784 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15 



much on the painted sloping- bottom-board, 

 that I tacked burlap over it, and now they 

 march in in procession with their loads all 

 rij^ht. This slipping- is mostly when the 

 painted surface is wet with dew. This col- 

 ony that is working so strong is a "shook" 

 or brushed swarm. I shook and brushed 

 off only about half of the combs in the new 

 hive on the old stand, giving them only two 

 combs of brood and a queen; but it made 

 them stronger than the parent hive, and 

 thf J' worked from the first with all the vig- 

 or of a new natural swarm. 



CATNIP — HOW TO GROW IT FOR BEES. 



Dr. Gaudy's success with catnip for ar- 

 tificial parturage is attracting much atten- 

 tion. A great many want to know how to 

 get a field of catnip, larger or smaller. 

 Now, catnip is a weed, very hardy, and 

 very easy to grow; but to get it in bloom 

 quickly, and especially on a limited area, 

 1 would recommend sowing the seed, and 

 transplanting, just as we do lettuce. In 

 this way it can be put in after some other 

 crop, and will furnish bloom very much 

 sooner than if you sow the seed where it is 

 to stand. I would suggest putting the 

 plants about as far apart as corn, and cul- 

 tivating both ways if you want to make 

 them boom. Of course, this means work. 

 Where land is cheap, and it is desirable to 

 put in several acres, I would suggest plow- 

 ing, harrowing, and broadcasting the seed. 

 Ernest will probably be able to tell us 

 something about how they manage in Dr. 

 Gaudy's neighborhood. Growing catnip 

 for honey is not at all new. Years ago a 

 Mr. Nevins, in the southern part of Ohio, 

 grew fields of it so as to put catnip honey 

 on the market. It is said to be light in 

 color, of very fine quality, and that it will 

 command as good a price as any in the 

 market. We should like to hear from those 

 who have had experience in growing catnip 

 for bees. My impression is, however, that 

 it will hardly pay to grow crops of it on 

 good land for honey alone. Just now there 

 is going to be quite a demand for seed; and 

 very likely the seed and honey both, may 

 pay for the expense of cultivation. 



THE WILD-GOOSE PLUM; MORE ABOUT IT. 



In the August issue of Gleanings I note your com- 

 ment on your friend Hilbert's plum-orchard as being 

 of no value. No wonder, this being a solid block of 

 but one variety; and that the wild goose, the flowers 

 of which are sterile, and need another variety flower- 

 ing at the same time to fertilize it. For those 100 trees 

 of wild goose, about a dozen trees of Robinson or 

 Wootten will be .sufficient to fertilize all, if planted in 

 such a manner that their pollen can reach or can be 

 carried to all the .surrounding wild-goose trees. Both 

 the varieties mentioned are heavy bearers, especially 

 Robinson, which is very likely to overbear, and must 

 be thinned, otherwise tjie fruit will be small. 



My wild-goose plums were just as you describe Mr. 

 Hilbert's — "no good,' except one tree, by mistake 

 planted among the varieties mentioned. This puz- 

 zled me, and I inquired into the cause of it, and the 

 result is an unusual heavy crop of fine wild-goo -e 

 plums on those formerly "no-good" trees. I suppose 

 any Northern nursery can furnish Mr. Hilbert the 

 Robnison and Wootten plum-trees, so there will be no 

 netd to send for them down South. J. R. Jasek. 



Novohrad, Texas, Aug. 11. 



MORE ABOUT OUR WILD-GOOSE PLUM FROM OUR OHIO' 

 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Mr. A. I. Root:—\ note what you say in August 1st 

 Gleanings regarding Mr Hilbert's wild-goose plums 

 not bearing. Yo ask if it has proved " no good " in 

 other localities. I will say in reply to this that, while 

 the wild goose is not a first-class variety as to quality, 

 it is a prolific bearer. It is one of those sorts, how- 

 ever, that will not bear fruit when planted alone. Its 

 blossoms are what we call ".'elf-sterile;" that is, the 

 pollen from some other variety is needed to fertilize 

 the blossoms of the wild goose. When some other 

 native sort, which blossoms at about the .same time, is 

 planted near the wild goose, pollination will take 

 place, either by the agency of the wind or by the bees 

 — most likely the latter. Under such conditions the 

 wild goose never fails to produce a crop. If this is the 

 right explanation of Mr Hilbert's trees not fruiting, I 

 am quite sure that all he needs to do is to insert a few 

 grafts here and there in the tops of his trees, of some 

 native variety ; and as soon as the grafts are old 

 enough to blossom he will have plums in abundance. 

 Or he might plant young trees of other varieties near 

 by, but it would take a year or two longer for them to 

 bloom than it would for the grafts. 



W. T Green, 



Wooster, Ohio, Aug. 23. 'Horticulturist. 



Special Notices by A. I. Root. 



■Wanted. — Catnip seed. 



WANTED— SEVEN-TOP TURNIP SEED. 



I,et us know how much you have, and what you 

 waut for it. 



WINTER OR EGYPTIAN ONION-SETS. 



We have several bushels not yet disposed of. Re- 

 member you can plant them at any time in the fall, 

 and get a" crop; but the sooner you get them in the 

 ground the better. For further \ articulars, see page 

 ()21. July 15. Quart, 10 cts.; peck, 50 cts.; bushel. $1.50. 

 If wanted by mail, add 10 cts. per quart for postage. 



GRAND RAPIDS LETTUCE SEED, ETC. 



Now is the time to sow your lettuce seed in the open 

 air in order to get good strong hardened off plants to 

 set under glass later. It is quite a saving of time and 

 expense, to be able to get good stocky plants to move 

 to the greenhouse, cold-frames, or hot-beds, to let 

 them remain as long as possible in the open air. The 

 Grand Rapids is still at the head for forcing under 

 glass We have a fine stock of new seed grown espe- 

 cially for our own trade, and do not believe the quality 

 can be excelled by any stock or seed in th- world. 

 Ounce, 5 ct.s., 1 lb. ,".50 cts.; 5 lbs., $2.00. If wanted by 

 mail, add 10 cts. per lb . for packing and postage. 



It is also time to sow fetsey Wakefield cabbage seed 

 in the open ground to be put under cold-frames later. 

 We have a fine slock of the same seed we have been 

 selling, grown especially for us by H. A. March, of 

 Fidalgo, Wash. Ounce, 20 cts.; 1 lb., .^2..50 If wanted 

 by mail, 10 cts. per lb. extra. 



jrUV.!/-**- BUSINESS, MANAGER ^ 



REVISED ADVANCED PRICES. 



In the August 1st issue, in this department we gave 

 notice of an advance in prices. The cost of material 

 and labor has advanced to such an extent during the 

 past year that this advance in prices is made impera- 

 tive. The revised table of prices, as they will be given 

 in our new catalog, :• re given on the next page. These 

 prices are in effect from Sept. 1st till further notice, 

 and all previous prices not in conformity with these 

 are cancelled 



The Jumbo and l,ittle Daisy sizes of Corneil smokers 

 are not yet ready, and will not be for some weeks yet; 

 but we are getting ready to furnish these two sizes; 

 and the standard size, as well as the Clark, will be 

 improved. We have a number of other improvements 

 which we will present in due time to our readers. We 

 offer a discount of 6 per cent for cash orders before 

 Oct, 1, which many will do well to take advantage of. 



