GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



tell US is the case from decaying- jtlant roots 

 on shallow peaty soil. 



There is a thought here worth consider- 

 ing; for any plant that will work our pot- 

 ash-mines free of charge, and produce 

 profitable crops, will go a long way toward 

 reclaiming the fertility of this land, and 

 beats securing the potash from the German 

 mines at the present war-time jjrices. 



DIFFERENCES IN GERMINATION OF GOOD SEED. 



Last winter I became very much interest- 

 ed in testing sweet-clover seed for germin- 

 ation. I secured as many samples of seed 

 as I could, and secured germinating tests 

 from them. It was really interesting, as 

 but few of these showed a germinating test 

 of 50 per cent, and some as low as 20 per 

 cent, but it was clear that this was not 

 caused from poor seed, as there was prac- 

 tically none rotted; but the ungerminated 

 seed was as hard as little bullets. I soaked 

 one sample for six weeks without phasing 

 this hard seed. I then removed some of the 

 seed and cracked the shell, and in three 

 days they were swelled to three times their 

 original size, and sprouted. I secured one 

 sample, however, that in three days showed 

 a germinating test almost perfect. I pro- 



cured some of this seed and seeded with 

 oats and secured an elegant stand. 



Now there is no question about the great 

 difference in seed, and that tliis hard seed 

 has much to do with poor stands on spring 

 seeding. But that this hard seed can not 

 be considered poor seed, there is no ques- 

 tion; but the question may be, "Which is 

 the best?" The possibility is that each is 

 best in its proper place. For sirring seed- 

 ing I don't believe there is a question as to 

 the superiority of the easily germinating 

 seed. 



For ages sweet clover has been an out- 

 cast, and it has been a case of the survival 

 of the fittest. In its wild state the seeds of 

 sweet clover fall on the ground in August 

 and September, and but very few of them 

 germinate, but they lie there, resist the rain 

 and sun of autumn, and, like heartsease and 

 many other weeds, do not germinate until 

 sirring. It is barely possible that for pas- 

 ture or for permanent growth this hard 

 seed mav be a blessing in disguise. The 

 easily gei'minating seed may all germinate 

 out of season, and the tender plants be 

 killed by the frosts of winter. 



There are many things about this new 

 but old plant jet to be fully understood. 



Pruphetstown, ill. 



EFFICIENCY IN 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



Fig. 1 shows two students standing over 

 a hive. One is smoking the bees, the other 

 removing or inserting a comb. They are 

 standing'. To do this with one hive would 

 probablj' make no great difference, althougli 

 the principle is wrong. But when it comes 

 to clo work in tliis way hive after hive 

 and hour after hour — yes, day after day 

 for a season — it makes a very great differ- 

 ence between this method and the best meth- 

 od. 



Fig. 2 shows the one who is manipulating 

 the combs properly seated on the edge of a 

 hive-cover; but the one who is doing the 

 smoking is standing — a waste of energy. 

 But he is doing something else which is 

 decidedly wrong. Now let the readers of 

 Gleanings, especially the beginner and tlie 

 thoughtless, not read any more until he looks 

 at the illustration and sees what is wrong. 

 The mistake which will be obvious to many 

 is that the one operating the smoker i> 

 standing right in front of the liive, prevent- 

 ing the field bees from entering it. I have 

 had students with me for a considerable 



time who, after being reminded of this mis- 

 take, still did this; and in confidence let me 

 say that, at verj- long intervals, when much 

 preoccupied I can be seen doing this my- 



FlG. 1.— standing 



up — a waste ot tune in tlie 

 long run. 



