VOL. LIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, SEPTEMBER 3, 1904.
NO 36.
VA UE OF BEES-KEEPING THEM THROUGH
WINTER.
The Bees Play an Important Part-
lst Premium.—1. Bees bask in the
Moom of the garden, orchard arrd field.
They are of great value in this way. Indeed, this is the object of their creation.
Tine blossom is a sexual affair. The
pistils are the ovaries, and the stamens
fertilize them. Many flowers have both
stamens and pistils but many more are
•exclusively pistillate (female) or stamin-
mte (male). The stamens bear a fine
dust, called pollen, and the pistils a sweet
wax, to which this dust fastens itself; and
both flowers are necessary to produ_a
grain (commonly called seed). Ail the
pumpkins, cucumbers and melons, and
every kind ofl fruit bears these male or female bloom. Corn and some other
grasses have both kinds of flowers, the
plume (or tassel) furnishing pollen, ami
the silk being prepared by nature to receive it. The tassel of the corn drops
the pollen dust when stirred by the wind,
and, by the law of gravity, this dust
reaches the sticky fibers of the silk.
Each silk fiber originates at the cob, and
protrudes- beyond the husk, so as to catch
this floating dust and, by the alchemy of
nature is conveys the seminal principle
black to where the grain is made.
For the grasses, therefore, the bees are
not required to introduce the pollen. But,
in the clover, the orchard fruits, the
ground-trailing vines, and most of the
garden growth, pollenation is impossible
without the honey-sipping isects. Bees
visit the staminate bloom for the pollen,
of which they make bee-bread, and the
pistillate bloom for the nectar, of which
they make honey. Of the honey-comb
we maKe the well-known article of commerce called beeswax.
Red clover produces no seed unless the
bumlble-bees dive into tho cups; and so
it is with shallower cups visited by the
honey bees. Pumpkin bloom will mi_
with that of watermelons, and different
gourds and muskmelons will combine, so
as to produce new varieties. This is
all brought about by the bees.
On wet days the bees do not fly; and
therefore when the season of semination
is rainy these crops all fail. Strawberries
must have the bees; so the crop, this year,
was short. The reason is, the "busy
liee" could not work at the right time
on account of cold rains.
2. Bees are said to be useful medicinally. That is, tho acid of the sting,
poisonous though it be, will counteract the
effect of uric acid, and stop rheumatism.
3. Bees are good scavengers. Like
flies, they drink up liquids of the malodorous sort, and thus destroy much that
might be disastrous to the health.
4. Then, ethically regarded, the bee is
one of God's best examples to the genus
homo:—he is an uncomplaining worker;
he- contributes more than he demands;
he is strictly obedient to bee-law, and is
thus a good citizen.
Your second question, how to keep them
over  winter,    is one of much importance.
1. Do not rob them of all their honey.
2. See that the hives are protected from
rait, and wind. 3. Feed them a little,
toward the latter portion of the winter.
They like sugar, or treacle, and will eat
much that is commonly thrown away.
They have the best right to and the first
claim on the honey they make; and we
should never take their store after the
searing of tho blossoms.
Notes.—1. Bumblebees should not bekill-
od; for, by killing them, We diminish tlie
crop of clover seed. 2. Trees should
not be sprayed with the poisonous mixtures, if any droppings fall on blossoms,
such as cucumbers or melons. The bees
will partake and die. 3. Every precaution should be taken to prevent .tlie
moth from entering the beehives. A
smooth board at a slant may be placed inr
the hive, on which the moth will slide out.
and thus he may be swept away. 4.
Honey should not be taken from
the main chamber of the hive, but from
caps placed on the top. These can be
arranged with glass windows, through
wliich we may ascertain when they are
full. 5. It is heartless ami expensive;
nay, prodigally wasteful, to kill off a colony of bees for the tonics they have
mlade. W. S. S.
Rush Co.
Especially Beneficial to Fruit Growers.
