354 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 10, 



and camping outfit which was necessary to convey me beyond 

 the railway and steamboat lines to my destination, the north 

 fork of the St. Lucie river, I was obliged to continue my trip 

 southward 160 miles in my open skiff boat. While busily 

 overhauling the rigging preparatory to starting by the first 

 fair wind and tide, and meditating upon the long and lonely 

 trip before me in strange waters — firmly resolved to improve 

 the first favorable weather — officiating as captain, cook and 

 crew, tho even an apprenticeship before the mast is included 

 in the long list of branches entirely neglected in my education 

 — "Going for a sail ?" came a familiar voice, and I readily 

 recognized my Interrogator and esteemed friend, Mr. Fred 

 Whitaker, of Hawks Park, a steamboat engineer then tempo- 

 rarily off duty on account of an attack of rheumatism. 



Upon acquainting my friend with my project, he imme- 

 diately signified a desire to accompany me, saying he thought 

 such a trip would be beneficial to his "rheumatiz." This 

 proposition delighted me — I was to have a companion. I will 

 not occupy space to elucidate my private thoughts regarding 

 such a cure (?) for rheumatism, tho I exprest my faith in its 

 efficacy, and perhaps cited a precedent or two just to avoid 

 opposition to my friend. 



That evening I requested my grocer to double my order, 

 and to have the goods aboard by sunrise the following morn- 

 ing, as the indications were for fair weather (which prognos- 

 tication proved equal to any forecast issued by Prof. Ira D. 

 Hicks since he assumed charge of the weather), and we 

 accordingly cast off on time, provided with water, provisions, 

 guns, fishing tackle and ammunition sufficient for a small 

 pirate ship; but, alas, we neglected to take on board a pilot, 

 and the wending waterways, through thousands of mangrove 

 islands, which for complex and delusive courses rival the cata- 

 combs of Rome, render travel extremely difficult to those un- 

 accustomed to the locality. A succession of oyster-bars which 

 traverse the entire length of the Hillsborough river, and are 

 visible only at low tide, tend to increase the perils of naviga- 

 tion. After 15 miles of unnecessary travel, however, our 

 first day out brought us safely through the Hillsborough 

 across Mosquito lagoon, a sheet of water 6 by 20 miles in ex- 

 tent, and the Haulover canal, recently cut through by the East 

 Coast Canal Company, connecting that body with the Indian 

 river, afforded a safe harbor for the night. 



As the sun sank from view we drew our little craft along- 

 side an old shanty, probably the former abode of some lone 

 fisherman. The camp-fire soon lent cheer to the scene as 

 preparation was made for the evening repast, and the coffee- 

 pot sang the old song that always recalls boyhood days in 

 mother's kitchen. As the nocturnal shades closed upon us, 

 flashes of lightning revealed the outline of dark clouds along 

 the western horizon. Sunburned, tired and sleepy we spread 

 our blankets upon the shanty floor, and, in the bony arms of 

 Morpheus, all the cares and trials Incidental to the struggle 

 in providing diamonds for the city commission men tempor- 

 arily fled ; but, alas, we were soon, too soon, forsaken by the 

 fickle god of dreams. In the midnight darkness I awoke be- 

 neath a veritable cataract. The howling wind, splashing 

 waves, and rain beating through the open doorway; the heavy 

 rumbling of the ocean surf breaking upon the beach, and 

 roar of thunder added to the din and bewilderment of one 

 thus rudely awakened. From a groveling object In the corner 

 came an audible voice, which in accents not particularly 

 " soft and low," discust the cruising cure for rheumatism. 

 Sleep was impossible the remainder of the night, and the 

 rough weather continued, making the outlook for progress 

 very unpropitious. 



After enduring the dampness of perpetual storm for 36 

 hours, and battling the waves for 10 more, we reacht Tltus- 

 ville, 10 miles distant across the Indian river, with our blank- 

 ets in six inches of water in the boat, as were also all our 

 other effects. 



The next morning old Sol shone with all the radiant glory 

 of a tropical sun from a cloudless sky, and all Nature seemed 

 gladdened and revived by the invigorating rains and the 

 bright sunshine which comes after storm. After a refreshing 

 night's rest and breakfast at the hotel we proceeded on our 

 Journey southward, going ashore each night to camp upon the 

 river banks ; always having provided fish, duck or oysters 

 during the day, to fry or roast over tho camp-fire at night. 



Our trip occupied seven days, and when we arrived at the 

 apiary It was Indeed a pleasant January scene; the bees 

 whitening their combs and adding small bits of new comb 

 wherever space permitted, which glistened with new honey 

 from pennyroyal, upon which aromatic herb they were 

 actively at work. Then, as often before and since, I sollli- 

 quized : Why do not more Northern people avail themselves 

 of the advantages of Florida's genial climate and natural 

 resources ? Brevard Co., Fla. 



