MAY 15, 1914 



A beekeeper who, in spite of an eventful and active 

 life, is 70 years youns. 



much of the time a laborious and trying 

 one. For several years I was employed in 

 the manufacture of furniture and children's 

 carriages, often making long trips, going 

 over a large part of the South and West, 

 buying stock and soliciting trade. 



During those years I was interested in 

 Sunday-school and evangelistic work. 



In 1887 I was called 

 to go to Africa, and in 

 March of that year 1 

 started for the " Dark 

 Continent," and enter- 

 ed the mouth of the 

 Congo River two 

 weeks behind Henry 

 M. Stanley when in 

 search of Emin Pasha. 

 I traveled a thousand 

 miles into the interior 

 a n d went where a 

 white man had never 

 been, going several 

 months without seeing 

 the face of a white 

 man. I encountered 

 many dangei-s, and 

 some narrow escapes 

 from death, and en- 

 dured hardships try- 

 ing in the extreme. 



After five years of 

 mission arv work in 



the hottest part of the world I returned to 

 my native land with health impaired, but 

 with courage and a good consiitution, and 

 took up pastoral work. My longest pasl or- 

 ate was seven years, and the shortest two 

 years, with one of three and one of four 

 years. I concluded that, by long service, 1 

 was entitled to a less strenuous life. 



THE LARGEST BEE-TREE IN THE WORLD. 



I retired to the farm where I could keej) 

 bees, which have been one of my hobbies, 

 and one I can ride with a great deal of 

 " sweetness " and very few stings. I not 

 only have the honor of being a veteran bee- 

 keeper, but of discovering the largest bee- 

 tree in the world, a jihotogTaph of which I 

 send you (see Fig. 1), with some otl:ers 

 taken while in Africa. I also claim the 

 lionor of making the first and finest collec- 

 tion of photogi'aphs of that country e\'er 

 brought to America. 



The tree is the baobab (Adansonia diga- 

 tata). It measured sixty-five feet in circum- 

 ference. The bees entered the body of the 

 tree near the first branches. Some of your 

 readers may ask if I cut the tree down to 

 get the honey. Not much. Too hot. Fig. 

 2 is the trunk of the same tree with four 

 boys standing several feet apart to show ils 

 enormous size. 



No. 3 shows the blossoms of the tree, any 

 one of which would nearly fill a peck ba.sket. 

 The fragrance is delightful, and can be de- 

 tected a long distance. 



Fig. 4 is the oil palm showing how the 

 natives climb the trees. They gather the 

 fruit, which they use for food, and also the 

 sap, which they drink. This is procured l)v 



Fig. 1. — The largest bee-tree in the world — 65 feet in circumference. 



