950 



GLEANINGS IN ]iP:E OULTLTRE. 



Dec. 



have been subjected to more or less damp- 

 ness and wet in the snow. If I did not make 

 this clear in our issue for Nov. 15. page 869, 

 will the juveniles please take notice ? The 

 next letter we have was written in the in- 

 terest of Master J. Curtis Haines, of Mo- 

 hawk, N. Y. It is as follows : 



FROZEN BEES NOT REVIVING. 



In answer to your problem for little folks, I got a 

 pan of clean dry snow, just after it bad fallen, set 

 it in the barn to keep it soft and light, and on Nov. 

 30, ubout 3 p. M., I opened a strong colony, smoked 

 slightly. In a little while I took a small handful 

 and dropped them in the pan of snow. As soon 

 as they were chilled I put some in a dry paper box, 

 and set them in a small open building. Next morn- 

 ing we brought two of each lot into the house, put 

 them on the mantle near the kitchen stove, where 

 it was nice and warm (not hot), but they showed no 

 signs of life. We left them in all day, and got more 

 of each lot, but they showed no signs of life at all. 

 To-day I brought more in, but could not see any 

 signs of life. They are quite dead. We opened 

 some, and they seemed to be filled with honey. 

 When we put the bees in the snow in the first place, 

 it thawed some on the south side of the house, and 

 the bees were bright and active, and seemed quite 

 strong; but it was very cold that night. Next 

 morning the thermometer was down to five below 

 zero, and the next day was very cold. The ther- 

 mometer was at zero. So you see if there is any 

 thing in its being cold, they had the benefit of it. 



This is in the interest of our little boy, who is 

 atter that knife you offer. If you think it worth it, 

 you may send it to Master J. Curtiss Haines. 



Mohawk, Herkimer Co., N. Y. J. C. Haines. 



Yes, Master Curtis, we send you the knife. 



. The following is a letter from a boy who, 

 although 61 years old, is still full of youthful 

 enthusiasm. It reads as follows : 



FROZEN BEES REVIVED ON THE FIFTH DAY, AS RE- 

 PORTED BY A BOY 61 YEARS OLD. 



You wanted the juveniles to experiment on bees, 

 and report. I am a juvenile of 61 years, but here it 

 goes. I shook bees on the snow. Three days after, 

 I took forty, put them in a fruit-can cover, and 

 placed them on the reservoir of the stove. All 

 came to life. On the fourth day, 35; all came to 

 life but two. On the fifth day I tried 2,5, and they all 

 came to but four. The night of the fifth day it 

 rained all night; the sixth day I tried 30, all were 

 dead. The snow all went ofl" last night. During 

 the fore part of the trial the ice was two inches 

 thick. J. B. Whiton. 



Ithaca, Gratiot Co., Michigan. 



We are exceedingly obliged, friend W., 

 for the valuable facts you furnish. We 

 shall be glad to have you experiment further 

 in the same line. While you drop some bees 

 in the snow as before, put others in a dry 

 place, where they will be subjected to a 

 freezing temperature, and let us hear from 

 you again. If I am correct, the results of 

 your experiments have exceeded those of 

 Mr. Doolittle by two days. Now, boys and 

 girls of younger years, see if you can not 

 beat grandpa Whiton. If you can, we will 

 award you any two of the presents as given 

 in our "issue for Nov. 15. As for grandpa 

 W.. we will arrange it with him. 



BEES, CARP, ETC. 



We have been hauling water for the last four or 

 five weeks. We have dug a pond which will hold a 

 lot of water. I have been going to school about 

 two weeks, and have had a happy time. Pa and I 

 have fixed our bees for winter. We have about 

 125 colonies. We are building an addition to our 

 shop, to saw logs for our own use. We are fixing 

 to commence about Jan. 1st. We have our fall 

 work about all done up. Ray Murray, age 12. 



Ada, O., Nov. 30, 1887^^ 



LOTS OF LOWER VENTILATION. 



My name is Winfleld Markham, but my papa 

 and mamma call me Winnie. I am seven years 

 old. My papa packs his bees with chaff and maple 

 leaves. He thinks they want lots of lower ven- 

 tilation, aOd not too much above. I feed the hens 

 every day, and go one mile to school. 



Winnie Markham. 



Ellington, Chaut. Co., N. Y. 



THE GROWTH OF CARP. 



There are a good many flowers here from early 

 spring till late in the fall, and I intend to keep 

 bees next year. My grandfather has 36 stands of 

 bees, and thinks that it is a very profitable busi- 

 ness. I like Gleanings very much. The State 

 Fish Commissioner placed 13 German carp in the 

 fountain in a park in this citj', and in the fall of 

 the same year they took 3 pecks of Ji-inch carp 

 out. Chas. Cox. 



Quincy, 111., Nov. 20, 1887. 



A COMFORTABLE HOME FOR THE CHICKENS. 



I have 17 chickens, and so I built a house for 

 them 6 ft. by 12, and then put another ply of boards 

 all around and pack'^d si.v inches of clay around 

 and on top of the house. Then I divided it into 

 two rooms, and made a door Into each, so tight 

 that weasels and other small animals can not get 

 in. I made a yard on the east side, 6 ft. by 13, of 

 long strips 3 inches apart, and then I made a door 

 at the south end. I am going to school. 



John H. Mowbray. 



Sarnia, Ont., Can., Nov. 24, 1887. 



This is right, friend John. If we keep 

 chickens we ought to give them comforta- 

 ble homes, don't you think so V I wonder 

 if all the little folks who keep bees have 

 given them as good homes as you have 

 your biddies. 



BUMBLEBEES, AND DID THEY HIBERNATE? 



When we boys fight bumble-bees, and can not 

 whip the nest out, we get Mr. Bubmire to help us. 

 He will take off his hat, pinch them with his fin- 

 gers, and does not get stung. Bumble-bees are very 

 curious. They live in small holes in the ground, 

 or in log dirt, lined with moss or grass, through the 

 winter. We have dug them out. In the spring, 

 when it is warm enough, they start for work. 



Elbert Evinger. 



Tecumseb, Darke Co., O., Nov. 27, 1887. 



Thank you, friend Elbert. You say you 

 "dug them (bumble-bees) out." Do you 

 mean that you did this in the winter? If 

 so, did you find them alive ? If you did, 

 perhaps you have discovered something that 

 the old folks did not know before. Will 

 you tell us more about' it V Hibernate, as 

 "found in the heading, is a big word. It 

 means — well, living through the winter in a 

 sort of sleep, without eating any thing. 



