19U'J 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



U19 



HIGH-PRESSURE 

 GARDENING 



By A. I. Root 



SWEET CLOVER ON THE HILLS OF SOUTHERN 

 OHIO. 



It is amazing when we see how some peo- 

 ple and even some localities still insist that 

 sweet clover is a noxious weed — as if any 

 clover of any kind could ever be consid- 

 ered "noxious." We clip the following from 

 the National Stockman and Farmer: 



SWEET-CLOVER EXPERIENCE. 



In June, 1908, we mixed our alfalfa seed by adding 

 equal carts in volume of sweet clover, supposedly of 

 the yellow-flowerins variety, but really the while. 

 This mixture was sown on a well- prepared site, and in 

 due time gave promise of a good stand. In October, 

 1908, it was very difficult to find a single stalk of the 

 sweet clover, and it seemed to be a weakling. Early in 

 April, 1909, on examination I found quite a good many 

 stalks on the low land bordering a small run. These 

 stalks then were several inches higher than the alfal- 

 fa. By May 1 the sweet clover was a foot higher, and 

 had thrown out a great many tillers, or laterals, and 

 looked as if it would smother out the alfalfa. The 

 first week in June the alfalfa was ready to be harvest- 

 ed; but weather conditions, both overhead and under- 

 foot, were so bad that I was unable to cut the mixture 

 until most of the alfalfa leaves had fallen and the 

 sweet clover was in bloom. At this time the alfalfa 

 ranired from two to three feet in height, and the sweet 

 clover five to nine. We finally did get it mowed and 

 pul in the barn. Now as to effects: Where the sweet 

 clover was thiyk it had smothered out the alfalfa, crab 

 grass, wild onion, and last, but not least, the sorrel. 

 With all the rains, not a stalk of any of these weeds in 

 sweet clover or alfalfa is to be seen at the present 

 writing. The remainder of the plat has a good stand 

 of alfalfa, with a lew of all the above-mentioned weeds 

 save wild onion. 



Where caustic lime was applied (experimentally), 

 and the alfalfa killed, the sweet clover was very rank, 

 thus indicating that it will stand much heavier appli- 

 cations than alfalfa. In the latter part of March, 1909, 

 we purchased two bushels of seed of the yellow-bloom- 

 ing variety, which is two weeks earlier in maturing; 

 has more foliage, and not so bitter as the white, but 

 not so strong a grower. This, with a bushel of the re- 

 ally white, was sown on four acres of wheat at two 

 different periods, March 6 and April 6. At that time a 

 mixture of equal parts of alsike and mammoth clover 

 was sown in addition on the sites of the corn-shocks. 

 At harvest tim.e I did not see twenty stalks of sweet 

 clover, and that was confined to two or three shock- 

 sites ; but the a'sike, etc., had made a wonderful 

 growth. Aug. 9 the wheat stubble was clipped. The 

 clovers were thick and high; but I saw no more sweet 

 than when the wheat was cut. My brother sowed four 

 bushels of sweet clover in April on a well-prepared 

 site, and reports a good stand. In Bracken and other 

 Ohio River counties in Kentucky the yellow-blooming 

 variety is sown on the limestone hills for pasture and 

 a cover crop with splendid results. As a soil-builder, 

 for plowing under, and smothering out weeds, it cer- 

 tainly has a very great value in many places; but we 

 will sow no more with alfalfa nor with a nurse crop, 

 but on a well-prepared site on tired land. As to its 

 value for hay and pasture, we will write later from ac- 

 tual experience. 



Clermont Co., O. L. Roi'DEBUSH. 



In another place attention has been called 

 to the fact that the tomato was once thought 

 to be unfit to eat; and now there is hardly 

 any one vegetable that has called forth such 

 a great industry, for the tomato is found 

 canned on the shelves of all our groceries 

 all over the world, winter and summer. 

 When the value of sweet clover for all kinds 

 of stock is known, and when it is known 

 that it is, perhaps, the best clover grown for 

 improving poor soil, it may develop into 



something as valuable for farmers as the to- 

 mato has proved to be for cooking and food. 



YELLOW SWEET CLOVER IN K.\NSAS FROM SOWINGS 

 MADE IN THE SPRING AND FALL. 



