1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



563 



entii'e lot. and two were fooble. Heretofore we 

 have introduced all our queens on the Peet 

 plan; but having had so much success by the 

 candy method I thought I would risk them. I 

 selected Dr. Miller's introducing-cage as best 

 for the purpose^; and lest you have forgotten it, 



fully introduced with the exception of those 

 noted ; but here wei-e live or six. even after 

 they had started to laying, that died, for some 

 reason that we could not discover, unless it was 

 that the long journey was too severe. 



c. c. miller's intkoducino-cagk. 



I here reproduce the engraving, which we gave 

 a few months ago. 1 tried some in the Mori-i- 

 son introducing-cage. and the two feeble ones 

 ■on the Peet plan. About 30 of the queens were 

 put into the Miller cages; and every one of the 

 queens, so far as I know, was inti'oduced suc- 

 cessfully, the bees eating out the candy and 

 liberating the queen; and not only that, the 

 •queens were given to colonies that had just 

 been made queenless — that is, we did the fool- 

 hardy thing (foolhardy in the opinion of some) 

 •of taking out one queen and introducing an- 

 other at the same operation. About ten others 

 were put into Morrison cages. These did not 

 work very satisfactorily, although we lost no 

 ■queens. It took the bees so long to gnaw 

 through the candy to g(>t at the queen that we 

 finally had to release them on the third day, 

 and then go through the nuisance of " unball- 

 ing ■■ a few of the queens. Does this not prove 

 that the operation of releasing queens is liable 

 to start the bees to balling her as soon as she is 

 let out? I have noticed it a good many times 

 before, and Neighbor H. says he has also. The 

 :great secret of the Peet, or candy, method of 

 Introducing is, that the queen is released very 

 quietly, without any disturbance. Did you 

 ■ever notice that, sometimes, when handling a 

 •colony— that is, tearing it all to pieces, as it 

 were — the, bees will often ball their queen? 

 The poor little chaps know that something is 

 wrong, and so they lay it to the queen; and in 

 making known their appreciation of the fact, 

 they are quite apt to ball her. A colony that 

 has been queenless is moi'e apt to cut up this 

 •caper than one that has had brood reared in 

 the hive continuously for several weeks. 



INTKODUCING AVITH TOBACCO. 



I omitted to say, that, as a further precaution, 

 I went around toward evening to all the colo- 

 nies that had an imported queen, and blew 

 tobacco smoke in at the entrance — enough to 

 :give them all one scent. As all the queens were 

 :successfully introduced except the two that 

 were so feeble*, I do not know how much effect 

 the tobacco had. But this 1 do know: Last 

 jear we received an importation of some fifty 

 ■queens. Half of the number wei'e given to 

 Neighbor H., and half we retained in our own 

 yard. They were all, or nearly all, caged by 

 the candy method. We lost 25 per ceut of those 

 we introduced, while Neighbor H. lost none. 

 In comparing notes we found that he had 

 smoked his the night before thoi'oughly with 

 tobacco smoke, while we did not observe this 

 precaution. You know how we stand on the 

 tobacco question in regard to its use by the 

 genus homo. But a good many bad things (or 

 things which are usually used in a bad way) 

 have certain legitimate uses. There is nothing 

 else that gives such a strong, clinging odor as 

 does tobacco. 



I have said, that all the queens were success- 



* These two queens were caged In Peet cages, on 

 the candy p' an— that is, they were Immediately giv- 

 en access to cells of sealed honey; but they were too 

 far gone to introduce. 



Be sober, be vigilant; for your adversary the Dev- 

 il, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom 

 he may devoui-.— I. Peteh 5:8. 



What do I know about sin and Satan? If I 

 commence to talk to yon about bees or garden- 

 ing, you would probably listen, for you would 

 know that I talk from personal experience. 

 Not only my daily work, but my daily sympa- 

 thies and thougiits are full of these things. 

 Now, dear friends, I do know something of bees, 

 and of gardening and of strawberi'ies; but. oh 

 dear me! with pain and anguish I am obliged 

 to confess that I know a thonsond times more 

 about sin and Satan; yes. and I know. too. from 

 personal experience — actual conflict — and. I 

 was going to say, from acttidl contact; for I 

 feel every hour of my life, and in every fiber of 

 my being, that I am scorred and crippled by 

 sin. Somebody has said that there is only one 

 thing that God hates, and that is sin. Why 

 should God hate sin? In the first place, sin is 

 deceptive. Satan is a hypocrite and a U<vr. We 

 have the words of Jesus for it: " He is a liar 

 and the father of lies." Sin blinds us. It spoils 

 our oi'dinary good sense. It dims our percep- 

 tion. It makes us crazy when indulged in. 

 Satan persuades us that the best friends we 

 have on earth are enemies. He also persuades 

 us that our worst enemy — yes, the very worst 

 enemy we have in the ivhole wide wniverse — is 

 our best friend. When a drinking man at- 

 tempts to reform. Satan's very best chance of 

 success is in persuading him that his old cronies 

 are the best friends he has— yes, a better friend 

 than his own poor patient wife and suffering 

 children; and if he listens to Satan he will 

 make him J)elicve it again and again. The 

 greatest trouble witli us is, that we fail to rec- 

 0(//(i2c Satan. When some good friend tells us 

 that this thing that is spoiling our lives is the 

 work of Satan, we say. ''Oh, no! Why, it is just 

 exactly the other way." 



Something like two years ago, in the middle 

 of winter it became desirable for us to do some 

 disagreeable work out in the mud in the streets. 

 Three or four sturdy German men who were 

 out of work volunteered to do it. I was out 

 with them, directing them, so as to save a wast- 

 ing of strength, uselessly, as much as possible, 

 and also because I like to become acquainted 

 with these German laborers. Why, there are 

 three or four of them on t)ur grounds for whom 

 I have more reverence and respect, I do believe, 

 than for many of my friends who always wear 

 nice clothes, and hardly ever step into the mud 

 enough to martlie polish of their soft fine boots. 

 Now, please do not think that I mean any fling 

 at well-dressed people or people of means. I 

 love them; but I love, also, the sturdy laboring 

 classes. I presume it will not be out of place to 

 say that I rather prefer to be among the latter. 

 When I find a great strong man who could toss 

 me over a high board fence, and not half try 

 either. I like him — I mean, of course, a good- 

 natured strong man; and when this big fellow 

 combines gentleness, kindness, and a good pure 

 life, with his enormous strength, I just like to 

 work by his side; and I rather think he likes 

 me too. Well, on this wintry day, when I 

 wanted somebody who could stand it to work 

 out in the rain, and dig in the mud, I became 



