620 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



debted to those who have gone before us, 

 tlieref( rj it is h verj^ difficult matter indeed 

 for any inventor to say, '' This is entirely 

 my own invention." I, too, paid Mr. Lang- 

 stroth for an individual right, and our Ijook- 

 keeper has instructions lo send him S2o.(H) a 

 year so long as I13 is al'la to be benefited by 

 it. I am very glad indeed to note the dispo- 

 sition you call attention to among bee-keep- 

 ers, of forbearing to copy the works of each 

 other, patent or no patent. The supply- 

 dealer who would unhesitatingly copy some- 

 thing well known to b3 the property of an- 

 other, w■,ti^out getting tlu^ piivilege of doing 

 so, by purchase or otherwise, would very 

 likt'lvlose more than he made, so strong is 

 tlie disi);)sition of our people to give honor to 

 whom liiinor is due. 



D. A. JONES IN HIS OMTN HOME. 



ERNEST'S A'ISIT, AND WHAT HE SAW. 



T will be remembered, that a short time ago Mr. 

 Jones made us a visit with a view to grain what 

 hints and information might be practical in his 

 own supply business just developing. He was 

 equally I'cady to give suggestions fi-om his own 

 experience; and the result was, both parties were 

 profited by the exchange of ideas. In response to 

 his pressing- invitation to return the visit, T made my 

 way northward with a similar object in view. 



On my way thither I went to Niagara Falls. Of 

 course, as might have been suspected, the scenery 

 was gi-and and magnificent; my eye continued to 

 feast upon the sight, but could not be filled. Re- 

 gretfully taking leave of the scene, although pain- 

 fully aware that my purse had been suddenly reduc- 

 ed in outwai-d proportions, I started for Reaboro, 

 where I soon arrived. After making a short visit here 

 with Mr. Calvert, the father of the two young men 

 in our employ, I made my way to Beeton, where we 

 are told that our good friend D. A. Jones holds forth. 

 As it was Saturday night, not much was done except 

 to have one of those rare old-time bee-talks. On 

 the following Monday I was shown into the oflHce, 

 which is under the direct supervision of Mr. Mac- 

 pherson. The methods of doing business were fully 

 explained, from the receipt of an order to date of 

 shipment. Having been pretty well catechised in 

 this department, I went to his hivc-faetoi-y, a short 

 distance away. I first took a look at his engine, one 

 of the celebrated Corliss make. It is about 50 or 60 

 horse-power, and made on a new improved pattern. 

 In an adjoining- building, temporarily put up, is 

 his hive-factory. The machinery was the best that 

 could be obtained, and was designed for his new 

 factory, which he intends putting up soon. It is to 

 be a brick building 60 by 2.50 ft. Surely our Cana- 

 dian friends ought to be well supplied in every 

 thing that pertains to the care and management of 

 the honey-bee. We Yankees ought to rejoice over 

 the i)rospect that our bee-keeping fraternity is to 

 be enlarged by a host of friends across the line, un- 

 der the good old banner, " God save the Queen." 



In the afternoon, Mr. Jones kindly offered to take 

 mo around to his different apiaries. There are 

 seven in all, situated at from three to nine miles 

 from his home, and averaging from 150 to 175 colo- 

 nies each. I examined, with Mr. J., perhaps 50 dif- 

 ferent hives at random, and, almost without excep- 

 tion, every one was a good strong colony. Now a 

 word in rc;^:u'd to the api)earance of the apiaries. 



Each yard has the soil removed and nicely leveled 

 down with fine sand over the whole. This reminds 

 me of youthful days, when, with heavy heart, it was 

 my daily apportioned task to remove with hoe the 

 grass and weeds that iv:mhl grow around the en- 

 trances. The bees were sensitive, and I was afraid; 

 but even now I am forced to admit that it makes a 

 very pretty appearance, despite the extra trouble. 

 Around each yard, Mr. Jones has a tight board fence. 

 In one corner of each is a double-walled honey- 

 house, designed primarily for wintering purposes. 

 Leading from each house is a sub-earth ventilating- 

 pipe, described in Gleanings some time ago. 



We drove that afternoon over a circuit of 30 miles, 

 nor was I slow to avail myself of the opportunity 

 proffered, to press a set of questions upon him. As 

 Mr. Jones is a man of larg-e experience, and gifted 

 with an unusual amount of good humor and fun, I 

 felt myself well repaid for my trip. 



That evening- Mr. Jones invited me to attend the 

 students' bee convention over which he presides. 

 It meets once a week, and he there takes up the 

 loading topics of apiculture. I might remark right 

 here, that Mr. J. has from 23 to 30 students who pay 

 no tuition, and, on the contrary, are allowed 10 cents 

 per hour for services in the factory when there is 

 work. The students are permitted to attend the 

 regular apiarists through the different yards, and 

 there witness and enter into the various manipula- 

 tions of the bees. On going to the convention we 

 enter into a room where upon a table we see every 

 periodical and book treating of bees. At spare 

 hours the students are requested to read the best 

 books, and confirm what they i-ead by actual expe- 

 rience and observation. Upon the walls are beauti- 

 ful colored plates, showing the anatomy of the bees. 

 The time having arrived for opening, Mr. J. takes 

 his wonted seat, opens his mouth, and thereupon 

 proceeds to talk. Before beginning, howevei', he 

 picked up quite a variety of honey-plants which he 

 had requested to be brought in. These he took up 

 in turn, giving their names and their relative values 

 as honey-producers. The plant Avas then passed 

 around, thus securing pei-fect familiarity. 



I for one enjoyed the convention, and hope to at- 

 tend some time in the future. Next issue I will 

 give an account of my trip in the islands of the 

 Georgian Bay, where Mr. J. raises separate races of 

 bees. Ernest R. Root. 



Perhaps'I might mention, that the above 

 is as new to me as to most of you. It is true, 

 I had talked with Ernest about his trip ; but 

 there were so many things, he didn't get 

 time to tell me about the weekly bee conven- 

 tion until I just read it in tlip above. And so 

 friend .Jones is a readier, with all his other 

 duties and caies, and he has an entluisiastic 

 and intelligent class of pupils, no doubt. 

 What an example is here given for many of 

 us I Why shtnild we not have fietpient 

 meetings of this kind ? This matter of hon- 

 ey-plants alone— what would please a crowd 

 of boys better than chasing about the comi- 

 try, "collecting, working up, and hunting 

 out all these matters V And then their re- 

 port once a week— what a lot of good might 

 be acconii)lished by such meetings! ^biy 

 God Itless Ih-o. Jones ! and I think I can al- 

 so add with honest sincerity,'' ^lay (io(l save 

 I the (^ueen," and bless the "elTorts wliich our 

 I friends in Canada are making for the cauf^e 

 ' of apiculture. 



