730 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Whole valleys in eastern Tennessee and in North Carolina were submerged in the fiood which destroyed 

 thousands of colonies of bees. 



TERRIBLE FLOOD IN SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 



BY L. E. WEBB 



The terrific flood which has passed over 

 North Carolina and eastern Tennessee has 

 dealt a great blow to the bee industry. 

 Every stream in western North Carolina 

 was swollen to a width of forty to seventy- 

 five feet, sweeping the vallej's bare of 

 houses, barns, crops, bees — everything. 



Coming as it did at the beginning of the 

 finest sourwood honey-flow in many years 

 the flood cut off all chance of a late surplus 

 from this source. The prospects were fine 

 for three to five supers per colony when the 

 crop was rained out and the bee business in 

 the fertile valleys swept from existence. 



The bees belonging to Farm Demonstrator 

 Perkins, of Burke (bounty, were drowned. 

 The" hives remained on their stands altho 



covered with water. There was no way to 

 save them, as Mr. Perkins' people were 

 marooned in the second floor of their home 

 for two days, unable to get to the hills. 

 Mr. Perkins is an enthusiastic beeman as 

 well as farm demonstrator. He has been in 

 close touch with the government bee ex- 

 perts, and was giving the farmers some 

 valuable points. 



My apiary is situated in town far above 

 the flooded area. The loss of the sourwood 

 crop is serious, altho most colonies had made 

 from one to two supers from the first bloom. 

 I feel thankful for a strong apiary in a 

 district where the business has suffered such 

 great loss. Thousands of colonies have been 

 swept away. 



Morganton, N. C, July 21. 



HEAVY LOSSES FROM THE FLOOD IN FLORIDA 



BY J. J. WILDER 



For thirty days it has rained almost 

 continuously. Today, July 25, the clouds 

 are broken a little, and the sun shines once 

 more. 



The great flood which came down the 

 streams, spreading out wide over the coun- 

 try, sweeping down everything in its path. 



has done much damage to beekeepers, and 

 to all who happened to be in its path. Thev 

 were safe from all previous floods; but this 

 one, being many feet higher than the for- 

 mer record, swept hundreds of colonies of 

 bees on with it as well as all the equipment. 

 This was especially line along the gi*eat 



