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154 EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL EEPORT OF THE 



This of course is a plant which we cannot always depend on, because 

 it follows the fire regions. Where fire has gone through a slashing 

 and burned out all the brush and undergrowth and everything, fire- 

 weed will follow, and it will come up in wonderful profusion. I think 

 I have a picture in my grip upstairs, and if any of you people want to 

 see the picture of it I will show it to you, I will try to put it in my 

 pocket tonight, showing fire-weed. You can see the bloom for miles 

 across the country, that peculiar lavender hue of the fire-weed blossoms. 



Now, that follows the fire, and in a couple of years the raspberry 

 commences to come in, and the clover commences to come in, and the 

 fire-weed commences to go, and in the course of four or five years or 

 so, depending on circumstances somewhat, how badly it gets crowded, 

 the fire-weed is gone again. And then another fire comes along. But 

 when it is gone, the raspberry and the clover are there. And then 

 another fire comes along and the raspberry and clover are gone, and 

 then the fire-weed is there. 



Fire-weed produces one of our very finest honeys. It is not neces- 

 sary for me to say that. Bee-keepers know that fire-weed honey is 

 one of the finest wild white honeys that is produced in the north. 



There is a little basswood in places. The basswood has been much 

 sawed off, everything of any size has been cut to a large extent. Later 

 we get the goldenrod. Now, the goldenrod grows on the heavy land 

 and somewhat on the edges of the sand plains, and if the temperature 

 conditions are right, goldenrod secretes nectar and is gathered and 

 stored, producing an excellent grade of honey. Where I used to live, 

 over in Indiana, I did not think very much of goldenrod, but after I 

 came to Michigan I commenced to appreciate goldenrod a little more. 

 I notice that Dr. Phillips says that it does not amount to much for 

 wintering in his textbook on bee-keeping, but I must say that in Michi- 

 gan no serious results seem to have followed goldenrod. 



However, the upper peninsular is cursed with one thing in the way 

 of flowers,and that is aster, in some parts of it. Now I don't mean every 

 part, but some parts of the upper peninsular, especially down along the 

 Wisconsin and Michigan line. Through there the aster is quite a 

 serious thing, and in the fall of the year they fill their hives full of it, 

 and of course some of it granulates and some of it sours, and it makes 

 itself a general nuisance. Those of you who are here from Kentucky 

 and Tennessee, of course, look on aster with favor, and I don't blame 

 you. I bought lots of honey from Kentucky and Tennessee and I 

 appreciated it when it arrived from there. But when it comes from the 

 upper peninsular of Michigan, I have nothing to say for it, and it is a 

 problem. What the bee-keeper up there has to face is the getting rid 

 of that aster honey, and then the substituting in its place for winter 

 storage of a good white honey, of the clover, the alsike, the raspberry 

 or the fire-weed, or the feeding of sugar for winter stores. 



Mr. Wheeler. — It is not good for wintering, then? 



Mr. Kindig. — No, sir. It is a serious thing, an exceedingly serious 

 thing, to have in the hive for winter on the upper peninsular; bad 

 enough here. 



Now, I might say in regard to wintering just a word, if you ^Adll 

 allow me, Mr. Chairman. My time has already gone. Wintering up 



