SEPTEMBER 15, 1913 



the whole territory surrounding you; and 

 tlu'ough your curiosity to ascertain the 

 source of pollen or nectar, or the cause of 

 tliis or that activity, you lind trees in blos- 

 som that you never dreamed had a blossom, 

 or that what once you considered a noxious 

 weed possesses flowers which, for intricacy 

 of form, relegates the American beauty to 

 the commonplace. What great variety of 

 size and form of bloom, simple and com- 

 pound, making it hard or easy for the bee 

 to arrive at the coveted sweet within! and 

 with what untiring perseverance the little 

 fellow labors to acquire the precious load ! 

 And then the home of the bee itself! what 

 everlasting interest and wonder are enclos- 

 ed in the four walls of their little house ! 

 But why say more? All these things are 

 better appreciated when seen than when 

 read about; and the pleasure is all in find- 

 ing out for one's self rather than told. 



I do not know that I can do better than 

 to tell something of how I myself became 

 interested in bees. As I intimated earlier, 

 I had gone pretty well the rounds in avo- 

 cations — so mucb so that it got to be some- 

 thing of a speculation in the community as 

 to what Dr. Mc. was going to raise next. 

 One daj' when I went to our public library 

 the librarian handed me a journal with the 

 remark that it would likely interest me. It 

 proved to be Christmas number of Glean- 

 ings for 1908, and interest me it did. I 

 have it yet, though much the worse for 

 wear. That winter was spent reading every 

 thing I could get my hands on relating to 

 bees; and the following spring found me 

 with a hive of bees on my back porch, hav- 

 ing at that time no other place to put them, 

 much against the wishes of Mrs. Mc, who 

 protested that the children would be stung 

 to death. I will admit that I had some 

 concern in that regard myself; but we were 

 happily surprised to find that the bees con- 

 fined their attention to their own business 

 and bothered no one, regardless of the fact 

 that the children played on and about their 

 hive, and rather roughly at times at that. 



As a further inducement to the good wife 

 to allow me to enter upon this new venture 

 I proposed that the product of the hive 

 should be hers. This arrangement has prov- 

 en satisfactory in more ways than one — 

 satisfactory to her, as it nets her from five 

 to eight dollars a year pin money, and sat- 

 isfactory to me in that any inquiry of me 

 as to the purchase of honey is referred to 

 her, relieving me of the mercenary side of 

 the proposition. 



This statement causes me to suggest to 

 any who might think of keeping bees as an 

 avocation to keep only a few bees, say not 

 more than three colonies, so that your 



pleasure in them Avill not be converted into 

 a burden, and also so that the idea of ^Drofit 

 in dollars and cents from them does not 

 overshadow the profit from healthful exer- 

 cise, and freedom from anxiety in regard 

 to them. You keep bees for your health; 

 let the fellow who keeps them for a liveli- 

 hood do the worrying as to the mercenary 

 side of them. Stick to your own business 

 for your living, and to your bees for recre- 

 ation. 



Pittsburg', Pa, j 



HONEY AND BEES AT THE HAMILTON COUNTY 

 FAIR 



BY HENRY REDDERT 



The agricultural fair just ended was a 

 great success in all its details. The efforts 

 of the fair committee were duly appreciat- 

 ed by the great crowds of visitors dui'ing 

 the four days of attendance. 



There were two entries of bees and their 

 IM'oducts, and one entry of beekeepers' sup- 

 idies by Mr. Charles H. Weber. Mr. J. G. 

 (''reighton. of Harrison, Ohio, secured first 

 prize on the best display of comb and ex- 

 1 racted honey ; fii-st prize on wax and comb- 

 honey, and live bees in observatory hives. 

 Mr. Lenert, of Elwood Place, took the first 

 prize on extracted and second on comb hon- 

 ey and beeswax. Mr. Ci'eighton's honey 

 was all in crystal-white jars of various 

 forms and sizes, from a gallon down to a 

 pint. Mr. Lenert's honey was m green 

 jars — a practice all exhibitors of extracted 

 honey should avoid, as it gives a different 

 hue to the honey. The honey he received 

 first pi-ize on was in a small crystal-white 

 pint jar. Had he used white jars for the 

 entire display it would have shown up very 

 much better. 



The exhibitor should use vanous forms 

 of jars, and set them in such a way as to 

 make a harmonious picture to draw the 

 attention of the visitors. Mr. Creighton's 

 wax was not as light-colored as Mr. Len- 

 ert's. It was chocolate-colored and put up 

 in twenty and five pound pieces, and so 

 formed as to resemble a decorated chocolate 

 cake. Had he not mai'ked it, nine out of 

 ten people w«uld have taken it for such. I 

 was puzzled myself until Mr. Creighton 

 explained. I presume the bulk and shape 

 secured him the first prize on wax. 



We have quite a number of large bee- 

 keepers in our county who have the time 

 to make a good display if they would only 

 make up their minds to do so. To my mind 

 it is a great advertisement to beemen who 

 sell koney in large quantities, retail and 

 wholesale. Then, again, it helps to enlight- 