I will give you a little of my experience with yellow 

 sweet clover. After reading that man's article from 

 Western Iowa iMr. Coverdalei, I thought I would sow 

 some for pasture as well aS for bees. I got three pecks 

 from a neighbor for $3.50, and sowed part in August, 

 1908, in an eaten-out place of my alfalfa pasture. I 

 disked it in with the disk, and leveled it down with the 

 harrow. It came up and was in bloom in May, and 

 did finely. In the middle of the day it was covered 

 with bees, and made fine pasture for my horses and 

 milch cows. I tried some this spring sown with rye. 

 It came up, and I have a fine stand; but it has not 

 bloomed yet, but will soon, so I can have two crops of 

 bloom from it by sowing one in spring and one in the 

 fall. I have 35 stands of bees, and they are making 

 lots of honey. JOHN W. WILSON. 



Concordia, Kan., July 27. 



WONDERBERRIES AND GARDEN HUCKLEBERRIES. O 



Mr. A. I. Root: — We have grown some of the wonder 

 plants, and fruited them in the greenhouse. We ate 

 the berries for sauce, and they were as good as huckle- 

 berries, and looked just like them. Last week we had 

 some of the large berries that Stenog had, in a pie, and 

 it was the nicest berry pie / ever tasted. I ate one ber- 

 rie raw, and it was quite acrid. You gave me a kudzu 

 "vine," and I was surprised, as you were, at the way 

 it matured, and the berries looked to me just like the 

 deadly nightshade berries I saw when a child. So I 

 took £Oorf care of them. What a joke on me! lam 

 writing this to send you this clipping, which you may 

 not tiave noticed. It is from the Cleveland Press, and 

 I enjoyed it so much I will pass it on to you. I hope 

 we may have more of the berries. 



Medina, O., Sept. 18. Lu A. Washburn. 



The above is from a lady who was, years 

 ago, a clerk in our office. Below is the ex- 

 tract referred to from the Cleveland Press; 



HAVING V\m WITH BURBANK. 



We have been so in the habit of bowing at the shrine 

 of Luther Burbank, the nature wonder-worker, that 

 we are just a little tickled to see the tempest in a tea- 

 pot which rages about his new fruit, the sunberry — or, 

 as the man who bought the rights calls it, the "won- 

 derberry." 



Burbank, " all on a summer's day," took a coup'e of 

 wild plants belongingto the potato family, one of them 

 a native of West Africa, and one of Western America, 

 both of which bore unedible berries, and crossed them. 

 At least that's what he thought he did. and so said. 

 The result was an entirely new plant, breeding true 

 from the seed, and bearing a berry which Mr. Burbank 

 himself pronounces "delicious, wholesome, and 

 healthful," in the greatest profusion. He turned the 

 plant over to a conmiercial horticulturist— for a con- 

 sideration, it is presumed— and the grantee proceeded 

 to advertise and sell it from Dan to Beersheba, and up 

 to the hilt. 



It seems as if every fanner in the United States is 

 from Missouri. They began calling attention to the 

 fact that the wonderberry wasn't up to catalog de- 

 scription. A farm paper of national reputation made 

 the assertion that this "wonder" was nothing more 

 nor less than the ordinary black nightshade. Bur- 

 bank hung up $10,000 for any one who will prove that 

 statement. "The able editor claims that he has proved 

 it. 



But, after all, why mourn? May be, as Burbank 

 says, the berry is "delicious, wholesome, and health- 

 ful" — even if it is nightshade. The tomato is a sola- 

 num, too, and used to be thought poisonous. Our fore- 

 mothers grew it in their flower-beds, and called it the 

 " love-apple " — which shows the opinion they pretend- 

 ed to have of love— but that's another story. The 

 point is that the tomato was found to be edible, then 

 the world went crazy about it, and now it is a staple 

 and most delicious food. Thousands of people make 

 millions of dollars growing this once-despised sola- 

 num. 



Now the black nightshade, which people declare is 

 identical with Burbank's "wonderberry," is not the 

 " deadly nightshade," or belladonna, though most peo- 

 ple think it is, and shun its berries accordingly. The 



