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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUIIE. 



Jan. 



MRS. CHADDOCK'S DEATH. 



We were sad to hear of Mrs. Chaddock's death. 

 One by one we are passing' away ; and it seems to me 

 it is unwise to defer a preparation for that other 

 world to which we are all so rapidly hastening. 

 Yes, Mrs. Chaddock was a friend to humanity. 

 So be my life a thing felt, but not lauded, 

 And I but remembered by what I have done. 



As the wintry winds whistle around us, let us 

 each one look around to see if we can not help 

 some one else to be more comfortable. 



Roscville, 111., Dec. 14. Mrs. L. C. A.xtell. 



No doubt, good friends, you have trouble 

 in keeping your bee house cool during this 

 very warm winter. It is now December 23, 

 and we have radishes, lettuce, and onions, 

 still unharmed in the open ground. In fact, 

 for two weeks past there has hardly been a 

 frost. The frequent occurrence of such 

 warm winters in our locality has been the 

 strongest factor in deciding us to winter 

 our bees in the open air. Dandelions are 

 now in bloom, and the bees are flying al- 

 most every day. Your plan of taking off 

 honey after the bees have been driven be- 

 low by frosty nights is a very simple and 

 easy one. The greatest drawback I have 

 found is, that sections are too much soiled 

 by being left for the bees to travel over un- 

 til time for frost. The objection you make 

 to Dr. Miller's tent, I think would not ap- 

 ply if the honey were taken off during warm 

 weather. 



^ I ^ 



JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT. 



IS THERE DANGER OP HYBRIDIZING THE SEED? 



I SEE by the reports you receive, that very many 

 of the growers of buckwheat sow it beside other 

 kinds. Most of them do the same here, then they 

 cut a little strip of the Japanese with the other 

 kind, thinking the rest will be pure, not realizing 

 that bees will mix the pollen of the two kinds. 

 Now, the effect of this mixing of the pollen on the 

 next sowing of the seed is very plain. Some stalks 

 will ripen later, and the grain will be smaller. This 

 ignorant, reckless management, if kept up, will 

 soon make the variety only a little improvement 

 on the old. Now, friend Root, this buckwheat is 

 too valuable to be thus spoiled. Not only does it 

 yield nearly double the amount of grain that the 

 other varieties do, but it is much earlier. I com- 

 menced cutting mine, on new land, in just two 

 months from the time of sowing; and then it stands 

 up so much better. On my five acres of land there 

 was not ,',i of an acre lodged. It was a heavy 

 growth, 4 to 4!4 feet high, and leaned only a little, 

 so I had to cradle it one way. I believe it is equal- 

 ly good for honey or flour. 



If there is any seed yet in the country that is ab- 

 solutely pure, some one ought to procure it and 

 keep it for sale; and I believe you are the ones to 

 do it. I'd rather pay three times as much for pure 

 seed, that which has never been sown nearer than 

 60 rods of any other kind, than that which Is offered 

 in the market, or ray own either, which is as pure 

 as the seed I obtained of you, as there was no oth- 

 er buckwheat nearer then 80 rods. The extra ex- 

 pense of pure seed is not of much account, as it 

 takes so little seed ; 18 lbs. is plenty on strong clo- 

 ver land. H. S. Hoxie. 



Holloway, Mich., Dec. 4, 1889. 



If what you say be true, it certainly is a 

 serious matter ; but 1 should like to have 

 our experiment colleges tell us whether 

 buckwheat will mix. Will Prof. Cook or 

 W. J. Green please tell us what they know 

 about it? and if they don't know will they 

 undertake to have some experiments made 

 in regard to the matter, during the coming 

 season? 



BASSWOOD SECTIONS VS. BASS-WOOD 

 HONEY. 



WHAT H. K. BOARDMAN THINKS OF THE MATTER. 



The destruction of the basswood timber, much of 

 which is used for making honey sections and other 

 bee-keepers' supplies, is rapidly exhausting the 

 honey resources, and is well becoming a subject of 

 alarm to bee-keepers. We must turn our attention 

 to some other kinds of timber for this purpose; for 

 when our resources are exhausted, your business 

 as well as ours will be at an end. I have no doubt 

 that basswood is better adapted to making one- 

 piece sections than any other timber. But every 

 thousand sections so used represents so many 

 pounds of honey resource wiped out of existence; 

 and whi!e T do not expect to stay the destruction of 

 this valuable timber to the bee-keeper, I have de- 

 cided to give the little influence in my power in 

 that direction. I have decided to buy no more sec- 

 tions in future, nor bee-supplies of any description, 

 made from basswood timber. This may look to you 

 very feeble, but it is right. H. R. Boardman. 



East Townsend, O., Dec. 18. 



Friend B., I heartily agree with you in 

 what you say about the destruction of bass- 

 wood ; but 1 do not believe that it will be 

 best for all of us to declare that we will use 

 basswood no longer for sections. The mat- 

 ter was discussed quite freely, after reading 

 your paper, at the Michigan State Conven- 

 tion, and different parties present mention- 

 ed a great variety of purposes for which 

 basswood is now being used. One friend 

 said, that in his locality they were cutting 

 more of it for broom-handles, a great deal, 

 than has ever been used for sections. An- 

 other said they were using carload after 

 carload in the manufacture of paper. The 

 envelopes we are now sending to our cus- 

 tomers are said to be made of basswood. If 

 all the bee-keepers in the land should at 

 once give up basswood, it would probably 

 be only a drop in the bucket. My advice 

 would be this: Commence to raise bass- 

 wood. If it does not pay for honey, I think 

 in many localities it would pay for a variety 

 of industries for w^hich it is now being used. 

 Not only should we plant basswood, but let 

 us keep cows and other stock from our tim- 

 ber land. When basswood sections were 

 first made, scarcely ten years ago, a man 

 brought us some logs. Well, a few days 

 ago he brought us some lumber made fjom 

 the shoots that started up around the 

 stumps. I believe such shoots always come 

 up and grow with incredible rapidity if we 

 only keep stock off the land. 



GARDENING FOR JANUARY. 



The above was crowded over into our next issue, 

 by the report of the convention at Lansing, Mich. 



