THE BEE-KEEPERS" REVIEW 



to me from reading-. Brother, try just 

 one year to read all of the matter that 

 you can, bearing upon your occupation, 

 and see if it does not prove the most 

 profitable and enjoyable money that you 

 ever spent. 



but he said no, he wanted to get more. 

 Finally he said there was one with which 

 something was wrong. It had plenty of 

 honey, but the bees would not work, and 

 1 might have that for S5.00. So 1 went 

 to his place, in the evening, with a team, 

 and got the bees home, and in only four 



JOHN CLINL. 



The Man who has Kept Bees the Longest 

 of any one in this Country — 86 Years. 



Mr. N. E. France has often mentioned 

 Mr. John Cline, of Darlington, Wisconsin, 

 as being the oldest bee keeper in the 

 country, so far as is known, and as hav- 

 ing kept bees the longest — 86 years. 

 Thinking this might be of interest to my 

 readers, I wrote Mr. Cline for his photo- 

 graph, and some points regarding- his bee 

 keeping life. His reply is as follows: 



Darlington, Wis,, Nov. 26, 1910. 

 Dear Friend Hutchinson: — 



As I read your letter, mem- 

 ory went back to the days of other 

 years, when 1 was a lad of seven. That 

 was 86 years ago. At that time my 

 parents lived in Mercer Co., Penn., and 

 kept a few bees. My mother was a 

 weaver of blankets; while 1 watched the 

 bees. When a swarm issued, 1 rang the 

 bell until the bees clustered on a rose 

 bush. I would then set a skep close by 

 and sweep the bees into it. For this 

 work 1 was given a colony which 1 kept 

 five years. 



About that time the bee moth came to 

 Mercer Co., and destroyed all our bees. 



When 1 was thirteen, I worked two 

 weeks for a German bee keeper, and he 

 let me have a colony of bees, and showed 

 me how to make skeps out of straw. 



I kept bees in this manner until 1 was 

 twenty, when 1 went to a place of my 

 own, taking five colonies with me. 



About this time the Quinby hive came 

 into use. 1 bought a sample hive and the 

 right to make and use them, and quit 

 brimstoning the bees. 



In the year 1850, May 20th, I sold 

 my place and bees (25 colonies) and all 

 personal property, and then moved to 

 Wisconsin. 



On the 4th of July I started out to buy 

 a cow and some bees. I found a m.an 

 who had five colonies in log gums. One 

 colony was hanging out all over the log. 

 I asked him if he would sell me a colony. 



days they sent out a good swarm, In 

 four years, 1 again had 25 colonies. 



About this time the Langstroth hive 

 came into use, and 1 transferred my bees 

 into the Langstroth hives. 



Since then 1 have kept from 40 to 100 

 colonies. I work for comb honey and 

 get from 25 to 100 pounds per colony; 

 and sell it from 15 to 20 cts. per pound. 



I have a gasoline engine, and make 

 my own hives, and foundation. I read 

 all of the bee books and journals, and try 

 to keep up with the times. 1 keep my 

 colonies stong; winter them in a cellar, 

 and don't lose any. 



Yours truly, 



John Cline. 



Building a Bee Cellar and Honey House. 



The Massachusetts Agricultural College 

 has in view the building- of a demonstra- 

 tional bee house, work shop, and cellar 

 for wintering bees. Mr. Burton N. Gates 

 is sending out a circular letter asking for 

 suggestions in regard to details of con- 



