S8 



GLEAN tNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JULY 



bloom liigher on the mountain V You 

 know honey is tirst secreted from clover 

 south of us, and the honey-tlow gradually 

 advances to the north with the season. 

 Now, 1 have been wondering if there is not 

 the same relation existing between the base 

 of the mountain and the summit. The rea- 

 son I speak of this is because the matter was 

 mentioned by a writer recently, who has a 

 mountain home, and who said that his hon- 

 ey season was prolonged. Is this the expe- 

 rience of others similarly^ situated V May 

 we hear from such V " ' Eunest. 



Every boy or girl, under 15 



years of age, who writes a 



letter for this department, containikg 



SOME VALUABLE FACT, NOT GENERALLY 

 KNOWN. ON BEKS OR OTHER MATTEHS, 



will receive one of David Cook's excel- 

 lent five - cent Sunday-school books. 

 Many of these books contain the same mat- 

 ter that you find in Sunday-school books 

 costing from 81.00 to 81. .50. If you have had 

 one or more books, give us the names that we 

 may not send the same twice. We have now 

 in stock six different books, as follows; viz.: 

 Sheer Off, The Giant - Killer, The Roby 

 Family, Rescued from Egypt, and Ten Nights in 

 a Bar-Room. We have also Our Homes, Part I., and 

 Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above books, you may have a 

 photograph of our old house apiary, taken a great many years 

 ago. In it is a picture of myself. Blue Eyes, and Caddy, and a 

 glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pretty little colored 

 pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable for framing. 

 Vou can have your choice of any one of the above pictures 

 or books for every letter that gives us some valuable piece of 

 information. 



" A chiel's aniang ye takin' notes; 

 An' faith, he'll prent it." 



HOW TO AVOID STINGS. 



Jp\ ID you ever hear a bee scoldV Perhaps 

 (4 J you think he can't, but he can. After 

 1^ he has scolded for a while, talking 

 ^^ pretty plainly, too, lie will show you 

 that he means what he says by, by — 

 well, by something that hurt^; you know 

 what 'tis. If you have never heard a bee 

 scold, just stand a few minutes in front of 

 the entrance of a strong colony during bass- 

 wood bloom when the bees are pouring into 

 the hive heavily loaded. By and by you will 

 see a little bee (one of the '' sentinels," as 

 we call them) twisting his head this way 

 and that, as he surveys the proportions of 

 the huge monster before his little doorstep. 

 Pretty soon he flies up and buzzes back and 

 forth before your eyes— possibly followed by 

 two or three more of his companions, anil 

 then he scolds, telling you idmost as plainly 

 as I can that, if you don't get out of the way, 

 he will use his little spear. I have heard 

 them scold, and fancy lie talks something 

 like this : 



''Now, look here, Mr. Elephant, or Man, 

 whatever you call yourself, you are right 

 square in the way. Haven't you got more 

 sense than to stand here hindering us when 



there are dead loads of honey in the fieldsV 

 There's not enough honey in the hive to 

 winter on yet, and— just see the bees behind 

 your great carcass, trying to find the door to 

 our hive. If you don't get out of the way 

 I'll stick you in the eye." About this time 

 you will feel nearly cross-eyed, watching the 

 little scamp, while his little voice sounds 

 like a tiny buzz-saw sawing sections. 



Now, perhaps the little bee doesn't say 

 just these wordf. ; but at any rate he seems 

 to think you liave "• no business " in front of 

 the entrance, and that he will drive you ott 

 if it does cost him his life. So, little folks, 

 I will say that, if you wish to save hard 

 stings, I would advise you not to stand di- 

 rectly in front of the entrance. 



Again, our honey season will soon be over 

 in most Northern" localities ; and when the 

 honey stops off suddenly, the bees will be 

 apt to be cross for a while, especially if yoli 

 are so careless as to leave bits of new honey 

 lying around, or where bees can get at it by 

 crowding through cracks. Wherever you 

 keep surplus honey, he sure no bee can get at 

 it, or you will be likely to have a terrible 

 row, and no end of robbing and stinging. 

 If your bees siiould get started to robbing 

 during a dearth of lioney you may be trou- 

 bled tlie rest of the season. The old saying, 

 '• Prevention is better than cure,'" applies to 

 robbing and stings; therefore, little folks, 

 please l)e careful. When bees get to sting- 

 ing badly, as they do when robbing has be- 

 gun, you are liable not only to cause trouble 

 in your apiary, but trouble with your neigh- 

 bors, which may involve your papa in a law- 

 suit with tlieni. 



The time for you to learn to be careful is 

 now, while you are young. Right habits in 

 the apiary will be easily formed now while 

 you are young, and you will never regret it 

 when you grow older. Ernkst. 



NOT GOING TO LET THE BEES SWARM. 



I am a little j.;irl ten years old. Ma caught a 

 swarm of runaway bees last fall, and g-ave it to me. 

 I built it up nicely. They arc now trying- to swarm, 

 but T |)ineh off the queen-cells, and won't let them. 

 1 call my queen Taddy, and won't let her go again. 

 I love to work witli bees, but my big- sister squalls 

 every time one comes within one hundred yards of 

 her. Jennie H. Park. 



Concordia, Meade Co., Ky., June 10, 1886. 



HOAV TO GIVE THE BEES A DRINK. 



My papa has kept bees for six years; he takes 

 Gleanings. My mamma and sister and I came 

 from Ohio last March. Papa brought his bees here 

 three years ago. The bees out here do not make 

 any surplus honey until after harvest. We have a 

 wind-pump. Papa lias a barrel full of water by the 

 pump; he keeps a coffee-sack over it, so the water 

 just comes up to the sack. The bees get on top to 

 drink, and do not get drowned. When papa has 

 queen-cells that he wants to save he cuts them out 

 and puts them under little glass dishes over the 

 other bees, so the cells do not get torn down, and 

 they hatch out all right. Fannie Gossard, age 8. 



Friend, Salem Co., Neb. 



HOW TO STOP ROBBING. 



My pa has ~0 swarms of bees; he does not get 

 much hotiej-. for he does not run for it. He sells hie 



