224 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Apr. 1 



TEXAS 



C o-m. to A.T t d. 

 wi'hK To u.Y't«.e>v o|, HLt 

 Horf-K ta-sterK St aLts. 



Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New Jer- 

 sey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West 

 Virginia, and Ohio — the whole of northeast- 

 ern United States. Imagine the great num- 

 ber of localities there must be in this vast 

 stretch of country, from north to south and 

 east to west! Then the variety of bee-keep- 

 ing conditions, both in latitude and altitude, 

 must be taken into consideration. While we 

 have conditions not far different from those 

 of some of the States of the North, we also 

 have conditions of the very tropics. These 

 will be described a little more fully in a suc- 

 ceeding article. 



But there is a reason why this comparative 

 map is shown. Letters by the score have 

 come to me, something on this order: "I 

 would deem it a great favor if you would 

 take just enough time to tell me in a few 

 words where I can find a good location, on a 

 railroad, near school and church, and close 

 to some city, with good roads to market my 

 crop. I expect to pull up stakes here, but 

 would like to have you tell me where to go 

 before making the move to a new place." 

 One of the mam things left out in the letter 

 above is that the writer has not mentioned 

 the kind of church he belonged to so I might 



have looked after that^'also'in^selecting the 

 suitable spot. 



Now look at the map before us^and let us 

 ask ourselves this question: Am I thorough- 

 ly familiar with bee keeping matters and the 

 beekeeping locations of the fourteen States, 

 from Maine, Indiana, and down to the Caro- 

 linas? C*^ uld I tell a man "from Texas " just 

 where he might locate in a little "nest" as 

 is requested in the sample of letter above? 

 I must admit that I could not. Now consider 

 the vast difference in climatic and other con- 

 ditions, more especially the flora of that State, 

 which exist in Texas — much more varied than 

 throughout the fourteen States here shown, 

 stretched over a much greater area, and then 

 ask whether it is really right to write for 

 such information to one single little "six- 

 foot-three" fellow, who is only an invisible 

 speck on the face of the great Long Horn 

 State. 



Considering all the above, the best way for 

 a prospective Texas bee-keeper to pursue is 

 to take advantage of one of the many cheap 

 home-seekers' excursions run every sum- 

 mer, to come to Texas, spend some time 

 here, look over the ground thoroughly, se- 

 lect a place, and then, and not until then, 



