826 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



placed on high, dry, sandy soil. Every instruction 

 was caipfully followed, anil foi- the next .sixty days 

 llie plants seemed to prosper. Then, slabs commenc- 

 ea to show gotten spots; and on opening them up 

 we found they were filled with soft white worms 

 resembling a majjgot. The outside edges of the 

 slabs were also attacked by a hard hazelnut-shaped 

 bug which bored holes along edges. 



We used a solution of arsenate of lead spray, 

 whale oil, sulpho-tobacco, and other sprays without 

 results ; have carefully and frequently examined 

 plants and destroyed the pests; have written to 

 every one whom we thought might suggest a remedy, 

 but without securing any relief. The entire field 

 is now just about finished, and I expect soon to plow 

 under what little is left. 



None of the promoters of spineless cacti admit 

 that this plant has any insect enemies — in fact, I 

 have observed advertisements that stated that it has 

 no insect enemies. The rainfall in Florida is more 

 than twice the amount Mr. Burbank stated it could 

 ordinarily stand. While in California I was not 

 told that experiment after experiment had been tried 

 in Florida, and was allowed to believe that I ^vas 

 a pioneer. 



have been a feature of that particular local- 

 ity. Another thing, in starting any new 

 crop, whether it is celery, strawberries, 

 corn, and I might almost say wheat, in any 

 unlried locality, there are usually more 

 failni^es tlian successes. In fact, there are 

 failures everywhere. Look about you wher- 

 ever you may be located; take a trip on 

 the cars, and see how many failures there 

 are to one real success, and see if it is not 

 true that it is largely in the man (or boy) 

 who goes at it. I am not going to try to 

 grow cactus on a large scale; but 1 expect 

 to tn' to gTow enough to give my chickens 

 green food ; and I Avill try to give you some 

 pictures as I go along. One thing I have 

 .spoken of already is that spineless cactus 

 in Florida and here in Ohio can be made to 

 make an astonishing growth in just a few 

 davs or a few weeks. 



Dasheens iu Dayton, Ohio. 



The Agricultural Experiment Station at Gaines 

 ville, Florida, states, April 2, 1914, that " Spineless 

 cacti planted in the state in the last six or eight 

 years have all gone to the bad. It seems that the 

 spineless-cactus salesmen have been the only one« 

 v.ho make anything oat of this." 



Perhaps most of the friends would think 

 that after the above report I would give up 

 thinking I can grow cacti with profit in 

 Florida; but let us consider a moment. This 

 man went in on a large scale the verj' first 

 thing ; and I would urge, and have urged 

 for years past, that no one should under- 

 take to keep bees, chickens, or grow any 

 crop, especially in a new locality, until he 

 has first experimented on a small scale. Do 

 not" go in heavily'on any new thing to start 

 with. The main trouble mentioned in the 

 above is the insect enemies, and these may 



"three cknts an hour;" dashkens in OHIO; 



REMEDY FOE CUCUilBER-BUGS ; IS IT EVER RIGHT 

 TO GO TO WAR ? 



Dear Bro. Root: — Although I am out of the bee 

 business I want the journal for Our Homes, etc. I 

 read several times over the May 15th issue. It 

 alone is worth the price. 



I want to say a few words about your paying boys 

 ihree cents an hour years ago. Well, when I was 

 14 years old I hired out on a small farm for $2.50 

 per month for seven months. I went to school five 

 months without pay — only my board. I bought my 

 own clothes. The fifth year they paid me $4.50 per 

 month. At 19 I set in to learn the shoemaker trade. 

 I served three years as apprentice; got (big pay, of 

 course) $16, or $48 for the three years, board and 

 washing included. I saved my money, and always 

 had a little for the Sunday-school basket. Some of 

 you young kickers don't know what your fathers 

 had to contend with. Common laborers received 75 

 cts. to $1 per day, and raised their families too. 



Last summer my grandson took a snapshot at my 

 front yard where you see the dasheen and your 



