158 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mau. 1. 



FOUKTH GKAUE. 



All crates tilled with lioney ni)t described in anj" 

 of the foieg-oing- grades. 



While the Cliicago committer' agreed to disa- 

 gi'ee. it should h(> observed that tlie committee 

 on grading ai Albany agreed to a unit, and 

 that the schedule, when pi-eseuted in conven- 

 tion, was adopted as a whole. In all these dis- 

 cussions we must not forget the beaiingof local- 

 ity, and its relation to the markets.] 



A. E. MANTJM AND HIS NEIGHBOR. 



HOAV HE SUCC?;EDED in MAXAGIXG FIVE API- 

 ARIES ALONE. 



A ring of the bell brings Mrs. M. to the door. 



" Good- morning, Mrs. Manum: is Mr. M. at 

 home '?" 



"Yes. sir. Will you walk in, Mr. McGee?" 



"Hello, Manum I what is the matter with 

 you ? Have you got the blues, or are you study- 

 ing up some new invention? You seem to be 

 in such deep meditation that I know there is a 

 cause for it. I am sure something useful to 

 bee-keepers or to farmers will come out of this 

 deep study. I hope I am not intruding." 



MANIM ME1)[TATIX(;. 



"OhI no, Charles — no Intrusion whatever. I 

 am only too glad to see you. And right now I 

 ought to give you a Scotch blessing for not be- 

 ing more neighborly. But I suppose you are 

 very busy, like the rest of us. preparing for an- 

 other season's campaign." 



" Yes, Mannni. I am doing a little in that line, 

 though I am not driving business as yet." 



" Well, neither am I, as I do not expect the 

 coming season to be a very good one for honey, 

 owing to the fact that it is the off year for bass- 

 wood; and the open winter we are liaving I 

 fear will injure the clovers. However, I am 



putting up 20,000 sections so as to be ready to 

 catch whatever may come." 



" What effect do you think the ice-.^torm we 

 have just had will have on the honey crop?" 



"Well, Charles. I fear the terrible "sleet, with 

 which the trees are still loaded, will cause 

 much damage to the fi'uit-buds as well as rasp- 

 berries and other shrubs, which I fear will les- 

 sen the bloom another year at least a half: 

 hence we can expect but very little if any sur- 

 plus next season. But notwithstanding the 

 outlook is unfavoi-able, I propose to be ready to 

 take a fair crop of honey." 



" You finally did not attend the North Ameri- 

 can convention at Albany, as you intended, did 

 you, Manum ?" 



" No, Charles; owing to sickness and company 

 T was obliged to remain at home, much to my 

 legret. and I think it a shame that more of our 

 Vermont bee-keepers did not attend. Really. I 

 thought a goodly number would be in atten- 

 dance. But we must all make up our minds to 

 meet in Washington next fall." 



" Now. Manum. what were you meditating 

 upon when I came in?" 



"Well. Charles. I will tell you. Within the 

 last two months I have received a number of 

 letters from b(>e-keepers. asl^ing me to give 

 them my methods, in detail, of management the 

 past season, without help: and not a few have 

 requested that I give it in book form: therefore, 

 as you came in I was thinking the matter over, 

 whetiier it would be advisable for me to do so 

 or not. There are so many bee- books befoi'e 

 the public already that I rather liesitate about 

 making the attempt. And. again, I can not 

 w rite out my method of management foi' tln^ 

 season through to each sepaiati' individual who 

 asks for it, as I have something else to do be- 

 sides writing; and were I to do so it would take 

 all mv time." 



■■ Well. Manum. what are your conclusions 

 regarding the book, and why don't you give 

 your methods in Gleanings?" 



■• There it is. Charles— that is just what I was 

 meditating upon. On the one hand, were I to 

 attempt to give my methods in Gleanings I 

 fear the editor would cut it down so much that 

 It would spoil the whole thing — or. at least, its 

 usefulness — for the reason that thei'e are so 

 imtjnj little things that are worthy of mention. 

 and, in fact, so very tieecssin-y to the successful 

 mainigement of out-apiaries — without help — 

 that, to leave them out. would spoil all; and to 

 publish (tU as I should wish to give it. I fear, 

 would discourage if not disgust the editor. And. 

 again, were I to give my methods in book form 

 I in cheap pamphlet form) I fear the expense 

 wtRild be much more than the receipts: and. 

 furthermore. I am hardly prepared to publish a 

 book, as I am conducting some experiments 

 which will require another season to develop: 

 and if these experiments prove satisfactory, as 

 1 hope they will. I shall want to incorporate 

 them in whatever I might give tt) the public. 

 Hence I have concluded to defer the book busi- 

 ness until another year at least, and in the 

 mean time give a synopsis of my method, in 

 Gleanings.'' 



•• I have wanted for a long titnetoask you. 

 Manum, how you succeeded last season in 

 managing five apijiries alone; and wliether re- 

 moving the queens before swarming was a suc- 

 cess, and just how you did it." 



•• Well, there it is. Charles. Like all the oth- 

 ers you want me to give you the whole method 

 of management from May to September; and 

 were I to do so in detail it would take all day, 

 and may be all night, and then you would not 

 i'emember a half I would tell you, especially 

 some of the tine points tliat would seem of no 

 great consequence, but which are really of 



