NOVEMBER 1, 1913 



IT 



SPECIAL NOTICES 



A. I. Root 



OUR LITTLE BOOK, " THE TRUTH ABOUT SWEET 

 CLOVER." 



Many of you may like to know what sort of recep- 

 tion the book is getting. Well, the clerk who has 

 charge of that department just informed me that 49 

 applications came in yesterday, October 20, for the 

 book. The greater part of them came from Oklahoma. 



HOME-SEEKERS' EXCURSION TO FLORIDA. 

 In . answer to many inquiries, permit me to say 

 that on Nov. 4 there will be an excursion from Cleve- 

 land to Bradentown, Fla., and many other points in 

 that State, at the low price for the round trip of 

 only $35.50. This includes the return trip with 25 

 days' limit. The same low fare may be had every 

 first and third Tuesday. You local agent will be 

 able to give you prices at your place and further 

 liarticulars. If, however, you wish to stay all winter, 

 :is we do, it will cost you about one-half more. Mrs. 

 Root and I are planning to start Nov. 4. 



THE HIGH COST OF LIVING AND THE CHICKEN 

 BUSINESS. 



There are a good many people who do not seem tc 

 understand that there are two sides to the matter 

 when things go " a soaring " that people must have. 

 For instance, when my good friend the grocer tells 

 mc that eggs are down to 20 cts., instead of being 

 up to 40, I try to look pleasant and tell him while it 

 is bad for me it is good for poor people who want 

 eggs, and I try to feel glad, even if my chickens 

 temporarily almost fail to pay for their feed. And 

 along this same line I presume we chicken folks 

 ought not to feel glad when the price goes up to 40 

 cts. or more. And it is not myself alone, but there 

 are many folks, especially in these latter days, who 

 hfve more or less chickens in their back yard, and 

 these people often have eggs to sell; and it is cer- 

 tainly a good thing for these humble, hard-working 

 people when they get a good price — I might even 

 say a big price — for eggs and chickens. If the peo- 

 ple who run around with their expensive automo- 

 biles were obliged to pay a dollar for fresh eggs for 

 breakfast, and if the dollar all went into the pocket 

 of the workingman, it is not so very bad after all. 

 The poultry back of the little home gathers up the 

 fragments from the table so that nothing is lost. 

 And while we are about it I think it pays to have 

 a bone-mill so as to grind up the bones that might 

 otherwise be "kicking around;" and you can gener 

 ally make arrangements with your butcher to let you 

 have the bones and gristly pieces of meat that help 

 along a big lot. The manufacturers of these bone- 

 mills have some very pretty little books containing 

 valuable suggestions to poultry-keepers, which they 

 send out free of cost. The F. W. Mann Co., Milford, 

 Mass., have advertised with us for many years, and 

 I always enjoy getting a little pamphlet in regard 

 to their bone-cutter. If you have not seen one, you 

 had better send for it. In rearing little chicks and 

 ducks it is almost impossible to get the best results 

 without a certain amount of ground meat; besides the 

 satisfaction it gives to see the little darlings chase 

 euch other around the yard for this thing that their 

 nature seems really to demand to help make bones 

 and feathers. 



" POPCORN FOR THE HOME. ' 



The above is the title of Farmers' Bulletin 553, 

 and may be had free of change on application to the 

 Department of Agriculture, Washington. I have long 

 been aware that popcorn is a valuable and healthful 

 article of food — that is, if grown on the farm and 

 popped by the farmer's children. If you buy it on 

 the streets at the popcorn stands or wagons, it is too 

 much of a roundabout way to " reduce the high cost 

 of living." If the farmer's children grow it in the 

 garden and pop it themselves it is not only a short 

 cut from " producer to consumer," but the " pro- 

 ducers" in this case do not, as a rule, command very 

 big wages. In our family of seven children, years 

 ago, popcorn ground in a coffee-mill and eaten with 

 milk used to be a favorite article of diet, and I be- 

 lieve now I would rather have it than any of the 

 cereals put up in packages to be had at our gro- 

 cer iv-. 



