THE AMERICAN A PICUL TURIS T. 



what is already produced in na- 

 ture's realm, no more than Mr. T. 

 can compete with himself in tlie 

 sale of his products. 



Did man's volition evolve, cre- 

 ate or produce one honey plant? 



Nature iurnished man with legs 

 as a means of locomotion, and 

 horses, mules and oxen to haul 

 heavy loads. According to Mr. 

 T.'s analogy, we should not call to 

 our assistance the steam engine or 

 other motive powers to " compete • 

 with nature." 



With equal propriety he might 

 say to the I'esident pioneers of this 

 prairie country, ''Do not sow tim- 

 othy or clover for your cattle, you 

 cannot compete with nature in the 

 production of the wild grasses 

 which will furnish nutriment for 

 your stock for all time, since timo- 

 thy and clover succumb to drought." 

 Do not break up the prairie sod 

 and thereby pay a premium on ma- 

 laria. Too many adhere tenacious- 

 ly to preconceived opinions that 

 cannot stand the test of actual ex- 

 periment. 



If we cannot compete with na- 

 ture, why not at once discard mov- 

 able frames and resort to the old- 

 fashioned " gum," for we do not 

 find them (frames) in nature's bee- 

 hives — hollow logs and caves? 



Why is it honey-plants continue 

 to bloom long after basswood? 



If they are detrimental to bees, 

 why not wage a warfare of exter- 

 mination on all such noxious 

 weeds? '•'//""nothing was made 

 in vain," you may rest assured that 

 all plants that yield rich stores of 

 nectar are just as valuable as bass- 

 wood and other trees you mention, 

 although bloon)ing a month or two 

 after the " flow from basswood 

 ceases." 



His position, "that a honey flow, 

 after basswood is past, that merely 

 conduces to an increased spread of 

 brood is not very desirable," is not 

 tenable. 



I speak advisedl}' when I main- 

 tain that an " increased spread of 

 brood " may not be feared, if tliere 

 are sufficient stores at hand for all 

 the occupants of the hive. Their 

 instinct teaches tliem whether or 

 not increase is desirable. In i)roof 

 of this assertion I need only refer 

 to repoits of beekeepers all over 

 the Union concerning the killing of 

 drones early in the spring and the 

 foresight of bees in not building 

 queen cells and my bees were no 

 exception. The same state of af- 

 fairs existed here until the mid- 

 summer flow of honey from " Me- 

 lissa." 



White clover is easily' killed by 

 drought, and maples, basswood, 

 willows, ai)ples, etc., in most lo- 

 calities, failed to afford nectar in 

 sufficient quantities to sustain bee 

 life. My white and alsyl^e clover 

 was killed early in the season, and 

 had 1 not prolited by past experi- 

 ence, would now report bees in a 

 starving condition (unless fed), 

 whereas they are strong and well 

 supplied with honey gathered from 

 honey plants I cultivated for their 

 especial use and benefit. 



1 never wintered a colon}' too 

 strong or lacking stores, although 

 nearly all the honey was stored af- 

 ter July 10. 



I have learned by experience 

 that if there is an increased spread 

 of brood late in the season pollen 

 is stored to meet the demand. I 

 have never known it to fail, I have 

 noticed bees carrying in pollen as 

 late as Oct. 4 . 



There is a honc}^ plant called 

 " Melissa" that is not affected by 

 drought, excelling the best honey- 

 producing trees, a profuse bloomer, 

 a single plant putting forth oO,UOO 

 flowers, yielding an abundance of 

 delicious honey when the flow from 

 all other sources failed. 



I shall cultivate five or six acres 

 next season, for it pays in this lo- 

 cality, and is worthy of a fair trial 



