Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-10-31
Bss-Kespi.k for Warmers


not provided with at least small
apiary is guilty of tolerating three seri-
GUS leaks in the economics.
Leak 1.-The entire removal Of all
bees and similar insects from neigh
borhood would Insure an entire failure
of more than one farm crop. Expert
ence has shown this and experiment
has proved 1t time after time. Many
garden and orchard products depend al
most wholly upon the visits Of pollen
carrying insects for their fertilization,
and some of the field crops are better
for these visits. It has more than once
been noticed that after a wet season OF
fruit bloom. when the bees are kept In
doors by the rain, there is less fruit
and greater proportion of imperfect
fruit The same ia also noticeable in
the clover field. This fact has now been
SO well established and the absence Of
the bees is so noticeable that in several
places where under the old idea Of
bees injuring fruit, state laws had prac-
tically banished them. a popular clam
or has secured the repeal Of the laws
and the return of the bees.
The fact once established that bees
are essential to the proper fertilization
Of certain farm crops it at once be-
comes apparent that the farmer who
does not himself keep them must de-
pend upon chance or the enterprise OF
his neighbors for full crops Of this
kind. Hence. by not providing his own
flower fertilizers he Is harboring seri-
GUS leak In the quality and quantity
of both seed and fruit.
II ohcI~ nj fn~ oe
or molA Is wholly without honey-pro-
ducing flowers. In some cases the sup
ply would be too small for the bees to
be self-supporting. In others great
deal less than 80 acres might produce
several thousands of pounds. This at
from 10 to 15 cents always obtainable
for comb honey. represents an import
ant cash value that may by the keep
ing of sufficient bees be saved without
one particle of extra drainage to land
or CROP but that otherwise goes annu-
ally to loss. AS high as 80 pounds OF
honey have been made by one colony
in 10 days. This, at 12 cents, is over
81 per day per colony and from gen.
orally wasted source. OF course such
runs are not common nor long con-
tinued. Still 1t shows what possibili-
ties are stored up In these honey pro-
ducers. No grain crop is always pront-
able.
Leak 3, and perhaps the largest OF all.
Life on the farm Is accompanied by
enough privations to warrant every
possible effort being made for the full
est possible enjoyment Of Its advan-
tages Young people In particular feel
oh IN nA nH mi a
and intellectual standpoint when given
occasional glimpses of the. sweets OF
city life without discovering its bitter
ness. They grow discontented with the
country and the farm, their discomfort
appearing, perhaps, in little outbursts
of complaint against the plain fare at
table. The remedy is to interest them
absorbingly In something pertaining to
farm life; not In work, but in something
that is really interesting. Nature her
self Is the very best of compaions from
an Intellectual standpoint, and she
never made a more interesting study
of insect life than bee-ology. 1t is hard
ly reasonable to expect all to become
interested in this subject at once. but
many will. Some may first have their
interest awakened through the bees
themselves; others through good text
book on the subject. Both should be
provided for them as supplements to
each other. And In the meantime.
while the study is progressing, there
will be preparing for the table very
dainty addition to liven up the tedious
bill of fare.
The greatest leak OF Ill upon the
farm is that through which the interest
of the sons and daughters pour into
other channels. And you who still re-
fuse to provide some of these pleasant
sideplays like bee-keeping. may live to
see your farm drained of its young
alone in your old age.-Wilder Ora
hame in Farmers Home.
A New Grape Disease.-A new grape
disease known as Smelling" made Its
appearance in the vineyards Of western
New York last year. 1t consisted of
the strange dropping of fruit from the
punches and was undoubtedly due to
the lack Of available potash. The grape
requires a large amount Of potash to
perfect its fruit. and the heaviest call
for this mineral comes as the seeds are
NcEy WColhSi CdhC oh
last year Just at this time and the vines
dropped the fruit that they could not
perfect. 1t is not likely that this dis
ease will continue to plague the grape
grower. The remedy. plenty Of potash
with enough water to make 1t avail
able, is always within his reach
American Cultivator.
The Vitality Of Seeds.-A remark
able instance of the vitality of seeds
comes from Jones county, Iowa, where
Miss Jennie Boncher in the year 1855
made a wreath by using fine wire and
stringing different kinds Of garden
seeds on the wire in odd and fantastic
shapes. 1t required a great deal Of
patient labor to complete the work. and
when 1t was completed she presented
it to her aunt, Mrs. Flora Moore, Of
Webster City. Mrs. Moore kept the
wreath for many years, but some ten or
twelve years ago gave 1t to her niece.
Mrs. George Nichols. Lately the frame
in which the wreath was kept fell, and
the wreath was broken so badly that 1t
waa useless as an ornament Last