294 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



market ( as the honey was by no means 

 dark ) for about as good a price as though 

 it had been gathered from early flowers. 

 At the same time, I had this ever-present, 

 overshadowing drawback to contend 

 with, that no matter what the protection 

 and ventilation given for winter, in doors 

 or out, dysentery and death were sure to 

 be the result ; so that for a period of fifteen 

 years my average loss in wintering was at 

 least loo colonies; or say seventy-five per 

 cent, of the uumber put up for winter. 

 So, while I often had a good crop of hon- 

 ey to market when apiarists located be- 

 yond the reach of such fall pasturage 

 would fail of securing a crop, on the other 

 hand, when my bees would be dying 

 with dysentery, even in comparatively 

 mild winters, the other fellows, who had 

 clover, basswood or even buckwheat hon- 

 ey to winter their bees on, would, even 

 in severe winters, with comparatively 

 slight protection, winter their bees with 

 but little loss; while I would be obliged 

 to buy of them each spring; or, on ac- 

 count of low prices, go South and buy a 

 car lot to stock my yard. But the time 

 came when this swamp became largely 

 cleared up, and could no longer be relied 

 upon as a source of nectar; and, being 

 impressed with the apparent advantages 

 offered for locating apiaries in this part 

 of the State, I located, six years ago, at 

 this place (Evart), after looking over the 

 ground somewhat carefully. 



I have, perhaps, been here long enough 

 to enable me to give a tolerably fair 

 statement of the merits of this part of the 

 country as a location for bee-keeping; 

 and, as I have traveled not a little through 

 many counties of this section of the 

 State, as far north as the Straits, and from 

 lake to lake, with my eyes and ears open 

 wide to learn all that could be learned, 

 both of the inducements and drawbacks 

 to be met with by the apiarist seeking a 

 location, I will venture to give the con- 

 clu.sions I have reached in this matter. 



Perhaps the chief advantage to be gain- 

 ed here over the average location in 

 the Southern part of the State, is the 



chance to reach a flora comprising a 

 greater diversity of plants yielding honey 

 of fine quality for a comparatively long 

 time; extending with the most favorable 

 locations and seasons, from early in May, 

 until late in September. The chief sources 

 of surplus are wild red raspberries, Alsike 

 clover, basswood, willow-herb, golden- 

 rod and asters; while, in some locations, 

 the maples, wild fruit bloom, whortle 

 berries, white clover, boneset, sumach, 

 buckwheat and Spanish needle, common 

 fire-weed and various other fall flowers 

 help to lengthen out the flow. 



The wild raspberry, which, in the best 

 locations, is to be found in profusiou over 

 large areas, is one of the most reliable 

 sources of nectar; and the period of bloom 

 commonly lasts for about three weeks, 

 beginning with clover bloom. The qual- 

 ity of this honey is fine but the color is 

 light aml:)er. 



The basswood flow, which follows with 

 but slight intermission, is not nearly so 

 reliable. It has not produced much in 

 this locality except two out of the past 

 six seasons; seldom lasting more than ten 

 days; and, the present season, the real 

 flow lasted only about four days. The 

 bloom was very abundant, but unfavora- 

 ble weather, including a heavy frost, cut 

 the flow short. 



Willow-herb comes next; and, where 

 the basswood flow lasts ten days, the 

 willow-herb commonly begins to 3'ield be- 

 fore it is over with; and, with favorable 

 conditions, continues the chief part of a 

 month; so as to lap on to the flow from 

 fall flowe>-s. The mild flavor, and un- 

 surpassed color of this honey, is too well 

 known to require mention. By seeking 

 favorable locations I have secured yields 

 from this source three out of six se^isons. 

 Last season it failed to yield except in a 

 few localities. While the bloom was 

 abundant on plants of thiee years' growth, 

 an insect stripped the stalks bare of 

 leaves; so that, on the same ground, 

 where, the two preceeding seasons, vast 

 amounts of honey went to waste for want 

 of bees to gather it, the yield was a total 



