AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



153 



them a final send-off. I think I shall have 

 to say "R. I. P.," as they say on the grave- 

 stones. 



A. I. Root evidently intends to bring a 

 suit for slander or libel against certain 

 persons in southern California, for making 

 certain damaging statements about him. 

 I hardly thought Mr, Root would have had 

 recourse to the law in such a matter, for 

 some of us mortals have come to think that 

 he would be more likely to forgive his 

 enemies. Though I am inclined to be as 

 Christian-like as possible, I think there are 

 times when a man is justified in giving his 

 trad ucers "a good licking." Howl would 

 like to see Uncle Amos trounce one of those 

 burly fellows who have been unduly in- 

 juring his good name! (See Gleanings^ 

 page 943.) 



^^ff~ Do not write anything' for publication 

 on the same sheet of paper with business 

 matters, unless it can be torn apart without 

 interfering with either part of the letter. 



Bees Booming in Texas. 



Bees are booming to-day— Jan., 21st. 

 They are gathering pollen on elm for the 

 first time this year in North Texas. 



Tioga, Tex. Edwin Cook. 



Melilot or Sweet Clover. 



I am surprised that some bee-keepers 

 have so little knowledge about melilot or 

 sweet clover. I have raised this clover 

 more or less for over 20 years, and will say 

 to-day, take it away from me and I would 

 quit bee-keeping. I have had but two fail- 

 ures in 20 years, that is, it has always 

 yielded honey every year except in two 

 years. It is like all other honey-plants, it 

 yields more in some seasons ; and as to the 

 quality of the honey, it is good honey — not 

 of the very light kind, but good. Mr. M. 

 M. Baldridge had a sample of the honey 

 (extracted) at the convention in Chicago 

 last October ; it was of the very best, good, 

 heavy honey, and light in color. 



As for stock eating sweet clover, they 

 will do it readily, after they get used to it. 

 There is no plant that can stand the drouth 

 equal to it. There is no plant that can be 

 sown that will fertilize the land equal to it. 

 It has been tried in England, and has been 

 given the preference over all the plants to 

 fertilize the ground. 



As an experiment, the Ohio station took 

 a piece of land that had been stripped of 

 all the good land at a brick-yard, or where 

 the good land had been taken to get at the 

 clay to make brick. They sowed two or 

 three crops of melilot on this clay, then 

 sowed it to wheat. At the same time they 

 sowed the same amount of good land to 

 wheat right beside the brick-yard, and 

 the clay ground beat the good land as to 

 the amount of pounds of wheat. This clay 

 could not have raised anything if it had 

 not been for the melilot or sweet clover. 

 The time is not far off when it will be sown 

 more extensively to enrich the land. I 

 have ten acres growing on my place now. 



Compton, Ills. R. Milleb. 



Famer Jones' Bee-Notes. 



Thar's one way of preventin' swarmin' I 

 aint seen in the papers yit, an' that is, keep 

 your bees in a cool, dark cellar. Of course 

 you don't git much honey that air way, but 

 then I tried takin' away brood from mine 

 las' summer, an I dunno but what I got 

 about as much honey as I would if I'de 

 kept 'em in the cellar. 



The trouble about takin' away brood is, 

 you dunno when to begin ; but if you've got 

 some yellar blood in 'em, you generally 

 know when to stop. 



I live purty high ; that is, on a hy hill, 

 but nobody ever called me " stuck up " un- 

 til I got ter italianizen my black bees. I'll 

 have ter confes I am stuck up a good eel 

 nowdays. 



I notiss ever sense I got that testy queen 

 (I think that's what they sed she was) that 

 mos' all the bees that cum out to the feeled 

 to sting me have considerbul yaller on 'em. 

 I spose that's why they call 'em "testy 

 queens." 



My wife says she beleeves the bee-books 

 ud be all rite if they wouldn't teech so 

 much artifishul swarmin'. She says natrul 

 swarmin' is enough for her without goin' 

 an makin' 'em swarm artiflshuUy. 



I yuster think if a queen was yaller enuff 

 she was a pure italyun. 



I alius sposed pets was inclined to git 

 lazy, but they say you can pet these here 

 italyun bees as much as you're aminter, 

 and they'll move around lively. 



HiBRED Jones. 



Another Skunk Remedy, Etc. 



It is decidedly amusing to me, at least, to 

 read of the various methods prescribed for 

 "Mrs. Atchley's skunks." I would smile to 

 see the writer under the heading of " Ran- 

 dom Stings," dispose of his Skunkship after 

 said skunk la ad " pressed the button." At 

 the same time I would want a deodorizer 

 convenient. I would not use the words of 

 Lincoln's assassin — " Sic Semper Tyran- 

 nus," but as I have noticed, "Many pre- 

 scribe, but few take the medicine." 



Now let me add my mite to the general 

 fund, and I hope the lady will not be of- 

 fended at my weak criticisms. 'I am a 

 trapper of 30 years' practice, and I think I 



