178 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
of the uiiiS' ; aiid uiy Eat^r expeiimeuts {jo to f-how that 
■vas’ a Tm'it of now absolutely vaKu^'less materiai, abouf^’- 
insr in ^'ur Southern country, may be converted to use by 
the above means, combined or otherwise with the more valu- 
able staple. lam, \our obedient servant, 
J. M. Legars. 
:eEES AND TMEIll MANAGEMENT — HONEY 
5>rosit!s— Notice ®f V. EaTaste’s Jlep3y<> 
Editors Southern Cultivator — My communicRtiou 
in your February numiier contains an important error, 
which makes me seem to say that I obtain an am ual 
Value of'SlO per stand. Two dollars is about the yield 
1 obtain annually, or gallons, and 3 pounds of wax per 
stand, 
I was much pleased with the accuracy of my style o' 
boxes, as delmtated in your March number, and ai^ain I 
■would say, for simplicity, economy and yield of psire new 
fconey, I know of no other so well adapted to the wants 
of most people, I am acquainted with other plans ihat 
answer the same purpose, as well, except an addi ional 
cost, in their structure. The directions and bints aire dy 
given, if followed with to'erable strictness, will enable 
any onf* to reap a gfond rewuird for their pains. My local- 
ity is quite poor for honey raising. Other sections of 
country are much better, and there the boxes should be I 
to 3 larger than mine, as given in the March number. 
Many persons are in favor of varying the size, to suit 
large and small swarms ; but this is of little or no conse- 
quence, as it is well known that it is no uncommon cir- 
cumstance for a hive to be very weak one year and 
strong the next ; the strength of the hive depending en- 
tirely on the capacity of the queen for laying eggs; and 
the old queen always leaving with the first swarm each 
year; it follows that most hives change their queens, 
and vary their strength every year. 
This is the third time, I have distinctly noticed a severe 
honey drouth, caused by killing frost; and liiiht hives 
have been dying within the last few days. On the 6th 
inst., the mercury stood as low as 12^^ below the freezing 
point. A large amount of the forest is damaged. All do- 
mestic and nearly all wild fruit is killed ; and a most 
promising wheat crop, is reduced to the forlorn chance of 
a late sucker crop. Bees, under the influence of this 
calamity will hardly swatrn at all this season ; or if at all 
very late. South of latitude 32 and north of 35*^, 1 think 
and hope, the damage is light. 
Mr. V. L^Taste takes up my simple doubt whether or 
not bees collect honey from flowers, and treats it, as a new 
opinion. A doubt is not an opinion ; and I have not the 
slightest objection, to Mr. L.’s opinion, which agrees with 
most of writers on the same subject; but if Mr. L wit 
read Bevan on the Honey Bee he will see that my doubt 
is not new, Buvan notices several Apiarians who enter- 
tained the same doubt, and at least one who contended 
that bees did not collect any honey from flowers; and 
although Mr. Bevan leaned to the contrary opinion, he 
related one beautiful experiment, which proved the sound- 
ness of my doubt. In substance he said : “A swarm just 
hived, was placed in a tight room, with an abundance of 
■water and flowers, the freshness of the flowers were se- 
cured by frequent and various supplies; the bees made 
comb finely fur one day, when their works Were brought 
to a stand still for some days, when the comb they had 
built was taken away; and in addition to flowers, hone} 
was placed in the room, and the next day, the bees agaii 
commenced making comb ; then the honey was w th- 
drawn, and the bees tbe next day again ceased making 
comb; and again the honey was given them, and th< 
same resuli fullowed.” This experiment certainly proved 
there, was no honey collecud fiom those flowers, or eis< 
•ihe bees would have continued building comb. 
?iew, J would like for Mr. LaT. or any apiarian, to 
solve this question : If flowers give or yield any honey 
of consequi nee, why is it that tiees do not swarm dur- 
ing the greatest flowering season, but wait until after the 
g eatpst flock of flowers is over before they commence 
swarming 1 
Here is my answer on the hypothesis that flowers yield' 
but little or no honey: Luring March, in Iaiitude34°, is 
usually our great month for blossoms. It is then that bees 
are raising most largely (by far), preparaU ry to swarm- 
ing, at the very season of the year when the food of the 
young bee is most abundant (the polen of flowers), soor., 
after this the swarming thousands launch forth, 
Because God thus provides the store 
For those and many millions more; 
at the very time when honey exists in greatest abundance 
to supply the wants of new families, which nsually las: 
about one month to six weeks ; while leaves generally are 
arriving at maturity you may notice the busy little fellows 
crawling over the maturing and matured leaves, gather- 
ing particles too small to be seen by the naked eye; but 
when assisted by powerful magnifying glasses, shew a 
brilliant body ; and whenever this perspiring matter of 
leaves is copious, it spreads into bright flakes, very visible 
and then called Iioney dew; which is good evidence that 
the bees have had a rich harvest, and which is scon too 
hard for bees to make much progress in collecting of it. 
A very limited amount of leaves arrive at maturity, 
throughout the summer months, and until about the 20th 
of September, at which time honey making ceases, al- 
though blossom=: continue tolerable plenty for weeks later. 
Abhoring the idea of being tiresome, I stop, contrary to 
inclination, M. T. McGkhee. 
Arkansas, April, 1857. 
CH1NE.se sugar cane in TEXAS — CHUFAS— 
Riscorea, *&rc. 
D. Redmond, “ FruUland Nursery Augvsta, Ga: 
Deo.r Sir : — I take pleasure in acknowledging the receipt 
from you of a package of Chinese Sorgho, or Sugar Cane 
seed. I was in supply last year and from 40 hills, each 
2 stalks or plants in a hill, saved a full bushel of seed. 
The plant grew so wondeifully in our remarkably dry 
season, to which was added very dry winds from the 
north, without dews at night, full as much as from the 
south, and the juice proving so purely saccharine, I be- 
came satisfied that the encomiums bestowed upon its first 
introduction were fully merited. Thence! distributed to 
every applicant and lent to very many persons, free of 
charge, nearly the whole of my seed. The late frosts hav- 
ing destroyed my planting, those from you came very 
reasonably and are very thankfully received. 
I cannot verify the same regard for the Chufas, which 
is an imposition on sale, being nothing but the grass nut 
well known everywhere at the South and as far iVorth as 
.Missouri, They are to be had in this neighborhood at 
gift. 
A late writer from Illinois says : “the Dioscorca Bata.tai 
is the Hog Potato ” It may be so and none the less valu- 
ible. The Chinese variety may bear the sanie rtlauon to 
us original stock or congener, that the apple does to the 
crab, and be altogether as vaiuableas represented 
in our rich diluvial and alluvial soils and fine climate 
of Texas, both the Sugar Millet and Dioscurea must attain 
:;reat peifection and yield. Thanking you again, sir, for 
lie Sorghum, I am 
Respectfully yours, C. B, S; 
Montgomery county, Texas, 1857. 
[We hope the “Dioscorea Batatas” will prove all that 
our friend anticipates; but we personally confess to a lack 
of faith in it, based on some partial trials a year or Iwo 
