The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-06-11
Hunting for Honey in Texas.

Boston Evening Transcript; we nave
mad wonderful weather here Tor SOME
weeks past cold at times, but no lio''
for several weeks, and in consequence
everything is in full leaf and DioOlh'
We seldom have such a spring. / he
flowers are in the greatest proluSlon
and infinite variety the hills ana val
leys are dressed in coat OF MANY
coIors. The great white heads OF lhe
Spanish daggers look like ghosts aS
they stand around on the hlllslde6' Az
a distance the leaves of the plant are
visible among the general green, ana
the flower stalk stands tall and stately
with its load of creamy bells, the Whole
cluster being often four feet from the
TOP buds to the lower flowers, ana
foot and half in diameter.
There is another shrub with purple
flowers that is very much in evidence
lust now; some Of the bushes are coV-
cred so closely with blossoms as to
leave only little places through which
the crisp green leaves show. The How
ers are in clusters five or six inches
long, dropping from the end OF each
twig, and one must see them to have
an idea Of their gorgeous beauty. There
are whole hillsides of them, too, piled
one tier above another. Still another
shrub with flower the color OF peach
blossom is the most beautiful OF all.
There are several large places on the
range where cedar brakes have been
burned, and they are almost entirely
covered with these bushes, and in look
ing over the tops of them on level it
seems like a pink wall, with the old
black cedar trunks and burnt pines
looming over them in gaunt derision.
The warm weather brings the bees
out in full force, and | am more than
ever fascinated with the little insects
never see one slipping at fioWer OF
tying along in the air but he says: 90
no, you can't find my house; others
you may find, but mine, never And
forthwith l take up the challenge and
never cease hunting until | find it
Though two or three years may pass
seldom fail to do so eventually, ant
you have no idea what fascinaLoI
there is in it after one has experience
can usually, after seeing several Me:
go home and after getting the course
laid Off, run them home in a couple O.
hours, unless they go more than twt
miles. 1t seems ridiculous to any ONT
who does not know their ways to make
> such claim, but it can be done. TT
any eye except bee hunters a bee il
the air is invisible. question if man,
people ever saw one flying, unless i
was in the act Of alighting>on a flower
but they travel through the air as PEG
pie travel on earth, and wonderful
powers of sight they must have. Be
sides that, there is no doubt in m,
mind that there is an intelligent order
Ing of the whole business Of the hive
and a means of communicating of on
with the others.
Sometimes take a lot of comb wit
little honey on it. and set it on tn
TOD of a hill, or in an open place Wher
. I can see in all directions, and leave
ion a day or two, until the bees ar
working at it strong, and can then ru
hem home in little while. When
have leisure stay and wait for thel
10 come: and encourage them by burn
ing a piece of comb every hall hou
or so. If it is warm, bright day l
winter and the comb is within tW
miles of swarm, they will come DC
lore the first hour is out. The first on'
always doubling here and there. file
. n ever narrowing cireules, until b
iras the exact location Of the swee
small; he examines 1t from all side!
slowly buzzing around it, and finall
q l. ~Nf OH