1917 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



307 



Outapiaries should be well inclosed 

 or in proximity to neighboring 

 houses whose inhabitants will be 

 glad to see that no harm befalls 

 them if a pail of honey is offered 

 them from time to time. It is also de- 

 sirable to have swarms cared for in 

 the same manner. 



Many colonies are wrongly placed 

 where water may inundate and cause 

 large losses, or at least great incon- 

 venience in moving. Naturally there 

 are localities sufficiently alluring for 

 the beekeeper to risk the chance of 

 occasional flood in order to profit by 

 the heavy crops. These are scarce, 

 however. 



Overstocking and Overlapping 



Since you want to get a maximum 

 crop in the location chosen, it would 

 be folly to plant yourself beside a 

 neighbor's apiary of two hundred 

 colonies when the available nectar 

 within a two-mile radius was only 

 sufficient for the best results with 

 say 180 colonies of bees. The neigh- 

 bor would already have too many, 

 without yours. 



The same mistake would be made 

 if you located two of your apiaries 

 within a short distance of each other 

 so that the ranges of the two over- 

 lapped. 



Every beekeeper should make a 

 chart of his immediate neighborhood, 

 with the location of all principal api- 

 aries and the available flora in differ- 

 ent parts, so that he may be compe- 

 tent to judge as to the value of any 

 spot as a location for bees. 



The accompanying chart gives an 

 idea of what may be included in such 

 a drawing. 



How the Bees Saved America 



t Ourtesy of The Sunday School 

 Advocate. 



THE brave patriots of the Ameri- 

 can Revolution were having a 

 particularly hard time of it in 

 the summer of 1780. General Wash- 

 ington and his ragged, half-starved 

 soldiers were in camp just outside of 

 Philadelphia, where it was certain 

 that the enemy was getting ready to 

 make an important move. 



Man after man had risked his life 

 trying to get their secret, but so far 

 no one had been able to give Wash- 

 ington the important news without 

 which he dared not risk his small 

 force in battle. 



But the great Washington, himself, 

 scarcely took the independence of 

 the colonists more seriously to heart 

 than did little Mistress Charity Crab- 

 tree. Despite her prim Quaker ways, 

 no eyes could spark with greater fire 

 at the mention of freedom than those 

 that smiled so demurely above her 

 white neckerchief and plain gray 

 dress. Charity was a soldier' 

 daughter, and though his patriotism 

 made her and her brother John or- 

 phans, when the boy also left to 

 fight for his flag. Charity did not 

 shed a tear, but handed him his 

 sword and waved him godspeed. 

 Though she was all alone now and 

 only twelve years old, the little maid 

 kept a stout heart. 



"If I hold myself ready to serve my 

 country, I know the time will come," 

 she said, as she walked back from the 

 gate through the fragrant lane. 



DIAGRAM SHOWING LOCATIONS, ABANDONED LOCATIONS AND ONE PROPOSED, 



OF THE DADANT APIARIES IN 1917. 

 In very few instances can any single location supply all the requirements. It is for the bee- 

 keeper to judge of the best locations, and he must have intimate 

 knowledge of his section to do it. 



honeycombed with beehives. "Mean- 

 while, I must keep my bees in good 



order." 



Charity's father had been a bee 

 farmer, and he kept all these hives at 

 the entrance of his lane, so the bees 

 could search the highway for wild 

 flower sweets. One of his last acts 

 was to send a beautiful comb of their 

 honey to General Washington, where- 

 upon the General had smacked his 

 lips and said : "Those bees must be 

 real patriots. They give the best that 

 is in them to their country." 



Charity stopped now to notice how 

 well the bees were swarming. They 

 seemed particularly active this morn- 

 ing, l)ut she was not afraid of these 

 little creatures who do not sting un- 

 less they are frightened or attacked. 



"I shall have a great many pots of 

 honey to sell this fall," she thought. 

 "It is good Providence who inspires 

 the bees to help ine keep our little 

 white house all by myself, until 

 brother John returns." Then sud- 

 denly the little Quaker maid turned 

 pale. She stopped for a second with 

 her hand to her ear, and then she ran 

 quickly to the highway. These were 

 terrible times, when, at any moment, 

 bullets might whizz about like hail- 

 stones, and every good colonist lived 

 tensely, in fear the little American 

 army would be captured and their 

 brave fight for independence lost 

 forever. 



It was a man in citizen's dress who 

 galloped down the road. His hat was 

 blown off and he pressed his left 

 hand to his side. When he saw 

 Charity he just was able to rein in 

 his horse and, falling from his saddle, 

 draw her close so she might catch 

 the feeble words he muttered be- 

 tween groans. 



"You are Patriot Crabtree's daugh- 

 ter?" he murmured, and the girl nod- 

 ded, as she raised his head on her 

 arm. 



"I am shot, I am wounded," he 

 gasped. "Leave me here, but fly on 

 my horse yonder to General Wash- 

 ington's camp. Give him this mes- 

 sage : 'Durwent says Cornwallis will 

 attack Monday with large army.' Do 

 not fail him!" cried the man. "Be off 

 at once! The enemy is pursuing 

 close." 



Poor Charity had just time to re- 

 peat the message and assist the faint- 

 ing man to a grassy place under the 

 elm tree's shade, when the air thun- 

 dered with a thudding of hoof beats, 

 and before the terrified girl could 

 gain her horse, a dozen soldiers 

 leaped over the garden wall at the 

 back of the house. 



"For my country!" the plucky maid 

 cried, and leaped to the saddle. But 

 even then she realized that if once 

 the British saw her they could easily 

 remount their own horses, evidently 

 left on the other side of the wall, 

 and so capture her and prevent her 

 from reaching Washington. As it 

 was they discovered the unconscious 

 soldier, whom they quickly surround- 

 ed by a guard, then spied the fleeing 

 girl and immediately gave chase. 



"Ho, there !" they cried. "Stop, 

 girl, or by heaven we'll make you!" 



They crowded after her into the 



