520 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



up, and the foliage so dense, that but a small 

 amount of sun heat penetrated to the ground; 

 and though we did not put on our overcoats, we 

 felt a decided depression in the temperature. 

 And how we three did appreciate the dim aisles 

 of the woods! There was but liule animal life 



E. A. BRUSH AND APIARY. 



in these dense shades, and the silent forest gave 

 back only the echoes from our passing wagons. 



We three bee-men would now and then see 

 the busy bee, when we came to openings in the 

 forest, indicating that some of those tall hollow 

 trees were occupied. 



Our redwood experiences, however, came to 

 an end, and new experiences in a civilized com- 

 munity occupied our attention. In Hydesville 

 we three very fortunately found a vacant pho- 

 tograph studio, several rooms adjoining, pleas- 

 ant people downstairs. We three took posses- 

 sion, and for six weeks we sojourned in this 

 pleasant town. 



The observations of us three soon discovered 

 the bee-keepers in town. The old box hive and 

 let-'em-alone policy prevailed, and the number 

 of colonies was not excessive. There were no 

 complaints from the fruit-men, and we heard 

 not a word about overstocking the field. The 

 leading bee-keeper of Hydesville was Mr. E. A. 

 Brush. Our acquaintance with him commenc- 

 ed in a peculiar way. While Mr. Wilder and I 

 were trying to get a photo of the public school, 

 and just as we pressed the button on the school, 

 Mr. Brush; who lived across the street, and 

 possessed a camera, pressed the button on us. 

 We were oblivious of the fact until a couple of 

 days afterward, when we were surprised and 

 pleased to see the photo. 



Mr. Brush is the ingenious man of all that 

 portion of the country. Watches, jewelry, and 

 guns are neatly and expeditiously repaired, and 

 photographs taken. The latter is pursued more 



as a side issue and as a means of recreation, 

 though Mr. B. is an expert photographer, hav- 

 ing followed the business for several years. 



A swarm of bees came to Mr. Brush, and, 

 like all ingenious men, he set to work to devise 

 a hive; and though Mr. B. had never been in- 

 terested in bees, had never read 

 a journal or a book upon bee 

 culture, yet our photo shows a 

 veritable up-to-date dovetailed 

 hive. The frames are not Hofif- 

 man, and the surplus sections 

 not 1-lb.; but the nearness to 

 modern ideas is quite surprising. 

 The dovetailed idea was stum- 

 bled upon by using Winchester 

 cartridge-cases, and the frames 

 were made to fit them. The 

 busy bees had filled their hives, 

 and Mr. Brush is looking for- 

 ward to the coming year with 

 expectations of a bountiful har- 

 vest. 



As to the sources of honey, we 

 did not see much that would 

 encourage a specialist. Our ob- 

 servations were made in October, 

 and, not seeing the sages, the 

 honey - flora must consist of 

 spring flowers. Mr. Brush is 

 not a bachelor, but has a well-ordered house- 

 hold, is a leading factor in the community of 

 Hydesville, and a staunch advocate of Hum- 

 boldt Co. as a healthful and profitable portion 

 of California; is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, 

 and a handy man to have in the community. 



CLIPPING queens' i\'INGS. 



Qiiestioti. — Is it advisable to clip the queen's 

 wings'? What has been the experience with 

 such queens'? Are they more likely to be 

 superseded by the bees than those having per- 

 fect wings '? 



Answer. — In nearly every apiary, where the 

 manager can or is expected to be present dur- 

 ing the swarming season, I should advise the 

 clipping of all laying queens in the apiary; in 

 fact, I should as soon think of going back to 

 box hives as to the managing of an apiary 

 where the queens have their wings so they 

 could fly out with the swarm, where I was 

 working the same for comb honey. I said, " in 

 nearly every apiary." Why I said this was, 

 there are a very few localities in the United 

 States where ants are so thick .on the ground, 

 and about the hives, that it would not be safe 

 to allow the queens to be out on the ground for 

 any length of time, else they would be killed by 



