436 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Ma." 15 



about as good as any I know of. It is flat, 

 and will g"o down between the frames, and 

 has compartments for candy. An ordinary- 

 queen mailing-cage will answer in lieu of 

 any thing else. We do not send out pack- 

 ing with hives in the flat. — Ed.] 



MRS. HARRISON'S FLORIDA LETTER. 



West Bay is an arm of St. Andrews Bay, 

 about fourteen miles from the town of St. 

 Andrews Bay. The settlement of West 

 Bay is composed of persons from Alabama 

 who came seeking health, together with the 

 fine fish and oysters which the bay aft'ords. 

 These people have displayed considerable 

 energy in making for themselves homes in 

 the wilderness. 



We came here from St. Andrews in a 

 small sail-boat, partly as a missionar)^ 

 tour, to see how the church and Sunday- 

 school were thriving. We slept upon the 

 boat, and early on that Easter morning I 

 found my way to the school-house, and gave 

 the small plantation bell one tap. The 

 door was open, and upon the table was part 

 of a Bible and an envelope from the Baptist 

 Southern Convention. 



I walked around, breathing the soft, 

 warm, sweet southern air; gathered a bou- 

 quet of lovely ti-ti blossoms, yellow jessa- 

 mine, laurel, and a plant said to be Cali- 

 fornia sage. A friend who had seen it 

 growing there said it was the same. The 

 bees were thick upon it, and humming hap- 

 pily. This sage grows all around this bay, 

 upon land close to the water. 



I saw a high bench upon which were tall 

 box hives, shaded with a grove of bay-trees. 

 The hives were full, and running over, with 

 bees clustering out upon the front. They 

 were diminutive black bees. There was a 

 small ti-ti back of this apiary, and the ti ti 

 bush was blooming, with its fragrant long 

 white racemes hanging thickly from every 

 twig. Over all the yellow jessamine ran at 

 random, with itsgreatclustersof yellow bell- 

 shaped flowers. Truly these bees were in 

 the midst of plenty on this Easter Sunday. 

 I was told by a woman near these hives 

 that comb honey sold there for five cenls 

 per pound! 



Though it was so early in the morning, 

 the whole town was in holiday attire; and 

 on my inquiring about the Sunday-school 

 I was informed that it had died out, but 

 they were going to start it again. They 

 had no preacher the past year, but one was 

 coming next Sunday, and would come to 

 preach once a month. 



Soon the whole settlement gathered upon 

 the pier — men, women, and children — and 

 went upon a large fishing-smack, with her 

 white wings spread, for a day of pleasure, 

 and — I had no Sunday-school. 



Mrs. L. Harrison. 



West Bay, Fla., Mar. 30. 



[I have been nearly all over the United 

 States, but never 3'et have visited Florida. 

 I hope the time will come when I may drink 

 in the pleasures of which 5'ou speak. — Ed. J 



In uniting two weak colonies by placing 

 one hive on top of the other, do 3'ou leave 

 both queens in to demonstrate the theory of 

 " the survival of the fittest "? 



Laura S. Ross. 



Jefferson, O., March 18. 



[Where one queen is as good as the other 

 it is the practice to let the queens fight it 

 out, on the principle of the survival of the 

 fittest; but if there is a choice, then of 

 course the bee-keeper should pick out the 

 inferior one. — Ed.] 



THE BEE'KEEPER'S HOPE. 



BY HARRY I.^THROP. 



I wonder what the crop will be 



Next season, Mary dear, 

 'Tis true we had to feed the bees 



To help them out last year. 



The spring was cold and backward too. 



The l)ees could hardly flv ; 

 And then the drouth of summer came, 



And caused the flowers to die. 



But after while .some showers came, 



Refreshing wood and field ; 

 And that sweet clover in the lane 



Helped out the scanty yield. 



In summing up the season's work 

 We found the blessings counted 



Outweighed by far the pain and loss 

 In all that time surmounted. 



Thus we may gain from j'ear to year, 

 From sales of bees and honey. 



Enough to keep our credit clear, 

 As Well as S-ive some money. 



There's much of toil and little gain 



In thi- our occupation ; 

 But we'll not envy those who aim 



At larger compensation. 



For God has given to mortals here 

 Great blessings without measure ; 



We have our share of right good cheer. 

 And much of sinless pleasure. 



We hope for better luck next year ; 



" Hope " i< the bee-man's refuge ; 

 But luck is pluck, success means work, 



It's been so since the deluge. 



'Twas work that brought our first success : 



Yes, work that first began it. 

 And work will finish well the day. 



We may depend upon it. 



So come along, companion dear. 



We'll wait until to-mon ow. 

 To bear the load of toil and care, 



To-dav no trouble borrow. 



