390 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



HELP WANTED AT ONCE. 



We have urgent calls for three competent men to 

 take chai'ge of large apiaries, one each in Nevada, Cal- 

 ifornia, and Georgia, and a helper in Cuba. Parties 

 vi^anting positions who can give us Fatisfactory refer- 

 ences as to character and ability will please write or 

 wire us at once. Situations in Nevada and Georgia will 

 be permanent if right man is found. 



GIVING THE GROCERS PRINTED MATTER ABOUT COMB 

 HONEY IN THE REGULAR SHIPPING CASES. 



The suggestion made by Mr. J. A. Green elsewhere 

 in these columns along the lines indicated above is a 

 most excellent one; and if some organization does not 

 prepare suitable matter the Root Co. proposes to do so 

 itself, furnishing this matter as a part of the equipment 

 of the ordinary shipping-cases. The suggestion is a 

 very important one and should betaken up immediately. 



THE UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION OF THE HONEY 

 MARKET ; RELIEF IN SIGHT. 



Several of our correspondents of late, particularly J. 

 A. Green in this issue, have noticed the unsatisfactory 

 condition of the honey market as evidenced by the late 

 quotations. There can be no question but that the 

 comb-honey lies and the talk about adulteration have 

 had very much to do with this condition. Fortunately, 

 relief is in sight; but I can not give particulars of it 

 until our next issue. 



Special Notices by A. I. Root. 



BASSWOODS SOLD OUT. 



I am sorry to tell you we are out of bass wood -trees of 

 all .«izes for the spring trade; but we hope to have a 

 good lot ready for next fall, 



HOME-GROWN TESTED CABBAGE SEED. 



On page 248, Mar. 1, is an advertisement of Michigan- 

 grown cabbage seed at a very low price, for which the 

 advertiser had not, on the 17th, received a single appli- 

 cation. What is the matter with the cabbage business ? 



NORTHERN MICHIGAN BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTION, 

 APRIL 5, 6. 



I hope to meet all of my Michigan friends, at least 

 those in that vicinity, at the above convention. See 

 notice on next page. This notice was, by mistake, 

 omitted in our last issue. 



THE OLDS AUTOMOBILE DURING WINTER TIME. 



We have again this winter run our auto almost daily 

 without any trouble worth mentioning from cold weath- 

 er. To prevent the water from freezing so as to burst 

 the coils we use the same solution as last winter; name- 

 ly, five .pounds of cheap grade of chloride of calcium, 

 and one quart of glycerine to five gallons of water. This 

 solution becomes thick and mushy when the tempera- 

 ture is down toward zero; but it does not freeze solid so 

 as to burst the pipes or do any other harm. 



JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT. 



For several seasons we have been troubled to get a 

 nice article of Japanese buckwheat, or at least enough 

 of it to supply all demands. We are glad to tell you, 

 however, this spring we have a big lot of extra nice 

 seed. Prices are as follows: Trial packet, 4 ounces, 

 postpaid, 5 cts.; 1 lb., postpaid, 15 cts.: peck, 35 cts.; Va 

 bushel, 65c; bushel, $1.25; two bushels, $2.25. These 

 prices include bag to ship it in. 



Of course, buckwheat is not usually put in the ground 

 until July or August; but so many times of late years 

 we have sold out or could not get hold of first-class seed 

 it may be a good idea to make your purchases now so as 



to be sure. T suppose the price has advanced a good 

 deal in sympathy with wheat; but it seems to me there 

 ought to be " big money " in growing buckwheat at 

 present prices, aside from its value for honey, to any 

 one who keeps bees. 



SUCCESSFUL FRUIT CULTURE. 



The above is the title of a new book just out, well 

 printed on nice paper, with fine illustrations all the way 

 through. It is published by the O. Judd Co , New 

 York, and contains 274 pages. The principal fault I 

 should find with it is that it undertakes to cover too 

 much ground, for it considers not only small fruits, 

 orchard trees, and grapevines, but even has something 

 to say in regard to sub- ti epical fruits. And then there 

 is quite a chapter in regard to fruit-growing under 

 glass. Now, if one wants a birdseye view of all these 

 different fruits, boiled down, as it were, this book is all 

 right; but if he wants to go into any particular branch 

 of fruit culture he will need other books to go with it. 

 But this one certainly fills a very important place just 

 now, for it brings each department clear up to the pres- 

 ent date. The price of the book is $1.00 by mail. We 

 can supply it from this office. 



IMPROVED METHODS OF GROWING CORN. 



The above is the title of a book just out, containing 

 160 pages. The author is J. B. Armstrong, of Shenan- 

 doah, Page Co., Iowa. The first chapter in the book 

 commences, "Don't sell the Farm." Every thing in 

 the book is good all the way through. It was written 

 by a practical man and a successful farmer. I do not 

 know of any thing I have read in a long while that is 

 more encouraging to the farmers' boys and giils. The 

 only fault I have to find with the book is the price, $1.00 

 in cloth; paper. 75 cents. At this price the book should 

 be printed on better paper with better ink, and be got- 

 ten up more in keeping with the standard works on 

 agriculture. J. B. Armstrong & Sons are seedsmen, 

 and make a specialty of growing seed corn of every de- 

 scription, and the book is offered to every customer who 

 purchases $5.00 worth of seed corn or other seeds. This 

 makes it better; but I still think so valuable a book 

 should be offered at a price low enough so it will be 

 generally read by everybody. However, it is well worth 

 a dollar, even if is not gotten up in as good shape as are 

 books on similar industries. 



FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



This is another valuable book from the O. Judd Co. 

 It contains 250 pages, and has very fine illustrations, 

 and is all devoted to grasses, millet, etc. Not even the 

 clovers are included. I believe this is the first time we 

 have ever had a book devoted entirely to the subject of 

 growing crops for hay. It seems to me every farmer 

 who has a meadow, little or big, can well afford to study 

 it. It discusses all of the new and valuable grasses 

 clear up to date; and it is much better suthority than 

 the extravagant statements that are found in manv of 

 our seed catalogs. The author, W. Jasper Spill man, is 

 Agrostologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 so we know he is authority, and, best, of all, di'-inter- 

 ested authority. There is also a chapter on lawns and 

 lawn-making. And another, too, in regard to grass 

 fads, cautioning farmers about being taken in with 

 new forage plants. Let me quote as follows: 



"Every few years some enterprising seedsman dis- 

 covers a new forage plant that, to quote from the seeds- 

 man's catalog. ■ produces eighty tons of green feed per 

 acre, is indestructible both by fire and water, and fur- 

 nishes shade in summer and shelter against the storms 

 of winter.' Unfortunately, thousands of farmers have 

 spent their hard-earned dollars for these much-adver- 

 tised seeds, at prices that amaze those who are familiar 

 with their actual market value, only to learn that they 

 are worthless weeds, or some old and well-known forage 

 plant that is masquerading under a new name." 



I had to smile a little when I read the above, especial- 

 ly when I remembered my own experiments and what I 

 had written up in this journal in regard to " Lathy r us 

 silvestris' and "sacaline." 



GOOD NEWS FOR POTATO- GROWERS. 



I do not mean, friends, that the present low prices of 

 potatoes are good for the grower, but I refer to the ex- 

 cellent books and periodicals we have, clear up to date. 

 First, the issue of the Practical Farmer for March 25 is 

 a potato special. There were 116 articles sent in for 

 this potato special, and submitted to T. B. Terry to 

 select the best and go over them and prepare them for 



