1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



527 



is allowed through the roof, the smoke and 

 heat might do more harm than the frost. I 

 can not just now be real sure, but I think I 

 was told the most efficient apparatus (over- 

 head), considering expense and every thing 

 else, was panels made of boards to be moved 

 back and forth by two men, one standing at 

 each end of the panel. In this case the roof, 

 of course, must be substantial enough so that 

 men can walk over it when handling the pan- 

 els or shutters. While cotton cloth is used by 

 a good many, there is quite a disposition 

 amojg other successful men to declare they 

 do not want any more cloth flapping in the 

 wind, getting torn, and subject to decay, etc. 



I have already described the pineapple- 

 houses, and pictured them. They are a good 

 deal after the same plan, although in these 

 further north, at Deland, for instance, the 

 openings between the slats must be closed, or 

 partially closed, during very severe weather. 

 We obtained permission at the office to look 

 over the grounds. I can not tell you of all the 

 beautiful scenes we saw during that one after- 

 noon. At one place there is an alligator-pond 

 with a big stout iron fence around it to keep 

 the great reptiles from wandering away. 

 Friend Bedell said he was going to get over 

 the iron fence in order to get a closer view of 

 the "aniniile." After cautiously keeping one 

 hand on the fence we leaned over the stone 

 abutment, and, sure enough, down in the 

 clear water close by our feet was a motionless 

 creature larger than any horse. It began to 

 rouse up and move along the bottom of the 

 pool, and just then I began making tracks for 

 the fence. Friend Bedell assured me there 

 was no danger. While the foreman of the 

 ground was taking us from one interesting 

 point to another I asked quite a good many 

 questions as usual. Finally he turned to friend 

 Bedell suddenly, and said : 



" What name was it you called that man by 

 just now ? " 



" I called him Root." 



"Why, dear me! is this really Mr. A. I. 

 Root whom I have been showing around, and 

 who has been asking me all these questions? 

 I looked at him several times, and was actual- 

 ly wondering what Yankee it was that wanted 

 to know so many things, and also seemed to 

 know quite a little himself." 



Then he asked us if we had visited the little 

 greenhouse. We told him we did. He asked 

 us if we saw his particular pet right overhead 

 in the peak of the roof. Neither of us remem- 

 bered seeing it. You see we went into the 

 greenhouse before we found the foreman ; so 

 we started back to the little greenhouse, or 

 conservatory, perhaps I should say. Then for 

 the first time I raised my eyes, and looked 

 overhead. As I did so we both uttered excla- 

 mations of surprise and delight. It was a 

 Boiigainvillea Sanderiana. The vine started 

 in one corner, and sent up a bare trunk like 

 an old grapevine. This ran along without 

 flowers or foliage till it was clear up in the 

 peak of the roof. Then it spread out and 

 made such a display of beauty and brightness 

 as only the bougainvillea can make. A plant 

 I saw in Bermuda covered a house with such a 



mass of startling brilliancy as to call forth ex- 

 clamations of pleasure and surprise from the 

 passerby who was a whole half mile away. 

 Now, that is not any ^' fish story." The first 

 one I saw in Florida was in a garden near the 

 Royal Poinciana. I saw a very pretty one 

 last fall at the Ohio Experiment Station. A 

 year ago last winter we purchased two plants 

 at 15 cents each, to put in our little green- 

 house. In the spring we set them in the open 

 ground, and they made a great mass of green 

 foliage, perhaps six feet across, but no bloom. 



We moved them into the greenhouse, and 

 succeeded in getting them to live without 

 shortening any of the branches at all ; but we 

 carried along a great lot of dirt with them. 

 During the latter part of the winter they were 

 growing luxuriantly — great masses of green, 

 but no sign of flowers. Those who knew, 

 however, told me not to worry— in due time I 

 would get my reward. Some time in March, 

 little white blossoms began to show here and 

 there, and a little later some leaves or bracts 

 began to appear around the insignificant 

 bloom, these new leaves or bracts gradually 

 taking on a rose colored hue ; and they kept 

 getting brighter and larger day after day and 

 week after week. During the middle of April 

 these two plants were the center of attraction, 

 and they have been getting brighter and more 

 fascinating all the time. The word animated 

 seems to hit it better ; and, no matter how 

 dull I may feel (yes, I feel dull and tired 

 sometimes), this bougainvillea always gives 

 me a start. I feel like saying out loud, "O 

 you precious bright little darling ! " So many 

 people have wanted just one little sprig of the 

 brilliant plant that it has now been pretty 

 well robbed of its luxuriant beauty. Bat still 

 as I write this, June 15, it is just as brilliant, 

 what there is of it, as it ever was. I can not 

 understand why this wonderful and magnifi- 

 cent vine is not oftener seen in the green- 

 houses of private residences. So much for 

 the bougainvillea. 



Then the foreman said we would have to go 

 into the house and see his wife. Her father 

 is a bee-keeper away up in the North, and he 

 takes (or did take) Gleanings. While look- 

 ing about the various objects in the beautiful 

 home I picked up a fine piece of porcelain 

 painting. The lady of the house remarked, 

 " O Mr. Root ! I especially wanted to show 

 you that picture. I suppose you know what 

 it is." 



" Why, it is the most beautiful painting I 

 ever saw, of John Alden and Priscilla — at 

 least'that is what I should call it." 



"Well, do you remember my husband's 

 name is Alden? " 



Sure enough, that was the name friend Be- 

 dell mentioned when he introduced us. The 

 lady resumed : 



"Well, we are descendants of John Al- 

 den ; " and then there was a pleasant surprise 

 all around. Dear friends, it may not be of 

 any great moment who our ancestors were 

 away back ; but it is of great importance that 

 we hand on down to the coming generations a 

 character and a heritage that can be spoken of 

 with pride long after we are dead and gone. 



