176 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mah, 



I am also particular in relation to foot-covering. 

 I have seen bee-keepers stamping around the yard 

 with heavy No. 10 cowhide boots, or even rubber 

 boots, with the trowser-legs tucked in. This style 

 may do fop drawing manure, ditching, or other 

 menial work, but are clogs to feet, body, and mind, 

 in the bee-yard. There is nothing easier than 

 a good lace or button shoe. I prefer a leather 

 shoe for durability; and for wet mornings I slip on 

 a pair of rubbers. Cloth shoes of various styles 

 are very easy, but objectionable on the above 

 grounds. 



The foregoing, therefore, is the Rambler's ideas 

 and practice in relation to bee-dress; and to keep 

 up my reputation for liberality, I give it to the fra- 

 ternity. Don it, my friends, and you will some day 

 rise up and bless the Rambler. 



P. S.— Please wait a few minutes, friends. I will 

 now start on the ramble as soon as I get " Nig's off 

 hind shoe set." R. 



Friend R., I think you have hit the nail 

 on the head this time, even if you did not 

 ramble. When I am working among the 

 bees, I can not bear heavy boots, nor heavy 

 clothing of any kind. Our engraver has 

 made a very neat-looking young man, as 

 you may notice, in the picture. Your foot 

 on top of the hive looks a little as if the 

 pant-leg were tied up with a string. I used 

 to wear cloth or kid gaiters ; and when in a 

 hurry 1 have often wrapped up the leg of my 

 light pants, and pulled my stocking over it. 

 This made a sure thing of keeping the bees 

 out, but it did not look very becoming, espe- 

 cially when ladies called to see the apiary. 

 One trouble about dressing, especially for 

 our vocation, is that most of us have to rush 

 from one thing to another in a hurry. Ditch- 

 ing, hauling manure, etc., may be the regu- 

 lar work of the day until something calls us 

 to the bee-yard, or we happen to have a lit- 

 tle spare time. I have often admired the 

 suit worn by our railway engineers, especial- 

 ly when they put on a clean one, and I be- 

 lieve the same rig would be handy and con- 

 venient for a good many kinds of farm work. 



THE HONEY EXHIBIT AT THE COLUM- 

 BUS CENTENNIAL. 



PRESIDENT MASON GIVES FURTHER FACTS CON- 

 CERNING IT. 



fRIEND ROOT:— In Gleanings for Dec. 15th I 

 described your exhibit at the Ohio Centenni- 

 al Exposition, as shown in the picture on page 

 959. I think I am safe in saying that not one- 

 fourth of your exhibit is there shown, and I 

 will but briefly mention the remainder. 



Across a passageway, to the right of your exhibit 

 as shown in the picture, on a platform, was shown 

 a one and a two story chaff hive all complete for ex- 

 tracted honey, and so arranged that, at the desire 

 of any interested visitor, some of us were ready to 

 transform either or both into hives for comb honey 

 in a "jiffy." Here was also displayed a bee-tent 

 made of mosquito netting; a roll of 600 square feet 

 of wire cloth; a large roll of perforated (or queen- 

 excluding) zinc; some force-pumps, sections, etc. 



On the further side of the table, but not to be 

 seen in the picture, there were smokers, sections in 



all shapes; foundation, both thick and thin; foun- 

 dation fasteners, ready for business, and they were 

 frequently put to the test too. There were also 

 price lists, and sample copies of Gleanings, hun- 

 dreds of which were distributed. On this table, and 

 within easy reach, was always kept a goodly supply 

 of your cards offering $1000 for evidence that comb 

 honey is made by machinery. 



On the platform beyond the table was a large as- 

 sortment of Langstroth and Simplicity hives in all 

 sorts of combinations; slatted honey-boards, met- 

 al honey-boards, wood and zinc honey-boards, wood- 

 en frames, metal-cornered frames, chaff cush- 

 ions, division-boards, separators, section cases in 

 endless variety, with and without sections, and with 

 and without starters. It was just wonderful what 

 a variety of combinations could be made with what 

 was here shown. Wondering and inquisitive bee- 

 keepers could in a moment have a hive rigged out 

 for operation. It was as good as a box of monkeys, 

 for fun, to see your men or some one else of our 

 company make up a hive for any purpose, or to 

 suit any inquiry. 



Two kinds of section-folders were always in run- 

 ning order; and boxes of sections, made on your 

 section machinery at Power Hall, were always 

 handy by so as to demonstrate to visitors and cus- 

 tomers just how it was done. 



One day when we were all busy showing off things 

 to the crowd, some boys took it upon themselves to 

 fold a lot of sections with one of the machines, and, 

 when first noticed, had folded as much as a two- 

 bushel box full. Perhaps if they had thought it 

 was work they might not have folded more than a 

 dozen or two, and then have been " tired out." 



On the platform, at the left of the picture, were 

 shown some 60-lb. honey-cans with their accompa- 

 nying boxes; a lawn-mower that was so cheap and 

 good that I brought it home with me; a solar, a 

 Swiss, and a Jones wax-extractor, and some swarm- 

 catchers. 



Next to the display of queens, I don't now remem- 

 ber of anyone thing that you had on exhibition 

 that attracted so much attention, and called forth 

 so many remarks, as did the straw bee-hive you 

 look the trouble to get from Connecticut, I believe. 

 We had it labeled, "Straw bee-hive over one hun- 

 dred years old." People were not satisfied with 

 looking at the outside of it, but had to turn it over 

 and look inside also; and when we would tell them 

 it was the same shape inside as out, they would still 

 turn it over. I sometimes wished that it contained 

 a colony of bees that were first class In the stinging 

 line. 



A great nuisance at such times is the very bad 

 habit so many people have of leaving things just as 

 they happen to be when they get through examin- 

 ing them, evidently not having " a place for every 

 thing, and every thing in its place " at home. 



The large sign, " Exhibited by A. I. Root," in the 

 top of the picture, looks all out of proportion to the 

 rest of the exhibit; but it was not, and I have not 

 the slightest idea why it looks as it does. It was a 

 neat, tasty, and cheap sign, and all the exhibits 

 would have looked better with a nice sign over 

 them. 



Perhaps some exhibitors may want to have such a 

 sign at some county or State fair next fall, but might 

 think it is too expensive. Aside from the boards, 

 either rough or dressed, the cost is but a few cents. 

 Mr. Will Weed, who had charge of your exhibit, was 



