1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



433 



vernon burt, or the bee-keeper who 



"gets there" eveky year. 

 FoR>ome time back I have been contemplat- 

 ing introducing to you those of my bee-keeping 

 friends with whom I have had most to do in a 

 personal way — that is, those who live in our 

 own county, and with whom I "talk bees" 

 whenever they come to town. The first one is 

 Mr. Vernon Burt, a bee-keeper who owns in 

 the neighborhood of 250 colonies, three or four 

 miles distant, and who has the distinction (due 

 either to good luck or good management or 

 both) of securing a crop of honey every year. 



Two or three years ago, when I scoured the 

 country far and near, hunting up successful 

 bee-keepers, you will remember our head clerk 

 of the shipping department one day told me 



VERNON BURT. 



that I was overlooking a very successful bee- 

 keeper right under our nose. Said he, "This 

 man always gets a crop of honey; buys piles of 

 bee-supplies, and always pays ca&Ti. down, and 

 seems to have a plenty left after paying for the 

 goods." This man was Vernon Burt, 



As I have before explained to our readers, it 

 did not take me long to find out more about him. 

 Heis a man who says little; and as for writing 

 for the bee-journals, I do not suppose he could 

 be hired to do so for love or money, although 

 he is just brimming full with that best of all 

 requirements for successful bee-keeping— ex- 

 perience coupled with good common sense and 

 business tact. 



He lives on the farm with his folks; and 

 although he is within a year of forty he has not 

 yet taken unto himself a wife. I am sorry for 

 him and for the nice girl that— that— well, 

 ought to have him. 



Mr. Burt is an advocate of large double-wall- 

 ed hives; fixed frames after the style of the 

 Hoffman; and winters solely outdoors, and 

 always with success. He is not inclined to 

 jump into new things hastily; but whenever a 

 novelty has real merit he is sure to adopt it. 

 He practices clipping wings, and believes that 

 he can secure more honey by letting the bees 

 have their own way in swarming once rather 

 than by trying to forestall them. How he man- 

 ages during swarming-time I have already 

 explained. 



Yesterday, May 26, I called at his home yard 

 for the first time this season. I was much sur- 

 prised at the increased number of colonies in 

 that one location; indeed, I believe he has more 

 bees in one yard than any other apiarist in the 

 State. Originally the apiary was confined to 

 the orchard; but now it has grown so large it 

 runs away out into the open field. It is always 

 neatly kept, and the grass and weeds are kept 

 down. I believe I have before explained 

 that his lawn-mower is a flock of sheep let 

 loose at nigiit. If there is any thing that will 

 keep grass down close it is sheep. 



Near the extracting-house was one of those 

 large Boardman solar wax-extractors. This he 

 regards as one of the almost indispensable ad- 

 juncts to a well-regulated apiary. Every bit 

 of old comb, refuse wax of any sort, or cappings, 

 are thrown into this machine and turned into a 

 first quality of wax. A large part of such wax, 

 he thinks, might otherwise be wasted but for 

 the convenience of this machine, which is 

 always ready, working for nothing and board- 

 ing itself. 



After we had looked through the yard, we 

 each, as is our custom, seated ourselves on a 

 couple of large chaff hives, under one of those 

 large apple-trees. 



"Well," said I, " what are the prospects this 

 year? I see white clover out around us, and 

 Dr. Miller is unusually hopeful. How is it with 

 you?" 



"Been too dry with us," said he. "White 

 clover appears in little patches here and there, 

 but only in little patches. What little honey 

 my bees are now getting is from red clover." 



" Well, are your prospects any better this 

 year than last? " 



"Just about the same; but," he continued, 

 "I never saw more basswood buds than this 

 year. I am expecting a good crop of honey 

 from that source." 



" But do you think those buds are going to 

 ' give down ' ? " said I. 



"I never knew them to fail when they looked 

 as they do now." 



•' How is your out-yard coming on ? " 



" Doing nicely." 



With this I mounted my bicycle, with the 

 promise that I would call again at the first op- 

 portunity. 



