354 ANNUAL REPORT 



last of May blighted a large part of it. Our strawberries that were 

 uncovered early were badly injured, but those kept covered until 

 about the 10th of May produced an abundant crop, so that we har- 

 vested about fifty 24 quart cases, which sold readily for $3.50 per 

 case. Raspberries were nearly a failure. Blackberries badly in- 

 jured by frost aud drouth, had about 400 boxes. We consider 

 Snyder for early, Ancient Briton and Taylor's Prolific for late, the 

 best kinds to grow. Grapes were badly injured by frost, still we 

 had a few nice ones, the best being Worden. I recommend Wor- 

 den, Moore's Early and Brighton, and believe it will well pay every 

 farmer and citizen to set a few vines of these kinds. You can get 

 good vines by buying direct of nurserymen for from 10 to 25 cents. 



BEE KEEPING. 



With a desire of increasing the usefulness of this society we 

 have this year taken a new departure and invited our bee-keeping 

 and sorghum growing friends to meet with us, thus following the 

 plan adopted by the State Horticultural Society. Instead of 

 offering premiums for exhibits at this meeting we decided to use 

 part of our funds in getting instructors of experience to attend 

 the meeting. We hope to make of it an institute in which all will 

 be free to ask questions and speak without reserve. Owing to the 

 favorable season beekeeping has attracted more attention in this 

 part of the state than ever before. Many people have a swarm or 

 two of bees and know a little about caring for them. This has 

 been a favorable season and most bees are in good condition. Cel- 

 lars (where bees are usually wintered in this climate) are free 

 from dampness and they will no doubt winter well, but we fear 

 that the condition of many of these amateur bee-keepers will soon 

 be that expressed in the following lines from the American Bee 

 Keeper's journal, by Mrs. F. Graham: 



Ainateur Bee-Keepers' Lament. 



Written by Request of Dr. A. B. Mason. 



BY MRS. FRED GRAHAM. 



I hardly know what is required of me, 

 When requested to write poetry on the bee; 

 Surely, Doctor, you muse be jesting, 

 And from all such pranks ought to be resting. 



The bees are workers — that I'll allow; 

 But they sometimes cause a terrible row. 

 Years ago, I had the bee-fever pretty bad — 

 Inherited, probably, from my Ma or Dad. 



I hived them, and even swarmed them, too, 

 Till, one day they got mad, and stung me through and through; 

 My hands and face swelled and swelled, until I thought I'd drop, 

 And still that swelling did not stop. 



I had visions of splendor, and lived at my ease- 

 All of it to come from those hives of bees; 

 But they vanished, one by one, away, 

 And not one of them remains to-day. 

 Maumee, Ohio. 



