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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The Hen and the Honey-Bee. 



(AN APOLOGUE— FROM THE GERMAN OF 

 GELLETT.) 



BY JOHN G. SAXE. 



A lazy Hen— the story goes- 

 Loquacious, pert, and self-conceited, 



Espied a Bee upon a rose, 

 And thus the busy insect gi-eeted : 



*' Say, what's the use of such as you, 

 (Excuse the freedom of a neighbor !) 



Who gad about, and never do 

 A single act of useful labor ? 



*' I've marked you well for many a day. 

 In garden blooms and meadow-clover ; 



Kow nere, now there, in wanton play ; 

 JFrom morn to night an idle rover. 



*' While I discreetly bide at home : 

 A faithful wife— the best of mothers ; 



About the fields you idly roam. 

 Without the least regard for others. 



*' While I lay eggs and hatch them out, 

 You seek the flowers most sweet and f rag- 



And, sipping honey, stroll about, [rant, 



At best a good-for-nothing vagrant !'' 



" Nay," said the Bee, " you do me wrong ; 



I'm useful too, perhaps you doubt it, 

 Because— though toiling all day long— 



I scorn to make a fuss about it ! 



" While you, with every egg that cheers 

 Your daily task, must stop and hammer 



The news in other peoples' ears. 

 Till they are deafened with the clamor ! 



" Come now with me, and see my hive. 

 And note how folks may work in quiet ; 



To useful arts much more alive 

 Than you with all your cackling riot !" 



l'envoi. 



The Poet, one may plainly see 



Who reads this fable at nis leisure, 

 Is represented by the Bee, 



Who joins utility to pleasure ; 

 While in this self-conceited Hen 



We note the Poet's silly neighbor, 

 Who thinks the noisy " working-men " 



Are doing all the useful labor ! 



• » > ♦ » 



For The American Bee Journal. 



Handling Bees- 



I commenced helping my father handle 

 bees in tlie summer of 1818. I have handled 

 them in the old way, most of the time. I 

 have a few gums of my own getting up, tliat 

 1 can go to, and in one minute, have them 

 open, lift the frames, and give them a 

 thorough examination. Long since I found 

 that one should move slow aronnd the hives, 

 and if the bees should surround him or even 

 come within an inch of his nose, he should 

 be composed. If he should get angry the 

 bees will know it and reciprocate itj and so 

 will they know if you are at ease with them. 

 When you open the hive, if they seem angry 

 or are disturbed a few puffs of smoke will 

 entirely subdue them, and you can proceed 

 with your examination. J. Frost. 



Gillespie, 111. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Success in Raising Honey. 



We have often spoken of the business of 

 bee-keeping and raising honey as one of cer- 

 tain profit when conducted as it should be. 



An apiarian should have a taste for honey 

 raising, he should have a practical knowl- 

 edge of the business to go into it on a large 

 scale, so as to make a business of it. It is 

 very easy to keep a few liives, but to con- 

 duct business on a large scale requires a 

 person of mind, for the study of the habits 

 of this little wondrous creature is a most 

 truly interesting and at the same time a 

 most gratifying one, and when understood, 

 the business can be made very profitable. 



The largest apiaries in this state are at 

 Sandiago and at Los Angelos, the southern 

 countries are very favorable for the raising 

 of bees and making honey, as many wild 

 flowers and bee feeding trees, shrubs and 

 plants are found there in great abundance. 



Very recently we had an interview with 

 Mr. J. B. Harbison, the well known apiarian, 

 formerly of Sacramento, but now perma- 

 nently located at San Diego, where he is 

 carrying on a very large and very success- 

 ful apiary. Mr. H. was in this city with 

 tliree car loads of his honey destined for 

 Chicago and the East. Mr. H. had already 

 sent six car loads, and anticipates sending 

 six car loads more this season, thus making 

 twelve car loads of honey from one apiary, 

 this looks like business. 



We remember well the early days when 

 Mr. Harbison began the bee business with a 

 very few hives, brought here via the Isth- 

 nnis, at heavy cost, at a time when a hive of 

 bees sold quick at SlOO to ^50 each. 



Mr. Harbison has now at San Diego two 

 thousand hives of bees, these are principally 

 the Italian bees, as they are mucn superior 

 to the black bee. 



In addition to the large amount of honey 

 raised by Mr. H., and it is about 100 tons, 

 Mr. H. makes 1,000 lbs. of beeswax. Mr. 

 Harbison went East with his late shipment, 

 taking it in his own charge. 



A. G. Clark, Esq., formerly a partner of 

 Mr. Harbison, has also a large apiary, nearly 

 as extensive as that of Mr. H. 



For a person of the right turn of mind and 

 a very little capital, we know of no occupa- 

 tion or business more interesting, or one 

 more certain to make good returns than tliat 

 of raising bees and making honey. There 

 will always be a market for good honey here, 

 and a certain fair return for it when ship- 

 ped abroad. All that is needed to insure a 

 complete success is a little capital, intelli- 

 gence, a willingness and readiness to be in- 

 dustrious as the bee, and success is sure. 



We would commend our lower counties, 

 San Diego, Los Angelos, and all along that 

 line of country. 



We can always give valuable information 

 on this subject, as we are practically in it 

 in this city, where bees do remarkably well, 

 as we can ahow.— California Farmer. 



A Fifteen-Year-Oi.d Swakm of Bees. 

 — Early in ,Iuly, 1859, 1 put a swarm of bees 

 in a common box liive made of rough hem- 

 lock boards 12 inches square by 15 inches 

 high. From this liive has issued a swarm 

 every vear until now. Soi.. Chandell, 



Chatham Village, Col. Co., N. Y. 



