484 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Aug. 1 



I might as well say every town and city in 

 the whole United States. What do you think 

 about it friends? 



HIGH-PRESSURE 

 GARDENING 



By A. I. Root 



TURNIPS, RAPE, CRIMSON CLOVER, ETC.; SOW- 

 ING IT AMONG THE CORN AT THE 

 LAST CULTIVATING. 



After what was said in our last issue about 

 cowhorn turnips and rape for honey in the 

 spring, I find the following in the Rural 

 New-Yorker: 



SEEDING "CATCH CROPS" IN CORN. 

 I w IsU to sow for cover crop In corn some rape, cowhorn tur- 

 nips, and rye. Can you tell me the proportion of each for one 

 acre? Would It be good policy to sow the same for cover crop 

 where I take off potatoes In August? 



Rhode Island Subscriber. 



After many experiments in Northern New Jersey we 

 advise the followintr combination for a catch crop in 

 the corn: 12 lbs. of crimson clover; 1 lb. of dwarf Es- 

 sex rape; 1/4 lbs. of cowhorn turnips for each acre. 

 This is seeded at the last working of the corn, which 

 with us comes in early August. We mix the seeds and 

 scatter them over the ground among the corn. Then 

 with a light cultivator open wide we run through the 

 rows. It is better to work both ways if possible. A 

 piece of plank wired to the cultivator so that it will 

 drag on the ground behind will scrape the soil down 

 smooth and give a better seeding. We have tried the 

 experiment of seeding a peck of rye in addition to the 

 other seeds. In places where crimson clover is not a 

 sure crop the rye helps, for it will live and give a green 

 crop for plowing under in the spring. We would use 

 the clover, however, even though we knew it would all 

 be killed during winter and spring, because the growth 

 it will make through the fall, before the ground 

 freezes, will more than pay for seed and labor. It is 

 doubtful whether this clover will live through the win- 

 ter in Rhode Island. If it were not to be used we 

 would sow to each acre XVz lbs. each of rape and cow- 

 horn turnips and half a bushel of rye. 



The reason I recommended cowhorn tur- 

 nips is because they go away dov/n in the 

 ground, and pump moisture and fertility to 

 enable them to get sufficient growth to stand 

 over winter in many localities. I did not 

 think at the time of seven-top-turnip or 

 crimson clover; but this, I think, would 

 make an excellent combination for the bee- 

 keeper. In our locality we have never fail- 

 ed with crimson clover when put on good 

 ground in August. It always stands winter- 

 ing. Now, by using crimson clover, rape, 

 and turnip, all three, we should have three 

 chances for honey, and it is hardly likely 

 that all of them would fail. All three are 

 valuable for feed for all kinds of stock, and 

 they are splendid for turning under to en- 

 rich the soil. Another thing, this combina- 

 t- prevents wash during winter; and it 

 seems to me that all high-pressure farming 

 and gardening should have some growing 

 crop that will stand the winter on every foot 

 of land. Now is the time to get right at it. 

 As soon as any crop is taken off so as to leave 

 bare ground, get in one or all of these three. 

 If you have had no experience in the way of 

 green manuring, just try a little plot in your 

 garden first; and while I am about it there is 

 still another plant — one that will stand the 



winter more surely than any thing else I 

 know of unless it is rye — the seven-top tur- 

 nip that we have advertised in our seed cat- 

 log for so many years. This plant does not 

 make a turnip at all. It is grown simply for 

 the top for feed, and for turning under, for 

 bees and for seed. 



We see by the Columbia State (South Car- 

 olina) that our old friend J. D. Fooshe, of 

 Coronaca, S. C, has, during the past season, 

 sold 9000 lbs. of this seven-top-turnip seed. 

 Some of the older readers of Gleanings will 

 remember friend Fooshe as one of the pi- 

 oneers in queen-breeding. He has furnish- 

 ed The A. 1. Root Co. queens for more than 

 thirty ye:irs, and we have never had a com- 



Elaint of them, and we do not know that he 

 as ever complained of us. I wish he would 

 tell us about now much honey he got from 

 his seven-top turnip in growing that hOOO lbs. 

 of seed, and any thing else he may have to 

 suggest from his long experience in growing 

 seven-top turnip. 



ELECTRICITY VERSUS THE HORSE. 



I have before mentioned the fact that, when 

 I was but little more than a dozen years old, 

 my great hobby was electricity; and when I 

 was seventeen I was going around to school- 

 houses giving^ experiments in electricity and 

 chemistry. During those boyish "lectures " 

 I informed the good people that electricity 

 was destined to take the place of steam very 

 soon; but when I made that prediction it did 

 not occur to me, or I do not think the thought 

 entered my boyish head, that I should live to 

 see the day when electricity would, to some 

 extent, take the place of the horse, to carry 

 people along the streets and over the country. 

 WeU, for the first time in my life, during this 

 beautiful month of May Mrs. Root and I have 

 enjoyed riding around town in an electric 

 carriage, a little one of our own. Electric 

 carriages are nothing new, I am well aware. 

 In fact, the one I am using was purchased 

 by Mr. Calvert six or seven years ago. It 

 was a $1000 carriage originally, but I think he 

 got it for about $200; and another son-in-law, 

 Mr. L. W. Boyden, has recently purchased a 

 beautiful electric auto that looked almost 

 new, for only $200, th*t must have cost at 

 first toward $1000. The reason these were 

 offered at such a sacrifice is the expense of 

 storing and maintenance of the batteries, 

 where one has no storage-plant of his own. 

 The expense of renewing tne storage batter- 

 ies when they are used up, either by exces- 

 sive use or bad management, is very heavy. 

 One more reason why electricity can not 

 take the place of gasoline is the great weight 

 of the batteries — something near half a ton 

 — in order to have power enough to run over 

 ordinary country roads. It is estimated that, 

 when the batteries are full, they are good 

 for about forty miles; but if a shower comes 

 up and the roads get muddy, you may use 

 up the stored-up power in running only 

 twenty miles, or perhaps only half that. This 

 i.s the main reason why gasoline has taken 



