232 



THE AMERICAN LEE-KEEPEll 



December 



He has all kinds of fruit that will grow 

 on the Indian river, and I think the 

 most complete fruit farm on the whole 

 east coast. They were truly fine. 



The birds and I had a fight over the 

 mulberries. They were as good as the 

 best New York blackberries, and the 

 trees were very large and had had 

 bushels of fruit on them. 



I cannot tell about the oranges, Ja- 

 pan persimmons, mangos, bananas, 

 guavas, and other fruit I am not ac- 

 quainted with. 



We had oysters for supper. They 

 have a bed that keeps fat all summer. 

 Next day, our time being up. we had to 

 go home. On our way to the station, 

 we stopped at another out apiary. 



They call it the "yellow apiary," as 

 the bees there come the nearest to be- 

 irg pure Italian. I left home very 

 much discouraged with bee-keeping, 

 but Mr. Gifford thought it paid about 

 as well as any n.ral pursuit and that we 

 get a crop in Florida as often as else- 

 where. He has got some big crops in 

 former years, but the last two years 

 the crops have been poor. I think his 

 place is over stocked- There are about 

 800 colonies on a ten-mile strip. 



Mr. Gififord believes we can cure our 

 honey too much for our cvvn good, as 

 thin honey sells for as much in the 

 north as thick. 



I have always left mine on the hives 

 till all sealed, and so saw palmetto 

 would pile up on the funnel, when bar- 

 reling it, but I don't know as it paid in 

 pennies. Cabbage palmetto honey can't 

 be cured so, must be "endured." But 

 it makes the best cake. I read so much 

 about the commission houses being 

 such bad places to send honey, that I 

 shipped my first without any idea of 

 hearing from it again. Think of my 

 surprise at receiving a check paying me 

 more than I was getting, delivered, by 

 the gallon 20 miles away, that is, retail- 

 ed at people's houses. 



Too much has been said about home 

 market, in our bee papers. 



Now Mr. Editor! I hear tell of the 

 great St. Lucie river apiaries and what 

 big bee-keepers live there. As you are 

 one of them, why can't you tell us 

 something about Florida bee-keeping? 

 Is there nothing in it to tell? I 

 thought there was when I was learn- 

 ing. 



Am I the only subscriber you have 

 who is interested in it"-* If so will say 

 no more. 



My bees are in fine condition for next 

 season, and have hopes that it will be 

 " an old timer." I hope that there is 

 paper enough here for you to build 

 your fire with, and don't blame you 

 if you do so. Yours very respectfully. 



(Mrs.) Sarah A. Smith. 



(There is a great deal in Florida in 

 regard to which much might be written 

 that would doubtless prove of interest 

 to resident bee-keepers, as suggested 

 by our esteemed correspondent, and we 

 shall endeavor to give "The Land of 

 Flowers" its due proportion of consid- 

 eration. It should be borne in mind, 

 however, that by far the greater por- 

 tion of our readers live in the northern 

 states; while The Bee-Keeper's circula- 

 tion extends to every English-speaking 

 country in the world. Florida bee-keep- 

 ers, as well as those of every quarter 

 are cordialy invited to send us material 

 for publication; so that The Bee-Keeper 

 may maintain a well balanced variet> 

 of generally representative matter. We 

 should be pleased to have all our read- 

 ers correspond freely- Such a letter as 

 the foregoir^g, we are sure, will find in- 

 terested readers everywhere. Come 

 one-, come all. — Editor. 



"About the bloom the bee abides. 



While humming birds flit to and fro; 



A langour over earth presides, 

 And Nature's voice is hushed and low." 



By preserving the copies of The Bee 

 Keeper and having them bound, a val- 

 uable reference volume is secured. For 

 the benefit of those who do so, an in- 

 dex is included in this, the final number 

 for 1901. 



