1887 - Mollie O. Large's Spider Plant: #2 of Root's Bee Plants

Who was Mollie Large?  That was the first thing I wondered.  Her name just rolls off your tongue!  If a current horticultural business rule of thumb, that the name of a plant has a HUGE effect on its popularity, held true over a hundred years ago this bee plant had a leg up on the competition.

This illustration is from A.I. Root's 1882 ABC of Bee Culture.

The first hint I found was the following from a 1909 Gleanings in Bee Culture.

MOLLIE O. LARGE'S HONEY-PLANT...
Dear Friend:—Yes, such you seem to me, for I have read Gleanings, especially Home Papers, for years. I am a sister of the late G. G. Large, and was boarding with him when his wife (Mollie O.) sent you the spider-plant seed.
In fact, he got the seed from me. ...
Susie H. Megan, Owaneco, Ill.

The second source I found from 1884 clued me in she was a beekeeper!

IS HONEY FROM HEART'S - EASE UNFIT FOR WINTERING

I find, in reading GLEANINGS and other journals, that “bees are doing well,” “bees booming,” and but very few discouraging reports, while I am making bee-keeping a failure this spring; and I ask myself the question, “Why is it?”

There are several theories that come up; it may be this, that, or the other; but it is a genuine spring dwindle. I should like to have it solved, to avoid a repetition in the future. Some one in the A. B. J. states that heart's-ease honey is unfit to winter on; if that is a fact, it will give some clew to the trouble, as the great part of their stores was from that weed.

MOLLIE O. LARGE,   Millersville, Christian Co., Ill., May 16, 1884.

Finally, I went and looked where I should have known to go first thing, the ABC of Bee Culture by A.I Root himself. He tells the whole story.

The spider plant is  Cleome pungens.  

Henry Dobbie, in 1884, says:

Spider Plant (Cleome pungens) 

American beekeepers speak in glowing terms of thisplant for bee forage. The secretion of honey is describedas enormous, and unlike most bee flowers, the bloomsopen early in the morning and the afternoon, thus pre-venting the evaporation of the nectar.

In hot weather the evaporation of nectar from flowers isconsiderable; indeed, more so than is generally thought bybee-keepers. Therefore, honey-secreting plants that do notopen their petals until after the scorching heat of the dayis past, will be invaluable to the apiarist, especially as inthe case of the spiderplant, which produces honey in suchabundance.

Mr. Root says, in speaking about the spider plant (page 221,“A B C ”) : “ Not only does a single floweret produce a large drop, but some of them produce a great many drops.Last evening we made observations by lamp-light, and before nine o’clock the globules of honey were of the sizeof large shot. 

The crowning experiment of all took place this morning. I was up a little after five o’clock, and with the aid of a teaspoon I dipped honey enough fromthree or four plants to fill a two-drachm phial, such as weuse in the queen cages, a little more than half full. The honey in some of the flowerets had collected in a large quantity, so large that it spilled out, and actually streamed on the ground. 

I have called this honey, but in reality itis raw nectar, such as is found in clover and other flowers. The taste is a pure sweet, slightly dashed with a mostbeautiful, delicate flavour, resembling somewhat that of the best new maple molasses. The honey will be as white as the whitest linden, so far as I can judge. With the aid ofa lamp, I evaporated the nectar down to thick honey.

You can see something of what the bees have to do, whenI tell you that I had in bulk only about one-fifth part asmuch as when I commenced. You can also see that wenow have some accurate figures with which to estimate theamount of honey which may be obtained from an acre ofhoney plants.”

The seed should be sown in April in a pan or box, using fine soil. Give the protection of a frame or greenhouse(see chapter on the raising of plants from seed).Plants raised from seed in April and grown on, will flower in August. Plant these two feet apart each way.

This wonderful photo of a bee on the spider flower is from the blog, It's Not Work, It's Gardening! 
There are more bee and flower photos for the spider plant.  One clearly shows the HUGE droplet of nectar that forms at the center of the petals.  Look closely at this photo and you may see a blur...that is the droplet.

Below is an ad from our old friend Samuel Wilson, not for Mollie O. Large, but for the specie.  I just like the bees.  Plus my favorite horticultural engraver, Albert Blanc, did the art work!

