1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



139 



resentatioii of basswood. It was so accnratc 

 that we instructed him to copy it. as faithfully 

 as lie could, by a wood engraving, and we give 

 the result below. 



The same thing is what the Canadians call 

 "linden." and we across the line, as a genei-al 

 rule, term it basswood. There is no difference, 

 but climatic influ- 

 ences have their ef- 

 fect upon it. Among 

 the hills of Yorl 

 State the leaves 

 assume mam- 

 moth pi'o- 

 portions. 



not more plentiful than it is. It is one of the 

 main stays, where it grows, of the honey-pro- 

 ducer, and one of the most valuable woods in 

 manufacture. It will hardly do for outside ex- 

 posure to the weather; but it is admirably 

 adapted for packing-boxes, and is used in inv- 

 mensc quantities in the manufacture of furni- 

 ture, forming the bottoms and sides of 

 drawers, the backs of bureaus, dress- 

 ing-cases, etc., and it is also employ- 

 ed extensively in the manufacture of 

 paper; in fact, the envelopes that 

 are sent out from the Home of the 

 Honey-bees are said to be made from 

 basswood "pulp." 



It has often been said that we ai'e 

 cutting off "our own noses in using it 

 for one-piece sections — that we are 

 "killing the goose*that lays the gold- 

 en egg." Well, it is true that 

 apiarian-supply dealers may 

 use quite a little; but still, 

 the amount that they 

 use is very insignifi- 

 cant in comparison 

 with that employed by 

 furniture mak- 

 ers, packing-box 

 concerns, and 

 paper-makers. T 

 After all, there 

 is one redeem- 

 ing feature. The 

 basswood is a 

 very rapid 

 grower. We 

 thought at 

 one time 

 that we had 

 used about 

 all the bass- 

 wood in this 



I measured one, 

 you remember, 

 that was 14 in. 

 long. While this 

 leaf was among 

 the largest, yet 



the leaves were, on the average, about 

 twice the size of those in our own locali- 

 ty. In Illinois I noticed that the bass- 

 woods seemed to be less thrifty than in 

 Ohio. The leaves seemed to b(^, smaller, 

 and the bark of the trees of a little 

 different appearance. The engraving 

 above represents quite accurately the 

 typical forms, however. The European vari- 

 ety has smaller leaves, and differs from Tilto 

 ADiericana in a .few other minor respects. 

 It is rather to be regretted that this tree is 



section, to say noth- 

 ing of the enormous 

 quantities shipped 

 in from Michigan 

 and other States. 

 But somehow the 

 farmers are now 

 bringing in beauti- 

 ful nice white bass- 

 wood lumber; and 

 where they get it in 

 our viciuity is a sort 

 of puzzle to us. Our 

 superintendent, Mr. Warner, assures me that 

 at least some of this lumber is from a second 

 growth of trees that sprouted ten years ago 

 from the stumps of old trees— said trees having 



AMERICAN BASSWOOD, OR LINDEN. 



