690 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



in the carriage screamed, and jumped up 

 and down with fear. This seared the 

 horses worse; and when she pranced they 

 did too. But the man soon put a stop 

 to this ; and as we were all the time getting 

 further from the hives, the bees went back 

 to their company, and our friends drove 

 off. 



The automobiles with covered tops got 

 it worse than the carriages. The first one 

 came along just after dinner, at full speed. 

 No heed was given to our warning. As 

 the party drove by, the hood scooped up 

 a fine mess of bees, and there were yells 

 and hoots and plenty of language. As 

 the afternoon wore on, the time seemed 

 interminable. We had been up all night, 

 and were sleepy; but there was no sleep 

 for us, for teams kept coming and going, 

 and it was our duty to warn them the 

 best we could. 



When the welcome night fell at last we 

 began to rearrange the load; and after 

 a bit we had things fixed for the seventeen 

 miles that were still before us. By nine 

 o'clock that evening we were again mov- 

 ing. The horses pushed on in the dark- 

 ness, along deep forest roads, and past 

 cultivated fields. All the time we were 

 so sleepy that we could scarcely hold our 

 heads up. By ten I was so completely worn 

 out that I dared not hold the lantern for 

 fear of dropping it, and tied it to the 

 top of the rigging, still keeping my hand 

 on it. The next thing I knew, Bert was 

 punching me for I had let go of the lan- 

 tern. The road was far from safe, for on 

 one side was a high cliff, and on the other 

 a deep gorge. If the horses swerved, an 

 accident would be sure to follow. But 

 though we were almost dead from lack 

 •of sleep, it was imperative to get on. We 

 must reach our destination before morn- 

 ing, for a second day like the first in the 

 road would kill the bees. So we pushed 

 on, one walking while the other drove, and 

 then the other did the same. 



We had been going this way about an 

 hour, when all at once Bert called out that 

 he had missed the crossroad that led to 

 his place. With some impatience I ad- 

 vised him to hunt it up, so we could go 

 ahead like sane people. Off he went with 

 the lantern, and presently returned with 

 the word that he had discovered it. At 

 once the horses were turned about and 

 headed in the proper direction. It did 

 not take long to get to the crossroad, and 

 we were nearing home, with the farm 

 buildings only a mile away. We felt the 

 joy of victory. But this was not for long. 

 In the uncertain light of the morning, 



wheii we came to a small bridge we failed 

 to keep to the center, and the wheels on 

 one side did not hit the planking. Before 

 we could help ourselves the wagon was 

 half tipped over. We could not go ahead. 

 We could not go back. We were simply 

 stuck fast. So we unhitched the horses 

 and went the rest of the way on foot. j 



When we arrived, Bert's father and the 

 hired man fitted out another team and 

 moved the apiary into the yard, near the 

 house. We boys were a wretched pair to 

 look at, and spent most of the day in 

 slumber. But that did not make us pre- 

 sentable. Only time could do that. 



Of the thirty hives of bees, sixteen came 

 through safely. And it may be added that 

 Bert and I have never engaged in the job 

 of transporting bees since that first ex- 

 perience. 



[The experiences cited here are by no 

 means unusual. Accidents have occurred 

 more than once in which lives were en- 

 dangered and much property lost; and it 

 behooves every beekeeper to prepare for 

 the unexpected. No guesswork should be put 

 up with, for the risk is too great. Hives, 

 if old and shaky, should be fastened to- 

 gether with cleats nailed to the covers, 

 bodies, and bottom-boards, and every pre- 

 caution should be taken to keep the bees 

 from getting out in case a stop becomes 

 necessarj^ — Ed.] 



WHITE CLOVER FROM MAY TO OCTOBER 



BY L. D. MASSIE 



We have had white clover in bloom here 

 since May 4 and there is some in bloom 

 now; but the cold rains and weather kept 

 us from getting much surplus. Spanish 

 needle, goldenrod, and a white flower weed 

 that grows four or five feet high gave 

 a surplus super for extracting and plenty 

 of winter stores. 



BEES FOLLOWING OPENING IN THE WOODS. 



On page 618, Oct. 1, Mr. Semper speaks 

 of bees not going in a straight line because 

 of the wind. I have hunted bees in the 

 woods since I was ten years old, and have 

 followed a 'good many bees to their homes 

 in the trees. I have found some beelines 

 that turn and go very near in the form 

 of a triangle. The bees followed openings 

 in the woods. 



I believe I can see a bee about twice as 

 far as Mr. Semper spoke of. I have, by 

 running after the bee, kept it in sight 

 across 40 acres or a quarter of a mile. 



Somerville, Ind., Oct. 10. 



