NEW YORK, ANI) ROCHESTER N. Y„ APRIL 18, 1874. 
( PRICE SIX CENT*. 
I SM.50 PER YEAR. 
VOL. XXIX. No. 16. 
WHOLE No. 1 £64. 
Jmlustpl Pen. 
The Hon. Dudley W. Adams, Master of 
the National Grange of Patrons of Hus¬ 
bandry, and for many years a prominent I 
and successful Horticulturist in the North- I 
west, is a notable example of the Industrial 
Men of thLs couutry who have worthily 
achieved distinction. We therefore take 
pleasure in presenting our readers with a 
portrait of Mr. Adams, engraved from a re¬ 
cent photograph very generally approved by 
his friends,—supplemented with a brief bio¬ 
graphical sketch. 
Dudley W. Adams was born in Win- 
chendon, Mass., Nov. HO, 1831, and hence is 
now in the prime of manhood, with, we 
trust, many years of future vigor and useful¬ 
ness. The son of rural parents, he passed 
the years of his minority in the laborious but 
health-giving and constitution-strengthening 
occupation of tilling a small, sterile New 
England farm—in a region where, probably, 
none of his present favored feilow-citizeus, 
in rich and fertile Iowa, would accept a 
homestead as a gift, if obliged to occupy it 
and depend upon the cultivation of its soil 
for subsistence. The monotony of his farm- 
life was only varied by brief attendance upon 
the district hcUooI, and, after acquiring the 
rudiments of a common-school education, by 
teaching short winter terms in the vicinity. 
Both muscle and brain were thus trained 
and brought into requisition during his early 
years — the best preparation, physical and 
mental, for the laborious and successful 
career 'which has attended Mr. Adams in the 
West during the past two decades. 
On arriving at age, Mr. Adams removed to 
the West, locating in Allamakee County, 
Iowa, in 1853. He there purchased and 
opened a tract of wild lund, which he rapidly 
improved, and upon which he has ever since 
resided. His ability and energy were speed¬ 
ily recognized, for the first year of his resi¬ 
dence among them Mr. Adams’ neighbors 
elected him President of the Allamakee 
County Agricultural .Society, and his deep 1 
interest in everything pertaining to rural j 
pursuits has caused him to retain his connec¬ 
tion with that Society, in various capacities, 
ever since. 
Soon after settling in Iowa, Mr. Adams 
commenced devoting much time and atten¬ 
tion to horticulture, and that has ever since 
been his principal business. In that field his 
efforts have been crowned with signal suc¬ 
cess, and he is entitled to great credit for 
having demonstrated the feasibility of grow¬ 
ing fruit profitably in a climate supposed to 
be most unfavorable. Indeed, he himself 
says (in a recent modest letter, now before 
us,) that he takes most pride in what he “ has 
been able to do for Horticulture in Iowa and 
the Northwest, as this has been accom¬ 
plished in a climate believed to be inimical 
to fruit, by determined, persistent efforts for 
many years, when others were abandoning, 
or had abandoned, the field.” 
For some yeirs after settling in the West, 
Mr. Adams acted as Land surveyor, at odd 
times, to aid in keeping the wolf from the 
door while his trees were growing. He was 
also often called upon by his fellow-citizens 
to serve them in such capacities as Assessor, 
School Director, President of the School Dis- 
trict, etc., and always acquited himself 
creditably. In 1865 he led the forlorn hope 
as State Senator from Allamakee, but was 
defeated with the whole ticket. About this 
time Allamakee County was considered in¬ 
solvent, its warrants selling slowly at fifty 
cents on the dollar. They also had a bitter 
county - seat fight between Waukon and 
Lansing. His neighbors elected Mr. Ad Aits 
at this critical juucttire to the County Board 
of Supervisors', giving him a unanimous vote. 
He served them by re-elections for nearly 
four years, three of which he was Chairman 
of the Board During this time the county 
warrants were redeemed, and have since 
always been at par, and the county-seat 
was removed to Waukon (Mr. A.’s present 
residence) where it still remains. These facts 
indicate the energy, executive ability and 
influence of the subject of our sketch. 
Mr. Adams’ successful efforts in fruit 
growing rendered him so conspicuous that 
Grange. At the time Mr. Adams was elect¬ 
ed Master of the Iowa Slate Grange there 
wore only ten Granges in the State, but 
when he resigned there were about 800. And 
when he was elected Master of the National 
Grange there were but 1,200 Grunges,—and 
now there are nearly or quite 15,000. 
The Industrial Age (from which we gather 
several of the preceding facts) concludes a 
biographical sketch of Mr. Adams in this 
complimentary and evidently truthful lan¬ 
guage :—“ Mr. Adams has led an active, 
stirring career. While nearly his whole life 
lifts been identified with the stern, practical 
and exacting duties of agriculture, he has 
yet given a fair share of leisure time to the 
excitements of public life, thus qualifying 
him in a marked degree for the honorable 
and laborious duties now devolved upon him. 
