976 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



ing, and he seemed surprised. " Why, Mr. 

 Root, this is the only way of marking and 

 planting potatoes I ever saw or heard of. 

 How do you mark them and plant them down 

 in Ohio? " 



I mention this to show how widespread is 

 the custom in that great potato region in 

 Northern Michigan. 



In regard to the method of friend Hilbert, 

 of Bingham, Mich., in getting his heavy crops 

 of clover where seed is sown in August among 

 corn or buckwheat, he uses about 12 lbs. of 

 seed to the acre, as nearly as he can make it. 

 He uses a broadcast seed-sower, and goes 

 through each row of corn. After that he cul- 

 tivates both ways to cover the seed. I was 

 through his cornfields just as the seed was 

 coming up. He secures a very even and pret- 

 ty stand ; and when I last saw his clover, near 

 the first of November, it looked so handsome 

 I was not surprised that it wintered over all 

 right. He put clover seed in the same way 

 among all his buckwheat ; and after the buck- 

 wheat was cut and taken off the ground, the 

 clover looked even handsomer than it did in 

 the corn. In fact, Mr. Hilbert's whole farm 

 is green all winter long, either with clover or 

 rye. 



THE PEACH-I,EAF CURL ; ITS NATURE AND 

 TREATMENT. 



This is the title of a beautiful new book just 

 published by the Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington ; octavo size, over 200 pages, 

 prfnted on beautiful paper, illustrated with 

 fine plates. Some time ago somebody told me 

 the curl was probably caused by cold weather 

 in the spring, and probably did not hurt the 

 tree very much. I thought this was a mis- 

 take. Our scientific men have now, after per- 

 sistent study, decided that it is a parasitic fun- 

 gus ; and that it is now causing a loss of prob- 

 ably not less than three millions of dollars an- 

 nually. It has at the present time a world- 

 wide distribution. Rains and cold weather 

 tend to increase the severity of the trouble, 

 but are not at the bottom of it. Orchards near 

 large bodies of water, and in low damp situa- 

 tions, are more subject to curl than those in 

 dry elevated situations. I presume this is one 

 reason why peaches do so much better on the 

 very tops of our highest hills. 



The curl was first treated in California suc- 

 cessfully as long ago as 1880 to 1885. Copper 

 sprays were the most successful, although 

 there are many other substitutes used. A Bor- 

 deaux mixture consisting of 5 lbs. of copper 

 sulphate and 5 lbs. of lime poured into 45 gal- 

 lons of water gives the best results. Over 1000 

 per cent gain in the fruit set has resulted from 

 the rse of some of the more effective sprays. 

 The trees should be sprayed each season, even 

 if they are not expected to bear, as the loss of a 

 crop of leaves is shown to result in as great a 

 drain on the trees as does the maturing of one- 

 half to two-thirds of a crop of fruit. Cyclone 

 nozzles with lateral or diagonal discharge are 

 best adapted to the work. Winter spraying 

 does very well, but spraying seems to do most 

 good if applied from three to four weeks be- 

 fore the opening of the blossoms. The best 



time is during calm dry weather, during the 

 middle of the day, in order to avoid dew or 

 frost on the limbs as much as possible. Some 

 of the choicest varieties, such as the Elberta 

 and lyovell, are seriously affected ; but many 

 times a single treatment has entirely prevent- 

 ed the d!sease on these varieties. I think we 

 may safely set it down that any thing that in- 

 jures the foliage of any plant or vegetable, in 

 any way, seriously interferes with the crop. 

 Whether it is potatoes, peaches, or any thing 

 else, take care of the foliage. Keep it bright, 

 green, thrifty, and luxuriant. Protect it from 

 insects, from fungus, and from blight, and you 

 will be pretty sure of a crop. I can not deter- 

 mine whether this book is sent anywhere free 

 of charge or not, but you can find out by ad- 

 dressing the Agricultural Department, Wash- 

 ington. 



Permit me to say that the above remarks 

 were taken mostly from the summary, and I 

 do love to see a summary at the end of any 

 bulletin. A great many times, when we can 

 not take time to go over the facts and figures 

 through the books, we can read the summary 

 and get at the conclusions in a very few min- 

 utes. 



SPRINGS— HOW TO CARE FOR THEM WHEN 

 USED FOR WATERING STOCK ; SOME- 

 THING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 

 AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON. 



I have before remarked, that all my life I 

 have been interested in natural springs. 

 When I was but little more than four years old 

 I used to enjoy bringing spring water for my 

 father when he was thirsty. In my travels I 

 have frequently noticed how shiftlessly springs 

 were cared for. For instance, the main source 

 of that spring on my farm in the woods has 

 been literally poached up by the cattle tramp- 

 ing in the ground when they went there to 

 drink. Their droppings are mixed and poach- 

 ed up with the muck surrounding the spring, 

 and my first job on my next visit will probably 

 be to dig out that spring and wall it up and 

 fence it up, and make it wholesome ; and then 

 I am going to fix, at my own expense, a nice 

 drinking-place for the cattle, even if said cat- 

 tle do belong to somebody else. I do this for 

 the privilege of having pure water for my own 

 use. Well, in answer to my inquiries, from 

 the head of the government I received the fol- 

 lowing very valuable letter. See if you do not 

 agree with me. 



U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 



Office of Irrigation Inquiry, 



Washington, D. C. 



71/;-. A. I. Root : — Regarding your question as to 

 publications on how to open up springs and manage 

 them so as to bring water into troughs where the 

 stock can drink without contaminating it, I have to 

 say, that, in the State where I live, that is the business 

 very extensively gone into by the cattle and sheep 

 men, and I think it might be well to give you a pretty 

 full description of how the matter is managed and 

 how the stock fare where it is not managed properly. 



A stockman having what is called a range, which is 

 a tract of land generally -JO or 50 miles in length by 

 about 1.5 to 20 miles wide, upon which he attempts to 

 keep his herd grazing by means of horsemen watch- 

 ing them, the springs are inclosed by fences strong 

 and high enough to prevent the stock breaking them 

 down. The spring is dug out clean, all the mud which 

 usually collects about such an orifice being removed, 

 and then is walled with stones, those most generally 



