•J78 



ULEiVNlNGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Dec. 



in the flat with me when I came hero last spring-. 

 Forty-one of these are now in the liands of m^- 

 neig-hbors. Manj' never saw a movable-frame hive 

 with metal bearings before, wliile wax sheets and 

 their manufacture was an unhearJof wonder. 

 People came for miles around to see the e.xtractor 

 work, and g-et a glimpse of my fl.\tures and mode 

 of handling- bees. One gentleman came three 

 miles, and offered me two dollars to show him a 

 queen-bee. Of course, I showed him the queen, 

 and he saw her depositing eggs as any good queen 

 should. You can rest assured that he went away 

 highly pleased, and I allowed him to take his two 

 dollars along too. 



I will give a condensed list of the honey flora of 

 this section of country. First, the sources, consti- 

 tuting the spring flora. 



The soft maple comes ftrst. This is followed by 

 the different species of willows, which exist here 

 in great abundance; then comes a great array of 

 minor prairie-flowers, followed by the box-elder, 

 which is very plentiful. Then comes fruit-bloom, 

 which is a bonanza, besides our cultivated or- 

 chards, of which we have a full supply. There are 

 1000 acres of timber within a radius of 2U miles of 

 me, which is literally thatched over with wild- 

 cherry, plum, crab-apple, and white-thorn. When 

 all this comes into bloom, 1 doubt not that it makes 

 lioth the bees and bee-keeper rejoice. 



Here the spring flow closes, and we find that 

 it has run into the lap of the suminei- flow, for 

 white clovei- is now in bloom, lieing about May 20. 

 Masswood opens about June 15th, right in the midst 

 of the clover. Then comes a rush of honey, lasting 

 until July 1st. Here the summer flow stei)s down 

 and out; and a lull of two weeks ensues. Then 

 comes the autumn flow, which is ushered in by the 

 blooming of the buckbush, a very good honey- 

 shrub, and very plentiful. A week later we are 

 met with a bright yellow flower.that seems to be 

 a near relative to the noxious t-Spauish-needle, yet 

 it lacks the needle, and is quite distinct from that 

 \ariety. From this the bees are found bulging 

 their combs with a bright golden-colored honey. A 

 week later comes heart's-ease. which seems to give 

 still better results. This continues io bloom until 

 the last of September, and is here very plentiful; 

 in fact, it is a great nuisance to farmei-s. In 

 the meantime a great array of autumn prairie- 

 flowers are in bloom, many of which seem to fur- 

 nish considerable honey. Notably among these is 

 the prairie-locust, that grows in grq^t profusion. 



The fall season closes with the various species of 

 fall asters. These furnish a good How of honey 

 when atmospheric conditions are favorable. The 

 honey season closed here this season Sept. 29th. 

 The aster family furnished no honey— weather con- 

 ditions not favorable. K. R. KORBINS. 



Slam, Towa, Nov. 24. 1886. 



Friend H., as you state it I should say that 

 your locality is a most excellent one. " It is 

 very rare tliat we tind three great sources of 

 lioney all in one place; namely, fruit and 

 apple trees, white clovei-, and basswood. 

 When we have added to this the yield from 

 autumn llowers— that is, if yon have this 

 every season— you have a remarkably favor- 

 able location. Twoluindred and seventeen 

 pounds to a colony is certainly excellent ; 

 but you do not tell us how much of an apia- 

 ry you had. 



FRIEND TERKY ON TOBACCO. 



HE STARTLE.S US BY SOME NEW FACTS. 



fKlEND ROOT:— It is with a great deal of 

 pleasure that I read, in each luimber of 

 Gf,eanixg.s, the Tobacco Column. I am glad 

 to know that one man is doing all he can to 

 check this filthy and disgusting as well as 

 expensive habit that is now so widespread in our 

 beautiful land. 



Some experiences lately have made me think 

 more than usual about tobacco and its victims. I 

 called on a family, not long since, who are said to 

 be very much in need of help. They hadn't any 

 oil to burn, but the man kept up his steady spit, 

 spit, spit, as long as I stayed. It was, perhaps, the 

 poorest home I was ever in; but not so poor but 

 there is mone.v for tobacco. I know another poor 

 man, about 60 years old. He has always been a 

 faithful, hard-working man; but from boyhood he 

 has drank, and used tobacco steadily. He is not a 

 drunkard, but a steady drinker. He has quite 

 a family; a nice wife; but the house, or shelter, 

 they have lived in for 20 years is but little better 

 than otitdoors. He told me himself, that in very 

 cold nights one of them had to sit up and keep 

 putting in wood while the others slept, and that 

 with Iheir beds up close to the fire. I think they 

 usually get enough to eat, but that is all. The rest 

 goes to the saloon. I carefully figured up, the oth- 

 er day, from statements made by the man himself, 

 and found that the money he had paid for tobacco 

 and liquor, sa^ed and kept at interest, would to- 

 day buy him my farm atid home. Now, it's a ques- 

 tion with me how much charity we owe such men, 

 and T should like your opinion, friend Koot. T 

 have saved my money, and bought a home; the}/ 

 have squandered theirs, and have got nothing. 

 When they are sick and actually starving, why, 

 then there is no question; but who wants to help 

 them when half their earnings go for tobacco and 

 liquor'^ But, how about their families? This re- 

 minds: I was tra\'eling with a fine young man 

 lately, -whose father's name is known and honored 

 throughout the United States. I missed him from 

 the sleeping-ear, in the eveniug, and, seeing him 

 the next morning, asked him where he had been. 

 He said he went to ha\e a smoke, and fell asleep in 

 the smoker, and didn't wake up till morning. I be- 

 lieved him, until I heard from the train hands that 

 he had spent the night on the floor of the smoker, 

 drunk. Thej' wouldn't let him into the sleeper; but 

 out of respect for his father the.v kept the matter 

 quiet, and took care of him. 



Take a walk with me through the streets of 

 Chicago, St. Louis, or any of our large cities, and 

 see the multitudes of children, hardly beyond the 

 spanking age, who arc smoking and spitting. 

 Think of what they are probably coming to. It is 

 appalling. It is well known, that tobacco is double- 

 injurious to the growing child. We ought to have 

 a United States law, forbiddiiig all minors using 

 tobacco. When a man is full grown, and pays his 

 own l)ills, let hiirt use it, if he must, providing he 

 does not marry. This is a little hard on some of . 

 the good married men who use the vile stuff, per- 

 haps they may think; but I have got a dreadful 

 thing to tell them. Not long since I was walking in 

 the city with a celebrated physician. As we passed 

 a house, surrounded with every evidence of 

 wealth and refinement, bespoke: 



