180 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Mar. 



CULTIVATION. 



The cultivation which the raspberry should have 

 is not dift'erent, especially during' the first year, 

 Troni what corn ought to have; aud the implements 

 commonly used in corn culture, with possibly the 

 exception of those plows which work both sides of 

 a row at once, arc suitable for the raspberry-patch. 

 We have not used any thing- but the hoe and the 

 common double shovtl plow— g-oing- over the plan- 

 tation once with the former, aud about three times 

 with the latter each year. In the first year it may 

 1)6 necessary to use the cultivator as late as Aug- 

 ust, but after the first year we have not cultivated 

 later than the latter part of June. While deep cul- 

 tivation close to the plants will doubtless be injuri- 

 ous by destroying and mutilating- many of the roots, 

 we feel sure that moderately deep cultivation at a 

 little distance from the plants has not injured our 

 plantation. 



PUUXIXG BLACK CAPS. 



AVhen the young- plant is set in autumn or early 

 spring, it has no top except a few inches of the old 

 cane frt)m which it was proijagated; but in due 

 time it will send up one or more young shoots; and 

 when these have attained a height of from ]~' to IS 

 inches we pinch out the tops. 'I'his pinching- out of 

 the tops stops the ui)wai-d growth, and causes the 

 plant to throw out several laterals; and in the fol- 

 lowing March these laterals are cut back to from 10 

 to '~0 inches in length. This pinchiiig-out of the 

 tops in summer (about the first of June), and cut- 

 ting back of the laterals the Jnext spring together, 

 after the first year, with the cutting-out of the 

 worn-out dead canes, which may lie removed eith- 

 er directly after the fruit has been gathered from 

 Ihera, or at the time of the regular pruning the next 

 spring, is the amount of pruning retiuired to keep 

 the plantation in nice order. A child ten years old 

 can pinch out the tops in summer, and a girl of 

 twelve years did the work of cutting back the later- 

 als on one acre last spring. I think a good active 

 man ••nn cut back the laterals, cut out the old dead 

 canes, carry out and burn the rubbish of an acre, 

 in about three days. 



r.ATHEltlNC. Tin; I'KUIT. 



Berries should not be picked when wet with dew 

 or rain. J'hey should be picked without being- 

 mashed, and put into quart baskets as picked, and 

 the baskets should be free from unripe or imper- 

 fect berries and leaves; they should contain noth- 

 ing- but dry, ripe clean fruit. In the summer of 

 188.") we had one girl who could, und^r favorable cir- 

 cumstances, pick 100 qts. in a day; but hpr best 

 average for a week was 6:,' gts. The iirice of pick- 

 ing- is one and a half to two cents per ([t.. the pick- 

 ers boarding- themselves. Tn this section of coun- 

 try the selling price of berries during- the past sea- 

 son ranged from 15 ets. to f>^ cts. per qt. The bulk 

 of the crop sold at much nearer the latter than the 

 former. 



YIELD OK HONKV. 



I don't know liow much honey tin" bees can get 

 from an acre of Gregg raspberries, but I know that 

 for ten or more days, about the last of May and 

 first of June, they just swarm over the raspberry- 

 patch from early in the morning till late in the eve- 

 ning. The Gregg raspberrj- blooms with the locust, 

 aud the honey gathered from these two sources is 

 a superior article, both In color and in flavor; and 

 some that T extracted June 7, 1881, has not yet can- 



I live in a farming community, at a considerable 

 distance from the railroad, and from large towns. 

 No one about cere thought of buying berries, or of 

 growing them for sale, and I supposed that I 

 should have to evaporate mine and scud them to 

 market that way. Now for the result. Last sum- 

 mer we sold about 100 bushels to persons who came 

 to the yard after them, and some days it took near- 

 ly half of mj' time to explain to would-be customers 

 that it was impossible to let them have berries. 

 Some of the men near Sleubenville pick and sell 

 about 100 bushels a day. 



In conclusion, 1 wish to say that it will not jiay lo 

 write to inc about jflants. I have none to sell. 



ti. Springfield, O,, Jan. 26. H. M. UEYXoLns. 



Wliy, fiieiid 11., you almo.st take our 

 breath away. As many bushels ot rasp- 

 berries to tli'e acre as farmers get bushels of 

 corn, ami tlie raspberries are wortli about 

 three or four dollars a bushel, while the corn 

 is worth tiiirty or forty cents; The trouble 

 is, however, that men wlio raise corti. for 

 some reason or other could not or would not 

 raise raspberries. I am astonished again to 

 know that you found a home market for 

 lUU bushels of raspberries. This is a good 

 deal like establishing a home market for 

 comb honey in many i)laces. The facts you 

 give us are very valuable indeed : but it 

 still seems to me'that ground that will grow 

 corn will not always grow raspberries. 

 Easpberry culture has been tried a number 

 of times" in our vicinity, but they always 

 grow up to weeds after" a little wiiile, and 

 things get back in the old channel. One 

 thing I can tell yon, however, the Gregg 

 raspberries on our honey-farm are not going 

 to grow up to weeds. If yon have not any 

 plants to sell, jind more customers for your 

 berries than you can possibly supply, the 

 most uncharitable of our readers won't 

 think you are an interested party in giving 

 us these facts. Another thing, this business 

 of berry culture furnishes so much employ- 

 ment for the boys and girls. A girl or boy 

 who earns money, and buys what he needs 

 with the money thus earned, is smarter'and 

 brighter, and ahead in every respect, of 

 those who live along some way witliont'em- 

 ployment. Now. then, for the berries and 

 honey. Who will have a berry-patch this 

 very spring? 



m I — ^ — ■ . 



SOME OF A BEGINNER'S EXPEKIENCE. 



SEPAIJATOKS on NO SEPAUATOHS. 



HAA'E had a few swarms of bees for twenty 

 years, in diflerent kinds of hives, with but little 

 knowledge of how to manage them. About 

 one year ago I thought I would try to see what 

 I could learn about keeping- bees. Mrs. Lizzie 

 Cotton's circular came to hand about this time. I 

 sent for her book on bee-keeping. I had a hive 

 made according to her ))lan, but I did not like it. 

 Next was Quinby's book on bee-keeping, which was 

 very good, but I did not fancy his hive. I next saw 

 your advertisement, I think in the American Auri- 

 cuUuri!<t. Icsent for a catalogue, then the A IJ C, 

 and then for Gi.eaninp.S. I believe I struck] the 

 right track. I orderedjfrom A. I. Koot 10 chaff and 

 10 Simplicity hives, and went to work with a will. 

 I had six colonies in f]i{ferent hinOs of hives, 