I think it will pay you to send for this bulletin. 



It tells just how to manage popcorn to the best 

 advantage, discusses and pictures the various corn 

 poppers, including a home-made one that could be 

 made by any boy, etc. 



You will notice I liave spoken rather discourag- 

 ingly about buying your popcorn at the popcorn- 

 wagon — ^that is, if you wish to reduce the high cost 

 of living; but if the boy on the farm who raises the 

 corn chouses to pop it and carry it to market, that 

 is turning the whole matter around the other way. 

 When I am riding on the cars I am always glad to 

 see the " popcorn " boys, and I trj' to have some 

 nickels ready so as to buy a package of corn, wheth- 

 er I want it or not. One reason why I do not eat it 

 myself, instead of giving it to some hungry urchin 

 on the cars, is because I know it is not best for me 

 (an old man) to eat any thing, not even popcorn, 

 between meals. If I can get hold of a package at 

 breakfast or dinnertime, then the popcorn is all 

 right ; but it needs to be chewed very thoroughly. 

 Do not forget that, if you have to be careful about 

 what you eat. By the way, this bulletin reminds me 

 of something I had almost forgotten. There are a 

 great many varieties of popcorn. They tell us the 

 seedsmen catalog as many as two dozen, and some 

 of them are beautifully colored. These little ears of 

 colored corn always please the children. God bless 

 the boys (and girls) who like the fun of helping to 

 grow different kinds of popcorn in their own gar- 

 den; and after it is grown, boys and girls who help 

 to reduce the high cost of living by popping it them- 

 selves in their own home. 



Convention Notices 



The New Y'ork State Association of Beekeepers' 

 Societies will hold its next annual meeting in Roch- 

 ester, Dec. 2 and 3, 1913. We expect to have the 

 usual good time renewing old acquaintances and 

 forming new ones, and learning from the advice and 

 experience of those working in our chosen field. All 

 those interested in beekeeping are urged to be pres- 

 ent. You can not afford to stay away, as we often 

 ge: advice free that will bring us many dollars. 



Camillus, N. Y. Irving Kinyon, Sec. 



The 23d annual meeting of the -Illinois State Bee- 

 keepers' Association will be held at the State House, 

 November 5 and 6, 1913. 



Good hotel accommodations can be had at the New 

 Argus Hotel, 214 S. 4th St., European plan, rooms 

 50 cts. and up. 



Our President, E. J. Baxter, of Nauvoo, 111., will 

 preside. No formal program. The question-box will 

 be made a leading feature, coupled with the reading 

 of prize essays, as follows : $5, $4, $3, and $2 for 

 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th best essays — not to exceed 500 

 words, and to be read by the parties writing them. 



Wliile it is not defined, it is supposed the parties 

 are to be beekeepers, or members of beekeepers' 

 families. There are to be no arguments on the 

 papers read, and no criticisms; and when all read, 

 they will be passed upon by a ballot of the members 

 of the association, as shall be directed by the con- 

 vention. 



This has been a fairly good year with beekeepers, 

 and we hope to see them show how thankful they are 

 by coming out and telling it to their fellow-members. 



Miss Stewart, of Chicago, whom we had last year, 

 will be our reporter, and we hope every one who at- 

 tends will feel inspired to say something good for 

 her to catch for our thirteenth annual report. 



We want a good number to answer roll-call in a 

 picture for those members who do not attend to pass 

 judgment on. 



James A. Stone, Secretary. 



FLORID.i A " correct KNOWLEDGE " OF IT. 



Y'ou are doing the best work imaginable, friend 

 Root, in spreading a correct knowledge of what can 

 be done and what not, in our grand old Florida. 



DeLand, Fla., Oct. 17. Edw. G. Baldwin. 



The A. I. Root Co.: — I had very good luck with 

 my bees this summer, getting over 800 sections nice 

 honey, besides what we used ; over 700 sections fin- 

 ished and sealed. I had four swarms, spring count, 

 increasing to nine this summer. 



Ohio City, Oct. 2. F. Q. Pknnkll. 



