Chapter D: BASSFORD, Watertown, Wis. Jan. 25th, 1875

P. S.—Would not advise any man to fly bees in the sitting room without the full consent of his better half.

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BASSWOOD OR LINDEN: STARTING A PLANTATION.

I have no Linden seed on hand at present. The seed should be planted
in the fall or kept in damp sand and planted _early_ in spring. As a
general thing the seeds are about two-thirds bad. I think cuttings
are best to raise plants from. They nearly all grow, if rightly
handled. I sell the cuttings in spring at 30 cts. per 100, free by
mail.

THOMAS J. WARD, St. Mary’s, Vigo Co., Ind.

The above answers many inquiries. In the fall of 1871 we gathered and planted about a half peck of basswood seed, according to the directions given in Fuller’s Forest Tree Culturist. So few of these came up that we never used them at all, preferring to get our 4000 for the 10½ acres from the forests. We have reason to think that basswoods grow better when partially shaded, than in the open ground. On a part of our lot, there are about 50 large white oaks; we at first hesitated about planting the young trees among these, but now find those among them, have made the best growth of all. Perhaps many of our readers have noticed the rank vigorous growth that these trees often make when young, where they stand in a thicket of bushes and briers sometimes in fence corners. Shading the ground around the roots, from the hot sun, when young, we think perhaps an important item. Although we have never tried cuttings, we think it probable they would answer excellently. A tree on one of our streets that was planted out with some maples about seven years ago, blossomed last year for the first time, but it was taken up when so large that it did not begin to grow, until about three years after transplanting. For reasons mentioned, we should advise close planting at first, say 10 or 12 feet apart, on a plan similar to the one given in Vol. 1, pages 2 and 25, for locating hives in the Apiary. When the trees get crowded, thin out. The timber will soon pay all expenses.

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Heads of Grain,
FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

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Listen to the patent right vender and do nothing but shake your
head, says the _Rural New Yorker_, but I don’t approve of that way.
My Mother often told me when I was little that I would learn to
_butt_ if I shook my head so much. I will tell you how I served an
“Agent,” of some kind. I was in my Apiary working with my bees, and
he laid his satchel on a hive that was near, and while he bothered
me, he still kept knocking the hive with his satchel. The bees began
to get cross, but he didn’t think you know. Pretty soon the bees
came out and “went for him” lively, he began to dodge and slap, but
he soon grabbed his satchel and began to “beat a retreat,” slapping
and cracking his head with the satchel and spoiling his fine hat all
to pieces, he “hollered” back he had enough of the bee business and
left. It was laughable to see him “light out.”

V. McBride, [page 11, Jan. No.] says that during the winter of the
malady, all the bees in Langstroth hives died, and two-thirds in
others etc. I saw bees in all kinds of hives that died, some in box
hives from one foot to five feet high and some in some old washing
machines turned up side down, others in the gable end of a house,
some in the old straw hives and all kinds of patent hives, and by
the way they died in all kinds, about the same. Some had the patent
hives and lost their bees and then blamed the patent hive, but I
found it was their fault oftentimes, as it makes it a little handier
for them to divide their bees and to take their honey. They think
the patent hive ought to make honey without bees almost. I guess the
“_king_” don’t manage right some how as some of those old farmers
call them; don’t you think Mr. Root, that it is the King’s fault
that the bees die?