THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



223 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bees Notes from Putnum Co., 111. 



In the spring of 187:3,1 lost l;?0 stands 

 of bees; had fifty -live left. The loss being 

 made up at this date, in the spring of 1874, 

 I had 145. Now I have 383. My bees did 

 well after May 1, 187;}, so I got ninety 

 swarms for 1873 and heavy surplus honey. 

 In the spring of 1874, our bees came out 

 rich and hardy. They began to make 

 honey in April, of the best quality. They 

 commenced swarming the 20th of May; 

 that is, the yellow bees. The hybrids be- 

 gan the lUlh of June, and swarmed until 

 the 8lh of July. On the 17th of June I got 

 twenty-four swarms. They found the 

 honey. 



I live along the Illinois river bottom, 

 ■where bees must do well, for they have the 

 best of chance. They have in March the 

 soft maple and willow. Then comes the 

 orchards' bloom. Then the hard maple 

 and ash, white elm and red. In May comes 

 another willow, and quaking asp and cot- 

 ton wood, which are heavy honey-produ- 

 cers. In June we have wild cherry, honey 

 locust, linden and elbow bush. Tlie 20th 

 of July our bees have rest; no more bloom 

 from timber, until the 11th of August. 

 Then the wild flowers are in bloom on the 

 bottoms. My strongest are making box 

 honey now. O. H. 



Henry, 111. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Tulip Tree. 



Since the publication of the communica- 

 tion in which I referred to the honey-pro- 

 ducing qualities of the tulip tree, I have re- 

 ceived several communications from the 

 States and from Canada, inquiring how 

 they may be procured, can I furnish young 

 trees, or inform them who can, and the 

 cost, to send cuttings by mail, etc. As 

 I am so much indebted to the contribu- 

 tors of the Journal who, by giving us the 

 benefit of their experience and labor, have 

 added so much to the cause, both of profit 

 and interesting information, I feel it a duty 

 and pleasure to answer communications, 

 and give all the information I possess that 

 may be of benefit to the fraternity ; but as 

 answering each separately takes up much 

 time, and as there may be others who are 

 desirous of the same infoimation, I pro- 

 pose to answer all through the Journal. 



The tulip tree, commonly called, and 

 in these parts, universally known as the 

 poplar, is really not a poplar at all, though 

 from the great height to which it grows, 

 the large, green leaves, color and texture of 

 the wood and general appearance, it might 

 readily be taken for a species of poplar. In 



some localities in the west it is known 

 as white wood. The projicr name is tulip 

 tree (Liriadendron tullpifera), of the natu- 

 ral order of magnoliaceic. It is a native of 

 the United States, and grows abundantly 

 in the fertile i^oil of the Middle and South- 

 western States, and attains a height of from 

 80 to 100 and 140 feet, with a stem some 

 three feet and over in duimeter. When 

 full grown it has a grayish brown cracked 

 bark, with many somewhat gnarled, easily 

 broken branches; wlu'n young the bark is 

 smooth and greenish in color, and the limbs 

 are beautifully long and slender. The 

 leaves are roundish, ovate, and three lobed. 

 The flowers solitary, ami at the extremi- 

 ties of the branchlets, and resemble tulips 

 in size and appearance, and when first open, 

 so filled with honey that the bees in visiting 

 them make very little humming, as they 

 simply alight, fill themselves and return to 

 the hive. While (he tree grows strong and 

 rapidly, and great numbers of them come 

 up from the seed and young roots in soil 

 and places suited to them, yet they are very 

 hard to propagate in nurseries, as not one 

 seed in hundreds spYout; and it is still more 

 difficult to grow them fi'om cuttings. I am 

 informed by gardeners who furnish all kinds 

 of shade and fruit trees, that they procure 

 them from the woods, and that they must 

 be taken before they pass two years old, as 

 they will not bear transplanting well after 

 that age. The cost of procuring them here 

 of the right age, which, of course, would 

 be in limited numbers, would be about 

 $25.00 per 100, ready for shipping. Being 

 a physician, living in the city, it is not in 

 my line or convenient to procure them, but 

 I would suggest to some of our southern 

 friends that may have unusual facilities 

 for furnishing small treses, that if they make 

 it known through the .Journal they might 

 get orders in paying numbers, and I am 

 sure those who get them will be pleased, and 

 greatly benefited in having both a beautiful 

 shade and honey-producing tree. Although 

 a native of the United States, they arc found 

 in many parts of Europe, having been in- 

 troduced for a shade tree. In Britain 

 they flower only in the southern part, there- 

 fore it is probable that in the extreme 

 northern States, and in Canada they might 

 fail as honey-producing trees. On the prai- 

 ries of the West, once introduced, they 

 would soon spread and become very valu- 

 able for shade and lumber, even if honey 

 was not an object. 



Some writers for the Journal recommend 

 keeping chickens about the apiary. I in- 

 dorse that, for it is quite a satisfaction to- 

 see them quietly going around and under 

 the hives, looking in every corner for 

 worms and moth. They are also very 

 fond of drones, and I have laughed heartily 

 to see them trying to catch them on th?; 

 wing by snapping at them; but if workers, 



