1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



53 



Now, ]\Ir. Gleenings, I've been thinkin this 

 matter over, and it seems to me something 

 ought to be done about it. Zed was readin that 

 it took from :.* to 4 years more of the life of a 

 child to git his schoolin now than it would if 

 tills nonsensiekle way of spellin was abolished, 

 and every letter had just one sound and every 

 sound one letter. Why, the way it is now, when 

 a boy writes a word he knows he's writin it 

 what it don't spell, and how much different is 

 that from tellin a lie? Is it any wonder that 

 people that spell that way git to lie and steal? 



Now jist you tell me, if it was grown-up folks 

 that had to learn to spell, and they knew that 

 spellin the fool way it is now would take 3 or 4 

 years longer to learn, or even if it was only! 

 year, jist tell me how long that thing would be 

 stould. Why. there would be rebellion about it 

 In no time, and partitions would be sent to con- 

 gress, and the president's message would be full 

 of it, and laws would be passed to change it 

 right off. But because it's little children that 

 can't help theirselves, the thing goes on from 

 year to year. I tell you, it's an outrage, and 

 the society for the prevention of cruelty to 

 children better quit foolin about children bein 

 took out of school to ern a livin, and save them 

 the years they waste on this wrong way of doin 

 things. 



If all the money thafs spent every year for 

 teachers to teach the extra years was put along 

 with the money that could be saved on paper 

 and printin and ink for sighlent letters that on- 

 ly make trubble in spellin, if all that money 

 ! could be saved it would send bibles to all the 

 I heathen. 



I Now will you please think it over, and print 

 I what you think about the shamefool oppression 

 I of innocent little children? Jake Smith. 



APICULTURE IN RUSSIA. 



BEARS AND HEES ; HEES IN TREES. 



The wild bees of Russia are somewhat more 

 '. Tuzzy, blacker, and thicker, than the domesti- 

 ; cated ones. They build their combs in hollow 

 i trees, where they are sought for by the bear and 

 ( the honey-cuckoo— the latter serving at least as 



a guide to man. Without being in the least 

 cared for, the bees yield their tribute of honey 

 and wa.x, although not willingly. As the bear, 

 after satisfying its appetite, takes no further 

 thought for the continued work of the bees, just 

 so careless are men, very often, in working with 

 wild bees. 



Bee culture in its primitive state is prosecuted 

 with great vigor in Russia, and especially by 

 the Bashkirs. The greater part of the bee- 

 gums there are in the woods, where these in- 

 sects gladly avail themselves of the accommo- 

 dations provided for them. With this object in 

 view, the Bashkirs choose the strongest and 

 straightest trees, of the hardest kind of build- 

 ing timber, in which, at a height of from 18 to 

 rM ft. above the ground, they construct the bee- 

 houses by hollowing out the trunks of these 

 trees smooth and even, with a tool resembling a 

 chisel; and then the men close the entrance 

 with a board, in which are bored small holes for 

 the bees to crawl in and out. The dexterity 

 with which the Bashkirs do this work, and 

 climb the tallest and smoothest trees, is very 

 surprising. Below the bee-houses the limbs are 

 all carefully cut oft', so as to render it more dif- 

 ficult for the bears to climb up the trees to get 

 honey. But in spite of all this, these animals, 

 which are still plentiful enough in the Ural 

 Mountains and forests, pi-ove to be the most 

 dangerous foe to the bee-keeping industry. 



But double-walled hives are now known in 

 Russia, made of thick plank. The whole hive- 

 body is so solid as to be practically bear- proof. 

 At all events, bees in such hives enjoy the 

 greatest immunity from cold. The frames of 

 these hives have a height of about :.'G inches, 

 with a breadth of about 10 inches. The inside 

 width of the hive-body measures about UK 

 inches. This space of 13-i inches (between the 

 ends of the frames and the sides of the hive), or 

 •'4 inch on each side, is just about filled by the 

 thickness of the wood composing the end-bars 

 of the frames. The space above the frames is 

 divided by three movable partitions into four 

 divisions. The hives have a double bottom, 

 with a space between of about I'.j inches, which 

 is stuffed in winter. Karl R. Mathey. 



Medina, O., Jan. 1, 1894. 



■RAISING" BEES. 



A CHEAP DEVICE TO MAKK BEES LET PA.SSERS" 

 BV ON THE HIGHWAY ALONE. 



BY WILDER GRAHAME. 



More than once my neighbors had been an- 

 noyed by my bees attacking them as they were 

 passing along the road a short distance off, and 

 more than twice I had been appealed to to 

 abate the nuisance. The matter was becoming 

 serious, especially as I could see no better loca- 

 tion for my hives. Whichever way I turned 

 them, a road or neighbor's yard was right in 



