197 were 

 dollar; 21 were hybrids; 29 were blacks. Wo also 

 sold 24 whole colonies, and 38 nuclei. 1 give the 

 above, that you may see what is mostly in demand; 

 for instance, there are a great m«ny more Simplici- 

 ty hives sold, than anything else; also nearly % of 

 all the queens wanted are dollar quet ns. As these 

 have now been before the people several years, they 

 probably know what kind is most profitable to order. 



SNOW OVER THE HIVES, AND ICE IN THE ENTRANCES. 



If your hives are covered up with snow, all the 



better. Do not stamp the snow down, nor brush it 



away, for the chaff cushions will give them all the 



ventilation they need. So long as the weather is 



cold, the entrances are just as well frozen up with 



ice, as any way, but when a day comes warm enough 



for them to fly, see that they can get out if they 



want to. 



^ m m — ■ 



A NEW BOOK ON TAXIDERMY. 



From O. Judd&Co., we have a beautiful new book, 

 entitled "Practical Taxidermy and Home Decora- 

 tion." It is beautifully illustrated, on tinted p per. 

 and the quality of the engravings is such that it is a 

 real pleasure to take a look through it. 1 know at 

 least one boy who will be likely to go wild over it 

 when he finds it Christmas morning. If our boys 

 must have guns, let us help them to use them in the 

 service of science, instead of wanton cruelty, f 1.50. 



PRIZES AND PREMIUMS. 



1 hope the friends who think differently will ex- 

 cuse me for thinking it unwise to offer any thing in 

 the shape of premiums and prizes, at fairs or con- 

 ventions, that may excite a spirit of competition 

 and rivalry, or any thing likely to result in dissatis- 

 faction. I would reward every thins that is good, 

 but I would not make any offer for the best. It may 

 be urged, that no one ought to feel hard or com- 

 plain, when he is not given the first prize, but, inas- 

 much as there is no way that I know of but to take 

 humanity as it is, I feel stronsly impressed, that we 

 should beware of encouraging the love of this mild- 

 er sort of gambling. Therefore, my friends, will 

 you excuse me for saying I cannot publish any of- 

 fers of prizes, for the largest number of subscribers, 

 for the best show of honey, for the best essay, or 

 any thing of the kind. 



—*»»«■—. 



LUCERNE AND ALFALFA. 



In reply to yours of Dec. 2d. we will say: All cata- 

 logue* give prices on both separately, but, as they 

 always come out of ihe same b.ng, the prices are al- 

 ways the same. Lucerne is the name this clover has 

 been grown under, for at least one century. S >mo 

 inventive genius in ( lalifornia has brought the same 

 thing out under the name of Alfalfa, but, no matter; 

 It is good fodder, and If it would stand our winters 

 better, would be very profitable. A. C. Kendel. 



Cleveland, O., Dec. 3, 1879. 



I thought when the two plants stood side 

 by side in our garden they looked surprising- 

 ly alike, but as seedsmen advertised the two, 

 I thought they must be different. I wonder 

 if these same seedsmen are not just a little 

 bit guilty of more of that same kind of work, 

 especially in garden seeds; pease, lettuce, 

 and the like, for instance. 



