JO. 



GLEANINGS IN J3EE CULTURE. 



Fei;. 



THE FIRM OF JANE MEEK & BROTHER. 



A Serial Story in Ten Chapters. 



JJY REV. AV. D. RALSTON. 



CHAPTER I[. 



FAMILY TALKS ON HKKS. 



fHE liioniiiig- alter the bees had been romoved 

 to the parsonage, Mr. Meek called .Ifiiic and 

 Tommy into his study tor a talk. 

 "Now," says he, "you have beos^to care lor; 

 but, what do you know about bccsy Tommy, 

 you may answer tirst." 



" Well." says Tommy, " bees are living things. 1 

 think they are called insects, but I am not sure. A 

 fireat pile of them live together in a box, or 

 nail-keg, or, when wild, in the woods they live in 

 hollow trees. They make honey and wax, and 

 sometimes sting people. Jimmy Brown told rae 

 that in every hive there is a king-bee, a great big 

 long bee, that bosses the other bees, and makes 

 (hem do just as he wants. I guess that is all I know 

 about them ; only that those who keep bees manage 

 in some way to get honey from them. Some people 

 kill the bees with brimstone, as Mr. Hrown was in- 

 tending to do with ours, and thus get their honey; 

 but other people can get their honey without kill- 

 ing the bees. I do not know how they do this; but 

 I want to learn, because I do not want to kill a single 

 bee if I can help it." 



Mr. Meek then asked Jane to tell what she knew. 

 She replied, "I know very little more than Tommy 

 has told you. I am sure bees are insects. Early 

 this morning I went out to look at our hive. I 

 found two bees dead before the entrance. I brought 

 them into the house, and looked at them through 

 our magnifying-glass. My teacher says, 'Insect 

 means, to cut into, and is applied to certain living 

 things because they seem to be nearly cut in two.' 1 

 saw that the heads of those bees seemed almost cut 

 off; and back of where their wings are joined to 

 their bodies, they are almost cut in two again; so I 

 feel certain they arc insects. I also learned in some 

 place, that it is not true that bees have a kiny, but 

 they ilo have a queen. She is the only truly female 

 lice in the colonj'. She docs not boss the other bees, 

 but merely^does her part in the colony, which is to 

 lay all the eggs that are laid. Then i do not think 

 bees make honey; God makes it come in flowers, 

 and the bees only gather it. I also know that bees 

 swarm; when there are.too many bee^in a hive they 

 divide, and part go out to form a new colony. 

 When tijey come out they fly around for a time, 

 and then gather in a bunch on some tree or limb, 

 where they look like a large ball. If their keeper 

 sees them come out, and puts them in a'hive, they 

 arc likely tostay; but still, sometimes they leave 

 his hive, and go to the woods. If he does not see 

 them they will remain for a time on the limb, or 

 wherever clustered, and then depart to the woods. 

 That, Fguess, is all I know about bees; but I should 

 like to learn more about them." 



Mr. Meek laughed a little as he replied, "1 see you 

 know asjnnch about bees already as many men do 

 who have kept bees for years; but there is still much 

 for you to learn. If a man wants to raise horses 

 successfully, he must study about horses; if he 

 raises hogs be must understand them; and I assure 

 you that no man can manage bees successfully un- 

 less he understands them. I want3'ou to learn what 



you can about bees l)eforcnext spring. Many years 

 ago I read about a minister named L. L. Langstroth, 

 who had studied much about bees, and who had 

 wi'itten a liook on the subject. I bought his book, 

 and was well pleased with it. Here it is, and I want 

 you both to road it carefully. For two years I took 

 a farmers' magazine which came once a month. 1 

 noticed in each numlter a page or two devoted to 

 bee culture. I carefully i)reservcd all the numbers; 

 here they are. 1 want you to hunt up in each one 

 the pages on bee-keeping, and read them carefully, 

 and bring to me any thing either in the book or i)a- 

 pers you do not understand, and perhaps I can ex- 

 plain it to you." 



The children gladiy accepted the book and maga- 

 zines, and began to peruse them. For a time, at 

 least, much of the talk at the ministers table, when 

 strangers were not jn-csent, was on bees and honey. 

 We might for a little listen to some of their talks. 



Mr. Meek said, " Well, children, what about bees 

 to-day":'" Jane replied. " In reading I find the word 

 rtpuiry very often; but I do not know whatit means." 



Mr. Meek replied, "Apia is the Latin name for bee; 

 apiary means a bee-yard, and comes from that word." 



Tommy asked, "Is our yard an apiary? " 



His father replied, " I think hai-dly. If we should 

 call a single colony, and that a weak one in an old 

 nail-keg. an ai)iary, we should be putting on too 

 much style. But 1 hope, if our bees live, to see you 

 and Jane owning enough colonies to call our yard 

 an apiary." 



Jane asked, "If our bees increase until we have a 

 great many colonies, perhaps fifty or one hundred, 

 will they all belong to Tommy and meV" 



Her father replied, " Vcs, certainly; Mr. Brown 

 gave them to you and Tommy, and I intend that you 

 shall keep them and all their increase. Mj' reason 

 is, I want to teach you to work for youi-selves. In 

 a few years, almost before you know it, you will 

 have grown up, and will liave to work for your- 

 selves; so I want you to commence now, and learn 

 how to work and do business for yourselves. As 

 you are going to do business, you need a book to 

 record the business you do. Here is a small blank- 

 book which I do not need. It will answer lor the 

 present, and I want you to record in it every item 

 of expense and income. You will own these bees 

 together; that is, you two will beaflrm,orcompany, 

 doing business together. Now, by what name shall 

 this firm be called? The large brick store in town 

 has on it, John Morgan & Brother, which means 

 that John Morgan and his brother Samuel are a firm 

 doing business together. Just so, Jane and Tommy 

 Meek is a firm now formed to do business in bees 

 and honey; and what shall we call this firm? 



Tommy replied, " Call it the firm of Jane Meek <^- 

 Brother." 



Mr. Meek wondered that he did not say the firm 

 of Tommy Meek & Sister, which is what many boys 

 would have said. Taking a pen, he wrote in the 

 back of the blank-book, in a large hand,— 

 ACCOUNT-BOOK 



THE FIKM OF 



.JANE MEEK & BKOTIIEll. 



He then said, " Now that the Jiame is settled, tell 

 me what you are learning from reading the book 

 and papers." 



Jane answered, " We arc learning many wonder- 

 ful things, things I never should have thought of 