Wintering — Other Notes and Comments. 



BY EDWIN BBVIN8. 



One of the colonies, in an 8-frame dovetailed hive, which 

 was so outrageously strong last fall that I felt sure the hive 

 did not and could not hold enough honey to winter the bees, I 

 wintered successfully in the following manner: 



When the time came for putting on chaff cushions, instead 

 of putting on a cushion, I put on a super filled with unfinisht 

 sections of honey, and then packt over them. During the 

 warm spell, late in January, I examined and found the honey 

 had all gone somewhere, and refilled with 20 more unfinisht 

 sections. The bees were left alone till May 3, when I found 

 them just cleaning up the last of those 20 sections. The bees 

 appeared to be about as numerous as they were last fall, and 

 seemed to be so altogether prosperous, contented, and lazy, 

 that I thought it would be a good plan to give them something 

 to do. I did not like to see so much bee-power going to waste. 

 I put over them another hive-body filled with frames of heavy 

 foundation. It was a marvel how soon that foundation was 

 converted into comb. 



ANOTHER ENTRANCE FEEDER DESCRIBED. 



I fed some at the entrance in the evening. My feeder is 

 a home-made affair which costs nothing, and will last forever 

 and a day. Mr. Deacon says his will last forever. May be it 

 will if it does not get broken. Mine will not break. I don't 

 know as many readers of the American Bee Journal may care 

 to know how this feeder is made, but for fear some one may 

 be out of money and want a feeder, I will tell how it is done : 



Get a piece of pine plank 2 inches thick, 6 inches wide, 

 and 8 or 10 inches long. Nail some thin boards all around 

 the edges of this piece of plank, letting them be of a width to 

 project above the plank so as to form the sides and ends of a 

 trough with the plank for a bottom. Then nail two strips 

 bee-space thick on the side of the feeder that is to be placed 

 against the hive end, and then between the upper ends of 

 these two strips cut a bee-space out of the upper edge of the 

 thin board. Then get another piece of pine plank 2 inches 

 thick, and a little wider and longer than the feeder, which use 

 for a cover. I smear the inside of these feeders with melted 

 beeswax and rosin. 



By varying the width of the thin boards forming the sides 

 and ends of these feeders, they can be made of any desired 

 capacity. 



Put a piece of cheese-cloth on the feed, and no bees get 

 drowned. I was simple enough one time to buy a Simplicity 

 feeder, but that Is too much of a toy affair for me, as was also 

 one of Root's old, original dovetailed winter-cases. I have one 

 of each standing around with nothing in the world to do. 



HIVE-MAKING — VARIOUS SIZES. 



I am congratulating myself just now that I am about to 

 put the finishing touches to my hundredth hive. I do not mean 

 to say that a hundred is all the hives I have, but I mean to 

 say that I have made a hundred. This is nothing to boast of, 

 but then I am tolerably well pleased over the fact that I have 

 made them. My hives are not all made after a single pattern. 

 Some of them are what are called " Dadant hives." The rest 

 all have bodies 20 inches long, outside measure. I shall never 

 vary from this length If I make a thousand hives. Most of 

 my hives take 8 frames, but a good many are made to take 10 

 frames. Some 8-frame hives are 12 inches deep, but most of 

 them take frames of standard depth. Some 10-frame hives 

 take frames of same depth, but most of them have bodies 12 

 Inches deep. These last-mentioned have telescope covers. 

 Then I have made a few hives with bodies 1% Inches deep, 

 the same length and width as the dovetailed hive. I shall put 

 starters In the frames of these and use them to hive swarms 

 on this season. The brood-chamber is contracted without the 

 use of dummies. After the white honey-flow is over I shall 

 put on hive-hodies of the same size, filled with frames of foun- 

 dation, and let the bees build up; or, if necessary, I will feed 

 up for winter. Next season I will manage these double hives 

 as Dr. Tinker manages his. May be these experiments will 

 pay, and may be not. I am willing to incur the expense for 

 the sake of the knowledge. 



NECESSARY TO FEED SOME COLONIES. 



The spring has been an uncommonly poor one for early 

 brood-roaring, and an uncommonly good one for making it 

 necessary to feed — wet and cold most of the time. If It is not 

 too late I would like to say to bee-keepers, get a move on, and 

 see if some colony does not need to be fed right away. One 

 warm day, not long ago, when bees were bringing in pollen at 

 a lively rate, I found one strong colony that had suspended 

 work of this sort. The frames were lifted, but there was not 



