large grove covering 20 or i") acres, could 

 any be found. 1 can't explain it, and would 

 be glad if some one who is better versed in 

 these things would do so. 



I have one hive that has done well this 

 year, I have taken 50 lbs. of comb honey 

 'from it alone. James F. Hart. 



[The plant is Melilot clover. It is excel- 

 lent for bees in any locality and grows on 

 any soil and in any climate.]— Ed. 



From the Detroit Tribune. 



Bee Culture in Northern Micliigan. 



The lands in the above region are quite 

 various in their character, as is shown bj' 

 the timber, wliich in some places is scrubby 

 pine, the trees thinly scattered and inter- 

 spersed with oak, while in others it is a tall, 

 straight, very thrifty — really beautiful 

 growth of beech, maple, elm, white ash, 

 basswood or linden, etc.; again thick for- 

 ests of hemlock and cedar, dark and somber, 

 are to be seen, or the ground is very closely 

 set with massive white pines, arrow-like in 

 straightness, waving their tall tops in the 

 fresh breezes that blow across the great in- 

 land seas lying on either side. Large dis- 

 tricts formerly covered by pine timber have 

 been burned over and then occupied by a 

 close growth of raspberry and blackberry 

 bushes and small poplars, furnishing large 

 supplies to the industrious bees, so that 

 from many a region that appears almost 

 worthless, and is now very desolate, an 

 abundant and delicious store of nectar 

 might be obtained. 



To the question: "Where do your bees 

 \get so much honey?" An old bee-keeper 

 living in a sandy pine region lying adjacent 

 to Lake Michigan, jokingly replied: "I 

 guess they get it out of the pine knots and 

 stubs." This apiary is located a tew rods 

 from the water's edge, hence the bees have 

 only a half range, yet they collect an abun- 

 dant supply of honey for themselves, and, 

 on the average, a generous surplus for the 

 owner, the sources being the willows, pop- 

 lars, early wild flowers, maples, fruit-bloom, 

 clover, wild raspberries and blackberries, 

 buckwheat and autumn wild flowers, such 

 as fire-weed, golden rod and asters. The 

 soil in sections where yjine timber grows, is 

 sandy, very light, and generally unproduc- 

 tive, though rye, buckwheat, and near the 

 lake shore, fruit can be raised successfully. 



It is in regions where the growth of tim- 

 ber is composed of beech, maple, elm. white 

 ash, linden (basswood), with some ironwood 

 and oak interspersed, that all sorts of crops 

 raised in Michigan thrive astonishingly 

 well, and that the apiarist finds his labors 

 abundantly rewarded. Should the section 

 lie within twelve or fifteen miles of the 

 shore of liake Michigan, it is especially 

 adapted to the growing of all kinds of fruits. 

 Tender fruits do not succeed so well inland, 

 as the frosts are more severe. The soil 

 where hard timber grows varies from a stiff 

 clay to a rich, warm loam. The latter with 

 a clay subsoil is most productive. The 

 stumps rot soon and the labor of breaking 

 up and tilling is not so great; it does not 

 leach, nor does it show the effects of drouth 



as soon as the heavier soils. Roots, grains, 

 hay and fruits succeed admirably. A yield 

 of .30 to 40 bushels of wheat to the acre is 

 often obtained. The snows are so deep that 

 the ground rarely freezes; and near the lake 

 shore the climate is much milder than that 

 of the southern portion of the State. The 

 vast amount of lumbering, fishing, shipping 

 and settling going on furnishes aready home 

 market for all sorts of supplies, stock, etc., 

 while railway and sleamboat lines place the 

 greater portion' of this region in close com- 

 munication with large cities. 



For the apiarist these hard-timbered sec- 

 tions are particularly inviting, because the 

 immense forests of linden, with large quan- 

 tities of raspberry and blackberry bushes, 

 and. in the fall, acres of fire-weed, golden- 

 rod and asters furnish pasturage that cannot 

 be excelled. The most beautiful and finest 

 flavored honey the writer ever saw was pro- 

 duced in central Oceana county from the 

 blossoms of the wild raspberry. The honey 

 from this plant is very clear, sparkling, 

 thick, remains liquid a long time, and pos- 

 sesses a very delicate and agreeable flavor; 

 the yield is also extraordinary. The great 

 linden forests send forth a rich perfume 

 from their millions of tassel-like blossoms, 

 which appear during the early part of July, 

 and then the bees have a royal feast, the 

 yield in good seasons being enormous. A 

 neighbor secured an average of nearly 200 

 pounds of honey to the hive for several sea- 

 sons in succession, obtaining at the same 

 time a rapid increase in his stock. One of 

 his hives yielded him 526 pounds of liquid 

 honey in one season. The success of the 

 writer in Northern Michigan has tempted 

 him more than once to return to this portion 

 of our State from which other considerations 

 called him. Frank Bentox. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Honey Rack and Separators. 



We who are putting up honey to ship must 

 use the separators. How to do it is doubt- 

 less a vital question witti many. After 

 much experimenting I think I have made a 

 desirable Hack. I wished one that would 

 combine the following points, some of 

 which Dr. Southards's supply, and some Mr. 

 J. P. Moore's. 



First—It is desirable to have the sections 

 lengthwise over the brood-combs; for if 

 across they are often built the other way. 



iSeco7ifZ— To have sections that will or can 

 be used in wide Langstroth frames sus- 

 pended and the size 43^x5% does meet this, 

 and then use separators to match, as many 

 of us are doing. 



Third— A Rack that will fill the Lang- 

 stroth hive and admit a separator of wood 

 or tin, without fastening, except as all are 

 wedged up and yet be bee-tight and tier up 

 readily without vacant space between the 

 tiers. 



Now all are not agreed as to the superior- 

 ity of wood over metal separators, claimed 

 by many. With me it is a question of eco- 

 nomy, as I use my grape box veneer, such 

 as I make boxes from. No glass, and no 

 fitting of sepai'ators, if cut right. I will 

 here give a description in full. I first used 