1887 - Simpson Honey-plant: #1 of Root's Bee Plants

Over the centuries men and women have noted the plants that attracted their honeybees

and shared that knowledge.  Most of us do not have the acreage to plant enough of a favored specie to support our hives, but it is still fascinating to grow suggested  "honey plants" and see if the claims are true.  

The idea of planting fields to support bees shows up often in journals around the 1880's with people arguing that we plan pastures for our other domesticated animals, why not the bees.  The idea was not new then, but my thought is the increased business of beekeeping which was feeding the growing cities began to drive beekeepers towards any strategy that could increase or, at least, insure the honey flow. A. I. Root was certainly central to the business on many levels.

It sounds like fun to use Root as the source of a list, then find interesting testimonials to back him up...or not. 

Edit: I moved this series to my horticultural history blog.  You can find more honey plants there.

To start, the much lauded Simpson Honey-plant.  A previous post covers a later discussion (1898) of the practicality of its use.  

Prairie Moon Nursery has seeds and plants of
the Simpson Honey-plant

The following is text from A.I. Root's 1887 and 1888 catalogs' Bee Plant section, with Root as the writer.  

"I have for years had dreams of a honey farm, with acres of flowers of different colors, blooming at different seasons, and keeping the bees away from the stores and groceries when we have a dry spell in the fall. 

The dream has been partially realized with the Simpson honey-plant, Mollie O. Large's spider plant, and the seven-top turnip, and I am pretty well satisfied it will pay to cultivate these for honey alone. "

From copies of the The ABC of Bee Culture, an A. I. Root book, this description of the plant:

Fig-wort, or Simpson Honey Plant. (1887 and 1888)

This is a queer tall weed that grows In fields and woods, and it bears little cups full of honey. It has produced so much honey under cultivation on our honey farm during the past two years, that I am much inclined to place it at the head of the list of honey-plants. 

It bears honey all the day long from July to October. Very hardy: blooms first year, and after that shoots up from the root every year, but needs planting anew, about every three years. The seed sometimes lies in the ground many months before germinating. 

If sprinkled on the tub of damp leaf-mold, packed hard in a box, and rolled hard, being kept dark and damp in a warm place, they will sprout in a week or two. Then give all the light and air possible, but not too much water. Price of seed, from cultivated plants, 20c per oz., $2.00 per lb. If by mail, 18c per lb. extra, for postage.

It was a letter from James A. Simpson to A. I. Root which started the first substantial movement for planting for bee pasture in this country. Simpson described what he regarded as the coming honey plant, but he did not even know its name.  For this reason it was described as "Simpson's Honey-plant".  

It is obvious why the plant had beekeepers pricking up their ears when Simpson described the plant!

" It is a large coarse grower from 4 to 8 feet in height, coarse leaf, and branching top covered with innumerable little balls about that size of No. 1 shot. When in bloom there is just one little flower leaf on each ball which is dark purple, or violet at the outer point and lighter as it approaches the seed ball. The ball has an opening in it at the base of the leaf. The ball is hollow. It is seldom seen in the forenoon without honey shining in it. Take a branch off and turn it down with a sharp shake and the honey will fall in drops. It commences to bloom about the 15th of July and remains until frost. Bees frequent it from morning till night. The honey is a little dark, but of very good quality. I think it would be best to sow in seed bed and transplant."

1877, Gleanings in Bee Culture

This illustration shows the square stem well.

Webster Thomas, editor of the The Bee-keepers' Instructor: A Monthly Journal Devoted to the Science of Bee-keeping in All Its Branches, writes, in 1881:

"We have a small patch of the Simpson honey plant on which the bees have been busy for a month past. This plant, unless the weather is very dry, secretes honey during the entire day. It would certainly pay well to cultivate it largely, as it bridges over the gap between the summer and fall flow of honey, and continues on until killed by frosts. 

Let those who have the land to spare and time to cultivate it, try the experiment and see if it does not pay well."

Once more people heard of Simpson's plant the specie name became known, with Scrophularia nodosa var. marylandica or Scrophularia marilandica being most used.  I believe the plants in the New World do not have the nodules on the root.

King's Cure-all as a Honey-Plant.

