1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



277 



ing off the plants, be careful to put one hand on 



the potato to keep it in place, and break off with 



the other, so as to allow the younger ones to grow. 



John L. Janenby. 



105 West Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, Feb. 2, 1889. 



HOW TO RAISE SWEET-POTATO PLANTS IN MIS- 

 SOURI. 



I have been in the business for several years, and 

 I bed as many as 100 bushels. 1 dig my pits about 

 14 inches deep, 7Yi feet wide, and about 40 feet long, 

 as that makes as much sheeting as I can handle 

 easily. I board up the north side 3 feet high, and 

 slope my canvas to the south; pack in the manure 

 about 12 inches deep; when packed solid, use plenty 

 of straw, if you want it to heat well. 



Skidmore, Mo., Feb. 23, 1889. James Parshalu. 



USING CLOTH FOR A COVERING, AND HAVING IT 

 SLOPE BOTH WAYS. 



If a large bed is wanted we sometimes make the 

 frame level six inches above ground; pnt a light 

 ridge-pole through the center, then draw the mus- 

 lin over like a house-roof, tucking the ends down at 

 the gables. In this way the length of the bed 

 should be north and south, giving the sun an equal 

 chance on both sides of the roof. Here in Central 

 Illinois we make our beds about April 15th. 



Philo, 111., Feb. 21, 1889. M. L. Bremen. 



USING WHEAT OR OAT STRAW TO CONFINE THE 

 HEAT OF THE MANURE. 



On the manure place not less than 3 inches of 

 light soil, on which put your potatoes, and cover 

 about one inch deep; then over the whole bed place 

 wheat or oat straw about 6 or 8 inches deep, and 

 cover with boards to keep out rain. Be sure to feel 

 under the straw every morning early; and as soon 

 as the heat gets to the top, open the bed every day 

 and cover only with straw at night, and in about 

 two weeks the sprouts will be seen coming through 

 the ground, when two inches more dirt should be 

 put on the bed, and the straw removed entirely. 

 This plan gives me first-class plants in 5 weeks from 

 the time of planting, and they can then be drawn 

 every 8 or 9 days until July. E. P. Busick. 



Church Creek, Md., Feb. 19, 1889. 



USING STRAW OR LEAVES WITH MANURE IN OR- 

 DER THAT THE HEAT MAY BE LASTING. 



I put in the trench about two feet of fresh stable 

 manure, and it should be about half straw or leaves, 

 otherwise it may get too hot and burn the potatoes. 



If you use glass you want to be careful when the 

 sun shines very hot, or you will cook the whole 

 batch. The glass should be taken off when it is 

 very warm, and put on again at night. 



I built a house 14x16, double walls, and filled in 

 with sawdust. I have kept my sweet potatoes and 

 honey in the same house, keeping the temperature 

 at 60° above; and if I haven't had well-ripened 

 honey, no one ever did. Jasper Smock. 



Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 25, 1889. 



USING HAY AND BOARDS AS SUBSTITUTES FOR 

 GliASS. 



Care should be taken that the manure be all heat- 

 ed alike throughout the whole bed when first put in. 

 Just as good plants can be grown without using 

 sash, by covering the bed to the depth of 12 or 15 

 inches with marsh hay, and using covers over this 

 made of H-inch boards. The bed must be watched 



closely; and when the heat is likely to get too high, 

 air must be given by taking off the board covers, 

 and a part or all of the hay if need be. it the 

 plants are likely to get too large at top Lc l< ; o you 

 wish to set them in the field, mow the tops off. 

 Exeter, Pa., Feb. 26, 1889. P. Sutton. 



The following is from a friend who gave 

 substantially the directions given by the 

 rest. He adds in conclusion : 



I have tried this plan for several years, and it has 

 never failed. I sold nearly 30,000 plants last year, 

 and then did not have jenough. I also make my 

 beds for sprouting early cabbage, celery, pepper, 

 and tomatoes after the above plan, only I bank up 

 on the outside and cover with glass. 



Darlington, Ind. Thos. N. Stokes. 



forcing sweet-potato plants by means of 

 hot soapsuds. 



We force potato-plants sometimes as follows: 

 On washdays, after the washwoman is done with 

 the warm suds we give our potato-beds a good bath, 

 and it makes the plants come right up. 



Water Valley, Miss., Feb. 20, 1889. W. H. Embry. 



A VISIT TO BEE CELLARS IN NORTH- 

 ERN OHIO. 



The 



ERNEST OFF ON A RAMBLE. 



OR a long time I have contemplated 

 visiting II. R. Boardman and other 

 bee-keepers in the vicinity of Nor- 

 walk, O. This opportunity did not 

 come until the last week in February, 

 principal object I had in making this 

 visit was to study the comparative merits 

 of outdoor and indoor wintering. As you 

 are aware, for the past two years we have 

 had uniform success in wintering in chaff, 

 and as a matter of course incline toward 

 the outdoor method. H. R. Boardman has 

 been equally successful— perhaps more so 

 than we— in his winter repositories. 



On the morning of the 26th of February, 

 I found myself in Norwalk. It is with this 

 place that many of our old readers will as- 

 sociate the name of our old friend S. F. 

 Newman, who for a good many years back 

 has been quite an extensive bee-keeper. At 

 one of the leading groceries I saw some very 

 nice honey, stamped with the name of the 

 man whom I wanted to see. The grocery- 

 man informed me that Newman's honey 

 always sells, and that he would buy no oth- 

 er. It was not long before 1 was introduc- 

 ed to the gentleman himself, whereupon 1 

 was invited into his office above the store. 

 He is an insurance agent, and. like a good 

 many other bee-keepers, has other business 

 in connection with bees. He employs a 

 clerk to do copying and general writing in 

 the office, and a competent man to take 

 care of his bees while he himself gives his 

 personal supervision to both departments of 

 the business. He has some three out-apia- 

 ries. After talking awhile, Mr. Newman 

 kindly invited me to visit his bee-cellar, 

 and. of course, I accepted. On our way 

 thither Mr. Newman said : 



" I believe that Boardman has got tlte 

 way of wintering bees. Although I have 



