The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-05-04
The 1rmrnrraf-S Star
A BEES.
They Make a Barrel of Honey
Every Day.

NAhhhs AO"sIJ NNWos
After dinner at Mr.. Mitchell's
we were sitting on his front piazza
smoking, and | discovered some
bees going in and out of a knot IN
one of the large oak trees in front
of his dwelling. This tree is known
TO be over 100 years old. Learned
that several Years ago a swan OF
bees assembled in that tree as their
new home, and they have worked
and lived there ever since. After
they had been there forthree years
the colony became very large and
strong, and no attempt had ever
been made to rob them of their
honey. AT last Mr.. Mitchell came
10 the conclusion that the tree
must be full of honey, from seeing
large numbers of flies and bees
around the foot of the tree so he
set to work to devise some means
to get the honey without cutting
the tree down. After applying all
the tests known to bee men, he
satisfied himself that the tree was
full, and then decided to tap it like
a fellow Is tapped for dropsy. So
he got him a faucet and an auger,
and bored a hole in the tree near
the root, and then screwed in The
lancet, and to his surprise and great
delight a solid strem of pure and
elegant honey, as clear as a crystal
gushed forth, and the supply SEEM
ed almost inexhaustible. 1t con-
tinued to pour out until he had fill
ed six barrels and he has drawn
each year since that time from 8
TO 4 barrels of pure strained honey
from that old oak tree, and up to
this there seems to be no signs OF Il
failure Of the supply, as the bees
are still a very strong and healthy
colony.
The same year that Nh. Mitchell
tapped the old oak tree, there a
a new, thick growth sprung up all
around the old oak. of an unusual
appearance, having smooth bark
and thick, waxy leaves. One day
he pulled off one of the leaves, and
put in his mouth, and found 1t 10
be very sweet, and, upon eXamin-
ing the place from which he had
plucked the leaf,he discovered that
the plant was bleeding or emitting
from the wound "A clear, thick
looking juice, which, upon testing
and examination, proved to be hon
ey. He then commenced 10 nurse
the new volunteer grOwths with
the tendereSt care and attention,
looking after them daily and as
the summer advanced the plants
continued to grow, and in the tall
he selected and transplanted 300 Of
them in very rich soil, thirty feet
apart, and they grew very rapidly,
making n beautiful display with
their straight, wax-liie leaves. And
the grove was seen and admired
by all for miles and miles around.
Mr.. Mitchell's idea was that, as
large money was made from the
sugar maple by boiling the juice. he
ought 10 make more from a tree
that would run pure honey, and he
was right. When the trees were
four years old, in the fall Of the
year they were large enough TO In
sert faucets. So he had 300 faucets
made to order, and screwed them
into the young trees, and the fol
spring the result was re-
markable. Each tree yielded an
average of ten gallons of The rich
est golden honey the following
year each tree yielded an average
of twenty gallons, and now the av-
erage is about a barrel to each tree
during the year, and the grove con.
tinues to grow and flourish, and
shows no signs of failing to supply
a boUntiful yield in years 10 come.
The quality of the honey is so fine
and the flavor is so delicate that it
always commands the highest
prices. and the demand is greater
than the supply.
If some Of those enterpriSing ar
tesian well men, who are always
prospecting and boring holes in our
country for oil, could succeed in
sinking a well, from which a solid
stream of mellow peach brandy
would flow continuously, then. in.
old Spalding county would
be a new Mecca, and pilgrimages
would be made frem all over this
broad country TO the land which
flow with ''Deach and honey"
But, be that as it may, the uncer-
tainty of the fruit crop. the corn
crop, the wheat crop, o the un-
certainty OF The price of cotton, has
any terrors for Mr.. Mitchell, for so
long as these golden streams of
sweetness continue to flow from
these natural fountains, his pros
is assured.