70 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



in any other -way. Grain was bought from the ordi- 

 nary supply houses at ordinary prices; but it was 

 carefully examined for quality, and bought only 

 from the firm that gave the best value for the mon- 

 ey. Fowls were healthy and in good condition, and 

 in the breeding season Leghorns and Minorcas gave 

 eggs 85 to 90 per cent fertile. No grit was ever 

 purchased, as we had a gravel-pit on the place 

 which met all our needs for young and old stock. 

 There were small economies in other directions which 

 totaled to a tidy sum at the end of the year. 



In this connection it might be useful to remember 

 that in Britain two cents per week per head is the 

 usual cost allowance for feeding a hen, and grain 

 is generally dearer there than in America, especially 

 corn (maize). But friend Head must be reminded 

 that no method or system of feeding, however good, 

 will of itself keep down cost. The man on the job is 

 the only person who can do that in a poultry-yard. 

 Victory depends not so much on the gun as on the 

 man behind it. He is the key to the situation. 



Philadelphia, Pa. Prbdebick Martin. 



SHALL WE KILL OFF ALL HAWKS INDISCRIMINATELY 

 BECAUSE SOME OF THEM "KILL CHICKENS"? 



Mr. Root: — Inasmuch as you published in your 

 department a column letter devoted to the most un- 

 reasonable criticism of Dr. A. E. Fisher and myself, 

 and then followed it with your own endorsement 

 (page 751, 1909), I wish to present to you the evi- 

 dence, just now published, on which my defense of 

 the hawks is based. I never have defended all spe- 

 cies of hawks indiscriminately, and I was surprised 

 that, with your usu»l spirit of fairness, you should 

 give' your endorsement to such an article, especially 

 when the writer's own language showed that his 

 conviction was based on his prejudice rather than 

 on an investigation of the subject. Dr. Fisher stands 

 high as a scientist, and those who are making such 

 vigorous attacks upon him are, without exception, 

 men who have made no investigation of the subject, 

 and thus expose their own ignorance. The average 

 person does not know one hawk from another, and 

 tliere is prejudice enough against them without a 

 journal with such a wide influence as yours adding 

 to it. I feel that, after giving the weeks of time 

 necessary to carry out this investigation, the evi- 

 dence gathered ought to carry some weight against 

 a fellow who manifestly knows nothing of birds of 

 prey further than that he has seen a hawk kill 

 chickens. 



Let me say that I have read your department 

 with pleasure for years, and enjoyed it too. Wher- 

 ever I come in contact with beekeepers I hear good 

 words, not only for the magazine as a whole, but 

 for your department especially. I am glad for its 

 influence, and for the fact that you have endeavored 

 to use your influence always for the right. 



Prank C. Pellett, Inspector. 



Office of State Bee Inspector, Atlantic, la., Nov. 12. 



I hereby apologize to friend Pellett. 

 Where a hawk has " acquired the habit " 

 of killing chickens, no doubt it should be 

 killed; but our best authorities are of late 

 coming to the conclusion that we often find 

 ourselves in a worse fix when we hastily 

 carry the war of extermination too far. 

 Witness the history of sweet clover, etc. 



HOW HOT DOES IT GET IN FLORIDA.' 



I notice in Gleanings that D. W. Abbott says 

 that on Oct. 15 it was 95 at 5 p. m., and 89 at 7:30. 

 This may give your readers the impression that we 

 are living very close to Hades. Now, Ten Broeck 

 says in the journal that on that day the minimum 



was 72 and maximum 88. Who is right? I should 

 say Ten Broeck. I don't think the thermometer has 

 been higher than 94 all this summer. 



Bradentown, Fla., Nov. 11. J. W. Bannehr. 



Our readers will notice that there is a 

 disagreement in the above of 6 degrees. 

 Our neighbor Ten Broeck is a government 

 weather reporter; has standard government 

 instruments, and is probably very nearly 

 correct ; but as he is himself just now 

 "under the weather" he may not have noted 

 the warmest record of the day in question. 

 Another thing: At one time we had our 

 thermometer hanging in the woodshed; and 

 as it didn't agree with his we gave him no- 

 tice, and he directed us to place our instru- 

 ment on the north wall of our house. This 

 made quite a difference. Friend Abbott is 

 out in woods, or clearing, rather, about two 

 miles from here, and he may not have had 

 a standard instrument. 



Now, there is just one more thing to add. 

 People who live here, especially if they 

 liave real estate to sell, are very backward, 

 as a rule, in admitting any thing deroga- 

 tory to their locality, such as "redbugs" 

 and other insect pests, for example. 



Many thanks to my good friend Bannehr 

 for calling our attention to the matter. 



"stop SENDING YOUR PAPER." 



Tlie following letter explains itself: 



Dear Sirs: — Please stop sending your paper. 

 I do not want to be insulted every time I get a 

 copy of it. I am drinking and smoking, and I 

 like it, and do not feel like paying for any thing 

 that is against my pleasure and the liberty of the 

 land. 



Big Wells, Texas, Sept. 28. E. Ziegast. 



With the great mass of kind words that 

 come like snowflakes from January till De- 

 cember, once in a while we get something 

 like the above. The good brother who 

 writes it evidently comes from foreign 

 shores. We judge so by liis name and 

 also because he seems to think the crusade 

 for temperance is a restraint on "personal 

 liberty." We are sorry to part company 

 with him; but judging from past experi- 

 ence we think the time may come when 

 he will feel like saying, if he does not say 

 it right out, "Brother Root, I am convinced 

 now that you were right and I was wrong." 



A DOCTOR WHO HAS NO USE FOB ALCOHOL. 



I began the practice of medicine ~in 1866; was 

 taught that alcohol is a stimulant, and used it 

 for several years, but always with disappointment, 

 and quit its use entirely for other means from which 

 I could see stimulating effects which I never saw 

 from alcohol. "Wine is a mocker, and whosoever 

 is deceived thereby is not wise." 



Oxford, Col., Aug. 23. S. W. MoEEiSOir. 