I send you some pods of seed of a good honey plant. What is its botanical name? We call it "King's cure-all".   It blooms a little on a single stalk, the first year; the next year it throws out branches, growing 6 or 8 feet high, and blooms about the middle of July, and continues blooming till frost. The flower is a small cup with a lid over it, keeping out the sun and rain. The bees work on it early and late. S. P. Sowers.Dunlap, Kansas.   ("early and late" - June through September says a plant site)

[The plant seems to be Scrophularia nodosa (" Figwort," Simpson's Honey Plant). The fruit capsules are more densely produced than is common with the above species, but it cannot be far different, and there is no near relative known to me to which it may be referred. It is, probably, the variety known as Marilandica.—T. J. Burrill.]

1883 - American Bee Journal

I found that Scrophula was what tuberculosis was called, and this plant was used to treat it, and was so named.  Also tuberculosis was called the King's Evil, which made the above writer's name for it make sense...except I think he was mistaken.  Evening Primrose, another common weed, is called by many King's Cure-all.       

Our plant has these other common names: Carpenter's-square, Rose-noble, Scrofula Plant, Square Stalk, Stinking Christopher and Throatwort.  

I read it tastes and smells nasty if you make it into a medicine. Also,  it likes a moist soil and grows in woods and hedges - in England.  A contemporary site somewhere had a testimonial that it grows and overwinters in Minnesota and grew quite large!

LINK: A nice discussion of the usefulness of Simpson's Honey-plant which took place during the 6th Annual Meeting of the Indiana Bee Keepers Association in 1885.  Several men were very impressed with it as a useful bee pasture plant.

Annual Report of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture

1886, The Bee-hive

I am puzzled with the result of my experiment with the Simpson's honey plant. I have a few plants in bloom near my bee stands. I can see the nectar in the flower and squeeze it out in great, sweet, honey-tasting drops, but I have never been able to see a bee work on it, while they will suck away at a few nearly dried up Catnip and Mignonette flowers at the foot of these plants, within two feet of them. 

Why do they not work on the Simpson? The bees were very busy on Catnip and Motherwort this summer. These plants when once established will take care of themselves for years, as they are hardy, drought proof perennial plants, and are worthy of extensive planting. I shall continue my experiments with the Simpson honey plant as well as with others.
S. B. Kokanour, Manhattan, Kansas.

 

1881 - Daniel Kepler, Napoleon, Ohio

Bee-keeper's Instructor

If you look up Simpson's Honey-plant you will find interest in it continues far into the 20th and even the 21st century for bee pasturage.  Planting specifically for honeybees lost traction as far as I can tell, as it was not seen as paying for the labor, the seeds or plants and the loss of the land which could be planted to something that paid.   Encouraging good bee plants in areas not useful for other crops or animal pasture continues.

I had to include this manuscript from 1500-ish!
What a wonderful illustration of Scrophularia nodosa.

 Link about it.

1904 - Beekeeping Brings Health to Women

There is nothing like a testimonial to appeal to a receptive reader!  This article by Albert Cook contains a few.  

Albert Cook wrote this in 1904 at the age of 62.  He was an open minded man for his time, although the cultural bias of the 19th century are noticeable in his phrasing, his intent is clearly supportive of women run businesses.  Women have worked apiaries "forever", but a dedicated business is different than farm work which includes bees within the money making opportunities from surplus crop and animal products.

This following illustrations are not from the article but were published 1905 

showing women students of beekeeping.

Tuskegee & Its People - Their Ideals and Achievements By Booker T. Washington

http://www.womenintexashistory.org/learn/papers/

(Beekeeping's) ADAPTATION TO WOMEN. 

Apiculture may also bring succor to those whom society has not been over-ready to favor — our women.  Widowed mothers, dependent girls, the weak and the feeble, all may find a blessing in the easy, pleasant and profitable labors of the apiary. Of course, women who lack vigor and health can care for but very few colonies, and must have sufficient strength to bend over and lift the small-sized frames of comb when loaded with honey, and to carry empty hives. 

With the proper thought and management, full colonies need never be lifted, nor work done in the hot sunshine. Yet, right here let me add, and emphasize the truth, that only those who will let energetic thought and skillful plan, and above all promptitude and persistence, make up for physical weakness, should enlist as apiarists. 

