828 



'gleanings in bee culture. 



Oct. 1 



els of the finest Northern Spies I ever be- 

 held. I think the apples would readily 

 command a dollar a bushel in almost any 

 market. There were other trees in that or- 

 chard I think mig-ht yield five or ten bush- 

 els more than this Northern Spy. The size 

 of the fruit was enormous, and almost every 

 apple was free from blemish, scab, or scar. 

 Of course, this result was obtained onlj' by 

 verj^ careful, thorough, persistent work; 

 but I believe it has paid in dollars and 

 cents. The younarer orchards are also pic- 

 tures of luxuriance. Almost all the fruit 

 tested is in a block of three trees. One is 

 spra3'ed thoroug-hly, according to the best- 

 known methods. The one by its side had 

 no spraying whatever. The third tree is 

 tested in some other way — I do not recall 

 now. Now, here is an object-lesson for any 

 fruit-grower. My impression is, however, 

 that the unsprayed trees have an advantage 

 because the trees all around them, or most 

 of them, have had care and protection. 



I went in among the grapes, and I was 

 utterly bewildered by the wonderful fruit, 

 larger in size, brighter in color, and more 

 delicious to the taste, than any thing I had 

 ever seen before. For instance, they were 

 picking some of the Salem, and putting the 

 bunches in baskets that would hold, I 

 should say, two quarts. These retailed in 

 the city, they said, for 10 cts., and I should 

 say the price was ridiculously low for such 

 a big heaping basket of great handsome 

 fruit with a most enticing bloom and color, 

 and nothing like disappointment to follow 

 when 3^ou put one of the plum-like berries 

 in your movith. The arrangement of this 

 test-vineyard is, I believe, on a plan start- 

 ed by my old friend W. J. Green. The 

 vines are in long rows as usual, and the}' 

 are supported b}' posts as usual — that is. 

 the usual distance apart. But instead of 

 running wires along on the posts, the wires 

 were stretched on a cross-bar perhaps a 

 yard long, nailed on top of the post. If I 

 remember rightly there were three wires. 

 One ran along right over the top of the post 

 and one horizontally on the cross-bar, say 

 18 inches from the center wire. The posts 

 are high enough so you can go under from 

 one row of vines to the other. In fact, you 

 can run through the vineyard almost as 

 easiljr as 3'ou can through an apple-orchard, 

 stooping a little to avoid the vines that hang 

 down over 3'our head. I do not suppose it 

 Avould be possible to get a good photo, be- 

 cause of the manj^ leaves and bunches of 

 fruit in the way; but one who loves to grow 

 fruit, and loves the fruit as a matter of 

 course, might consistentlj^ go into a little 

 vein of ecstasy over such fruit and the man- 

 ner of growing it, especially after he had 

 tasted said fruit when it was at its best. 



Now, friends, who knows but the experi- 

 ment station of your own State has some 

 just as fine object-lessons as we have at our 

 station? Have 3'Ou been to see the men in 

 charge, and talked over matters with them? 

 If not, suppose j'ou set about it. 



Please do not imagine that everybody can 



go into such a place and "help himself." 

 There are notices up all around, to the ef- 

 fect that visitors are forbidden to help 

 themselves to any fruit, either on the trees 

 or on the ground ; but if you call for some- 

 body to show you about, I think j'ou will 

 have no reason to complain. It is some- 

 thing this way: There may be single fruits 

 or half a dozen fruits on a certain tree or 

 vine that they would not lose for a ten- 

 dollar bill. Perhaps an apple they have 

 been watching for weeks may have dropped 

 on the ground; and if some thoughtless 

 person picked this apple up, tasted it, and 

 threw it away, it might make them a lot of 

 trouble. And may I suggest that, when 

 you go on to anybody''s premises, you first 

 hunt up the owner? Don't touch a thing 

 unless he gives you permission, and tells 

 you what you may safely appropriate. 



Special Notices by A. I. Root. 



GOOD AND VALUABLE BOOKS FOR PREMIUMS. 



On page 168, Feb. 1.5, we made an offer of the dollar 

 poultry-book free to everybody who sent us $1.00 for 

 Gleanings, and (i cts. for postage on the book. As 

 it is a large handsome book of 3.52 pages, fully illus- 

 trated, with a handsome cover, embellished with 

 pictures of poultry in bright colors, 100 copies were 

 gone in almost no time. Another hundred went off 

 not quite so fast; then as the notice got to be old, the 

 third hundred is, a go d many of them, on our hands. 

 As it is now time to liegin to renew for another year, 

 we would re:nind you of this liook offer. It is about 

 the handsomest and most useful premium I have ever 

 seen offered with any journal. ]i'e think Gleanings 

 is worth the dollar; and when you get the poultry -book 

 I feel sure;)'OM will consider the book worth a dollar. 



Just one thing more : We have just got a lot of that 

 beautiful book by Sheldon, " In His Steps," that has 

 made such a stir in the world, not only in the United 

 States, but away across the sea, which we can offer 

 you on the same terms as the poultry-book. Of 

 course, if you want either of these books j-ou must not 

 a.sk for ariy other premium. The last one, it is said, 

 has had a larger sale than any other book since T'ucle 

 Tom's Cabin was published. A million of copies were 

 sold in a short time in England alone. Best of all, it 

 is a book that does good wherever it goes. After \ ou 

 read it you will want to lend it to your neighbors; and 

 every one of the books should be kept on the move 

 until it is worn out. 



PRICES OF SEED POTATOES FOR PLANTING IN 1903. 



Now, friends, I do not know what seedsmen are go- 

 ing to do about prices; but I will tell you what I will 

 take at the pre.sent writing for my northern-grown 

 seed potatoes. If any reliable grower makes better 

 prices later on I will give you a rebate to make price 

 the same as his. If the prices are advatired. then you 

 will be the gainer, that is all. Those mentioned first 

 are the earliest; the next a little later, and so on, the 

 last mentioned being the latest : 



Triumph, Early Michigan. Early Ohio, Early Trum- 

 bull, Bovee, New Queen, Freeman, Twentieth Cen- 

 tury, L,ee's Favorite, State of Maine, King of IMichi- 

 gaii, Maule's Commercial, Whitton's White ilammoth, 

 Carman No. 3, Sir Walter, Russet, Craig. 



All the above will be 8:3.00 per barrel of 11 pecks, 

 except the State of Elaine, Maule's Commercial. AVhite 

 Mammoth. Carman No. 3, Sir Walter, Russet, and 

 Craig. These will be $2. .50 per barrel. And last, but 

 not least, the King of Michigan will be |5.00 per barrel. 

 It is not only the cleanest and handsomest potato I 

 ever grew, but the qualitv is as fine as the looks. Sec- 

 onds of all the above, half price while they last. The 

 seconds will be half price because they're mostly small; 

 but we also reserve the privileg of throwing any thing 

 into the seconds which we deem for any reason not 

 suitable for firsts: and there will, therefore, be among 

 the seconds a few potatoes that are scabby, prongy, 

 bad-shaped, cut in digging, or gnawed by grubs. No 



