(i40 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



the bee can not, in a like manner, mature 

 witiiout pollen as well as lioney for, tiie nurse- 

 bees'? 



NOTES OF TRAVEL AMONG YORK STATE BEE- 

 KEEPERS. 



AT G. M. I)0(>I,ITTI.E S. 



The ride by boat on the beautiful Lake 

 Skaneateles to Borodino was tine. The water 

 was so clear that, just before starting. I could 

 see large fish at a depth of l:.' or 1.5 feet olf the 

 dock. As we steamed out into the lake, the 

 beauty of the scenery became more and luore 

 manifest. The shores rise gradually from the 

 water's edge, and off in the distance little towns 

 are pointed out. 



" Over in that direction." said the captain, in 

 answer to my inqtiiry, " is Horodino." 



Doolittle has a beautiful location, I thought. 

 There are never any mosquitoes around this 

 lake, I am told: and the water is so clear, and 

 the shores so inviting, it is a wonder that the 

 lake is not more visited by pleasure-seekers. 

 In about half an hour I was landed on the 

 Eorodino dock. As it was rather late I put up 

 at the hotel. The following moi'ning found me 

 on the wheel, sailing toward the home of Mr. 

 Doolittle. for his place is about a mile out. I 

 looked along the road to see if I could i)ick out 

 Mr. D.'shome. That place doesn't look exactly 

 like it. Finally, from the top of a hill I see a 

 very pretty country residence. Every thing 

 about the place shows neatness and taste, and 

 the buildings are well painted. I wonder if this 

 is not the place. As my bicycle travels noise- 

 lessly along, suddenly an apiary looms up in the 

 rear. Yes, there is a bee-cave. This /ai/.s-t be 

 the place, and so I turn in. I lean the bicycle 

 against an overspreading apple-tree by the side 

 of the hotise. 



" Is Mr. Doolittle in?" I inquired of a man in 

 the barn. 



" He is in the shop and will be out presently." 



I strolled into the apiary meantime, wonder- 

 ing whether my friend would recognize me. 

 After waiting a moment somebody steps from 

 the shop. He has a sandy beard, and he looks 

 like a portrait I have seen somewhere. 



"Good morning!" I said. "This is Mr. Doo- 

 little, I suppose?" 



"And is this Ernest?" said he, grasping my 

 hand. " I had not expected to find you wearing 

 glasses." 



"I have been using them ever since I left 

 school, five years ago, and ought to have begun 

 wearing them sooner." 



Together we went into the shop. I noticed 

 he was very careful to close the door after him: 

 and the fact that there were no robbers about 

 was pretty good evidence that this was his 

 habit. 



As I expected, every thing was orderly. In 

 one end of the shop was a small boiler and engine; 

 near the center of the room, a saw-table; be- 

 side the windows, a work-bench. Two rooms 

 were partitioned off. One was a bee-proof hon- 

 ey-room, and the other a general study, or 

 sanctum, where he can be in seclusion and 

 write his articles for print. In the latter room 

 he showed me his Hammond type-writer, the 

 machine that does the nice work he sends out. 

 I found it was very simple, and easily operated. 

 A large telescope, mounted upon a substantial 

 tripod, occupied a space upon the floor. The 

 owner not only studies the handiwork of (iod 

 as he finds it aiiaong the bees, but he is delight- 

 ed with what he learns and sees beyond the 

 vale of this world. 



" Mr. Doolittle," I said, " I notice you are in- 



terested in one of the branches of optics. Why 

 don't yoti take up photography, and so illus- 

 trate your articles occasionally?" 



"Well," said he, laughing, " I had thought of 

 that very thing, but I came to the conclusion 

 that Doolittle had no time with all his other 

 work, to fuss with it." 



When it is remembered that he does (til his 

 work in the apiary, wraps and directs all his 

 queens, answers all his correspondence without 

 the aid of a stenographer, writes regularly for 

 several periodicals, makes all his stipplies, 

 keeps up a good garden, takes care of a horse, 

 to say nothing of the services he renders to his 

 chui'ch and town, we comprehend somewhat 

 the force of the remark, that " Doolittle has no 

 time " for another branch of optics. 



He is precise and methodical in all his work, 

 especially so in queen-rearing; and as it is not 

 an easy inatt(>r to get help possessing all these 

 requirements, Doolittle prefers to do Doolittle's 

 work. 



Upstairs in the shop Mr. D. has a collection 

 of bee-implements, old and new. He showed 

 me a box containing some old - style honey- 

 boxes, which a few years ago, out of the kind 

 intentions of a supply-dealer, had been sent him 

 by c.rpresN. The charges were $1.^0. There 

 was no letter of explanation. Mr. D. paid the 

 charges, and the boxes he has used for kindling- 

 wood. At other times hives and other imple- 

 ments had been sent him, charges paid. He 

 had never even opened some of these packages, 

 as hi' had no use for them. I take pains to 

 mention this right here, as we have been many 

 times served in the same way. While all this 

 is prompted by kind intentions, don't send stuff 

 without first writing to see whether it will be 

 acceptable. 



But. to retiu'u: 



Mr. Doolittle lighted his smoker, a Bingham. 



" I suppose," .said he as we started, " you 

 don't wear a veil." • 



"Oh. yes, sir! I do. It's my father you are 

 thinking of." 



At this I pulled out my veil, for I carry one 

 with me everywhere, and we together wont 

 among the bees. 



We looked at the progeny of some of his 

 breeding queens. They were very beautiful. 

 The bands were of a deep yellow, and four in 

 number. Although our friend made no claims 

 as to the fifth, the latter (or what looked like it) 

 showed faintly. The bees from his breeding 

 queens were as handsome as any I ever saw. 

 He did not claim to have originated them, he 

 having obtained them of a bee-keeper who is 

 now out of the business. Mr. L. C. Hearn ob- 

 tained one of these queens of Mr. Doolittle, and 

 Mr. Timpe, in turn, of Mr. Hearn. 



"Now," said Mr. Doolittle, "what next 

 would you like most to see?" 



" Huppose we look at some of the cells reared 

 in upper stories. I have my camera here, and 

 I should like to see and show to our readers 

 whether you practice what you preach." 



We selected cell-building colonies at random. 

 In the first one we examined there were almost 

 perfect rows of cells built on the artificial bases. 



" Hold on a minute," I said. " and I will take 

 a shot at it with my camera. There, I've got it." 



" Why," said he, " as quick as that?" 



" As quickly as you can snap your fingers," I 

 replied. 



So on we examined and photographed four of 

 five other lots of cells; and as soon as I can I 

 will pi-esent you with a fair sample of cell- 

 building, in the shape of a half-tone engraving. 

 And so all through, Doolittle practices what he 

 preaches. 



" You have your apiary in an orchard. I be- 

 lieve I like that better than grapevines." 



