324 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 



see or tell how much honey or in what condition 

 their bees were in; it makes me feel sad to pass 

 through the country and sec what a miserable con- 

 dition and way these box-hive men keep and manage 

 their bees. I must say, they are doing a great in- 

 justice and damage to the bee-keepers who have 

 their bees in frame hives, and are trying to build 

 up a great indvistry in the way of producing fine 

 honey, and in a fine condition to fetch a good price. 

 These box-hive men, as a rule, get their honey 

 (what little they do get) in such an unsightly condi- 

 tion, that it will not fetch a decent price; and when 

 it is in market, it is hurried off at the first price that 

 is offered for it, therefore injuring the price of 

 choice honey in fine shape. 



Now, friend Koot, I have a little scheme in my 

 head, and I think it will work admirably. In the 

 first place, as a general thing the most of these box- 

 hive men will improve, and get their bees in better 

 shape, if they only have somebody to get them 

 started and instruct them a little. The most, or 

 nearly all, who are keeping their bees so slovenly, 

 will try to better their condition, for there is, in my 

 opinion, no one who has a lot of bees, no matter 

 what the number is, but will, if he can, be con- 

 vinced that it will be for his or her personal gain 

 (for it is natural for humanity to better its condi- 

 tion) to get them in such a shape that they can 

 make a few dollars instead of a few shillings. Now, 

 what I am driving at and going to propose is this: 

 That you i-equest all readers of Gleanings to send 

 you the name of every box-hive bee-keeper in his or 

 her vicinity who has not or is not taking some bee 

 journal, and that you will forward them a sample 

 copy of Gleanings with the following, or some- 

 thing else, as your better judgment will decide, 

 printed upon the wrapper or a separate sheet of 

 paper: 



Dear Friend:— Your name has been sent in to us 

 as a bee-keeper, and, thinking that you would be 

 glad to receive a copy of our Gleanings in Beb 

 Culture, and that you will carefully look it over, 

 and become convinced that it will be for your ad- 

 vantage to become a subscriber, we take the liberty 

 of sending you one. It will not only teach you how 

 to take better care of your bees, but show you how 

 to put up your honey in such a way that it will com- 

 mand a good price in market, therefore putting dol- 

 lars in your pocket where you do not shillings, and 

 thus bettering your condition and that of those 

 around you who are striving to produce nice honey, 

 and are putting it in salable shape. 



A. I. Root, Medina, O. 



I think that this suggestion will not only benefit 

 the bee-keeping fraternity, but secure for you sev- 

 eral hundred subscribers. 



For the past few days the weather has become 

 more settled, and warm ; the bees have commenced 

 to work, and are now getting some honey, and I for 

 one will rejoice if feeding is over. 



F. BOOMHOWER. 



Gallupville, N. Y., June 18, 1882. 



I am pretty well aware of the general fail- 

 ure of white clover to yield honey this sea- 

 son, friend B., and we are a little anxious 

 about the nearly four hundred colonies in 

 our own apiary that have, many of them, not 

 over a pound of honey ; but still, we are 

 hopeful. The season is backward, and the 

 abundant rains liave had the effect of wash- 

 ing the honey out, to a great extent, or at 

 least that is my reason for the lack of white- 

 clover honey ; but this same abundant mois- 

 ture will, we hope, prolong the honey-yield 

 later than usual. In our case, the large 



number of strong stocks in one point would 

 be a pretty good reason why they sliould not 

 accumulate very much honey. Neiglibor 

 Blakeslee reports that a colony on his spring 

 scales brought in 3 lbs. on the 22d, which is 

 not a very bad showing. — I thank you for 

 your suggestion in regard to increasing the 

 circulation of Gleanings, but it is pretty 

 nearly what we have been doing for years 

 past. It is true, I have not many times 

 asked our friends to send us the names of 

 box-hive bee-keepers specially, but I have 

 stated that we are always glad of the oppor- 

 tunity of sending sample copies free to any 

 name you may choose to give us. We now 

 send you, friend B., a sample copy and price 

 list, that you may see just what we do put on 

 the wrappers. One more point : If we keep 

 up the Juvenile the year round, and hold 

 to the old price of $1.00, a little larger circu- 

 lation would be quite a favor. Therefore, all 

 who feel friendly to the little " bantling " 

 can show their good will by helping to ex- 

 tend our circulation. 



OR HONEY-PLANTS TO BE NAMED. 



YELLOW CLOVER. 



Sf HAVE now 10 colonies, including one new one, 

 the only swarm I have had this season. Nearly 

 all my colonies are doing well, or seem to be; 

 many of them are very rich, from quite a number 

 of which I have taken from 45 to 60 lbs. of nice 

 finely flavored honey. Our surplus honey is made 

 this year mainly from the bloom of a grass, or 

 weed, with a small yellow bloom, which we call "yel- 

 low clover." So far as we know, it made its appear- 

 ance here only a few years ago, and now grows 

 spontaneously almost everywhere. Bees have been, 

 and are now working on it to the exclusion of near- 

 ly every thing else on my place. The honey is of a 

 rich golden hue, and very fine flavored; so you see 

 we have some encouragement to give a little time 

 and attention to our bees this season. Bees gener- 

 ally in this county are doing well now, though only 

 a few swarms. I inclose a sample of the yellow 

 clover. What is it? J. B. Ritchey. 



McMiimville, Tenn., June 9, 1883. 

 We have ^ent the specimen to our botan- 

 ist, and here is his reply:— 



Plant from McMinnville, Tenn., is TrifoUum pro- 

 cumbens (yellow clover, low hop clover), a small- 

 growing clover found mainly in the New England, 

 Eastern, and a few of the Middle States, in rather 

 dry soils. Branches many from one root, slender, 

 3 to 6 or 8 inches long, leaflets small, wedge-obovate, 

 denticulate or obcordate, terminal, one on a petio- 

 lule 1-6 inch long, lateral ones subsesile; heads 

 small, yellow, subglobous; corolla persistent, re- 

 flexed, and brown when old. This plant is often 

 mistaken tor Med icagoluindina (nonesuch, or black 

 medick), and vice versa. It does not, however, as- 

 sume the " weedy " character of the black medick, 

 and is readilj' recognized by the shape of the seed- 

 pods. W. R. Lazenby. 



Columbus, O., June 19, 1882. 



new jersey tea, oh red root. 

 For a few days, the bees have been getting some 



