s4g 



trLEA^lKGS 1^ J3EE CULTUUE. 



iStov, 



northern bee-man's visit 

 soutM. 



*tHE QUESTION OF OVERSTOCKING; 800 COLONIES 

 IN ONE APIARY. 



T HAVE just returned ftora a visit south to 

 ^ friend "Viallon's, at Bayou Goula, La.; friend 

 ^l Stahl's, at Kenner, La., and friend D. McKen- 

 "*• zie, of Camp Parapet, La. I found friend V. 

 the same pleasant, agreeable, well-informed 

 gentleman whose hospitality I had enjoyed several 

 years previous. Owing' to lack of sufhcient relia- 

 ble help, his apiary was not so large nor in so good 

 condition as I had seen it on a former visit; but as 

 he has now engaged an excellent young man to 

 assist him the coming season, all will soon be boom- 

 ing again. His yards and grounds are a delight to 

 all lovers of the beautiful. What do you think, 

 friend Root, of persimmons that measured over 10 

 inchfft in circumferruce/ He has quite a number of 

 persimmon-trees of the Japanese variety, that bore 

 abundantly this year, and he presented me a twig 

 with three of tlie fruit on it measuring as above. 



Friend Stahl, of Kenner, should be a good author- 

 ity on overstocking, as he has over 800 full colonies 

 In his home apiary, and says he sees no more differ- 

 ence in the yield than when he had only one hun- 

 dred colonies. If there is any one in the South who 

 fully understands the practical manipulation and 

 management of bees for profit, it is friend Stahl. 



Friend McKenzic has some 250 to 300 colonies in 

 his home yard; and though only about fi miles from 

 friend Stahl's, he complains of overstocking; but as 

 friend Winder has some GOO colonies within 3 miles 

 of him, and he is further from the swamp than 

 friend* Stahl, that may account for it. None have 

 made as much honey as usual, though friend Stahl 

 reports some 10 bbls , and I heard that friend Win- 

 der had taken about 20 bbls.; but I didn't have an 

 opportunity to see friend W., and verify the above 

 report. I saw or heard of no cases of foul brood, 

 and my experience and observation lead me to be- 

 lieve that, where there is a continued and abun- 

 dant yield of honey in the proper season, there foul 

 brood can not flourish, and soon dies out, while the 

 reverse is true; viz., great scarcitj' of honey during 

 some portion of the season tends to develop it, and 

 to add to its malignity. 



The cane crop is a magnificent one this year in 

 Louisiana, and all intelligent planters with whom I 

 conversed feel rejoiced at the prospect of their 

 Northern brethren soon joining them in raising 

 enough sorghum sugar to supply all our own needs, 

 and have some to export too, and save the one 

 hundred million dollars we now send abroad for 

 sugar. E. T. Flanagan. 



Belleville, HI., Nov. 2, 1887. 



I do not know that persimmons ten inches 

 in circumference are any thing wonderful, 

 friend F.. for I never saw a persimmon, and 

 so I don't know what the orthodox size 

 is. Some friend in the South once sent me 

 a little box of them, but they were all rotten 

 before they got here.— Eight hundred col- 

 onies in one yard is astounding ; and before 

 I can believe it possible that so many can do 

 even tolerably well in such numbers, I 

 should like to see a report of the honey re- 

 ceived per colony. I should not expect it to 

 be ten pounds, even during the most favor- 

 able season. Still, I am open to conviction ; 

 and I should feel the same about 2.50 or oOO 



colonies in dne yard.— Very likely you are 

 right in the point you make, that poor sea- 

 sons develop foul brood. 



ANOTHER GOOD MAN GONE FROM 

 THE RANKS OF BEE-KEEPERS. 



death of a. c. 



KENDEL, of the CLEVELAND 

 SEEDSTORE. 



E are pained to hear that our old 

 friend A. C. Kendel died Oct. 81. 

 Friend K. has been widely known as 

 a Christian business man in every 

 sense of the word. In all his large 

 business in commission on fruits and honey, 

 I do not remember that I ever heard a com- 

 plaint of injustice, inattention, or even care- 

 lessness. Every one who had deal with him 

 had reason to say, "■ Well, there is an honest, 

 straightforward, upright man, any way." 

 I remember years ago, when we first secur- 

 ed our great crop of clover and basswood 

 honey, tliat friend Kendel sold tons of it for 

 us. Well, on one lot that we sent to him, 

 put up in bottles, his men, in handling the 

 boxes, left one box upside down ; and as the 

 corks were not very accurately fitted, a 

 great many of the jars were found empty.* 

 1 believe the boxes were marked to be 

 kept a certain side up ; but, as is often the 

 case, the instructions v/ere not noticed or 

 observed. Friend Kendel decided, without 

 being urged, that he ought to pay for every 

 drop lost ; and in all my deal with him I 

 have found him just that way. Some of you 

 may say that this was simple justice ; but 1 

 tell you, my friends, when you find a com- 

 mission-man who will do like that, you have 

 found a jewel. I proposed to stand part of 

 the loss, but he pleasantly insisted on mak- 

 ing it all good himself. 



He has written for the pages of our jour- 

 nal at different times; but of late his large 

 business has, I fear, debarred us from the 

 pleasure of hearing from him. Only a few 

 days ago I had a pleasant talk with him, and 

 I did not notice but that he was as well as 

 usual. Is it possible that too much business 

 and too many worldly cares have taken this 

 good man from us before his time V Mr. K. 

 has been doing a large business in seeds 

 as well as a commission business ; and I be- 

 lieve every one has learned to feel that, 

 whatever Mr. K. has said in regard to seeds 

 is to be relied on. We are informed that 

 the business of the Cleveland Seedstore 

 will go on just as in times past; and may 

 God give the new hands in the business 

 grace to keep its reputation where it has 

 been for so many years. 



* I am really afraid, friends, that, had the posi- 

 tion occupied by myself and friend Kendel been 

 reversed. I should have written something like this: 

 "Friend K., why did you not cork your bottles so 

 they would stand being left upside down? You 

 ought to know that, in the rush of business, it is 

 next to impossible to keep packages one exact side 

 up, even if they are so marked." As I recall the 

 transaction to mind, I feel ashamed of myself, 

 even now. Friend K. lost some little mone.v in the 

 transaction, but he put in a good big corner-stone 

 in the way of a good Christian character; and, my 

 friends, did he not also put in a good solid stone for 

 Christ the Savior? " Innsmuch as ye have done it 

 unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have 

 done it unto me." 



