IS'.fJ 



• JLKANINUS IN HEE CULTURE. 



so.s 



liiiild ;i iii'w lii\c fnuii IiiiiiIht sawod iraiis- 

 V(>i-S('ly fmir iiu-lios thii'U sides, ends, ami cover, 

 joints liernietii'aily sealed. This would cer- 

 tainly tie a waiin hive, and, with tlie capilhiries 

 or pores of the linnber directed from within 

 outward yon would nevei' lind a drop of water 

 condense(i on the inside a^ long as the tenipeia- 

 ture w ithin was above freezing, and tin- surface 

 free from propolis, liees in their natural lionies 

 have tiH> benetit of tliis capillary force. 



Yon say in the May issue that bees seem to 

 get alonji and build up belter in the spring with 

 the oilcloth covering. That is undoubtedly so. 

 and for the simple reason that, at that time, 

 they need the water that is condensed on the 

 und(>r surface for their brood, which they for 

 many days at a time are unable to go out- 

 side and get. At this season the absorbents 

 should lie removed and the oilcloth substituted. 



Washington. Ind.. Oct. 10. .1. A. .Sf iddkk. 



RAMBLE NO. 70. 



HAMHI.KIi .S KXPEHIKNCK IN I>IVlX(i ON A KAXCH 

 ALOXK. 



Z I believe I have had occasion to remark, that 

 even those bee-keepers who live an isolated and 

 lonely life are generally qn.ite fraternal. If you 

 happen to drop in upon them from the out-side 

 world, and have any new s to tell, or reading- 

 matter to dispose of. it is eagerly sought, fn 



stranger with it: and of all countries this is one 

 of the greatest in the spirit of toleration for a 

 man's opinions and nu'thod of life, and it is well 

 that it is so. 



Although Mr. Clark (mentioned in iiamble 

 ()'.i) is a ben(>dict he is full of that fraternal 

 spiiit. and stands not upon ceremony in the 

 limitations of distance and previous acciuaint- 

 ance as to his neighborly feelings. 1 have 

 known this to be the case when we have travel- 

 ed together around the mountain, or far over 

 the plain: and I .soon leai-ned that, when he 

 wished "t(j talk with that man jiisi a minute," 

 and left me in possession of the wagon, the 

 minute lengthened out inordinately. In all 

 such cases I was very thankful to have with me 

 my long- wind Wat(irbnry watch: and as the 

 minutes lengthened I would commence to wind, 

 and usually complete the .job upon Mr. C.'s 

 return. While waiting at one place I varied 

 the exercise by making an inventory of what I 

 saw in a bedrootn. Of course, the Ixtdroom 

 was a detached building, but had in it two beds, 

 a work-bench with tools, and a good supply of 

 bee-hive material, several bags of Egyptian 

 corn, with evidences of mouse work: a shoe- 

 makers's bench, wire netting, shovels, rocking- 

 chair, wagon-wheel, manure-fork, six chains, 

 ropes, boots and shoes, wire, tin cans, and other 

 things loo numerous to mention. The occu- 

 pants of the beds seemed to be haggard and 

 worn. On(! was on the bed and another on a 

 box. It was evid(>nt that their surroundings 





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m It 



'if^' 



^■'. •■• 



> .Is. 





OFF Foi; rilli SEASHORK. 



Some corner of the cabin will be found a few 

 books, standard works. Itoili poetry and prose. 

 and perhaps the walls are adorm^d with prints 

 from the illustrated papers. A very good idea 

 of the character of the man can be obtained, 

 sometimes, ai a glance. In the cabin of a lone 

 dweller yf tiie mountains I found a great arrav 

 of flashy pictures and clipitings from the Police 

 Odzettc, -dnd it needed ni. words to reveal tin' 

 condition of the occupant - mind. In another 

 cabin, though the owner was living there onlv 

 occasionally, several copies of the Free Thinher 

 and kindred papers were loiind. giving an un- 

 mistakable indication a- lo his belief. But 

 whatever a man's belief, he will seldom bore a 



were admirably fitted to give them an overdose 

 of the nightmare. 



Though Mr. C, while on our trips, would 

 have several of these inlmitr talks, and spend 

 considerable neighborly time helping those 

 afflicted with balky horses, we usually made 

 the home ranch by chore time. This humdrum 

 of ranch life I noticed was having a depressing 

 eflfect upon Mr. C. while Mrs. Clark was com- 

 pletely prostrated. It was of prime necessity 

 that they should go to the seashore for their 

 health; and in order that they might go. the 

 Rambler consented to stay during their two 

 weeks' absence, and care for the ranch. Mr. 

 Wilder was off again in the mountains, and his 