Usually a stronger body and improved health, the result of pure air, sunshine and exercise, will make each successive day's labor more easy, and will permit a corresponding growth in the size of the apiary for each successive season.  One of the most noted apiarists, not only in America, but in the world, sought in bee-keeping her health, and found not only health, but reputation and influence. Some of the most successful apiarists in our country are women. Of these, many were led to adopt the pursuit because of waning health, grasping at this as the last and successful weapon with which to vanquish the grim monster. 

 That able apiarist, and terse writer on apiculture, Mrs. L. Harrison, states that the physicians told her that she could not live; but apiculture did for her what the physicians could not do— restored her to health, and gave her such vigor that she has been able to work a large apiary for years. 

Said "Cyula Linswik"—whose excellent and beautifully written articles have so often charmed the readers of the bee- journals, and who has had many years of successful experience as an apiarist — in a paper read before the Michigan convention in March, 1887:

 "I would gladly purchase exemption from indoor work, on washing-day, by two days' labor among the bees, and I find two hours' labor at the ironing-table more fatiguing than two hours of the severest toil the apiary can exact." 

I repeat, that apiculture offers to many women not only pleasure but profit.   Mrs. L. B. Baker, of Lansing, Mich., who had kept bees very successfully for four years, read an admirable paper before the same convention, in which she said: 

"But I can say, having tried both (keeping boarding-house and apiculture), I give bee-keeping the preference, as more profitable, healthful, independent and enjoyable. ...I find the labors of the apiary more endurable than working over a cook-stove indoors, and more pleasant and conducive to health. ... I believe that many of our delicate and invalid ladies would find renewed vigor of body and mind in the labors and recreations of the apiary. By beginning in the early spring, when the weather was cool and the work light, I became gradually accustomed to outdoor labor, and by midsummer found myself as well able to endure the heat of the sun as my husband, who has been accustomed to it all his life. Previously, to attend an open-air picnic was to return with a headache. ... My own experience in the apiary has been a source of interest and enjoyment far exceeding my anticipations." 

 Although Mrs. Baker commenced with but two colonies of bees, her net profits the first season were over $100; the second year but a few cents less than $300; and the third year about $250. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating",  and such words as those above show that apiculture offers special inducements to our sisters to become either amateur or professional apiarists.  At the present time almost every State has women bee-keepers, whose success has won attention. 
($300 is worth, in today's dollars, around $8,000.)

True it is, that in neatness and delicacy of manipulation, the women far surpass the men. The nicest honey produced in Michigan, year after year, comes from the apiary of two ladies who I believe are peers of any bee-keepers in our country.

The Bee-keeper's Guide: or, Manual of the Apiary, 1904, Albert Cook, (1842-1916)

1889 - BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN FROM A WOMAN'S STANDPOINT

from: The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture

I really like the advice given in this article.  While currently everyone says one should start with a minimum of two hives so you can compare their behaviors, this article takes it a step further and recommends the first year to approach the hives more like a naturalist/scientist.  That is a very attractive approach for me.  

This series of papers, “Women's Chances as Breadwinners”,  was commenced in the January number (Ladies' Home Journal, Volumes 7-8) with “How to Become a Trained Nurse,” and continued in the February number with “Women as Stenographers,” and in March with “Women as Dressmakers.” ... 

Future papers in the series will consider - “Women as Telegraphers", "Women Behind the Counter”,  “Women as Journalists”, “Women on the Stage” - "Women as Artists”, “Women as Doctors”, “Women as Teachers”, “Women as Type-setters", etc., etc

IV.—BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN FROM A WOMAN'S STANDPOINT

BY JULIA ALLYN

BEE-KEEPING offers to women an agreeable, healthful, and lucrative employment. While there may be no fortunes in bee-keeping, except to the few, yet to all there is, usually, satisfactory reward for labor and money expended. Thousands of women long for a change of occupation—for release from the store, the shop, the factory, the school; indeed, in many cases, the saving or prolongation of life demands a change.

Naturally, their thoughts turn to the country—to a life that may bring them into the open air a part of the time. It is saying very little for bee-keeping to say that it will bring more than thousands of women earn by city occupations. Indeed, bee-keeping has proved so profitable to farmers and others successful in other occupations that they have given all their attention and time to the production of honey.

There are many women bee-keepers in the land, and they are as successful as men. A school-teacher was told that she must find employment that would take her into the open air. She became a bee-keeper, was successful, had a large apiary, and employed several women to help her. Health, enjoyment, independence and money was the result. Women ought to be better bee-keepers than men for they have, usually, a gentler, finer touch than men.

