1905 



r.LEANINT.S IX BEE CULTURE. 



451 



Special Notices by A. I. Root. 



Our convention at Central Lake, in Northern Mich- 

 igan, was a very pleasant and profitable meeting, and 

 my write-up of it is already prepared for the next issue. 

 The crop of raspberry honey has been very good during- 

 the past year; and so long as the wild raspberry is 

 allowed to flourish in Northern Michigan, that will con- 

 tinue to be a profitable place for those who make bee- 

 keeping a specialty, 



JADOO FIBER IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND. 



Jadoo fiber can now be had of Miss Mary E. Martin, 

 Floral Park, N. Y. You can find particulars and prices 

 in her catalog. I do not know how it is with florists 

 generally, but as for myself I would not undertake to 

 grow plants and seeds in the greenhouse without hav- 

 ing at least a little jadoo fiber to mix with the potting 

 soil more or less, 



IS IT A WRITTEN LETTER OR A PRINTED ONE ? 

 The heads of our firm have about decided it is next 

 to impossible to distinguish a real written letter from 

 the counterfeit (that is the proper name for it, dear 

 reader) made on a printing-press. While I dictate I 

 hold in my hand a letter from a veteran bee-keeper. He 

 thinks a distinguished (?) doctor had taken the pains to 

 write him a long personal letter in regard to the treat- 

 ment of a sick relative. But said letter was simply 

 printed on a press, and copies of it have probably been 

 sent to thousands of people just to get their money. If 

 he succeeds in making the counterfeit letter pass for a 

 genuine one he usually gets the money. 



THE christian's SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE. 

 For several years we have been unable to get a nice 

 substantial copy of this work at a i-easonable price. We 

 are glad to tell our friends just now, however, that we 

 have a very pretty edition, bound in cloth, at the very 

 reasonable price of 25 cts. If ordered by mail. 6 cts. 

 more for postage. This book has had a very large sale 

 for more than twenty years; and when I tell you that 

 quite a number of people have been converted to the 

 Lord Jesus Christ simply by reading it you will not 

 wonder why it sells. At one time it was carried and 

 sold by the newsboys on our railways. It not only con- 

 tains a wonderful "secret" for unbelievers, but to 

 many v/ho have been church-members all their lives, 

 but not the " happy " church-members that God intend- 

 ed we should be. 



THE ACME HAND POTATO-PLANTER. 

 With the number of these that are sold every spring 

 they ought to be pi'etty well known by this time. Let 

 me repeat once more that, in the great potato-growing 

 region around Grand Traverse Bay. Michigan, the pota- 

 toes are all planted with these hand planters. The 

 planters used so commonly here in Ohio, worked by 

 horse power, have been tried in Northern Michigan, but 

 they are soon laid aside for the hand planter. This sea- 

 son we make them only 60 cts. each; three or more, 5.5 

 cts. each; half dozen or more, 50 cts. each. The machine 

 can be sent by mail at an additional expense for postage 

 of 45 cents; but it is a rather unwieldy thing to put in 

 the mail-bags Better have it go by express, or, better 

 still, order it so as to go by freight with other goods. 

 The planters we sell are made in Traverse City by the 

 firm that first invented it, if I am correct; and as they 

 are right in the potato-growing regions they know 

 exactly what is wanted. 



WEATHER INSTRUMENTS FOR THE HOME. 



The above is the title of a little book of 62 pages, prin- 

 cipally in regard to the use of the barometer, thermom- 

 eter, and hygrometer applied to the weather. It also 

 discusses clinical thermometers used in the practice of 

 medicine. There is vei-y gteat need of general informa- 

 tion in regard to the barometer and thermometer. In 

 using the barometer especially, few people who possess 

 one give it the time and attention needed to foretell the 

 weather to the best advantage. In our own neighbor- 

 hood they all come to me to know what the weather is 

 going to be, because I keep track of the instrument 

 enough to Know just which way the mercury is moving. 

 Although this book is quite scientific it gives a large 

 amount of valuable popular information. Price 25 cts. 

