1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



789 



foot of it. But it is pretty expensive work 

 for honey alone. One of the students was 

 with Prof. Cook ; and while we were talk- 

 ing he called our attention to a plant that 



who had charge of the apiary, informed us 

 that the honey was coming in at a pretty 

 fair rate, supposed to be from the Chapman 

 honey-plant. As, however, the bees had 

 only just ceased working on bass- 

 wood, and at the same time were 

 pretty busy on the scattering plants 

 of the Rocky Mountain plant, it was 

 hard to decide positively where the 

 honey came from. Prof. Cook will 

 doubtless himself tell us whether he 

 would advise planting and cultivating 

 either of the plants for honey alone. 



When we got back to the wagon, 

 where the women were, of course 1 

 got a scolding. Friend Cook pleasant- 

 ly suggested, however, that they need 

 not have been troubled, especially 

 while there were so many things to 

 be seen. They replied that they had 

 seen all they wanted to, while no one 

 they knew was around to show them, 

 or answer their'questions. 



" Did you see our beautiful collec- 

 tion of butterflies and moths?" said 

 friend Cook. 



u Yes, 1 ' replied they, ' - we have seen 

 them all." 



By a little inquiry he decided that 

 they had not seen the butterflies ; 

 and he signified to me that he had 

 a rare treat in store for all of us. 

 Of course, we went around to the 

 house, and met Mrs. Cook, and Bertie 

 and Katie, and finally we went lor the but- 

 terflies. I had seen butterflies at the Agri- 

 cultural College before, and did not expect 

 to see any thing particularly wonderful, only 

 1 noticed, by the twinkle in my friend's eye, 

 that there must be something of unusual 



GLIMPSE OF A FIELD OF CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT 

 ON THE COLLEGE GROUNDS AT LANSING. 



bore pure white blossoms, instead of pink, 

 like the rest. Friend C>ok put his hand on the 

 student's shoulder, and commended him for 

 his habits of observation. It was probably 

 a sport; but if anybody should want a 

 white Rocky Mountain bee plant, it can 

 readily be furnished. Mr. Samuel Wilson, 

 of Mechanicsburg, Pa., who has ad- 

 vertised the seed of the Rocky Moun- 

 tain bee-plant so extravagantly, had 

 better come and see how it has suc- 

 ceeded on the grounds of the Mich- 

 igan Agricultural College. Booming 

 new things away beyond their mer- 

 its is beginning to bear its fruit; and 

 the seedsman who continues to do it 

 will suffer, sooner or later, in the es- 

 timation of the public. I told friend 

 Cook the women were probably anx- 

 iously waiting for me where I left 

 them ; but there were so many things 

 to talk about on our way back, espe- 

 cially since I told him that I must 

 leave by the morning train, that it 

 took me a good while. The Chap- 

 man honey-plant has done much bet- 

 ter. It was, however, cultivated like 

 garden crops, for the first season, and 

 now it is a thing of beauty. By the 

 aid of the Kodak I am enabled to 

 give you the view above, which was 

 taken from a little distance, so as to 

 get a glimpse of the whole field, 

 plainly showing the rows. The ad- 

 joining view gives another glimpse, THE chapman honey-plant, ok globe thistle, 

 where the Kodak was held within a neabek by. 



few feet of one of the plants. 



The two views above give a very fair idea interest. We went into a room adjoining 

 of the looks of the field. The bees from the the museum, and stopped before a case of 

 apiary, only a few rods away, were very shallow drawers that reached from the floor 

 busy on the plants. Prof . Cook's nephew, to the ceiling. As friend Cook selected 



