1890 



GLEANINGS IN 15 EE CULTURE. 



mi 



till next suininiM-. Ucrtic expects to rear several 

 moths, as he thinks he has several larva? that 

 are not parasitized. A. .7. Cook. 



Agrieultura] College. Mieh. 



A MINNESOTA APIAKY. 



BKES AXl) <;AI!I)i;NIX(i 



T .send yon a photo of onr Dovetailed hive 

 apiary. Althongh the hives are not all dove- 

 tailed, they will be another season. There are 

 3(5 colonies in all — 30 in Dovetailed hives. The 

 artist took the pictnre dnring onr swarming 

 season. You will see my swarming convenienc- 

 es, from a barrel of water to ^lanum's device. 

 Your humble servant sits in his old army-chair 

 at the table, in the act of putting foundation 

 into sections. His better half is at his right, 

 and; their family of five to the left, near the 

 hammock and swing. Our help (brother and 

 sister) are in front of the house. There are two 

 rows of raspberry-bushes, and some rows of po- 

 tatoes in the foregrouiul. not shown. The foi'- 



accountof its small size, sti-ong and close-fitting 

 joints, just a(la|)te(i to tills cold climate. If thr 

 hive were any larger 1 could not have handled 

 it without loss. 



I have a very line bee-escape in my cellar, 

 with screen windows. The tilled supers are 

 taken from hive to cellar neai- a window. The 

 bees all leave the same night. The wax and 

 propolis are so hard in the morning that you 

 can .scarcely take out section-holders and .sec- 

 tions. The honey is not allowed to remain in 

 the cellar any length of time, but is taken to a 

 warm room to be more thoroughly rii)i'ned. If 

 the editor (jf (ri.KANixos, oi' any of his assist- 

 ants (they would all be welcomed) should visit 

 us another fall, they will find a much larger 

 house, better adapted to the \\ants of a growing 

 family. 



WIDE ANT) TinCK TOP-BAKS A SVCC'ESS IN THE 

 BOVETAII.ET) HIVE. 



.July 19th I took off the first case of honey 

 fi'om the Dovetailed hive with thick and wide 

 top-bars. Tlu>re was no sign of burr-combs 

 between the top-bars of the frames or on the 

 bottom of the sui)er. The honey was taken 



.\ DOVI-rrAII.El) IIIVE-AI'IAIJY. 



mer. when grown, will make a nice windbreak 

 for the apiary, which is located in a grove on 

 the edge of the ])rairie. At the I'ight is my 

 main garden, extending down to a small lake. 

 At the rear of the house is a belt of timber 

 more than a mile in widlh. bordering one of the 

 largest and most beautiful lakes in the coiui- 

 ty, called Green Lake, from the color of its 

 waters. This section of Minnesota is called the 

 "Park Region." as it is intersp(>rsed with lakes. 

 groves, and prairie. Prol)ably no finer section 

 of farming land is in the Northwest. Our soil 

 is a rich gravel loam, with subsoil of clay. We 

 can cultivate our gardens after heavy rains. 



Our garden (for fj years adjoining the bee- 

 yard) has been cultivated by horses on two 

 sides of the apiary since its location, and they 

 have nevei' been stung. Of course, our liees 

 (hybrids and blacks) ar<' handled with care, 

 and honey is never left around to start rolibing. 

 We should all feel it a gi'eat hardslii]) to be de- 

 prived of (jur liees, and we should as so(jn think 

 of being without milk as honey. I was first led 

 into keeping bees through failing health. It 

 has l)een a pleasant occu|)a(ion for mind and 

 body, and has jjaid bettei- for the amount of 

 capital invested than any otliei' inNotinent on 

 till' farm. I am following diversilied farming- 

 raising iiorses. cattle, growing grain, and a 

 sniall dairy, I adopted the Dovetailed hive on 



from a strong colony of bees in the middle of a 

 heavy f1o\\ of basswood. There was no sagging 

 of the top-bars. Last year was my first experi- 

 ence with burr-combs and slatted honey-boards 

 (having used ))reviously a closed-top frame), 

 and I hoi)e it will be my last. 



N. P. Asi'lNWAI.L. 



Harrison. Minn.. .lulv 31. fSiiO. 



JULY 15TH GLEANINGS. 



ITEMS FHOM KXI'ElilKNfE. KItOM .\N A H f 

 sniOEAl!. 



Mr. 7?of)f;— The contents of No. 14 of Ole.'^n- 

 iN(is ha\ing b(>en dex'oni'ed with my usual keen 

 a|)petite for good things. I am now ready to 

 offer my little mite towai'd spreading another 

 feast. If my offei-ing is i)alatal)le. give it a 

 |)lace on tlie tal)le; t)ut if not. cast it aside. 

 First, in ix'half of the A {{('class. I wish to 

 say thai we ar<' thankful that oni' reverend 

 friend St uger is not the editoi- of (JLi':AMN<is. 

 Fi'om what he says about foolish (piestions. I 

 fear many of us would fare l)ut indilfereiitly at 

 his liand'^. Yet we heartily agree with all hi' 

 has to sa>' on the su!)ject, and are doul)ly 

 thankful that we luive such itatient instructors 

 as we find in both the Roots. Much as I detest 



