AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



215 



parts of States, are much more con- 

 genial to the growth of particular va- 

 rieties, so each must study and judge 

 for himself. 



The first tree I would plant if I wanted 

 a shade tree would be a young basswood 

 — Tilia Americana. Of all trees that I 

 know, this tree seems to be particularly 

 well formed to withstand wind and 

 storms. Look at the limbs and see how 

 they start from the main trunk, and you 

 will see that it will rarely split from 

 storms ; and the value of the tree as a 

 honey-producer is grand. 



THE WILD OLIVE. 



Next to the basswood I hold the wild 

 olive— erroneously called Russian olive. 

 Its botanical name is Elceagiius Argentia. 

 This tree is mentioned in the "Diction- 

 ary of Gardening and Encyclopedia Hor- 

 ticulture," as growing 12 feet high, but 

 1 have a tree in my charge that has 

 made half that growth this year. It has 

 been planted five years, and bids fair to 

 grow to be 40 feet in the next 10 years. 

 The flowers are produced at the base of 

 the leaf stalk, two and three in a clus- 

 ter, and open in succession, very much 

 resembling the individual flowers of the 

 "lily of the valley," and about the same 

 size, the inside being yellow, and the 

 outside being covered with silvery scales, 

 as are the leaves, which give it a beauti- 

 ful appearance. It lasted in the flower 

 two weeks, and I never saw the tree 

 without bees on it when in flower. Tak- 

 ing all points, it is a beauty in Nebraska. 



THE MAPLES AND BOX-ELDER. 



Then the maples, especially Acer 

 Sacchariimm, and the soft maples — they 

 are worthy of extended planting. My 

 bees had only one day on them, but that 

 day was a sight. I thought I was going 

 to get 20 pounds to the hive from maple 

 alone, but, alas ! 12-^ of frost, and all 

 was over. Box-elder flowered out, then 

 they were busy again. The box-elder 

 and the maples make a quick growth, 

 which is a great thing in the West, in 

 their favor. 



CATALPA AND HONEY-LOCUST. 



The Catalpa SpccLosa is a fine tree, 

 and has the advantage of flowering when 

 young. I have had them flower the 

 third year from seed, but the trees get 

 badly used up in storms; but visit them 

 early in the morning, and see the bees 

 in the flower secure from dew and light 

 skowers, which makes up for a de- 

 ficiency. 



Then there is the honey-locust — 



Robinia Pscudacacia — a grand tree with 

 such a rapid growth. It would pay here 

 in the West to plant it for firewood 

 alone. The tree flowers when four years 

 old from the seed, and as its name im- 

 plies, it is a good honey-producer. 



Now let's hear from others on this 

 subject, as I am convinced it is of vital 

 importance to the apiarist. 



Florence, Nebr. 



Xlie Busy Bees. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BT R. S. FOSTER. 



How great, O God, how wonderful, 



This world of wealth, of thine. 

 How faultless and how marvelous 



Thy workmanship divine ! 

 The ocean with its depths immense, 



The continents that bound — 

 Its towering billows, and divide— 



The currents circling round ; 

 The verdant and the fruitful isles 



That stud its surface o'er, 

 Are thine, and given for awhile 



To bless the rich and poor. 



Behold the swift, sweet laden bee. 



So provident, though small, 

 A unit small 'midst those that fly, 



Whose fruits are chief of all ; 

 With skill unerring they traverse 



The prairie and the wood. 

 And snatch the incense of the flowers 



To feed their hungry brood. 

 Come skeptics all and gaze upon 



Their plans as wise as thine, 

 How they uprear, contrive, and build — 



Did not the Lord, divine, 

 Impress upon their kind and race, 



Their architectural skill — 

 Their matchless thrift, and crowning all 



Their persevering will ? 



How regal like their sovereign is. 



How proved her form, and mein^ 

 A sovereign of an ancient line, 



And always, too, a queen. 

 Where'er she goes, they follow her — 



An army, loyal, armed 

 With daggers sharp, and poisoned tipped; 



Their sentinels alarmed. 

 Challenge, advance, wheel round, and then, 



Charge fearlessly the foe — 

 A hundred, or a thousand men, 



Of paces fast or slow. 



And in this sublime science, Lord, 



We see a Father's hand, 

 That outstretched feeds the busy bee, 



A fainting, famished land. 

 His works are mighty, and are planned. 



To lead His children on 

 To higher planes, and share at last 



The pleasures of His Son. 



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