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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



here in Northern Michigan), it may not be 

 a bad investment to grow maple wood for 

 fuel and for hard- wood flooring, etc. Aside 

 from this, what is prettier on a well-kept 

 farm than a neat and tidy maple grove? 

 Start one going for your grandchildren, 

 and you may live to see them enjoy it. 



There is one unpleasant feature about 

 maple-sugar making in localities where the 

 soil is clayey. In the springtime it often 

 gets to be very muddy around the camp in 

 going to and from a sugar-bush. In our lo- 

 cality in the Traverse region of Northern 

 Michigan, however, the soil has so large a 

 percentage of sand that we never have any 

 mud, even after the hardest rains. No 

 standing water is ever seen anywhere. In 

 choosing a locality for a sugar-bush I 

 should greatly prefer a soil of this kind. 



MAPLE SUGAR AND MAPLE SYRUP AS A FEA- 

 TURE OF SOCIAL GATHKRINGS. 



I do not know that there is any other one 

 thing, I might almost say in the whole 

 round of "God's gifts" to his children, 

 that is equal to nice maple syrup for fur- 

 nishing a pleasant entertainment to visitors 

 who may drop in, or for social gatherings 

 of people, either young or old. Who is there 

 that does not brighten up at the mere men- 

 tion of a sugar-party? Many times when 

 friends come in upon us unexpectedly, how 

 easy it is, with a good store of maple syr- 

 up, to set a panful on the stove, so as to be 

 able to bring in to the guests some " warm 

 sugar " when they least expect it! and if it 

 is at a season of the year when you can find 

 a snowbank in some protected place in the 

 woods, what a wonderful treat it is to give 

 each guest a plateful of snow along with a 

 saucerful of hot sugar! If there are any of 

 our younger readers who have never enjoy- 

 ed dipping the hot maple sugar in a pan of 

 snow so as to make maple wax, let me tell 

 >ou there is a treat in store for them. Then 

 there is another thing yet. It is not every- 

 body who has yet learned to make " maple 

 cream;" in fact, Mrs. Root and I got on to 

 it only this past season. This can be made 

 of the last run of the sugar-bush, even of 

 the syrup that is usually called buddy; or 

 if the sap is soured a little in making it, 

 and the sugar is a little backward about 

 graining, that will not harm it. Boil it 

 down very carefully until it gets hard when 

 you throw it down on the snow, or dip it in 

 cold water. Set it off the fire, put it in 

 saucers, and let them cool, or get nearly 

 cool, without any stirring. When nearly 

 cold, commence stirring the syrup vigorous- 

 ly, and keep stirring it till it gets white 

 like cream. If you manage it just right, it 

 will be nearlj' as white as cream, and so 

 soft that it can be dipped up with a spoon 

 when perfectly cold — something of the con- 

 sistency of ice cream, perhaps a little hard- 

 er. But it is to me the most delicious sweet, 

 and I do not know but I might say the most 

 delicious dish of any kind that the world 

 has yet furnished. I have never heard of 

 maple-sugar ice cream; but let me suggest 

 right here is an opening for somebody to 



make a small fortune. You want pure ma- 

 ple sugar or pure maple syrup, made with 

 a Champion evaporator, such as I have de- 

 scribed. This maple cream may be put 

 away, say in jelly-tumblers, or something 

 of the kind, and kept indefinitely. Have a 

 lot of these in some convenient place; and 

 when relatives or the neighbors' children 

 come to make you a visit, and you want to 

 give them something nice for a treat, just 

 give each one a little sauce-dish of this ma- 

 ple cream. My impression is, there is more 

 than one little chick around our " cabin in 

 the woods" who will remember "Aunt 

 Sue " for a long while; and I should not 

 wonder if the juvenile mind would for long 

 years associate her name with the dishes of 

 maple cream she gave them. 



ALFALFA — CAN IT BE GROWN ON MICHIGAN 

 SANDY SOILS? 



We take the following from the Michigan 

 Farmer. It answers the question, at least 

 partially, that has often come up, "Will 

 alfalfa thrive as far north as Michigan, and 

 especially in sandy soils? " 



Some people have been growing alfalfa for several 

 yCHrs on the same ground, and sptak very highly of it; 

 in fact, all who have been able to get a good catch are 

 pleased with the results. 



There are several reasons why alfalfa should have a 

 place in Michigan am ng our forage-plants. First it 

 thrives well on poor sandy soils where it seetns impos- 

 sible to get fair returns frt'm the other clovers, .sec- 

 ond, it thrives during periods of s vere drouth when 

 other crops are practically burned out. Third, it is 

 relished i y stock; and cows or young cattle after hav- 

 ing eaten of it, either as a soiling crop or as cured hay, 

 refuse other feeds like June clover or timothy. Fourtii, 

 it is nutritious fed alone, being equal to timothy and a 

 moderate supply of bran. P'iflh, as a coarse feed for 

 hogs, either a- pasture or to be fed dry in winter, I 

 know of nothing that equals it. .Sixth, it produces 

 three crops per year; it should be cut when in bloom, 

 which is generally from May 20 to June 1; again about 

 August 1. and again about the last of September. 



The main diiificiiUy seems to be in getting a good 

 catch. At least 20 lbs. of seed should be sown on an 

 acre, more would be better. In April, 1901. I .sowed 20 

 lbs. per acre with beardlos barUy as a nurse crop; I 

 went over the ground with a roller after sowing; got a 

 fair catch I think harrowing in the seed would be 

 still better. Don't pasture it with any thing any time 

 if you wish to mow it. Don't try to raise seed, as it 

 will not mature well in this climate. Put it on your 

 highest, poorest ground; manure it after the first year, 

 and work it in with a harrow. ■ N. A. Clapp. 



Oakland Co., Mich. 



I may add that, in regard to the time of 

 sowing, alfalfa can be put in at any time 

 in May, and good results are obtained by 

 sowing it in June. Right close to our cabin 

 in the woods, in Leelanaw Co., there is a 

 field that has been producing fair crops an- 

 nually for a good many years. 



HUMBUGS AND SWINDLES. 



Mr. Root: — I inclose an advertisement and a letter 

 for your consideration. I believe these fellows should 

 be exposed. I did not expect to get the belt free, but 

 wanted proof of their insincerity. 



Ctdar Mills, O , April 16. Steen Freeman. 



The newspaper clipping that came with 

 the above letter shows an electric belt 

 flashing out lightning in every direction. 

 Here is the way the advertisement starts 

 out: 