The qualifications of a beekeeper are  patience, absence of fear and perfect command of self. Fear must be overcome or concealed. It may be present at first, but usually gives place to confidence after a little experience. The theory that bees instinctively select some persons as natural enemies, has no foundation in fact. 

Nearly all bee-keepers wear veils, and all beginners should wear gloves of rubber. The dress is a divided skirt, but made so full that it is not noticed. Each part of the skirt, is gathered at the bottom into a hem or band to button round the ankle below the top of the boot. In working among bees, the bees often crawl over the person, but they do not sting except in self-defense when pinched in the folds of the clothing, or otherwise. To begin bee-keeping, buy in the spring two colonies of Italian bees, and then with bees and books serve an apprenticeship during the season. 

Let no beginner attempt to keep bees for profit the first season. It has been done, and been successful, but it is the exception, and often, if not usually, has resulted in loss and disappointment. The bees should be bought as near home as possible to save express charges, and long journey for the bees. When the bees come, place them where they are to remain. One colony is to serve as a standard. It is to be studied as a full colony, and allowed to swarm in the natural way that the bee-keeper may have the experience of hiving a swarm. 

While the beginner is acquiring experience, she may raise bees for use next year. Therefore, the other colony is divided immediately on arrival, placing half of the colony in a new hive, and removing to the place where it is to remain. There are now three colonies, a full colony and two half colonies. Later in the season, when the half colonies have become whole colonies, they are divided again. Supposing that the standard colony will cast a swarm, there will be six colonies in the fall with which to begin in the spring. The swarm cast by the standard colony may be divided, also, if desired, giving seven in all. Of course, the divided colonies will store no honey, only honey for their own use. 

With a year's study and practice the student of apiculture is prepared to undertake beekeeping for profit. In the spring the six or seven colonies may be increased to twelve or fourteen, and that number will be enough to manage in the first year of actual work. The different methods adopted for the production of honey need not be given here. When the bee-keeper comes to the practical work in an apiary, she will have learned of these methods and will follow the one that seems to be best. 

As to product of honey. In an ordinary season, a colony of bees, by the non-swarming, double-hive system, will produce not less than fifty pounds of honey, often seventy-five and a hundred pounds. This honey, if properly marketed, will bring the producer twenty cents a pound. By the system referred to, one person, with occasional help, may attend to one hundred colonies if comb-honey be the product. If extracted honey be the object, assistance will be required in extracting the honey. As to the sale of honey. This fact may throw some light upon it. Though millions of pounds of honey are produced every year, yet honey is practically unknown to the great body of the people. On the tables of the rich or poor it is a comparative stranger. In some of the larger cities very little honey is on sale.

There are abandoned farms north, east, south and west, and there are tons of honey on these farms running to waste; and at the same time there are thousands of women pinched by want, wearied by toil, who could earn on these farms, with the help of the bees, more than they earn now and be comfortable and contented.

1900 - Aunt Fannie Kimball and Her Bees

Finding this wonderful RPPC (Real Photo Post Card) image on eBay last week,  I figured it was worth a try to see if I could find out anything about Aunt Fannie.  Besides, poking around the internet is what I like to do!

It was really easy!  One of the first links I found was to a Roots Web page which gave the answer as far as I am concerned.   The Uncle Hiram below was son of  George Kimball and Frances "Fannie" Kimball. I can't pinpoint the date, but it is around the turn of the previous century.

"The next day Fanny & I were sitting under some trees by the horse trough. We had passed the night, & I had got acquainted with my new cousin. How lovely the scene! We could see the orchard, the big potato field. 

There was a Grandma, too. Uncle Hiram's mother lived with them. She was tall. One of my memories was of watching this Grandma Kimball take a swarm of bees. In one of the trees near the house a large swarm had collected. Mrs. Kimball came out with her face all veiled & with the bee-trap, like a large corn popper at the top end of a long pole, & she could just reach with it the swarm in the tree, pulling on a lever she opened the trap, shoved it over the swarm & then pulled the lid closed. 

Of course some would escape. I was not frightened. Bees do not sting if you do not touch them. Then she carried the bees to a hive. Fanny & I trotted or paced along here & there. I do not remember the rest, for something else attracted my attention just then, I think. The land here was rich. There was a beautiful bed of pansies around one of the trees, in a circle. I never saw such beauties!"