 It mr-y he order-d of the publisher, A. L. Dyke Auto- 

 mobile Supply Co., St. Louis, Mo., or we can supply it 

 from this office. 



GINSENG — LOOK OUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE ANXIOUS TO 

 SELL SEEDS AND PLANTS. 



We copy the following from the last Rural New- 

 Yorker: 



" We have seen several letters from commission men 

 which read about as follows : ' There is absolutely no 

 sale for cultivated ginseng root. Do not send us any 

 more!' The Chinese refuse to buy this cultivated gin- 

 seng, and there is no use for it outside of the Chinese 

 trade. This is the end of the great boom in ginseng. 

 It comes earlier than we expected, yet, we understand, 

 people are still investing their hard-earned money in 

 seeds and roots." 



THE NITROGEN BACTERIA FURNISHED BY THE DEPART- 

 MENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The following, which is just at hand from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, answers a lot of questions from a 

 good many people; 



"The erroneous statements which recently appeared 

 in the public press regarding the free and unlimited 

 distribution of inoculating material for leguminous 

 crops is likely to cause those who apply for these cul- 

 tures to be disappointed. The publication of the results 

 obtained with pure cultures in inoculating leguminous 

 plants has resulted in such a demand for this material 

 that the facilities of the Department have been taxed to 

 their utmost, and for some time it has been impossible 

 to meet the demand; in fact, the total quantity which 

 could be prepared this season was promised early in 

 February. 



"The patent which the Department holds upon the 

 method of growing and distributing these organisms 

 was taken out in such a way that no one can maintain a 

 monopoly of the manufacture of such cultures and so 

 as to permit of its being taken up and handled com- 

 mercially. The commercial product is being handled 

 quite generally by seedsmen. Upon application the 

 Department has furnished all necessary information to 

 the bacteriologists representing properly equipped con- 

 cerns, but it can not assume to make any statement 

 which could in any way be regarded as a guarantee of 

 the commercial pi'oduct; nor is it prepared to indorse 

 each and all of the somewhat extravagant claims occa- 

 sionally made for this discovery. Those who desire to 

 consult the Department's authorized statements should 

 refer to its own publications, the latest of which is 

 Farmers' Bulletin 214." 



Our experiment stations are the proper ones to advise 

 in this matter; and we hope they will be able to direct 

 the public where to purchase the inoculating material 

 to supply the demand. It ought to be furnished at a 

 reasonable price by our established seedsmen. 



Kind Words from our Customers. 



There is something about Gleanings (I can't tell just 

 what it is) that makes me feel as if you were very dear 

 friends, e.'^pecially sfter reading Uncle Amos' " Home 

 Talks." We take seven papers, and Gleanings is the 

 first one picked up, and the " Home Talks ' the first 

 thing read by me. I am a cripple with rheumatism, 

 therefore Gleanings is a welcome visitor these long 

 winter evenings. I will also add that bee-stings as a 

 remedy for rheumatism have done me no good, and I 

 have tested them thoroughly since I have been in the 

 business, some 15 years. I have also taken the bee- 

 poison internally by the stomach as the homeopathists 

 use it. Simeon G. Kilgore. 



London. Ohio, Feb. 14. 



Many thanks, dear friend, for your encouraging 

 words; but 1 wish you would let us know whether you 

 consider the bee-stings beneficial as a homeopathic rem- 

 edy. Your test seems pretty conclusive that it does not 

 help all cases of rheumatism. How about its virtues as 

 an internal medicine? 



T. B. terry's comments ON MY HOME PAPER ON VEN- 

 TILATION. 



Mu Dear Mr. Root:— Oh, I am so glad you wi'ote just 

 what you did in April 1st Gleanings! I have long 

 thought of an article on human smells. My own nose 

 has had all too many experiences, but I wanted the 

 views of others too. Yours just fill the bill. I wish you 

 could have heard wife and me laugh over "the smells 

 got all mixed up." It will be a month or two before I 

 can work it in; but I hope, if people won't listen to ven- 

 tilating their homes to improve health and save life, 

 they may be led to do it out of regard to their friends' 

 nones. Most cordially, 



Hudson, O., April 13. T. B. Terry. 



