20 



GLEAKIKGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JaiT. 



been given them, indicating that all the 

 memb>-is uf tlie commonwealth are not 

 quite satisliecl to accept her. It is a pretty 

 hard matter to have tlie A B C boolv touch 

 all these minor points.— I do not think that 

 frosty nights Avould injure a queen - cell if 

 put right into the brood-nest, especially if 

 the cluster of bees were enough to make a 

 tolerable colony or nucleus. — The conditions 

 of your little story are not quite like those 

 of a bee -journal, friend C. The sidewalk 

 belonged entirely to the man. He was not 

 building it for his neighbors who were mak- 

 ing suggestions. But a journal belongs to 

 the people ; in fact, it is made for them, and 

 they have a right to suggest how it should 

 be made. I am glad to say, however, that 

 the general decision of the people seems to 

 be just in accordance with my own ; that is, 

 by far the greater number of friends seem to 

 prefer to have Gleanings with a variety, 

 and, I believe, such a variety as I have giv- 

 en. That those who subscribe may not be 

 disappointed, we have changed the front page 

 of our journal so as to read, " Devoted to 

 Bees, Honey, and Home Interests," so as to 

 say we are not getting away from our text, 

 even if we do touch on other industries as 

 they come before the people. 



THE FIRM OF JANE MEEK & BROTHER. 



A Serial Story in Ten Chapters. 



BY llEV. W. D. RALSTON. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



JT was a lovely day, late in autumn. The Rev. 

 John Meek had been in his study all the morn- 

 ing, busy at work on his sermons for the com- 

 ing Sabbath. Looking out on that beautiful 

 Indian-summer day he felt that a walk would 

 do him good; and, picking up his hat and cane, he 

 started forth to take one. 



As he stepped througli his gate into the highway 

 he noticed some object up the road which he at first 

 thought was a team approaching; but on looking 

 more intently he saw it was not a team, but his two 

 children running toward him at the topi of their 

 speed. His wife, noticing him earnestly gazing up 

 the road, came to the gate to see what was the mat- 

 ter; and after a look at the children she exclaimed, 

 "That is our Jane and Tommy. I sent them on an 

 errand to Mr. Brown's. What can be wrong, that 

 they are running so?" 



By this time both children were crying out some- 

 thing to their parents; but the children were so 

 short of breath from running, and so eager to tell 

 the tale, that the parents could not understand 

 them. However, they managed to catch the words, 

 "Mr. Brown — bees — keg — killed — home!" 



Mrs. Meek remarked, " I fear Mr. Brown's bees 

 have stung him to death." 



Her husband replied, "I hope not, but we shall 

 soon learn." 



By this time the children had arrived, and began 

 to tell their story, both at once; but Tommy was 

 told to stop and let his sister tell it. It was all about 

 a colony of bees which Mr. Brown had offered them 



as a present. Mr. Brown was a friend and neighbor, 

 living on a large farm not far from Mr. Meek's 

 house. Although he kept a few bees he made nc 

 claim to undei'Standing bee culture. His bees re- 

 ceived very little care or attention from him. His 

 hives stood in a row upon a bench in his orchard, 

 and were merely rough boxes, some cf which he 

 made himself, while he picked up others around the 

 village stores. He obtained his surplus by boring 

 holes in the tops of his hives, and placing on these 

 some smaller boxes. At the approach of winter, if 

 any colony had not suflBcient stores the bees in it 

 were killed and the honey talien. Mr. Brown had 

 been examining his bees that morning, to see what 

 stores they had. He found all well supplied but 

 one, which came off very late, and which, for want 

 of a suitable box, he had placed in an old nail-keg. 

 This one he decided to destroy, and was preparing 

 to do so when the children arrived. His children 

 explained to their little friends what their father 

 was doing, and urged them to wait and have some 

 of the honey. The kind-heai-ted Jane's eyes filled 

 with tears as she thought of the poor little bees in 

 the old keg, peaceful and happy, clustered as usual 

 on their combs, but soon to meet, a horrible death. 



Mr. Brown's plan of killing bees was to smother 

 them to death with the fumes of burning brim- 

 stone. As she watched Mr. Brown digging the 

 brimstone-pit she ventured to say to him, " I hate 

 to think of your killing the bees." 



He replied, " 1 hate to kill them; but they haven't' 

 sufficient honey to suppoi't them through the win- 

 ter. They will eat up what they have, and then die 

 of starvation; and surely it is better to kill thern 

 now, and obtain some honey, than to let them starve 

 and obtain nothing. I kill them to keep them from 

 dying of starvation." 



Jane asked if they could not be fed, and their 

 lives preserved until spring. 



Mr. Brown replied, " I believe some people do 

 feed bees, bu 1 1 do not know how it is done ; besides, 

 I have so many horses, cows, and pigs to feed that I 

 can find no time to feed bees. But," said he, " I'll 

 give you and Tommy this nail-keg hive, bees and 

 all, as a present, if you will take them 'aome, feed 

 them up, and preserve their lives. Your father 

 knows something about bees, because I have heard 

 him talk about them, and he can tell you how 

 to feed them." 



Jane replied, "I would willingly take the bees, 

 but I shall have to ask papa and mamma about it 

 first." 



"Very well," said Mr. Brown; "you run home 

 and ask them, and I will not kill the bees until I 

 hear from you." 



The children certainly did "run" home, and, hav- 

 ing related the facts in the case, stood waiting for 

 the important question, as to whether the gift 

 should be accepted or not, to be decided. 



Mrs. Meek laughed heartily, saying, "Is that all'i" 

 Your pa and I thought, from the way you ran, that 

 something dreadful had happened; and now you 

 say your reason for running was to obtain leave 

 from us to keep bees. Children, I am sure you do 

 not know what j'ou ask. If you knew how bees 

 sting, and how it hurts to be stung, I am sure you 

 would not ask to keep them. I think you had better 

 let Mr. Brown keep them." 



"But, ma," said Tommy, "Mr. Brown will kill 

 them. He said he would kill them unless we took 

 them." 



