1S91 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



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Dakota. It is either banked about the houses, 

 used to 111! sinkholes, or earted out on the com- 

 mons to waste. One obstacle is that it makes 

 this dry light soil still dryer: but artesian wells 

 and irrigation will remedy that. Or lettfng it 

 rot in properly constructed piles will lix it. 

 Those who have taki'u the trouble to use it 

 have found that it increases the yield almost if 

 not (juite as tuuch as in the Eastern States. 

 The tendency is to farm such very large areas 

 that they can't take time to spread manure. 

 The same with keeping grass and weeds out of 

 these immense cornfields. I feel sure it is a 

 mistake, just as it is in the older States. Many 

 are husking corn as our train passes. The wag- 

 on is taken into the tield, and the corn thrown 

 in as it is husked from the standing stalks. To 

 prevent the ears from flying over, a light panel, 

 or fence, is attached to the box on the opposite 

 side. After the corn is off, cattle ai'e turned in. 

 and they seem to greatly enjoy twisting the 

 small ears that are left, and taking what they 

 choose of the fodder. This is. of course, a 

 wasteful way, but it is cheap. In many fields 

 the furrows are so long one can hardly see 

 where the end is. In some localities the ground 

 is already plowed almost as far as we can see. 

 The coal-black soil makes it look almost as if the 

 land had been burned over. Sioux flails is called 

 the largest city in South Dakota, and, if I am 

 correct. Mitchell next. 



Timber-planting has l3een rather a failure, ex- 

 cept in favored localities. The dry summers are 

 probably too iiard on the trees; and the cotton- 

 wood and elm, that were used mostly, are trees 

 that seem to demand rather damp low ground. I 

 have seen some very fine timlier-bel ts where some 

 of the trees are nearly if not quite a foot through. 

 The railroad company have planted trees ex- 

 tensively for snow-breaks; but as these are 

 needed only on ground higher than the track, 

 the location is unfavorable for the cottonwood 

 and elm. Firewood is §9.00 a cord; and the 

 coal principally used, $10.00 per ton. Dakota is 

 at present rather lacking in fuel. The number 

 of great fur coats, looking almost like huge 

 buffalo-robes, seems to indicate the severity of 

 the winters usually. 



When the sun comes out through the clouds 

 so as to light up the prairie in the far distance, 

 the effect is very striking, especially when it 

 strikes the great fields of corn. Once I saw 

 some like the mirage on the desert — glittering 

 sheets of water, with islands and trees, and the 

 conductor told me such appearances were not 

 uncommon. None of the passengers seemed to 

 see it except myself, and I fear it is because 

 they are not, as I am, in love witli nature and 

 nature's God. 



Nov. 26. — At Sioux City I saw the wonderful 

 corn palace; but it was during a snowstorm, 

 and after dark, or I should have taken a Kodak 

 picture. It is a structure of magnificent pro- 

 portions, and a gem of architectural beauty, the 

 ornamentation all being done with corn — yes, 

 corn — red. white, and yellow ears of corn, whole 

 and cut up in thin slices. It looks something 

 like the handsome Indian beadwork; but the 

 corn gives it a tinge suggestive of autumn and 

 home on the old farm. I inquired for religious 

 meetings, thinking there would be some on 

 Thanksgiving night. At length I heard a band 

 playing, and thought it must be to call people 

 to the theater; but the tune seemed strangely 

 familiar. Yes, it was one of our revival Meth- 

 odist hymns. Why shouldn't they play on 

 horns at a theater, any way ? Alas, dear 

 friends, our theaters are not. at least yet. for 

 Christ Jesus, and they dare not play a gospel 

 hymn. It was the Salvation Army, and I felt 

 glad to be one of the crowd that gathered round 

 them, out in a snowstorm on Thanksgiving 



night. The music alternated with testimonies 

 from those win) had been saved; and although 

 I once enjoyed the music of tiie theatei's. never 

 was anxj music before so inspiring as this from 

 these humble people who sang praises to the 

 Lord of all. A bystander told me they were do- 

 ing a great work among the Swedes "and Nor- 

 wegians, and many wlio would doubtless never 

 have heard of the gospel otherwise. Many 

 testiinonies came from those who had been 

 saved from drink. A quiet humble woman told 

 of a painter who could not i)aint \wv house 

 without his freci^uent drinks. She talked with 

 him and he confessed his bondage, and said he 

 would give any thing to be freed from it. She 

 told him. as well as she could, of the " Lamb of 

 God that taketh away the sin of the world," 

 and now he has passed his second Thanksgiv- 

 ing, a redeemed sinner. 



Thrashing-machine men are having a bonan- 

 za through the wheat regions, and it will be 

 kept up all winter when the weather permits. 

 In these regions of little rain, all kinds of grain, 

 and even hay, are damaged comparatively lit- 

 tle, even if left uncovered. 



Between Sioux City and Council Bluffs we 

 had our cars lighted with gas, and the light is 

 sufficient to read even fine print with the great- 

 est ease. We .see the same arrangement over- 

 head between Omaha and Denver. Near Co- 

 lumbus, Neb., we see the corn-cribs full to over- 

 flowing, and great heaps piled outside up 

 against the crib. There are also rnifcs of hay- 

 stacks, and no fences to show where one man's 

 farm ends and another one's begins. The con- 

 ductor says it is wild grass, but about as good 

 as timothy. The only farming that has ever 

 been done on it is to cut the grass and bale and 

 ship it. Baling-machines are now at work, and 

 teams are drawing it to the stations on the good 

 hard roads. 



GRAND ISLAND. NEB. 



Did anybody ei)er see so much corn? Every 

 field is a cornfield, and every Held is dotted with 

 wagons, picking and drawing corn, and near 

 every farmhouse, almost, are great stacks of 

 ears. Surely no one on the face of the earth 

 should starve if the corn can be carried to them. 

 It is raining now; and were it my corn I should 

 worry about its getting icet; but it doesn't seem 

 to worry the people here. There is considera- 

 ble timber here, that was planted out years ago, 

 and it seems to have done considerably better 

 tlian that in Dakota; but I don't believe any 

 has been planted of late years. Very few bee- 

 hives were seen tlirough Dakota, probably be- 

 cause of lack of both clover and timlier; but I 

 am told bees do quite well through here. 



We just passed a mill with bags of grain 

 piled around the door clear up to the windows 

 of the second story, and (it is raining) out in 

 the rain too. People didn't stop hauling, and a 

 thrashing-machine kept going. These people 

 must be '• hustlers." 



GREELEY, COL. 



Again, the second time in my life. I am per- 

 mitted to gaze on the snow-capped peaks as 

 they pierce the very clouds. Oh how I wish all 

 the readers of Gleanings could be with me as 

 I stand here alone and gaze spellbound! So 

 near do they seem. I can hardly believe I could 

 not reach them on foot before sundown; yet 

 they all tell me it is 30 or 40 miles, even to say 

 nothing of climbing to the summits, which are 

 more than a mile above the level land. 



Did you ever I The bee-keepers round about 

 Greeley had called a convention, to be held 

 this Saturday afternoon, before any one 

 thought of seeing me here. It was quite a sur- 

 prise to all of us, and we had a very pleasant 

 time. Quite a number of ladies were present. 



