GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



managed to cut off the limb on which the 

 bees were clustered. Tliis I carried very 

 carefully to the prepared liive; and with 

 one or two quick vigorous shakes I got the 

 bees on the ground at the entrance of the 

 hive. Picking up a pebble I drummed on 

 top of the liive, and soon all the bees were 

 moving in a flock toward the entrance. 



I watched them, drumming the wliile, un- 

 til I saw the queen go in. I was fully re- 

 warded for my trouble when I saw her, for 

 she was a beautiful yellow virgin. Then, 

 placing a raisin-tray against the hive to 

 protect it from the hot sun, I left it. About 

 five days later the queen was laying, then 

 the hive was moved on a stand "with other 

 hives. 



Before the season ended they had built 

 themselves up into ten frames, and had 

 filled an extracting-super with alfalfa hon- 

 ey. 



When a woman thinks of bees, the utter 

 unfitness of her clothing for the work is the 

 first thing that occurs to her, and justly 

 too, for low shoes and a flapping skirt seem 

 to invite attack. I know whereof I speak. 

 One experience in such clothes is enough. 

 My bee-suit consists of a gymnasium suit 

 with skirt, leggins, veil, and gloves. If I 

 expect to be out in the apiary for only a 

 short time I find that, instead of leggins, 

 an extra pair of stockings with the feet cut 

 off works well. 



I bought a pattern and some khaki, and 

 made the suit myself. I made the veil of 

 khaki and wire cloth by taking a piece of 

 the wire cloth 11 by 27 inches, and making 

 a cylinder of it. Over one end and down 

 the back was sewed a piece of khaki. The 

 khaki over the back was for protection from 

 .the sun. At the lower edge of the cylinder 

 was sewed a kliaki skirt about eleven inches 

 deep. The skirt was tucked inside my col- 

 lar, and the bees were very effectually kept 

 out. I wear gloves only when the bees are 

 very cross. I find I can work much faster 

 without them, and what do a few stings 

 amount to, any way? 



College City, California. 



A WOMAN WHO KEEPS BEES BECAUSE SHE 

 LIKES THEM 



BY MRS. C. A. SIBLEY 



If I had ever seen a honeybee previous 

 to 1900 I did not know what it was. We 

 moved here from Boston that year, and one 

 day some one said that there was a swarm 

 of bees down the road. So we went to see 

 them. Tliere was only one beekeeper in the 

 neighborhood, and we sent him no word, 



so the swarm hung there and dwindled just 

 because we didn't know any better. But I 

 talked about the " poor little things " until 

 I was compelled to stop by remarks about 

 " a bee in her bonnet," and " a vacuum 

 under the bonnet." 



There was some hay stacked in our mead- 

 ow ; and the next spring our beekeeper 

 friend happening to meet me, he asked if 

 he could buy the hay. When I mentioned 

 his request to my husband he laughed and 

 said, " As you have found a purchaser, com- 

 l^lete the bargain and you may have what- 

 ever you get." Every one was amused when 

 I exchanged it for a colony of bees. I still 

 think I did not pay enough for those bees, 

 for they have been worth a great deal to me. 

 First, they gave me a new interest at a time 

 when I was very homesick ; also they have 

 paid for our magazine and farm papers, for 

 an incubator and brooder, and last fall they 

 helped pay for the corn-harvester. We use 

 an incredible amount of honey on our own 

 table, and I do not know of any thing which 

 so perfectly expresses friendship or sympa- 

 thy under so many different circumstances 

 as honey does. Our friends appreciate hon- 

 ey more than they do bees. 



Of course there is some work that re- 

 quires strength; but I manage the heavy 

 lifting very easily. I let the men do it. 

 They set the hives in and out of the cellar; 

 but my daughter and I manage the swarms, 

 which usually cluster on an apple tree. We 

 carry out the kitchen table, then we carry 

 out two chairs, a barrel (kept for the pur- 

 pose), and the brooder-run. We put the 

 table under the tree, the barrel on the table, 

 the brooder-run on the barrel, and the hive 

 on the brooder-run. We use the chairs our- 

 selves, and climb from them to the table. 

 Suppose some day we should put too much 

 weight on the table-leaf and si^ill the edi- 

 fice and its builders, and all because the 

 queen's wings are not clipped. However, 

 it is usually " a fine swarm," and is always 

 put into a Danzenbaker hive. Of course, 

 the hives come in the flat, and my son nails 

 them together; and I am afraid he will have 

 to until manufacturers list a hive body that 

 can be put together with a needle and 

 thread. I can't drive large nails very 

 straight. My chickens run in the apiary, 

 and never trouble the bees. Perhaps that 

 is because the hives are set up a foot or 

 more from the ground. Bushel crates make 

 fine hive-stands in a pinch; but there is al- 

 ways a vigorous protest when the " men 

 folks " see them. The hives are just high 

 enough to work over easily. In June we 

 put on the supers with full sheets of foun- 

 dation. A piece of enamel cloth is placed 



