1SS6 



GLEAlSriNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



987 



JS'ow, one reason why I like to be up at 

 half-past five in the morning, even in the 

 winter time, is, that I may be able to meet 

 every hand as he comes to work, in case 

 tlie weather demands that he have ditterent 

 instructions from those given him the night 

 before. The man who feeds and harnesses 

 the horses, often needs, on account of a 

 change in the weather, to put on the single 

 harness instead of the double ones which 

 were decided on the night before. By being 

 on hand I can get every man started right, 

 and in a way that will prevent contlict and 

 annoyance. I have heard of people who 

 could keep a number of men at work, and 

 be away, letting each one manage himself ; 

 but I do not know how he can do it and pay 

 expenses. He might employ a foreman, it is 

 true ; but where he can find a hundred men 

 who will w(U"k very well under his super- 

 vision, he will not find one who could take 

 charge, profitably, of even ten men. 



COLD-FKAMK I'LANTS. 



A year ago we succeeded splendidly in 

 wintering plants for early cabbage, in a cold- 

 frame, such as is illustrated in Chapter X. 

 The labor of opening the ends is trifiing 

 compared with the usual way of removing 

 the sash, or even sliding it back wlien more 



ventilation is needed. W'v have just finish- 

 ed a cold frame, and filled it with plants 

 made on this principle. 2:2 x 28 feet. How 1 

 do love to see the plants tbrive. right in the 

 depth of winter I The sight of tlieni is. to 

 me. a constant reminder of the iiapp\ 

 springtime soon to come. Yes, and there is 

 another thing that I feel happy about. In 

 two or three weeks more I shall commence 

 starting celery-plants again ; and how I do 

 enjoy seeing our greenhouse and cold frames 

 crowded to their uttermost, every inch of 

 space being occupied with plants that are 

 soon to take their place in the open ground. 

 During the past season we succeeded in get- 

 ting nice celery on the market in July. 

 With the experience we have had, I believe 

 we can do it this season even in June, and 

 then we shall have celery almost, if not 

 ([uite, all the year round. TIow I do love to 

 raise celery and cabbage plants for sale! 

 Although we thought we had a plenty be- 

 yond any demand that could possibly spring 

 up, toward the last of the season we ran out 

 of both celery and cabl)age plants, and were 

 obliged to purchase a good many thousands 

 of each. Xow, the purchased plants were 

 none of them anywhere near equal to our 

 own fnint<ptan(ed plants, and this year we 

 think we can succeed in raising enough. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



Let all things be done decently and In order.— I. Cor. 14: 40. 



I have several times referred to the mat- 

 ter of order and system ; but I want to do it 

 again in this chapter, especially in regard to 

 laying out our ground and putting in the 

 seeds. I prefer to speak of it now l)ecause 

 it is winter time, and you have usually plen- 

 ty of leisure to lay out your plans for anoth- 

 er season. If you have not had experience, 

 you may think it a simple thing to do the 

 planning after the ground is fully prepared. 

 My friend, Avhen you are rushed and busy, 

 during April, May, and June, you may be 

 obliged to resort to one of two alternatives. 

 One is to stop and do your planning while 

 your men and teams are waiting for you. 

 The other is. to let them go ahead without 

 any plan, and take the conseciuences. One 

 of the consequences will be, that you will 

 have your stulf mixed up. For instance, 

 you start to sow Stratagem peas, and the 

 piece of ground ^oii laid out for them will 



not hold all the seed. As you want it all 

 used, the remainder is put in another piece 

 of ground, perhaps some distance from the 

 first. If you have not tried it you may be 

 inclined to think this will make but little 

 difference ; hut when your crops are all 

 mixed up in this way you will find it a very 

 great annoyance. It takes time to get ready 

 to get at any piece of work— even a simple 

 one like picking peas ; and it takes time to 

 move baskets, water-jugs, and other things, 

 to another piece of ground to finish the job. 

 Still worse, every little while somebody will 

 pick one patch and forget about the other ; 

 whereas, if all your Stratagem peas had 

 been in one spot, all the above troubles 

 would have been saved. Again, you hur- 

 riedly bid the children go and pick the Strat- 

 agem peas. If there are tiro patches of the 

 peas, the children will be sure to go to tlu- 

 wrong patch, even if you tell them distinct- 



