1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



847 



hive, while we were protecting the two other 

 hives with grass and water. We tlien bi-ought 

 the spray to bear on these bees inside the tent, 

 and in a short time we had tiieni thoroiighl}- 

 drenched. There was an immense number of 

 bees around trying to get in. so we just raised 

 the cloth a litth^ way from th<' ground, and al- 

 lowed as many of the i-obhei's as possible to 

 rush in. In this way all thi> robhers in the yard 

 were admitted under the tent: and as tlx'y flew 

 up and alighted on the cloth inside, wliich was 

 literally covered with them, we drenched them 

 thoroughly with the cold water. This caused 

 them to tumble down and crawl out on the 

 ground: and a^ soon as the sun di'ied thfun suf- 

 ticiently they flew l)ack to their hives. In this 

 way w("> caught all tiie robb(M's, and gave them 

 a thoroughly good soaking, and. to our aston- 

 ishment, after the tiMit was oncf .set over the 

 hive and a little spraying done, few if any more 

 bees got into the hive: in fact, the inmates 

 seemed to be (piite able to protect the entrance, 

 and did so: the result being that the robbers, 

 instead of getting into the hive, were simply 

 caught on the inside of the tent, where they 

 were held until we gave them a thorough 

 soaking. Now, the point is this: Do not leave 

 the mosquito-netting down on the ground, but 

 keep it suflficiently rai.^^ed so that the robbers 

 will go under. Have your force-pump and cold 

 water ready; and every time you get a fresh 

 lot inside, give them a spi'aying.— CYr/iadiaji 

 Bee Journal. 



THE HOME OF THE KONEY-BEES AND ITS 

 WORKING FORCE. 



A COMMUNICATIOX WKITTPIX BY ON?: OF THEM. 



The following was handed me by one of our 

 boys. Perhaps I might say, by way of expla- 

 nation, that it comes from one who receives 

 only moderate wages. It was both a surprise 

 and a rebuke to me. for I had but little idea 

 that he felt toward his employer as he expresses 

 himself. Trusting that it may prove useful to 

 those of our readers who hire hands as well as 

 to those who work for wages, I give it entire as 

 it was submitted to me. 



My friends, do we ever stop for one moment 

 to think of the blessings that surround us as 

 helpers at the Home of the Honey-bees? Do 

 we realize that we are blessed above others in 

 things almost too numerous to nuuition? In 

 our dally labors we are given almost unlimited 

 freedom: we come and go without having any 

 exact and stated time set: and if we are not 

 there at whistle time, no high fence with bolted 

 door stands before us. and obliges us to go 

 away; but we are allowed the privilege of 

 keeping our own titne. And. friends, how care- 

 ful we should be in giving good, big, well- 

 rounded, honest hours I for if each one of us 

 should lose ten minutes every day it would be 

 over KKX) minutes, or over IG hours; and at the 

 price of 123.< cents per hour it wo\ild be >?2.(M) 

 everyday: and for a year — why I it would soon 

 be enough to buy a farm. Friends, let us be 

 careful. We ai'e not ground down and kept 

 under the hammer by a harsli and cruel em- 

 ployer who seeks to get all out of us he can, but 

 are looked upon as men and women. Who ever 

 heard of a strike or any disturbance at the 

 Home of the Honey-bees? Who ever heard of 

 wages being reduced, and harsh methods re- 

 sorted to? What a wonderful thing it isl Our 

 temporaJ as well as our spiritual welfare is 

 looked after, and every day we may hear the 



word of God read at the noon services, the voice 

 in prayer, and sweet songs sung; and, friends, 

 can't w(^ make this institution one of the grand- 

 est and most useful instruments for doing good? 

 and let there sliine from every door and win- 

 dow a spirit of love and goodness. We shall 

 feel better, be better, make better helpers, bet- 

 ter men and women, and make the world better 

 for having lived in it; and the Home of the 

 Honey-bees will be known the woi'ld over as a 

 God-fearing institution, and other shops and 

 factories will try the example. 



What beautiful scenes are all about us — 

 blooming gai'dens teeming with vegetable life; 

 giant windmills pumping the cool and refresh- 

 ing waters from the earth; pleasant walks and 

 drives along shady avenues; beautiful ever- 

 greens and vineyards shading the homes of the 

 busy little bcM-. while all around is peace and 

 quietness; and while there is great activity and 

 business, and goods are being shipped by the 

 carload, yet there are no checks, no di'awbacks, 

 every thing being done by 'willing helpers. 

 The air is not polluted by profanity and tobacco 

 smoke; and, friends, while we may be away 

 five or ten miles, while we are away, don't 

 think we can smoke and do things we would 

 not do at the shop. God sees us, even if our 

 employer does not. We are doing wi'ong. and 

 deceiving ourselves. Look out; be careful. 

 What beautiful lessons we can learn everyday 

 scattered all around us I And now let us do tlae 

 tasks that are set before us. with cheerfulness 

 and alacrity, thankful that our lines are cast in 

 such pleasant places, amid such healthful sur- 

 roundings, looking to the best interests of the 

 Home of the Honey-bees; and last, but not 

 least, we are handed out every Saturday night 

 a fair and reasonable compensation for our ser- 

 vices, not grudgingly, but with a kind and lov- 

 ing spirit. And, friends, how many hours and 

 perhaps sleepless nights have been spent by 

 those who are in charge, planning and thinking 

 to find work for all of us to do! Are we thought- 

 ful ? do we strive to please? do we do our work 

 well? are we willing to do unpleasant and dis- 

 agreeable things? All hail to the Home of the 

 Honey-bees I A Helper. 



THE HOFFMAN FRAME. 



A FIXED FliAME THAT H.\NGS IX XOTCHED 

 RABBETS PREFERRED. 



Mr. Editor: — I have been much interested in 

 the discussions on the fixed-frame question. I 

 have had the fortune, or misfoitune. to have in 

 my yard four or five different kinds of frames 

 at the same time. This, wiiile being a disad- 

 vantage in many ways, has givtui me a good 

 opportunity to judge of the merits of the dif- 

 ferent frames. 



The HotTmau frame, which was of the num- 

 ber, had the preference until I began manipu- 

 lating them in the spring. The dampness of 

 the cellar had so swelled the frames that it was 

 with ditliculty I could remove them at all. I 

 complained of this to Mr. Whitmore, of whom 

 I had seciH-ed the hives. He assured me that 

 they would \\(jrk better when they became dry. 

 So they did: but still they, did not work easily. 

 Then, to add the delay and inconvenience of 

 tui'ning the screws, prying the fi'ames apart, 

 and the necessary pains to prevent crushing 

 bees, they were a very objectionable frame — 

 especially when the wire-end frame, similar to 

 the one mentioned by Mr. B. Taylor, in (Jleax- 

 INGS for Sept. l.'Sth, stood by their side and 

 could be moved instantly without turning 

 screws, prying out frames, or crushing bees. 

 This frame has nearly every advantage of the 

 Hoffman, with none of its disadvantages, and, 



