546 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. M), ;yiio 



to take so small a number. The editor replied that he 

 thought nothing would be gained l)_v putting 100 or 200 in a 

 row. To this Dr. Miller replied : 



" Bless your heart, I don't put any in a row at all. I 

 just take a package as it comes from the factory, and, with- 

 out taking out a section, wet the whole business at one fell 

 swoop. I've told how, but I'll tell again. Takeoff one side 

 of the package so as to expose the grooves, and see that the 

 ends of the sections are chuckt down solid together so that 

 a drop of water let fall on a groove can run right down thru 

 the whole. Understand, as the package lies before you, the 

 edges, not the sides, of the sections are uppermost. Put a 

 plug in a funnel that closes the opening entirely, except a 

 groove at one side to let thru a very small stream. Let the 

 plug project downward, and be wliittled down to a point. 

 Take a tea-kettle of water boiliui; liof, pour it into the fun- 

 nel and direct the stream along the line of grooves, moving 

 just fast enough so that the hot water will run clear thru." 



Editor Root very properly suggests that this will work 

 only with square sections, unless care be taken to place all 

 the sections the .same way in a box, .so that each set of 

 grooves will register with those below. 



The Somerforil Nucleus Plan Modified. In (Jleanings 

 in I3ee-Culture W. A. H. (Jilstrap speaks very highly of the 

 plan of forming nuclei given by W. W. Sonicrford, which 

 consists of making qucenless several colonies, then in about 

 nine days dividing the colonies into nuclei, each nucleus 

 being Siipplied with queen-cells, and the nucleus being 

 fastened in by means of leaves stuft into the entrance, 

 which leaves the bees will themselves remove. Mr. Gil- 

 strap .says : 



"This splendid plan of increase is all right if you have 

 a sullicient number of hfsf queens. lam never so fortu- 

 nate. It has becTi desirable for me to modify the plan in 

 order to make rapid increase and projierly improve stock. 

 Hut it takes more time than to follow Mr. Somerford's 

 method entirely. 



"The modification which suits me best is, first, to get 

 €]ueen-cells by the Alley, Doolittle, Hyde, or other good 

 plans from your /v.v/cjueen. Destroy as many of your 7vorsl 

 tjueens as is necessary. When the l)rood is sealed, destroy 

 all queen-cells of this inferior stock, and the following day 

 form nuclei, using the cells from your choice stock, confin- 

 ing as Mr. Somerford directs. My licst success has been 

 where I stopt the hive-entrance with strips of old grain- 

 sacks, l)ut it is always convenient for me to liberate the 

 bees if they fail to do so." 



Bee-Keeping for Boys has not had the same attention 

 as bee-keeping for women. Women nowadays are getting 

 more and more able to hoe their own row, why not give the 

 b03'S a chance? Here are some wise words spokenby J. .1. 

 <Iunn, of Manitoba, in the Northwest Farmer : 



■• I would also suggest that when casting about for an- 

 swers to the perplexing ([ucstions how to keep the boy on 

 the farm, it might l)e a good idea to try wliat giving him a 

 start as a bee-keeper in a small way would do. Very few 

 boys, it seems to me, would fail to make a gratifying re- 

 sponse to such a move. The management of an apiary for 

 a number of years would not only be a business training, 

 but would, I believe, foster and develop in most boys an 

 appreciative love of nature and power (jf observation that 

 would helj) them to a just discrimination between the peren- 

 nial attractiveness of ' Nature, the dear old nurse,' and the 

 tawdry varnish of city artificialities, which, unfortunately, 

 possess such a fa.scination for young minds to which im 

 healthful impetus and direction have been given." 



To Avoid Propolis Between Sections and Sheet, a 



writer in the British Bee Journal says he succeeds by put- 

 ting on the sheet wet. Tliis allows it to be prestdown snug 

 on the sections, and it will remain close to the wood when 

 dry, so that the bees will not be temjited to till up the space 

 with propolis. This may be worth trying for those who u.se 

 sheets over their sections. 



The Marriaae ot llie Flowers. 



liY HON. lil'GENK Silicon. 



In the meadow grasses tall 

 Bloomed a maiden Buttercup, 



tiolden as the yellow ball 

 With a Jer.sey cow yields up. 



Sweet and beautiful she grew, 



Kair enough for any king. 

 But no flower-lover knew 



How this maid was blossoming ; 



For the meadow grass was high. 

 And she'd never learned to roam — 



Was content if sun and sky 

 Kist her in her meadow home. 



But the time had come to wed. 



And new longings filled her heart : 



Ouiet happiness had fled, 

 Only love could heal the smart. 



She had drunk the thought of God — 



Longed for immortality ; 

 Shrank from sinking 'neath the sod, 



Barren, like a fruitless tree. 



" Who will bring my Love to me ? 



Who will make my passion known '1 

 Who will come and set me free 



TCre I die, unblest, alone? 



" ( )ver yonder hedge one hears 



Mirtli and music 'mong the flowers ; 



No one heeds the sighs and tears 

 Which my love has caused for hours. 



"Who will make m.v passion known .' 

 Who will take me to my Love ? 



When shall I embrace my own, 

 Witnest by the blue above ?" 



Thus she cried and mourned her fate. 

 Just as any maid might do 



When her days are growing late. 

 And she has no lover true. 



Sweetness, tho, is never lost ! 



Never blossomed flower in vain I 

 All the wisdom which these cost 



.•\rgues lasting good and gain. 



In tlic universe of God 



Nought is wasted whi^-li is made ; 

 Mduarchs rule and daisies nod. 



Working out the plan he laid. 



Bird, and beast, and grass, and tree. 

 Each contributes unto each ; 



Scented rose and social bee 

 Both the art of service teach. 



So the lonely maiden wept 



Nect'rous drojjs of amber dew. 



Wondering why her lover slept 

 Since the wind lier passion knew. 



Priestess Bee her secret guest — 

 StO))t to kiss her tears away — 



Promptly volunteered the quest 

 For a mate that very day. 



Ssvift of wing, and tireless, too, 

 •Juickly slie from flower to flower 



Told the story as she flew. 

 And returned within an hour 



Bearing golden pledges back 

 From the tallest flower of all : 



Sealed the union with a smack 



But remarkt, " The /ft was sinall." 



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