XJTJIDX.E'Y W, AJDAVfVTS, 
Master ot the National Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. 
in January, 1868, he was elected Secretary of 
the Iowa State Horticultural Society, al¬ 
though he had never attended one of its 
meetings. He was unanimously re-elected 
annually , until he had held the position five 
years—finally declining a re-election for the 
reason that his time was mostly absorbed by 
Grange duties. And now Mr. Adams comes 
to the front conspicuously as the leader of 
the Patrons of Husbandly in Iowa—and he 
was “ the right nmn in the right place,” 
judging from his capacity and antecedents. 
In January, 1871, on the organization of the 
Iowa State Grunge, he was chosen Master of 
the temporary organization for one year, 
and the next winter was elected for the full 
term. Last year he was chosen Master of 
the National Grange for three years, and 
consequently resigned as Master of the State 
He is, in a measure, a self-made man ; and 
yet hia diversity of knowledge on current 
topics—as evidenced by his public addresses 
—is wide and varied, and entitles him to be 
ranked &b one of the marked men in the 
country. In social life Mr. Adams is popular 
and entertaining. He has an easy and win¬ 
ning ad dress, and is bland and conciliatory in 
his intercourse with friends. In his business 
relations he exhibits strong common sense 
and a deep sense of justice. In all relations 
of private life Mr. Adams has always shown 
himself to be a solid and sensible man, and in 
public life a gentleman of deep convictious, 
and an active supporter ol whatever he 
deemed to be just and true.” 
— Certainly, with such succinct facts as 
the preceding before us, the Patrons of Hus¬ 
bandry are to be congratulated upon having 
selected as the chief officer of their National 
Grange such a sterling man and true repre¬ 
sentative of the producing classes as Dudley 
W. Adams. For he not only possesses the 
requisite integrity and ability, but Is notably 
and most emphatically an Industrial Man, 
and as such a worthy representative of the 
intelligent and progressive Soil Cultivators of 
the Continent. If the Order continues to 
exercise like discretion and wisdom iu select¬ 
ing officers for National, State and Local 
Granges, its influence and power for good 
will be vastly increased, and the best inter¬ 
ests of the industrial and producing classes 
correspondingly augmented. That such may 
be the result, and that political interlopers 
may always be given a wide berth by the 
Patrons, is our sincere aspiration, 
$tu) gipjliait. 
BEE PASTURAGE. 
N. Benedick, in the National Bee Journal, 
sayu Undoubtedly the Linden or basswood 
produces the most honey of all other trees 
we liave In this country. This tree should be 
hugely propagated. The next best is the 
whitewood, or poplar. This tree is not so 
easily propagated, and would not pay to cul¬ 
tivate for honey alone. But wherever it 
grows naturally bees gather large quantities 
of honey. The soft maple is another very 
desirable treo to propagate, for ornament or 
shade, and it produces both pollen and honey 
early in the season. On this account, It 
should be reckoned one of our best trees to 
cultivate for bees. Willows of all kinds 
produce both pollen and honey early in the 
spring. The common yellow willow, in par¬ 
ticular, should be cultivated for the honey 
and pollen it produces. The willows are 
grown from slips. 
Currant bloom of all kinds produces honey 
if tho atmosphere be favorable when in 
bloom. The English or black currant is far 
the best variety for producing honey. I 
have frequently seen bees light on a single 
cup of this flower, and fill their honey sacks 
before leaving it, and yet there would be 
enough left, apparently, to load another bee. 
I would recommend bee-keepers to cultivate 
largely of this variety, as it produces honey 
early, and of the very best quality. It is 
readily propagated from slips. 
Alsike, or Swedish white clover makes the 
very best bee pasturage, equally as good as 
common white clover, and should be culti¬ 
vated largely. It makes excellent honey 
and the very best pasturage for all kinds of 
stock. Stock of all kinds will leave any 
other herbage to graze on Alsike. 
Buckwheat, in districts where it produces 
honey, is a very desirable crop for later 
pasturage. In my locality it yields no honey. 
- - 
BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Wintering Been Out of Doors. — N. N. 
Betsinger says :—I winter bees out of doors, 
putting straw on the top with a hood over 
the hole. The steam passes through the 
straw and freezes the hood tight. This 
tight-cloBing is continued from January to 
spring. The bottom entrance was frozen 
up and the hive was almost air-tight, so far 
as I could see. 
Bees and Buckwheat. —A. M., Broom Cen¬ 
ter, N. Y., asks, “ Do bees injure buckwheat 
by taking honey from the blossoms *” We 
do not know that they do. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by the Rural Publishing Compuny, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