1892 - R. V. Murray - Engraver for Bee Publications

R. V. Murray was a beekeeper, an engraver and engraving business owner in Cleveland, Murray & Heiss. 

Another one of my interests is wood engravings, especially done for commercial publications.  Before the dreadful photo-engravings of the turn of the century, delightful hand engraved artwork, if done well, was often able to capture the spirit of the thing being portrayed.      

     


This article is about Murray. 

The Progressive Bee-Keeper is his work.

GLEANINGS ARTIST:   A BEE-KEEPER, MUSICIAN, AND ARTIST.

A great many of our readers have admired the humorous style of the Rambler etchings. While the Rambler, or John H. Martin, of Riverside, Cal., suggests, by a rough drawing, the funny incidents of his travel and observation, it is R. V. Murray, of Cleveland. O., who remodels the drawings, giving them character and expression. 

As Mr. Murray is a bee-keeper and an artist, and is already familiar to the readers of Gleanings, we thought it might be interesting to give you his picture, and therefore solicited from him notes from which we might prepare a biographical sketch. 

R. V. Murray is the senior member of the firm of Murray & Heiss, the engravers who, we presume, have done three-fourths of all the engraving that has been done for the bee-keepers of the United States. 

When we talk about hives, brood-frames, bee-spaces, queens, drones, and workers, they know just what we mean. For instance, in writing instructions we tell tnem to put the bee-space above the frames or sections, and they know exactly what we mean. Mr. Murray, however, is a bee-keeper, or, rather, owns a few colonies in or near the city limits of Cleveland. He has had the bee-fever, got over it, and experienced the exquisite pain of bee-stings, hived swarms, and has done every thing, in fact, except secure a big crop of honey. In fact. In a city like Cleveland it is a hard matter for bees to find very much natural forage, and no doubt Mr. Murray has done well under the circumstances, even to make the bees work for nothing and board themselves. Many a bee-keeper counts himself lucky, in these days of bad seasons, if he can do even that.
From the reading of the notes, one might possibly gather the idea that Mr. Murray knows something about music. Although he gives you no direct hint to that effect, he is a very fine musician, and is especially skilled in playing the guitar.

"At about the age of 19 I took my first lessons from a teacher in drawing, who located for a while in our village—a Mr. Bryant—a painter and lover of art, and those three terms of evening lessons I today look back upon as one of the brightest spots in my life. But the dark cloud of the Rebellion interrupted my studies, and shot the life out of one of the most lovable of teachers; for, true to his moral teachings, he was willing to die for the principles he loved. His teachings were always accompanied with moral lessons. This man, for he was a true man, and one who followed closely after his Maker, and has left an impression upon my life coupled with his noble actions, was always in the endeavor to show the why and wherefore of every thing—the cause and effect, whether applied to drawing or other things. 

... 

During the war I was engaged by the Spencer Rifle Co., of (Tremont Street) Boston, and while there made good use of my time evenings, and what spare time I could command, by studying under various teachers and schools.

1860s, Tremont Street- image courtesy of the Boston Public Library

From there I went to Amesbury, Mass., with the intention of learning photography; but my employer, Mr. Clarkson, soon went out of business, and my career in that direction came to a sudden close. 

In my early days our family lived in this same town of Amesbury, and I felt somewhat at home, so I went into the mills there and stayed a year or so. It was at this time, or just before the photographing business was given up, that I made the acquaintance of that lovable and renowned Quaker poet, John G. Whittier. and I have had many friendly talks and visits with him; have met him in his rambles along the Powow River and the meadows of the Merrimac.

...In 1867 or 1868 I left home to take up that branch of business, and to engrave the same on metal, at first under a Mr. Chandler, then under Woodbury, whose place I afterward filled....Then came that great event, and what appeared as a terrible evil (which turned out a blessing, as most appearances do), the great fire of Oct. 9. 1871, and blotted out academy, music-house, and a thousand things which entered into my life, and atone time barely escaping with even that: with clothes torn and burnt, with body bleeding, I, with multitudes, made our way to the lake, and in many dangers made our way to places of safety. 

