436 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Lake City, but nearly every city or town 

 in the Territory in the spring of the 

 year are one vast blooming orchard. 

 Thus you see we have fruit-bloom in the 

 spring, and the field crop in the summer 

 and fall. 



A stranger passing through here in 

 the summer would hardly conceive or 

 believe that it would be possible for us 

 to get as good a honey-flow as we some- 

 times get. Of course we are not always 

 sure of a good crop. They tell us that 

 nothing is sure in this world but death 

 and taxes. 



As I traveled through Utah in a south- 

 easterly direction, as far as Green River, 

 and in many parts of Colorado, I found 

 conditions pretty much as I have de- 

 scribed them. There is some good coun- 

 try in Colorado. They raise large crops 

 of lucerne, honey, fruit, roots, grain, 

 etc.; but some portions of central east- 

 ern Utah and western Colorado are 

 barren. 



As I went on I went up the Grand 

 Canyon of the Grand River, up, up, 

 through and between huge rocks until 

 we were uy in the clouds near Lead- 

 vill, at an elevation of 10,418 feet, but 

 we were soon rolling down into a warm 

 country again — down through the Royal 

 Gorge, where the rocks tower above the 

 river-bed 2,000 feet. This, I believe, is 

 the head-waters of the Arkansas river. 

 West of Leadville the waters run in the 

 Colorado and the Gulf of California. 



From the Royal Gorge we run across 

 the valley past Canon City, Florence, 

 and many coal-oil wells to Pueblo and 

 Denver. Then as we rolled down over 

 the foot-hills, we still saw some honey- 

 plants. 



But as wo travel on across the Col- 

 orado line into Kansas or Nebraska, we 

 run on a rolling, boundless prairie. As 

 far as the eye can reach the indications 

 for a good honey-flow did not look as 

 promising, although I noticed consider- 

 able fruit trees in some places, but in 

 the fields I failed to see much in the line 

 of honey-producing plants. I saw a 

 great quantity of corn and hay land, 

 some of the latter, judging from appear- 

 ances, looked as though it would not 

 produce more than one ton of hay to the 

 acre. I would like to see some of those 

 people try some of our lucerne ; if they 

 could get a good start of lucerne, they 

 would possibly get six tons to the acre, 

 besides introducing a good honey-plant. 



As we pass on through those States 

 towards Missouri, I noticed that the soil 

 and the crops looked much better. The 

 corn, which seems, to be the staple crop, 

 looked taller and more vigorous. I no- 



ticed much very fine country in Missouri, 

 and some of it looked as though it ought 

 to be a good country for bee-keepers. 

 We passed nearly through the center of 

 this great State, went through some 

 very beautiful places on our way to St. 

 Louis, where we found a magnificent 

 city. There is a great deal doing in the 

 manufacturing line there, and it seems 

 to be established on a paying basis ; and 

 as far as I could learn, nearly all of the 

 city is owned by her own people. 



We now crossed the Missouri over to 

 Illinois, and through the center of this 

 great State — through Alton, Springfield, 

 Bloomington, Joliet, and many other 

 places. We much admired the vim and 

 enterprise of the people of Illinois, in 

 farming, mining, manufacturing, etc. 

 As in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, I 

 noticed that corn was one of the staple 

 crops. Now I am positive that all those 

 places could be greatly benefited by 

 planting some of our lucerne. 



After passing the Joliet penitentiary, 

 and the extensive stone quaries, we ar- 

 rived in that great and wonderful city 

 of Chicago, having traveled over 2,000 

 miles. I looked around the city, and 

 visited the old American Bee Journai. 

 office ; attended the great bee-conven- 

 tion, met, chatted, and shook hands 

 with more bee-keepers than I ever saw 

 together at any other time or place. 

 Then after taking in the Fair I again 

 started back towards the Rockies. I 

 returned over a somewhat different 

 road, so as to see all I could through 

 Illinois and Missouri. I saw more bees 

 and better indications for a honey crop 

 in those places than any other place east 

 of the Rockies. 



I went around through Lincoln, and 

 central Nebraska. This seems to be a 

 good country. I think it is about the 

 best part of the State. The people seem 

 to be industrious and enterprising. 



I then passed on into Colorado, and 

 again up into the clouds at Leadville, 

 where we were caught in a big snow- 

 storm, with the mercury nearly down to 

 zero ; but in about an hour we ran down 

 to the west where the sun was shining, 

 and it was warm and pleasant. We soon 

 reached home, all well, having enjoyed 

 a very pleasant and never-to-be-forgot- 

 ten trip. 



Now about this lucerne and a better 

 honey-flow : I think conditions could be 

 changed. We have shipped some seed • 

 to the Southern States this winter, and 

 some of our Utah people have settled in 

 Mexico and Arizona, where they have 

 planted lucerne with great success. One 

 of my old Utah friends, who now lives 



