230 



GLEANINGS IN 13EE CULTURE. 



May 



ing still going along slowly. Read friend 

 Miller's article on spring feeding. 



When you don't know what ought to be 

 done, study the bee books and see if they do 

 not remind you of something. 



Or liettcrs from Tlio(>ic AVho have Mpide 

 Bee Culture a. Failure. 



■HAT shall I do now? In the winter of 1880-'81 

 1 lost all my bees; so I bought 10 in the 

 spring for $50.00; increased to 20, and got 

 lbs. of honey. It turned olT dry in the fall, my 

 bees Jacked stores. I fed them 300 lbs. of honey. 

 They sealed it up nicely, and were strong in bees, so 

 I thought they were in good fix. I built a good cel- 

 lar that cost me $100. In February I found rny bees 

 were dying with dysentery; March 1st, 11 left. The 

 weather was pleasant ; they began to carry in pollen 

 and honey, so I thought all was right ; but the 15th I 

 had 5 left, and April 1st, all gone. Now, my family 

 think I had better quit, though I have plenty of 

 hives and nice combs, and trees also. I sowed clo- 

 ver seed. Now, when the honey season comes I 

 shall want bees, though I have spent my money, and 

 have no more to spend. Now, what shall I do? Every 

 few years I lose my bees by this same disease. 

 Dunlap, Kan., Apr. 13, 1883. S. P. SowEits. 



Buy a couple more colonies, and try again, 

 friend S. Never again, as long as you live, 

 think of feeding honey for winter stores. 

 Where they have stores in the comb nicely 

 sealed up, "that you have reason to think are 

 good and wholesome, it may be well enough 

 to let them have it ; but when you are oblig- 

 ed to feed, by all means feed granulated 

 sugar. You can get it at any store or gro- 

 cery, and your honey, if any way decent, will 

 sell for more than enough to buy your su- 

 gar. If the honey is so poor it won't sell, by 

 no means think of feeding it to your bees 

 for winter stores. Try again, but don't in- 

 vest very mnch money. Go slow, and learn 

 to winter without any loss. 



My bees all died this winter, with the dysentery. I 

 want to try it again this summer. Please let me 

 know what you can furnish this bill for. 



W. B. ZiNN. 



Holbrook, Ritchie Co., W. Va., Apr. 3, 1883. 



Why, friend Z., I thought you were dis- 

 couraged, and were going to give it up ; but 

 I guess I must have made a mistake, and 

 you don't belong in this department at all. 

 I wanted to make a kind of respectable 

 showing for this department this spring — 

 but I declare it is hard work — hold on ! 

 Our next friend will hll the bill sure, and he 

 tells it ill poetry too. J list read : — 



Written for Gleanings. 

 MY friend's bequest AND REPORT. 



" Jim," said a friend of mine to me one daj', 

 "I've thought it over, and helieve 'twill pay — 

 If the l)earings I have rightly reckfjned — 

 To attend Jtie Harvey's Siiletho 3d, 



And buy, just to try thom. smne of his bees. 

 He has nine sc.ips that he don't want to keep, 

 And I know I can get them 'dogged' cheap; 

 Besides, they're things that don't need much care; 

 Just hive them, and set them anywhere, 



And let them do exactly as they please. 



" I don't go much on these new adoptions 

 (These new-fangled hives and such contraptions), 

 Because they're just made to get your money. 

 Not to give you more gallons of honey; 

 And 1 won't have any of them about. 

 These bifalutin editors may talk 

 About their patent hives and foreign stock. 

 But the man that's fool enough to buy them • 

 Will find, to his sorrow, after he tries them. 

 That they'll rank with the biggest humbugs out." 



Well, hs went to the sale and bought the lot 

 For thirty-seven dollars, on the spot;— 

 Nine old box hives and a big box of comb — 

 And, one cold day in March, he hauled them heme. 



Hoping, as he did so, they wouldn't ficeze. 

 " Now," said he blandly, " I'm just starting out 

 In something I don't know much about; 

 1 can't well no a thing 1 don't know how; 

 But, if j'ou happen 'round a year from now. 



Don't fail to call and see me and my bees." 



A year rolled by; and I, as requested, 

 Sought the report on cash invested 

 At '■ the sale " in apicultural stock; 

 Also to indulge in a friendly talk 



On the various questions of the day. 

 We talked about horses, cattle, and sheep. 

 And other kind of stock that farmers keeff; 

 But 'twas some time before 1 could persuaae 

 Him to redeem the promise he had made. 



And have, on bee-keeping, something to say. 



"Well, Jim," said he at length, "yonder they are; 

 And, hoping that my harsh words will not mar 

 One of the oeeish otfspring of your brain. 

 Or kind opinion that you entertain 



On bees and bee-keeping, 1 will report. 

 Over yonder, beyond that bed of selves, 

 Lie the nine historical old box hives. 

 Smashed and broken — as you can plainly see, 

 And wanting the hum of a single bee — 



Its busy life, alas! how very short 1 



"You mind, I bought them along in March, 

 And set them against that old boilei'-archV 

 Well, ihey sat there all right till 'long in May; 

 Then my wife ran agin the stand one day. 



And knocked four of the best ones in the run. 

 The comb, you may bet, was mashed about right, 

 And 1 had to ' sulphur ' the four that night 

 To keep them from drivin' U3 off the place. 

 As it was, eleven stung me in the face, 



A'.d nearly killed my sister's little son. 



" To make it short, the others all swarmed twice, 

 Settled on the pear-trees all right and nice; 

 Calmly surveyed my apicultural goods. 

 And then six of the ten wer.t to the woods — 



A part of the programme 1 hadn't billed. 

 I then had eight swarms; five old and three new, 

 And they fooled along the whole summer through, 

 And, tvith buckwheat fields and clover all around, 

 (Jf t)ox lioticn they never made a pound; 



Then tlie profitless mess all ivinter-kdlcd. 



That's my report," said he, and I replied: 

 " My friend, I'm sorry that jour bees have died; 

 That your investment of time and money 

 Should bring you, instead of bees and honey, 



this grievous melancholy retrospect. 

 Yet, in your expert nee you have earned 

 A prize; tor you, undoubtedly, have learned 

 That, to make bee-keeping a grand success. 

 You must Itnow and lieep their laws, nothing less^ 



Failures are but the fruits of sheer neglect." 



F. F. M. 



Now, to tell the truth, friend " F. F. M.," 

 I am not very much astonished at your 

 friend's bad luck, but I am astonished to 

 know that there is a woman in this broad 

 land so awkward and unfeeling as to run 

 against a bench, and bump those poor little 

 bees down, and " astonish " them clear out 

 of their poor little wits. I presume the mor- 

 al to this sad tale is, that the women folks 

 who have husbands addicted to apicultu- 

 ral pursuits must step around a little more 

 carefully. 