I was in a dazed and helpless condition. But, let the details of those events pass. Suffice it to say that at that time I realized more than ever that great truth, and the blessed hope that came with it, that "the Lord's providence is exerted for our good every atom of time.  

... 

The music-plates of the sheet-music department were saved in an underground vault, and were afterward purchased by S. Brainard's Sons, of Cleveland; and this circumstance, and my intimate knowledge of the catalogue, etc., brought me to Cleveland (have not seen Chicago since). 

... 

After serving the Brainards about a year I became associated with the business of wood engraving as artist and designer, and have been in that up to date....In looking back I can see now what the Chicago fire was all about (that is, so far as regards myself), which was, that I might meet and wed one of God's loving helpmeets, and to give me work to do which I should not otherwise have had. ..."

R. V. Murray............. 

Cleveland, O., June 1.

To read the entire article go to Gleanings in Bee Culture, 1892.

Notes: Spencer Rifle Co., was in Boston from 1862 to 1868 in the Chickering building on Tremont Street.  I assume it was an office of some sort as manufacture was in Connecticut. 

1898 - A Bee's Dream: Simpson Honey-Plant - Yes?, No?

Following  the Simpson Honey-plant through the bee journals is a journey of ups and downs.  Here is an example of each!     

Scrofularia nodosa var. marilandica, or Scrofularia nodosa var. americana, were the scientific names around 1885.     It seems to have settled down today as Scrofularia marilandica.

It would be wonderful to have acres to plant to something, especially to support bees through the summer dearth!  That a hundred years ago beekeepers were thinking the amount of land to support bees had been compromised makes you think about the issues 21st century bees are facing.

1898 - April - American Bee Journal, Volume 38

Pres. Miller—The Simpson honey-plant, or figwort, or carpenter‘s square, or heal-all, is before us. Who has had any experience with it? How many of you have seen it grow ? Three. What do you know about it as a honey-plant?

Mr. Green—From my experience I should say that it yielded honey readily enough, but I don’t know that it is practicable to raise it. It may be. I have never tried it.

Mr. Stone—I have seen it along the roadsides; in some places a good deal of it, and I have seen bees Just swarming on it every day, and it blooms along time, but I do not think it is fit for anything except for a honey-plant. It is a weed. If we can get a honey-plant that is better I would rather mow down the Simpson honey-plant and kill it out. I think that is just like the spider-plant.

Mr. Whitcomb—I doubt if it is profitable to cultivate anything for honey alone.

Mr. Green—I have seen considerable clumps of it growing. It grows all through the woods in our neighborhood, but it doesn’t seem to be a very thriving and robust plant. It doesn‘t take care of itself very well and establish itself against other weeds as sweet clover does.

Pres. Miller—When the boom was first on for the Simpson honey-plant I sent off and bought plants enough to set out an acre, cultivated it carefully, and had a flourishing field of it. Bees work on it, and they will wherever it is, but a honey plant to be of any use must not cost too much, and this field the next year was not good for much. I took care of it as carefully as I would of corn. The plants died out, and I afterward found that there were scattered plants of it in my neighborhood that I could have gone and dug up, but I didn‘t know the plant in the first place. I think you will find very few succeed with it.
I only know of one exception—Mr. Williams, of Missouri. I think every one else has given it up as a bad job. 

But they are still going on in the old countries with those things, and across the ocean they are still talking about the Simpson honey-plant, and are distributing seed. But we have got through with it, and they are now in the heat of the disease. 

I don’t think it is worth planting at all.

Just as an aside, I wondered about the name.  It seems the common name figwort refers to the early use of the plants in treating hemorrhoids, an ailment once known as figs.   

 Another common name is Carpenter's Square - I read that refers to the square  stem.  Maybe that is so, but it isn't that square...

BEE PASTURE.
By Geo. W. Williams, Humansville, Mo. 

The query among the majority of bee keepers is, “why is it that the bees do not do as well as they did thirty or forty years ago?” 

The answer to this is easy. Thirty years ago the country was comparatively new, the prairies and woods were covered over with nectar producing
plants and the bees had but to go forth and gather it, store it in the hive and ripen it into honey. There was enough of this to supply the few bees in the country with their choice sweets. As time went on the country becoming more densely populated the prairies and timber lands were demanded for tillage for farm crops, thus destroying the bee pasturage, nor was this all. As the country settled up thicker with people the number of bees increased and we see the result—an increased number of bees with a decrease of nectar producing flowers. What could be the result but less honey per colony? It is no wonder that the general complaint comes from all over the country that the bees do not store honey like they used to do.

