58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15. 



•' No, I don't tliink they are nearly as conven- 

 ient." 



"And now," said I, "'if I could have you at 

 Medina, as you have me here at Marengo, I be- 

 lieve I conld make you think they ai'e at least 

 good, but perhaps not quite eqnal to your ropes, 

 with cleats on tiie ends of the hives to carry." 



THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXHIBIT. 



DK. MILLER S METHOD OF CAISKYIXG HIVES 

 INTO THE CELLAK. 



He has two bee-cellars — one Under the house, 

 and one inidei' his workslujp. Both are good- 

 sized— about 15x15x7 feet, each capable of hold- 

 ing from 1,50 to 200 colonies, I should think. 

 Neither was grouted, and tlie bottom was sim- 

 ply i)ounded clay. It had a hard diy surface, 

 and could easily be swept. Th<' walls had just 

 been whitewashed — not so much for appearance" 

 sake as for a puriliei-. It is well known, that 

 whitewash is a puriiier of walls. After a cellar 

 has had bees in it over winter, it needs not only 

 good airing but cleansing. 



After we had stepped from the cellar I asked 

 to see his thick top-bars. He did not know ex- 

 actly where the hives were; but by a little 

 hunting we found them. There was no burr- 

 comb on top of them, and so far he regarded 

 them as a success; but he was not so positive 

 as I that they would take the place of honey- 

 boards entirely. Dr. Miller, you know, is never 

 positive about any thing. He is always open 

 to conviction. 



We then went into the house, for it was a lit- 

 tle cold outside. After we sat down we talked 

 queens. I was quite interested in his experi- 

 ments in raising queens. He had not been suc- 

 cessful with the Doolittle method, but Alley's 

 plan had worked very nicely. 



" Doolittle," I said. " makes it work to perfec- 

 tion. Why can't you?" 



'■ I can not tell."' said he; "and we were very 

 careful to follow his instructions to the letter." 



Dr. iVIillHr now produced his recoi'd-book. 

 His hives are all numbered, and each number 

 corresponds to a s])ace in the book. As we sat 

 there that evening looking the book over, I was 

 very much interested in reading over the mem- 

 oranda of the several colonies. 



Having been up late for several nights, I re- 

 ti red early. I sjjent a delightful Sabbath with 

 Dr. Miller and his family, and had the pleasure 

 of seeing him ohiciate as supciinlcndeut of their 

 .Sunday-school. The doctor is considerably in- 

 terested in Sunday-school work. As most of 

 oiH' readers may know, who have attended con- 

 ventions, he has a big talent '"along that line." 

 7'o he (■(intlniicd. 



SUGGESTIONS IN KEGAKD TO THE APIAIUAN DIS- 

 PLAY, FROM 1>I!. A. 15. MASON. 



Friend Root:— My " noddle " has done lots of 

 thinking about the apiarian exhibit at the 

 World's Columbian Exposition for 1893; and 

 yestei'day, Dec. ;.*9. I thought of this plan for 

 State work: 



Let each State bee-keepers' society appoint a 

 committee to look after the sectu'ing of an ap- 

 propriation by the State legislatures or assem- 

 blies, for the making of a suitable exhibit. Also 

 another committee to see that the honey, bees, 

 beeswax, foundation, and every thing relating 

 to our industry in their vState. is collected and 

 made ready for exhibition; also choose the best 

 man or woman they may be able to secure, to 

 go to Chicago and put every thing in the best 

 possible shape and position for the best possi- 

 ble display, and look after the State's exhibit 

 during the exposition, and then repack every 

 thing and return to the owners. 



" Now, this all looks easy enough on paper.'' 

 some will say, " but how are we to be paid for 

 otu' trouble and expense?" 



Well, that is just what has bothered me, and 

 is what I have been trying to " grasp by the 

 hoi-ns." This very subject helped to get me 

 5(10 miles from home to attend the convention 

 at Keokuk, in the hope that some one I might 

 meet would solve the dit'ticulty for me. Vain 

 hope I No one I consulted knew more than I 

 did about it. They were all like the mischiev- 

 ous boy .John, in school. ^Ve have all heai'd of 

 him. if we've nofseen him. When the teacher 

 asked .Mm what he was doing, he replied. 

 " nawtliin'.'" The teacher then asked .Tohn what 

 he was doing. The reply came promptly." Help- 

 ing .Tim." 



Till yesterday I've not been able to think of a 

 plan, and found no one who could give me 

 any " aid or comfort." I've thought over and 

 over the offering of premiitms in some shape, 

 but nothing satisfactory presented itself. With 

 the prcMuium plan, somebody (and probably 

 several somebodies) would " get left." By the 

 plan 1 suggest, each would get just tin? amount 

 he will be entitled to. 



The plan is this; Let each one who is will- 

 ing to help make his own State exhibit what it 

 ought to be, notify the committee above sjioken 

 of as to what and how much he will exhibit, 

 making an itemiz(Hl bill of what he is willing to 

 furnish. For example, some one says. " I will 

 furnish — 

 500 lbs. comb honev (basswood) in 1-lb. 



sections, 2.5c per lb.. 100 lbs S'LS 00 



100 lbs. comb honey (buckwheat) in 



1-lb. sections. 

 .500 lbs. extracted honey (white-clover) 

 in 2-lb. Muth honey - jais; single. 



35c ; dozen 3 75 



1 straw bee-hive, 50 years old. 



1 smoker (Bingliaiu's) 1 75 



1 colony bees^ (Italian) in Langstroth 



portico hive 8 00 



1 colonv bees (Carniolans) in Simpllcitv 



hive...., <3 00 



Ever]] juiclutfje. or article of every kind, to be 

 dlstmrtly marked with the owner's name and 

 postofiice; and if for sale, have the price also 

 nuirked on it. Then let the committee say 

 what they think best to have ])laced cm exhibi- 

 tion, and then the owner can prepare and ship 

 all to Chicago, with all charges paid, directed 

 to the party having charge of the arranging 

 and caring for the exhibit. 



The reason I suggest that the connnittee say 

 what should be sent is this; Perhaps ten or 

 twenty might be willing to send one or more 



