148 



GLEANINGS lN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



tides on tobacco-growing'. At the same time, and 

 in the very same paper in which these articles are 

 published, the editors frequently give us editori- 

 als in reference to the harm that tobacco is doing 

 in our nation. Well, where is the consistency in 

 passing laws to prohibit the use of tobacco among 

 minors, and at the same time distribute 89,10" pack- 

 ages of seed? In the same line, how can an editor 

 warn his readers against the pernicious effects of 

 tobacco, and then in another column give long ar- 

 ticles teaching how to grow crops of it successfully? 

 If new and valuable seeds are turned over to our 

 experiment stations iu all the different States, 

 they will, without doubt or question, do good. I 

 feel under great obligations, not only for seeds I 

 have received from our experiment station, but 

 for the help they have given me all along in my 

 work of testing garden seeds. 



THE ROCKY-MOUNTAIN BEE-PLANT. 



Samuel Wilson, in his seed catalogue for the 

 present season, gives a picture of what he calls the 

 Mexican honey-plant, or cleome integrifolia, and la- 

 bels it the greatest discovery of the modern age 

 Now, there may be different varieties of cleome in- 

 tegrifolia ; but the blossoms pictured in the above 

 catalogue have very little resemblance to our well- 

 known Rocky-Mountain bee-plant. We have raised 

 this plant for years on our grounds, and, as our 

 readers are very well aware, we have for years 

 sold the seed at 5 cents per package. As friend 

 Wilson has always been considered a good and re- 

 sponsible seedsman, we can hardly understand why 

 he should make this mistake. Very likely, how- 

 ever, it is no worse a mistake than many of the col- 

 ored pictures of some of our new vegetables. In 

 the first place, the picture is not at all correct, as 

 compared with the cleomes that grow in our gar- 

 dens; neither is it like the Rocky-Mountain bee- 

 plant that I found growing in its native state on the 

 Rocky Mountains. The illustration shows the 

 flowers literally dripping with honey. This, too, is 

 a great exaggeration. The plant bears honey in 

 the morning, much as the spider plant does; but I 

 am sure never in any locality just as it is pictured. 

 The leaves and unopejied blossoms are pictured very 

 correctly. We quote the following from the clos- 

 ing remarks in regard to it: 



Mr. Jesse Frazier, one of the largest apiarists in 

 the United States, and one of the most prominent 

 and reliable citizens of Fremont Co., Colorado, 

 says: " No other plant known to the civilized world 

 can vie with the cleome integrifolia in producing 

 honey as food for bees. And no other honey is as 

 clear and of as good quality." He further says, " I 

 have frequently weighed my bee-stands for a 

 number of mornings and evenings, and found 

 many of them to increase as much as 9 lbs. a day." 



Still further on he says : 



As yet the seeds of this valuable plant are very 

 scarce. Our agent, after traversing the mountains 

 of Mexico for nearly two months, procured only 

 about 100 pounds. Single packet, 25 cts. ; 5 packets, 

 $1.00. Each packet will have direetions for culti- 

 vating, and contain seed enough to plant a row 60 

 feet long, which will produce sufficient honey for 

 one colony of bees. 



Now, it is possible that Mr. Frazier has, in Colora- 

 do, received as much as 9 pounds of honey in a day 

 from a single colony, all gathered from the Rocky- 

 Mountain bee-plant; but it is a mistake in saying 

 that a row of plants B0 feet long will produce suf- 

 ticeint honey for a colony of bees; neither are the 

 seeds scarce or high-priced. Many of our subscrib- 

 ers have wanted to sell us the seed for several 



years past, and the price has at no time been more 

 than 15 cents an ounce or $1.25 a pound. We are 

 told that other catalogues have the same colored 

 plate and the same string of extravagant state- 

 ments. 



{SPECIAL ]^0¥ICEg. 



ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF PUMPKIN SEEDS. 



Last year we sold pumpkin seeds for $1.50 per 

 bushel; but as we are not able to buy them at that 

 price now, we have been obliged to advance the 

 price to 75 cts. per peck, or $2.50 per bushel. 



Prof. Cook has just finished an appendix to the 

 Maple Sugar book, which will be pasted in the back 

 of all that are sold after this date. Our customers 

 who have already purchased the above work can 

 have the appendix by making application on a pos- 

 tal card. 



HENNIS' FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRESS. 



On pages 130 and 131 of this number is a descrip- 

 tion of the above utensil. In giving the price of it, 

 however, the types say 25 cents, when it should be 

 35. Please remember this advance of 10 cents when 

 you order. 



DISCOUNTS FOR EARLY ORDERS. 



Any of our readers intending to purchase sup- 

 plies soon will do well to notice that the special dis- 

 counts we allow for early orders are good only un- 

 til March 1st, two weeks longer. If you have de- 

 cided upon what you want, take advantage of the 

 discounts by ordering at once. Your orders will 

 receive prompt and careful attention, and you will 

 get your goods in ample time to have them ready 

 for the bees. 



AMERICAN CHESTNUTS. 



As these were very plentiful during the past sea- 

 son in our vicinity, they are now offered at lower 

 prices than ever known before. To the friends who 

 live where chestnuts do not grow, and are not com- 

 mon, they may be quite a novelty. They will sure- 

 ly please the children, if nobody else. We can, un- 

 til further notice, furnish them at 5 cents a pint; 

 8 cents a quart; 50 cents a peck, or $1.75 a bushel. 

 If wanted by mail, add 10 cents a quart. To show 

 you that they are good, we will mail you a sample 

 package for 5 cents. 



WANTED— AN EARLY YELLOW PUMPKIN. 



Every season we have a demand for pumpkins— 

 that is. the old-fashioned yellow ones— long before 

 we can get them; and last year the people of our 

 town would pay a bigger price per pound for a yel- 

 low pumpkin than they would for a Hubbard 

 squash or even for a watermelon. Now, then, who 

 has got the seed of a small-sized early pumpkin? 

 Why, I have actually been thinking of starting 

 some pumpkin-vines in the greenhouse, so as to 

 have yellow pumpkins on the market before any 

 farmer could bring them in. By accident we had a 

 few extra early ones two or three years ago. They 

 grew on the "New Agriculture " grounds. They 

 sold readily at good prices, before any were to be 

 had elsewhere; but it did not then occur to me that 

 there was an opening for a new industry. Now, 

 our people say they would rather have a yellow 

 pumpkin to make pies of than any sort of squash, 

 so do not offer us a squash, saying it is just as good. 

 It would not fill the bill unless it looks like a pump- 

 kin and is a pumpkin. Now, I have much faith that 

 Gleanings will find something that will just fill 

 the bill— just see if it doesn't. 



PRICE LISTS RECEIVED. 



Price lists have been received from the following: 

 Frank A. Eaton, Blulfton, ().. sends out a price list of fowls, 

 bees, and queens. 



E. Kretchmer, Coburg, la,, sends us a list of bee-supplies in 

 general. 



H. E. & E. L. Pratt, Marlboro, Mass., send out a list of Italian 

 and Carniolan queens. 



J. W. K. Shaw & Co., Loreauville, La., have issued their reg 

 ular list of Italian queens, etc. 



J. Nebel & Son, High Hill, Mo., send out an 8-page list of Ital- 

 ian bees and queens. 



F. A. Snell. Milledgeville, 111., issues a lfr-page list of supplies, 

 Italian bees, etc. 



