1882. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



213 



ence a foot from the ground, and about twenty 

 feet high. They have grown in an open place. 

 They are as hardy as any of our oaks. They 

 split down a little like trees of American elm. 

 Some white ashes have grown six years where 

 the seed was planted. Many of these are each 

 eighteen feet high and from eight to nine and a 

 half inches in circumference one fool from the 

 ground. From the start the white ashes have 

 been straight, clean and handsome. Some black 

 walnuts have grown five years where the nuts 

 were planted. Many of them are fifteen feet 

 high and measure seven and a half to eight and 

 a half inches around, one foot above the soil. 

 They are beautiful trees. Of forest trees indige- 

 nous to Michigan, all things considered, where 

 the site and soil are suitable, he would select to 

 plant for limber, black wah,ut and white ash. 

 He would plant in some Catalpa speciosa to re- 

 move for fence posts before the walnuts or ashes 

 were removed." 



The Farnesian Acacia. — Important in refer- 

 ence to their value in rural economy are the 

 Acacia Farnesiana, which produce the fragrant 

 flowers so much used in perfumery, and the 

 A. homalophylla, the wood of which is highly 

 prized and dearly paid for by manufacturers of 

 fans, etc. 



In every Moorish garden in North Africa, 

 there can be seen a few trees of the A. Farne- 

 siana, of which the flowers are gathered by 

 women and children for family use ; whilst in 

 France and Italy it furnishes a not unimportant 

 article of commerce. In the district of Cannes 

 alone about 36,000 Bbs. of flowers are yearly 



produced, for which the perfumers pay from 

 fifty to seventy-five cents per pound, which 

 would amount to about $45,000. One tree fur- 

 nishes, according to age, from one to five or 

 more pounds ; and one acre, planted with about 

 800 trees, would produce in a few years a nota- 

 ble increase of income to many of our farmers, 

 some pin money to their wives, besides making 

 farm work and farm life both pleasant and 

 profitable to their children. But this pleasant 

 prospect cannot be realized as long as the ex- 

 traction of perfumes is not undertaken, because 

 the acacia flowers, like most of those flowers 

 whose perfume is extracted, must be treated 

 while fresh and on the spot. 



Is it not to be regretted that such a profitable 

 and important branch of horticulture is ne- 

 glected, and that the ambition of our landhold- 

 ers and rich men goes rather in the direction to 

 produce fast horses than to introduce, encourage 

 and foster such industries, which would give 

 employment to thousands of women and chil- 

 dren, and in this wise be more conducive to the 

 welfare of the community in which they live, 

 than if they raised a horse that could make a 

 mile in one minute? And what will and can 

 this society do in this desirable direction beyond 

 discussing the question and perhaps recommend- 

 ing a remedy; or will not that part of the press 

 which is usually wide awake when the political 

 or commercial interests of the commonwealth 

 are under discussion, agitate in this direction 

 and help to produce a good crop from a kernel 

 of suggestion? It thrives any where inside the 

 frost line. — Pacific Rural Press. 



Natural History and Science. 



CO M MUNI C A TIONS. 



DRONE BEES ON THE WINC-A GREAT 

 MYSTERY. 



BY W. H. BURFORD, INDEPENDENCB, MISS. 



How often in boyhood days, and yet still 

 oftener since I have been a man, have I been puz- 

 zled when in the woods on hearing a sound like 

 the hum of a swarm of bees ; indeed I was so 

 sure of it I have frequently hunted the woods 



for miles, thinking that the much beloved 

 honey-makers were but a fpw steps ahead, but 

 yet could not be overtaken. Having noticed 

 several years since that this humming noise 

 was only heard in the spring season, I came to 

 a conclusion that it was the drone bees, which 

 swarm above the tops of the trees by 

 thousands, and have been confirmed in this 

 belief by each subsequent investigation. The 

 noise may be heard anywhere in the vicinity of 

 an apiary, and commences at from nine to ten 



