1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



559 



is nature's provision so that the seed may 

 remain in the ground several years and not 

 lose its vitality. When the outer shell final- 

 ly rots enough to let in moisture the seeds 

 commence to sprout and grow; and that is 

 the reason why, in my experiments, only a 

 few of the basswood seeds germinated in 

 one year, a few more the next, and so on. 

 Alternate freezing and thawing will break 

 the shell of a few of the seeds— that is, if 

 they are on or near the surface. If deep 

 down in the soil, or under a heavy coating 

 of leaves, the vitality may be preserved for 

 many years. We tried breaking the shells 

 with boiling water, but did not succeed. At 

 present we have no quick way of breaking 

 the hard shell. So far I have been cracking 

 them with a hammer, when spread out on a 

 piece of stone flagging. They should be 

 about half an inch deep, in good fibrous soil 

 mixed with old well- rotted manure. Rotted 

 sods, and manure such as florists use, is as 

 good, perhaps, as any thing. 



Now, friends, I hope some of you will run 

 opposition to me and enjoy the work as well 

 as I do, growing basswoods for timber and 

 for honey. 



While I write, our boys are taking up the 

 little plants from under our basswood-trees, 

 and setting them in trays like the one shown 

 below. Each tray holds four rows of little 

 trees, eight or nine trees in a row; so we 

 estimate every three boxes will make 100. 



PLANT-BOX 6|X12X3|,T0 HOLD 32 SEEDLING 

 BASSWOOD-TREES. 



We put an inch of old well-rotted manure in 

 the bottom of each box; then about half an 

 inch of pottmg-soil. and on this the seedling 

 trees are placed, taking up each little plant 

 with a lump of dirt attached— say a ball of 

 earth an inch or more in diameter. After 

 they are placed in the tray, some more pot- 

 ting-soil is put in between the plants, with 

 a spoon, filling it up pretty nearly to the 

 seed-leaves. We then set the boxes flat 

 down on a piece of stone flagging, with a 

 slight blow. This sets all solid. Now give 

 the little boxes a sprinkhng of water— just 

 enough to soak the soil around the roots, and 

 place them close together in the ground on 

 the north side of some building. Put them 

 just far enough away from the building so 

 they will be entirely in the shade by the 

 time they begin to wilt under the strong 

 heat of the sun; and have it arranged so the 

 heat of the sunshine will not strike them in 

 the afternoon until they can bear its full 

 rays without wilting. In this way you have 

 automatic shading. When the plants begin 



to crowd in the boxes, take each one up 

 with a spoon, going clear to the bottom of 

 the box, getting manure and all. You can 

 now set them in rows far enough apart for 

 a horse to pull a cutivator between them. I 

 would not put the rows nearer than three 

 feet; and if your soil is as rich and strong 

 as it ought to be they should not be nearer 

 in the row than six inches. You can put 

 them closer if you are crowded for room, 

 but they should grow three feet tall the first 

 season. Better give them room enough. 



The above directions will answer for a 

 great lot, not only of trees of difi'erent 

 kinds, but tomatoes, celery, etc. If you 

 want the basswoods to make a big growth, 

 be sure not to let them suffer for water dur- 

 ing a drouth. After the roots once get well 

 down in the ground they will take care of 

 themselves; but basswoods do best, as a 

 rule, on rather wet or damp ground; but it 

 should be sufficiently underdrained so there 

 will never be any standing water. 



WINTERGREEN BERRIES, ONCE MORE. 



After dictating my story in the last issue 

 I asked our subscription clerk if we had any 

 subscribers at Merritt, Mich. She replied 

 there was none on the list. Imagine my 

 surprise, therefore, on finding the letter 

 below on my table this morning: 



Mr. A. I. Root-kind Sir.— My father takes Glean- 

 ings, and I see in it that you speak of a little boy at 

 Merritt. Walhalla is what was formerly Merritt. The 

 postoffice was formerly Manistee Junction. I am the 

 little boy who sold you the berries. My name is Louie 

 Bates. I read all of your story. I will always read 

 them hereafter. I go to Sunday-school at Tallman two 

 miles from here. 1 am going to school every day ' We 

 have only three days more of school. My father and 

 mother belong to the Christian Church at Tallman. 



There are lots of wintergreen berries here, and I am 

 going to send you a box of them with this letter There 

 are lots of roots; and if you will write me, telling how 

 many you want and how you want them fixed I will 

 send you some. I see by Gleanings you want' some 

 I made about twenty dollars selling trailing arbutus I 

 like to sell them, they are so pretty. I tried to get some 

 to send you, but they are all gone. I remember you 

 and your helping me sell berries. I write you because I 

 want you to know I attend Sunday-school. 



I will close for fear I shall take up too much of your 

 valuable time. But I shall never forget Mr. A I Root 

 and I shall always keep that copy of Gleanings ' 



Walhalla, Mich.. May 8. Louie Bates. 



Well done, Louie. Now, if your father is 

 a bee-keeper I can certainly afford to make 

 your folks a call when I go up to my pla-e 

 next time; and if you and I together can't 

 make wintergreens grow under cultivation 

 it will be funny. If you attend Sunday- 

 school I shall not need to worry about your 

 getting led astray by the saloon-keepers 

 shall I ? And if you keep as honest and 

 straight and unselfish as you were that 

 morning in making change for your berries, 

 I shall feel sure, too, that, when you grow- 

 up, you will not be one of the men who 

 "want the whole earth." Now, remember 

 Louie, I am going to help you pick winter- 

 green berries some time. Providence per- 

 mitting. From your old friend 



A. I. Root. 



Friend Root.— I see you want plants of wintergreen 

 so I send you some by express. They are such plants 



