1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



573 



He is a medium-sized man, dark complexion, with 

 no spare flesh, but very active and energetic. His 

 eyes are small and black, and light up pleasantly in 

 conversation. 



We had a bee-convention by ourselves; and when 

 I recall the number of nights which we sat and 

 talked until midnight, and think of his family, I 

 still have twinges of conscience. Mr. Manum's 

 house is on the main street, near the mountains, 

 which here tower up abruptly to a great height, 

 and are covered with foliage to their very tops— 

 green mountains indeed. Back of the house is the 

 work-shop, and honey-house and stables, which we 

 inspected the next morning. Here are the head- 

 quarters from which loads of supplies prepared in 

 winter are sent to the out yards, and where the 

 honey is cleaned, graded, and stored. The sections 

 are cleaned by women and girls, and separated into 

 four grades. Those combs, the most perfect and 

 white, are marked "Snowllake; " those full and 

 white, " Green Mountain; " fair and good weight, 

 "Comb Honey; "and the fourth, "Light Weight." 

 Wooden sides are used entirely instead of glass, 

 and are fastened on with strips of paper. Crates 

 take 20 sections. 



The top-bars of his frames hang on strap-iron 

 rests, or rabbets, arid do not touch the hive at the 

 ends by a quarter of an inch; this prevents their 

 being glued down. To keep them from swinging 

 when moved, a quarter-inch strip, as wide as the 

 rabbet is deep, with small blocks nailed on at the 

 right distance apart, is crowded down into the rab- 

 bet at each end, and another is tacked across the 

 bottom, which keeps all as snug and firm as closed- 

 end frames. He has two rigs for carting bees ; the 

 single team takes 33, and the double team 50 hives. 

 One tier is set on the wagon-bottom, then a rack put 

 in that stands three or four inches above them, on 

 which is placed another tier containing two addi- 

 tional hives. The thumb-screws are then turned 

 up to bring the wagon-body firmly together. 



After a pleasant ride of 5 miles along the moun- 

 tain stream with its varied scenery, and during 

 which time we gained much information from our 

 companion, he turned into a farm-yard and drove 

 up the hill, where were more rows of hives with a 

 honey-house near by. Here the bees had not done 

 as well as elsewhere, and were to be taken to a bet- 

 ter location in the valley north of Bristol. Soon all 

 hands were lifting frames of bees out of hives and 



MB. MANUM AND HTS HOME AI'IAItY. 



Back of the honey-house, beneath the branches 

 of a small orchard, was the " Home " apiary. Near- 

 ly all colonies were in chaff hives, numbered and 

 arranged in long rows; there were also many nu- 

 cleus hives containing surplus queens, and near by 

 a long row of the Chapman honey-plant, most of it 

 out of bloom, but a few balls were in flower. 



We had urged him to continue the moving, and 

 allow us to accompany him; so after looking 

 through the home yard we started for the Lincoln 

 apiary, to bring back a load of bees. Another team 

 had preceded us to get a load of outer cases. One 

 wagon was tilled with empty hives, made with per- 

 manent bottom for shipping. The bottom and 

 sides were of light boards and a sheet of muslin; 

 one edge permanently attached served for a cover. 

 In the ends of boxes were auger-holes covered with 

 wire cloth. 



putting them into shipping-boxes; queens were 

 generally found, and covers marked accordingly. 

 Strong colonies were divided into two parts, for 

 fear of smothering. Bees were cross, and smoke 

 was hardly protection enough. They were bother- 

 ed some; but as we always have our veil handy, 

 we were all right, and felt more than ever satisfied 

 that we did not care to entirely dispense with a 

 veil. 



The muBliu covtn- was tacked down all around, 

 and the wagon loaded. The cleats on two sides of 

 each hive kept them from rubbing each other or 

 the wagon-body, and saved the covers from wear- 

 ing through. The horses had been taken out of the 

 shafts, and tied at a distance. When loads were 

 ready, one mounted the wagon, the other two 

 hitched in the horse, threw up th« reins, and they 

 were off at once. We reached Bristol all right, but 



