SEPTEMBER 15, 1912 



man in the picture ("lightning opera- 

 tor") is cutting- off a plant just below the 

 ground on a row where the paper covering- 

 has been removed. 



The picture shows you colored men and 

 women at work. These people go in 

 gangs from one celery-field to another. 

 They are well trained for the work, each 

 one having- his appointed task, so all goes 

 along- like clockwork. 



By turning- the pictures around, 3'ou can 

 read the trademark on the ends of the 

 boxes from Mr. . Rood's plantation. 



The material for boxes for celery, 

 oranges, and other Florida crops, is pre- 

 pared in great factories scattered all over 

 Southern Florida. The ends of the boxes 

 are nailed up by machinery, so that when 

 they get on the ground all that has to 

 be done is to nail on the thin boards so 

 as to make a box. Here in the North I 

 believe it is the custom to wash all celery, 

 especially where it is gTown in the muck, 

 before packing. In Florida they say it 

 shii^s very much better without wetting- at 

 all. The sandy' soil shakes off so easily 

 that there is very little left after shipment. 



Permit me to say in closing that, like 

 corn, potatoes, and almost every other crop, 

 there are lots of fields of poor celery all 

 over Florida — crops that will not sell for 

 enough to pa_y the cost of growing; but 

 I am glad to say, however, that the Florida 

 peojile, like those here in the North, are, 

 as a rule, progressive. Every year sees 

 more and more good farming and less and 

 less poor crops. The ''boys' corn club" 

 is doing a lot to get their fathers out of 

 the old rut. 



SHADOWS FROM THE PAST 



BY I). M. MACDONALI). 



"I can call shadows (or spirits) from 

 the vasty deep," says one of Shakespeare's 

 characters; and another replies, "But will 

 they come?" Well, I will call up from the 

 long gone by past a few "cliaracters," dim 

 and shadoAvy they may be, but interesting 

 withal, and ]:)erhaijs they may teach even 

 moderns some useful and instructive les- 

 sons in bee lore. 



Thomas Hill issued the first book on 

 bees in the English language, "A Profit- 

 able Instruction on the Perfect Ordering 

 of Bees," in 1.579. It contained little from 

 his own pen, being- mostly translations 

 from the works of ancient writers, from 

 Aristotle and Yirgil doAvn. But it marked 

 an epoch in bee literature. American bee- 

 keepers might note the following: "To 

 check swarming, skilful practicers will cut 



off the king's wings, as then they will not 

 attempt to fiy far abroad." "Cut out," he 

 advises, "all corrupt combs, and, if neces- 

 sary, feed bees to enable them to renew the 

 loss." ' "A beekeeper should entreat his 

 bees by a gentle manner." a good ecjuiv- 

 alent to our modern advice, "handle gen- 

 tly." These early liives were made much 

 as they Avere in America in comjjaratively 

 recent times. "Take yonv luves of the 

 wood of a hollow tree or of light boards 

 made scjuare" — the counterpart of your 

 bee-gums and box hives. "In all clean- 

 lines and sweeiness, bees are much de- 

 lighted," reads as if quite modern. "Gild- 

 ing" Avas a process almost equivalent to 

 depriving bees of their surplus takes, leav- 

 ing the brood-nest intact. And they used 

 an intimidant to aid in the process : "Put 

 under the hives some linen rags, making 

 a smoale:'' Hill Avas a good judge of 

 honey. Here is his first prize sample: "It 

 must be very clear, of a golden colour, 

 and of a pleasant and SAveet taste, cleav- 

 ing someAvhat, but not stiffening or Avax- 

 ing hard together." 



What matters it that master Hill calls 

 the Cjueen a king"? that he tells us bees 

 take "45 days" to hatch? that they "sit on 

 their young like as a hen doth on her 

 eggs?" that bees "marvellously stay and 

 guide themselves b}^ carrying- small stones 

 in their legs?" that "drones are imper- 

 fect bees Avho have lost their sting?" and 

 many other "Avhimsies"? Hill had grit in 

 him, and gave us a hook, "a thing rare and 

 seldom seen in the English tongue." 



EdAvard Southern "brak the ice," as Pur- 

 chas tells us — that is, he gave us the first 

 genuine English bee book, produced from 

 the author's oAvn experience, for he Avrote 

 from among the bees. He Avas, indeed, a 

 practical beekeeper. His adA-iee to beg-in- 

 ners shoAvs this: "Goe orderly to thy bees 

 and thou shall finde them gentle as sheepe." 

 He had no belief in the efficacy of "tang- 

 ing" AAdth a basin, pot, kettle, or frying- 

 13an. Cleanliness he rigidly inculcated. 

 He Avas an advocate of poAverful colonies, 

 and believed in having- all "lustie and 

 stronge." When stung, he advises, "Take 

 a sage leafe, cabbage leafe, or a piece of 

 dock leafe; rub it in, and the paine Avill 

 soon cease." 



John Levett, 1600. claims to haA'e had an 

 "unparalleled experience,'' and that he can 

 "resolve all doubts Avhatsoever.'' He had 

 the true beekeeper's instinct, as he consid- 

 ered Avorking among his bees more a pleas- 

 ure and delight than any "irksome or la- 

 boursome toyle." He writes for country 

 people, and especially the Avomen of the 



