1879 



GLEAKINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



13? 



gle hard winter, more than enough to pay the differ- 

 ence between the first cost of a good hive over a bad 

 one. In the severe winter of 1851 3, many cultiva- 

 tors lost nearly all their stocks, and a large part of 

 those which survived, were too much weakened to 

 be able to swarm. And yet these same miserable 

 hives, after accomplishing the work of destruction 

 on one generation of bees, are reserved to perform 

 the same office for another. And this, some call 

 economy! 



To all of the above I most heartily agree 

 with Mr. Langstroth. Before making the 

 chaff hive. I tried hives of 1 inch, and f , but, 

 even in summer time, I found the bees much 

 more averse to building combs next to the 

 sides of these hives, than they were in hives 

 made from inch boards. Very likely plank 

 would give still better results, as Mr. L. 

 states, but I think not nearly equal to the 

 porous walls of the chaff hive. 



TIf Is PLANT THAT BEARS A HALF GAL- 

 LON OF HON FY A DAY. 



ffr-ERE it is, boys. 

 fll Yankees woult 



Did I not tell you we 

 on Id be going right down 



' there after it? Who wants to buy 



seeds? It may not blossom for a hundred 

 years, but who cares? "When we are after a 

 good thins, we can wait a hundred years, 

 just as well as not. 



Well, you see, I have a brother, now in 

 San Diego, Cal., who has formerly been in 

 Xew Mexico, and after reading that account 

 last month, from friend Metcalf (page 100), 

 I wrote at once to my brother, asking if it 

 was really not over stated. He said it was 

 not, and sent a photograph of the plant. 

 Here it is. 



The foliage much resembles the century 

 plant we have in our parlor windows and 

 green houses, but it may be a different vari- 

 ety. The blossoms were so indistinct in the 

 photo, that our engraver had difficulty in 

 giving a fair idea of them. Will those of 

 our readers who can give further particulars 

 please do so. 



YUCCA, OR SPANISH BAYONET- 



My brother very kindly sent a photo of 

 this plant also. You will remember that 

 this does not bear a pint to the blossom, but 

 only a teacupful. Sad. is it not? But we 

 can console ourselves somewhat, for there 

 are several dozen flowers on a stock. It is too 

 bad that the ^Blessed Bees" man did not 

 know of these plants before he wrote his 

 book. 



I presume the name bayonet is given it on 

 account of the sharp, spine like leaves; I 

 suspect they are to prick folks when they try 

 to get those teacupfuls of honey. There is 

 no rose without its thorn, you know. There! 

 I almost forgot to tell you that I have order- 

 ed, from a nursery man, one of these plants 

 in full bloom. Next month, I hope to be 

 able to tell you more about it. Pints and 

 teacupfuls! And here we have been fooling 

 away our time all these years past, with clo- 

 ver heads, and just little drops of honey. 



our friend Viallon, of Bayou Goula, La., has pur- 

 chased the apiary of Wm. H. Ware, consisting of 450 

 colonics. As he has plenty of imported queens, I 

 expect him to give us a "big lift" in supplying you 

 with early queens during the coming month. 



THE HONEY BEARING CENTURY 



[AgaVi Shmrii], 



PLANT 



"There! I told you so," as the obi lady said, when 

 her son gravely informed her that the cow had gone 

 and eaten up the grtndatane. I offered you 10c for 

 the Jan. No., but only about a half dozen would sell 

 them for that. Now I offer you 15c each, and those 

 who want to buy them must pay 20c. I shall have to 

 charge the same for the Feb. No., for they, too, are 

 all gone but a dozen or two. 



