17(5 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. L 



and they bear transplanting ninch better, hav- 

 ing been thrown upon their own resources 

 when very young. 



Some one may wish to ask what is to be done 

 with the cuttings that have I'oots when tliey 

 are talven from the original bed. Treat tliem 

 as cuttings, if the roots are less than an inch 

 long, although, as before stated, they are not as 

 good as those taken oft' at the right stage. If 

 the roots are an inch long or more, treat them 

 as plants, heeling them in by themselves in the 

 frame, and shading and watering judiciously 

 until they are able to take care of themselves. 



The method herein described has some ad- 

 vantages when used with care and judgment. 

 It enables those who sell plants in summer to 

 save the young plants and runners which would 

 otherwise go to waste. It enables market gar- 

 deners to have a large numbi'r of good, uniform 

 plants that can be taken up rapidly and set 

 where some early crop has been harvested, thus 

 making the strawberry a catch crop. It ena- 

 bles horticulturists at experiment stations and 

 elsewhere to have a large number of varieties 

 ready for planting at the same time, and all of 

 the same, age. Sometimes we want to plow a 

 bed as soon as the fruit is gatliered, and by this 

 method we can >ave the plants. 



Cuyahoga Falls. O., Feb. 4. M. Crawford. 



FORCING RHUKARB IN WINTEK. 



We are just now getting 1.5 cts. a jjound for 

 rhubarb for i)ies. I presume the scarcity of 

 fruit exi)lains why i)eople are so willing to i)ay 

 so much more than usual. By the way, we 

 have learned a trick in forcing rhubarb. If 

 there is any place in your greenhouse that is 

 too /(Of foi' any thing else, it will be just right 

 for your rhubai'b-i)lants. Set the roots in very 

 rich soil, and then cover them up with manure, 

 either ninv or old — it does not seem to make 

 much difference. Keep them constantly wet. and 

 they will make the most astonishing growth of 

 any kind of vegetation that has ever come un- 

 der my observation. Another thing. It does not 

 make any difference how dai'k it is. They will 

 grow just as well in the dark as in the light, 

 and you can plant ihem right up close to the 

 boiler, furnace, or flues. The princii)al item is 

 to get great strong roots grown in the open air. 

 for forcing purposes. We have been buying 

 them for about S:>..->() per 100 roots. The roots 

 are of such size that 100 just till a barrel. If 

 somebody has some large i-oots for sale. I think 

 they would find it i)ro(iiable to advertise them. 

 It will be ([uite a little time before strawberries 

 com(>. and thei'e is going to l)e a great call for 

 '• l)ie timber" meanwhile. AVhenever the 

 ground thaws so you can dig the I'oots out, just 

 l)utsome in your hot-beds, or. later, in simple 

 cold-frames. (4ive them manure enough, and 

 see what great stalks you get. If the demand 

 is going to increase for these roots.it maybe 

 well to think about sowing seeds pretty soon, so 

 as to have the roots in readiness for another 

 winter. 



AIDS TO UEKKY-PlfKKKS. 



Although it is quite a little time hefoi'c licrry- 

 ])icking comes again, it may be well to consider, 

 during these wintci' montiis, api)!iances that 

 may help us to rush things when the season 

 comes I'onnd. The one illustrated below was 

 engraved from a machine which I saw at friend 

 France-s. in Piattcville. Wis. It is esi)ecially 

 designed for blackhenles. but it may be used 

 for raspb(>rries. currants, and'othei- like fruits. 

 The cut below almost explains itself. 



The ai)paratus is made of tin, just large 

 enough for a berry-box to sit inside. ' It is held 

 around the walist by means of a belt. A hojj- 

 per-shaped cover dejjosits all the berries in the 



center of the basket: and when they come up 

 so as to strike the mouth of the hopjier, the 

 picker has notice that his berry-box is exactly 

 full, with the to]) nicely rounded uj). In our 

 berry-picking, where they ])ick by the quart, 

 there is always moi-e or less discussion as to 

 how full the boxes should be. Some of the lit- 

 tle girls would hea]) them up so there was a 

 fourth more than good measure; and I am sor- 

 ry to say that some of the boys brought them 

 in scarcely level full. Th(> consequence was, 

 the boss had to tak(> some from the boxes pick- 

 ed by the little gii'ls and till out those brought 

 in by the selfish and greedy boys. Boys, aren't 



MACHINE FOR I'ICKINO IJI.AC KI5ERRIES. 



you ashamed of yourselves to be outdone in 

 honesty and liberality and fairness by the little 

 girls? Well, this machine fixes the whole mat- 

 ter as to how full the box should be. But. most 

 imi)ortant of all.it enables the picker to use 

 both hands: and with ///((f7i7K'rn/-bushes this is 

 most important. Fi'ieiui Fiance says, as soon 

 as he fitted out his berry-pickers with these 

 machines th(>y i)icked berries so much faster, 

 that, when they came in at noon, they volun- 

 teered to di'op a cent a quart on the ])rice he 

 had been paying them, if they could all have 

 the ])icking-macliines. Now. I tell you this is 

 a iiretty big testimony in favor of any imple- 

 ment to lessen hand labor. Th(> bottom to the tin 

 box is just large enough to hold the box secure- 

 ly. As I find the same device figured and de- 

 scribed in OTir gardening i^eriodicals. I juvsume 

 such arrangements are not exactly new. The 

 one given above, however, seems to be the most 

 practical. 



A TREATISE t)N TOMATO CILTfRE. 



The above is the title of a little pamphlet just 

 out. by J. W. Day, of Crystal Springs. Miss. 

 TluM'e'are three things that make this little 

 work of special interest tome. First, it is the 

 only book I ever saw or heard of. devoted en- 

 tirely to tomato-growing: and you know I am 

 greatly interested in any thing in regai'd to 

 special rui'al industi'ies. Second, it comes from 

 the South. Oui' Southern fi'iends have, as a 

 j'ule. been a little behind in books on horticul- 

 tui'e, gardening, etc. Third, tlu^ book was wri>'- 

 ten by a live, piactical man. Let me make a 

 little extract from a i)rivate hUter: 



I have raised linnrlreds of aei'es of tomatoes, and 

 I slijill put out U)i> iicres this season. I am a sub- 

 scriber of Gi.K.ANiNOS, and like to liear you speak of 

 your beiT>-r;iisinf>", {i'ardeiiing-, etc. We grow largre 

 fields of strawboiiies. and bave a little over 400 acres 

 in peaeli-trees in this place alone, besides .some at 

 other places. I am a partner of Parker Earle at this 

 place. 



Our readers will remember Parker Earle as 

 the introducer of one of our most promising 

 strawheiTies from which it takes its name. 

 Even in ^lississippi it seems tlu'y need hot-b<Kls 

 to start the tomatoes. The little book gives 

 directions for making two kinds — one with a 

 furnace with a long flue through the center of 

 the bed. and the other made of stable nuinure. 



