122 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Mar. 



Pa keeps bees. He has 20 stands. They are all in 

 Langstroth hives. He does not like that kind of 

 hive very well. He was out to see you last sum- 

 mer, but I suppose you do not remember him now. 

 I should like very well to see Blue Eyes. We have 

 your picture with her sitting on your lap. I like the 

 little bees, but do not like them to sting mo very 

 well. I have no bees, but have some nice little birds. 

 I have Canary birds. I like to hear them sing. I 

 was 11 years old the 4th day of January. 



Clara E. Grdbb. 



Key, Belmont Co., O., Jan. 11, 1882. 



TflAT SILO, AND THE ENSILAGE. 



As you wished to hear more about the silo, I will 

 try to tell you more about it. The ensilage has 

 come out nice and good, and the cattle like it very 

 much. The size of the silo is 21'^ feet long, 14 feet 

 deep, and 13'/4 feet wide. Father thinks it is a great 

 thing for the fiirmers. He thinks the silo will hold 

 from 75 to 100 tons. Lizzie D. Flint. 



Waterford, O.vford Co., Me., Feb. 3, 1883. 



Thanks, Lizzie. I wouldn't wonder if some 

 t)f us older ones are as much pleased about 

 it as the cows and children are. 



I am a boy 8 years old. My papa keeps bees, and 

 he has 13 swarms in chaff hives. He does not lose 

 them in the winter time. Summer before last he 

 had 3.5 swarms in Michigan. I had two. I did not i 

 get much honey. I have got 4 now. Last summer 

 papa look one up to grandpa's, and they made 80 

 lbs. of honey. Papa has bought 4 queens of you. 

 He takes Gleanings, and I like to hear him read it. 

 My papa was transferring a swarm of bees, and I 

 went out with him, and some bees went for me, and 

 Iran through the corn toward the road, "hollering" 

 with all my might. I got stung on ray nose. The 

 next morning, one of my eyes was swelled shut. 1 

 did not go near the bees again in a long while. I 

 have a little curly-headed brother five years old, and 

 a little sister two years old. She has blue eyes, just 

 like your little girl. Percy Bebryman, 



Geneva, N. Y., Jan. .5, 1883. 



I am a boy 7 years old. My papa takes Glean- 

 ings. I go to school. I got the prize for spelling'. 

 I got 44 head-marks. My pa has some bees, but they 

 do not do much good. I like to read what the young 

 folks say in Gleanings. I have two brothers and 

 two sisters. We all have blue eyes. 



George Smith. 



Halsey, Linn Co., Oregon, Jan. 23, 1883. 



I like to read about Mr. Merrybanks and his neigh- 

 bor. Papa keeps bees, but they don't do much 

 good, as this is not a very good country for them. I 

 have three brothers and one sister. The baby is a 

 month old. I would like to see the picture of your 

 Blue Eyes. I am 11 years old, and my name is 



Halsey, Ore., Jan. 23, 1883. Kate Smith. 



Now, George and Kate, I think you will 

 have to tell your father to brush up and do a 

 little better with those bees, if he is going to 

 have two children who write for the papers, 

 because, you see, they might tell about it. I 

 wish you M'ould send me that blue-eyed 

 baby ; I am sure we need him at our house 

 more than you do. 



I am seven years old. I go to school now nearly 

 every week day, and also to Sunday-school. Papa 

 had one hive of bees, and he got some more in the 

 country, where farmers were going to kill them. 



He put one in with his Italians, two in with my 

 brother Lee's, and six with mine. There is now 

 over a peck in each hive. Papa got a queen for 

 Lee's hive from you, and after she was in about a 

 month the bees took a notion not to have her, and 

 they carried her out three times before they killed 

 her. She had one foot off. The bees are now 

 packed in double hives with five inches of straw all 

 around them. I had a little sister 3 years and 3 

 months old that died last August, and our home is 

 not so pleasant as it was. Harry Hoffman. 



Williamsport, Pa., Nov. 23, 1881. 



Now, it is really too bad, Harry, that your 

 letter got passed by since way back last fall ; 

 but you can now write and tell us how the 

 hives did, with a peck of bees in each. If 

 your pa gave them all feed enough, I pre- 

 sume they are all rousing big colonies by 

 this time. May God bless you in that lone- 

 ly home, since the dear little sister is gone. 



SONG OF THE BEES. 



I am a worker-bee; 



Come, fly away with me. \ 



1 must work so busily. 



All through the day. 

 My honey-sac I fill 

 From the sages on the hill; 

 And I work with right good will. 



Come away! Come away. 

 Once I builr up waxen walls, 

 Onci I carried pi)llen-balls, 



Fed the larvae, capped them o'er. 



Jelly made and cleaned the floor. 

 Buzz! buzz! This the song I sing. 

 Honey for my hive, and for my foes a sting. 



Buzz! buzz! I've no more time to give; 



1 must work; for six short weeks is all 

 I have to live. 



I am a jolly drone. 

 No trouble have I known; 

 I am lazy, I must own. 

 Yes, I'm a shirk. 

 No honey do I bring. 

 So I never need a sting. 

 But my cheerful song I sing, 



"Never work! Never work!" 

 On a warm and sunny day, 

 I go out to take a play. 

 Sport awhile, then rest and dream, 

 Or fly off to find a queen. 

 Buzz! buzz! This the song I sing. 

 Honey for myself, but for my foes no sting. 

 Buzz! buzz! I've no more time to give; 

 • I must play; for six short weeks is all I 



have to live. 



I am a queen, you see. 

 Full-blood Italian bee. 

 And three yellow bands on me, 



Brightly do shine. 

 A thousand eggs I lay. 

 Every warm and pleasant day. 

 In the merry month of May, 



If the honey is fine. 

 When the spring days come out warm. 

 Then I go cut with a swarm. 

 Leave my oldest daughter home. 

 With young worker bees and drone. 

 Buzz! buzz! This the song 1 sing, 

 "Fresh eggs for my hive; for royal foes a 

 sting." 

 Buzz! buzz! I've no more time to give; 

 I must work; for three short years is aU I 

 have to live. 

 C, M. Drake, Santa Paula, Cal. 



