1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



883 



Bro. R."s consent, or did so ont of respect; and, 

 just as we bee-keepcis would expect, and just 

 as the superintendent of the road said he ex- 

 pected. Bro. Root refused permission. There 

 seemed to be suspicions in the air that the rail- 

 road would run the excursion. though,-o.and a 

 large poster on a tree at the other end of the 

 factory gave strong coloring to the suspicion. 



SUNDAY EXCURSIONS. 



Just then a young man was passing the tree. 

 He was hailed, and asked what the poster 

 meant. The youth was evidently in a hurry, 

 gave a glance, and shouted what sounded to 

 the Rambler like "'get there. Eli." and disap- 

 peared in the gathering shades of evening. 

 Silence fell upon our group for a minute. A. I. 

 was bound to look into that Sunday-excursion 

 business, and a few rapid steps placed him' be- 

 fore the tree. Getting into position with eye- 

 glasses he read, " Band concert at Elyria." He 

 immediately straightened up with an audible 

 "humph!" and sauntered back with his hands 

 in his pockets. He didn't whistle: but a far- 

 away look came to his visage, and he proposed 

 to go to the residence of E. R. and see the baby. 

 The babe was in sweet repose, however, and the 

 Rambler sat down by the hearthstone of E. R.. 

 and somehow it was past eleven before we re- 

 tired. The next morning was devoted to look- 

 ing over the factory. Every department was 

 busy, and apparently moving with the regular- 

 ity of clockwork. After a round through the 

 factory the Rambler was tni'ned loose. We had 

 been introduced to INIi'. .Spafford. and were soon 

 looking over those tine Italian bees with him; 

 and in order to make him as busy as possible, 

 several swarms issued. The fountain pump 

 and wire-cloth swarm-catcher were success- 

 fully used, and in a very short time after leav- 

 ing the hive a swarm would be in a new home 

 ready for business. 



Owing to some improvements in the bee- 

 escape line, the house apiary was receiving 

 more attention than usual, and with encourag- 

 ing signs for its future usefulness. The apiary 

 looks about as it does in print: but the grass 

 was getting the start of the apiarist, and it also 

 seemed that A. I. had forgotten his former 

 hobby of pinching off grapevines, or had left it 

 to some one \\ho hadn't the hobby on. The 

 vines and grass were properly trimmed in time, 

 and this apiary, like all others, has its times of 

 fitness and unfitness. 



While we were interested in many things in 

 the mechanical line, we were particularly so in 

 the automatic machine for making the rolls for 



foundation-mills. It might almost be called an 

 automatic engraver. Its adjustment and oper- 

 ation were to an infinitesimal part of an inch, 

 and punches can be adjusted to make a round 

 or hexagonal cell. 



Another machine to facilitate rapid work is 

 the hive-dovetailer. which will automatically 

 dovetail 25 sides at once. 



The gallery of Bro. Root's establishment had 

 a great fascination for the Rambler. We got 

 there every chance we could. It was very easy 

 of access, as it was in the basement. It was 

 where the girls made the foundation. Several 

 tons of wax are manufactured into that beauti- 

 ful foundation w ith which so many are familiar. 



About 11 o'clock (June 2(5) A. I. found the 

 Rambler and conducted him safely over the 

 barren wastes the new railroad had created, 

 and into the midst of that wonderfully produc- 

 tive but small farm. There were enough of 

 those luscious berries left to give us our till, and 

 c^ops of various kinds in such rank growth as 

 to please the lover of thrifty farm crops. Bro. 

 R. pointed with evident pride to his rows of 

 potatoes, and thought he had a little the best 

 in the State. 



A horseman and boys were at woi'k in the 

 field, and were kept constantly going in some 

 pait of the grounds. From what we saw here 

 it is evident that many men are wasting time 

 and strength by cultivating large areas when 

 sinaller ones well cared for would produce as 

 much if not more. 



After dinner E. R. drove arotmd with a two- 

 seated canopy-t(jp wagon. E. R. and rce occu- 

 pied the front seat: Mrs. Root, Miss Smith, and 

 the baby the rear, with a suspicious-looking 



MANUM SWARMER AND HOW IT IS USED. 



basket under the seat. Our destination was 

 the Shane yard. From what we had read in a 

 certain bee-journal about E. R.'s driving we 

 expected to just fly over the ground; but we 

 were about two hours going seven miles, and 

 nearer three getting back. The Shane yard is 

 embowered in a thrifty young orchard, and 

 nearly all of the hives are of the new persua- 

 sion—dovetailed and Hoffman frames. When 



