1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



943 



fixed by means of notched rabbets and spacing- 

 sticks. It takes too miicli time to loosen and 

 remove frames, as compared with the Dove- 

 tailed hive with its metal rabbets and self- 

 spacing frames. Bee-keeping with such hives 

 and fixtures as are turned out at Root's is not 

 as laborious as it used to be. I am convinced 

 that many are losing time and money by stick- 

 ing to hives and lixtures of inferior make and 

 workmanship. 



In the evening, Ernest and I took our wheels 

 and rode out three or four miles to visit the 

 apiary of Mr. Vernon Burt. Mr. Burt's hives 

 all came from Root's factory. His apiary, like 

 E,oot's, is a model of neatness, and his bees all 

 fine Italian slock. Mr. Burt informed us that 

 he had taken a fair crop of honey, even in this 

 indifferent season. After an inspection of the 

 apiary, and a chat with the owner, we wheeled 

 back through the gathering shades of night. 



The next day was Sunday, and to me the best 

 part of my visit. We all attended the morning 

 church service in a large beautiful church; 

 then a Sunday-school, which seemed to gather 

 In everybody, old and young, who had attended 

 preaching. There seemed to be no lack of 

 workers. The officers and teachers were prompt- 

 ly in their places, and I was not asked to take 

 the place of some absent teacher, as visitors are 

 so often urged to do. At the close, Ernest, who 

 is superintendent, kindly invited me to address 

 the school. It was then I realized that I was 

 from the west, and not accustomed to address- 

 ing such large audiences. But I did praise God 

 for what my eyes were permitted to see of 

 *' peace on earth and good will to men " among 

 those worshiping people. What a privilege to 

 live where such splendid church work is going 

 on I and how true that every community needs 

 such a work, and could have it if they would 

 work for it as these people have, for God is no 

 respecter of persons. During that beautiful 

 day there was time for quiet walks over the 

 grounds, and rest of both soul and body. 



In the evening I accompanied Mr. Root to 

 the jail, where we held a gospel meeting 

 with the prisoners; but, to the credit of Medina 

 Co., I will say that our audience was small, 

 but none the less attentive. The same evening 

 we attended a church prayer-meeting and a 

 temperance meeting, in which all the churches 

 united. Thus closed a day full of blessing and 

 peace. 



During the three days of my visit I had be- 

 come acquainted with every member of the 

 family, including Grandma Root, the aged 

 mother of A. I. Root, and all seemed desirous of 

 making my visit pleasant. Especially should I 

 mention the kind care received in the home of 

 my friends Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Root. 



Th<^ thing that impressed me very much re- 

 specting their business was the marked neat- 

 ness and order that characterized every thing. 

 There was no waste ground, no weeds, and no 



idlers; yet every busy worker had time to be 

 considerate of the comfort of others. On Mon- 

 day morning, at eight o'clock I mounted my 

 wheel for a ride back to Sterling, leaving be- 

 hind the beautiful Home of the Honey-bees, a 

 spot on which memory shall ever love to dwell. 

 Browntown, Wis., Nov. 17. 



RUSSIAN AND JAPANESE EXHIBIT AT 

 CHICAGO. 



HOW THE ORIENTALS DO IT. 



By C. A. Hatch. 



While at Chicago last year, wandering around 

 with no definite object, in the immense agri- 

 cultural' building, I came across two apicultural 

 exhibits that I have never seen mentioned in 

 the bee-papers; viz., the .Russian and Japan- 

 ese; and while my memory fails to call to mind 

 the details of several interesting things of 

 which a few brief notes were taken at the time, 

 there remains enough, I think, to interest those 

 of your readers who did not happen to discover 

 these exhibits; for, there being nothing to 

 designate them as apiarian aisplays, it would 

 be a discovery if you found them at all. 



Russia had no one in charge of her bee-ex- 

 hibits. They were simply spread out on a table 

 and had been there with no care, apparently, 



all summer. There was some honey in bottles, 

 looking dark and uninviting, and a glass sec- 

 tion of fair-looking honey in the comb. The 

 section was about ^x6 inches, I should guess, 

 and made of strips of glass about 2 inches wide, 

 glued at the corners. 



The implements consisted of hives, smoker, 

 extractor, wax press and extractor, honey- 

 knives, queen-cage, feeders, and all the usual 

 kit of modern bee-keeping; but, how different! 

 Just look at the smoker! Shades of father 

 Quinby! how long would one of our Yankee 

 bee-men tolerate such a " fixin' " around? Im- 