2d Premium.—Bees Bre a benefit to almost all tillers of the soil, and especially the fruit grower. If it wiere not for
the bees and other insects a great many
kinds of fruit would not set. They fly
from flower to flower, ftom tree to tree,
and from farm to farm, spreading the
pollen and cross-pollenating the different
blossoms. And it is a work that man
cannot do unaided, but he must depend
upon the insect friends for hep. Some
plants are pollenated by means of the
wind and currents of air, but a greater
number must depend upon insects. And
again somo trees and plants will not do
their best unless pollen is brought from
some  other  plant  or  variety. Some
varieties of plums will not bear when set
alone in blocks, but when other varieties
aro planted with thom an abundance of
fruit produced. The honey bee is one of
tlie insects to do such work; in fact, is
one of the important things it was created
Dor. . Honey baes are like some other
things; their value is not known until
after they are lost and cannot be had,
then it is known after it is too late.
A good way to winter bees is to make
la slat crate a few inches larger than
the hive. In tbe fall put this over the
hive and pack leaves or straw in the space
between. Tliis will protect them and
keep the frost and cold out. The crate
is made higher than the hive, and litter
is put on top, care being taken thjat it
does not get into the hive. It is left
so that the bees can go in and out at
the bottom at will. Care must bo
taken not to let the bees starve during
the winter, as a great many hives die out
from that cause nlone. Somo bee men
winter their bees in a cellar which works
all right if the   conditions are good.
Howard Co. C. B.
A Fine Example of Industry and Thrift
3d Premium.—A study of any part of
God's universe, from the tiniest insect to
the largest beast, from the smallest plant
to .the giant trees of California, gives us
a better understanding of the laws that
rule the universe, and the bee is not an
exception.
The lessons that are to be derived from
the bee are of great value to man. One
of the first in importance is gained from
a study of their industry. Without industry no man can thrive; and what
man or child can sit beside the beehive
and not have that example of industry
woven into their very natures. The bees
will teach you how to make hay while tho
sun shines, and how to store up provision
for the dreary winter.       Then let us keep
a colony of bees for an example to ourselves and our children, for nuau is largely
a creaturo of his surroundings.
Now I want to hit tlie editor a backhanded lick. He says "Discuss tlie value
of bees, aside from making honey." Bees
never made a drop of honey. They
merely gather honey after nature has produced it in the flowers. I heard a man
some timo ago, telling about bees gathering the wax that they make comb of from
plants and flowers, and you ought to have
seen the smiles that came over the faces
of some toe men that were present.
Mechanically, scientifically and industrially, bees are great educators.
I believe it is a generally admitted fact
that the b_e aids much in the polleniza-
tion of many plants, especially the clover
family and fruits and berries, by their
visits in search for honey, and by carrying
pollen from bloom to bloom.
The wax that honeycomb is mado of
is a secretion of the bee's body, ami is produced very much as milk from tlie cow.
Feed your bees honey or sirup from sugar,
and your wax will come. It is said that
bees consume 20 to 25 pounds of honey to
get one pound of wax. I. N. C
Marion Oo.
A fairly good crop of clover seed is
l>eing threshed. Pastures, spring sown
clover and meadows Siiow a vast improvement over the condition of two weeks ago.
Plowing for wheat is in progress. The
ground is generally in good condition,
but in places is beginning to need rain.
Tho (acreage sown to wheat will probably
be less than the average.
W. T. Blythe, Section Director.
Indianapolis, Tuesday, Aug. 30.
%aw QcptiLxtmmt.
Conducted br Chas.  B.  Claike, lawyer,  82_  Bte-
renson Building.
A and It own adjoining farms, can A compel
B to build hop fence so as to keep his hogs off
of H's place if B does not use pasture for any
stock  at  all? K.
Yes, if B has his land inclosed.
What Is the law regarding running an electric
railroad through a farm? What steps must one
take  to  get  damages  against   the  company?
Subscriber.
You had better place your matter in
the hands of a good responsible attorney.
The railroad company will have to pay
you for your land.
