100 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



GENERAL COEMESPONDENCE 



BUILDING UP FROM NOTHING 



^ork iiB Carang for 5^ 



BY IRA D. BARTLETT 



It is no uncommon thing for me to be 

 asked all sorts of questions about the won- 

 derful busy bee. How long does a bee live? 

 How much honey does a colony make dur- 

 ing the season? How many swarms issue 

 from one liive? and then after giving them 

 the best answers I can they will usually tell 

 of the wonders, as they appeared to them, 

 and the miracles performed by old Mr. So 

 and So, when they were boys — how he used 

 to " swarm " swarms without a veil, and 

 with his arms bare, and how the bees would 

 crawl over his face and arms and he never, 

 never got a sting. They had seen the nice 

 yellow wax, and at times honey, being car- 

 ried into the hive by the bees, but it was 

 always on their legs. They had been told 

 the uselessness of the drones, and how the 

 bees did the bidding of the queen. 



Regardless of how wrong their ideas were 

 they were interested, though they never in- 

 vestigated further. You and I have seen 

 these same things and heard the same stories. 

 The bright pollen that we thought was hon- 

 ey aroused in us the greater desire to go 

 into the hive and see where it AVas put, and 

 how things looked in there. We were thrilled 

 by the wonders of natui'e performed by her 

 agent, the honeybee. Many of the readers 

 of Gleanings have just got their fli'st peep 



Fia. 1. — Ira D. Bartlett's home, 20 x 40 supply-house, and garage. Mr. 

 Bartlett purchased a Ford touring car in 1914, which he finds is a great 

 saving in time and labor. The residence has full basement, furnace heat, 

 electric light.s, bath, etc. 



into the hive; and, oh the raptures that 

 thrilled their souls! Some of these begin- 

 ners will follow beekeeping as a pastime; 

 others will engage in it as their life voca- 

 tion. The last named are most interested in 

 how the successful apiarist of to-day got 

 his start, and how he increased his colonies 

 and built up his apiaries to where he could 

 make a living from them alone. It would 

 be impossible for me to give here a complete 

 history of my beekeeping life; but I can 

 tell how I advanced. 



When I was a boy I lived in town; and 

 whenever there was a chance I hied me to 

 the country, for there were beauty and 

 glories the town could not reveal. I loved 

 nature. I was inspired by the song of the 

 birds, the beauty of the growing crops, the 

 fresh, fragi'ant, and invigorating breezes, 

 and the grand old sun ; and the moon and 

 stars were ofttimes my sole companions. I 

 made the most of my trips to the country 

 where there was a very nice apiary, for I 

 liked honey, and soon I was interested in 

 the bees. Earl3' in May, 1895, the owner of 

 the apiary brought me down a nice prime 

 swarm, for which I paid $5.00 in labor on 

 the farm. I was a happy boy, and looked 

 into that hive nearly every day. It is a 

 wonder the bees stayed at all; but they did 

 istay until early in 

 August, when out 

 they came, intending 

 to abscond. I hived 

 them, however ; and 

 as we had a late fall 

 with good weather, 

 they gathered enough 

 to winter on. The 

 parent colony reared 

 a queen, and I got 

 them both through 

 the winter safely. I 

 at once subscribed 

 for the American Bee 

 Journal, and soon 

 after for Gleanings, 

 and for two years I 

 believe I read noth- 

 ing except that which 

 )iertained to the bee. 

 I attribute a gi'eat 

 deal of my success to 



