1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



17 



thought bees should be fed early enough so they 

 could cap over their stores." 



" Well, that is the proper way, especially for 

 outdoor wintering; but I have had no bad re- 

 sults from lat(> f(M>ding. Yet I would advise 

 feeding a little earlier than this." 



•'Mr. Barber, how do you manage to feed with 

 these single-walled Simplicity hives?" 



■'1 feed with ten-quart milk-pans — here is 

 one right here. There, you see 1 break up old 

 comb into inch-square pieces for floats, and I 

 put in what syrup the colony needs, and cover 

 the syrup with the floats; then I raise up a hive, 

 set the pan on the Iwttom-boai'd — just at night 

 — and set the hive over the pan, or, rather, the 

 hive rests on the i)an: and by the next morning 

 the bees have taken up all the syrup; and by 

 having pans enough I can feed pretty fast in 

 that way. Now, Manum, my friend Charles 

 Hallegas, who has about 1(X) colonies, wanted I 

 should be sure to take you over to his place 

 when you come; and as it is only six miles we 

 have just about time to go and get back before 

 dark, and I think you'd better take your camera 

 along, as I think he will want a picture of his 

 yard; so I will go and harness old Tom, and 

 we will be off." 



" I see you have stakes stuck down, with 

 numbers oil them, where you have removed the 

 hives; why do you do that?" 



"Those numbers correspond with the number 

 of the hive that stood there. In the spring I 

 set the same hive whei-e it was this fall." 

 " Do you think that is necessary?" 

 " Yes, I do; for before I practiced it, and when 

 I set oat my bees they seemed to be lost for a 

 day or two, there being much commotion in the 

 yard; and some hives would get more than 

 their share of bees, while now all is quiet after 

 an hour or two." 



•'What are these machines with these great 

 tin drays? They are something new to me." 



•■ Well. Manum, this is where I feed in the 

 spring. You see. I have these great boxes made 

 with a small door at the side, where I put in a 

 lamp, and these trays are set over to close the 

 top, and I pour my sugar syrup into them. 

 They hold about 10 gallons each. Then I put 

 in these wooden plates, made by tacking to- 

 gether narrow strips in the form of a I'ack. My 

 lamps keep the syrup warm, and the bees come 

 here in swarms to take the feed." 



" Well, but are you not feeding your neigh- 

 bors' bees also, as well as bees in the woods?" 



"Well, I presume so; but I find this the best 

 way foi" me to feed in spring, as it stimulates 

 breeding better than any other way of feeding 

 that I have tried: but the feed should be very 

 thin. Let us be off." 



On the way to ]\Ir. Hallegas' place, Mr. Bar- 

 ber says: 



"There, Manum, you see all those fields are 

 covered with clover; and how far should you 

 say it is across that meadow there on the left?" 

 ■' Oh! I should say three-fourths of a mile."' 

 •' Yon are wild. It is all of a mile and a half, 

 and this one on the right is all of one mile, so 

 you see I have a large range near by." 



" So I was right, Mr. Barbej', when I said 

 your bees must have plenty of forage within 

 sight of their hives. Now, if I had such a loca- 

 tion as this I could get rich in two years — two 

 good seasons. I mean. How long have you 

 kept bees, Mr. B.?" 



"Since 18.5?. My brother and I started with 

 four colonies in box hives: and I had since, at 

 one time, 500 colonies, but now I have only 140." 

 "During these 38 years have you ever had as 

 many poor seasons in succession as the past 

 four or five years have been ?" 



" No, Manum, I never have. Two poor years 

 running is the most; but this terrible setback- 

 does not discourage me in tlie least; and, don't 

 let it discourage you, for there is surely a good 

 time coming, and I feel very sure that next 

 year will make us all happy. Why! just look 

 at the growth clover has made this fall; see 

 how rank it is; and, furthermore, next year is 

 our basswood year. So, then, my advice? to you 

 is, be hopeful, and ready for a large honey 

 crop." 



" Well, Mr. Barber, your talk encourages me 

 very much indeed. I had been of the same 

 opinion; but to hear it from an old bee-keeper, 

 one with such an extensive experience as you 

 have had, is surely very pleasing." 



" There, Manum, the next house is where Mr. 

 Hallegas lives." 



Approaching the house I saw two men stand- 

 ing in the yard, and I heard the older one ask, 

 " Who is that with Barber?" 



" Well, father, that is Manum that you have 

 heard me speak of." 



I jump from the carriage, and Mr. Hallegas 

 takes me by the hand, and says: 



" Well, Manum, when I met you at the con- 

 vention at Albany I never expected to see you 

 here; but I am very glad to greet you." 



"You see, Mr. H., I am everywhere, like a 

 poor season. Whei'e are your bees ?" 



" Right out here, back of the house. Have 

 you come prepared to make a picture?" 

 "Y^es, sir, if you would like one." 

 " Y^'es, I should; but step into the honey- 

 house here, and see my new clamp. There, 

 what do you think of it ?" 



" It is a very good clamp, though quite simi- 

 lar to Crane's, Wright's, and several others, 

 only yours is not complete. For me to vise, 1 

 would either use a screw or wedge to hold the 

 sections in place; and I should want a groove 

 here and one there, and insert a tongue to rest 

 the separators on. How many bees have you, 

 and what are they?" 



"I have 9(5 colonies, nearly all blacks; and I 

 find the blacks do better in a poor season than 

 the Italians — at least, mine do." 



After a short but enjoyable visit we return 

 where Mr. Barber serves up a tine supper. I 

 will say here that he does his own housework, 

 having" buried his wife four years ago. He has 

 done his own cooking since; and I assure you, 

 Mr. Root, that the ladies are not plentiful who 

 can outdo Mr. B. in the kitchen. The evening 

 was spent in talking on various topics pertain- 

 ing to bee-keeping, such as chaff' hives, single 

 hives, strips, and full sheets of foundation, as 

 well as the much-talked-of thick top-bars and 

 broad-end frames, p'inally the subject of lo- 

 cating out-apiaries was brought up by Mr. B. 

 asking: 



" Manum, how far apart do you think out- 

 apiaries should be located so they will not en- 

 croach on each other's tenitory? and do you 

 have them all strung along in one direction, or 

 do you locate them all around your home api- 

 ary ?" 



"Well, Mr. Barber, owing to the fact that 

 there is a higli range of mountains on the east 

 of me I am obliged to locale my apiaries north- 

 west and south; and now if you will get me a 

 piece of paper I will make a pencil sketch of 

 my apiaries and the surrounding country; then 

 you can see for yourself how I am hedged in by 

 hills and mountains." 



" See here, Manum, did you know it is after 



11 o'clock? It is time w(^ were in bed. You 



can make your map in the morning while I 



cook our bi'eakfast." 



Bristol, Vt., Nov. 38. A. E. Manum. 



(To be eoiithuied.) 



