AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



659 



ments. As he watches the business- 

 like movements and ceaseless activity 

 of the denizen of the hive, he pictures 

 to himself large profit from her proverb- 

 ial industry. He mentally clothes the 

 earth with flowers, and sees them over- 

 flowing with nectar for the benefit of 

 his winged pets, and, therefore, for his 

 own enrichment. 



The music of a well-stocked apiary is, 

 at this season, in-esistibly fascinating. 

 After six months of death-like stillness 

 one must be devoid of the finer emotions 

 of the soul not to be charmed by the 

 bursting buds, the singing birds and 

 humming bees — all evidences of the 

 earth's resurrected and rejuvenated life- 

 lessness. 



Performing her part in the yearly re- 

 creation, the bee leaves her home nest 

 these bright April mornings, as though 

 born with a will to accomplish some- 

 thing. She darts up and away as if a 

 treasure had been discovered that must 

 be forthwith appropriated or forever 

 lost. She plunges into the first crocus 

 blossom she finds, with an apparent de- 

 termination to carry home all the wealth 

 of its golden treasury before her ambi- 

 tious and acquisitive neighbors have 

 found its tempting morsel. 



But her "sisters, her cousins and her 

 aunts" are equally alert, equally enter- 

 prising. They did not stay at home to 

 clean house, nor loaf around a well-filled 

 larder when the choice of field work in 

 the blessed April sun was offered them. 

 So they are all abroad. The whole tribe 

 of Apis melifica are out for an airing, 

 except a few trained and trusty nurses 

 that remained at home to look after the 

 babies and keep up the spirits of the 

 mother - bee. (For you know that 

 neither business nor pleasure must 

 tempt us away from the cradles — the 

 hope and stay of future generations.) 



My! what music they make! Their 

 wings seem attuned to heavenly sym- 

 phonies. Cris-cross through the path- 

 less air they ride, each on her heaven- 

 appointed mission, each doing her 

 mightiest to fulfill the law of her being — 

 work. What wonder if the observant 

 student of nature catches inspiration 

 from her matchless activity, her cheer- 

 ful blending of labor and enjoyment, 

 and paints the realities of life a little 

 brighter hue in consequence of her ex- 

 ample. What wonder if the grass looks 

 greener, the skies softer and the flowers 

 more lovely, as he notes her ready ac- 

 quiesence in the work assigned her, 

 whether it be for her own benefit or for 

 generations yet unborn. Devotion to 

 the good of her kind is her chief joy. 



Sing on, ye happy workers ! There's 

 no music like the hum of contented in- 

 dustry. We hail you as evangels of the 

 doctrine that labor is not necessarily 

 irksome, nor a curse upon mankind— 

 that work may be a blessing to the 

 laborer, and productive of the highest 

 enjoyment, if we accept it willingly and 

 cheerfully as you. 



May we, like you, do with our might 

 what our hands find to do. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



An Experience in Keeping Bum. 

 ble-Bees, Elc. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY II. F. KEELER. 



I am old in bee-experience, and know 

 but little about the "bird" yet, but 

 having given my attention extensively 

 to a variety of bees not mentioned in the 

 Bee Journal, I feel constrained to give 

 a brief description of them, and the net 

 profits of their culture for a term of 

 years. 



About 50 years ago, my father being 

 an apiarist in a limited way, I, by con- 

 stant contact with the business, became 

 interested in a small way, and at that 

 time (circumstances change) I had suf- 

 ficient caution to adapt my enterprises 

 to my age and limited means, being 

 about 10 or 12 years old. 



Father's bee-house was constructed to 

 contain more hives than he had, so I 

 appropriated the balance without rent. 

 This may have contributed somewhat to 

 my success as an apiarist. 



I constructed my hives of 3^-inch 

 stuff, 4 inches square, and 5 inches 

 deep, inside measurement, standard 

 size, with a K-inch hole half way from 

 top to bottom on the front side, as an 

 entrance for the bees. After stocking 

 up the bee-house with 8 or 10 hives — 

 during my labors in spreading hay — I 

 made it a point to locate the strongest 

 and most profitable varieties of bee- 

 nuclei for transfer at nightfall. I soon 

 had my apiary complete by transferring 

 the entire brood-nest to my hive intact, 

 which was done by lifting the comb with 

 honey and brood surrounded by an an- 

 cient mouse-nest, and placing it in my 

 hive. 



It should be remembered that the suc- 

 cess of this work depends largely upon, 

 1st, so placing the comb in the hive that 

 the cells point toward the zenith; 2nd, 

 to place the bee-entrance as it was con- 



