"THE LAND OF FLOWERS." 



Bee-KeepiHg Thoughts, Observations and Ex- 

 periences in South Florida. 



BY H. E. HILL. 



No State in all this great " land of the free and home of 

 the brave " is so conspicuously defined upon the map as that 

 jet which extends out into the sea at its southeast extremity, 



of her verdant shores are bathed in tropical seas. A remark- 

 able feature of its formation is a high ridge that, excepting 

 an occasional inlet through which the ocean tides ebb and 

 flow, traverses nearly the entire length of the east coast, divid- 

 ing the ocean from the main land, and thus forming beautiful 

 lagoons or tidal rivers, varying In width from X to 6 miles, 

 which are navigable for ships of light draught. The several 

 divisions thus formed are known as the North, Matanzas, 

 Halifax, Hillsborough and Indian rivers ; Mosquito lagoon, 

 Hobe sound. Lake Worth, and Biscayne bay. With these, 

 numerous rivers and creeks, rising in the interior, mingle 

 their waters, instead of emptying directly Into the ocean, and 

 all combine to form Ideal water-courses for the transportation 

 of bees In practicing the migratory plan. 



Bee-keepers are located all along their banks; many of 

 them men of experience who have achieved success, though 

 little or nothing is known of them by the world at large,. 



called " Florida." Its magnitude perhaps is not realized by 

 one in fifty who have casually observed its geographical pecu- 

 liarity yet have never traveled Its railways, lakes and rivers. 



As if determined to bear the Stars and Stripes beyond the 

 domain of King Frost, she stretches forth independently and 

 alone beneath the warmth of a winter sun until 1,146 miles 



owing to a prevalent degree of modesty which (as yet) has not 

 found Its way west of the Rockies. There are a few whose 

 experiences are more freely Imparted, who are both practical 

 and scientific In the art of bee-keeping, and are so regarded, 

 not alone In Florida, but throughout beedom. Chief of these, 

 I believe, is Mr. W. S. Hart, father of modern bee-culture In 



