12 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
28 seeds respectively, an average of about 
37J- each. In the instances above given, the 
heads covered with sacks were allowed to fall 
to the ground, which may have damaged 
them to some extent. The shade of the sacks 
may also have been a hindrance to the pro¬ 
duction of seeds. In the fourth year, on ex¬ 
perimenting with flowers of the first crop, 8 
heads were tied up and the sacks fastened to 
stakes to keep the heads from the ground. 
These heads produced no seeds. Heads of 
the same age and uncovered, were 
examined, and most of them pro¬ 
duced seeds. In the fifth year, 
seven young heads of the first crop 
were covered. One head only pro¬ 
duced seed, and that yielded only 
three. This head, when in flower, 
was seen to have a small insect of 
some sort crawling over it. Eight 
heads of the same age. not cover¬ 
ed, were examined. One of these 
contained 15 seeds; each of the 
other seven contained from 20 to 
52 seeds. The covered and the 
uncovered heads of the second 
crop yielded about the same num¬ 
ber of seeds as did those of the first. 
In the sixth year, 1882, two fine 
bunches of the first clover crop, 
apparently alike, were both cover¬ 
ed with mosquito netting. No in¬ 
sects were seen about either, ex¬ 
cept what are mentioned below. 
On June 29th, a bumble-bee was 
placed inside of one netting and 
seen to work on the flowers ; July 
10th, two more were introduced 
and seen to work, and on the 12th 
more were put in and observed. 
On July 31st, fifty ripe heads were 
selected from each plant and the 
seeds carefully counted. The fifty heads on 
the plants where the bees were excluded 
yielded as follows : 
place fifty heads yielded 2,290 seeds, or nearly 
twice as many as plant number one in the 
lots just above noticed. It is a fair conclu¬ 
sion that bumble-bees are of considerable 
value in fertilizing the flowers of red clover. 
What is Maxixe? 
We have had an inquiry from “ F. W.,” 
San Augustine, Fla., concerning “Maxixe,” 
the seeds of which he had received, and 
40 heads yielded no seeds. .0 
6 heads yielded 1 eacli....(i 
1 head yielded.2 
1 head yielded.3 
1 head yielded.5 
1 head yielded,..9 
Total.25 
The fifty heads on the plant where the 
bumble-bees were inserted under the muslin, 
and seen to work, yielded seeds as follows : 
29 heads yielded no seeds. 0 
2 heads yielded 1 each... 2 
5 heads yielded 2 each...10 
3 heads yielded 3 each... 9 
3 heads yielded 4 each.... 12 
Total. 
3 heads yielded 5 each..15 
1 head yielded.17 
1 head yielded... 8 
1 head yielded. 9 
1 head yielded.10 
.92 
This is nearly four times as many as pro¬ 
duced by heads where the bees were excluded. 
In all instances, the heads were seen to be 
unopened when they were covered with mus¬ 
lin or paper sacks. In the last experiment, 
as well as in the others, perhajis the bees did 
not visit all of the flowers. Insects, even in 
the most favorable seasons, are not always 
to be relied on to transfer pollen enough to 
fertilize all the pistils. Prof. W. W. Tracy 
has found in several seasons, where he has 
raised Hubbard squashes on a large scale, that 
he increased his crop of fruit quite largely by 
artificially transferring pollen with his own 
hand every day or two during flowering. 
To see how the uncovered heads of red 
clover from different plants varied in the 
number of seeds produced, I selected fifty 
heads from five plants near each other, where 
each had plenty of room. This was the sec¬ 
ond crop of clover. Fifty heads from each 
plant yielded as follows : 1,260, 1,275, 1,460, 
1,485, 1,820 seeds respectively. In another 
the maxixe (Cucumis Anguria). 
Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
from which he had raised plants. At our 
request he sent us abundant specimens, and 
we at once saw that “ Maxixe ” was only a 
South American name for a plant that we 
had long known by other names. Before we 
describe the plant, let us say that the name, 
“ Maxixe,” if given it by the Spaniards, 
would be pronounced “ Mar-iiee-hce," and 
while not sure, we have no doubt that 
the pronunciation would be the same if 
given by the Portuguese. The abundant 
specimens sent us show that the puzzling 
“ Maxixe” is an old and well-known plant, 
Cucumis Anguria, and is sold by the seeds¬ 
men as the “ West India Gherkin.” The 
plant is an own brother to the cucumber. It 
is a rampant grower and, if desired, may be 
trained upon a trellis. The oval fruits, two 
or three inches long, are on remarkably long 
stems, and are veiy rough, with blunt pro¬ 
jections upon their surface; when ripe they 
are of a cream color. In South America the 
fruits are used in stews and soups. In the 
West Indies and elsewhere, the plant is 
grown for pickles, being, like cucumbers, 
used before it is ripe. In that state its flesh 
is very spongy, and absorbs a great deal of 
vinegar, which is the chief requirement in a 
vegetable used for pickle. We knew, a few 
years ago, of an annoying mistake with ref¬ 
erence to this plant. In some localities a 
small cucumber is called “ Gherkin.” A 
friend, who came from a Southern State, 
where this term is in common use, for small 
cucumbers, went to a seed store, and asked 
for seeds from which he could raise “ Gher- 
liins ”—meaning pickling cucumbers. He 
received his seeds, sowed them in a hot-bed, 
cared for the plants when young, and when 
they began to bear he had a crop of the self¬ 
same “ Maxixe.” The clerk who served him 
found this in the catalogue as “West India 
Gherkin,” and supplied him accordingly. Our 
friend’s account of the rampant manner in 
which the plants grew and took possession of 
his garden, was most amusing. 
A Place for the Tools. 
When not in use every tool used on the' 
farm or in the garden should have a place 
for safe keeping. A well-to-do farmer can 
afford a house especially for the tools. But 
the lack of a tool-house does not prevent the 
farmer from having some suitable place for 
storing his implements. The sides of a car¬ 
riage-house may be arranged so that a large 
number of the small tools can be put away 
in good shape. Not long ago the writer was 
in a farm building where the whole underside 
of the roof was devoted to the storage of im¬ 
plements. Here were grain cradles, scythes, 
and various rakes, forks, hoes, etc., hung 
upon bars and pins in a safe and satisfactory 
way. Racks for holding implements can be 
put in between the studs of a building, and. 
above these, shelves should be made for 
holding various articles as tubs, baskets, etc.,, 
that take much space. The time of year for 
fitting up the tool-room is at hand. With 
the implements in good working order, and 
stored so as to be within quick reach, the 
farmer is forearmed for liis work, that comes 
so much in a heap at the opening of spring,. 
A New Zealand Stump-Puller. 
Mr. H. Fowler, Palmerston, N. Z., sends us 
a sketch of a stump-puller used in New Zea¬ 
land. He writes : The thread of the screw 
works both ways, and gradually draws each 
chain nearer the center, where the screw is. 
turned by a movable bar. One end of the 
chain is fastened around one stump, and the 
other around a second; then when the screw 
is turned, whichever stump is the less firm 
in the ground is bound to be pulled out. The. 
screw is readily worked by a man, though it 
will, as a rule, require two persons to work 
it on heavy land. 
Select tlie Seed Now.—A little later 
in the season there will be much hurry to do 
the pressing work, and any labor like that of 
selecting the needed seed for spring sowing 
and planting, should not be delayed. It is. 
important that only the best seed be sown, 
and to this end much attention should be 
given. A great many weeds are uninten¬ 
tionally sown with the various field and gar¬ 
den seeds. The number of weed seeds some¬ 
times sold with that of clover is very large. 
In this way Eastern weeds have been intro¬ 
duced into Western States. It is not an easy 
matter to detect some of the weed seeds, and 
therefore the farmer should buy where he 
feels certain that only pure seed is sold. The 
seed should be of the best varieties, plump 
and sound, and free from “ foul stuff.” Let 
every farmer now see that such seed is at 
hand when seed time comes. 
