1^>04 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



503 



NOTES Or^R^llVtL 



I BY ' A. 1. ROOT. 



WILD RASPBERRY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN 

 AS A HONEY-PLANT. 



At the recent convention in Traverse City 

 (see page 389, April 15) there was quite a 

 little discussion in regard to raspberry 

 honey and the location of apiaries in that 

 region. I have mentioned the wild rasp- 

 berry around our cabin in the woods, in 

 Leelanau Co., Michigan. When the ber- 

 ries are ripe, crowds of people go out from 

 Traverse City for miles to gather the lus- 

 cious fruit; and when it is dead ripe in lo- 

 calities where none has been picked (and 

 there are acres and acres of such), as you 

 go along through the bushes the plump lus- 

 cious berries dropping on the leaves under- 

 neath make a continuous rattle. The fruit 

 season lasts so long that delicious berries 

 may be gathered from the time they first 

 ripen in July clear on till October, but, of 

 course, not so plentifully as cold weather 

 approaches. The blossoms commence yield- 

 ing honey in June, and there is more or less 

 bloom from that on till frost. The quality 

 of the honey I should pronounce equal to 

 any thing we have in the market. It is 

 near the quality of white clover, candies 

 solid at the approach of cold weather, so it 

 will be exactly right for selling in paper 

 bags or for cutting up into squares. Large 

 bee-keepers are now planning for out apia- 

 ries where these red raspberries most 

 abound. I believe there is very seldom a 

 failure in the honey crop; and as much of 

 the land seems to be of but little value for 

 any thing else where the native pine timber 

 has been removed for lumber, there is a 

 probability that this source of honey will 

 last for many years to come. As this re- 

 gion is a favorite resort for summer outing, 

 I think it is well worth while to make an 

 excursion in that direction during the sum- 

 mer months. If the beautiful air among 

 the hills and bays and springs and rivers 

 does not recruit your health, a diet of rasp- 

 berries and bread and butter will do it. I 

 ate them week after week, not only at meals, 

 but all through the day when tired and 

 thirsty; and instead of doing harm they 

 just made me well and strong. 



A GLIMPSE OF ONE OF THE TRODT-BKOOKS 

 IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 



The picture was given me at the Trav- 

 erse City bee-keepers' convention. I have 

 thought best to give it here as it shows 

 something of the beauty of the spring-water 

 brooks that are found all over Northern 

 Michigan. The picture also gives us some 

 idea of the water power going to waste. 

 There are enough of these brooks with a 

 magnificent fall to run electric cars all over 

 that region, and to light all the cities and 

 villages besides. These brooks are all 

 clear spring water, and are never-failing; 



therefore they would be unlike many of the 

 water powers further south that run a full 

 volume only during the springtime or when 

 there are heavy rains. No one can describe 

 adequately the crystal clearness of these 

 brooks. I have before mentioned that, along 

 the dock near the bay, close to our northern 

 home, fish can be plainly seen in water 

 that is 16 feet deep; and these brooks are 

 clearer and purer than the water in the 

 bay Just imagine how a lot of urchins 

 would enjoy playing around a place like 

 that on a hot July day! I should think they 

 would be doffing their clothes and getting 

 under the sprays. Perhaps that is what 

 they have been doing, as they are a remark- 

 ably clean set of boys. Between two of 

 them you can see a sample of some of the 

 beautiful evergreens that grow spontaneous- 

 ly in that region. At the left-hand corner 

 of the picture you will see another group of 

 these evergreens. There is quite a variety 

 of pine, spruce, and cedar, and these are 

 usually interspersed with deciduous trees, 

 making a very pretty contrast. These 

 trout- brooks are to be found all around the 

 region where wild raspberries grow. 



Now, it is getting away from my subject; 

 but while you take a look at these boys, 

 and consider the harmless amusement of 

 picking wild raspberries, drinking to their 

 fill from the brooks of the soft- water springs, 

 taking a bath when they feel like it under 

 the waterfalls, then think of the saloon- 

 keeper who takes young boys — boys who, 

 in the absence of these saloon-keepers, 

 might grow up to be good and pure — think 

 of the saloon-keeper who leads them into 

 obscenity, filth, and ruin, just because he 

 can thereby get a little money out of it! 

 Here in Ohio we have just had a fierce fight 

 for the privilege of letting the fathers and 

 mothers decide whether they want these 

 places of iniquity around the towns and vil- 

 lages, and in the residence portions of our 

 cities or not. We temperance people sim- 

 ply asked that the majority might rule. 

 The saloon keepers and brewers hotly de- 

 clare, " No, sir, the majority shall 7iot rule 

 so long as it interferes with our business." 

 And the Governor of the beautiful State of 

 Ohio stood by the brewers, and helped them 

 to a partial victory. But we have not done 

 with him yet. 



There, there is one thing in that picture 

 I never noticed until I had come to the close. 

 One of the boys has a fish-net in his hand, 

 so they are going to have some beautiful 

 fresh fish besides the raspberries, the 

 spring water, the luxurious bathing, etc. 



FOUNDATION OR EMPTY COMBS. 



Is it advisable to hive swarms on combs 

 that were built last year, or would you use 

 only starters of foundation? I have plenty 

 of combs in good condition. 



Wirtz, Va. G. J. Blankenship. 



[Use whatever you have, ordinarily. To 

 prevent swarming, foundation is to be pre- 

 ferred. — Ed.] 