Premiums of $1, 75 eentB, 60 cents
are given for the first, second and third
best articles for the Experience Department each week. Manuscript should be
sent direct to the Indiana Farmer Company and should reach us one week before date of publication-. .
No. 444, Sept. 10.—Tell how the State
fair benefits the farmer.
No. 445, Sept. 17.—Give experience in
the production, of poultry and eggs for
the winter ami spring markets.
No. 44G, Sept. 24—Tell how to handle
the manure produced on the farm to the
best advantage.
A and B have adjoining farms. A wants to
open up a coal mine, and A's water will have
to run througb B's land. Could B get damages
from   A? CO.
A can not change a water course or
collect water on his own laird and cause
it to flow off in a stream or body onto
B's land, without paying the damages ho
causes.
Weekly Crop Bulletin.
For the week ending Monday, August
20. The temperature was above normal
throughout tlie State, and thunderstorms
with showers occurred at scattered places
in  all   sections  on  Thursday. During
the balance of the week clear, sunshiny
weather, but unseasonably low temperature, prevailed.
A marked improvement is noticeable in
tho condition of all unmatured crops since
the drouth was broKen ten days ago.
Although mueh corn was broken down
or, from its own ■ weight, fell while tli«
ground was soft immediately after the
soaking rains of the 19th, the most of it
is "bowing up" and the loss on account
of the prostration will not be great. In
fact tho damage, considering the whole
crop, will be slight compared with the
benefits derived from the rain which was
a  contributing cause.
In somo localities potatoes suffered materially from the drouth and the yield will
be light, but generally a fairly good crop
of good tubers is promised.
Tomatoes are doing very well, but are
late and, owing to the prevailing low temperature, are ripening slowly. Tomato
canning has begun.
The shipment of watermelons in large
quantities from Knox county and other
melon growing districts in the south section continues.
Cucumber vines in the north section
were revived by recent rains and are again
producing  fruit for pickling.
Apples are falling and the crop will be
light.
The plum nnd grape crops are heavy.
Tobacco was benefited by the recent
rains, but the crop will be short.
When father and mother were married, father
hajl .hlldren by his flrst wife, and he has hail
others by his second wife. Will mother's own
t-iiljlnen heir her property at her death, or will
It be divided between her stepchildren and her
own? E. O.
The second wife would inherit one-
third of husband's property. All tlie
children alike will inherit the father's
properly. At wife's' death her children
alone will inherit from her.
A owns a farm but does not live on it. B is
a tenant, ls hired by the year and has charge
of all the stock. A owns hogs while B owns
hens. The bogs were there when. B brought his
hens to the farm. The hogs are fenced against
the hens but the hens are not fenced away from
the hogs. The hogs eat the hens. Which one
should stand the loss? A Subscriber.
As you state the question we infer that
B had no right to keep any stock or chickens on the farm. A was, therefore, not
bound to protect B's hens. B, moreover,
should not allow his hens to run at large.
A rents B his farm for 0 montha. B is to
sl\e A two-thirds of grain, one-half of hay, one-
half of fruit; nothing is said of the straw. Can
B sell the straw? A sells the farm to C, anjl
A gives B a written notice 00 days before B's
time expires. C says to B you can stay a year,
probably longer. B has no witness, but O told
D the same as B. Will B have to give possession, as A gave a written notice?      A. A. II.
Argos.
Yes, we believe that the courts wiil
now hold that straw bias become a product of value higher than formerly, when
it was considered merely valuable for fer-
eilizer and that the renter, in the absence
of contract, can dispose of it as other
products.
B can perhaps hold the land if he can
establish the fact that C acted in such a
way that a reasonable person might infer
that he intended to let B remain and not
compel him to move by reason of A's
notice, and B, by reason of such acts,
was led to believe he could remain and
would be materially damaged if now compelled to move.
_.ne earleist spur known consisted of a
sharp prod mounted on a base to fasten
about the heel. Antiquarians place its
date at from 300 to 100 B. C.
Some English employers advertise >n
the papers the death of faithful servants,
and add laudable remarks.