58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



cient to maintain tho bees in winter, sweeping those 

 bees that are on the combs they talce out, into a bas- 

 ket again, and again covering it with new sticks and 

 plaster. It has been doubted whether in England 

 the like quantity of honey may be taken without en- 

 dangering a scarcity in winter, tho bees probably 

 not collecting so much; let less, therefore, be taken 

 away. By these means, it has been said, the great 

 increase and multiplying of the stock would soon 

 equal, and far exceed the little profit we make by de- 

 stroying them. ROSEY E. Smith. 

 New Hamburg, Ont., Can., Jan. 1, 1881. 



My little friend Rosey, you have given us 

 quite an important communication. I have 

 several times looked musingly at our stout 

 willow baskets, and wondered why a bee- 

 hive could not be made of them that would 

 be strong and serviceable, and yet, perhaps, 

 winter bees better than any wooden hive 

 ever made. A common basket, wide at the 

 top and small at the bottom, might do pretty 

 well. Of course, the combs would not be 

 readily interchangeable, because those at the 

 outside would be small, and those in the 

 center large. We have figured such hives 

 before, and discussed them in our pages. A 

 straw cap would make it equivalent to a 

 straw hive. Our readers should bear in 

 mind that this kind of movable combs was 

 made and used before Mr. Langstroth began 

 with his ; and although they are rude, with 

 them one might, after a fashion, perform al- 

 most all the operations of modern bee cul- 

 ture. 



A ROLSING KKl»OKT FBOn ONE OF 

 THK .niVKNILEiS. 



WHAT 30 SUGAR-FED COLONIES DID IN 188X 



MA has 06 colonies of bees. We extracted 7500 

 lbs. of honey. I mean to be a bee-keeper. I 



' should like to spend a year with you, to 



learn the best way to work bees, when I get my 

 schooling done, if we all live. We had only 30 colo- 

 nies last spring. We winter our bees on granulated- 

 sugar syrup. We take Gleanings. Ma would not 

 like to be without it. She saw you at Toronto. 



John W. Stennett, age 10. 

 St. Mary's, Ont., Dec. 38, 1883. 



Why, friend John, your report is a most 

 wonderful one indeed. Over '200 lbs. to the 

 colony, spring count, and that from an api- 

 ary of over oU hives ! When I looked at 

 your ligures I instinctively turned to the 

 i)Ottom of the letter, to see where it was that 

 they had such wonderful success. When I 

 saw it was in Canada, I did not wonder so 

 much. It gives me a real thrill of pleasure 

 to hear of such magnilicent results, coming 

 lirst from one quarter and then from anoth- 

 er. It seems to me to indicate that God 

 wishes to tell us that he does not want to be 

 partial, but that great results may be ex- 

 pected in almost any locality, if you are 

 bright and enterprising, and ready to take 

 blessings when they come. May be the 

 sugar-syrup feed had nothing to do with it ; 

 but I am inclined to think those 30 colonies 

 must have been remarkably strong and 

 healthv. 



JUVElNIIiES FOR DOING HOUSEWORK. 



ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL LAKE AWAV 

 UP ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS. 



^flp^EAR CHILDKE:^, have you noticed that, in 

 Jljjj )) nearly all reports from the juveniles, it is 

 — only in letters from California and Texas that 

 hojis say they help mamma wash dishes, and cook? 

 Well, if you notice you will find it as I have said. 

 Now, the reason is, that we here in California (and I 

 suppose it is the same in Texas) can not get help, so 



[ we have our boys help us; and since I have been 

 here I have often wanted to urge eastern mothers to 

 teach their bojs to do housework. Fifteen years 

 ago, except in large cities, there were hardly any 

 women and children here, and you would feel sorry 

 if you had seen the way the men lived. You see, 



! almost none of them had ever had to do a mite of 

 housework, so of course they did not know how to 

 do it, and most of them never really did know how; 

 for with their outdoor work and poorly done house- 

 work they had no time to learn. 



Some boys might say, "I won't learn, for I am 

 never going where I shall have to do it." Don't be 

 too sure. Learn; and even if you don't go into new 

 countries you will find it very handy when mamma 

 or wife is sick or " so tired." And then, again, that 

 is the way to learn to be neat and handy, if you are 

 in any kind of business, especially the bee business. 

 My I how I have laughed to see some folks take care 

 of honey! It would be all over the floor and hives, 

 and the person's clothes, till it would take longer to 

 clean up than it did to do the work. Now, if such a 

 person had been taught to do housework when he 

 was a boy, he would not have made so much unnec- 

 essary work. 



In my last letter I told you about the hot spring of 

 Las Cruccs. Now I will tell you of a lake 3000 feet 

 above the sea. Our little village is about 1030 feet, 

 so that is 2000 feet above us. At the upper end of 

 this valley, seemingly right across the end, but 10 

 miles away, is a 1 )ng ridge of mountains, and near 

 the top of one of the peaks this lake — Z ica Lake it 

 is called — is located. It covers about 100 acres, and 

 is so clear that one can see away down to the bot- 

 tom 15, 20, and in some places 30 feet deep. There is 

 no knowing what keeps the lake going, away up 

 that tall mountain; but quite a good-sized creek 

 runs from it. Many people go to see it and bathe in 

 its cool clear depths. When we go we have to take 

 horses that will let us ride upon their backs; for 

 when we get to the mountain wo unhitch and un- 

 harness the horses, put on the saddles (if we were 

 thoughtful enough to bring them), and ride up 

 three-fourths of a mile. But every one is charmed 

 and thinks that the trouble to get there is fully 

 compensated by the beautiful sight of lake and 

 pines that surround it. Mas. K. Hilton. 



Los Alamos, Cal., Nov. 24, 1883. 



Mrs. II., I am glad you have taken up 

 this subject of teaching boys to be neat and 

 handy about the house, i do think it is 

 really a fact, that a man or boy qan hardly 

 expect to succeed in bee culture until he 

 learns neatness and order. One great rea- 

 son why i employ girls and women in our 

 office is because that, with the many dif- 

 ferent things we have to handle, it would be 

 impossible to get along with anybody as 

 slovenly as many boys and men are. Occa- 

 sioually we have a little experience with some 



