942 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



told, including clover and basswood, and this 

 sunflower honey, something like 6000 lbs. from 

 85 colonies, and increased 27, besides attending 

 to the duties of depot agent as well. 



I might say incidentally, that Mr. Lathrop 

 learned that it was not necessary to work with 

 the bees so much as formerly. Indeed, his 

 duties as a railroad man require him to do as 

 little work with the bees as possible. So in a 

 sense he handles hives instead of frames, and 

 the bees and his splendid location do the rest. 



After making the acquaintance of Mr. La- 

 throp's family, I took the train that evening 

 for Platteville. some 40 miles further west. It 

 was then too late to think of wheeling the rest 

 of the distance, even if I had felt so disposed. 

 To be Continued. 



THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES. 



GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF A VISIT THERE. 



JBjy Hany Lathrop. 



How many bee-keepers scattered over this 

 and other countries there are who would think 

 it a rare privilege to be able to visit the " Home 

 of the Honey-bees," apiary and factory, and 

 see face to face the workers whose names have 

 become so familiar through the reading of 

 Gleanings! Well, that is just the privilege I 

 have had, and I want to tell you about it in 

 this article. 



When Ernest came west on his bicycle-tour 

 this fall he dropped in on me very suddenly, 

 taking me completely by surprise. Of course, 

 I did not know him, though I had met him 

 once before at his home, twelve years ago. It 

 did not take us long to get acquainted, and then 

 how we did visit during the few short hours he 

 remained with us! Before he left he extended 

 to the writer a very earnest invitation to visit 

 the Home of the Honey-bees at my earliest 

 convenience. Not being in very good health, 

 and needing rest and change, I decided to do so 

 as soon as the honey season was out of the way. 

 Accordingly, the 2d of October found me eii 

 route for Medina. From Chicago I took a night 

 train on the Erie, which landed me at Sterling, 

 a junction of the Cleveland road, at 8 o'clock 

 A. M., Oct. 3d. This point is about twelve miles 

 south of Medina, and I had intended to ride 

 over on my wheel, which I had brought along; 

 but a sprinkle of rain induced me to choose the 

 less heroic but easier method of travel. I had 

 only about ten minutes to wait for my train, 

 and a short ride through a fine agricultural 

 country, which reminded me very much of my 

 own Southern Wisconsin, brought me to 

 Medina. 



As the train approached the village I was on 

 the lookout for a sight of the gardens and 

 grounds of Beeville. Soon my eyes were repaid 

 by a birdseye view. It was a beautiful sight, 

 and more than my imagination had painted it. 



The fall rains had freshened every thing up, 

 and there had been no frost. The creek-bottom 

 garden was a model of neatness, with its long 

 rows of growing vegetables and small fruits. 



I soon arrived at the factory, and made my 

 way through rooms stored with many articles 

 of interest to a bee-keeper, up to the office, 

 passing through the pressroom. I was on the 

 lookout for the face of my friend Ernest, and I 

 confess I felt the strangeness of my position 

 among so many busy workers. I failed to see 

 the one I was looking for, but was told that he 

 was somewhere about the building. I handed 

 my card to one of the pleasantest-looking men it 

 has been my good fortune to meet, asking him 

 to hand it to Ernest when he saw him. He 

 looked at the card, and extended his hand very 

 cordially, introducing himself as John Calvert. 

 I managed to return his greeting after some 

 fashion, still feeling a bit embarrassed; but 

 soon this feeling passed away, and I started out 

 to wander at will through the great factory, 

 taking in every thing my eyes rested on. 



It was not long until I spied Ernest in one of 

 the rooms; and then with him as guide I began 

 a more systematic inspection of the factory. I 

 can't take space to give you a detailed account 

 of every thing; but during the day I made the 

 acquaintance of a number of the workers, in- 

 cluding "A. I.," who met me in the evening, 

 and apologized for not having given me more 

 attention. All the time I kept wondering who 

 I was, any way, that I should have such mark- 

 ed kindness and respect shown me. 



During this first day I got the run of things, 

 and felt quite at home. It was arranged that, 

 the next morning, I should take a bicycle-ride 

 with Mr. Root, going part way with him toward 

 Akron. That evening a social party of young 

 married people at the home of John Calvert, to 

 which I was invited, along with my kind host 

 and family, added much to a day long to be 

 remembered. 



The next morning, at 9:30, Mr. Root and my- 

 self mounted our wheels and started toward 

 Akron. This was our opportunity to visit and 

 get better acquainted, as we went swiftly along 

 over good roads and through a beautiful rolling 

 country — a country of orchards, homes, and 

 springs of clear water. We were boys together 

 for 14 miles, and then I turned back, and Mr. 

 Root pushed on to Akron, G miles further. 



In the afternoon I spent some time in the 

 apiary. I was anxious to inspect the Dovetail- 

 ed hive and management, with the latest style 

 of Hoffman frame. 1 was very much pleased 

 with the hive as managed in the Root yard. I 

 believe I could handle a third more bees in 

 those hives, with the same labor that it takes 

 to care for them in hives as ordinarily made. I 

 decided that I would adopt their hive and frame 

 as soon as possible, though I consider the eight- 

 frame Langstroth, which I am now using, a 

 good hive. My frames are self-spacing, and 



