IS'.U 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



I'roy;ress in the inattor, it will take from seven 

 to litjlu barrels of \vater>aii hour, under 40 lbs. 

 of pres^ure, to run a ttrn-candle-jiower electric 

 1 imp. Let me explain. An ei};ht or ten foot 

 windmill would, with a moderate well, pump 

 water enouj^h every day to run a wat<^r-mntor 

 three or four hours in the evening. This 

 waler-motor would cany a lamp that would 

 light up any ordinal y room so anybody could 

 read the finest print with ease in the remote.st 

 corner. After locating the app iratus it would 

 cost practically nothing. After your lamp 

 has shed its light for about a thnusand hours, 

 counting' only the hours while it is burning, 

 you would have to get a new one, which 

 would cost } on l-i or '20 els. The water, alter 

 it has moved the motor, could be used for 

 watering animals, filling a pond so as to be 

 used afterward for irrigation, or any purpo'-e 

 you choose. The princi;)al expense uf this 

 home electric light would be a tub or tank to 

 hold the water m an elevated position. If 

 you liAve a windmill on a hill higher up than 

 your dwelling, you could very easilv get the 

 water-pressure ; and your tank would have to 

 be large enough to hold, .say, .something like 

 100 barrels, so as to have your lights run all 

 the s:ime if the wind should not blow for two 

 or three days. vStoring so much water is 

 rather expensive, I know ; but at the pre.sent 

 stage of science a storage battery would be 

 still mcire expensive. Where you have a run- 

 ning spring up on a side hill several hct high- 

 er than your home, an i lectric light could be 

 put in at no expense except the S8.00 motor 

 and dj-namo, and piping enough to bring the 

 water down to the motor. Natural water- 

 powers will very soon be all or very nearly all 

 utilized in the production of electricity ; and 

 now I am waiting and watching to see the 

 power of the wind, that is everywhere over 

 and about us all, utilized in a similar way. It 

 ma}- not come in my time, but thousands who 

 read these pages wall surely see it — at least 

 that is the opinion of your friend and well- 

 wisher, Uncle Amos. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



The bulletin en strawberries, for September, 

 from the Ohio Experiment Station, is one of 

 the most valuable — at least to me — that has 

 ever been sent out. Considerable is told us 

 about summer planting During the past sea- 

 son, plants set out very early in the spring 

 were sending out runners in June; and in July 

 very nice plants were rooted snfficientlv to 

 take up. The>e were planted out (at the sta- 

 tion) in August, s!x inches apart, because 

 such an early growth meant more plants than 

 ought to stand on so limited an area. The 

 new bed with plants six inches apart, set out 

 in July or the fore part of August, would 

 make a matted row with plants at exact dis- 



tances. Of course, we had plenty of rain 

 last spring ; and to keep off the sun our ex- 

 periment station shaded the plant-! with ^'reen 

 bushes. By the lime the green leaves on the 

 l)ushes were dried up the strawberries could 

 hold their own. In this way the strawberries 

 can take the place of early peas, early pota- 

 toes, and other early vegetables. The bulletin 

 says, in reganl to the use of water: 



Instances are on record where the increaf^e in the 

 .strawberry crop has repaid the entire cost of the pipes, 

 labor, and water, in a single .season, the water being 

 fnrnished liy ihe city water works. 



But further on we read in regard to irriga- 

 tion: 



It lias been found that the loss of moisture from 

 nnplowed giound may be in excess of that from culti- 

 vated soil to an amount equal to an inch and three- 

 fourths of rainfall in one week. A man wilh a team 

 and sprinkling-cart conld nut replace the water on an 

 acre of land as fast as it esc ipes by evaporation from 

 the soil, when it goes off at that rate, if he had to haul 

 the water one-fourth of a mile. 



In regard to the importance of stirring the 

 soil after every light shower, see the following : 

 The importance of stirring the .soil soon after a 

 shower is generally known ; Init in practice, cultiva- 

 tion after slight showers is often neglected. This is 

 hecati.se the .soil does not become compacted, and no 

 ci list forms after slight showers, hence the necessiiy 

 of stirring the soil at once is not apparent. 



And a^ain: 



As the two are commonly used, a cultivator is a bet- 

 ter machine for irrigating than a sprinkling-cart. 



In regard to fertilizers we read: 



E.xjreriments here with chemicals on strawberries 

 have, thus far, been negative. 



Their report on varieties agrees very nearly 

 with my own. Brandy wine is given a very 

 high place. They say in regard to it: 



The bulk of the crop ripens very late. It excels the 

 Gaudy in productiveness and color. 



They also indorse my h gh recommenda- 

 tion of Carrie, and say as I have said : 



Every fruit-grower will appreciate an improved 

 Haverland 



In regard to the Lovett, we read: 



One would hardly be justified in discarding the 

 IvOvelt, where a reliable pollen-bearing variety is 

 wanted. 



And I was also glad to see them giving the 

 Margaret the high recommendation 1 expected 

 them to accord it. They say: 



ITnder high cultivation the Margaret has given sur- 

 prising results. Eor fancy berries it is unsurpassed. 



They object to the Marshall unless it is for 

 home market, because it is rather soft. The 

 Wm. Belt also receives many favorable words. 

 They close with the following: 



It is too good a variety to be hastily discarded. It is 

 particularly valuable for the home garden or near 

 market. 



The most promising new varieties they sum 

 up as follows: 



Aroma, Anna Kennedy, Heauty, Copernicus, Clyde, 

 Carrie, Enormous, (ilea Mary, H.iU's Favorite; un- 

 named seedling from A. I.,uther; unnamed s-eedling 

 from II. Orewiler; Portage, Ruby, Rio, Staples; unnam- 

 ed .seedling No. 1 from S. H. it A. J. See ; Tennessee 

 Prolific. 



And here is a list that can fiol be recom- 

 mended, in the opinion of the experiment 

 station: 



Bouncer, Columbian, Equinox, Eleanor, Epping, 

 Gardner, Holland, Mary, Prinjeton Chief, Satisfac- 

 tion, Sunri.se, Timbrell, Weston. 



