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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Apr. 25, 



where we found a considerable crowd of bee-keepers and non- 

 bee-keepers, and some who wanted to learn bee-keeping. The 

 Atchley family was very busily engaged in attending to their 

 many guests, while myself and my companion looked around 

 among the many bee-hives (empty and otherwise) which were 

 in the two yards, about 30 rods apart. We also looked into 

 a pile of supers that were stored on the ground. Mr. Atchley 

 said moths were more plenty here than elsewhere. Some of 

 the supers were all alive with moth-worms of all sizes and 

 ages, and many cases full of combs were totally destroyed by 

 them. I guess Willie forgot them. We opened a number of 

 hives with and without bees in them, and then tried to count 

 the colonies, but we gave it up. 



My host took me home for dinner, as a cold, freezing 

 "norther" sprung up and made it too cold for the provided 

 picnic under the live-oak trees, in spite of the green beans and 

 other garden vegetables on the tables. After dinner the meet- 

 ing was called to order in the shop, and proceeded as the 

 readers have already seen lu the American Bee Journal. 



On Dec. 29 Mr. Hanna's garden was badly demoralized 

 with the heavy frost, nearly everything being more or less 

 frozen, and the toil and careful tendings for weeks and 

 months vanished in two nights. I felt sorry for the nice 

 banana trees. On this morning Mr. Hanna took me out into 

 the country about 12 miles southwest, to show rae the coun- 

 try and a farm which was for sale. On our way we saw an 

 orange tree with ripe fruit, from which Mr. Hanna got two 

 oranges for me to take home, which I did. We ate them here, 

 and they were of very fine taste and flavor. This tree did not 

 seem to be hurt much. 



Further on we came to something new to us up here — it 

 was a Mexican gate. It works automatically, is about is feet 

 wide, with a stationary post in the center of the road and 

 gate. The post is about 10 feet high, with a chain attached 

 to the upper end. and connected with the gate about 4 or 5 

 feet on each side of the center. The chain is adjusted in a 

 winding-around-the-post position, so the gate hangs free, sus- 

 pended on the post, and its weight keeps it closed, and effects 

 a pressure to the posts on each side of the gate ends. In open- 

 ing the gate the chain winds around the post more tightly, 

 and if let go it will close itself. Trained saddle horses will 

 push them open, which saves the rider getting off. 



From Beeville to Skidmore (14 miles) there are seven of 

 these gates in the heavily traveled public road. The gates 

 are allowed to save fencing to stockmen. There is a heavy 

 fine for tying and leaving them open. 



Nearly all the land as yet is used for pasture there. The 

 country is dotted over with live-oak and other timber, of 

 which mesquite is the most numerous, and which is said to be 

 the best honey-bearing tree in Texas, also the most wide- 

 spread. Some places the honey-bearing shrubberies are very 

 thick on the ground, and from all appearance it is a good bee- 

 country. Some of the trees and shrub.s, it is said, come into 

 bloom after a spell of dry weather, every time it rains, but it 

 seems that some of the dry spells won't let up. 



The soil is a black, sandy loam. There are big, prickly 

 pear cactus all over, some being 4 inches at the root, and 3 

 and 4 feet high. I took some of their thorns homo in the skin 

 and flesh of my legs -could not get them out. I also saw wild 

 grapevines one font in diameter. I was told that they bear 

 well, and are as large and as good as the Concord, and make 

 excellent wine. They thrive well all over the land. A man 

 near Gainesville made 32 barrels of wine last fall, and it is 

 good. I never drank better American wine even in Califor- 

 nia. It is (Jod's gift, where water is so bad. 



One of the oldest stockmen at Beeville told me that there 

 wasn't much in cattle any more. When he first came there 

 (38 years ago) he could count on 4 acres per head, now it 

 takes 6 and 7 acres, and he has to feed besides. Land at that 

 time was very cheap compared with present prices — $5 to 

 $10 now. Some farmers in central Texas told me that they 

 have to feed their stock, as a rule, for four months in winter, 

 and sell 3-year-old steers for from .§6 to §8, and 4-year-olds 

 from SI to 810. They lose many by death. 



Mr. Hanna is reliable, accommodating, and knows the 

 country well. He is a surveyor and land agent, and will give 

 any desired information about the country. 



Before I left liceville I made another call at Mrs. Atch- 

 ley's, when they had time to show me their queen-rearing 

 stock. The Carniolans — of which Mr. Lockhart is so proud^ 

 were surely full-bloods. The 5-banders that Mr. Atchley 

 showed me were all yellow except the black tip on the end of 

 the abdomen. 



I did not hear any very big "blowing" in the South until 

 Willie Atchley broke the ranks, when he put too much stress 

 on the speed of his pony — in taking me and a lady from Hous- 

 ton to the train, 2;.^ miles, on partly sandy road, in five min- 



utes. To this he was encouraged the evening before, when 

 we met him on the road with two ladies in the buggy; he 

 turned, and we followed as fast as our horse could go, but in 

 spite of all the urging, the whip was hurt more than the horse. 

 VVillie was almost out of sight, and Mr. Hanna had to buy a 

 new whip when we got to Beeville; but Willie got paid for it 

 that morning, although he got us to the train in time. 



My unwilling stop was at Karnes City — I missed my train 

 at Kenedy Junction. At this place (40 miles from San Anto- 

 nio) I inquired for bees, and was told that the Bohemian 

 hotel-keeper had some bees. I went there to see them. The 

 lady was at home, and I asked her if they kept any bees. 

 "No, we keep no bees!" "What's that out in the yard'?" I 

 said. I could see the bees flying through the window. "We 

 have a few bees," she then said. " Do they do well here" I 

 asked. " We get some honey," she replied. "Can I go out 

 and see them ?" "No, you can see them through the win- 

 dow," was the reply. (Superstitious.) 



Karnes City is rather a dry place, with bad water. I 

 found an artesian well here, 1,800 feet deep, but the water 

 is too salty for the house or stock. San Antonio has a number 

 of artesian wells, it is said, with good water. 



On my way home the flowers and blossoms had all disap- 

 peared, from the effects of the hard freeze, but many cotton- 

 fields were still awaiting harvesting. Many bales had already 

 shelled, and were falling to the ground. Cotton is the prin- 

 cipal crop of Texas, and the only real staple article for which 

 there is a cash market any time it comes to market. Cotton 

 is just in its element in Texas, and that State produces more 

 of it than any other in the Union. I have not seen or heard 

 of any warehouses or elevators for other crops. I think every 

 one has to seek his own market for them. 



There is more good farming land in Texas than I had ex- 

 pected to see, though there is enough poor land, too ; but the 

 many extremes in the weather is a big obstacle, besides the 

 millions of torturing and damaging insects is enough to make 

 it uncomfortable. Some places fruit trees grow thrifty, but 

 the "northers" often come untimely, and spoil the crop. 

 Minnesota has a better show to ever be a fruit State than has 

 Texas. 



My train took me through Dallas, one of the largest, if 

 not the largest, city in Texas. It is a lively town, with con- 

 siderable manufacturing establishments, and a good country 

 around it. I also came through Greenville, the home of Mr. 

 Graham, the comb honey bee-keeper. Some of the readers 

 will remember seeing him at the 'World's Fair convention. 

 This is also the former home of the Atchleys. I kind of won- 

 dered to myself why they left such a nice and prosperous town 

 as Greenville, surrounded with a fine farming country, and 

 the nicest oak and other timber I have seen in Texas, even if 

 there was a little snow on the ground when I came through. 

 You see it isn't quite so dry in the northeast part as it is 

 further south and southwest. 



When I came to Denison, near the line of Indian Terri- 

 tory, there was 5 or 6 inches of snow, and still snowing. The 

 southeastern part of Indian Territory is well timbered, while 

 further north the endless prairies are as yet sparingly settled. 

 There is good land with large cornfields and fruit orchards 

 along the eastern part of Kansas. Kansas City, Mo., is one of 

 the largest railroad centers in the southwest. From here I 

 came through St. Joe, the home of Mr. Abbott. It is a fine 

 city now from what it was in 1855, when I came through the 

 first time up to Sioux City. The Missouri valley is one of the 

 most productive valleys that can be found for corn, stock and 

 fruit. The cornfields extend for miles, and big crops of corn 

 are raised there. I also saw orchards of several hundred acres 

 in one piece. 



Council Bluffs is another large place on ray route, and so 

 is Sioux City. Le Mars and Ireton, Iowa, where I have some 

 old neighbors living, were my last stops. This is a very fine 

 farming country, with fine houses and barns, with nice planted 

 groves around them. Corn, oats and swine and other stock are 

 raised here. From .$40 to $50 is the price of land per acre. 

 I arrived home on Jan. 6, after a journey of about 3,400 

 miles. I feel more contented than heretofore, with our Min- 

 nesota soil and climate, after seeing what I did. But those 

 people who are dissatisfied may go to Texas. 



Theilmanton, Minn. 



Only One Cent a Copy for copies of the American 

 Bee Journal before Jan. 1, 1895. We have them running 

 back for about 10 years. But you must let us select them, as 

 we cannot furnish tiiem in regular order, and probably not 

 any particular copies. Just send us as many one-cent stamps 

 as you may want old copies, and we will mail them to you. 



