1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



455 



on a new platform, and place empty hives next to 

 all full ones. Close the entrance to the hive con- 

 taining the swarm, and open the passages into the 

 empty hive. If this is done in early spring, the 

 bees will work through the empty hive; and, find- 

 ing so much room, they will forget to swarm." 



" But, how about a queen in the new hive? In my 

 experience a queen is necessary, to hold the bees 

 to business and make a permanent working colo- 

 ny." 



"Yes, yes; but you mean a king-bee. Young 

 men try to get smart nowadays, and tool us old 

 heads with their new-fangled ideas; but do you 

 think I managed bees for nothing nigh on to 

 forty years ago? I guess I know. The process was 

 just as simple when the hive was full, as you could 

 see by the glass in the rear of the hive. Open the 

 front entrance to the old hive, and close the pas- 

 sages between, and the thing was done. The kings 



NON-SWARMER BEE-HIVE. 



that were always around would set up rule. But 

 this hive was a terror to moth-worms. I used to 

 kill dozens every morning in the little moth-draw- 

 ers. I had to tend right to my knitting and drop no 

 stitches, to keep them from hatching, when I kept 

 bees nigh on to forty years ago. Then, you see, 

 under the wire-cloth platform was a spring exercis- 

 er and feeding-chamber. When it is too cold for 

 bees to fly in the early spring, let the sun shine in 

 here, and what a jolly time the bees could have!" 



The inventor also advocated spring feeding, and 

 also gave the following recipe for feeding to make 

 the best of box honey: 



Take 25 lbs. best West-India honey; 25 lbs. white 

 sugar; 40 lbs. water; one gill of salt; H oz. essence 

 of anise; IH pints mucilage of slippery elm; !4 gill 

 of porter (or ale); flavor to suit the fancy. 



But I could never see much profit in the plan, 

 and never tried it; and so my aged friend who kept 

 bees " nigh on to forty years ago " had experiment- 

 ed very near to the late methods of tafify feeding 

 and the self-hiving of swarms. There is one thing, 

 however, we think that is for ever buried, and that 

 is moth-traps. Our aged friend found the worms 

 always plentiful, and the trap was a splendid breed- 

 er If only neglected, which it was sure to be by nine 

 out of ten of farmer bee-keepers. 



We found bee culture not much indulged in, in 

 the immediate vicinity of Mr. Moore. We suppose 

 the weed honey and moth-traps had given it a set- 

 back from which it could not recover. As we left 

 our aged friend, the thought that "there is nothing 

 new under the sun " was uppermost in the mind of 

 the Kamblek. 



Friend R., we are very glad indeed that 

 you stuck to your principles ; but I never 

 before heard of using pumpkin pie as a 

 " beverage.' Come to think of it, however, 



Josh Billings calls it " the delitef ul bevverij 

 of Nu Inggland." It is a safe thing to take, 

 however, and I believe that all are agreed in 

 legard to the matter. I well remember Syl- 

 vester Davis' patent bee-hive and the Side 

 Issues. The drawers were to pull out and 

 catch the moth, and were a big thing when 

 first introduced. It had its day, however, 

 and passed away, as has been the fate with 

 patent hives for fifty years or more. 



MANUM ANS^WEHS COHBESPON- 

 DENTS. 



PRACTICAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 



Friend Root:— In consequence of my talks in 

 Gleanings I have received many letters of inquiry 

 on various matters pertaining to the bee-business; 

 and thicking that my answers to some of them may 

 be of interest to some of our bee-keeping friends, I 

 venture to forward you the following: 



The first is my answer to a young man living in a 

 neighboring State, who wants a situation as an as- 

 sistant in the apiary, and who wishes to know how 

 I manage with my men, and how much I pay, etc. 

 My answer was substantially as follows: 



Mr. A.—\ reply to your favor by saying that I re- 

 quire six men to assist me with my bees during 

 June and July— one apiary being let on shares. I 

 usually hire one or two men for four or five 

 months, and the other four for only two months. 

 The price which 1 pay varies according to the ex- 

 perience and uorth of the man. I have one man 

 who has worked forme seven seasons of six months 

 each. 1 pay him f25 per month for May, Septem- 

 ber, and October, and $dO per month for June, July, 

 and August. The time is divided in this way, so 

 that if , from any cause, he does not complete his 

 full time, there would be no question as to the 

 price to be paid tor what time he works. 1 have 

 another man who has worked for me a number of 

 seasons, and who prefers to work only through 

 June and July. I pay him *76 for the two months. 

 I have another man who has worked for me one 

 season; and as he is an excellent and faithful man, 

 I pay him for this season S25 per month for three 

 months. For a new hand, or one who has never 

 worked for me, or for any one near me who 

 practices my methods, but who has had a little ex- 

 perience with bees, and who understands the 

 theory pretty well, I pay $iO for two months, or $~0 

 for six months, when they insist on working 

 through the season for the sake of learning the 

 business. Of course, their board is included at 

 above prices. I locate one man at each out-apiary 

 where he is to remain during the swarming season, 

 which is usually from five to seven, and sometimes 

 nine weeks, but more often six weeks. I expect 

 my men to be at their post every day during this 

 time, Sundays and all; and while I do not expect a 

 man to do any unnecessary work on Sunday, I in- 

 sist on his being on hand to hive swarms that may 

 issue. It is my practice to visit each apiary once 

 or twice each week, to give instructions, and to as- 

 sist the met! when assistance is required. You 

 say that you have had a little experience at 

 home with a few swarms, and that you have 

 read several bee-books, such as Cook's Manual 

 and the A B C. and that you have taken Gleanings 

 two years, and that you would like to work the first 



