1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



331 



al years past, bee-keepers have increased to 

 such au extent that last S(>ason I occupied only 

 the home yard, and that was badly trenched 

 upon by surrounding yards. The rest of my 

 bees. 200 colonies, outside of those kept at home. 

 I moved 3S miles, attempting to get them where 

 there was a reasonable chance to make them 

 pay expenses. 



Another cause for discouragement is the ap- 

 pearance of foul brood at several places in our 

 State. 



The price of honey is also discouraging. This 

 year, of all others, it would seem that honey 

 ought to sell on sight; but many have found it 

 hard to dispose of the little crop that they did 

 have at any thing of a fair price. Honey is not 

 like the staple farm products that have a fixed 

 market price, and that will sell any day when 

 taken to market. You have to look for youi' 

 honey customer, ,and then he is not always 

 easily found. I have looked for him sometimes 

 at home, and sometimes abroad; and I have 

 looked as far, even, as New York, and then not 

 found him. 



Still another discouraging feature is, that my 

 bees went into winter quarters light in both 

 bees and stores. I am not sanguine of being 

 able to make a very good report for 1891. even 

 should the season be fairly favorable. 



The Bee-keepers' Union has been a comfort 

 to me in the past; in fact, it sprang into life 

 through my need, and came to my defense for 

 its first work, and is still doing for the fra- 

 tei'uity and individuals valuable service. Long 

 may its officers live, and long may its banners 

 wave; but I am discouragi^d because it does not 

 number thousands where it numbei's hundreds. 

 In justice to ourselves as bee-keepers, it stands 

 us in hand to be as prompt to chronicle losses 

 and discouragements as we are items of success. 

 I know it is more pleasant to tell of success than 

 failure. We all like to tell a big story if a true 

 one. But our interests demand both sides; so. 

 let us see to it that we report both sides faith- 

 fully. S. I. Freeborn. 



Ithaca, Wis. 



[Friend F.. we are glad to hoar fioni you; 

 and we are glad, also, to have you give us plain 

 hard facts, gleaned from years of experience; 

 but even if it be all true, exactly as you state 

 it, bee culture does not differ very much from 

 most other rural industries. They all have 

 their ups and downs, and in one sense the field 

 Is pretty well crowded. A great army of peo- 

 ple are looking in vain for something to do that 

 is sure pay and has no discouragements, as you 

 tell of. They do not find it. While in your 

 State, and through the basswood region in your 

 vicinity, some of your neighbors were so enthu- 

 siastic as to say that tliey never had a failure 

 In basswood; but tlw failure has come ali'eady. 

 Now. I do not believe, dear brother, that it will 

 pay for many of us, at least, to become dis- 

 couraged and give up. One of oui' bee-men 

 was in to see us yesterday. He became dis- 

 couraged because bee-keeping did not pay. and 

 so he went into evaporating fruit. By the time 

 he had a good crop, and a great lot on hand, 

 the prices went down so he could not sell. Last 

 winter he sold his evapoi-ated apples for ."> c. per 

 lb. because he was discouraged. This winter 

 he said he could hav^e sold them readily for 1.") 

 cts., which would have made a good prolit. and 

 paid a good interest during the time he held 

 them. But he is now out of the fruit business. 

 Let us do the best we caii. yeai' by yeai'. leav- 

 ing no stone unturucd. as Doolittle says, to 

 secure a crop; and I think we shall, as a gen- 

 eral thing, fare aS well as the rest of mankind. 

 It is true, it is not well to have too many bee- 

 keepers so crowded together as to o\'erstock the 



locality. But I think this state of affairs will 

 not continue long. The fittest will survive, and 

 the others will give it up.] 



THE NEW DOVETAILED HIVES. 



TOO MUCH OR TOO IJTTI>E FOUNDATION; A 

 SUGGESTION FOR EMMA WILSON. 



Friend Root: — I have to-day finished nailing 

 up 2.50 dovetailed bodies. 100 dovetailed supers; 

 covers. 100 each, and bottom-boards, and 3000 

 Hoft'man frames, all of the latter nicely wired. 

 I have had only a boy 13 years old to help me, 

 and have gone out selling honey and vegetables 

 on an average of at least once a week; so you 

 see I have been quite busy. All the above is 

 for my individual use the coming season, and 

 I hope to till them with full swarms by natiu'al 

 swarming. I should like to say right here, that, 

 although I have dealt with you extensively 

 every year for over ten years, this last lot of 

 goods has been th<' best, and has given me more 

 satisfaction than any I ever bought of you be- 

 fore. You certainly are improving all the time 

 in workmanship. 



. Now for a little chat in regard to several 

 topics. I should like to ask those who advocate 

 the use of less foundation, if they were oft'ei'ed 

 all they could use free of cost would they not 

 use full sheets of it in the brood-chainber, and 

 full-sized starters in the sections? I am sure I 

 would, for one. every time. 



Your remarks on page 3-t, in regard to taking 

 a partner, tit my case exactly. Three times in 

 life I have been broken up by doing so. and I 

 propose hereafter to have only wife and chil- 

 dren as partners. 



Tell Miss Emma Wilson to try an apron made 

 of the waterpi'oof cloth, recommended for hot- 

 beds—the lighter quality: I think she will like 

 it. It will be a little stiff at first, but soon gets 

 limber and pliable, especially after being 

 washed. 



I have used bricks for recording the different 

 operations in the apiary for years ])ast, and 

 piefer them to a memorandum-book. 



KEKNEY WIRING VERY SATISFACTORY. 



As stated elsewhere, I have just finished wir- 

 ing :ifKt() Hotlinan frames, and I am surprised 

 that any one linds fault with the bent nails. I 

 think I have used, or tried, every method of 

 wiring mentioned in the bee - journals since 

 wiring frames has been invented, and non<' of 

 X\wm equals theKeeney plan, in my estimation. 

 Perhaps friend Bunch (see page l(3o) nailed his 

 frames together flrst. before putting in the 

 wire nails and bending them; if he did, let him 

 take 1^4 -inch No. 18 wire nails; drive them 

 thidugh at the proper place, and then with 

 snuill-sized pliers give tiiem a twist. He will 

 soon get the hang of it. and he will never nail 

 the frames together again before putting the 

 wire nails in. lean make them very uniform 

 and yet twist them faster than a smart man or 

 boy can drive the nails througli. 



HONEY FOR CHILDREN; HOW TO GIVE IT TO 

 THEM ON SQUARES OF PAPER. 



I have two little tots, aged 5 and 3 years re- 

 spectively. They take a great interest in my 

 work, and "want to help pa" every way in 

 their powcM-. I feel sure it would do you good, 

 friend R., if you could see them come into the 

 workshop every morning about nine o'clock, 

 each with a little scjuare of paper, and say. 

 ■' Honey, papa;" and then I go to the barrel of 

 candied honey and dig out a suitable quantity. 

 It makes me smile to hear their •" thanky, 

 papa," and .see them sit down by the stove and 



