r30 



GLEAIsliSGS IN HKK CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



far as Perrysburg. Hei-e Mr. Gray left me. and 

 I proceeded on my way to Aubiirndale, a sub- 

 urb of Toledo, where Ur. Mason resides. I 

 landed in a region largely inhabited by Po- 

 lacks, in Toledo. In making ray journey 

 through the country, I had been depending 

 upon the directions given by English-speaking 

 people: but here I was. in a maze indeed. No- 

 body knew where Auburndale or Wagonworks 

 was, at least they gave me a shake of the head, 

 although I knew I was within a mile and a half 

 of the place: and when I did find somebody 

 who professed to know, he directed me wrong. 

 The result was, I wandered around aimlessly, 

 misdirected for two hours, within a compara- 

 tively short distance of Dr. Mason's home. A 

 small boy, also a Polack. hearing me inquire 

 the way. finally gave me directions that sent 

 me straight to Dr. Mason's postoffice. I had 

 begun tomistrust everybody, and did not even 

 ' thank him for his kindly service. 



I found Dr. Mason just coming out of his 

 postoffice. 1 called to him, but he failed to 

 recognize me at first. Quickly recovering from 

 his surprise, he broke out with "Well, welll 

 where did you come from?" I accompanied 

 him home, where he kindly dusted me off and 

 made me look a little more presentable to civ- 

 ilized society. When a chap has been out on 

 the road, covered with dust, wearing a knick- 

 erbocker suit, long stockings, low shoes, and a 

 Canadian helmet hat, he feels as if he did not 

 belong to decent society. But Dr. Mason and 

 his family, like all other bee-keepers I have 

 met, cared little for exterior, and I felt at home 

 at once. 



The next morning we took a look at the 

 Mason bees. I had brought no veil with me, 

 and, in accordance with my natural instincts, 

 I stood a liitle aloof: but the doctor, barehead- 

 ed, barehanded, and without smoker or veil, 

 proceeded to open up the hives, and ascertain 

 w^hat those bees were doing. •'! thought they 

 Avere bringing in honey," said he. "See here," 

 he added, showing me a comb crammed full of 

 capped honey. "Tluise colonies need an ex- 

 tracting." lie had been so busy that he had 

 not had time to look them over befon- then: 

 but he fully resolved to give them s^n extract- 

 ing at once. It was after the regular honey- 

 flow, but nevertheless a good supply was coin- 

 ing, evidently from sweet clover. Pretty soon 

 the doctor besan to feel for the top of his bald 

 head, and then for his nose, for the bees were 

 beginning to imsh in tht'ir stings at a pretty 

 good rate. lie was finally obliged to take 

 shelter in the barn, while I helped him pull out 

 one or two ugly stings. The next time he re- 

 turned he had on a Thos. G. Newman globe 

 bee-veil; as for a smoker, he would not bother 

 with one for just two or three colonies. 



A little later in the forenoon the doctor and I, 

 accompanied by the Mason horse, already men- 

 tioned by Rambler, made a short run up to the 

 residence of Emerson E. Hasty, at Richards, O. 

 After making many crooks and turns we finally 

 arrived at a very pretty country home. The 

 first thing that struck me forcibly was a long 

 beautiful double row of maples covering the 

 driveway up to the Hasty house. 



Just as we were about to get out of the car- 

 riage, our friend Hasty made his appearance. 

 He had been working among the bees, having 

 a veil and a hat on his head, th(^ veil being 

 tucked up under the hat at the time, ready for 

 emergency as we shall see. He had been water- 

 ing some of his choice flowers, for it was easy 

 to see that he was passionately fond of them. 

 He was growing them in luxuriance all about 

 the apiary> and here and there he showed us 

 some of his choicest beauties. 



True to the instincts of all bee-keepers, we 



finally worked into the apiary: and after we 

 had been there a few moments I rather con- 

 cluded that the temper of the Hasty bees was 

 nearly as bad as that of the Punics, or Tunis- 

 ians. In every apiary there are some novelties, 

 or some new wrinkles, and these we examined 

 while the bees now and then reminded us of 

 their presence by a fresh injection of apLs 

 Dirurn. The view in Rambler's picture (seep. 

 914, Dec. 1, LS91), of the apiary, is a good one. 

 Mr. H. apologized for the appearance of his 

 yard, adding that he had not expected visitors. 

 Nevertheless the apiary presented a much 

 cleaner and neater appeai'ance than most of 

 them do in. the country. After enjoying a 

 pleasant chat we took our departure, and soon 

 arrived at the Mason home. 



Early in the afternoon the wheel and I start- 

 ed on our journey on the most direct I'oute to 

 Detroit, some 7.5 miles away. No novel experi- 

 ences met me on the way. save once, when I 

 came to a standstill. It was not at the end of 

 the road, but the bridge was down, and the 

 water was clear and deep. I finally espied a 

 raft, and with fear and trembling, crawled on 

 to it with the wheel. It just :M'ld us up. By 

 proceeding cautiously I made the other side, 

 and had the satisfaction of landing my Safety 

 in safety. Well, you know the rest. I got into 

 Detroit, feeling unusually well after my long 

 ride. 



THAT PECULIAR DISEASE. 



ONE WHICH ItESEMBLES FOVl. liliOOD: 

 CUKE IT. 



I see on page 594. August 1. and page 074. 

 Sept. 1. what you say about the disease that 

 resembles foul brood. If you will turn to page 

 2.56. 1883. you \\ ill there see what Miltdu Hewitt 

 said. Is this not the same disease? Also on 

 page 398. same volume, is another ai'ticle from 

 L. C. Lincoln, speaking of something similar. 

 You will also notice what I said on page 4(il. 

 same volume. I then stopped the disease by 

 giving a new queen. I have since cured (luite a 

 number of colonies t)v' i'equ<'euing them. It will 

 work every time if there is a good honey-flow: 

 but if there is no hon«^y coming in. it will not 

 work so well. I have also cured them with the 

 carbolic-acid solution mixed in sugar syrup, 

 feeding them liberally for a weiik or two. I 

 also had three colonies affected in the same 

 way two years ago, just before the white clover 

 began to yield honey, and it disappeared dur- 

 ing the honey-How, and has never returned. 

 This present season I had om' colony affected. 

 I cured it by simply feeding sugar syrup for 

 about ten days. 



By the way, I think bees are something like 

 ourselves— plenty of good healthy food, and 

 something to do, is the best of medicine: and 

 hereafter, in treating the above disease, if the 

 queen is not an exti'a good one. off' comes her 

 head, and I'll r(>place her with a young one: 

 and if there is not plenty of honey coming from 

 the field I will supply the colony with a feeder. 

 This disease has about destroyed all the bees in 

 box hives in this country. I think it is conta- 

 gious to a certain extent, but nothing like real 

 foul brood. P. D. Milleh. 



(Jrapeville, Pa.. Sept. 13. 



[After carefully reading the references you 

 name, we are not'so certain that the disease to 

 which you refer is the same as the one which 

 appeared of late in our yard and in other places: 

 still.it may be the same. In any event it is 

 good policy to first requeen; and. if that does 

 iiot answer, to do something else.] 



