1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllK. 



7t)o 



PICTURES OF PROMINENT BEE-KEEP- 

 ERS. 



ONE MORE OF THEM. 



J SUPPOSE most of our readers have 

 ; heard of Mr. M. 11. Hunt, of Bell Branch, 

 Wayne Co., Mich., even if they have 

 not "very often heard from him. Friend 

 Hunt, like many another good man, 

 does not like to write' very much. We have 

 to gather what he is doing by what people 

 say of him, and by business transactions we 

 may happen to liave with him ; at least, 

 such is the case to a great extent. ,Once in 

 a while he gets stirred up about some par- 

 ticular matter, st) that he goes to work and 

 writes us about it. Well, here is his pic- 

 ture. 



1 visited Mr. Hunt, i.s the friends may re- 

 member, some two or three years ago, the 

 time 1 visited Feri'y's great f:eed-gardens. 

 and saw so many 

 onions in blossom. 

 Friend Ilimt was 

 one who saw what 

 seedsmen might 

 do for bee-keep- 

 ers, and located 

 an apiary in com- 

 pany with anoth- 

 er gentlemen, so 

 as to take advan- 

 tage of the honey- 

 rtow. H^rnest vis- 

 ited him last sum- 

 mer, and lie told 

 you eomething in 

 regard to it on p. 

 oHtj, 1883. Friend 

 Hunt still uses 

 the Adams horse- 

 power for making 

 bee - hives. His 

 home apiary and 

 surroundings are 

 very attractive, 

 and show progress 

 on ev€ry foot (f 

 his ground. He 

 is an enthusiastic 

 worker, not only 

 with bees, but he 

 is fully up to the 

 times in the re- ; 

 ct-nt improve- 

 ments in agriculture. As I went around his 

 little piece of ground with him he pointed 

 out to me wluit he had done since he com- 

 menced on the place, and I began to wonder 

 how much help he employed. To my aston- 

 ishment he told me he did it all himself ; but 

 I found out afterward, bj talking with his 

 wife, that he is one of th'ose happy mortals 

 who find more enjoyment in working witli 

 his bees, plants, and 'fruits, than he would 

 in going to a picnic or celebration. During 

 the daytime he not only works out among 

 the things he loves, but sometimes after the 

 shades of night have fallen ; and then bright 

 and happy he is at it again as soon as, or 

 sometimes a little before, the morning light 

 comes to his assistance. As we three (his 

 wife, of course, was the tiiird one) were hav- 

 ing an animated chat in regard to such 

 thmgs, he broke forth in his plea,sant >vay: 



" Now, Mr. Eoot, you wouldn't believe it, 

 but I once used to be a coi-ner-grocery loaf- 

 er. Didn't I, MollieV" 



Perhaps her name isn't Mollie, but we will 

 play it is, and she assented with a pleasant 

 smile that seemed to say, "How ridiculous!'' 

 as she glanced up at him, full of manly 

 strength and manly beauty. Did I tell you 

 before, that friend Hunt is a handsome manV 

 Well, he is handsome around home, any way, 

 with his bees and improvements. I wonder 

 if it does not make any one handsome to 

 work outdoors. 



Friend Hunt has been remarkably success- 

 ful in making exhibits of honey, wax, imple- 

 ments for the apiary, etc., for fairs. In a 

 note accompanying the photograph, he writes 

 us that he received i)remiums to the amount 

 of S94.0(» at the Michigan State Fair. The 

 following we extract from the Evening Jour- 



»f(/. of Detrcit: „,. . ' . , 



The apiai-y is at- 

 tractive to ttie stu- 

 dent. It seems to be 

 attractive to bees 

 also, as many a bee- 

 owner of this city 

 will testify. The hon- 

 ey has drawn them 

 in great numbers. 

 One of the best ex- 

 hibits is made by M. 

 H. Hunt, of Bell 

 Uranch, Wayne Co. 

 He is an enthusiast 

 on bees, and regards 

 it a pleasure to in- 

 struct the uninitiat- 

 ed. His name is 

 made of honey, and 

 a beeswax monu- 

 ment about four ft. 

 high stands near the 

 dior. He explained 

 the difference be- 

 tween the Jtalians, 

 Cyprians, blacks, and 

 hynrids, which is 

 very noticeal le after 

 it has been pointed 

 out, although the or- 

 dinary observer 

 would see no differ- 

 ence. He might feel 

 it, however, as there 

 is about the same 

 difference between 

 their ferocity as 

 there is between dif- 

 eront breeds of cat- 

 tle. A cross made of 

 honey is also in 

 Hunt's list of attrac- 

 tions. His library 

 consists of numerous 

 volumes in four or more languages. He sold $1400 

 worth of honey last year besides his other sales, and 

 he employs tivo or six men. He had pieces of rot- 

 ten elm which he uses to smoke bees when he de- 

 sires to get the honey. The smoke makes them fill 

 themselves with hoiie.v. and a bee full of honey nev- 

 er stings. He uses the artificial foundation for 

 comb formation because it is economical, saving a 

 great deal of the bees' time. He does not believe in 

 wintering in the cellar, but keeps his bees out of 

 I doors in doul)le-walled hives. He has to buy bis 

 lio.xes, a liw^r j-ujiiily of wocd and paper being nec- 

 cssar.N, hcciuisc he IK) longer has the time to make 

 them as when he first started. 



We also take the following from the 

 3Iichi'j<in Farmer: 



Last but n<it least came M. H. Hunt, Rell Branch, 

 Mich., and Iroiii the extent of his exhibit he has 

 been on a lively "lain t" all (summer. He occupied the 

 whole side of the building, 4H feet, with the largest 

 and most iiiteicstiiig exhibit of this kind 1 ever saw. 

 He and Ins trieiidly UHsistaiit, Mr. Chas. Ceilings, 

 were kept buHy from early iiK)ni till the building 

 closed at night, answering (juestioDS, Rnd explain- 



.M. H. HUNT. HKLL BRANCH, MICHIGAN. 



