GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Nov. lo 



"wax when they can get it, the same as they 

 will appropriate gums for their propolis 

 work. — Ed.] 



A NOVEL AND A SIMPLE METHOD OF HIV- 

 ING A SWARM. 



How to Make a First-class Swarm-catcher Out 



of a Common Bashel Basket and a Forked 



Pole. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



While I was up in Northern Michigan, 

 among other persons I called upon was S. 

 D. Chapman at Mancelona. Our newer 

 readers may not remember him, perhaps, 

 as one of our old correspondents and one of 

 the leading bee-keepers of Michigan. Our 

 friend explained, when I arrived, that this 

 had been an off year, and that his bees had 

 not done much if any thing. The season 

 looked very propitious during the spring 

 and early summer; but the drouth, coming 

 just when it did, practically spoiled the 

 honey crop. 



While we were sitting on the porch talk- 

 ing, one of the members of the household 

 remarked that a swarm was out. Now, I have 

 seen swarms hived hundreds of times; but 

 almost every bee-keeper has his own way of 

 doing the trick. I said to Mr. Chapman, 

 as we moved out to the bee-yard, "I should 

 like to see your way of doing it." 



"Well, now," he said, "you have come at 

 just the right time, for I have not had 

 another swarm during the whole season." 



80 saying, we proceeded to the bee-yard. 

 We found a fairly good-sized swarm on a 

 fruit-tree near one side of the yard. As 

 there bad been no other swarm that season, 

 Mr. Chapman said he had no swarming- 

 pole, and he would have to cut a sapling 

 from the woods near by. In a few moments 

 he came back with a small tree which he 

 was trimming up into a long straight pole 

 with a fork on the end. The pole when fin- 

 ished was between twelve and fifteen feet 

 long. He next went to the barn and se- 

 cured a common bushel basket. One han- 

 dle of this he hooked over on the end of the 

 fork of the before-mentioned pole, and then 

 proceeded to shove the basket up under the 

 swarm, as shown in the lower right-hand 

 picture herewith. When the basket was 

 clear up against the limb he gave the pole 

 one quick shove upward, dislodging perhaps 

 three-fourths of the bees. Three or four 

 more upward pushes dislodged all the bees, 

 as will be seen in the middle picture at the 

 bottom. When the bees began to roll over 

 on the outside, he drew the pole down; and 

 when the basket was within reach he held 

 it up for my inspection. "There," said he, 

 " tlmt is the way I catch my swarms." He 

 then dumped it in front of a prepared hive 

 and the work was done. 



In the first place, you will remember that 

 he had no swarming'-pole, and rigged up an 

 outfit inside of ten minutes that is probably 

 nearly the equal of any thing that has ever 



been made. Bushel baskets are usually 

 available around every farmhouse; if not, 

 they can be bought at an insignificant price. 

 A small sapling, perhaps one inch in diam- 

 eter, comprises the rest of the outfit. The 

 fork at the end must have the prongs long 

 enough so there is no danger, during the 

 process of jarring the swarm, of unhooking 

 the basket. 



The upper view shows the bee-yard, the 

 bank barn, and the honey-house and work- 

 shop on the left. Beneath the honey-house 

 is his wintering-cellar. • 



Mr. Chapman is too well known to need 

 very much introduction here. He is regard- 

 ed by bee-keepers of Michigan as one of the 

 most successful farmers and bee-keepers in 

 the whole State. He apparently does not 

 follow Mr. Hutchinson's advice to keep 

 more bees. He would have been left high 

 and dry this season if he had. While he 

 has two or three outyards he has a fine farm 

 which he operates in connection, and ap- 

 parently this kind of combination is partic- 

 ularly advantageous when there is a poor 

 season with the bees. 



The general appearance of the farm would 

 indicate that Mr. Chapman makes it pay, 

 and pay well. When I see fine building,s, 

 land that is not overgrown with weeds, a 

 well-kept home, and a neat pretty apiary — 

 well, I know their owner is more than mak- 

 ing ends meet. When I asked the livery- 

 man if he knew where Mr. Chapman lived, 

 he said, "Oh, yes! he is well known, and is 

 one of the most prosperous farmers in these 

 parts." 



If there had been more time at my dis- 

 posal I should have been glad to show Mr. 

 Chapman doing some stunts with his bees; 

 but it was necessary for me to leave that 

 afternoon. 



A VISIT TO A BLIND BEE-KEEPER. 



He drove me across country to a railroad 

 station by the name of Alden. He there in- 

 troduced me to a Mr. John Armstrong, a 

 blind bee-keeper, who has been without the 

 use of his eyes for thirty years. Wond»'rful 

 to relate, this man has some thirty or forty 

 colonies which he handles almost alone. 

 His blindness was due to a premature mine 

 explosion as a young man. While he has 

 not seen the light of day for many years, 

 he seems to enjoy life, walks all over town, 

 gttes all through the Michigan woods unat- 

 tended, finding his way apparently without 

 difficulty with his cane. Of course, in work- 

 ing with his bees there come times when 

 eyesight alone is indispensable. Fortunate- 

 ly his little son is able to give him material 

 assistance. 



Mo^ men would be utterly discouraged 

 after losing their eyesight; but Mr. Arm- 

 strong made up his mind to make the best 

 of the situation, and he did. He would 

 shame any one possessed with two good 

 eyes who would complain that he did not 

 have any chance in the world. He is a 

 sample of a kind of courage and determina- 

 tion to overcome difficulties that is altogeth- 

 er too rare. 



