500 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



and carry it out the door, placing my hand on 

 the cover over the top of the jai". Turn the top 

 toward the sun, or on a level toward the south. 

 and all will fly out. If one does much bee-work 

 in a room, he should have a window where the 

 bees are most apt to congregate fixed in a way 

 that the bees can easily be let out. either by 

 throwing the whole window wide open, or by 

 letting it down at the top and allowing them to 

 run up a wire screen tacked over the window 

 and above it, slanting upward in the shape of 

 an inverted V. as so often spoken of in the jour- 

 nals a few years past. The bees naturally 

 crawl upward and come out at the bee-space 

 left open at the top, but seldom find their way 

 back, if this wire cloth runs up far enough. It 

 is cruel to let them perish on the windows. 

 Before I learned to put them into a glass jar I 

 found it very tedious to get them picked up one 

 by one and carried to the door. Often I would 

 get stung carrying them so far, and it took too 

 much time: but if they are picked off fi'om the 

 windows and put into a jar, the work is done so 

 quickly that they get no chance to sting. 



FEEDING IN SPRING. 



Very weak colonies should be fed but little, 

 early in the spring. A tablespoonful or two is 

 better than more. If too much is fed it daubs 

 the bees, and some will die from being swamped 

 in it, others from overwork in taking it up. 

 Just a little, to stimulate them to do their best, 

 is enough. We all know that bees live the 

 longest when they are most quiet; and in the 

 spring, if fed too liberally, they will die off one 

 way and another before the brood hatches fast 

 enough to take their places. 



HEAVY WINTER AND SPRING LOSSES. 



Out of 235 colonies last fall, we have but 75 

 hives with bees in, and not more than 35 will 

 be strong enough to gather the spring white- 

 clover honey. We bought colonies; 7 of these 

 are in fair condition, making but 42 fair colo- 

 nies; and 37 can barely save their queens. 

 Some of these colonies may die yet, as they are 

 dying nearly everv day. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. 



Roseville, 111., May 2(1 



CHRONICLE OF THE VERMONT BEE-KEEP- 

 ERS' REUNION PICNIC. 



BOOK I., CHAPTER 1. 



And it came to pass in the latter days of the 

 fifth month, in the third year of the reign of V. 

 v., whose surname is Blackmer, a president of 

 great bee fame, who resideth in a town called 

 Orwell, which bordereth on the shores of Cham- 

 plain Lake, in Vermont, that, behold, messages 

 were sent unto many dwellers round about — 

 bee-keeping men and women — that they should 

 gather themselves together at his house upon a 

 certain day of the the sixth month, in A. D. 

 1892. and delight themselves with a reunion 

 picnic. 



Now, having, the year before, likewise assem- 

 bled themselves together, they all cried out in 

 one accord. " Let us go as we are bidden!"' 



Now, when the time was at hand, verily tliey 

 did go from the north and from the south, and 

 from the east and from the west, bringing witli 

 them bread and meat, and baskets full of many 

 good things; and, behold, some journeyed miles, 

 and the day was part spent when they did ar- 

 rive; in sooth, the dinner and all things were 

 about ready, and soon the company were invit- 

 ed to sit down to the small tables that had been 

 distributed in their midst, that they might be 

 comfortable; and they did so, and were glad, 



for the much journeying had caused them to be 

 sore and ahungered; and they did all eat. and 

 were filled; and of the fragments that were left 

 there were several baskets full; and they that 

 did eat were about thirty, including men, 

 women, and children. 'Zn 



Now, it came to pass that, on that day, much 

 Interest was taken in the things pertaining to 

 the honey-house, which is nigh unto, and a 

 convenient distance from, the dwelling-house. 

 Of the late and modern improvements in api- 

 cultural implements there seemeth no end. 

 Exceeding great preparations for abundant 

 surplus honey had been made by V. V.. whose 

 surname is Blackmer, and also his son. the dili- 

 gent, who abideth with him. Not only do they 

 pursue bee culture, but beautiful flowers, and 

 multitudes of savory garden vegetables do 

 they also produce. Much counsel took we to- 

 gether all the day long. 



Now, it came to pass, that, before the day 

 was far spent, a sojourner in Brandon came 

 unto us, bearing with him a camera to "catch 

 our shadows ere the substance fadeth," and 

 verily we did all appear before his presence 

 with smiling, squinting faces. 



Now, straightway after these things, piano 

 music was discoursed by a fair damsel of the 

 house of Blackmer. And it came to pass, before 

 the evening drew nigh, that the assembly dis- 

 persed, and of a truth took with them memories 

 of a day which profiteth sornething. A. 



THE NEW D. SECTION-CASE. 



ITS ADVANTAGES FOR THE SMALL BEE-KEEP- 

 ER AND BOX-HIVE MAN. 



After using the D. section-case I am ready to 

 say it is just what the bee-keepers on a small 

 scale need. It places the honey in a marketa- 

 ble shape, so that it will sell, even to the poorest 

 purchaser that may be found. Many people 

 can command money enough to buy one pound 

 that could not buy more; so a section will sup- 

 ply them. For illustration, a D. case will sup- 

 ply one; three or four will furnish another; and 

 soon till any order can be filled. The cases can 

 be taken out of the super, the bottoms put on, 

 and put away and kept ready for market at any 

 time. Those who hold to the old box hive, and 

 will not exchange, can use them. Three just fill 

 the cap of an old box hive. Many persons who 

 use the old box hive, and consider all movable- 

 frame hives " patented swindles," can be in- 

 duced to risk 3u cents for three cases with sec- 

 tions to try: and when we get them to try once 

 they will always " stick." I consider the I). 

 section-case the best invention yet made for 

 getting the " old fogies " out of the old box hive. 

 A very important point in favor of the D. case 

 is, that the exact bee-space is always retained 

 between the brood -frames and sections, even 

 though the top-bars do sag a little. They can 

 be carried on the streets and sold in any quan- 

 tity that may be desired. The honey is pretty, 

 clean, and handy; and bee-keepers who have 

 twenty or thirty colonies in the D. case will find 

 a ready market for their honey. If sale is not 

 found where you live, the cases may be crated 

 and shipped to some commission merchant or 

 some poor widow lady who has boys selling 

 newspapers, who would be more than glad of 

 the opportunity of handling your honey, and 

 would handle it at a reasonable per cent— less 

 than the commission man, and at the same 

 time you would be helping the widow and or- 

 phan. W. H. Hughs. 



Bowls, Ga., May 30. 



