108 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



ing in spring, and failed in both instances. If I try 

 again I will scatter seed on the ••■now. By the way, in- 

 quiry was once made in Gleanings as regards the 

 best method of saving the .seed, I once gathered a 

 bushel in two hours by pushing an inverted umbrella 

 up clo.se to the .stalk, and an assistant bent the tops 

 over it and beat off the seed with a stick. 



Bedford, Ohio, Jan. 3. J. B. Hains. 



There certainly is something strange about 

 the difficulty of getting sweet clover to germi- 

 nate. Our experience is that, where it drops 

 from the stalks on to the ground where it 

 grew, it will come tip in great profusion. We 

 have never known this to fail, even on the 

 hinlest ground, and there it grows the best. 

 Can somebody tell us more about it? I think, 

 friend H., you must be a Yankee, or you would 

 not have thought of using an umbrella for 

 gathering seed. Our plan was to spread a 

 large sheet over the wagon-box, then cut the 

 stalks as carefully as we could, and thrash out 

 the seed on the sheet. But a great deal drop- 

 ped off on the ground, which we could have 

 saved by your umbrella arrangement. I would 

 suggest shaking off what you can in the um- 

 brella, and cutting the stalks and thrashing 

 out the rest. It certainly is proving to be a 

 vahiable plant in many places, or we should 

 not be selling the seed every year by the ton. 



AN OHIO BULLETIN ON WEEDS. 

 I have been greatly pleased to look over a 

 bulletin of about 150 pages describing and il- 

 lustrating the weeds of Ohio. It comes from 

 the Experiment Station, Wooster, O., and is 

 by Prof . A. D. Selby. Almost every weed is so 

 plainly pictured that the average farmer will 

 recognize them at a glance. Then their habits 

 are described, and the best methods of eradi- 

 cation suggested. 1 hurriedlj- looked up the 

 weeds I had become familiar with, and was 

 greatly pleased to see that they had come to 

 about the same conclusions I have. A great 

 many times, time and strength are just about 

 wasted because we do not go at the work in 

 the right way. For instance, we read : 



Weeds that aie "indicators," i. e., diagnostic of soil 

 conditions, are mo.st cheaply c ntroUed by removing 

 the condition. Drain wet places to avoid sedges, ap- 

 ply lime or fertilizers to crowd out sorrel. 



Yoti see, thoroughly draining a piece of 

 ground will of itself, while helping a crop, 

 often do away with certain kinds of weeds; or 

 the application of lime may benefit a straw- 

 berry-patch, and at the same time wind up the 

 sorrel nuisance entirely. Again: 



Some weeds may be eradicated while others may be 

 only subjugated. Canada thistle is often eradicated in 

 a particular spot, while for prickly lettuce this is a 

 recurrent problem everywhere. The latter can not 

 now be eradicated, while it may be subdued. 



And so it is all through the book. Every 

 person who has any thing to do with farming 

 or gardening should send to Wooster, O., for 

 Bulletin No. S'.i. If you are outside of this 

 State, they will probably tell yoti how to get a 

 copy. Why, if this bulletin were in the hands 

 of every cultivator of the .'■oil, and thorough- 

 Iv studied, it would be worth millions to our 

 State, 



THE OHIO DAIRY AND FOOD COMMISSION AND 

 THE PATENT-MEDICINE MEN 



I said to myself, " May the Lord be prais- 

 ed ! " when I first had notice that our Ohio 

 Food Commission had taken hold of the mat- 

 ter and made investigations in regard to the 

 character of patent medicines. Let me quote 

 briefly from Bulletin No. 2, dated Dec, 1897, 

 from Columbus, O. : 



Numerous complaints have been made to me as to 

 the terrilile effect of certain preparations known as 

 patent medicines, and I have, for several months past, 

 conducted a very careful examination into this line of 

 goods. The amount of dangerous narcotic drugs and 

 active poi.sons .sold in this way almo.st passes belief. 

 In recent years preparations have appeared on the 

 market for the cure of various complaints, notably 

 catarrh, the sole remedial value of which appears to 

 be the use of hydro-chlorate of cocaine or morj hine, 

 sometimes both. The effect is simply to drug the vic- 

 tim into fancied security bv giving temporary relief, 

 and completely and utterly "destroying the mental, 

 moral, and physical nature of the persons using these 

 dangerous mi.xtures. 



I have begun proceedings in a number of cases to 

 compel the proper labeling of these drugs in order 

 that the consumer may be advi.sed of their extremely 

 dangerous nature. I have .sought to compel the manu- 

 facturers and dealers to attach the poison label to 

 these preparations as required by the label law of 1890. 

 Out of the seven prosecutions made, four have plead 

 guilty up to the present time. Of the thrf e remaining 

 I expect very interesting contests on account of the 

 great financial interests involved, as .some of the 

 manufacturers have openly boasted of their intention 

 to fight and make it "hot" for the Commi.ssioner. 

 Thev have succeeded in a' raying a few newspapers 

 again.'-t the Department bj' misrepresentation and the 

 threat to withdraw adverti.sing patronage. I am 

 pleased to note, however, that the vast majority of 

 newspapers refuse to be influenced in this manner by 

 peojile who have grown rich by destroying the health, 

 liappiness, and even the lives of innocent people who 

 are induced to take these vile preparations un ler the 

 assurances that they contain no dangerous drugs. The 

 moral principle is so evident in these cases, that I am 

 surprised that any fair-minded person would have the 

 as.surauce to insi.st that they have the right to drug 

 people into a state of insanity-, while pretending to 

 cure some ordinary complaint. 



It is mv intention to a.sk for legislation to strengthen 

 the statute referred toon this question; atid the statute 

 governing the prescribing and the sale of poisons 

 should, in my op nion, be so amended .so a-; to forbid 

 the re-filling"of any prescription containing cocaine, 

 opium, or any of its .salts, chloral hvdrate, or arsenic; 

 and there oiight to lie a law forbidding the sale of 

 these drugs except on the prescription of a reputable 

 physician. 



Now, friends, let us stand by our officers 

 who are trying to enforce the law. If you 

 want to know all about the different k-nds of 

 food and medicines we use, and their adultera- 

 tions, write to J. E. Blackburn, Dairy and 

 Food Commissioner, Coltmibtis, O. 



THAT ELECTRIC FLASH-LIGHT LAMP. 

 The portable electric flash-lamp I spoke 

 abotit some months ago does not hold out. It 

 woiked well for about a month. vSeventy-five 

 cents for a set of dry batteries once in thirty 

 days is almost too expensive. There has been 

 nothing yet made to answer the ptirpose that 

 I know of, unless it is the storage battery; and 

 this can not well be got down under six or 

 seven pounds, which would make it too heavy 

 to carry about.— A. I. R. 



