134 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



self, but whose systematic manage- 

 ment in the handling of 400 acres of 

 land to a profit and 400 swarms of 

 bees, with two hired hands a little 

 while in the summer, was of greatest 

 interest to me. 



I said I want to learn something; I 

 went there as a student and did learn 

 a good many things. For instance: 

 When we reached his station, about 

 six o'clock in the evening, he was there 

 to meet us. He immediately telephoned 

 to his home some little distance from 

 the city: "I have caught the birds, we 

 will be home about 9:20." 



My boy looked at me and said: "Do 

 they live so far out?" 



I said to him. "We are gu6sts now, 

 never mind." 



He took us out to the restaurant, 

 and as we had nearly finished he said, 

 "I had better go out and feed my 

 horse a little before I start out. I have 

 a new horse." He took a gasoline can 

 and went out and was back by the 

 time we were through our meal. He 

 had just bought an automobile, and 

 we had to go to all his outyards and 

 reach his home at 9:20. 



He wanted that we should see what 

 we could, though it was lamp light. I 

 saw System demonstrated, proving 

 that Time is Money, and management 

 means Saving of Time. It taught me 

 something; he had system made prac- 

 tical; he had an engine — an extract- 

 or — we went to each of the outyards. 



A half hour from the time we land- 

 ed, he had the combs going through 

 the extractor. System: When that one 

 man can handle 400 acres of land and 

 400 swarms of bees and have over 

 50,000 pounds of honey in his bee house, 

 it is worth while that we pay atten- 

 tion to system. 



In one of the bee houses, I noticed a 

 large can with the uncappings there, 

 with some bees crawling around in 

 the cappings. Although we had only 

 an automobile flash light, I said: "Mr. 

 Hoffman, what do you have those bees 

 here for?" He looked in surprise; 

 "that is one on me," he said. 



He started with his light to go 

 around the edges of the room — "where 

 did they get in?" He found the spot. 

 "They didn't put that window up, did 

 they?" There was a cluster of bees 

 inside, and he made a note of this on 

 a slip of paper. 



All that season's extracting combs 

 were in the supers, cross-piled in the 



bee house from floor to ceiling, doors 

 wide open. 



I said: "Mr. Hoffman, are you not 

 in danger of getting bee moths in?"' 

 He replied: "No, we open the doors 

 to let the bees dry the comb, and then 

 we will kill all life by sulphur fumes." 



"Say, do you fumigate this room 

 with sulphur?" 



"Sure we do." 



"It must take some sulphur! Where 

 do you do the burning of the sulphur? 

 I am getting a little curious. Is there 

 a chance of ever having a bonfire?" 



"Well." he says, "we have had a fire 

 twice." 



"Why don't you use carbon-di- 

 sulphide? You will be sure of one 

 thing then, you will have no fire after- 

 wards." 



He said to me: "I have had that 

 suggested before. Where will we get 

 it?" 



I told him where to get it, and be- 

 fore we reached home he had bought 

 two little pint cans in a drug store 

 we passed and he ord'^red a 5 gallon 

 can. In short, the next morning he 

 called one of the two hired hands and 

 told him to get ready the horse and 

 go over to such and such a place. 

 "You will find a window was left down,, 

 and there are things there to be done; 

 put a cloth over the uncapping can 

 to keep the bees out. Put a little of 

 that carbon-disulphide into that room; 

 and you don't want to go in there 

 with a match or anything with fire in 

 it because Mr. France says that stuff 

 forms a gas and is explosive." 



He had his horse ready; it was one 

 of those motorcycles — and you ought 

 to see that fellow go off around the 

 lake. 



He telephoned back and said to tell 

 that Mr. France that he has played 

 mischief in ' your yard. "V\''e knew 

 there were rats — now we can see 

 them; they are all dead." 



The point is this: When that man 

 can manage »as he does, it is system- 

 that enables him to do it. 



He went with me up to the Minne- 

 sota Fair. He was busy taking in the 

 exhibits andN studying them, when a 

 lady, a stra5i|;er to me, came up and 

 said, "There is a lady who wants to 

 speak to you." 



And to my surprise it was Mrs. 

 Huffman; she said to me: "Where is 

 Mr. Huffman? The hive on the scales- 

 shows six pounds gain. Where is he?'" 



