1907] 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



A CHURCH APIARY. 



171 



REV. E. R. WAGNER, Ph.D. 



THIRTY YEARS AGO I was a 

 great lover of bees, but having 

 an innate desire to become a 

 student in a western college, it 

 was necessary for me to part with my 

 hall-dozen colonies, which I loved 

 like my left hand. My love for bees 

 followed me all through these years, 

 but was never able to gratify it, until 

 two years ago. I was then under 

 most adverse circumstances. Was 

 called as missionary pastor to Cin- 

 cinnati, Ohio., where we succeeded 

 in building a church and parsonage. 



the next year I had more honey than 

 I could use. Now when one of my 

 deacons gets a little sour, I present 

 him a jar of honey, and I have no 

 more "sour jars"' from that integral 

 part of my congregation. 



In the last two years we have re- 

 painted our property, recarpeted our 

 church, and reduced our debt $900. 

 It works like a charm, and Mr. Bee- 

 reader, if you ever get to Cincinnati, 

 you are cordially invited to hunt up 

 the little church that has bees in 

 the tower and honey in the pulpit. 



"THE BEES TOOK THE LION'S RIBS FOR LANGSTROTH FRAMES." 



After toiling with my people four- 

 teen years, it seemed a long time to 

 live with my friends and enemies. So 

 I conceived the idea of putting a col- 

 ony of bees in the church tower — 

 to keep the pulpit ssweet. The floor 

 of the tower is four feet below the 

 base of the arches. My bees come 

 sailing in over the wind, drop down 

 into the calm and quickly enter the 

 hive. They get the early sun, the 

 noon day shade, and always in the 

 dry. The bees did exceedingly well 

 in a poor year, and for the first time 

 in my life, had a bountiful supply of 

 honey for my table. 



My interest and colonies grew and 



The bees increased so that I could 

 not keep them all in the church 

 tower; so I removed some of them to 

 a vacant lot adjoining the church. 

 The first picture represents the 

 pastor telling the story of Samson to 

 his two boys: '"One day this young 

 man was going by a vineyard and a 

 young lion came out from among the 

 vines. He stood in the way. Sam- 

 son was alone, and did not have a 

 thing in his hands, not even a light 

 stick. The man faced the lion. An 

 inspiring spirit said to Samson, 'You 

 can conquer'. It was a bold challenge 

 and a brave battle. The man won as 

 usual. Three months later, Samson 



