1886 



GLteAKt^GS IN BEE CULTURtl. 



39l 



in Hang'oon. But few of our Christian Karons have 

 been killed, thoug'h many have been woundccl. 

 Their escapes have been wonderful, and Ihej* say, 

 " Surely God is with us, or we could not escape as 

 we have." 



I have spoken of our mission in Toung'oo, but 

 these risings are taking- place all over the land, and 

 the English are put to llie exhibition of Iheir best 

 efforts to overthrow these insurgents. God, how- 

 ever, will smite these idolaters as he did in ancient 

 days. A. IIunkku. 



Toungoo, Burmah, Mar. 9, U'SO. 



Wliy, friend B.. we didn't know before 

 that missionaries liad to pas.s tlironj>h sneli 

 ordeals as yon mention. It is a, teiril)Ie 

 thing for a Oliristian to be obliited to take 

 np firearms, to be used against li is fellow- 

 men ; bnt I presnnie tliere are circumstances 

 wliere it can not be avoided, mucli as we 

 should like to live at peace with all men. 

 We presume yon know of the troubles here 

 at home in regard lo tlie strikes, and of the 

 contlicts between labor and capital. May 

 God grant that a Cliristian spirit may soon 

 prevail, both here at iiome and in far-away 

 Burmah. 



WOMEN AS BEE-KEEPERS. 



MR5, AXTELL GIVES US A LITTLE TAI,1C ON THE 

 MATTER. 



SEAR MR. EDITOR :— Permit mo, through your 

 pag-es, to give my views as to whether or not 

 women should be deprived of that healthful, 

 ennobling, and remunerative occupation, bee 

 culture. Mr. Heddon has a I'ight to his ojiii- 

 ion as to whether it is degrading or not. There are 

 some Christians who think it wi-ong for women t<i 

 speak in church; but does it lu-cveiit her doing so/ 

 To the pure, all things are pure. In this lunetcenth 

 century, God is opening doors to us that no man c;ni 

 shut. " Go ye into all the world, and jireaeh the gos- 

 pel to every creature " might greatly be obeyed if 

 longing, loving hearts knew of the golden mine of 

 the bee-hive. For my jiart, 1 wish many more wo- 

 men could be induced to learn the bvisiness, espe- 

 cially those daughters who are allowed to sit in the 

 parlor and let mother do the work, or fix up and g-o 

 down town every afterncon, especially about train 

 time. I am sure, that, were our girls encoumged to 

 spend more of their time at home in such healllilul, 

 ennobling, and lucrative employment ns caring for 

 bees, there would be many more happy homts, both 

 in the country and in town. 



Many an overburdened mother would find it a real 

 rest to leave her hot kitchen and don her bee hat, 

 and, slijiping on her loose sack sleeves that cover 

 hands securely, and with smoker in hand spend an 

 hour or so with her bees. Who ever nursed trouble 

 over a bee-hivcV 'Tis all forgotten; and with glad 

 eyes and delighted heart i-he delves into its trea- 

 sures as she gathers up the golden nectar and stores 

 It away for her husband's tea-table. 



I say, let woman keep bees all she has a mind to; 

 encourage her in every way jiossible, and then there 

 will he room enough left for the sterner sex. Why, 

 it almost makes me indignant to think that any one 

 should dare to try to discourage us in so delightful 

 an employment. Sauau .1. W. Ajctell. 



Roseville, 111., May, 1886. 



The above is about wliat I should expect 



of you, my good friend Mrs. A. There is 

 another thing. They can not say thjit bee 

 culture is all very well for women who are 

 stont and strong, for we all know of your 

 feeble health for so many years. If women 

 feel as I do about getting out into the open 

 air, you surely are right about it ; for often- 

 times when I go to bed tired at night I feel 

 as if the greatest blessing that I have to 

 thank (iod for is the fact that I am privi- 

 leged to get out so much every day under 

 the l)road blue sky. By all metins, let the 

 women enjoy this blessing too, where they 

 feel inclined "to. 



THE CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT. 



SOMETHING THAT IS SAID TO BE OF GREAT TROM- 

 ISE. 



Wp T the convenlion in Detroit, Mr. Ili- 

 5^11 ram Chapman, of Versailles, N. Y., 



jPr brought specimens of a plaMt which 

 '^-^^ he claimed furnished honey in larger 

 quantities than any other known 

 species of the vegetable kingdom. He 

 has grown the i)]ant for several years, 

 and on a sutticientiy large scale, so that he 

 was enabled to pass around specimens of 

 comb honey said to have been produced by 

 this plant. lie sends us some plants with 

 the following letter: 



I sl)ip jou to-day fifty Chapman honey-plants 

 which, if pi-ojicrly cultivated, will produce this sea- 

 son seed enough to sow half an acre of ground. It 

 is iny custom to transplant before it is so old, and I 

 place it in rows two feet apart. 1 find, also, that 

 a larger flow of honey is obtained in dry localities. 

 To test the length of (he blossoming season, cut 

 back some of the plants as soon as the first balls 

 appear, thus the vitality of the plant will be devot- 

 ed to the production of other blossoms; the root 

 will throw up strong healthy plants three or four 

 seasons. 



I do not intend these as directions, but only as 

 hints to you in your experiments with these plants. 

 I have no hesitation in sending you the plants, for 

 my confidence in you is such that I know you will 

 not take advantage of the situation and use it ad- 

 versely to my interests; but to relieve yourself 

 from any embarrassment or annoyance which may 

 arise, ))lease acknowledge thi-ough some bee-jour- 

 nal the receipt of the Chapman honey-plant for 

 your iudividual use and experiments, and that it is 

 being tested by you; also report in some Journal, 

 and to me, the result of your experiments. 



One thing I ask as a favor to myself, and to all 

 bee-keepers everywhere— Should you find that it 

 does not thrive well, or prove successful in your 

 particular locality, do not be hasty in condemning 

 the plant as a failure, for not you alone are testing 

 it; it is being experimented with, through a vast 

 extent of territory, from Massachusetts to Ne- 

 bi-aska, and the variation in soil and climate will 

 probably exert a marked influence on its growth. 



You can set the plants nearer if you wish, but you 

 must consider that if your plants do well they will 

 bloom three years or more. Set the plaivts in good 

 soil, ten- the roots are old and they will develop. 

 They will not bloom as early as mine will at home. 

 The Chapman honey-plant is amcmber of the great 

 family to which the thistle belonsrs, and in some re- 



