104 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Nov., 



now too late to retrace my steps, I concluded to 

 make the best of a bad things and accordingly 

 spent time in looking at the character of the soil 

 and the improvements growing out of industi'y 

 and general enterprise among the people who ' 

 inhabit the country through which tlie road runs, 

 I found much of the soil to be of such quality 

 as to be well adapted to the production of nearly 

 or quite all the crops peculiar to our Northern 

 States ; and as the country in southern and cen- 

 tral Michigan is somewhat dotted with small 

 lakes and soil which was once covered by them, 

 it must most unquestionably produce a large 

 amount of honey-yielding plants, of a kind and 

 quality requiring little or no special cultivation. 

 In addition to this, these lakes are surrounded 

 by a soil fertile in the production of the different 

 kinds of grain and roots commonly cultivated 

 by the farmer. 



These lands are also mostly well adapted to 

 the cultivation of special honey-yielding crops, 

 such as buckwheat and the different varieties 

 of clover. In fact, the face of the country is 

 such as to effectually guard the bee keeper 

 against excessive drought, as the land immedi- 

 ately surrounding the lakes is low and well cal- 

 culated to furnish forage for bees during dry 

 weather ; and when tliere is an excess of rain, 

 the uplands will pi'oduce the various honey- 

 yielding plants already mentioned. Thus the 

 people of such portions of Michigan as above 

 described, have the natural resources furnished 

 them to make the occupation of bee-keeping 

 highly remunerative. 



Oh i-eaching Jackson, I found it to be one of 

 the most enterprising inland cities I ever visited. 

 The State prison, located at this point, which I 

 visited, and found its various buildings and 

 shops to be large and well adapted to the preser- 

 vation of the health of the inmates — the number 

 of which, as well as I remember the statement 

 of the conductor, is at present six hundred and 

 fifty-two convicts. While passing through the 

 shops, where men were engaged at labor, and 

 at learning a trade, in the different mechanical 

 departments, the thought struck me quite forci- 

 bly tliat it would be a very easy matter so to 

 an-ange the prison grounds as to admit of a 

 small apiary being kept within their limits. 

 This might not only prove to be a source of 

 profit and income to the State or the capital in- 

 vested, but would furnish such convicts as are 

 not physically able to engage profitably in other 

 manual pursuits, an opportunity of becoming 

 acquainted with a branch of industry highly 

 remunerative, and at the same time well adapted 

 to weakly constitutions. 



On my way from Jackson to Kalamazoo, I 

 found the country to be very similar in charac- 

 ter to that already described. On reaching the 

 latter city, I was delighted with its appearance 

 and the enterprising character of its inliabitants. 

 I registered my name at the Kalamazoo House, 

 as I had been requested to do by Prof. Cook, 

 until such time as he was able to meet me ; and 

 as he was not in the city on my an-ival there, I 

 spent the afternoon on the State Fair Grounds. 

 The fair being then open, made it quite an in- 

 teresting place to visit. But during my stay in 



Kalamazoo, I was displeased with only one fea- 

 ture of its regulations — which is the custom of 

 permitting the hackmen and omnibus drivers, 

 while halting in front of the hotels, waiting for 

 passengers, to indulge in one continued and 

 unearthly cry of--" Here's your hack for the 

 Fair Grounds, ' ' or for the railroad, as the case 

 chanced to be. This is not only very impolite, 

 but very disgusting to such as are in possession of 

 perfect hearing. Police regulations should cotii- 

 pel those men to address travellers in an ordinary 

 tone, not above that used in common conversation. 



On my return from the Fair Grounds, I met 

 Prof. Cook, and found him to be what I hoped 

 to find, an agreeable and intelligent gentleman, 

 besides being tolerably grod-looking ; but as 

 that is a matter of not very much importance to 

 any one except his wife, I shall not say much 

 about. Mr. Portei-, one of the Michigan Agri- 

 cultural College students, was in company with 

 Prof. Cook. With him I was made acquainted 

 and found him likewise to be a gentleman of 

 intelligence, and" of good looks also. I deem it 

 a matter of some importance to the unmarried 

 female portion of the bee-keeping fraternity to 

 make mention of this latter fact, as Mr. P. lias 

 not yet, I believe, committed matrimony. He is 

 well posted in the habits of the honey bee, and 

 long may he live. 



At eight o'clock in the evening I went, in 

 company with tlie above named gentlemen, to 

 Corporation Hall, where a number of bee- 

 keepei-s had assembled, among whom was Mr. 

 Marvin, of Illinois, who is a beekeeper of as 

 good sound sense and wit, as any with whom I 

 have met. The meeting was called to order by 

 President Moon, and several subjects of interest 

 were discussed during the evening. In the 

 afternoon of the next day, I had the pleasure of 

 again meeting with my much esteemed friend, 

 Mr. E. liood, of Wayne, Michigan, who always 

 adds materially to the interest of beekeepers' 

 associations, by ^lis solid argument and wit. 

 Mr. 31. M. Baldridge, of Illinois, was also 

 present. From him I learned a new method of 

 disposing of drones while in the egg state. The 

 plan is rather novel and somewhat funny, yet I 

 think will prove effectual. They are disposed of 

 by pouring cold Avater into the cells containing 

 the eggs, by which they will be chilled to such 

 an extent as to prevent their hatching. 



I met a number of other gentlemen, whose 

 names I cannot now recall ; but taking the mem- 

 bers of the Michigan Beekeepers' Association 

 all in all, they are certainly a good body of men. 

 Too much pi-aise cannot be given to Prof. Cook 

 for the efforts he is making, and the success he 

 is meeting with, in the advancement of apiarian 

 science at the Agricultui'al College of Michigan, 

 where bee-keeping is taught the students, 

 among other branches of industry. By this 

 means an intelligent and scientific class of bee- 

 keepers will soon be scattered throughout the 

 different parts of the State ; and should the 

 efforts of both the College and the State Asso- 

 ciation be kept up, as now set in motion, the 

 State of Michigan will always hold her position 

 of prominence in bee-keeping interests. 



A sxandria, Ind., Sept. 2tj, 1871. G. Bohrbk. 



