1882 



gleani:ngs in bee culture. 



541 



were about a hundred of them. These I set in the 

 open ground, perhaps in June, one rainy day, put- 

 ting them in different places, somr- in hard and some 

 in soft ground; some in shade, soiuo in sun. I think 

 every plant grew, although all were small, and some 

 had only the two first or seed leaves. Some on hard 

 ground and in shade have made little growth ; others 

 in better surroundings have grown two or three 

 feet high, and blossomed nicely. To-day, Oct. Hi, 

 they still have some blossoms, and are full of seed- 

 pods, none of which are ripe, Avhile the old plants 

 were so ripe that I cut down the stalks about a week 

 ago to save the seed. Even on these last there were 

 still a few blossoms. After the bees found the lig- 

 wort blossoms they kept them clean; but for some 

 time now the bees don't seem to notice the flgwort, 

 and it is monopolized by hornets, which seem quite 

 thick on it. Querj'.— What do the hornets get? and 

 if nectar, why don't the bees get it when they seem 

 to have little or nothing to do? 



This spring or early summer I sowed broadcast 

 about three square yards of ground with flgwort, 

 not raking it in at all. One part I covered with 

 newspapers, weighting them down with stones, and 

 kept all well watered. Thousands of plants started, 

 and I could not see any difference in the two 

 parts, except that the part covered with paper start- 

 ed a little the sooner. When the flgworts were a 

 couple of inches high, the weeds and the hot sun 

 dried them out; and of the thousands started, only 

 five plants can now be found. Some time in June 1 

 sowed a little over a square rod of ground in drills, 

 and as the rain kept the gi-ound wet I did not water, 

 and plenty of seed started. The seed previously 

 drilled in had been lightly covered with soil, and this 

 was not covered at all; so I conclude that flgwort 

 seed should be sown on ground well prepared and 

 not covered at all. A rank growth of summer grass 

 (perhaps I ought to call it fall grass) covered this last 

 sowing, and to-day I can find only 45 plants. Most 

 of these are on a spot where the grass is not so rank, 

 and is somewhat shaded. I suspect the shade was of 

 no benefit only as it kept down the grass. 



Now you have my entire experience with flgwort 

 — very unsatisfactory, it is true, but I feel pretty 

 safe in drawing from it the following conclusions: 

 Figwort seed will start readily if sown uncovered on 

 good soil in the open ground, if it be kept moist 

 enough. It is perhaps surer to come up if sown in 

 the fall. After starting, the weeds must be kept 

 down or the young plants will be burned up as soon 

 as dry weather comes. On this account it is better 

 to sow in drills. It stands transplanting well; and if 

 the roots are divided and transplanted in the fall, 

 every one is sure to grow. Cover two or three 

 inches deep. Seeds started in the house early will 

 blossom the same year to some extent. 



After my past experience, here is what I am going 

 to do: I shall this fall have some ground plowed and 

 harrowed, and marked the same as for corn, the hills 

 being about 3 ft. 8 in. apart each way, I have order- 

 ed a couple of barrels of flgwort roots from a man 

 by the name of A. I. Root, and these I shall plant, 

 one root in each hill, or, rather, one eye in each hill, 

 if they will bear dividing. I shall also try a bit of 

 ground prepared the same waj', by putting a few 

 flgwort seeds in each hill. The thing that puzzles me 

 is to know how to mark each one of these hills so as 

 to cultivate it next spring. Will Ed. Gleanings tell 

 me how? The seeds come up so very small at first 



that no one eoul 1 see them plainly enough to culti- 

 vate. C. C. MiLLEU, 174, 202. 

 Marengo, 111., Oct. 10, 1882. 



Seed of the spider plant may be planted 

 where it is to grow, I presume, but I know 

 of no way in which we can do the same with 

 the figwort, for the very reason which you 

 have mentioned, friend M. The little plants 

 are so slow in getting started, the weeds 

 would smother them. Get them started in 

 a hotbed, or get roots one or more years old, 

 and plant them out, and cultivate like corn, 

 and then there is but little trouble. We 

 have this year again in our cornfield adjoin- 

 ing the figwort patch, thousands of nicely 

 rooted young plants, which will be ready to 

 bear a full crop of honey next year. These 

 come up of themselves now, all along our 

 creek bottom, and as they are the first green 

 thing to be seen in the spring, they are easi- 

 ly taken up before we plow, and planted out 

 where we want them. It is almost impossi- 

 ble to test the plant fairly here, where four 

 or five hundred colonies are kept ; but I 

 should very much like to see, say ten stocks, 

 placed near an acre of flgwort in full bloom. 

 Who will try it? If the soil is suitable, loose 

 and rather sandy, I think you will have all 

 the plants you want in a few years, without 

 taking any especial care. 



MORE ASOUT CYPRI.4N BEES. 



THE HAYHURST ijUEEN, .\GAIN. 



^^ES, friend Hayhurst, I have brushed Cyprian 

 W bees from their combs, and if you will now 

 ' come to my little apiarj' you can see me 

 brush them from full frames of hone.v at night, and 

 generally without suffering stings. They do not 

 bear it so well in daylight. Frank Benton wrote to 

 GLEANING.S from Larnaca more than a year ago that 

 the process of brushing Cyprians angers them, and 

 this statement, like all his other statements about 

 Cyprian bees, I have found true. It is also true, 

 that I once kicked a Cherokee (Indian) cow, and was 

 kicked over by the cow in return. This, however, 

 was an impressive lesson to me. My rough treat- 

 ment of the poor animal was changed to one of 

 kindness, and gentleness came from the cow in re- 

 turn for this kind of treatment. Gentle and kind 

 treatment by us Inspires the kindest feelings in the 

 minds and heaits of our fellow-beings, and this rule 

 applies equally well to brutes and to Cyprian bees. 

 My Cyprians are gentle, and I handle them carefully 

 to keep them so. Now, brother Hayhurst, you are 

 at liberty to " smile" again. 



I sold all the Cyprians I had in the spring, except 

 the "Hayhurst imported queen" and her colony. 

 Early in April I divived this swarm, and on the 28tli 

 of the month 1 had eight young queens purely mated 

 and laying. By frequent divisions iu early spring, 

 and the free use of old combs and foundation. I now 

 have 33 colonies of Cyprians from this one queen, all 

 the result of one season's woi-k. I havD purchased 7 

 black swarms, and now go i to winter quarters with 

 40 colonies, all told, and about 2000 lbs. of honey. 

 Blacks and Italians have never done so well under 

 my observation as ray Cyprians have this year. Who 

 else will report on the Cyprian bee? 



W. McKay Dougan. 

 Seneca, Newton Co., Mo., Oct. 16, 1883. 



