342 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



quite a good many in the bee-business here, and 

 are doing very well, it being a heavily timbered 

 country. We have a good deal of basswood, white 

 clover, and red raspberry, the latter growing spon- 

 taneously in all open places. I had 15 colonies last 

 spring, and now have 40, all wintering well. My 

 nephew extracted 18l0 lbs. from 20 colonies, so you 

 see they do something here. I want to state how 

 we winter bees here, and then you can put the 

 whole thing into the waste-basket if you think best. 

 We dig a hole, or pit, in the ground, and board it 

 up and cover with boards and then dirt, leaving no 

 ventilation whatever. That is the way 1 have win- 

 tered my bees the past two years. I use no tobac- 

 <30, so I shall have to go down into my pocket for 

 those two smokers we need. 



It it^ our turn to " smile " now. Instead of mud 

 we have hfidapleridid sleighing all winter. 



Mancelona, Mich., Mar. IT. E. Chapman. 



Friend C, your bees will probably winter 

 very nicely in your sandy soil, even if you 

 make no provision for ventilation. I sup- 

 pose I am correct in thinking the soil is 

 sandy and porous in that section of Michi- 

 gan where you live. 



BEES AND SAP. 



For what purpose do bees use the sap of trees? 

 I notice them using water out of holes in trees that 

 seems to be stale, and mixed with sap. Is it one of 

 the necessary ingredients in the preparation of 

 food for larvae, or do the old bees use it to aid di- 

 gestion? G. D. MiMS. 



Falfa, S. C, Feb. 17. 



Friend M., you evidently have never read 

 our little book, '' Menybanks and his Neigh- 

 bor," or you would not inquire why bees 

 use sap. It furnishes them both water and 

 sugar ; and did maple sap come at a time 

 when the weather is favorable for the bees 

 to fly, it would probably be one of the great- 

 est aids to brood-rearing. Bees do seem to 

 prefer, at times, stale, "foul, and stagnant 

 water ; and I do not know that any good 

 explanation has been given. Possibly they 

 take it because they need water, and do not 

 stop to notice whether it is clean or not, 

 very much as common fowls will often 

 drink water which is leached from a ma- 

 nure-heap, possibly because they are too 

 lazy or too stupid to go where better water 

 can be had. 



GOOD OR BAD LOCK ; A STORY WITH A MORAL. 



Some eight years ago I invested $64 03 in eight 

 swarms of black native bees. Within three years I 

 was without bees or honey, every pound of the lat- 

 ter I got having cost me over 75 cents, saying noth- 

 ing about my time and bother. Before I bought 

 those bees I thought I knew all aboutkeepingthem. 

 After my cash and bees were gone, and all I had to 

 show for them was a lot of empty hives and old 

 combs, I came to the conclusion that all is not gold 

 that glitters, even in bee keeping. I made kindling- 

 wood of the hives, wax of the combs, and came to 

 this conclusion on two things: First, that I would 

 go a little slower next time; second, that the next 

 bees I got should not cost me any thing, only the 

 time Id find them and the hives to put them in. 

 Last winter being quite mild, a good many bees 

 lived ovor ia the woods; and being a practical bee- 

 hunter (if not a bee-keeperl I have hunted bees 

 nearly every year for twenty years. I found five 



swarms in the timber, in April. Some one was good 

 enough to steal one of them before I got around to 

 take them up and transfer to tiives. I took up the 

 other four, however, and I got last season from the 

 four, spring count, ~(0 lbs. ct comb honey and 

 about the same of extracted, or lOO lbs. per colony, 

 spring count. I have now 10 swarms in the cellar, 

 the increase from last season, which at present, 

 March 31, are in good shape. L. J. Clark. 



Wiscoy, Minn., Mar. 31. 



Friend C, your bad luck was the result 

 of investing heavily in bees to commence 

 with, liut whj^ you should make kindling- 

 wood of the hives, and wax of the combs ? 

 Wouldn't your hives and combs come in 

 nicely now with the rational start you have 

 made V 



A bee-keeper's sad home. 

 Ji/-. Z?oot;— As my husband is a bee-keeper and a 

 reader of your valuable paper, I take these few 

 sad moments to write to you. We have met with a 

 sad loss. Death has entered our home and taken 

 our pet, our little baby. Just one month ago to- 

 day she closed her sweet blue eyes; and as she 

 loved so well to look at " papa's paper " I thought I 

 would send you the following lines: 



OUR two-year old little ELLA. 



Fold the little waxen fingers 



Softly o'er her snowy breast; 

 Death has claimed our little darling- 

 Little Ella's now at rest. 

 Place within her hand sweet flowers, 



Broken from the parent stem- 

 Fitting emblem of our treasure- 

 God has claimed our rarest gem. 

 Dearer far to us than riches- 

 Aye, how dear we ne'er could tell, 

 Till stern Death, with icy fingers, 

 Seized the one we loved so well. 

 Sweet blue eyes are closed for ever; 



Busy hands for ever still; 

 Lisping tongue for ever silent I 



Naught on earth her place can fill. 

 Hushed is now her childish laughter; 



How we miss her gentle tread! 

 While our home, so sad and dreary, 



Seems to echo, " Ella 's dead!" 

 She 's not dead, but only sleeping; 



Christ himself has told us so; 

 We vainly try to cease our weeping, 

 But our hearts are filled with woe; 

 Filled with sorrow, for the parting 



Was so sudden it might seem 

 That our fancy still were smarting 

 From a restless, troubled dream. 

 Strew her tiny mound with flowers- 

 Flowers that were our darling's prize; 

 May their fragrance wide be wafted 

 Till the Savior bids her rise. 

 Woodstock, Kan , April 18. Mrs. F. W. Rogers. 

 Hold fast to the Savior's promises, dear 

 brother and sister ; and if the loved one 

 who has gone before you should be the 

 means of lixing your hearts heavenward, 

 and helping you to better meet the tempta- 

 tions and allurements of the sin of the 

 world, then her little life was not in vain. 

 Most folks know something of such trials, 

 and you have our sympathy. 



