1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



37 



smoke ; but then it is a very good thing to fill 

 the bees eyes with, so that they can't see, don't 

 you see, when iliey get too saucy. A small sprin- 

 kle of sugar water is a good thing to use, when 

 opening hives. 



But I am getting to the end of my sheet, so 

 must dry up. Yet here comes Novice with his 

 railroad ! Well, that's a good idea too, especi- 

 ally for all who like him, are raising honey by 

 horse or steam power ! With the movable 

 frames, the honey-slinger, artificial combs, and 

 railroad, and Novice for conductor, the old fogy 

 gummers had better "clear the track," you bet. 



H. T. Collins. 



Jacksonville, Ills. 



P. S^.— The dear little pets have done unusually 

 well hereabouts, up to this time. They have 

 been working with their sleeves rolled up and 

 shirt collars unbuttoned, for many many days 

 past. 



Did you ever hear of a man's naming all his 

 bees? Some of the boys think mine are all 

 named ; and could not that be, if all in one hive 

 had the same name — thus call all those in No. 1. 

 Billy, and all those in No. 2. Polly Ann, «&c., 

 &c -i H. T. C. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



"Old Pogies," and " Bee-on-the-Brain." 



Mr. Editor : — Not seeing any correspondence 

 from these quarters in the journal, I thought I 

 would try my hand. If this is not worth the 

 trouble of printing, throw it away, and there 

 will be no hard thoughts about it. 



We had an early spring. Bees swarmed in 

 May, earlier than I knew them for a good many 

 jears. My first swarm came out on the 15th 

 of May. (The.se were natives.) I played blind 

 smart with some of my colonies, but nevei'theless 

 do not regret it, for I learned a good lesson 

 therefrom— a lesson for beginners. I set out in 

 the sirring fifteen colonies in good condition, 

 and have increased them to thirty-five (natural 

 increase), besides getting some si.K or seven 

 hundred pounds of surplus honey in boxes. I 

 have procured a honey-slinger, and the way I 

 shall sling honey from the combs will be a cau- 

 tion. I expect to learn another lesson about 

 "slinging," but "a i>erson never gets too old to 

 learn !" 



I am now preparing to seed fifteen acres of 

 land with buckwheat exclusively for my bees, 

 from which I expect to realize some profit. 



While I write, every now and then I glance at 

 the yellow jackets which Mr. T. G. McGaw sent 

 me. I am so particularly well pleased with 

 them, that I am determined to have no others. 

 I have succeeded in raising two virgin queens 

 from those procured from the above named 

 gentleman. They show "all the marks of their 

 mother." That's what we want. The next 

 trouble is to get them fertilized purely. I am 

 trying the confinement process on a new princi- 

 ple ; and if I have success, will give it to the 

 bee-keeping public free of charge. 



I am glad to see another lady embarking with 



us in this delightful pursuit. May many more 

 still be added to the list. I read Sue W.'s arti- 

 cle with much pleasure, and agree with her on 

 the extracted honey and unprincipled men. It 

 is an every day occurrence to meet with such 

 men, who will sell to the ignorant public their 

 worthless humbugs, whether in the shape of 

 adulterated or fictitious honey, or patent bee 

 hives, &:c. 



" Old Fogies!'''' — There are several old stand- 

 by's around here, who profess to know more 

 about the bee than even the veteran Langstroth 

 himself. I had the pleasure of meeting one of 

 these knowing ones the other day, at a neigh- 

 boring apiary, and we had it up on one side and 

 down the other ; but I finally got him where the 

 w^ool was close. I asked him what he thought 

 of the Italian bees and the movable frame hives ? 

 lie tlnnight them to l)e Yankee humbugs. He 

 was blowing his horn about a barrel of honey 

 from twenty-five colonies, and ten pounds of wax 

 from each colony, after taking the honey from 

 them. I asked him what he did with the bees. 

 His reply was that he put them to death with 

 the fumes of brimstone. He was actmilly afraid 

 to go within forty feet of the bees, unless it was 

 in the dark, and he was fixed up to plunder them 

 in the night ; like a thief. (That's a good name 

 for such men. ) 



'■^Bee-on-the-Brain!^'' — While there are a few 

 old fogies about, there are many more dreadfully 

 troubled with the bee fever, without much hope 

 of speedy recovery. Some of them have the 

 disease so bad that they have destroyed nearly 

 all their bees, by ill judged transferring and 

 hastily making two swarms fiom one. The first 

 symptom of the disease shows itself in the shape 

 of "a .Journal, a bee-book, and a patent hive ;" 

 and the next thing wanted is a dollar for their 

 bees. When you ask them what makes them 

 destroy their bees in this silly style, the answer 

 is — " We work according to the book !" That's 

 what the book says !" Well, that's one w^ay of 

 getting book knowledge ! We need a little 

 practical knowledge first, to be got only by 

 watching the operations of some experienced 

 bee-keeper, observing what we see, and treasur- 

 ing in the memory what we really do learn. By 

 thus working with a man tliat does understand 

 his business, and by refiecting on his practice, a 

 beginner will become better grounded in the 

 requisite fundamental knowledge, than he ever 

 can be by hastily reading books or essays while 

 he yet does not understand the meaning of most 

 of the terms employed, and has not the least 

 idea whether one process recommended is better 

 than another, or is at all worth adopting. 

 Readers, do not understand me as asserting that 

 no useful information is to be obtained from 

 books or by reading. On the contrary, I main- 

 tain that much may be gained thereby, if taken 

 up at the right time and in the right manner ; 

 but beginners should not "go it blind," nor 

 trust all they read or try everything suggested. 

 Mr. Editor, I was surprised to find our old 

 friend Gallup setting his hook so late in the se;v- 

 son. We have afore now bit, and got bit, several 

 times ; but Gallup is a responsible good " old or 

 young " bee-brother, and we are hence not afraid 



