840 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



a town of 2o00 or 3000 population. Loveland 

 is due south of Fort Collins 14 miles, on the 

 Bi^ Thompson River, and has a population of 

 1500. From Loveland we journf3'ed south 7 

 miles to Rerthoud, on the Little Thompson 

 River, and from there 10 miles south to Long- 

 mont, on the St. Vrain River, where we spent 

 the night with Mr. J. B. Adams. Still south 

 from Longmont is Houlder Creek and one or 

 two more small cret-ks before we reach Den- 

 ver on the South Platte River. From Love- 

 land to Denver is about 50 miles — almost due 

 south. 



This territory-, from Denver north about 75 

 miles, is p'^^rhaps the best-watered part of the 

 State, and is a grain, hay, and stock country. 

 The principal crop is wheat; second, hay; 

 third, potatoes. The climate is alike through- 

 out this region, but soil is very variable. 

 Loveland has a clay soil, while Greeley, but 

 20 miles away, has a very sandy soil. Gree- 

 ley is the center of the potato industry, and is 

 famed for both quality and quantity of her 

 "spuds." 



There is also quite an industry in parts of 

 the country in producing small fruits — princi- 

 pally .strawberries and raspberries. Loveland, 

 besides siipplying her own market, ships large 

 quantities of strawberries and raspberries. 

 Apples, too, are largely planted, though but 

 few orchards are in lull bearing; but, judging 

 from the results of the older orchards, and 

 the great number of new ones started, I should 

 say that, in ten years from now, there will be 

 a big business in apples. 



As alfalfa at present is the second crop — if 

 not fully equaling wheat — we naturally find 

 many bees throughout the country. Long- 

 mont and vicinity of Denver have probably 

 more bees to the square mile than any other 

 part of the vState this side of the "range." 

 The western slope, no doubt, has many bees 

 too, though I doubt if any more than this re- 

 gion. In 1892 the numljer of colonies of bees 

 in Boulder Co. was estimated at IS, 000, which, 

 yielding 2.') pounds, would give 20 carloads. 

 Outside of the towns, I should judge that one- 

 fourth of the homes have from one to ten or 

 more colonies of beer., and that within 75 

 miles of Denver there are bees enough to pro- 

 duce fifty or more carloads of honey, if they 

 were properly handled. 



All iliis country is watered by the afore- 

 mentioned streams, and to take away these 

 waters would be to lay desolate what is now a 

 fruitful country. 



So the first end of our trip was through this 

 fertile, well-watered country going crosswise 

 of the streams. We called on but four apia- 

 rists in going to Denver, because we were so 

 late getting started that we could not visit 

 much if we were to see all the country we had 

 mapped out to traverse, and yet get to' the Lin- 

 coln convention. 



From Denver we continued fonth, passing 

 through nuich barren country and foine nice 

 watered tracts, the greater part unwatered, till 

 we reaclud tlie Arkansas River at Pueblo. 

 Here and there we saw bees south of Denver, 

 but they were scattering. 



Denver is a nice city, but wretchedly wick- 



ed; but the place of the greatest display of 

 wealth was Colorado Springs. This is the 

 place of residence of many of the mine-owners 

 in the Cripple Creek district. Were it not for 

 the mines I do not see how the place could 

 survive, for the water-supply in that region is 

 very limited, and very liiile fai m produce 

 raised. Colorado Springs must draw her sup- 

 plies from other parts of the Slate. 



You may wonder why the mine-owners 

 should live in a town cr city out of the moun- 

 tains and many miles from the mines. I am 

 not sure th it I can give all the reasons, or 

 even the principal ones ; but the great eleva- 

 tion of the country where the mines are lo- 

 cated makes the winter season extremely cold 

 and disagreeable. Then, too, many can not 

 stand a continuous residence at so great an al- 

 titude. The high altitudes are hard on heart 

 and nerves. The writer finds his heart run- 

 ning about five beats per minute faster here 

 than in the Missouri Vallc}', though not up to 

 normal even here, 5000 feet. Could wife and 

 I avenge the speed of our heart pulsations it 

 would probably be better for both of us. The 

 highest point we toirched was at Palmer Lake, 

 over GOOO feet, where wife said she did not 

 want to stay long; but as for myself I felt no 

 inconvenience whatever. 



Pueblo is about 200 miles south of here, and 

 from there we turned our faces eastward. The 

 city seemed to be largely a manufacturing 

 one, and a distributing-point for the mines. 

 Continued. 



MARKETIXG HOXEY. 



How the Home of the Honey-bees is Making Live 

 Bees not only Gather Honey, but also Sell it. 



BY A. B. WEED. 



The subject of marketing honey is second 

 in import -mce with the bee-kt eper only to that 

 of getting it. Much has been said about ex- 

 tending the market for it ; but, as a usual 

 thing, the suggestions went no further than to 

 say, " Develop the home market." This is 

 all very well so far as it goes; but the fact is, 

 there never can be much demand for it where 

 it is produced. The place to sell it is in the 

 cities. 



There are difficulties in pushing the honey 

 trade, which do not exist in selling most other 

 eatables. Sales are not often made by men 

 who have an interest in it and who under- 

 stand it, but by conmiission men. The charge 

 of adulteration has been made so jiersi^tently 

 that it is looked upon witli suspicion. .Then 

 it has had to lake its chances with other things 

 which are put upon the market by men who 

 know how to make their wan s a;traclive. 



This matter of suiting the trade, and tempt- 

 ing buyers, has grown to be a trade in itself. 

 Almost every thing which is sold has the ben- 

 efit of this kind of skill more than honey. 

 The best way to increase tlit sale of any thing 

 is to place it in an atti active form before the 

 people who need it, and this is what the A. I. 

 Root Co. have undertaken tj do with honey. 



