852 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15. 



behave as bad," and yet was it not claimed 

 that the only time it was possible to make the 

 Funics sting was during swarming time? Al- 

 low me to tell you how I served the colony of 

 onr five- banded breeding queens. It is raining 

 to-day, with north wind; temperature 6(5°, and 

 I have just been testing our goldens to see if I 

 could make them sting. Here is the way I 

 went at it. If any one can tell me a better way 

 to make them sting I will try it: 



I removed the cover with a jerk, took off the 

 enamel cloth ditto; lifted out a frame of brood, 

 and gave the hive six kicks, severe enough to 

 make it bounce; then I blew my breath on the 

 bees in puffs, and gently, after which I moved 

 my hand rapidly over the frames, then took up 

 a bee and mashed it thoroughly to get the 

 poison scent, and again moved my hand over 

 them and blew on them; but not one stung me 

 or stood in the air before my face. When I got 

 through kicking the hive, the air was full of 

 bees; but they simply arose from the combs, 

 circled around, and piled in at the entrance; 

 and before I closed the liive (which I did as 

 soon as I got through teasing them) all were on 

 the combs or inside of the hive, and perfectly 

 quiet. All of this with no smoke near, nor has 

 there been to-day nor for weeks. We draw on 

 this colony nearly every day for brood to start 

 queen-cells; and yet we liad to extract their 

 combs clean three times to make it safe for 

 the queen and bees for us to handle the combs 

 during July, which shows that they have plen- 

 ty of energy in the right direction. 



Swedona, 111. S. F. Trego. 



bee-hunting; a good find. 



Dear Friend Root: — While camping out for 

 a week last August, within 25 miles of Mt. 

 Hood, besides bringing down some fine game 

 our party had the pleasure of cutting a bee-tree. 

 Early in the morning, with axes, a saw, iron 

 wedges, a maul, and tin pails, we started for 

 the forest,. The bees had awakened before us, 

 and a fine string of workers pouring forth from 

 a hole about 20 feet from the ground in the side 

 of a huge fir-tree indicated a good find. After 

 the usual amount of sawing, chopping, and 

 driving of wedges, down came the tr<^e and out 

 came the bees. They were angry at receiving 

 such treatment, and began to resent it as only 

 an angry bee can. It is needless to say they 

 were not around long until they made them- 

 selves felt. After some sawing and chopping 

 we got at the honey, and, besides securing a 

 good colony of bees, we got about forty pounds 

 of honev. J. W. Jenkins. 



The Dalles, Or., Oct. 20. 



[Why, friend J., if you were really a whole 

 week within 35 miles of Mount Hood, why 

 didn't you tell us something more about it, and 

 something more about that wonderful country? 

 The thouglit of Mount Hood as I saw it fairly 

 makes mv heal't bound now. I was not then 

 able to climb mountains; but I shall remember 

 the glimpses I got of it whenever we had a 

 clear sunny day, as long as I live.] 



thirty-four pounds per colony; a good 

 word for hoffman frames. 

 With the help of the A B C and Gleanings 

 we have secured an average of 34 lbs. per colo- 

 ny, spring count, with every stock, except one, 

 amply supplied for winter: no honey until after 

 July 4. Your improved Hoffman frame on tin 

 rabbets gives entire satisfaction. Thanks to 

 friend Bobbins (page 725) on " How to Prevent 

 Increase." I think I can make the plan work- 

 all right, as I practice something similNar. 

 Corunna, Ind., Oct. 19. S. Farrington. 



the hive AND HONEY'-BEE. 



This book, written by Langstroth, revised by 

 Dadant, and translated by the latter into 

 French, has lately been given the honors of a 

 re-translation into Russian, by Mr. G. Kandra- 

 tieff, editor of the Russian Journal of Apicul- 

 ture, and Director-in-Chief of the Imperial 

 Opera at St. Petersburg. The worl< is an exact 

 translation of the P>ench edition, and con- 

 tains 482 pages. This is a new honor, both for 

 father Langstroth and the Dadants, which is 

 indeed well merited. — American Bee Journal. 



OURSELVES AND OUR NEIGHBORS. 



For our lig-ht affliction, whicli is but for a naoment, 

 workeTh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 

 weig-ht of glory .—11. COR. 4:19. . r" 



Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where 

 neitlier moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where 

 thieves do not break througli nor steal.— Matt. 6:20. 



Pardon me, dear friends, if I continue to talk 

 about this matter that has come up so often of 

 late in regard to our outdoor rural industries. 

 A certain class of people have been saying that 

 farming doesn't pay; and there has been a 

 strong tendency for our boys, to say nothing 

 about the older ones, to fall in line and hunt 

 around for something else to do, because every- 

 body knows that farming doesn't pay. I tell 

 you, farming does pay; and before I get through 

 I feel sure that a great part of you will, to a 

 greater or less extent, agree with me. The pro- 

 fessing Christians among our readers should 

 certainly agree, even if others do not. I am not 

 going to teach farming under this head— not 

 this time, any way; but my remarks in that 

 direction will come rather under the second of 

 the two texts I have chosen. 



A few weeks ago it was announced in our 

 Saturday afternoon prayer-meeting that the 

 semi-annual conference of the Congregational 

 Churches of our county would meet in Litch- 

 field. INIedina Co.: and then the pastor called 

 for delegates. There were several nominations. 

 The first person could not well go; ditto the 

 next; the third one said flatly that she wouldn't 

 go; and then the office of going as delegate 

 began to be pushed from one to another as if it 

 were some very disagreeable piece of drudgery, 

 and that it was a kind of imposition to ask any 

 one to go as a delegate only nine miles from 

 home. Now, I have not been at conference very 

 much for a good many years; in fact. I had 

 fallen into a way of thinking that it was well 

 enough for people who had no regular employ- 

 ment, but that business men could not be ex- 

 pected to neglect business and go and sit two 

 whole days listening to dry sermons preached 

 by country clergymen, during the middle of the 

 week. Does the above sound rather harsh and 

 uncharitable? I think it does; and, to tell the 

 truth. I am ashamed of it: but I have been get- 

 ting, for a few years back, into something like 

 that way of thinking. This Saturday after- 

 noon, however, they carried the matter rather 

 to excess, and I felt ashamed of myself. I arose 

 to my feet and said, " Friends. I will go as a 

 delegate if you wish me to; and at this season 

 of the year, when we have comparatively little 

 business, I will take any office and perform any 

 duties the church may call upon me to perform, 

 as well as I know how. During the spring and 

 summer months, when our business is at its 

 height, I hope you will excuse me from such 

 duties, and also excuse Ernest and Mr. