GLEANINGS IN BEE CU LTURE. 



235 



Cleanings in Bee Culture, 



Published Semi- Monthly , 



JL.. X. EOOT, 

 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, 



IvfEIDISsT.^, OHIO. 



TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID. 



For flatting Bates, See First Page of Heading Matter. 



no apology for "inflicting" the readers of Glean- 

 ings with another article, but we want you to com- 

 mence saying what you have to say at once. Com- 

 plaints are already coming in because we are 

 using the "other fellow's" articles, not so meritori- 

 ous as some we haven't used. Please remember, 

 it is our privilege to be the judge, and that we do 

 fairly well is evidenced by our large and increas- 

 ing subscription list. Please remember, too, that 

 the circumstances are such that the rule of the 

 " survival of the fittest " can not always be ap- 

 plied, although we try to use the best. 



IvCEJDinST-fiu, l^LJ^tt- 15, 1889. 



Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, 

 and your labor for that which satistieth not?— ISA. 55:2. 



THE "SCIENTIFIC LEGERDEMAIN" STORY AGAIN. 



The " scientific legerdemain " story, see page 81, 

 now comes to us in the columns of the Reg ister, Troy, 

 Pa., and they copy it from a paper called the Wash- 

 ington Star. Will those of our readers who are ac- 

 quainted with either of the papers please call their 

 attention to our article alluded to above? 



DIMENSIONS OF LANGSTROTH FRAMES— SEE P. 69. 



Friend Alley asks why I should send to Mr. 

 Langstroth for dimensions of frame to the L. hive, 

 when I already had the dimensions in Langstroth's 

 book. It was not only the dimensions I asked for; 

 but I asked friend Langstroth, while he was visit- 

 ing Samuel Wagner, something like 25 years ago, to 

 send me a sample frame by express, just as he 

 would have the frame. I wanted to know the di- 

 mensions of the different pieces, the way in which 

 they were put together, the kind of nails to be 

 used, and all about it; and I wanted one made ac- 

 cording to his latest ideas in regard to the matter, 

 for the frame at that time had been already a good 

 many years before the public. 



THE FRUIT-PRESS AND VEGETABLE-STRAINER AS A 

 HONEY-EXTRACTOR. 



Oh dear me! 1 entirely forgot, in my description 

 on page 130, to mention that the above machine 

 would answer for pressing honey out of the comb. 

 In transferring from old box hives, if you have bits 

 of comb containing honey just squeeze the honey 

 out with the press, then put the wax in a bag by 

 itself, to be squeezed after boiling. We are in- 

 debted to our good friend Thomas B. Blow, of Eng- 

 land, for the suggestion. In fact, he calls it, in his 

 price list, the "honey-squeezer," and he says it is a 

 most useful article for the purpose. By the way, 

 friend Blow sends out a very complete and compre- 

 hensive catalogue, 65 pages,of bee-keepers' supplies. 



GLEANINGS MATTER, AND SOMETHING FOR THOSE 

 WHOSE ARTICLES HAVEN'T BEEN PRINTED. 



Before us is a great heap of Gleanings matter, 

 most of it excellent, and, as a matter of course, ac- 

 ceptable, but it hasn't appeared in Gleanings yet. 

 Why? because we haven't room, although our 

 journal is now enlarged to 44 pages. Many of the 

 communications show evidence of painstaking 

 care, but we fear only a small portion of them can 

 be used. We are going to try to use the best part 

 of them, however. If, therefore, you see the in- 

 troduction and the tail end of your carefully word- 

 ed and well-connected communication chopped off, 

 don't feel hurt. Flowery introductions and appro- 

 priate " windings up " are not acceptable. We want 



THE SILO AND ENSILAGE, BY PROF. COOK. 



The above is the title of a little book of 31 pages 

 of reading-matter, written in Prof. Cook's happiest 

 vein; in fact, while you read, those of you who 

 have heard him at our institutes can imagine you 

 hear the sound of his voice, and see the enthusiasm 

 shining from his face. I have long been wonder- 

 ing why we did not have a book on ensilage, and 

 one written by somebody who did not have the 

 machinery for sale. Prof. Cook recommends the 

 silo because he thinks it is going to be a great boon 

 for farmers; and, so far as I can learn, I think he is 

 right. The only criticism I have to make is the 

 one I made in regard to Dr. Miller's book— a lack of 

 engravings. I confess that I do not even now 

 understand how the foundation of the silo is made, 

 and I have read it several times over, while a sim- 

 ple rude drawing or diagram would make it plain to 

 a busy laboring man, without taking much time or 

 mental effort. I sincerely hope we may have a re- 

 vised edition soon, with some pictures. The price 

 of the book is 25 cts., and the size of the pages is 3Y 2 

 x 5!4. If more convenient you can order from us 

 instead of from the author. 



AIR-SLACKED LIME, IN CONNECTION WITH MA- 

 NURE, AS A FERTILIZER. 



Until last season we had always had more or 

 less trouble with club foot in our cabbages, and I 

 began to feel considerably worried about it. Peter 

 Henderson tells us, however, in his book, " Garden- 

 ing for Profit," that lime or bone dust has proven 

 to be a sure remedy with him. Now, inasmuch as 

 we had seen club foot on some little plants in our 

 plant-beds over the " new agriculture," we decided 

 to give these beds a good dose of lime. Well, one 

 day, when I was not around, the boys decided that 

 they could kill two birds with one stone by raking 

 in the guano and lime at one operation. When 

 they came to mix the two together, however, with 

 a sieve, their olfactories were greeted with fumes 

 of ammonia that were almost like a dose from a 

 smelling-bottle. However, they sifted the mixture 

 over the ground and raked it in, and said nothing 

 about it. When those cabbage-plants came up they 

 had such wonderful vigor, and such a rich dark 

 green, that I made quite a stir about it, and asked 

 for further particulars as to the amount of guano, 

 and how they did it. Then came out the above 

 story. We tried it again with like results. I com- 

 municated the matter to W. J. Green, of our Ex- 

 periment Station, Columbus, and he advised me 

 not to put it in print until it had been more 

 thoroughly tested. He succeeded in the same way, 

 by mixing pulverized and sifted poultry manure 

 with lime instead of guano. No club foot has ever 

 appeared in our plant-beds since we adopted the 

 above. But this is not all. Last fall, our neighbor, 

 who deals in lime for plasterers' use, informed me 



