NOVEMBER 15, 1912 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



which feed upon the seeds. Now, there is nothing 

 irritating in the seed itself, because the activity 

 of powdered mustard is brought out only by the 

 addition of water, and therefore these little birds 

 could feed upon the seeds with impunity. This ex- 

 plains the parable which was uttered on this very 

 shore of the Sea of Galilee." 



As you will notice, it is a comment on 

 the 31st verse of the 4th chajDter of Mark. 

 Note also the statement that the mustard 

 grows to a mammoth size on account of an 

 "abundance of sulphur." Now, there is 

 so much sulphur in the artesian well water 

 in Florida that it is otfensive to most peo- 

 ple. Well, I have before remarked in re- 

 gard to the wonderful growth of various 

 kinds of mustard in Florida. In fact, all 

 the Brassica family seem to flourish with- 

 out anj^ fertilization. No doubt the wild 

 birds feed on the mustard with impunity; 

 and here is a hint explaining the fondness 

 of domestic fowls for mustard in any shape 

 whatever; and I am sure this same mustard 

 is not only conducive to their growth, but 

 it is also conducive to a large yield of 

 eggs. Feed your chickens green mustard, 

 all they will eat ; and when you can not 

 get green mustard, give them mustard in 

 their mash, and they will reward you with 

 an abundance of eggs; and not only that, 

 but eggs that are strongly fertile. 



A PERAMBULATING POULTRY ESTABLISHMENT. 



Our friend Philo has made quite a sen- 

 sation, not only throughout the poultry 

 world, but throughout the general world, 

 in developing and demonstrating the feasi- 

 bility of growing our own eggs in the 

 back yard. Well, the letter following goes 

 a step further, and suggests that when you 

 want to take a pleasure excursion through 

 the country, or when you wish to migrate 

 from one State to another, you can just 

 load your chickens into the wagon with 

 your household effects, and have fresh eggs 

 right along on your trip, wthout any profit 

 going to the middleman. Eead the fol- 

 lowing interesting letter and see if I am not 

 right about it : 



I brought 20 White Wyandotte hens with me 

 from my old home in Pueblo Co., Colorado. We 

 came by wagon through the Pan Handle of Texas, 

 and were on the way from May 6 to July 2. 

 They were in perfect health all the way, and made 

 a good egg record (we kept strict account), and 

 are still doing all that hens can do. Since we 

 stopped traveling they have wanted to sit, and 

 have hatched 41 chickens, 40 of which are liv- 

 ing, and are sturdy and fine-looking. We can 

 raise chickens each month* in the year here. Our 

 soil is rich in lime, potash, and magnesia, but 

 it lacks humus and nitrogen. We are thinking 

 of trying sweet clover. People here have never 

 seen it, and do not know what it is. This is 

 a peculiar mountain-plateau or high valley — 3000 

 feet. It seems strange and dreary to us; but we 

 must live here for a while. The climatic condi- 

 tions and the water from the big government 

 spring are all that was claimed for them. Our 

 minister said last Sunday, "Your country is like 



the Holy Land in many respects." Our grain 

 crop here is maize. One little seed will bring 

 several short stalks, each producing a head com- 

 posed of many grains — often a "hundred fold." 

 Fort Stockton, Texas. Mary M. McKalup. 



My good friend, I not only rejoice that 

 your biddies kept on laying on that long 

 trip of 57 days, but to know that you are 

 attending church in your new home, and 

 that you have found an abiding-place like 

 unto the Promised Land. I should like to 

 know more about that kind of maize that 

 yields, many times, a "hundred fold." 



THE "potter system," ETC. 



I laughed right out aloud when I read of your 

 opinion of the way Potter does business. I want 

 to say a few words in regard to that system. The 

 system is all right in a good many cases, and no 

 doubt Potter ought to have some credit for having 

 his little doUar book printed; but I don't believe 

 he ought to have the credit for originating the 

 "system" or discovering it. I also bought his book 

 some five or six years ago for $1.00; and when 

 I received it I read it; and, after finishing it, I 

 sat down and laughed, not because there was any- 

 thing comical in that booklet, but simply because 

 I was foolish enough to pay $1.00 for something 

 I had known for years, or long before I 

 had ever seen a poultry paper or a system adver- 

 tisement, and I have read poultry papers now off 

 and on for some 16 or 17 years. I am 34. When 

 I was seven or eight years old my mother would 

 have us children go into the coop with her and 

 catch the hens for her ; she would test them in the 

 Potter-system fashion, and would tell us which 

 hens would lay and which would not. Then we 

 would pen up the layers ahd let the others run 

 at large. Especially would she do this mostly in 

 the spring, when the chickens would commence to 

 steal nests under buildings and woods. 



I have invested in two such systems, and have 

 heard or known of those same things before, so 

 I have quit that part of the purchasing end of 

 the poultry business, and find I am money ahead 

 by using a little common sense with good whole- 

 some food and less "system," so called. 



Julius F. Ripczinski. 



Minneapolis, Minn., March 12. 



CHICKENS — FREEING THE]\t FROM VERMIN BY 

 GIVING SULPHUR IN THEIR FEED. 



Some time ago I expressed some doubt 

 about sulphur having any effect on ver-^ 

 min when fed to chickens. In reply the 

 folloM'ing comes to us from away off in 

 South Africa : 



Mr. A. I. Root once wondered if sulphur in the 

 food of chickens could clear them of vermin. Let 

 him take (eat) daily for a few days a dose of 

 sulphur in any form, and soon he will find his sil- 

 ver money, silver watch, or pencil-case, etc., black- 

 ened by the sulphur-gas compound emanating from 

 his sweat. 



Potchefstromm, S. Africa, Sept. 15. J. E. Dyer. 



INDIAN RUNNER AND PEKIN DUCKS. 



I have eleven of the Indian Runner ducklings 

 three weeks old. I hope they will lay in winter ; 

 but our winter here is so much colder than yours, 

 possibly they will not do so well. 



I have two yearling Pekin ducks which have 

 laid to date 222 eggs. The first egg was laid 

 February 23, which I think compares very favor- 

 ably with the Runners. Last year they averaged 

 89 eggs each, and I have read in duck literature 

 they are not profitable the second year. 



Knowlton, Que., June 27. S. M. Bullard. 



