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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1 



■serious scourge to animals victimized by 

 their presence. 



As stated in the article on bugs, a kero- 

 sene-and-lard mixture, half and half, is a 

 capital remedy against these lice on poultry, 

 where they chiefly affect man as a disturbing 

 agent. I make free to say that ten per cent 

 is a very mild estimate of the damage done 

 to our fowls or the egg product from them 

 because of the exhaustive irritation of lice 

 and mites. Often when eggs are very high 

 the hens give no returns at all. The owner 

 wonders why. The one word "lice," or 



{)ossibly mites, often explains all. As near- 

 y every bee- man is also a chicken- fancier, 

 at least in a small way, this item interests 

 all in a very practical way. The sovereign 

 remedy, and one not only immensely remu- 

 nerative, but one as surely merciful, and very 

 cheaply and easily applied, is to make all 

 neat and cleanly, and to use the kerosene- 

 lard ointment. At least twice a year the 

 house inside and yard fence should be thor- 

 oughly whitewashed. Make the lime wash • 

 thin, and apply with a hand pump, such as 

 the Root Co. sells at a very low figure. Re- 

 move droppings from the house not less than 

 once a week. Rub the roost- poles once a 

 month with kerosene oil, in the early morn- 

 ing, after the birds have left their perches. 

 Then keep the kerosene and lard in a cover- 

 ed tin pail always in the house, hanging by 

 nail or wire, so as to be ever ready, but not 

 in the way. Once a month go in on a dark 

 night, and, with gloved hands, rub a little 

 of the ointment under the wings, along the 

 thighs, and about the breast of each bird. 

 If the fowls are kept as docile as they 

 should be (a chicken should never be fright- 

 ened) this can be done with almost ro dis- 

 turbance. I have done this repeatedly with- 

 out ore of my Light Brahmas or Plymouth 

 Rocks leaving the roosts. I am not always 

 as fortunate with Leghorns; yet it does no 

 harm if they are disturbed one night in the 

 month. In such case, however, I would make 

 the application in the early morning, before 

 the light roused the poultry to wakefulness 

 and action. Let me conclude by saying that 

 no work in the poultry-yard or on the farm 

 will pay better than the above. 



A BRIEF SCARE. 



I wish to confess to a sharp start this 

 morning as I read Dr. Miller's note on page 

 14. His first words were what startled me; 

 yet before I completed the reading I was as 

 greatly pleased. Gleanings would not have 

 its mighty hold on our people if it had stuck 

 severely to bees and the apiary. The name 

 A. I. Root has become, and very justly, a 

 household word in many a home in America, 

 and, I may truly say, the world ever. His 

 sermonettes on the "drink problem," on to- 

 bacco, on the golden rule in business, etc., 

 have, I am sure, done wondrous good. I 

 sincerely believe that, if a vote were to be 

 taken, ten to one of our readers would 

 say keep the Homes department and the 

 other wealth of good things in the paper. 

 Dr. Miller is wise in his words, that we need 



to read and think beyond the mere range of 

 practicability, even to be the most practical. 

 Dr. Franklin's kite-flying and Watts' eyeing 

 the steam of the tea-kettle were not busi- 

 ness, but a glorious use of their time, nev- 

 ertheless. 



TEMPERANCE. 



Dr. Miller illustrates his own point in his 

 comment on temperance. Let me tell him 

 that one of God's own, Dr. Chapman, is do- 

 ing right royal work for temperance in 

 Southern California. He is a Presbyterian 

 minister who left a very successful pastorate 

 and a lovely home in that lovely city of Cali- 

 fornia, Oakland, and has now given years to 

 the Anti-saloon League in Southern Califor- 

 nia. He is a very Hercules in strength, and 

 he hurls words of sense and power against 

 the awful drink evil that are working most 

 grandly to drive this saloon scourge from 

 our fair section. Most of our cities and 

 more than one entire county are clean of the 

 wicked traffic. God bless and help Dr. 

 Chapman and all his helpers, among whom 

 may all readers of Gleanings be counted. 



BEER AND TEMPERANCE. 



We often hear it said that Germany is the 

 greatest beer-drinking country of the world, 

 and the most temperate; therefore (?) I have 

 no doubt of the first assertion; yet I have 

 seen more drunkenness since I reached here, 

 Oct. 15, than in all the eleven years' sojourn 

 in California, and more than I have ever 

 seen elsewhere. Therefore (?) we hear 

 that the water here is unsafe, and so one 

 must drink wine and beer. I drink the wa- 

 ter freely, and see no ill results. Wish I 

 could say the same of the beer-guzzlers. I 

 believe Berlin to rank away up in the drink 

 habit, in drunkenness, and in immorality. I 

 believe the three harness together. 



A CASE IN POINT. 



I read with exceeding interest of the tri- 

 umph of engineering skill of Mr. Wm. Hood 

 in constructing the Lucia cut-off at Salt 

 Lake. This crosses the lake west of Ogden 

 instead of passing around north, although 

 this required a very high trestle of twelve 

 miles, and an expensive "fill" of twenty 

 miles, yet it cuts off 43 miles, and eliminates 

 four very steep grades, and saves more than 

 twice over the big interest on the entire 

 cost of construction. There were about 

 3000 men constantly employed in the work. 

 But the fact that interested me most was 

 that no intoxicating liquor was permitted by 

 Mr. Hood in the vicinity of the work. This 

 brought thrift, frugality, and eliminated 

 brawls, fights, quarrels, and other disturb- 

 ances that would have embarrassed the en- 

 terprise. Some of our railroad managers 

 forbid not only drinking, but tobacco as well, 

 in engaging their employees. They realize 

 that keen brains and sharp vision are not 

 fostered by drink or tobacco, and they must 

 have their men at their best. God wishes 

 and deserves the best we have to give him 

 and the world. Can he get it if we are the 

 slaves of either of these habits? 



