■,Q 



'^; LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



HONEY-DEW, AGAIN. 



Mr. J. H. Wood. Hammond, 111., send? me a vial 

 ol' honey which is evidently honey-dew, or secre- 

 t-ion fi'oni plant lice. It is not very unpleasant to 

 the taste, but would not do to market. I do not be- 

 lieve that it is wise to use such honey for winter. 

 Mr. Wood and several others have written me, ask- 

 ing whether I would use such honey lor winter- 

 and so it is a matter of practical interest. I have 

 had bees g-ather quite a considerable lot of honey- 

 dew from larch, which was very pleasant to the 

 taste, and would injure no honey-market. Such 

 honey seems to do no harm. Two years ago I receiv- 

 ed several samples of honey-dew, which had been 

 stored by bees in our Northern-Michigan country. 

 This was pleasant when first taken into the mouth, 

 but was unpleasant soon after, and left a bad taste. 

 I said I should try this if I had it, to some extent, 

 though, of course, its use involved risk. It was 

 tried, and proved disastrous in every case, so far as 

 I know. 



Let me add, that such terrible droughts as we 

 have had the past season are very favorable to 

 plant-lice (aphid:e), and bark or scale-lice (coccidse), 

 the very insects that secrete so much honey-dew. 

 Again, such dry seasons shut up the nectar-glands 

 of the Hcnvers, and so the bees arc ready for any 

 kind of nectar; hence the double danger in just 

 such seasons as this has been, and the need of 

 extra care on the part of the apiarist. 



Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook. 



Friend C, it brought pleasant remem- 

 brances to ray mind when you spoke of 

 Katie. I have tried to tell our folks at 

 home about your two children, and I think 

 your exi)ressibn describes her in some re- 

 spects. She is strong and able. If she has 

 not the strength of a little man, she has the 

 good sense, and 1 noticed she was versed on 

 many things that even women seldom look 

 into." I suspect the reason is, because she is 

 so much in the company of, and so extremely 

 well acquainted with, her papa. 1 was pleas- 

 ed, during my visit, to note that both she 

 and Jjertie were able to converse on almost 

 every subject their papa and mamma took 

 up. What a pleasant thing it is to feel, 

 that in each little home circle we are all one 

 in our interests, our tastes, our pleasures, 

 and our tasks ! — I have been fearing, dur- 

 iug this terrible drought, that we should 

 have more honey-dew than ever before ; but 

 in our locality we have been happily disap- 

 pointed. Very little of it has made its ap- 

 pearance. 



OUR P. BENSON LETTER. 



TE!>TYMO.\NYELliS TO 1'. BENSON A. B. S. 



HEREWITH present to my noonierous friends 

 & admirers the foUowin gala.xy of testymoany- 

 ells. They air entirely nnsolisseted, the spoil- 

 tanious outburst, as it were, of the emosheas 

 of the hart. Thay will be found aiuiext & sub- 

 joined heartwo as folloughs: 



I have saw 1 of yure hunny boxes & I esteaiu it a 

 grate invenshun, 1 shell never agane take up 

 swarms with brimstone to get the hunny. 



Bodderidono, .Ian. 4, im. (J. M. Doomuch. 



In the kuntry whair I was born, of whitch I was a 

 native befour I cum to this kuntry, I never have 

 saw a man I thot was the equill, I may say not even 

 the soopeeryer of P. Benson, A. B. S. I never herd 

 of sitch a man thare. I doant beleave thair is 

 seeh a man thair. I am most shoor of it. If sitch 

 a man is thare I wood of herd of it. I doant be- 

 lieve thare is sitch a man on the face of the hole 

 urth. C. F. Moot. 



Sinsnatty, Feb. :50, 1887. 



P. Benson, A. B. S. Dear Sir:— Yure toundashen 

 is a grate invenshen. It is a long stej) in advants. In 

 lack it is several steps in advants. Hereto* we al- 

 ways poot our hives on the ground or hung them 

 up on trees. This yeer we have poot a foundasben 

 under each hive and it wurkx to perfcckshen. 

 When bee-keepers see the adv^antige of It evry hive 

 will have a foundashen bilt under it. 



Porkilton, July 4, 1887. C. P. Nightdant. 



I am very glad you conseeved the idea of invertin 

 hives. It will increese the produck 6 foaled & do 

 away with the grate skurcity of hunny. 



Dewoodjack, June 31, 1887. James Footon. 



Yure plan of counteractin the brude nest and 

 makin the bees bild thair oan combs has been 

 tride by sum of my nabers, and is a grate sucksess. 

 You have my unquolliyflde approovle. 



Vogersville, Oct. 4, 1886. H. Z. Wutchinson. 



Yure idee of gittin up a fackterry whare evry- 

 buddy ken get all the bee fixins he needs is as use- 

 fool as it is nauvle. I hev often wuudered that no- 

 buddy thot of this before, for thare hcd ot to be at 

 leest 1 sitch place & and I think jist sitch a disinter- 

 rested man as yourself, friend Benson, so moddest 

 & unassoomin, yet with sitch a vast scoap of in- 

 telleck is the rite man fur it. I will git oil my hives 

 & things frum you. A. I. Bkanch. 



Medienow, Apr. 31, 1887. 



1 hev long felt the need of a noospaper whitch is 

 all bees, & I feel sure you will make the most re- 

 markiblc edditer of the age. T. 0. Oldman. 



Shecowgo, Joon lil, 1887. 



Much a steamed trend, yure projeck to lurn every 

 buddy how to keep bees in (i short lessons without a 

 master tills a akin voyed. I wood like fur straight 

 to cum and wurk under you awhile & am savin nji 

 for it now. A. C. Jook. 



Lancesing, Feb. 31, 1887. 



I hev a hole trunk fool of sitch testymoanyells 

 whitch thair izzent room to print them. Here is 

 the trunk. 



TKUNK FOOL OF TESTYMf )AN YEl.t.S. 



and you ken look them over at yure convenients. 

 P. Benson, A. B. Sighentist. 



