1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



587 



did not hatch. I am inclined to think that 

 God inleudcd I sliould point out the way to 

 these new avenues of work that open up so 

 thickly, instead oc trying to do eveiy thing 

 that comes up, in> selt. As s"on as the roots 

 stnrt iu the spring, down on that sandy 

 ground, I will sell ihem for a penny each ; 

 and if by mail, about as mucli more for 

 postage. Seed sown in the fall will come 

 up in the spring, and, in fact, all through 

 the summer. It does not seem to make 

 much difference how old it is. 



JSJelilot makes a much tiner growth, when 

 cullivatfd. I would p'aut an acre of Spider 

 plants exactly as 1 would corn ; and, so far 

 as I know, the seed will grow almost as sure- 

 ly as corn. It wants just about the same 

 temperature and soil Uiat corn does. Put in 

 8 or 10 seeds, and transplant where they fail. 

 By raising the plants in a hotbed, you could 

 get blossoms a month earlier; but I hardly 

 think it would pay for the extra labor. W illi 

 the amount of both plants laised, I had sup- 

 posed the seeds might this season be offered 

 very low ; but I do not see any offers less 

 than those in our iiriee list. Have I not 

 covered all points, friend Miller V 



A HOPEFllL. ABC SCMULAB. 



5?0W, mj- bee-keeping friends, I will give you a 

 yl little of my experience. I have never writ- 

 ' ten a word yet, though this is my third year 

 In the bee business. Others have done the writing, 

 and by their advice and directions I have protittd 

 much. I feel now that I ought to give in my ex- 

 perience. It may be of interest and profit to begin- 

 ners at least. I commenced iu 1879 with 4 box hives; 

 transferred early in the season; three I ran for 

 comb haney ; got 50 lbs. to the hive. The other I in- 

 creased to three; sold one, and went into winter- 

 quarters with five, and came out with five. The next 

 season I ran three for honey, and two for increase; 

 got 200 lbs. surplus comb honey; increased to 12, all 

 of which 1 wintered wiihou*- loss. 1 have now £0 

 colonies of Italians, and will get about Oi) lbs. fmui 

 each of colonies run for honey. I have sold some 

 bees and queens each year, and have made the bus- 

 iness pay from the beginning. I use the L. frame 

 and chaff-packed hives. Some have Hoot chaff hives, 

 which I like, and some have chaff only around l(3wer 

 story. I have never lost a stock of bees from any 

 cause, except one that went to the woods. I read 

 up pretty well before I tried to handle a bee, and 

 this is what enabled me to succeed as I have. I 

 commenced, expecting to employ all my time in 

 the business, and now have no time forany thing else. 

 I am pleaded, and paid better than I possibly could 

 be in any other businef s. It is a light and pleasant 

 occupation, and I regard it as safe as any other bus- 

 iness. It is true, we hear of great losses some 

 seasons, but I am not alarmed. Last season was the 

 hardest for many years, but I came thro\igh safely 

 with each of my 12 stocks in good condition. 1 had 

 them on 4 and 5 frames; 20 lbs. honey; chaff division- 

 boards each side, winter passages in all the combs; 

 chaff cushion on top. If I can have my bees in this 

 shape, I don't fear loss. 



I hope to increase toSO coloniesnext season, which 

 is all the bees [ want. I can't properly care for 

 more; 30 of these I shall run for honey; the rest for 

 queen-rearing. West Virginia may not be as good 



for bees as some other States, but I think it a fair 

 average. I can make an average of 60 lbs. of comb 

 honey per stock, which satisttes me. 



G. w. Williamson. 

 Willow Island, W. Va., Aug. 3, 1881. 



ITEMS ON EARLY POLLEN A^D UO>EY, 



SKUNK CABBAGE {SYiMPLOCARFUS FCETIDOS). 



I, S quite a little has been said during the last 



jp^» year ab;)ut early pollen and honey, perhaps a 

 ~^ few words more would not be amiss, for this 

 early pollen and honey is what lays the foundation 

 to our success during the season. The first plant 

 producing poUeu with us is skunk cabbage. Tho 

 t)uds are all formed the season previous, in a small 

 sheath about the size of a hen's Qgg, and upon tho 

 first approach of spring this pushes through the 

 uround, and a small opening is made, by the sheath 

 parting on one side so the bee can crawl in. Inside 

 of this hollow shell is a tiny ball about the size of a 

 marble, with little spikes covered with pollen stand- 

 ing ouc from it in all directions. Tho bees r.ll 

 around in this shell and run over the ball, collecting 

 pollen in their baskets without taking wing (the 

 same as they manipulate propolis from an old bee« 

 hive which stands in the sun), till they get a load, 

 when out they era vvl, often having more pollen ou 

 their backs than in their pollen-baskets, and away 

 they go for home. I see friend McWilii (page 137, 

 Gleanings) claims that skunk cabbage produces 

 honey; and friend Root saj's, "It has been several 

 times mentioned as a honey-plant." I think there 

 must be a mistake somewhere, for after several ex- 

 aminations I never have been enabled to find a bee 

 ■ leavLug this plant) having any honey in her sack, 

 Quinby. in his "Mysteries of Bee-Keeping" (page 

 78), says, speaking of skunk cabbage with other pol- 

 len-prod ueiug flowers, "These afford only pollen." 

 It grows on moist soils, and after blossoming, puts 

 out large cabbage-like leaves, which if broken smell 

 very much like the animal from which it derives its 

 name. 



PUSSY willow (salix). 



Of this we have several kinds, which put out their 

 blossoms quite irregularly. Some are a month earli- 

 er than others, and some of the buds on the same 

 bush are ten days later than others. The kinds 

 which seem to attract the bees most are the black 

 willow, upon which the kilraonark is budded, and 

 those which produce a long cime-like flower similar 

 to the black willow. From these two kinds the bees 

 obtain large quantities of p lien, but, as far as I can 

 ascertain, no honey. They are so eager for It, that 

 they sometimes cut the blossom to pieces and pack 

 the anther in their pollen-baskets, as well as the 

 pollen. The flowers are of a rich orange colir, and 

 consist of a center, out of whieh spring hundreds 

 of little thread-like filaments, upon which the pollen 

 is supported. It is very interesting to see the bees 

 work on these flowers, as you can see their motions 

 so plainly, as the tree or bush does not grow to be 

 of much height. It naturally grows on 1 iw swampy 

 ground; Ijut with a little culture to start, will grow 

 readily on dry ground. They grow readily from 

 cuttings put iu the ground in early spring, as does 

 all of the williw tribe. Tho abcve are often set 

 down as "honey-plants;" but according to Qoinby, 

 and my own observation, they produce no honey. 



