AUGUST 1, 1913 



To my mind, scien- 

 tific queen-rearing is 

 the very acme of api- 

 culture, and my joy 

 will be complete if I 

 can snccessfnlly work 

 out this problem. 



My apiary consists 

 of 19 colonies. But 

 few are in prime con- 

 dition, and making' 

 surplus honey ; but I 

 am having lots of fun 

 in the apiary studying 

 and experimenting. As 

 a recreative agency I 

 must say apiculture is 

 without a rival. 



Work? Why, yes; 

 even with an apiary of 

 19 colonies there is 

 work connected with it, 

 and some hard work ; 

 but as some one has 

 said, " A change of 

 occupation is the best 

 sort of rest." '' Push 

 on, keep moving," is a 

 prescribed and well- 

 known cure for the 

 heartache. 



With the exception 

 of chasing a swarm, 

 pei'haps the most ex- 

 citing part is climbing 

 to the top of a tall 

 ladder, bringing the 

 clustered mass down 

 from the most nearly 

 inaccessible branch of 

 an apple tree; or, per- 

 chance, the cjueen may 

 have absconded with 

 part of a large swarm 

 a quarter of a mile up 

 the street, the larger 

 part returning to the hive, as I had a swarm 

 do the other day. I pocketed my pride, 

 shouldered a step-ladder and basket, started 

 in pursuit of her ladyship, and brought her 

 back home. I clipped her wings, and will 

 have no more trouble from her till I can 

 replace her with another queen. Of course 

 this swarming nuisance can be avoided 

 largely by clipping the queen ; but apart 

 from all this I say there is no recreative 

 occupation affording as large and satisfac- 

 tory returns in health, real pleasure, and 

 financial profit, as the keeping of bees. 



In these days, when there is such a wild 

 search for novel entertainment, the bees too 

 affoi'd a most unique and instructive source. 



I have given several bee parties; and, 



A few of the ladies 

 Woman's Club) 



of the mothers' section of the Alden Club t Franklin 

 . Introducing a queen direct to a shaken swarm. 



following a short informal talk, I find it 

 great sport showing off in the apiary, watch- 

 ing the amazed expression on the faces of 

 my friends, listening to their exclamations 

 of wonder and admiration as, without pro- 

 tection of veil or gloves, I shake a swarm, 

 introduce a queen direct, or do some other 

 easy stunt which seems to the onlooker as 

 quite impossible. 



And then the joys of harvest time! You 

 old stagers know the " feel " of it ; but to 

 the amateur, as she takes from the supers 

 the well-filled sections of beautiful honey, 

 the pleasure and pride of production is 

 intensified a hundredfold. 



To my sisters, the busy home-makers, 

 nervous and worn with the never-ending 



