I SUV 



(;i,i:anin(;s in hkk rri/iTUE. 



!•.".» 



colony of l>tM>s in a Ih)\ lii\i' witli a tihiss side, 

 and for over a rnonlli of tl\<' t-oldcsl winter 

 wcatliiT tlioy wen- close to tlif Rlass. wliit-li 

 remained |icrfi'ctly clear, so tlial I conld see 

 ttuMii at any time hy renun infi tin" wooden slide 

 over the tilass. I nsed to look at tlieni often, as 

 I was anxious to learn tiie idTeet on tlieni of 

 distnrlianee in cold weatlier. Tliey would read- 

 ily resjunui to a tap on tlw sjlass, hnt paid no 

 attention to tlie passing of trains only a few 

 r»)ds away. Kven heavy ehaiKes of dynamite, 

 used ill hlasting oidy a lumdred feet asvay. i)ro- 

 dui-ed only a nioin(>ntary tlutter of tlieir winjTS. 

 and. in spite of all tlu^ tlistnrbance they were 

 subjei'ted to. they wintered well. 



It is true, that there are some very sneeessfnl 

 bee-Ueepers wlio think a certain ainonnt of 

 upward veniilalion is necessary. I think that 

 all of these use very larfje hives." ami carry on a 

 system that elves them very strons colonies for 

 winter. Sncli colonies are well adapted to re- 

 sist the bad effects of upward ventilation, which 

 is almost a necessity wlien such hives are used. 

 A colony of bees can ea.'ily keep a small win- 

 tering apartment warm and dry. especially if 

 no heat is allowed to escaiie at the top of the 

 hive. Hut a large hive can not be kept warm. 

 The ntoisture-laden air. instead of passing out 

 at the entrance before it condenses, wandei's off 

 into the cold corners, and there deposits its 

 moisture in the sliape of frost. This, with very 

 large and especially very tall hives, is unavoid- 

 able e\c<'pt by allowing a current of air to jjass 

 out at th(^ top of the hive. In this, as in so 

 many other things. dilTerent systems require 

 different methods of management. I think a 

 very large majority of practical Ix'O-keepers 

 will agree that a small hive, tightly .sealed at 

 the top, is best for winter, and especially so for 

 spring. 



Those who are interested in looking up what 

 hiis been said on the subject will find articles 

 by me on pages 42. S8. and 3.=)!t, of (Jlkanino.s 

 for ISSfi. Tlie matter was brought up several 

 vears before, but was not discussed much until 

 1880. 



A COKUKCTIOX. 



In my article on first page of Jan. 1.5th tli.EAX- 

 iNGs. the word •• luidesirable ■■ (second column, 

 right margin) should have been "indisputable." 

 The cliange of words, you see. makes a material 

 change in tlie meaning. It is iudiNp}it(t})lc that 

 tile Si lling value of comb honey depends prin- 

 cipally uiion its appearance. This iiunj also b(> 

 vndcNirahle: but that is not what I meant to 

 say. Of course, in selling iioney the kind and 

 qn<dity should be madc^ known as far as possi- 

 ble: but when the (jrice (iepends mostly ujion 

 appearance, let aiJpearance be our i)riiicipal 

 guide in grading. If there is any dealer or 

 commission man who can get more for a fancy 

 article of dark lioiiey tiian for a second or third 

 grade of white, in markets wliere they come 

 into free competition, let him stand up and be 

 heard. J. A. (Irkkx. 



Davton. III.. .Ian. Hi. 



RAMBLE NO. 53. 



KHOM { HI(:.\(4() TO 



Al.r l.AKK (11^ 



The ne.xt move on the I!am bier's in'ogram 

 was the purchase of a far-r(!aching ticket — a 

 ticket that would land the possessor at San 

 Francisco and the (lolden (Jale. .\s the train 

 rolled out into the vast jjiaii'ies of Illinois tliat 

 bright .Inly afternoon I felt happy again: and 

 what a burst of poeiry lloated through my 

 niiiull Here it is: 



I'm MlIiriK^ ill :i iliinlili-Juiiiletl cliiiir, jii>fKiiiR uliinwr. 

 Out o'ei' llie vast priiii-le, prjiised .•^o niucli in souk. 

 Says I. "I do lulU've 111 have to lide and ride for 



her. 

 'I'oKet lie\onilIlie sini'llili^'- of t li.-it lilaek CliirilKo 



Rivl'i-.' 



A female in a cliair ahead had a bottit; to her nose; 

 Says 1. "Madam. It's a heudMihe your havliiK.^1 



s'|)ose." "• 



She I'iz rltrht up. (ui'iied i-ound with hand upon" her 



liver. 

 .\iiil snee/.ed and hawked and spit, and snapped, 



'■ Cliirajjro Kiver." 



ItAMULP;!? S REVKlilK OX THK TH.XIN. 



I was right in the middle of the next stanza 

 wlien the ticket- jjuncher came along and so 

 distracted my attention that the burst poem lias 

 never returned. My elbow neighbor in the next 

 reclining chair was a young man. posted on 

 prairie matters, and gave me much information 

 upon that subject. The shades of night put a 

 stop to viewing the cotmtry, and we tilted our 

 chairs back into the lajjs of those in the rear of 

 us. and sought repose. My young friend had to 

 get off the train about 2 o'clock at Cobble Hol- 

 low, somewhere in Missouri, so I kept awake 

 on purpose to wake him up: so you may know- 

 that I felt outraged and d(^frauded when he 

 awoke himself ten minutes before it was time. 



Another young man came in and occupied 

 his vacant chaii-: but I wasted but little time 

 upon him. turned my face to the window, and 

 slept. 



Early in the morning Kansas City was enter- 

 ed, and an hour given for us to work out our 

 salvation upon th<^ delectable viands found in a 

 railroad restaurant. I became ({uite well ae- 

 (piainted with my li'aveling comi)anion during 

 this hour, and, [jicking up a diiinimei- who was 

 going our \Nay. we three had a very jileasant 

 day of it all through Kansas. The'length of 

 this State will lie n^alized when it is crossed: 

 also the distance from the Missouri River to 

 the Rocky .Mountains. All day and all night 

 we rapidly sjied our way wiistward. Tli<^ inag- 

 nilicent wiieat-tields of Central Kansas were 

 really for the i-eaper. ami the crop was never 

 befoie so bountiful. All night it was Kansas 

 soil we were upon. Away to the north the 

 darkness of the night was broken by the tlash- 

 ing of lightning: a fearful storm was raging 

 away over the distant jirairie— not a mountain 

 or hill to bi'eak the view. The electric dis|)lay 

 low down upon the horizon, and as far east and 

 west as the eye could scan, presented a .scene 

 not soon to bi' forgotten. Morning dawned, 

 and still upon Kansas soil: but the distant 

 Rockies begin U) apiiear; tin; liiK^ is [lassed into 

 Colorado, and before noon the city of Denver is 

 entered. Our stop is too short to let us see 



