170 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



honey becomes in law the same as any " fixture," 

 thereby not movable, or subject to being lost or 

 strayed. Again, if A pursues a swarm of bees from 

 his hive he retains his title, constructive possession, 

 so long as he keeps sight of them; but if he lose 

 sight of them he loses his title by reason of losing 

 identity, though he regains title if he finds them un- 

 claimed, and that, too, no matter where; but if he 

 do damage while pursuing or removing the bees 

 from B's premises, B might recover for the actual 

 damage. Those who gave an opinion to the said 

 question had in view their notion of the equity of 

 the case, the same as a ease submitted to arbitra- 

 tors. My opinion herewith expressed is based on 

 settled rules of law, regardless of equity rights. A 

 Case duly submitted to arbitrators, their decision 

 is riot subject to appeal nor rehearing, but is as 

 final as any court of last resort in the whole realm. 

 Civilized nations are in favor of yielding contro- 

 verted claims to arbitration rather than declaring 

 war. I have not consulted an attorney— don't have 

 to. If you present this to Messrs. Bostwjck & Bar- 

 nard, or to R. C. Curtis, Esq., attorneys, in Medina, 

 they will, at a glance, concur with the writer. 

 Richford, N. Y. C. J. Robinson. 



Very good, friend R. I believe, however. 

 1 would try to settle all such diiferences, 

 and, in fact, almost all other differences, by 

 giving waj-; that is. differences between 

 neighbors and people who are ordinarily 

 considered to be fair and honest men. Let 

 a man liave his own way about almost any 

 transaction that may come up, but decide in 

 your mind that you think you will not deal 

 with him in the futitre, if his ideas of things 

 do not i)lease you. I have never heard the 

 law interpreted as clearly as you put it; 

 and 1 confess to a feeling of respect for our 

 laws, if they are all framed with as much 

 wisdom and care as this one in regard to 

 bees, as you bring it out in the above. 



NUMBER OF COLONIES PER SQUARE 

 MILE. 



SOMK VERY VALUABLE FACTS FROM FRIEND FREE- 

 BORN. 



SR. miller wants to know how many colonies 

 we should keep in, one apiary; so do you, Mr. 

 Editor, and so does your humble servant. I 

 I have been trying to learn the exact number 

 for 30 years, and don't know yet; and I don't 

 think any one will know unless he has the rest of 

 the factors in the problem besides the number of 

 colonies. The other factors would be. How many 

 acres of clover or buckwheat, or basswood-trees 

 within three to five miles? How much rain, frost, 

 sunshine, and south wind? How much of the time 

 does the thermometer mark the best temperature 

 for the secretion of honey, etc.? If we had com- 

 mand of all this knowledge, we should probably 

 find that some years the profitable number would 

 be 25; the ne.xt season, 100; and possibly the next, 

 500; and the next would be like the doctor's loca- 

 tion last sea.son, when the answer would be, no 

 profit in any number. Now, while it might be a 

 fact that the extremes would run from none in a 

 very poor year to 500 in an extra year, the prob- 

 abilities are that somewhere between the 500 and 25 

 there is a number that, for a term of years, would 

 pay us better than either e.vtreme; KiO to the 



square mile would be heavy stocking; even 100 

 would be large, if the honey-source were white 

 clover, allowing 15 pounds per acre. I think this 

 estimate high enough. I would give 100 colonies 

 about 100 lbs. each— too small a quantity to supply 

 the wants of the bees and give the owners much 

 surplus. 



If we could divide the mile just right, one-half 

 white clover, the rest soft maple, willow, basswocid, 

 and buckwheat, we should have the model mile you 

 speak of. In my 30 years of experience I have kept 

 from 2 to 450 colonies, and have, in that time, within 

 ten miles of here, tested the honey-resources at 

 some 30 ditt'erent places. At one time I was keeping 

 350 colonies in 5 different apiaries— the furthest 

 7 miles from home. The greatest yield from these 

 five lots in one year was 30,000 lbs. extracted hou' 

 ey. As I attended personally to these five lots it 

 kept me busy, and I had more traveling than I rel- 

 ished. Finding that others kept larger numbers 

 together than I had been doing, with good results, 

 I concluded to condense mine to fewer places. 



In the spring of 1886 I had 300 colonies, located as 

 follows: Home lot, 45; Pickard lot, 7 miles west, 97; 

 Sextonville lot, 5 miles south, 158; total yield from 

 the 300 colonies, 43,000 lbs. extracted honey, of which 

 the home lot made 5000 lbs.; Pickard lot, 11,000; 

 Sextonville lot, 26,000. It will be seen by this state- 

 ment, that the largest number of colonies gave the 

 best average. They were close to basswood timber, 

 as were the Pickard lot. The home lot would have 

 to fly 3, 4, or 6 miles, according to direction. The 

 amount that the 158 colonies gathered satisfied me 

 that I did a lot of useless traveling when I had 350 

 colonies spread in five apiaries. At present I have 

 300 colonies divided into two lots— 100 at home and 

 200 at Sextonville; and for myself I don't care to 

 keep bees in a location that will not support 100 or 

 more colonies. 



How many colonies to the square mile, would 

 vary with the location. I have seen plenty of miles 

 here, or near here, that ten colonies would over- 

 stock. To make any location do its best in support- 

 ing the greatest number, I should prefer that they 

 have no competition nearer than ten miles: for 

 bees will do quite a fair business, things being 

 favorable, carrying honey five miles or more, 

 though they would do much better with nearer 

 pasturage. 



I also was much intei-ested in the account of 

 Capt. Hetherington's operations, as given by the 

 editor of the Biitish Bee Journal. I am sorry that 

 the captain won't tell us all he knows; but it is just 

 possible that he doesn't know any more about the 

 yield to the square mile than the rest of us. 



And now, Bro. Root, when you get that square 

 mile of honey-yielding plants fixed up so as to beat 

 old Dame Nature's best effort, let us know, and I 

 will try to go out and take a look at it. 



The California fellows will tell you that you will 

 have to hurry to beat a mile of their white sage 

 for quality or quantity, and we shall think here that, 

 if you beat a mile of Wisconsin basswood in a good 

 season, that you will have to stock your mile of ar- 

 tificial pasturage with the most judicious selection 

 of plants to secure succession for the season, or you 

 will get left. Allow me to suggest, that, while you 

 are taking the time to rig up the model mile, you 

 come to Wisconsin and buy 640 acres of basswood 

 already planted, and preserve it from the devour- 

 ing a.x, and j'ou and Dr. Miller ship your bees out 



