1882 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



37 



five cents a pair, and shirts at '^0 cents per dozen. 

 She is compelled to accept less pay than men for the 

 same service performed. We hud a friend, chosen 

 as principal of a school on account of her elflciency, 

 but she was compelled to accept lower wages than 

 her predecessor, who was a man, and dismissed for 

 his^incompetcncy. But we have never found a deal- 

 er unscrupulous enough to offer less for a i»ound of 

 honey because it was produced by a woman. 



now SOME YOUNG LADIES KEPT UEES — ANT) DIDN'T 

 KEEP THEM. 



Dear Gleanings: I thought you would like to 

 hear about bee matters from this part of the Union, 

 and so I will attempt to make a report that I hope 

 will be of some interest to you and your readers. My 

 two sisters and myself formed, last year, under the 

 guidance of an old and tried friend, and scientitie 

 apiarist, a co-operative apiary association tocarryon 

 bee culture on our father's farm, adjoining the far- 

 famed Bonaventure Cemeter}'. We had wintered 

 three colonies on the summer stand without the 

 least protection - not even a honey-board, and did 

 not lose a single colony, nor did we perceive much 

 dwindling; although we had the severest winter 

 known for forty years. So you see the question of 

 wintering, that is so extensively discussed in the 

 bee papers, does not puzzle us here at all. Last 

 spring we divided each of our three colonies into 

 three, and with some nuclei given us by a friend, we 

 attempted to build up fifteen or sixteen good col- 

 onies. After the unusually, severe and protracted 

 winter, spring vegetation came on rather late, but 

 with a rush. The sudden abundance of forage 

 seemed to demoralize our bees; they were taken 

 with a swarming rage that nothing could control. 

 Cutting out the qHcen-cells did not produce the least 

 effect; and even the weakest colonies could not re- 

 sist the swarming impetus. 



After the turmoil was over, we found ourselves 

 the possessors of 17, more or less, weak colonies, 

 which we hoped to be able to build up into strong 

 colonies for the fall crop. But we reckoned with- 

 out the host. First we were iuA'aded by foul brood, 

 which destroyed two colonies before we could stay 

 the pestilence by freely spraying with thymole; 

 then came the long drought, lasting nearly five 

 months, and proving to us as destructive as the last 

 winter was to the Northern bee-keepers. In conse- 

 quence, we could build up and retain only six col- 

 onies, and did not get a pound of surplus honey. 

 And still we fared better than many a bee-keeper in 

 these parts; for many lost their entire stock. But 

 we do not feel discouraged, for we know that this 

 was an extraordinary year, and thai we will soon be 

 able to recuperate, so do not put us into theGrowlery. 

 I think young women have no business, anyhow, to 

 go into the Growlery, for they ought always to be of 

 a hopeful and cheerful mood. At any rate I try al- 

 ways to preserve that. Hoping that I may be able 

 to send you a more favorable report next year, I am 

 Yours truly, T. La Dora Miller. 



Savannah, Ga., Nov. 2:i, 1881. 



I most emphatically agree with your clos- 

 ing sentiment, my friend ; for if the young 

 ladies should take to growling, where "in the 

 world should we all land V By the way, 

 where was that '' scientific apiarist," all the 

 time during the drought V Couldn't he send 

 or give you a little sugar, or something to 

 keep your bees from starving V In some re- 



spects, a severe drought is just the nicest 

 time in the world to rear bees and queens. 

 Neighbor H. once said something, to the ef- 

 fect that he would be glad when the honey 

 season was over, or he could get along a 

 great deal better by feeding, than he could 

 when the honey came in so fast as to be 

 cramping the queens for room all the time. 

 Never let bees die, simply because of a 

 drought, girls ; and when you can't find any- 

 body else to loan you the money to buy su- 

 gar, write to your Uncle Amos. The " Co- 

 operative Apiary Association " would be 

 good for it, would they not V 



Jol^-4 and §nmfS 



SyS) HAVE 4000 lbs. extracted and box honey my 

 Jl bees gathered for me this summer, which 

 — ' brought me over f 500, all cash in hand. An ad- 

 vertisement in Gleanings brought me the custom- 

 ers. Bees all in go od shape; C8 in cellar, 80 on sum- 

 mer stands, with quilt, trodden flax straw, hives 

 wind and water tight, and all for winter protection 

 forbees. J. B. Murray. 



Ada, O., Dec. 12, 1881. 



I have LM.') lbs. of box honey from C swarms this 

 year. Jas. P. Buiu)ick. 



Glen's Falls, Warren Co., N. Y., Nov., 1881. 



NO water needed in wet weather. 



Queen received on 14th, O. K. Thanks for teach- 

 ing me that bees don't need water in wet weather; 

 also for promptness, I. L. Van Zandt. 



Dido, Texas, Nov. 16, 1881. 



1 say ataen to all the square men. The Lord help 

 us to hold the light up by precept and example, and 

 encourage all we can to take a higher stand in bus- 

 iness as well as morals. W. Stanard. 



Bear Oro\'e, Iowa, Nov. 8, 1881. 



My bees have not done very well this season. I 

 have sold 400 lbs. of honey from 7 hives, at 35 c. per 

 lb. Owing to the severe drought this fall, my bees 

 did not hold their own, and I had to feed some in or- 

 der to put them in good condition for winter. 



Bethel, Conn., Dec. 5, 1881. S. H. Hickok. 



ONLY one missed IN EIGHT YEARS. 



December number of Gleanings has not made 

 its appearance up to date. Will you please send 

 again? This is the first number missing in about 8 

 years. John F. Dipman. 



Fremont, Sandusky Co., O., Dec. 8, 1881. 



I had 48 colonies of bees in the spring, and had 

 them transferred into the Langstroth hives. We 

 got 40 gallons of extracted honey; 100 lbs. of bees- 

 wax, and now we have our bees Italianized and all 

 in good fix. TOM Young. 



Spring Grove, Union Co., Ky., Oct. 25, 1881. 



The bees did well this summer. One of my neigh- 

 bors had 1400 lbs., ext., from 10 hives in the spring, 

 and made 6 new ones. Mine weie all dead but six. I 

 increased to 24, very strong mostly, with 20 frames ; 

 I took away the upper 10 frames, and crowded the 

 bees to the under 10 frames; extracted 200 lbs., and 

 have 300 in combs for next year. Jas. McLay. 



Madison, Wis , Oct. 30, 1881. 



