1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUHE. 



471 



full particulars how to recognize, how to treat, etc. 

 Before looking over the index, think of some catch- 

 word that will suggest the point concerning which 

 you seek information. If you do not find it under 

 the first catch-word, think up another till you hit it. 



A. L. SWINSON ON THE SICK-LIST. 



The following has come to hand, and will explain 

 itself: 



Frieno Root:— If this reaches you in time, say to readers of 

 Gleanings that I am confined to my bed with pneumonia, and 

 can't fill any orders till I am better. I am able to sit up in 

 bed only a few minutes at a time. A. L. Swinson. 



Goldsboro, N. C, May 26. 1889. 



DOVETAILED SIMPLICITY AND SIMPLICITY DOVE- 

 TAILED HIVES (?) 



Several of our customers insist on mixing the 

 two hives, as indicated in the heading. Please re- 

 member that the Simplicity hive is one thing and 

 the Dovetailed quite another, and the two can not 

 be combined; that is, the feature of dovetailed cor- 

 ners cam >int be applied to the Simplicity, because 

 the latter has beveled edges. You can easily see 

 how this is if you put on your thinking-cap and 

 study it out. If our customers will please bear this 

 in mind, and not ask us to do impossibilities, it will 

 be appreciated. 



REGULATING AND RESTRAINING OUR GREAT 

 RIVERS. 



Well, I have not got a great river to regulate and 

 restrain. The best I can do at it is to take Champion 

 Brook, which runs through our 18 acres; but as 

 Champion Brook sometimes floods its banks, and 

 makes a small river, I have got quite a little prob- 

 lem on hand after all. While in California I fell in 

 love with the irrigating-ditches winding along the 

 steep sides of the mountains. I also fell in love with 

 the idea of protecting tender vegetation by these 

 same hills and declivities. Well, Champion Brook 

 runs through our grounds from west to east; and 

 on the north side there is a steep bank where the 

 fertility from our market-gardens washes down dur- 

 ing a great rain. This bank grows such huge 

 weeds that it is a task to chop them down several 

 times a year. Now, I will tell you what we have 

 " gone and did." On the north side of the brook, by 

 means of galvanized gas-pipe with wire stays at 

 the top, we have fenced up the bank so as to make 

 a level plant-bed four feet wide. This plant-bed is 

 .just three feet above the water in the creek. On 

 the north edge, close to the bank, is a shallow ditch, 

 permitting us to run a stream of water clear from 

 the carp-pond to the othersideof ourboundary-line; 

 and whenever the foliage in this plant-bed needs wa- 

 ter, there is Champion Brook within three or four 

 feet to supply it. The whole of this bed is protect- 

 ed from north winds, and has every bit of sunshine 

 that can be had, every day in the year. On this 

 bed I propose to raise nice strawberry-plants all 

 through July and August, no matter whether it 

 rains or not. And next year at this time we ex- 

 pect to have the earliest strawberries on this plant- 

 bed. Our good friend W. J. Green, of the Ohio Ex- 

 periment Station, has just sent me a dozen of the 

 earliest strawberries they have found in all of their 

 great number of trials on the experiment grounds. 

 Now, then, if the fertility from our heavily mar 

 nured grounds undertakes to run off into Champion 

 Brook again, it will just get into my strawberry- 

 plant bed, and I mean to manage so it oan not get 

 any further. 



Finally; My scheme fop restraining our great 



rivers is by means of galvanized iron pipe and net- 

 ting—the latter like poultry netting, only heavier. 

 Wooden piles may take the place of the galvanized 

 iron stakes where they are under water; but where 

 they are exposed to both water and air, galvanized 

 iron, or rather, perhaps, galvanized steel, seems to 

 me the material to do it with. 



We have at this date 8754 subscribers. 



{SPECIE fjOTICE$. 



SECTIONS OPEN ALL AROUND. 



We have some 40,000 of these regular width left 

 of our stock made up in the winter. If any of our 

 customers use or can use this kind we can send 

 them by return train if you will specify in your 

 order that you want open all around, or that you 

 can use them. Remember, this applies onlj to sec- 

 tions 4 1 4x4^xl],";, the regular 1 lb. size. 



Later.— We are up, so we can send any regular 

 size by return train. 



STRAWBERRY-PLANTS, AND SETTING THEM OUT 

 ANY DAY DURING THE SUMMER TIME. 



Perhaps you have noticed in our seed and plant 

 catalogue that we advertise strawberries from 

 March 1 till Dec. 1 inclusive. In order to make this 

 possible, we first want good plants; second, we 

 want good soil, and facilities for irrigation, or plen- 

 ty of rain. Mulching may be made to take the 

 place of irrigation largely; that is, if the ground is 

 well soaked when the plants are put out, and then 

 covered with mulch to prevent evaporation. We 

 have been having a very brisk trade in strawberry- 

 plants all through the spring, and are sending them 

 considerably yet. even to the present time. May JiO. 

 It is true, it is a little difficult now to get any that 

 have neither fruit nor runners unless they have 

 been clipped off in anticipation of using them to 

 send off. But we now have plants with great strong 

 healthy runners extending a foot or more, and 

 ready to take root at our first good soaking rain, 

 which came last night. Shortly after this reaches 

 you, we shall probably have well -rooted young 

 plants. I do not remember that I have ever before 

 had runners taking root by the first of June. 



ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF BEESWAX AND COMB 

 FOUNDATION. 



On another page of this issue you will find a no- 

 tice of an advance in price of 5 cts. per pound on 

 foundation, both wholesale and retail, by Dadant & 

 Son. We are also compelled to make a similar ad- 

 vance. The reason is, a scarcity of wax and a 

 consequent advance in price. This advance takes 

 place June 1, and will hold until further no- 

 tice. We will pay a corresponding advance in the 

 price of beeswax; namely, 25 cents cash, 28 cents in 

 trade for fair average wax delivered here; 1 to 3 cts. 

 extra for select quality, especially that rendered in 

 the solar wax-extractor. Price of wax to those who 

 wish to buy will be 30 cents for average, 35 cents for 

 selected. The revised prices on foundation will be 

 as f ol lows : 



Packed in neat boxes, with tis- 

 sue paper between every 

 two sheets. 



Heavy 

 brood, 

 4 to 6 

 ft to lb 



10 lbs. per lb 45 



26 " " a 



50 '• " 43 



100 " " 42 



200 " " I 41 



Light 

 brood, 

 about7 

 ft to lb 



18 



KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS. 



I reoeived the queen sent, in good order. She is 

 now laying, and is in tine condition. 



Dr. C. T- Van Osdol. 

 Allensville, Tnd., May 14, 1889, 



It is just four days since I received the bees from 

 you, and transferred them into a hive. They are 

 building comb nicely, on foundation. I saw the 

 queen. She seems lively. Royal Hadley- 



Manistee City, Mich-, May 13, 1889. 



