524 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CTJLTURE. 



June 15. 



tion. We then repaired to a parlor where the 

 commissioners were in session. At the proper 

 time Dr. Mason as spokesman arose, and. after 

 stating what the bee-keepers of other States 

 were doing, and tlie importance of the bee and 

 honey interests of the State, and the number of 

 Igee-keepers, requested that the commissioners 

 put the whole matter into the hands of the 

 State Association. As soon as the said associa- 

 tion knew that they were to have charge of the 

 preparing and caring for the exhibit, they 

 would procei-d to look after details. Dr. Mason 

 Avas just the man to state our case. He made 

 his modest little speech to a body of picked men. 

 This body was made up of some of the best men 

 in Ohio, full of business and vim: among them 

 the Vice-president of the Baltimore & Ohio 

 Eailroad. Captain W. \V. Peabody, the chair- 

 man of the board; Mr. Ritchie, and Hon. Har- 

 vey Piatt, U. S. Commissioners for Ohio; L. N. 

 Bonham, Secretaiy of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, and others. One of the number, the 

 • chairman, was disposed to have a little fun; 

 but he found he had his match in Di". Mason. 

 Said he, "Mr. Mason, about how much space 

 will the Ohio bee-keepers want?" The doctor 

 replied that he always liked to ask for enough. 

 Turning to E. R. R., with a twinkle in his eye, 

 he said, " I think we need about 10,000 square 

 feet." The commissioners, and especially the 

 chairman, were nonplused ; and the Vice- 

 president of the B. & O. railroad began to take 

 out his pencil and to figure. In the meantime, 

 the doctor behaved himself very circumspectly. 

 Pretty soon they saw the joke, and began to 

 laugh: and by dint of questioning, they learned 

 that about 2500 square feet would answer. 



It is some cause for congratulation to the 

 bee-keepers of Ohio, that they have made their 

 application early— perhaps as early as any oth- 

 er association: and through Di-. Mason they 

 stand well with the commissioners, and will 

 doubtless receive a fair share of the appropria- 

 tion and space under their control. 



Our delegation made a very favorable im- 

 pression upon the commissioners, several of 

 whom showed much interest in the matter, and 

 voluntarily promised to do all they could torus. 

 Dr. Mason has some personal fi'iends among the 

 commissionei-s. and we feel much elated at the 

 pi'ospects before us. We have asked the doctor 

 to write up the matter for Gleanings. E. R. 



Qm 6wN 7i?inW' 



COKDFCTED BY EKNKST R. ROOT. 



THE FOUNTAIN PUMP AND RUNAAVAY SWARMS. 



Jime 11.— For a day or so back, honey has 

 been coming in, in the regular old-fashioned 

 way. Brood -rearing all the spring has been 

 going on with a wonderful impetus. If this 

 condition of things is prevalent throughout the 

 country, it means something encouraging for 

 bee-keepers. 



Swarming has started up in our home yard, 

 and the Whitman force pump has so far proved 

 to be a most indispensable implement. Yester- 

 day there was a swarm that was making olT for 

 the woods, and had got pretty well started be- 

 fore one of our bovs could get ahead of it and 

 head it ott' with the force pump. He got them 

 driven back partlv when the water gave out, 

 and he had to run and get another pailful. Be- 

 fore he could get back and resume operations, 

 the bees seemed bent on going to tbe woods. 

 Again he sent a spray of water among them, 

 forced them back, and this time made them 

 cluster. With our Manum swarmer (another 



indispensable implement) we had them secured, 

 and, in a few minutes more, hived. By the 

 way, if bee-keepers knew what an excellent 

 machine that Manum swarmer is, there would 

 be more of them in use. 



AT THE SHANE YARD. 



Day before yesterday I visited the Shane 

 yard. I wheeled it down; and justthe moment 

 I arrived, a fine nice swarm was in the air. I 

 had contemplated sitting down in the shade of 

 a large apple-tree, and eating my lunch before 

 beginning work: but that had to be postponed. 

 This swarm, likewise started out for the woods; 

 and then, oh how I wanted the fountain pump 

 and a good big pail of water! In despair I ran 

 to the hive whence they came, to see whether 

 they had a clipped queen. Yes, there she was 

 — a two-year-old queen, with both wings clip- 

 ped. Before I could pick her up she went in at 

 the entrance: and the bees, on reconnoitering 

 to discover their queen, finally settled in two 

 clusters. Although there were many tall trees 

 in the vicinity, they were obliging enough to 

 settle on the two smallest ti'ees in the orchard, 

 and on two of the lowest limbs at that, so I 

 could reach them very conveniently. I soon 

 hived them in two empty hives on empty 

 combs. " Now," said I, " I will see whether 

 those fellows will stay contented without brood, 

 for some old veteran has said that brood has no 

 effect either way." In a few minutes they both 

 swarmed out again, and clustered. Again I 

 put them back on dry combs, and again they 

 both swarmed out. This time I gave each a 

 frame of capped brood and unsealed larvi«. 

 Again I put the bees back, and, presto! they 

 both stayed just as quietly as if that had al- 

 ways been their home. Before they had their 

 brood, they were crawling all over ihe hives in 

 vvild confusion, flying out at the entrance and 

 then back. I am aware that unsealed larvae 

 will not f(?u'ni/.s hold them. I have had newly 

 hived swarms vacate in fifteen minutes, even 

 after having given them larva?. But as a gen- 

 eral rule, in our experience, unsealed brood is a 

 mighty good detainer. It makes them content- 

 ed, and soi't o' at home. 



HOFFMAN FRAMES, AND HANDLING COLONIES 

 IN HALVES. 



As I previously stated, our Shane yard is on 

 Hoffman frames. I have always liked them; 

 but after manipulating this yard I was delight- 

 ed with them. What fun it was to divide colo- 

 nies! I could pick up four frames at a time, 

 right from the brood-nest, with adhering bees, 

 carry them to an empty hive, and the whole 

 job was done, after giving each a few more 

 empty frames. Don't you see, I handled colo- 

 nies in //acres' J* Then what fun it was to space 

 the frames apart! With the wooden wedge, I 

 enteicd it between the frames, gave it a little 

 twist, and crowded Jhe two halves of the brood- 

 nest apai't. Then in giving new frames of 

 comb, all I had to do was to pry the combs 

 apart and crowd them back, at one operation. 

 But. to be frank, I must admit that I killed 

 some bees. B\it remembering what Mr. Hofi'- 

 man had said about blowing smoke in between 

 the end-bars before crowding them up, I found 

 I got along nicely and killed hardly a bee. 

 This is on the principle of smoking bees down 

 to put the cover on. See? Oh! there is a good 

 deal in getting used to a thing, you know. I 

 will tell you more about this in another column. 



OUT- API ARIES AND BICYCLES; A SMART RIDER. 



A Safety bicycle is a capital horse on which to 

 go and visit out-apiaries. Since I have had the 

 wheel I have made all my trips on it to our out- 

 yard, when it was not muddy: and it would 

 surprise you to know how it annihilates time in 



