176 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



[August. 



America or England in one of the 

 essentials of tree planting." 



Thousands of intelligent young men 

 are being taught to plant and grow 

 trees. This same enthusiasm we found 

 across Russia and up the Volga river 

 as far as we went, to the tifty-fourth 

 degree of north latitude. One peculiar 

 feature we found on the Volga, the 

 pear and cherry orchards. We found 

 entire districts growing cherries, then 

 a square cut ofi and then came pears, 

 no mixture, all one kind of fruit or 

 the tDther, never mixed. I found the 

 railroads were planting belts of timber 

 for snow fences, while here in America 

 the roads were building board fence> 

 to stop the snow. 



After visiting many parts of Russia, 

 and receiving nothing but the most 

 cordial treatment from government of- 

 ficials and from citizens and the largest 

 land owners, being questioned by them 

 as to what our countries were doing 

 in the tree planting, we were obliged 

 to acknowledge that Russia was far 

 in advance of our countries, we left, 

 passing through Moscow, to the Ger- 

 man empire to make a short investi- 

 gation of what was being done in that 

 country. 



While we. found much to interest 

 the tree planter, we also found that 

 up to that time the Russian govern- 

 ment was far ahead of anything that 

 we had seen in any other country. 

 Since then, Germany has been very 

 busy planting forests, and if it keeps 

 on in the way in which it has been 

 going for the past twenty years, ii 

 will soon outstrip any other country. 



Those old countries are doing -a. 

 work from which America must learn 

 a lesson or be the loser. This country 

 must plant trees and save the moisture, 

 or do as Spain has done, give up some 

 of its most fertile soil to become a 

 barren waste. 



WORCESTER COUNTY BEE- 

 KEEPERS' MEETING. 



The Worcester County (Mass.), Bee- 

 Keepers' Association held a field meet- 

 ing at the apiary of Mr. J. S. Whitte- 

 more, on Pleasant St., Leicester, on 

 Saturday, June 29, 1907. The resigna- 

 tion of President Burton N. Gates, of 

 Worcester, was read and accepted. 

 President Gates leaves the society to 

 take a position as bee expert in the 

 Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington, D. C. The matter of selecting 



a new president was laid over till the 

 January meeting. It was then voted 

 to hold a fair in Horticultural Hall in 

 Worcester, the same as we did last 

 year. The exhibition this year will 

 be held sometime about the middle of 

 September. The same plan of popular 

 lectures will be carried on and every 

 effort will be made to secure the most 

 prominent lecturers on bee matters in 

 this country. The exhibition will be as 

 much for the amateur as for the dealer 

 in supplies. The exact date of the fair 

 and further details will be published as 

 soon as possible. 



After the business meeting the party 

 adjourned to the apiary where demon- 

 strations of manipulation of bees were 

 given by Vice-President Drake and 

 Mr. Whittemore. Ice cream, crackers, 

 and lemonade were served by Mrs. 

 Whittemore at the close of the meet- 

 ing. 



A. H. Estabrook, Sec. 



WHERE PRAIRIE BREEZES 

 BLOW. 



Oh, the scent of the sage comes drift- 

 ing down on the breath of a 

 prairie breeze, 



From the plains where the bunch- 

 grass ripples brown, like tne 

 waves of the summer seas. 



And the dear, sweet smell of the hi'l- 

 side pines, and the cottonwoods 

 that grow 



In canons deep, comes home to me 

 when the west winds gently blow. 



I can see the bulk of a miling herd in 

 the rainclouds massing black. 



(By the angry breath of the storm- 

 wind stirred) and riding on its 

 track; 



I can hear the rush of a inad stam- 

 pede when the lightnings flash 

 and glow. 



And wild hoofs beating the prairie 

 sod, when the stirring west winds 

 blow. 



Oh, for the feel of a braided rein and 

 the plunge of a prairie steed, 



And the brave, true hearts that open 

 plain and the wind-swept moun- 

 tains breed. 



Oh, for the days on the long divides, 

 and nights by the campfire's glow. 



Hard on the trail of the herds that 

 roam where the prairie breezes 

 blow. 



— Bertrand W. Sinclair in The Bo- 

 hemian. 



