770 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



Tlie hottom of the box Is 7 Inches from tho 

 floor, wliieli leaves room for the honey to rnn 

 into the strainer illustrated on page 248. Tliis 

 makes the top of the box about 32 inches from 

 the floor, whicli is about tlie right height for 

 me to uncap easily. A shorter person might 

 make the box a little shallower, or lay a plank 

 on the floor to give the right height, wliich is 

 the way I do when my wife uncaps. I know 

 most people will think this box \inn(>cessarily 

 large. I will tell you why 1 think it is not. 

 When uncapping overaroiiud can likeDadant's, 

 tli(^ cai)pings fall on top of those taken off ear- 

 lier in the day: and when the can is half full 

 the honey has to pass througli sucli a pile of 

 cappings'that it takes a long time to all run 

 out; and when you put the cappings in the sun 

 extractor they are heavy witli honey. Witli 

 this box. when a pile of cai)i)ings accumulates 

 under the knife we take a four-lined fork and 

 Ijitch them over to the othei' end, where they 

 may drain for four or live days. There is a 

 small stream of honey running out of the box 

 all the time, day and niglit, during the extract- 

 ing time; and when the cappings go into the 

 sun extractor tliey are almost dry. I think it 

 pays well for the extra space in the box, because 

 all the iioney which goes into the sun extractor 

 is spoiled for the market. J. F. McIntyre. 



Fillmore, Cal., July 37. 



Friend M., I have had experience enougli witli 

 uncapping to appreciate every point you make; 

 and our good friend R. Wilkin ought to have a 

 shaking for not giving tliis to the world long 

 ago. I thinlv I can say for the rest, that we 

 bee-keepers tender you and Mi'. Wilkin both a 

 hearty vote of thanks. 



still lives in good health, at the age of 79. Ten 

 of the children still survive. President Taylor 

 is the oldest of the six surviving sons. Like 

 most farmer boys, young Taylor worked on the 

 farm summit's, and went to common district 

 school in the winter. At the age of 19 he lost 

 his fatliei', who was carried off by an accident, 

 when the severe and arduous duties of a large 

 farm devolved on our friend. But he had learn- 

 ed to laboi'. and was equal to the emergency. 

 But our friend aspired to a college education. 

 He taught winters, and prepared himself for 

 the Classical Department of the Michigan Uni- 

 versity, which he entered in 1862. 



HON. R. L. TAYLOR. 



HIS HISTORY AS FARMKR, BUSINESS MAN, LAW- 

 YER, BEE-KEEPER, AND SENATOR. 



To my mind, the most alarming feature of the 

 census just taken is the rapid increase of popu- 

 lation in the cities and the corresponding de- 

 crease in the rural districts. Who has not 

 noticed, during the past ten years, the constant 

 influx of energy and strength from country to 

 city? The men of push and ability who are 

 leading our enterprises to-day, not only as busi- 

 ness but as professional men, spent their boy- 

 hood on the farm. True, we nave an Adams 

 family, but we have hundreds of such nu'u as 

 Greeley, Webster, Lincoln, and (iarlield, that 

 went from country to city, and carried life, vig- 

 or, and energy with them. What will become 

 of our cities if the country fails to pour in this 

 new and vivifying power? 



Our respected friend R. L. Taylor, Senator in 

 Michigan, and President of the National Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, liad the advantage of 

 country birth. He was born on a farm at Al- 

 mont, Lapeer Co.. Michigan, Nov. 3. 1839. This 

 was not the only vantage ground of our young 

 candidate for a place of influence in the world. 

 He was the son of Scotch parents who were 

 pioneers in that new heavily limbered part of 

 Michigan. We need hardly say more to prove 

 that our friend was early taught to be religious, 

 truthful, honest, and industrious, for how loyal 

 ar(> almost all the Scotch to all these grand 

 princiiiles. which are the very basis of true man- 

 hood 1 AVhen I add to all this the fact that the 

 parents wen^ sturdy and vigorous, able to carve 

 out a home in the forest wilds, I have said 

 enough to show that our friend was born to un- 

 usual fortune. The moth(>r, though a pioneer 

 farmer's wife, and mother to fourteen children, 



HON. R. L. TAY'LOR. 



In 18('o. a thirst for business, which robs so 

 many college students of their diplomas, took 

 Mr. Tayhjr from the college. He entered mer- 

 cantile' life, which he followed at Almont very 

 successfully for three years. IJut mere business 

 was not wholly to Mr. Taylor's tastes, and sa 

 he spent his spare time — every determined man, 

 however prompt in business, can find spare time 

 — in the study of law. He was admitted to the 

 bar in 1869. In 1873 he was elected Register of 

 Deeds by the largest majority evei' received by 

 any couiity ol'licei' of his county. He then mov- 

 ed to Lapeer, where he has resided ever since. 

 Two years later he was re-elected. In 1877 he 

 resumed the practice of law, and was elected 

 Prosecuting Attorney the following year. 



At this time, fortunately for apiculture, two 

 colonies of l)ees fell into Mr. Taylor's possession. 

 His early life and hal)its had developed a taste 

 for rni-al'life and i)ursuits that had not left him 

 with liis youth. Country air and landscape 

 still lured him toward the country, and led 

 to the purchase of his present beautiful home 

 in the sulmrbs of Lapeer. His bees increased 

 rapidly, and his interest kept pace, owing, 

 doubtless, to the success which marked his la- 

 bors from the first. Thus he declined a renomi- 

 nation as Prosecuting Attorney, and very soon 

 gave up the practice of law, that he might de- 

 vote his entire time to his bees. Thus here as 

 everywhere Mr. Taylor is consistent. He 



