1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



105 



wonder what he expects to accomplish. Does 

 he not know that this, coming from a represent- 

 ative beekeeper, w\\\ g\vi' comiovi to glucose- 

 mixers? This idea in one way seems plausible, 

 and we are sorry to see that one or two good 

 men agree with him. 



Saloon-keepers do not like temperance agita- 

 tion, because they fear it will damage their bu- 

 siness — if not immediately, at some future lime. 

 Honey-adulterators would like nothing better 

 than to feel that their fabrications could not be 

 detected from the genuine; and when we talk 

 about ways and means by which they can be 

 found out, they don't like it. Ap<ithy, and a 

 sc7i.se of (nir helplessness, is just what these 

 evil-doers most desire. 



There is a way to fight this evil of adultera- 

 tion, and we can stem the tide of it, even if we 

 can't put it down all at once. If we can not 

 prosecute, we can give the names of the adul- 

 terators such wide publicity that the sale of 

 their mixed goods will stop. See page 63. We 

 affirm that the art of chemistry has now reach- 

 ed that state whereby satisfactory analysis for 

 glucose can be made. We have only to point 

 to the tests which Prof. Cook made upon three 

 of the best chemists of the United States, with 

 the result that they successfully detected every 

 glucosed sample; and we pointed out on p. 63 of 

 our last issue the simple alcoholic test; and the 

 test by tasting is pretty reliable. 



We happen to know that there is a considera- 

 ble amount of adulteration, and it is being fos- 

 tered by just such sentiments as Mr. Heddon 

 gives expression to. This glucose-mixing is be- 

 coming more and more common under the apa- 

 thy and sense of helplessness on the part of the 

 bee-keepers, and the pure product of their hon- 

 est toil has to compete with stuff so cheap that 

 good honey has but little show, and so vile in 

 quality that consumers say if that is honey they 

 will never buy another drop. 



Now we leave the question with our readers. 

 If they want us to stop this "hue and cry" 

 against glucose, drop us a line to that effect. 

 We are quite willing to refer this question to 

 the mass of our intelligent readers. 



THE PKOFESSOB S ECONOMICAI. SECRETS. 



The above is the title of a little book of 104 

 pages — small pages at that. It purports to be 

 *' valuable secrets in regard to new methods of 

 farming." We quote from the circular: 



By request of hundreds of farmers, from all over 

 this count ry and Canada, the Professor's Secrets are 

 now pul)li8lied, and ready for distribution. 



The price lias been reduced from $5.00 to $3.00 per 

 copy. 



As a book it is very small, not flUing- a large pock- 

 et. 



As secrets— entirely "New Methods" in the educa- 

 tion it g-ives— it is tlie bigsrest instructor ever print- 

 ed— "a little wonder," tilling the largest barns, gran- 

 aries, and cellais, and that tills the purse, and the 

 purse fills the pocket. 



It raises mucli bigger crops than the old way, and 

 does it with much less lalior; kills the vermin and 

 weeds in advance las the housekeeper kills the bed- 



bugs, tlie lice, and iUv.is in advance): guards against 

 di'outlis and wet seasons in advance; instructs how 

 to destroy Canadii thistles (at littn- or no cost); liow 

 to clear land of lirusli and thurns, witliout any cost 

 at all; how to raise 4(Hi to 60(1 buslielsof potatoes per 

 acre without hotting or weeding; how to r:iise 1000 

 Inishels of onions per acre; how to raise 200 to 400 

 bushels of strawberries per acre; how to sow winter 

 wtieat so that it will not winter-kill, nor turn into 

 chess, and produce a full crop. 



Since I have given all the above free adver- 

 tising, our friend should not complain. I may 

 say, briefly, the plan of banishing the weeds is 

 to plow shallow, and cultivate repeatedly, as 

 soon as the crop is off, mi til all the seeds germi- 

 nate; then plow quite deeply and turn them 

 under just before frost. The same process is to 

 get rid of insects and vermin. Canada thistles, 

 brambles, etc., are disposed of by scattering 

 corn, etc., and getting hogs to root tliem up. 

 The method of draining your land without us- 

 ing tile is by surface drainage. Go on your 

 ground after a rain, and draw the water off 

 wherever you lind it standing. Now, most of 

 these things are good; but ihey are all more or 

 less in general use, and none of them come any- 

 where near accomplishing the things claimed 

 for them. 



The new method of sowing and planting is to 

 have every thing in straight rows, and do your 

 cultivating by horse power. Effect of drouth 

 is obviated by constant stirring of the surface 

 of the soil. But what agricultural journals 

 are there in the world that have not been ad- 

 vocating these methods year in and year out? 

 The new method of making hay is to cut it to- 

 ward night. If it rains during the night or 

 next morning, the rain will be on grass and not 

 on hay. I hardly need say that this is neither 

 new, nor is it exactly true. The Professor says 

 rain does not hurt grass when standing or cut. 

 Some farmers may agree with him, but I think 

 not very many. The new method of sowing win- 

 ter wheat so it will not turn to chess (?) is simply 

 by having so many furrows to carry off the wa- 

 ter that the wheat can not be injured by so much 

 wet, in connection with the cold weather in the 

 spring, as to cause it to turn to chess. 



The whole book is but little better than a 

 humbug and swindle— that is, if one buys it 

 with the expectation of getting any thing like 

 what is claimed out of it. Furthermore, at 

 least half of it is occupied by a very illiterate 

 tirade against the political abuses of the day. 



Besides the above '"secrets," another smaller 

 pamphlet of 20 pag s, very large coarse print, is 

 offered for 81.00. This is entitled "The Pro- 

 fessor's Economical Secrets, or New Method of 

 Saving the Potato Crop from Blight, Scab, and 

 Rot." I suppo.sed it would probably have some 

 hint of new methods by using Bordeaux mix- 

 ture or corrosive sublimate— not a word, how- 

 ever. Probably theauthorneverheard of them. 

 He commences by declaring that blight, scab, 

 and rot, are caused by the hot sun. Potatoes 

 grown in the shade, or in partial shade, are af- 

 fected by neither; therefore the great secret for 

 which we are to pay a dollar consists in planting 

 potatoes in rows running east and west; but 

 every other row is to be cor/i. The corn shades 

 the potatoes, keeps off the hot sun, thereby pre- 

 venting blight, and the rootsof the corn take up 

 the surplus moisture, thereby preventing rot. As 

 scab is also the effect of the aforesaid heat, the 

 row of corn is also to prevent scab. 



I do not know how many of the friends have 

 been misled or humbugged by these flaming 

 circulars. I only know that the Professor has 

 received Cc'.OO of my money. There is nothing 

 in either of them worth copying. The older 

 readers of Gleanings already know the posi- 

 tion I have stoutly maintained for years past, 

 that valuable information is never to be found 



