130 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Feb. 



A SHORT LETTER FROM A LITTLE GIRL. 



Pa has six colonies of bees. They are paclied in 

 chaff. I like honey, but I do not like stings. 

 Newburg, O., Jan., 1884. Lottie Kelly, age 5. 



I helped my rncle George take care of his bees 

 last summer, and we had lots of honey. My pa is a 

 mason, and I carry brick for him when there is no 

 school. Geo. D. Hilton, age V. 



Fremont, Mich., Dec. 36, 1883. 



FROM 13 TO 39, AND 400 LBS. OF HONEY. 



My brother keeps bees. He started iu the spring 

 with 13 colonies; increased by natural swarming to 

 30, and got 400 lbs. of honey. His bees are blacks, 

 but he intends to get Italians next spring. 



Lieury, Ont., Dec, 1883. George Durr, age 10. 



FLORA'S little LETTER. 



My pa keeps bees, and I like them and honey too. 

 1 have got a little brother, 8 months old; he has blue 

 eyes. He is a cunning little fellow. I have been 

 only 27 days to school. Flora J. Kymph, age 0. 



Port Erven, N. Y. 



little chickens on CHRISTMAS DAY. 



My brother has 10 stands of bees; he had 11, but 

 s^me one broke one all to pieces to get the honey. 

 We have 6 little chickens. We found them under 

 the barn Christmas day, and we have got them all 

 yet. Lizzie Margrave. 



Nohart, Nebraska^ 



cutting a bee-tree, and what they found in it. 



Last summer pa found two bee-trees. This fall 

 he cut one of them, and got only a few empty combs. 

 He sold eight swarms this fall. We got about 400 

 lbs. of hoaey this year. 



Freddie A. Pease, age 10. 



Kingsville, Ohio, Dec., 1883. 



ELMER'S REPORT. 



I thought I would tell you how pipa is getting 

 along with his bees. We have 40 colonies, mostly in 

 your chaff hives, and the rest packed ia chaff on 

 summer stands. He has suld 15 colonies, to gooff 

 next spring. I have two little brothers, 3 and 4 years 

 eld. Elmer S. Dieffenbach, ageO. 



Crosskill Mills, Berks Co , Pa., Jan. 1, 1884. . 



A RAT IN A BEE-HIVE. 



My brothers keep bees. Winter before last they 

 bought 3 swarms; this summer they had 35, but 3 of 

 them died. The other day a rat got into one of the 

 hives, and stirred the bees up so that some of them 

 came in the house and Hew around my mother's 

 htad. L. E. Kincaid. 



Pleasant Kid^e, N. C, Jan. 13, 1884. 



FEtANK AND HIS WHITE LEGHORNS. 



My pa has 50 Stands of Italian bees, and took out 

 3000 lbs. of honey. He gave me one hive of Italians. 

 1 took out 80 lbs. of honey. 1 have a team and har- 

 ness and buggy. I have worked in the field since I 

 was 8 yeai-s old. I have a fine yard of white leg- 

 horns, and I sell eggs, $2.00 for 13. 



Ogden, la., Jan. 13. Frank Connelly, age 14. 



HATTIE THE BEE-GIRL. 



'^havc very good luck with my bees; all are in 

 good order. 1 keep them un their summer stands 

 all winter. It is warm to-day. They are Hying as 

 in summer. I call my department the "Yellow 

 Band." I have three hives; father has 20; I have a 

 good time in summer. Hattie the Bee-Girl. 



State Line, Miss., Dec. 36, 1883. 



from 3 TO 5, AND 100 LBS. OF HONEY. 



This is my first letter. I thought all summer I 

 would write, but I went to school, and I have a good 

 deal of work to do at home. My pa bought 3 stands 

 of bees last fall; they swarmed 5 times last sum- 

 mer. We took 100 lbs. of honey out of one hive; 

 there is one hive we have not got any honey from. 



Afton, la., Dec, 1883. Ida C. Uray, age 11. 



HOW SADIE GOT STUNG IN THE NIGHT. 



My pa keeps bees. He had 14 stands, but he sold 

 one. Sometimes I help pa tend them. I have been 

 stung twice — once when we were hunting for the 

 queen, and the other time was in the night when I 

 was ia bed. It had got in the house somehow, and 

 got on my ear. Sadie Boggs, age 11. 



Endicott, Neb., Jan. 24. 1884. 



A LETTER FROM A T-YEAR-OLD BOY. 



I live at my grandpa's. My uncle Robert keeps 

 bees. He has 18 stocks. Sometimes I put on my 

 gloves and veil, and help him. I have two bantam 

 chickens, a kitten, and we have two Jersey calves 

 and two canary birds. AVe have a horse we call 

 Dolly. I went to school until the snow got too deep 

 for me. J. Clinton Denham, age 7. 



St. Clairsville, O, Jan., 18S4. 



HOW OUR bees AttE GETTING ON. 



Our bees are in the cellar. There are 26 stands, 

 and one of them is mine. I got them a little way 

 from our house, on a maple-tree. We found two in 

 the woods near our house, but we have not got 

 them yet. We did not get much honey this year, 

 but we will try it anothor year. Pa is going to make 

 an observatory-hive this winter. Wm. Tyrrell. 



LaPorte, Ind., Dec. 13, 18(53. 



LYDIA AND HER THREE WHITE DUCKS. 



Pa has 8 colonies of bees. Last summer 3 of them 

 swarmed. We got a good bit of honey from our 

 bees. In the summer, when they swarm, I go out 

 and see pa hive them. 1 like to see the little busy 

 bees gather honey at the flowers, for I like honey 

 very well. I have 3 white ducks; they come every 

 evening for some corn. Lydia Martin, age 11. 



Goodville, Lancaster Co., Pa., Jan. 25, 1884. 



EVA'S report OF HER PA'S BEE-CAVE. 



Pa has fed out 400 lbs. of honey to the bees. Our 

 bee-cave is 38 ft. loni;', 7 feet wjde, and 7 ft. deep, 

 and covered with 3 ft. of earth, and a roof over that. 

 There is a ventilator in one end, 1 foot square, and a 

 door in the oth9r end. They winter perfect every 

 time, without any dwindling. Next time I write I 

 will tell you about pa's bee-feeder. 



Eva L. Farrington. 



Strawberry Point, la., Nov. 6, 1883. 



LETTER FROM A 4-YEAR-OLD BEE-GIRL. 



lama little bee-girl. Don't you like me? Won't 

 you send me a book? You sent Minerva one. 



DaIsy Bell Duncan, age 4. 

 Black Lick, Indiana Co., Pa , Dec, 1.«S3. 



AVby, Daisy, it would be funny if I did not 

 like little girls four years old, who can 

 write letters, and a bee-girl besides. Why, 

 il makes me real happy to tltink i have got 

 such little friends. \Ve send you a book, 

 with great pleasure. Your letter was very 

 nicely written, even if you did not put in 

 any periods and other marks ; but I guess 

 we have got it all right, haven't we ? 



