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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



April 



afternoon, and by lighter rains for the next two 

 days. 



May 23d, 0, 3, 5, rain. Five oz. were also brought in 

 the same day as the rain, increasing to 6 the next 

 day, with slig-ht rain the same afternoon. This illus- 

 trates Rule IV. 



May 28tb, 0, 4, rain. Then follow two days of alter- 

 nate sunshine and violent showers, honey secretion 

 seeming to continue. (Rule 4.) 



June Ist, 3, 3, sprinkles. 



June 3d, 2, 6, light rain, and 10, 0, and sprinkles. 



On June Tth, the weight was not reliably taken. 



June 8th, 0, i, 1, 5, 15, rain. This rain came in the 

 afternoon, and was followed by a sharp increase of 

 the honey secretion, bees getting in 18 oz. that after- 

 noon. Storm and rain for the next two days fol- 

 lowed. 



June 16th, 34, 17, 0, 10, 9. Just as we would be led 

 to expect, no rain followed this diminuendo. 



Juno 2l8t, 15, 31, 60, 58, rain. (Rule VI.) 



Correct weights could not be taken for the next 

 two days, on account of a grand swarming mchc. 

 Honey secretion-was probably continued, and show- 

 ers fell on the 2Tth, 28th, and 29th. 



June 29th, 13, 21, 49, rain. 



July 2d, 22, 24, 33, rain, and 33, sprinkles, and 9. 



July Tth, 3, 11, 14, light rain. 



July 10th, 0, heavy rain. This heavy rain, follow- 

 ing a day of no honey secretion, is somewhat anom- 

 alous. 



July 12th, 2, 9, 12, rain. 



July l5th, colony swarmed. 



July 16th, 1, 5, rain. On this rainy day the honey- 

 ttow increased to 15 oz., and the next day was very 

 r?Jny. It rained also the succeeding day, which had 

 a small honey secretion. 



July 21st, 0, 9, rain, 7 and rain. 



July 24th, 3, 16, rain, 6 and rain. 



July 27th, 10, 13, 15, 19, 17, 13, and sprinkles. (Rule 

 VII.) Here false expectations of rain on the 30th 

 might have been formed. 



Aug-. 2d, 11 and slight rain. 



Aug. 3d, 1, 12, 14, 14, 14, 13, no rain. 



Aug. 8th, 13, 14, 15, rain. 



Aug. 12th, 13, 16. rain. 



Aug. 15ih, 3, 9, 25, rain. 



Aug. 18th, 27, rain. 



Aug. 20th, 13, 20, 41, 41, 50, heavy rains. 



Aug. 26th, 33, 53, 26 and rain. Two days of lowcry, 

 drizzly weather succeeded, during which little was 

 gathered; but honey secretion may have continued. 



Aug. 31st, 52, 52, 33 and rain. 



Sept. 3d, 9, 20, 1.5, 13, 0, 0, light rain. Unless there 

 was a shower on the night of the 4th, which I did not 

 record, the failure of rain at that point looks a little 

 lawless. 



Sept. 10th, 10, 11, 10 and rain. 



Sept. 13th, 0, 0, 2, 7, rain. 



Sept. 17th, 5, 3, 1, slight rain. This looks lawless; 

 but quite possibly the decline is merely the effect of 

 .the frost of Sept. 15th. 



Sept. 20th, 9, 3, 0, no rain. 



Sept. 23d, 1, 0, light rain. 



This closes the honey season of 1880. I leave it 

 with the reader if the figures do not pretty strongly 

 support the assumptions at the head of the article. 

 Next time, if the editor does not refuse, I will bring 

 forward the remainder cf the evidence. 



E. E. Hasty. 



Richards, Lucas Co., O., March 8, 1882. 



The above idea is certainly novel; but al- 



though the figures so far seem to point 

 strongly in the way of some relationship be- 

 tween honey and rain, I can hardly feel sat- 

 islied it is not accidental. The record of the 

 rate at whicli honey comes in day by day 

 through the honey season is interesting and 

 valuable, and we, for the present, may thank 

 friend Hasty, and stand ready to be con- 

 vinced, upon the presentation of further 

 facts. 



I^lilAKNING OUR BUSINESS. 



ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT COMB FOUNDATION. 



I^RIEND HUTCHINSON, I may be mistaken in 

 JBp regard to supposing that the best way how to 

 learn the truths of apiculture is to spend a 

 season with a successful apiarist; but yet, I think 

 not. If because what is true in a few instances in 

 Michigan is false in Florida, as regards our pursuit, 

 still It remains a fact, that the great basic princi- 

 ples, not only of apiculture, but of successful apicul- 

 ture, are facts the world over. If my plan is wrong, 

 so is our State Agricultural College, aecorSing to 

 your method of reasoning. So is a journal devoted 

 to articles from North and South, Germany and Eng- 

 land, only half a journal to each faction. 



But " few persons can leave home convenientlij to 

 become apprentices." 



I never thought of that. I had forgotten I was a 

 supply dealer. My mind was, for the moment, be- 

 fogged with the idea that wg were working for the 

 greatest number of pounds of honey from tho few- 

 est number of producers, and, consequently, best 

 price for that honcj'. 



Please excuse me. I am surely becoming disloyal 

 to the fraternity to which I belong, as a Supply deal- 

 er. It was only a mistake. lam smart enough to see 

 that my plan would tend ro bring about an economj' 

 in supplies that would prove damaging to us fellows, 

 when I stop to reflect. Yes, 'tis true one smoker, 

 one swarm-arrester, one honey-knife, one extractor, 

 would be needed by the two or three colony fellow, 

 the same as by the specialist. Besides, the fellow 

 climbing the hill uninstructed will often over pur- 

 chase, and buy some Mitchell and Lizzie Cotton 

 goods, which goods do not stand in the way of fur- 

 ther purchase, just as soon as he gets a little more 

 self-culture, home instruction. No in-" conveni- 

 ence" should be allowed to check the influx into 

 this business. We should be proud of tho noise, 

 when we can stand up and shout, " The only husiness 

 entirely free from in-'convcniencd' " 



It is simply a question of "'a great many pounds 

 from a few producers," or, "a few pounds each 

 from a great many producers." Of course, I see my 

 intei'cst in the matter; but then, "'tis human to 

 err." Sometimes, before a man hardly knows it, his 

 integrity will get the start of his policy. 



But we agree exactly in regard to the "Square 

 List;" but let's not say any thing about it, except 

 by our actions. 



I can second friend Hasty's compliment to the 

 proof-reader, and even go further: I congratulate 

 the typo on his superiority over mo in reading my 

 coldest hieroglyphics. 



But now a word about 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



I want to tell you, in as few words as possible, 

 why I like the Given press and its products above 



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