218 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



membered he claims to be able only to pick out 

 the fresh eggs from a mixed lot. If I am correct 

 it is essentially what is called "candling" eggs 

 in the great city markets. If one undertakes 

 to fill an incubator with eggs from the store, or 

 picked up from his neighbors, this would, of 

 course, be a great advantage; but the process has 

 nothing to do with deciding about the fertility 

 of an egg the day it is laid. Since Mrs. White 

 started it, I notice several are making similar 

 claims. Is this thing to have a run like the 

 "sprouted oats" business.? 



I have once or twice suggested that the poultry 

 journals were backward about exposing frauds, 

 because they might thereby lose some profitable 

 advertising. I am, therefore, glad to see several 

 coming out clear and plain, no matter if it does 

 cost them something. See the following from 

 that neat and spicy Fancier's Monthly, San Jose, 

 Cal.: 



These advertisements are read by innocent people who take it 

 for eranted that they can, by parchasine the book for $1.00, learn 

 how to make a small fortane from poultry in an altOEetber new 

 way. Nine out of ten of those who try it will give it up in dis- 

 gust; for while the system may be all right the glowing adver- 

 tisements are purposely worded to catch suckers, and they get 

 them all right. We also do not hesitate to say that the 18 so- 

 called " secrets " are only secrets to those who have never read a 

 poultry journal for any length of time, or whose memory is so 

 faulty that they have forgotten what they did read. The secrets 

 have all been published, not once but dozens of times. They 

 are well wortfl reading again; but it is the impression given by 

 all such advertisements that a wonderful value for the money is 

 given beginners, that we object to, tht inferenct beine that there 

 lies a short way to fortune from poultry culture, while the sober 

 truth is that, like learning, there is no royal road to it. 



And all this reminds us of a much neater scheme to get rich 

 quick by poultry. We are indebted to H. R. Noack, one of our 

 subscribers, for it. We feel somewhat ashamed that we have not 

 before this discovered such a way to wealth and told all of our 

 readers about it. And it doesn't cost a dollar, either^ — just ten 

 cents if you buy the Monthly at a news-stand, less than a nickel 

 if you take it by the year. Feed at 15 cents a bushel; bow to 

 tell the hen that lays two eggs a day from the one that lays twice 

 a year; how to distinguish roosters from hens when reaching for 

 them in the dark, and various other beautiful bargains in poultry 

 literature, pale into insignificance before tne effulgent light of 

 this. 



Now, friends, if any of you want friend 

 "Noack's" great "goack," send for the March 

 issue of the Fancier^ s Monthly. 



I am rejoiced, also, to find in Farm Poultry, 

 Boston, Mass., a very full expose of "The 'new 

 system ' of selecting laying hens. " It is the first 

 time, if I am correct, that any poultry journal has 

 published in full the Hogan $10.00 secret, or the 

 Potter dollar secret of "Don't kill the laying 

 hen." This expose, however, is copied from the 

 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria, Australia. Why 

 should our poultry journals go away off to Aus- 

 tralia to get something that was published on 

 these pages more than a year ago } A couple of 

 clippings from the "Questions and Answers" 

 column of The Poultry Keeper (Quincy, 111.) may 

 help to explain the matter. Here are the clip- 

 pings from the March issue : 



FEED AT EIGHT CENTS PER BUSHEL. 



I read in the Poultry Keeper where there is a party who sells 

 poultry feed for eight cents per bushel. What kind of feei Is it, 

 and will it pay to buy some of it for chicken feed i F. M. A. 



Grand View, Wis. 



We think you most be mistaken about any one offering to tell 

 poultry feed at eight cents per bushel. Mr. F. Grundy, Morrison- 

 ville. 111., advenises a system by which you can make yotu own 

 poultry feed for eight cents per bushel, but he does not advertise 

 to sell the feed. You should write him for particulars. 



WANTS TO MAKE FIFTBBN-CBKT CRICKEN FEED. 



Please state in your next itsae how to mak* feed tor cbickeni 

 at fifteen cents a bushel. J. W. E. 



Sao Jose, Cal. 



We assume that you refer to sprouting oats. When the oats 

 sprout they increase in bulk about four times. Thus if you pay 

 60 cents for a bushel of oats you can sprout them and have four 

 bushels. The process was published in this department some 

 time ago. At present there are several advertisers selling this 

 process, and it would not be fair to them to accept their money 

 for advertising and publish the method. 



When I was a boy I belonged to a society for 

 "giving and receiving knowledge;" but doesn't 

 it look now as if some of the poultry journals 

 belonged to a " society " for ^withholding knowl- 

 edge .> 



My answer to the above queries would have 

 been. The feed at 8 cts. per bushel is alfalfa 

 mixed with bran, corn meal, etc. If you write 

 the advertiser you will find it will cost $2.00 to 

 get a small paper book of 79 pages containing 

 this and other " discoveries. " The book is valu- 

 able, I admit, bat its author should give a big- 

 ger and better " book " or make the price 

 lower. 



To the second query I would say. As long 

 as we take money for advertising secrets (that we 

 know are no secrets at all), we can not consistent- 

 ly keep our readers posted. You will have to go 

 to the bee journals or — off to Australia. 



A BEE-ESCAPE FOR CHICKENS. 



Since our picture and comments on p. 70, Jan. 

 15, a number of devices have been submitted, 

 and several more think they have solved the 

 problem, but haven't tried it. It has only re- 

 cently occurred to me that our " trap-nest " in- 

 ventors are already on the same track; for the de- 

 vice that permits the hen to go into the nest, but 

 not out again, would also permit her to go 

 through a fence and not come back. The great 

 trouble is to make the door or opening so that 

 the fowl will not be afraid of it. A door to 

 swing sidewise, like the cover to the keyhole in 

 a padlock, is about what we want. Have it stand 

 part way open, so a little squeezing will let the 

 chicken through, but so made that this door will 

 lock when pushed from the other side of the 

 fence. The device can be made of light wood, 

 so as to go cheaply by mail, I am sure. There 

 is no particular need of sending it to me. Make 

 it yourself and advertise it in the poultry journals. 

 If you get something good and cheap we will 

 give it a free notice. 



Now just one thing more that is needed in 

 order that we may have " Nothing to do but 

 gather the eggs " — some sort of automatic water- 

 ing-device. Why, it makes me " fidgety " to 

 read about "fresh water three times a day," and 

 "scalding the drinking-vessels," etc. Give the 

 chickens " running water " every day in the year. 

 If you can't do any better, have "drip water" 

 always dropping. Put a clam-shell under a 

 leaky rain-barrel, as we did down on the island 

 at Osprey. Now, here is another field for you 

 who are of inventive turn. On p. 22, Mar. 1, a 

 post-auger is advertised that will dig wells. Have 

 a well in your poultry-yard. Drop in drain tile 

 to keep it from caving in. Then we want some 

 one to invent a little windmill to pump "drip 

 water " for the chickens. On our place here we 

 get nice soft water anywhere by going down only 

 about five or six feet. A " baby windmill " to 

 pull up enough water for the chickens oaght to 

 be furnished for $5.00, may be half as much. 

 Who will put it on the market.? 