What can we do about it, and how can we help them out?  By making bee pastures; can this be done profitably?  YES.  

Right here let me correct an error that seems to have gotten possession of the minds of a very large majority of the people, i. e. that there is no plant or
plants that will pay to cultivate for bees alone.   

In reading the bee journals the question is frequently asked, “Is there any plant that will
pay to grow for bees alone?” Ninety-nine out of every hundred who answer the question say that there is not. If you were to go into the hog or cattle business as a specialty and were to ask the question, “Is there any crop that would be profitable to raise for hogs or cattle alone?” and some supposed hog or cattle man should tell you no, and should
you follow his advice and turn your hogs and cattle out to shift for themselves or shut them up in a dry lot without making any provision for their needs, it would be but a short time until you, like the improvident bee keeper, would say that hog or cattle raising is a failure, but no sensible man will tell you that there is no plant or crop that will pay to grow for such stock, but upon the other hand will say Y-E-S, GROW CORN.

One of these propositions is just as reasonable as the other. The reply that there is no plant that will pay to grow for bees alone comes either from parties who have not fully tried the experiment, or from a selfish motive. Those of the selfish motive class are those who keep
bees in cities in limited space—even out on top of business houses—and as an excuse for not providing bee pasture say it will not pay. Yet these same bee-keepers are the the loudest in their condemnation of the farmer (the man who does provide for his bees) for flooding the market.

How many of you can call to mind men who with “cheap honey’ keep bees in the cities and towns, when asked if they try to make pasture, will say “Oh, no; it don’t pay.” 
Yet, that individual never planted a seed or set a plant for his bees, but to justify his neglect says,“I-t  w-o-n'-t  p-a-y.”

I want to disabuse your minds upon this “won’t pay” theory by saying that there are plants that WILL pay and pay well—just as corn will pay to raise for hogs—to raise for bees alone. This I KNOW, because I have been doing it for years. I am cultivating on very valuable land three of the more common plants and consider my returns better than upon any of like acreage on my farm, and I have some very valuable acres in berries, etc.

These three plants are Simpson’ s honey plant, known among farmers as carpenter square, cure all, and figwort, sweet clover (bokara) and catnip, will also grow in all kinds of soil, from the low, rich bottoms to the high rocky lands with little or no cultivation, but all respond freely to cultivation and for best results should be cultivated, this is especially so with the Simpson’s plant, but the cultivation is as easy as that of any other plant.  Sow the seed in late fall in seed bed and next spring, when the plants are three or four inches high, set in rows four feet apart with plants eighteen inches apart. Cultivate same as any
other hoed crop. The plants will bloom the first year, but will not be at their best until the second year. They are hardy and when once set, will, with a little care, last an indefinite time. 

After the second year the bunches, like pie plant, can be divided, which is the easiest way to
propagate after once started, and it will be the better for the dividing.
This plant has an unassuming little purple flower which is rich in nectar, and the bees hum on it from daylight until dark. Here in Missouri it begins to bloom about the twentieth of June and is continually in bloom until a killing frost. The early light frost does not affect it. 

This is without question the best of all honey plants for our State and will pay large returns for the cultivation. You who have bees, try it and be convinced that there are plants that will pay to cultivate for bees.  As to sweet clover (bokara) and catnip, they are too well known to need any lengthy description. Gather and sow the seed in the fall and they will do well. 

How many farms do we see where the owner is trying to keep bees and his fence corners growing up in weeds and briers. Why not sow these corners in catnip and utilize them, making that strip the most profitable on the farm? The catnip will hold its own when once established, with any of the weeds, and being of a dwarf nature will not grow high enough to be unsightly. Try it. 

If you want your bees to make honey you must provide them with pasture. If you expect your cow to give you milk through the summer season you must provide her with pasture. Why not provide your bees with pasture instead of letting them rummage around, trespassing on the premises of those that do make an effort to provide for them? 

This is not theory; it is a practical fact, and you must meet it in a practical way if you make
a success of bee-keeping.

1900 - The Progressive Bee-keeper

Links:

Another interesting discussion in the 1884 Indiana State Board of Agriculture-