1885 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



61 



nel and the islands beyond, and a noble sweep of 

 ocean one «-ets from that point; and above all, the 

 {ilorious blue ether, softened and shaded by the 

 floating- clouds. One can hardly return to the earth 

 again after looking- over that charming- scene; but 

 as we are of the earth earthy, we had to so descend 

 and prepare for our Ion;? ride home. 

 Los Alamos, Cal, 



LETTER FROM A BOY BEE-KEEPER. 



CAN A BOY OF 14 WORK EVERY DAY ON THE FARM, 

 AND TAKE CARE OF 19 COLONIES BESIDES? 



fE have organized a bee-keepers' association 

 in this county, styled the "Progressive Bee- 

 keepers' Association of Western Illinois," 

 of which I am a member. My bees are in 

 l)retty good condition at present, but some 

 are quite weak. I was going- to school last fall 

 when the bees should have been attended to, and 

 1 could not get time to fix them up, so I just took 

 off the honey and enameled cloth, put on the half- 

 story, with nothing in it but air, and, as you say, 

 gave thorn a good " letting alone," and they are 

 in pretty good condition now. 



We have 19 colonies at present, and my folks ex- 

 pect me to take care of thi;m, and work about all 

 the time on the farm besides. I never saw an im- 

 jjroved hive until two years ago, and now I am a 

 bee-keeper, expected to kcej) every Ihing in order, 

 just because lust spring I had a little "bee-fever" 

 (on a mighty small scale). What do you think of if/ 

 Do you think it is too much for a boy of U^-ears to 

 begin on? 



Bees in this part of the country did not do much 

 last year. 1 never saw so much white clover in ray 

 life, but it didn't make much honey. I think it was 

 on account of the cool nights, for it was the coolest 

 summer 1 ever knew. 



I like the bees, but, "my!" how I hate to get 

 stung! I heli)ed Mr. Norton transfer 15 swarms 

 from bo.\ hives to Langstroth (which was the brav- 

 est thing 1 ever did), and I thought 1 should be brav- 

 er after that; but one day brother Walter went out 

 to put on some sections where I had taken otT some 

 honey, and he got stung all over, and his face swell- 

 ed up. His eyes were shut, and his lips about half 

 an inch thick, and it pretty nearly "discomfusticat- 

 ed" me, and it seems as if I have been more afraid 

 than ever of the little "critters." 

 Macomb, 111., Jan. 8, 188."). J. E. Stickle. 



My young friend, I do think 19 colonies 

 are almost too many for an averaj^e boy of 14 

 years of age. when he has to work (in the 

 farm every day besides. Don't you have a 

 good many holidays, however, when you can 

 work with your bees, if you have a mind to? 

 I do not know of many farmers" boys who 

 have to work on the farm rrr,-// day in the 

 year. I think your brother AN'alter had bet- 

 ter have a smoker that he knows is working 

 nicely before he starts out again. If he can 

 get along without using the smoker at all. 

 well and good; but it is best to have it right 

 at hand. I always want a whip in driving a 

 horse ; but if the horse is half wav decent, I 

 expect to keep the whip in the socket during 

 the whole trip ; but I always want to see the 

 whip in its place before l" start off, no mat- 

 ter what horse I have got. 



MINNESOTA. 

 Report from one of our Old Bachelor Brothers. 



FROM 29 TO 66, AND 700 LBS. OF HONEY. 



WILL give a report of my last year's honey crop- 

 although it is not very lai-ge — nothing- like 

 I some of the friends in California, Texas, and 

 Florida, wlio reported such large yields of honey 

 that it almost seems as if they must have their 

 bees taught to take a pail and dipper when they go to 

 gather honey. I had 29 colonies, spring count, in 

 good condition; by feeding until the dandelions came 

 in I got them very strong. They began to swarm 

 MaySTth; but for some reason or other the white 

 clover yielded no more honey then kept them rear- 

 ing brood. About July 1.5th, basswood bloomed 

 very abundantly, and then my bees took the 

 swarming fever, and got cross; no one hardly 

 dared go among them; and when a swarm clus- 

 ! tered, shaking them into the swarming-box was 

 1 like knocking against a yellow-jacket's nest (if you 

 I ever did that when you were mowing with a scythe, 

 where you could not run a machine). Even tobacco 

 j smoke would not subdue them, when taking honey 

 I out of the hive. Can you give any reason for theii- 

 [ being so cross'/ 



1 I increased to 66; lost 5 by robbing, when I was 

 I making syrup, and not watching them; united 6 

 weak ones, so 1 have 55 strong swarms— 34 in the 

 cellar, and 21 in chaff hives out doors. 

 I We are having a very severe winter. Jan 2d the 

 i mercury went down to 40 degrees below zero; and, 

 j as the Irishman said, if the thermometer had l)een 

 longer, the weather would have been colder; so I 

 ! don't know how they will winter. They are in chaff 

 tenement hives, of my own make. But I am not 

 j ready for Blasted Hopes, as I got about 700 lbs. of 

 'comb honey, and raised over 900 bushels of wheat. 

 I did not get a single pound of honey after the bass- 

 wood ceased blooming; although the goldenrod was 

 1 quite plentiful, there was no honey in it. Next year 

 I I will devote more time to my bees. 



I wish you would send me one of those price lists 

 that you spoke of in your last number, and said you 

 had several girls that did not have much to do, and 

 would jump at the chance of sending one; but if 

 you should happen to make a mistake, and send one 

 of the girls, instead of the price list, to any of us 

 bachelor bee-keepers, there would be no fault found. 

 Did you ever try scattering a little dry dust or 

 ashes over the snow among the bee-hives'/ It will 

 cause it to melt very quickly; and when the bees 

 fly out, if it gets warm quick, they will not get 

 snow-blind, and tumble in the snow and die, but can 

 alight on the honey-combed snow and rest, and then 

 fly away. James P. Smith. 



Franconia, Minn., Jan. 5, 1885. 



Friend S.. the girls here in the office are 

 not a bit better or a bit smarter than those 

 in your own neighborhood ; and I think you 

 ought to be ashamed of yourself to think 

 you liave not found it oiit yourself a long 

 while ago. We will send yoii the price list 

 nKJSt cheerfully ; but when you want a ni(;e 

 girl for a housekeeper, you must go and get 

 acquainted with her according to the old or- 

 thodox manner. There is not any other way 

 in the world that you can get a real good 

 honest sensible girl. 



