May, 1913. 



American 'Ree Journal 



number of years, but my uncle built up 

 again and increased until he had about 

 300 colonies. His first swarm was 

 hived from^a stump when he was 14 

 years old. 



He was always experimenting, and 

 designed hundreds of little devices for 

 bee-work. Some of the earlier inven- 

 tions were patented. He once told me 

 that he had received from the sale of 

 patented articles about what the pat- 

 ents had cost him. During the last 20 

 years he patented nothing. He never 

 talked much, but would test out his 

 inventions, and if he did not like them, 

 discarded them without further ado — 

 the world none the wiser for his ex- 

 periments. 



During his bee-keeping life he was 

 successful in securing hired help to do 



The Late Oliver Foster. 



a large part of his bee-work. He said 

 that he would rather have a big, strong 

 boy 18 to 20 years of age, who was not 

 afraid of bees, and who knew nothing 

 about them, than a man who had 

 worked with bees for years and had 

 his own methods of bee-keeping firmly 

 fixed. Such a boy could and would 



follow his instructions, while the older 

 bee-man would be more or less inde- 

 pendent in his ideas. When his men 

 had worked for him several years, he 

 would sell or lease to them some of his 

 bees. At the time of his death he 

 owned bees in Oregon, Idaho, and in 

 three counties in Colorado. In all, he 

 owned or invested in over hjuO colonies. 



In May, 1894, he moved from Mt. 

 Vernon, Iowa, to Las Animas, Colo., 

 taking two carloads of bees and sup- 

 plies with him. That year he har- 

 vested about 4.5 tons of honey. The 

 largest yield, per colony, he ever had 

 was about 300 pounds of extracted to 

 the colony for about 300 colonies. He 

 was systematic in his work, and all 

 supplies must be uniform and inter- 

 changeable. There is not in any of his 

 apiaries that I know of a cover that is 

 larger than the top of the hive. The 

 bottom-boards are equally simple. 

 Covers and bottoms were soaked in oil 

 before painting. 



While operating his apiaries at Las 

 Animas, he had such a system devel- 

 oped that he seldom visited the apia- 

 ries — all the work was directed from 

 home, and he looked after the business 

 and sale of the honey. 



He has demonstrated that it is possi- 

 ble to operate bees as a commercial 

 proposition — his net income from 

 leased bees for a terra of nearly 20 years 

 averaging somewhere between 10 and 

 15 percent annually — and some serious 

 failures have occurred during that time. 



Not being robust, he found it neces- 

 sary to save his strength. This is one 

 reason why he always sought hired 

 help that would follow directions to 

 the detail — he wished to be the brains 

 of his enterprise, if he could not sup- 

 ply the muscle. 



He was a leader in church and Sun- 

 day school work. At the time of his 

 death he was a member of the official 

 board of the First Methodist church of 

 Boulder, Colo. 



It is hard to go through his honey- 

 house and shop and realize that he is 

 no longer with us. His little devices 

 and methods of work stand out with 

 almost the reality of a living presence. 

 We miss him sorely. He is survived 

 by a wife and two daughters. Faith and 

 Ruth. — Wesley Foster. 



Contributed 



Articles^ 



Avoiding Being Stung 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



A CORRESPONDENT writes thus : 

 "Will Mr. Doolittle tell, in the 

 American Bee Journal, about 

 working with the bees so as to 

 avoid being stung as much as 

 possible. Also tell us why bees sting 

 some people so much worse than 

 others." 



A thorough knowledge of the habits 

 and wants of our pets, the bees, has 

 much to do with the number of stings 

 we get. If we make a close study of 



the habits of the honey-bees, and the 

 causes that induce them to sting, we 

 will at once recognize that quick mo- 

 tions, under most circumstances, are 

 liable to arouse their ire and make 

 them sting. By going slowly, in open- 

 ing hives, or when within the range of 

 their flight from the entrance or door- 

 way of their home, one can do almost 

 anything with bees. But if one works 

 in a peculiar jerking, rapid way, throw- 

 ing the arms in the air, or stamping 

 about in front of the hive, one is liable 

 to get stung badly. 



If the motions are regulated to the 

 whims of the bees, and the work 



among them done from the back side 

 of the hive, or out of sight of the en- 

 trance, a person will get along with 

 few stings. 



Then the weather must be taken into 

 account. If the day is warm and the 

 sun shinging brightly, with plenty of 

 nectar coming in from the fields, it is 

 no trick for the experienced bee-keeper 

 to be at work continuously from 8 a.m. 

 to -5 p.m. and not receive a single sting. 

 This is especially true up to the middle 

 of the first flow of nectar, which is of 

 sufficient amount for the bees to store 

 quite a surplus during any season. I 

 have worked for a whole week pre- 

 vious to the middle of the harvest from 

 the white clover bloom without re- 

 ceiving a single sting during all the 

 season up to July 1, at which time the 

 basswood harvest is generally ap- 

 proaching. But I did not work any 

 more than I could help on what some 

 bee-keepers call "off days," such as a 

 cool day after a rain; a day following 

 a sudden stoppage in the flow of nec- 

 tar, and nez'er, unless it was a case of 

 actual necessity, when the bees from 

 any reason were robbing. 



If obliged to do certain things on 

 these " off days," it is always best to 

 wear a veil and take the smoker with 

 you. And it is best to make sure that 

 the smoker is in good order, ready to 

 give a good volume of smoke at a mo- 

 ment's notice. Be sure you do not jerk 

 off the hive cover so that the whole 

 colony is aroused, for under such 

 usage stings can hardly be avoided, 

 even if well veiled and smoker in good 

 trim. 



On these off days proceed something 

 after this fashion : Stepping to the 

 rear of the hive carefully blow a little 

 smoke in at the entrance until the bees 

 are heard to hum as they scamper 

 away from the smoke. Now pry the 

 cover up a little, very carefully, and as 

 this is done gently send a stream of 

 smoke into the crack made by the knife 

 or hive tool. This drives down the 

 the guards at the top to meet those 

 which had run from the entrance, and 

 so disconcerts them that the fighting 

 properties are taken away, and their 

 main thought is to take a sip of honey 

 for fear their house is on fire, and that 

 they will need some stores to start with 

 anew, if they are obliged to seek a new 

 home. The crack is now made a little 

 wider, and more smoke is driven in 

 when the cover is removed. If, after 

 the cover is off, the bees seem to show 

 quick, nervous movements, bobbing 

 their bodies quickly one way and the 

 other, with their heads following every 

 motion you make, no matter how slow 

 these riiotions are. then give a few 

 more light whiffs of smoke until they 

 are subdued and comparatively quiet, 

 as the frames are gently pried apart or 

 loosened preparatory to removing. If, 

 at any time, the bees stick their heads 

 up arid follow your hands as you ma- 

 nipulate the frames or hive, thus show- 

 ing that they are ready to fight, they 

 must be driven back again with smoke 

 or else a volley may pour out which 

 will give many stings, if the operator 

 is not stampeded entirely. 



As the frames are removed they 

 should be carefully set in an empty 

 hive or light box carried along for this 

 purpose, as all robbing is forestalled in 



