1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



733 



of course, at the thought of entertaining 

 such distinguished guests; but Mrs. C.'s 

 good-natured P^nglish ways very soon won a 

 place in Mrs. Roofs heart. In addressing 

 her husband, Mrs. Cowan says, " Tom, dear,'' 

 in a familiar way that was worth ever so 

 much to me. For several days after they 

 went away, my wife would have it over. 

 This single little expression contributed 

 greatly toward making us feel at home and 

 acquainted. May (iod bless our two Eng- 

 lish friends wherever they go ; and I pre- 

 sume that one secret of their vast fund of 

 information is the fact that they have both 

 traveled much. 



A HOUSE-APIARY, AND ONE THAT IS 

 MANAGED SUCCESSFULLY. 



A COMMUNIC.\T]ON KKOM THE INVENTOR OF THE 

 PEET QUEEN-CAGE. 



ITH a good deal of pleasure I had been con- 

 templating a trip to the above apiary for 

 some time, remembering a similar visit 

 about two years ago. Blue-Poi:it Ai)iary is 

 owned by Mr. M. G. Young, of Brooklyn, 

 N. Y., and is located at Highland, Ulster Co., N. Y., 

 a beautiful village nestling among the hills that 

 overlook the grand and beautiful river Hudson. To 

 get to Highland from New York you have your 

 choice of three routes: viz., West Shore R. H., N. Y. 

 Central R. R , and steamboat "Mary Powell." The 

 latter was my choice, as I am passionately fond of 

 sailing, and a brief respite from the dust and dirt of 

 the city and its legion of railroads was a recreation 

 of itself, and I appreciated it fully as I sat upon the 

 deck and drank in the delightful breeze that fanned 

 our heated bodies, which were almost cooked by 

 the long fi6°in-the-shade stretch of weather. But 

 our bodies, being a good deal like the weather in 

 our climate (very elastic), it did not take long to 

 cool them off, and make us begin to feel a little un- 

 comfortable the other way; however, this condition 

 is easily remedied by simply walking inside the cali- 

 in, and accommodatingyourself to a luxurious chaii-. 

 This is just ivhat your humble servant did, and 

 Spent the remainder of the steamboat part of the 

 journey in admiring and studying human nature as 

 it is phased among a promiscuous crowd traveling 

 for pleasure on the Hudson River. I could write 

 some very amusing notes of observation in lliis 

 line, but it would be out of order in this article. 



On taking a tour of observation now. 1 found we 

 had gotten as far along as Newburgh; and being 

 reminded by the inner man that it was time to at- 

 tend to his wants, and that I yet had time before 

 arriving at my get-off place to do so, T repaired to 

 the lower deck, or cabin, where I found the re- 

 quired refreshments; and with an appetite made 

 keen by the bracing mountain air, satisfied that in- 

 ner man to the astonishment of my pocket-book. 



Soon we arrived at Poughkeepsie, where I was to 

 leave the steamboat and take (or let It take me) a 

 small steam launch, or ferry-boat, and cross the 

 river to Highland. Arriving at the dock, ray good 

 friend was awaiting me, and right glad I was to find 

 him there; for the night was dark and the country 

 strange, and his home some two miles from the riv- 

 er, necessitating a walk through the woods by path 

 and road, up hill and down— mostly up; but follow- 

 Idb^ close to my friend Young, who seemed to be 



perfectly at home among these hills, we soon ar- 

 rived at Blue-Point Apiary, the writer about " play- 

 ed out," and ready to seek the welcome cot, where 

 we were soon ensconced; and, listening to the mo- 

 notonous music of the katydid, we soon slept the 

 sleep of the weary, awakening only when the light 

 of the coming daj- shone into my room, and the 

 sound of nature's orchestra falling upon my ears. 

 I was soon Into^ my clothes, and out enjoying the 

 loveliness of the country, as only a city clerk can 

 appreciate to the full. 



After breakfast, a visit to my friend's pets, the 

 bees, was in order. Mr. Y. is thoroughly a house- 

 apiarist. He hasn't a colony outside of the house. 

 He has two bee-houses, situated about half a mile 

 apart, one accommodating about thirty, the other 

 twenty. The hives are arranged inside in two rows, 

 one on the floor, and the other about four feet 

 above, and occupying two sides of the house, viz., 

 south and east. Experience has taught him that 

 they do not winter well facing the north. The plan 

 of the bee house is about as follows: Shaped as an 

 L, say 20x 14 ft.; this gives him a room on the U-fl. 

 side for a work-room, about s ft. siiuare. The sides 

 opposite the hives ai-e used to store frames, bo.xes. 

 etc., and to hang up tools, etc.. necessary for the 

 apiarist. There is a skylight in the center of the 

 roof, arranged with a wire screen that can be 

 turned over at will by pulling a string. The oliject 

 of this is twofold. First, it catches all the bees that 

 fly off while maniijulating the combs; It also pre- 

 vents robbers from coming In, and holds them till 

 the manipulator is through with that hive, when a 

 pull of the string turns them all outdoors. 



Another advantage, and a:big one, for Mr. Y., is 

 in having his bees all in a bee-house. He can go 

 away and leave them locked up, and nothing can 

 meddle with them. He uses a box :) by + inches, 

 with a full-size sheet of fdn. (flat bottom), fastening 

 it with a Mallery fastener. He markets the honey 

 himself; i. e., he seeks a market among grocerymen 

 In Brooklyn, who pay him a good price, appreciat- 

 ing the neat box and clean tidy-looking crate that 

 holds them. Mr. '\'. Is very successful In wintering 

 his bees just as they stand in the bee-house, simple- 

 packing them with chaff' or chaff' cushions, allowing 

 the entrances to remain open. He has a plan of 

 ventilating the hive, which I will not exi>laln here, 

 as he may not .wish me to do so. Mr. Y. has met 

 the foul-brood problem to his sorrow, but he 'came 

 off' a conqueror. 1 think he said by the Muth system. 

 He could give j-ou some rich experience In thai 

 line, if called upon. He has now a very handsome 

 strain of bees, whose <iualities for working ;^and 

 gentleness are unsurpassed. Mr. Y. enjoys this lit- 

 tle side business very much, as does his wife also, 

 who helps him In a good part of the work. His vo- 

 cation in Brooklyn being a schoolteacher, he has 

 one day of every week ,;at his disposal, as well as a 

 long vacation in summer, at the beginning of which 

 he moves at once with his family to his Highland 

 apiary, and gathers new strength as well as new 

 honey and ducats, to spend in the winter campaign 

 for souls, for I forgot to tell you that Mr. Y.Jis the 

 leader of a large mission school, also In Brooklyn. 

 Like the bees he loves, he Is a worker. 



From Blue-Point Apiary I crossed the old Hudson 

 again, and sought the." Knickerbocker Bee-Farm," 

 located at Pine Plains, N. Y., an account of which 

 1 will give you later. Theo. O. Peet. 



Arlington, N. J., Sept. 7. 1887. 



