148 



GLEAJ^Jl^'GS LN BEE CULTUllE. 



Feb. 



Ul> 



Every boy or (Jfirl, under 15 



years of age, who writes a 



letter for this department, containikg 



SOME VALUABLE FACT, NOT GENKHALLY 

 KNOWN ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, 



will receive one of David Cook's excel- 

 lent live - cent Sunday -school books. 

 Many of these books contain the same mat- 

 ter that you find in Sunday-school books 

 costing from SI. 00 to $1.50. If you have had 

 one or more books, give us the names that we 

 may not send the same twice. We have now 

 in stock six ditt'erent books, as follows; viz.; 

 Sheer Off, The Giant - Killer, The Roby 

 i ' Family, Rescued from EKy|it,.ind Ten Nights in 



.( B.ir liooni. We have also Our Homes, Parti., and 

 Our Homes. Part II. Besides the above books, you may h,ave a 

 photograph of our old house apiary, taken a great many years 

 ago. In it is .i picture of my.self, Blue Eyes, and Caddy, nnd a 

 glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pretty little colored 

 pictures of birds, fruits, (lowers, etc., suitable for framing. 

 You can have your choice of aiiy one of the .^bove pictures 

 or books for every letter that gives us somevahnMp piece of 

 information. 



CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT. 



TIIK hoys' AMATEUR BEE-HIVE FACTOHV. 



fllE beiicli-vises, which you lemeinher 

 the ]);)>, s sent for, were"^duly received, 

 Tliey were now fully equipped to 

 m;ike any thing which yoiithtnl gen- 

 iuses can turn out. After school, dur- 

 ing evenings, Mr. Green taught the l)0.\s in 

 the rudiments of carpentry. He showed 

 them how, by the use of a try-square, they 

 could make" every thing perfectly square. 

 By piac^tical examples, he instructed them as 

 to the mortise and tenon. raVibet, dovetail, 

 and miter. The latter, he said they would 

 often have occasion to nse. He then made 

 them a miter-box which he explained as 

 being so useful in a good carpenter shop. 

 The keen zest and enjoyment with which 

 the boys took hold of the work made them 

 apt scholars, and they soon became quite 

 proficient in the use of tools. In the mean 

 time Mr. (Tieen had loaned them a copy of 

 the A B C of Bee Culture, and had directed 

 them to read caiefiilly the chapter on Hivk- 

 .MAKINC+, which the boys did. Though tlie 

 instructions there given were designed to 

 accompany the buzz-saw, they tlioiiglit they 

 could make use of some of the instructions, 

 even for hand-tools. 



One evening after school, while tiie boys 

 were talking and planning in their work- 

 shop they discovered thatthey liad iiisutli- 

 cient light. Jimmie proposed to Sain that 

 they make a Utile window just over the 

 work-bench so they could have "lots of 

 liglit " just where they wanted it, Sam read- 

 ily agreed, but said he must first ask his 

 father's permission to cut a hole. When the 

 boys presented the matter before Mr. G. the 

 latter readily consented, and at the same 

 time explained liow it could be done. 



A pane of glass, lOxlo, was purchased. An 

 oblong hole was made through the side of 

 the barn, one-quarter inch smaller all around 



than the glass. This was ingeniously let 

 into the wood and then held there by strips 

 of wood nailed around the edge of tlie glass. 



Finally Saturday, which was a good while 

 coming to the boys, arrived. They had pre- 

 viously had some experience in making one 

 or two hives, and now they felt confident 

 that they could make a larger number with- 

 out so much waste in lumber as in the first. 

 Mr. Green had given them a little talk on 

 the division of labor. He explained how it 

 would be economy of labor and time to make 

 several hives at once. Accordingly the boys 

 had decided to make a "'batch of six hives." 

 The first thing to be done was to saw the 

 boards up in proper lengths. 



When they had been sawing for awhile. 

 Jimmie exclaimed, "By cracky! this is 

 mighty tough work." As he said this the 

 perspiration began to stand out on his nose. 

 and his arm and back began to ache. 

 Straightening up and throwing back his 

 shoulders he said, " This is more work than 

 play — almost as bad as sawing wood." 



"You are right." said Sam, "Sawing 

 hives with these little saws is too hard work." 



" rd just like to shake hands with the man 

 who invented the buzz-saw. Say, Sam, don't 

 you s'pose w^e could get up one V" 



"A small mandrel that would answer our 

 purpose would cost only $2.25, and a couple 

 of small saws could be had for about !i?l.')0. 

 I don't know how we conld get the power." 



" Why can't we make awindmill ? We've 

 made little ones," said Jimmie. 



" So we could I" said S;ini, brightening at 

 the idea. " Let us talk with pa about it." 



The boys commenced work on their hives 

 again with renewed energy. 



That evening the matter was brought be- 

 fore Mr. Green. After some reflection he 

 thought tiie boys might manage to make a 

 windmill for running a buzz-saw for light 

 work ; but then tiiey would need his assist- 

 ance. It would have to bequite large to run 

 a buzz-saw — considerably larger than the 

 boys had ever made. He advised them to 

 wait until he could talk to a friend who was 

 a machinist. 



{('outinued.) 



JaVENmE liEWE^-B6^. 



" A ehiel's amaug ye takin' notes; 

 An' faith, he'll prentit." 



A LITTI.K GtKIi WHO "BEAT HEfl P.\PA AM. 

 HOI.LOW," 



My papii gave me sonio bees. They Imve nuuie 

 me 67 His. oT nice extracted honey, aiirt I traded my 

 honey for ii nice hat and a wax doll, f'apa says my 

 bees beat liis all hollow. Mamik. Hkokks. 



CJonzales, Te.xas, Jan. 'I, 18S7. 



Thank you, friend Mamie, for your re- 

 port. We have known your pajni real well, 

 and we are glad to know he has a little girl, 

 even if she did beat him all hollow. 



i A LITTI.E UiRl/S REPORT IN REGARD Tt) THE BEES 

 I GATHERING POLLEN IN TEXAS. 



This is the third letter I have given you on the 

 ' subject. In 1885 they commenced bringing in pol .. 



