230 



THE AM ERICA X BEE-KEEPEh' 



DecemlxM- 



ing located within a ten-minutes" walk 

 of one another; the bees of one gather- 

 ing water-white honey, the bees of the 

 other very inferior, dark honey. This, 

 of course, at the same time. One apiary 

 is located near an extensive forest, the 

 other near a body of water. The 

 inference is, that bees do not make 

 long flights when gathering honey. 

 (The majority of American authorities 

 would say: *Mf one of these two apiar- 

 ies, being located within a half-mile of 

 the other, was near a forest or a body 

 of water, both were near.") 



F. Greiner. 



Florida. 



An Interesting Descriptive Letter 



From One in Quest of Light 



and Consolation. 



Grant. Fla.. Oct. 21, 1901. 

 Editor American Bee-Keeper: 



Dear Sir — When we heard you were 

 on your way to Florida to be one of us, 

 there was great rejoicing. "Now," we 

 said, "we will have some one to tell us 

 all about bee-keeping in the land of 

 flowers." We will know at least what 

 our neighbors 40 and 50 miles away are 

 doing without going and seeing. Also 

 we will soon know why bees will stay 

 in their hives and go supperless to bed, 

 rather than go out and fill their two 

 stomachs with saw palmetto honey 

 (and keep the bee-keepers' empty, too). 

 Now, are they afraid that the hot sun 

 will cook the nectar, using the bee as 

 frying pan, or have they got "that tired 

 feeling" we people in the South have 

 at that time of the year? 



I have watched my bees and won- 



dered and wished chance would send 

 some one to us who could tell. 



I think your readers musr say to one 

 another. "Well! the bears have got 

 all of Hill's bees, and Poppelton's have 

 all died with paralysis, can't be any 

 more down in Florida, or the editor 

 would say something about them." 



I watched The Bee-Keeper last 

 spring to find if all the bees on the 

 east coast had declared a strike on, or 

 if it was only my own 80 colonies who 

 refused to gather, while they could; so, 

 as I could find nothing, I thought I 

 would set sail on a voyage of discov- 

 ery. 



The wind being fair (fare on the train 

 to Vero) we started for Mr. H. Gif- 

 ford's 300-colony apiary, about 20 miles 

 south of Grant. Arrived three miles 

 north of his place and was met by Mr. 

 Gififord with a team of mules. Flies be- 

 ing bad and team good, we soon ar- 

 rived at his home and found a hearty 

 welcome and supper awaiting us. 



Mr. Gififord took me out to see the 

 home apiary at once. The sun was 

 down, and the last workers were com- 

 ing home loaded. It made my heart 

 glad to see them, and by the hum, the 

 bees were as happy as I. It reminded 

 me of seasons when good strong colo- 

 nies put in two to three hundred 

 pounds. 



I had kept bees nine years, and have 

 learned all I know of others' experi- 

 ence from reading; so you may know 

 what a pleasure it was to meet Mr. Gif- 

 ford and son- The father has kept bees 

 since 1863, and is well read on the sub- 

 ject. He comes from Vermont, and 

 has lived in Florida about fifteen years. 



I learned a great many things, among 

 the rest was that my own bees were 

 about as good as any one's. Also that 

 I did not have all the bee trouble there 

 was in the world. We talked long- 

 tongued bees, and neither could see 

 why some of our own bees did better 

 than others. For all of our southern 



