296 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Kiill lived, and the sound of them almost drove them 

 mad. There was no reaching the wounded." 



Noljod.v deserves succor as a wounded man de- 

 serves it. His need is a thousand times greater 

 than that of the average per.'on for whose benefit 

 the National Relief Fund was established. 



In the last paragraph quoted above, sup- 

 pose we read it, "is now a thousand times 



greater than that of any automobile or 

 any number of automobiles on the face 

 of the eai'th." Shall we not do all we can 

 to assist the armies or army of the Red 

 Cross, and at the same time stop the fool- 

 ish and wicked waste of human life caused 

 by the war? 



HIGH-PRESSURE GARDENING 



SELECTING SEED CORN ; A NEW WRINKLE. 



For the past two seasons I have gone into 

 the field and selected ears for seed, and 

 placed them near a furnace in the cellar, 

 where they would always be warm and dry. 

 Well, when I tested each ear before plant- 

 ing time every ear gave good germination. 

 Right here comes a suggestion from The 

 Independent Farmer, Lincoln, Neb. Before 

 you take the time to test each ear, do this: 

 Say you have 100 select ears. Shell four 

 or five gTains from each ear, and mix them 

 all up. Now sprout the lot, between damp- 

 ened cloths (or any other way) ; and if 

 every kernel germinates satisfactorily there 

 is no need of the expensive single-ear test. 

 One who has had practice can, in a field of 

 good corn, select 100 ears with seldom a 

 13oor one. 



JUST WHAT I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING. 



That the boys of a dozen or more years, 

 in our corn clubs, would be teacliing their 

 old fathers. See the following clipped from 

 the Plain Dealer: 



Statistics compiled from the records of the past 

 years show the boys found large profits in their corn 

 contests. The showing is given as illustrating the 

 possible profit to be made from growing corn. On 

 that subject Clark says: 



" The average number of bushels raised per acre 

 by the junior corn-growers in 1915 was eighty bush- 

 els. The average cost of raising was 25 cents a 

 bushel. If the selling price were 60 cents a bushel, 

 then the $48 receipts, less the $20 cost of raising, 

 would be the net profit of $28 per acre of each acre 

 of corn. The men in Ohio raised an average of 38.8 

 bushels per acre, and no one knows what their ex- 

 penses were, neither their losses nor profits." 



In some countries senior corn contests have been 

 started among the grown men. The contests of the 

 boys have started the men into the game actively. 



ROSELLE OR JAMAICA SORREL. 



In addition to what I have said about the 

 above, see the following from the Florida 

 Grower. Our plants are now (Jan, 24) 

 starting on a second crop. 



We call it Florida cranberry. It is far better and 

 far more useful than the cranberry. Some call it 

 " lemonade plant," because it makes a drink similar 

 to lemonade. Another name for it is Jamaica sorrel. 

 But it matters not by what name you know it, I am 

 sure it will become one of the most useful and prof 

 itable crops grown in Florida. A friend writes from 



California that they often realize $1000 per acre 

 there for this fruit. I say if they make $1000 off 

 an acre in California, where they have their water 

 to buy, what ought we not to make here, where con- 

 ditions every way are so much more favorable ? We 

 have 15 plants scattered promiscuously around 

 " Eukalypta Kabin," that came up voluntarily last 

 spring. From these 15 plants we have sold and 

 given away more than fifteen dollars' worth of prod- 

 ucts ; besides, more than half the pods were left for 

 seed, and the third crop is now coming on. The 

 end is not yet. We shall be glad to tell your read- 

 ers how we come out. We are sufficiently encour- 

 aged to try an acre or two this year. Mr. King, the 

 canning man, at Fort Meade, says he will be pleased 

 to contract now for all he can utilize next fall and 

 winter at I'i'Vz cents per pound. Think of it! An- 

 other gold-mine about to be discovered ! When Flor- 

 ida is discovered, won't it be a great country ! 

 When you want the prettiest and best in jelly, jam, 

 marmalade, sauce, pies, drink (better than grape- 

 juice), just try Florida cranberries. "Tastes more." 



R. J. 

 Note. — We have grown " Roselle," made jelly and 

 "lemonade" from it; also used it as cranberry jelly 

 is used with meats, and it is very fine. The only 

 question is in creating a market for it. That done, 

 a profit is assured, for the cost is little. 



AX ALIGHTING BO.\ED MADE OF CLOTH. 



I wish to ask your opinion of a new device for an 

 alighting-board — an awning like wire frame covered 

 with various-colored cloth, the cloth a single thick- 

 ness kept tight by a spring on the under side. The 

 wire frame springs into an adjustable holder on the 

 outside edge of the bottom-board. Advantages? Well, 

 one of the chief ones is the comfort of the laden bee, 

 as she returns weary from her flight. Did you ever 

 observe their hesitation as tho dreading to drop on 

 the hard board? Further, this thin cloth would be 

 cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than 

 the wood. It would not hold puddles of water dur- 

 ing rainy weather. Cloth of various colors could be 

 used. The number of the colony could be marked on 

 the cloth. 



Mantua, O., Feb. 28. D. B. Rusted. 



Years ago I had a cloth alighting-board; 

 but it flopped about so much when it was 

 windy I was compelled to give it up. The 

 wire springs mentioned in the above would 

 surely fix that. Just this very morning, 

 when the bees were rushing out to work on 

 the orange bloom, there was a puddle of 

 water on the painted alighting-board, caus- 

 ed by the damp breath of the rousing colo- 

 ny, and many bees were soaked and disabled 

 as they tried to get out very early. Will 

 our friend mail us his device, that we may 

 illustrate it? 



