PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK 



J^^ 



Sf^'^ 



AT ai.OO PER ANNUM. 





35th. Year. 



CHICAGO, ILL., MARCH 14, 1895. 



No. 11. 



Coi;)tributed /Vrticks^ 



On Important Apiarian Subjects. 



Planting the Basswood or Linden. 



BY R. S. KUSSELL. 



As this most beautiful and useful tree is being recklessly 

 slaughtered in every locality of our country by the thought- 

 less, and is rapidly becoming extinct in many places, it seems 

 that some means must be speedily adopted to perpetuate and 

 protect it if it is to live outside of history. Its vastly superior 

 qualities for so many uses make it the favorite of the factories 

 that send their agents en masse to hunt it down, and as it does 

 not make a lasting rail or post, it is purchased of the farmer 

 very cheap, and delivered to the slaughter-house. But what 



American Basswood or Linden. 



are we going to do about it ? This is a free country, we are 

 told, and that " money talks :" and that syndicates, pools and 

 monopolies have equal rights to liberty and the pursuit of 

 happiness, and have a right to take the earth if they can buy 

 or corner it. Thus it is seen we need not expect government 

 protection for the linden, but must look in another direction 

 for the desired remedy. 



My own experience prompts me to advocate object lessoiis 

 as the very best step to be taken, and no person will ever re- 

 gret having tried the experiment. I will tell why I know so. 

 Just three years ago I put out 80 rods of very thrifty trees, 

 15 to 18 feet high, and o3 feet apart, in a straight line, for 

 partition fence between my woods, pasture and cleared land ; 

 also a few nice ones in the front yard, orchard, and barn lot. 



Mr. D. E. MerrillSee page 173. 



The next year a lot more were put in vacancies in my woods, 

 and this year another fence, and some nice ones in my lawn, 

 and I must say the result is most beautiful to behold, both in 

 spring and summer, and is the admiration of the neighborhood. 



The first planted trees are from 3 to 4 inches thick at the 

 ground, and over 20 feet high. Their straight, well-sloping, 

 heavy bodies, and small neat tops, make them just right for 

 fence posts, and good shade for stock in summer, and wind- 

 breaks in winter. In June this fence is most beau-iful, being 

 a mass of richest Powers, dripping with honey and swarming 

 with bees, and any one passing at this time will be at once at- 

 tracted by the sweet fragrance of the air, with its unparalleled 

 aroma : and if he is not dead to the charms of the beautiful, 

 he will ponder long at the sight, and never again will he doubt 

 that the linden is entitled to first position as the most beauti- 

 ful tree of America. 



There are several varieties of linden here, varying from 

 one to over two weeks in the date of bloom, making a succes- 

 sive honey-flow for over three weeks, all of which I have tried 

 to secure in my planting, which now numbers about 200, 

 valued at over ."jl, 000. My object in planting the first was 

 experimental, little thinking others would notice my nonsense, 

 but imagine my surprise when I saw many of my neighbors, 

 who did not keep bees, hustling far and near for linden trees 

 instead of cottonwood and maples. From this I conclude we 

 hold the destiny of our favorite in our own hands. 



Let each bee-keeper, on or before next Arbor Day, have 



