gLeanings in bee culture. 



ofa 



My pa has ^s old colonies of bees, also 4 new 

 swarms. Last season he had 50 stands, and he lost 

 32 stands last winter. He has a stand of Syrian bees. 

 1 do not like to work with bees. We did not get 

 much honey liist season, but are getting some this 

 spring. We liave one of your Novice honey-e.\ tract- 

 ors, and like it very much. I have no brother or 

 sister. Edgau Ditkes. 



Browns, 111., May Iti, 1888. 



HONEY SEASON SO POOR THAT BUCKWHEAT HONKV 

 SOLD FOR 20 CT8. 



I was very much pleased with the book, Sheer Otf, 

 which you seilt me. The last honey season here 

 was so poor that buckwheat honey sold for 18 and 30 

 cents a pound. My brother Stanley was stung last 

 summer on the eye, and it affected him very badly, 

 coming out in great blotches. About a month aft- 

 erward he was stung by a bumble-bee on the foot, 

 and his eye swelled up as bad as ever. Some people 

 will not believe it, but it is true all the same. 



Ingersoll, Ont., Canada. Ethei- Edwards. 



PAS CEIiL-HATCHEB, ETC. 



My pa has IH stands of bees. He made a small 

 hive out of 'i-inch lumber, for hiving swarms. He 

 takes the hive and holds it under the swarm and 

 shakes the bees in It. Then after the bees are quiet 

 he takes the frames out of the little hive and puts 

 them in the big chaff hives. As our yard is full of 

 trees and bushes we have had no trouble in 

 getting the bees when they cluster, for they always 

 cluster in the yard. 



Pa got an Italian queen of you two years ago, and 

 he wanted to Italianize all of his bees that fall. He 

 had ten colonies at that time, so he took ten capped 

 queen-cells from her hive and put them in a cage 

 that he made. This he made as follows: 



He took some thin strips of lumber one inch wide, 

 and made a frame 12 inches long and 3 inches wide, 

 then made 10 divisions in it like little rooms, then 

 covered it with wire screening. He bored a hole in 

 the outside frame of each little room. He then put 

 the queen-cells in, then he plugged the holes up and 

 placed the cage between two combs of bees. The 

 queens all hatched out, and were nice and yellow. 

 Pa put one in each one of his hives. 



Pa's bee-hat has a piece of wire screening all 

 around it, about 4 inches wide, th en he has mosquito 

 netting from that to go down around his neck. 



Kocky Hidge, O., .July 13, 1888. Annie Sliger. 



Vour papa's arrangement for batching 

 queens is very similar to one described in 

 the ABC ol" Bee ( 'ulture. Neighbor H. (he's 

 that big Uncle Hen, you know) uses them in 

 his queen-rearing apiaries, and likes them 

 better than queen-nurseries. Henry Alley, 

 the editor of tlie ApicuUurist, and a queen- 

 breeder, also uses something similar. 



.J. M. .JENKINS TEMiS THE BOYS AND GIRLS SOME- 

 THING ABOUT SUGAR-CANE. 



De(ir Huhcr: — l send you by express some sugar- 

 cane. This is what nearly all of the sugar and syrup 

 we all use is made of. It grows with great long 

 blades like corn, but they are much tougher, and 

 have rough saw-like edges that will cut our hands if 

 it strikes the wrong way. About frost the men strip 

 these blades otf while it is standing (usually with a 

 thin paddle in each hand, so as to strike down on 



both sides of the stalk), then cut it down with a hoe 

 just above the ground. Then the stalks (after being 

 topped also) are run through a "cane-mill," which 

 is made with two or more big iron rollers, and this 

 squeezes the juice out. The juice is then put into a 

 big kettle, or "evaporator," and boiled for hours, to 

 make syrup or suM'ar. In Alabama it is grown 

 mostly for syrup; but i.. Louisiana they make lots 

 of sugar. You will see in this lot one stalk of solid 

 green. That is softest, and best on that account, 

 for chewing. Then the striped variety, called " rib- 

 bon " cane, is next softest, and the solid "red" is 

 most used in this vicinity for making syrup. It is 

 the hardest of all; but the farmers say it is more 

 concentrated, requires less boiling, and yields more 

 syrup than the ribbon or green cane. But I think 

 the ribbon cane much the prettiest; don't youV All 

 the little folks (and big ones too) love to chew sugar- 

 cane, and every fall you can see lots of folks every- 

 where, nearly, peeling and chewing sugar-cane. I 

 hope you will like it. "Vour friend, 

 Wetumpka, Ala., Nov. 15, 1888. ' J. M. Jenkins. 



As will be seen, the letter above was ad- 

 dressed to Master Iluber. As it contains 

 facts of interest in regard to sugar-cane, we 

 thought there might be other boys and girls 

 of Ruber's age who would like to know 

 about it in these Northern States. The 

 sugar-cane was very nice, and was appreciat- 

 ed by Hiiber and all the family. 



PAPA, COME HOME. 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



As homeward I turn at the close of the daj-. 



Weary from toll, above measure; 

 Who sees, and runs to meet me half way. 

 Hut my blue-eyed dalling treasure, 

 Saying in baby language, true, 

 " Papa, come home, 1 love you '"f 



Her playthings are scattered whenever I come. 



Whether at night or at nooning; 

 W ith outstretched arms she welcomes me home. 

 And softens my heart with her crooning, 

 Saying, as only babies can do, 

 "Pai>a, come home, I love you." 



.\nd when the evening prayers are said. 



And the good-night kisses given. 

 When baby is tucked in her little bed, 

 .\nd her keeping left to heaven. 

 She says, as she twines my neck anew , 

 " Papa, stay home, T love you." 



Sweet innocence, pure as the heaven above ! 



A seraph art thou from glory. 

 Sent to win us with unselfish love. 

 From sordid gain so transitory. 

 ( »h I how can my heart, after such lucre 



roam. 

 When so softly thou say est, " Dear papa, stay 

 home"? 

 Methinks that 1 see thy sweet sister once more, 



Whom the Father took home one evening; 

 Methinks she is happy on yonder shore, 

 .\nd wonders why I am grieving. 

 Perhaps, when I'm weary of life, she'll come 

 To meet me and greet me with, " Papa, come 

 home." 

 Forest City, Iowa. 



