1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



r05 



GARDENING FOR THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER. 



There is always a peculiar charm, to me at 

 least, in seeing things grow when the weather 

 begins to get cool Many plants make a more 

 luxuriant growth through September and 

 October than in any other month in the year; 

 and I would especially advise that all growing 

 crops be kept clean. In fact, we are just now 

 cultivating our late potatoes where a horse 

 can get through them, and getting out the 

 weeds and mellowing the ground with a hoe 

 where a horse can yiot get through. 



If you are going to grow cold-frame cabbage- 

 plants, now is the time to sow the seed in the 

 open ground, for plants to be put under glass 

 when they are big enough to transplant; the 

 same with the Grand Rapids lettuce ; and if 

 you are going to grow lettuce in the green- 

 house, I would by all means advise you to 

 sow the seed in very rich ground outside, and 

 grow your young plants where you can have 

 plenty of room in the open air. Do not put 

 them under glass until the weather obliges 

 you to give them protection. 



Almost all kinds of onion-sets will succeed 

 more or less if put out now in good rich 

 soil. American Pearl and Winter onion, men- 

 tioned elsewhere, are planted at this season 

 more than most other kinds. 



Keep your parsnips and carrots clean, and 

 make them grow during the cool weather. 



Spinach to be wintered over should go in 

 at once. We have just had one single order 

 for 60 lbs. of seed. It is quite a trade to learn 

 to manage spinach so as to have it winter 

 safely in the open air; and different localities 

 require different management. Either prac- 

 tice on a small scale until you get the hang of 

 it, or visit some market-gardener, and see how 

 he manages to make it a success. 



Cultivate and hoe your turnips, if you want 

 them to do their best; and by all means culti- 

 vate and hoe your strawberry-patch, and see 

 them just " climb " during cool weather when 

 the fall rains come on. After you learn how, 

 you can put out strawberry-plants right along 

 till the ground freezes, and succeed almost 

 every time. Try a few till you get the knack 

 of it, and then you can smile when you hear 

 people talk about " strawberries put out in the 

 fall are no good." 



Now keep your things looking nice, even if 

 everybody else does let his garden grow up to 

 weeds. Make your own a refreshing contrast 

 to the surrounding neighborhood. W^hy, I 

 believe I enjoy making a garden in the fall 

 more than in any other season of the year. 



BENSON'S RENOVATOR COW PEA, ONCE MORE. 

 About the first of September I noticed a 

 single plant among these cow peas, covered 

 with pods. In fact, I counted about three dozen 

 on a single plant, and half a dozen of the pods 

 were mature and dry. This is remarkable, 



for they were planted only about the middle 

 of June, and we have always supposed the 

 regular cow pea would not mature as far 

 north as this. The plant that had these early 

 pods on, of course did not have the mass of 

 foliage of the rest of the crop which is just 

 coming into bloom. I mailed some of the 

 ripe peas to Mr. Benson, the originator, and 

 here is his reply : 



Friend Root: — The sample of pea shows the true 

 type of the Renovator, though it might be well to save 

 them separate, as I find frequent sports, generally' 

 cream or black in color. It makes me feel good to get 

 your report; for if your peas are blooming they will 

 mature. The crop comes on almost at once, and 

 matures surprisingly fast. My peas are just bloom- 

 ing. One peculiar feature I forgot to mention in my 

 circular is that the early-planted peas and those plant- 

 ed late begin to bloom at the same- time. The peas I 

 planted May 1st are no further on than those planted 

 July Ist, except an occasional plant, as the one noticed 

 with you They will mature in three months only 

 when planted late. The early peas continue to grow. 

 They seem to know the proper time to bloom. I 

 have some which came up August 1, which show 

 bloom-buds. I have a piece of thin land, planted 

 early, .six feet apart, one plant in a hill. The whole 

 plot is now a mass of vines three feet deep, not only 

 adding nitrogen to the .soil, but dense shade, drawing 

 fertilitv from below. I also have a piece which is a 

 fine stand, from volunteer plants, seed of which lay 

 in ground all winter. No other pea will do this. 

 Pick your peas off, and leave the vines on the ground 

 till spring, then turn under and note improvement. 

 To obtain the greatest amount of nitrogen, I suppose 

 they ought to be turned under when in bloom. I 

 started on one of the worst old red-hill farms in 

 Illinois which no one else would buy, and the Reno- 

 vator pea has been a Godsend to me. It is all and 

 more than I claim it to be, as grown here, and I am 

 confident it will be worth millions to the farmers of 

 the United States and Canada. No matter if it never 

 matures a pea; if not, even then it will be invaluable 

 for hay, and to restore old soils. 



I am getting to prefer cow-pea hay to any other 

 feed for horses and cattle. M. Benson. 



Dongola, 111., .Sept. 3. 



Our friends will understand, from reading 

 the above, that it evidently was not intended 

 for print; notwithstanding, I have chosen to 

 use it. Perhaps we should allow something 

 for the enthusiasm of the introducer of a new 

 plant ; but of this I am satisfied : That this 

 cow pea will produce a greater mass of 

 feed, or material to plow under, than almost 

 any thing else we have. I have not tried 

 the vines for feed, for I hardly want to spare 

 any just yet. In regard to the seed lying in 

 the ground overwinter, and then germinating, 

 the Practical Fanner for Sept. 10 has the fol- 

 lowing in answer to an inquiry : 



Our friend might try the same experiment for 

 many years without having the same result, and the 

 experience of all who grow the cow pea is that success 

 can not be insured if the seed is sown too early in the 

 spring, notwithstanding we always have more or less 

 of volunteers. It is well known all over the South 

 that some varieties of the cow pea, and particularly 

 the black, will at times lie over winter and volunteer 

 in the spring. 



THE BLISS TRIUMPH POTATOES ; A REPORT 

 FROM THEM. 



Friend Root. — I .send by mail two potatoes to you of 

 the Bliss Triumphs, which you sent me last April. 

 The potatoes were spread out in a light room (a la 

 Green), and kept there till the 2d of May, when they 

 were treated with the corrosive-sublimate solution, 

 and planted, making 66 days at the time they were 

 dug. This is the most remarkable growth I have ever 

 noticed in such a short time. 



Early Ohios Bovecs, and Thoroughbreds in the 

 same field did not do so well. 



I see Mr. Green states that treating the potato as 



