896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Tec. 15. 



we ha>'e dug trenches three to six feet deep, we find 

 there is nearly double the growth over these trenches 

 compared with the growth alongside of them where 

 the ground is mellow only as deep as plowed. Our 

 theory i«, that, where the soil is mellow, the roots will 

 follow after the fertility to the depth of stveral feet. 

 The mellow s-oil acts as a catcher and absorber of fer- 

 tility, while with the hard subsoil there is nothing to 

 absorb and hold either moisture or fertility; and any 

 getting through the hard crust below the plow is lost. 

 The fine roots of plants can not get into the hard sub- 

 soil to use what little fertility there is. With a perfect- 

 ly mellow subsoil we believe it impossible for fertility 

 to get far enough away ,so that a vigorous crop of any 

 kind will not find it. In proof of our ideas of green- 

 manuring, etc., we submit the following crop figures: 

 On one field of about 12 acres of our poorest land we 

 have grown a crop of pumpkins each season for the 

 pa.st three years. Jn 1895, 08 tons; 1896, IKi tons; 1897, 

 lol tons. Next spring we shall subsoil this piece and 

 expect to get still belter results. Of course, we grow 

 special crops, pumpkins, tomatoes, etc., but the same 

 laws of fertility;, deep mellow soil, thorough cultiva- 

 tion, etc., we believe govern the growth of all crops. 



IN REGARD TO COW PEAS. 



If we can keep up the fertility of our soil with 

 crimson clover we do not expect to use any more cow 

 peas. When obliged to lo.se a cultivated crop we get 

 three crops to plow under. Cultivate or harrow in rye 

 on old ground in the fall; plow under in the spring; 

 sow cow peas; plow under and sow r3^e in the fall, 

 which we plow under the following spring, and plant 

 the crop we wish to grow. Poor land can not remain 

 poor with this treatment. H. A. Cummins. 



Conneaut, Ohio, Nov. 2il. 



I wish to add emphasis to the remarks in 

 regard to subsoil plowing. Almost every sea- 

 son we have one or more excessive rains; and 

 even on our ground that is thoroughly under- 

 drained we have had troubles with wash and 

 from the soil getting so full of water that it 

 settled right down like mud. I remember one 

 spring, when we ha I prepared the ground up 

 around the windmill with special pains and 

 care. It was plowed a foot deep, and then 

 worked up until it was soft all the way down. 

 When a heavy rain came I stood by the win- 

 dow watching; and for a considerable time 

 after the other ground was full, and the water 

 running over the top and cutting gullies, this 

 piece on^the hill seemed to be still taking in 

 and holding the whole freshet. Jtist as the 

 shower wound up, however, I saw the ground 

 had got all it could hold, clear down as far as 

 our plow went. The whole piece was getting 

 to be soft nntshy mud. Finally it began to 

 break away here and there, and my rich mel- 

 low soil, manure and all, began to start down 

 toward the lower land, washing up valuable 

 plants in places. The rain let up, however, 

 Ijefore very much damage was done. Now, 

 had this piece of ground been broken up with 

 a subsoil plow as friend Cunnnins has advised, 

 I think it would have taken up and held all 

 the water. I know a good many have report- 

 ed unfavorably in regard to subsoiling ; but I 

 think it must certainl}- answer two purposes 

 when properly done. First, it prevents wash- 

 ing or letting the loose soil .settle down again 

 hard and compact. Secondly, it helps to hold 

 the great mass of water, that comes during 

 these excessive freshets, at a point where the 

 roots of the crop can go down and reach it in 

 time of drouth. I have tried subsoiling to 

 some extent, and I feel just now very nmch 

 like trying it again, especially for a crop of 

 pumpkins next year, and I am pretty sure I 

 can raise them for cojisiderably less than a 

 nickel apiece. 



PRODUCING JUST SO MUCH AS YOUR MARKET 

 DEMANDS, AND NO MORE. 



When I first commenced market-gardening 

 I had some sad experiences in producing large 

 crops of perishable goods that could not be 

 sold when they were ready to gather. I think 

 I started out with about an acre of early peas. 

 We filled our town, and then tried to sell more 

 by putting the price away down, and finally 

 sent them in wagons to neighboring towns, 

 but got hardly enough to pay for the time of 

 the man and team. I know some people do 

 well in shipping these things to distant mar- 

 kets by rail; but what few experiments I have 

 made in that line have turned out so badly 

 that I became disgusted with that business. 

 For instance, I made one shipment of Jersey 

 Wakefield cabbage, extra nice. When I com- 

 plained because the commission man made no 

 returns or reply whatever, he said the cabbages 

 sold for just about enough to pay the freight, 

 and he could not see why there was any need 

 of making any reply under the circumstances. 

 Well, after that year I learned to plant just 

 about as many peas as our market would take, 

 say at from 20 to 40 cts. a peck, and the same 

 way with parsnips. Once or twice we had so 

 many we could hardly sell or give them away. 

 After that I figured out just about how many 

 rows I should plant the length of my creek- 

 bottom ground, so they would all be sold by 

 the time I wanted the ground for another pur- 

 pose; and for several years I have been enabled 

 to hit it about right on all these things that 

 we can not gather and put away until some- 

 body wants them. 



But one thing has pleased me ; and that is, 

 to note that the demand is steadily increasing. 

 Last year I sold from 50 to 75 bushels of pars- 

 nips at about §1.50 per bushel, retail. The 

 parsnips were nice, and given to the people 

 fresh, digging them only as fast as they were 

 wanted. Well, this season, for the first time, 

 we have had a good demand for parsnips in 

 the fall. We have been selling about a bushel 

 a day for perhaps the past three or four weeks. 

 To-day, Dec. H, the weather is very warm and 

 nice. There is no frost in the ground, and we 

 have been digging our carrots and bringing 

 into the cellar a fresh supply of parsnips. We 

 made a mistake this year in not having carrots 

 enough. A few years ago we used to have 

 trouble to sell all of our crop, even at the low 

 price of 25 cts. a bushel. This fall our first 

 customer took almost our entire lot; and, by 

 the way, how much money do you suppose 

 one could get out of an acre of creek-bottom 

 land, sown to carrots, at 25 cts. a bushel ? 



Shall I tell you how I harvest them ? Well, 

 we first plow a deep furrow as close to the 

 roots as we can without cutting them. Now, 

 if you manage just right, the next furrow will 

 throw the carrots all out of the ground. 

 Teach the boys to go right along walking in 

 the furrow, and tw st the tops off, leaving the 

 tops down in the dirt. If you do not go with 

 them they will pull the carrots out of the 

 ground, tops and all, and then fuss to twist 

 the top off, throwing it one way and the car- 

 rot another, whereas you will get along twice 

 as fast if yoti leave the top right down in the 



