THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAI- 



411 



jected to the length of the Langstroth 

 frame. 



Dr. Allen had used none but Langstroth 

 hives; thought others might be used with 

 equal success; considered it very important 

 to have all tiie hives in the apiary the same 

 size. 



"How to secure straight comb?" 



Mr. Shelton took small bits of comb or, 

 wax and stuck along the comb guide and 

 sides of frame. 



Mr. Sears raised the rear end of the hive 

 several inches highter than the front, and 

 found it an advantage in securing straight 

 comb. 



Dr. Allen thought comb foundation might 

 be used to advantage for this purpose. 



Dr. Botts succeeded in securing straight 

 comb by using a wax-comb guide. 



Adjourned to 1:30 p. m., when the Secre- 

 tary read the following essay from Dr. 

 Botts, of Barren Co., on 



PLEASURE AND PROFIT OF BEE-KEEPING. 



To the intelligent bee-keeper there is real 

 pleasure in the care and management of 

 bees, and they are almost sure to become 

 his favorite stock— his pets. He will derive 

 more satisfaction in tlie apiary than any- 

 where on his farm — save his family circTe. 

 See him as he moves about his hives, ob- 

 serving each one, and seeming to notice 

 almost every bee that passes in or out; how 

 intently he sits down by the side of a 

 strong colony in time of a plentiful harvest 

 and watches the lieavy-laden workers as 

 they fall wearily on the bottom board, or on 

 a leaf, or sprig of grass at the entrance, to 

 rest a moment before going in to de))osit 

 the rich burdens in their beautiful combs. 



He loves to see them as they rush in and 

 out on their busy errands, bringing in 

 delicious nectar, red and golden, yellow or 

 white pellets of bee-bread or pollen; all 

 have something to do. All are busy, busy 

 bees. Go into the fields and gardens with 

 him and watch them as they fly from flower 

 to flower in quest of the sweets which 

 nature fills them with; see how industrious, 

 never stopping to rest. When we open a 

 hive and find it filled with nice comb and 

 honey, how beautiful it is ! We take out 

 the comb piece after piece and look it over 

 with pride and satisfaction to see with what 

 unceasing energy they have labored and 

 filled their home with rich treasures. 



We now go into the lower department of 

 the hive and there we find still more of the 

 wonderful workings of the colony; here we 

 see, perhaps, one or two frames of lioney 

 and pollen on each side; between these the 

 brood-nest— the nursery. Here are thous- 

 ands of eggs and young bees in all stages of 

 development; the queen, slender and grace- 

 ful, moving about majestically anumg her 

 progeny, respected and honored by all. 

 Wherever she goes we see the others make 

 room for her, while she is constantly sur- 

 rounded by a circle of admiring workers. 

 How interesting she is as she moves over 

 every part of the comb in search of empty 

 cells in which to lay. Here, also, are bees 

 too young to v/ork in the fields, busily engag- 

 ed in feeding those still younger, and pre- 

 paring and depositing in cells the jelly-like 

 substance on which the larvae subsist. 

 While they are thus engaged, others are at 

 work hermetically sealing those cells con- 

 taining brood far enough advanced to be 

 sealed. 



It is pleasing and interesting to look on 

 and see all this, and it affords a great deal 

 more pleasure to the apiarist than any one 

 else, because he understands and appre- 

 ciates the work they are engaged in. We 

 ehjoy the swarming season because it is not 

 only'interesting, but exciting. I do not see 

 how any one who hwes bees, or has any- 

 thing to do with therii, can keep from be- 

 coming excited when a swarm is on the 

 wing. Their hum is musical and fascina- 

 ting to every lover of bee-culture. To see 

 them rush pell-mell from the hive as if 

 driven from it by the cry of fire, and fill the 

 air with a loud roaring noise for some time, 

 and then selecting some suitable branch of 

 a tree, settle in a large cluster and hang 

 there almost motionless, unless swayed to 

 and fro by the wind, has a charm about it 

 that has to be seen and felt to be realized. 

 When the swarm has settled, how eagerly 

 do we go to work to hive it, not because we 

 do not'wish to lose it, bu.t that we enjoy it. 

 Almost all the work we have to do in the 

 apiary is pleasant; there is nothing irksome 

 about it. It is light and pleasant enough 

 for ladies to engage in, and we should en- 

 courage them to take part in promoting bee- 

 culture. 



Aside from the pleasures of bee-keeping, 

 the profits are far greater than can be 

 realized from the same amount of capital 

 invested in any other stock. Say bees pay 

 an average of 20 per cent., then would not 

 the profits exceed those paid for the use of 

 money at common rates of interest? But 

 we know by past experience that, when 

 well managed, they hardly ever pay less 

 than 100 per cent., and often as nnich as .500, 

 and it requires but little extra time for any 

 one to successfully manage from 10 to 20 

 stocks of bees. 



The most expensive part of bee-culture is 

 at the beginning. We have to buy bees, 

 hives and other apiarian supplies, but when 

 once bought, if M'ell cared for, they will last 

 almost a life-time. 



By getting our bees in good condition,and 

 giving them the necessary care, we may 

 confidently expect to be well paid for the 

 expenses we have incurred and the pains 

 we have taken. To illustrate: Last spring 

 I purchased four colonies, two of them very 

 strong and two weaker, for which I paid 

 $12.25. They were all in log gums; I trans- 

 ferred them as early as possible, and from 

 one of them 1 extracted over 100 lbs. of fine 

 honey— enough to more than pay for all of 

 them. Besides, each one of the four gave 

 me a large swarm, paying in honey and in- 

 crease of stock at least 400 per cent., the 

 best one of the four paying 600 or 700 per 

 cent. 



From 12 colonies I extracted 700 lbs. of 

 honey. I have doubled my number of 

 colonies, by natural and artificial swarm- 

 ing. There are very few pursuits in which 

 we can invest a small amount of capital and 

 make such handsome profits as in bee-cul- 

 ture. It has been well said of bees that 

 they "are the only servants that work for 

 nothing and board themselves." 



To be successful, and make this avocation 

 both pleasant and profitable, we must study 

 it; for unless we understand how to proper- 

 ly manage our busy little insects we will 

 soon meet with losses that will discomiage 

 us. We should also love the business, 

 which we are very likely to do, if we know 

 how to conduct it. 



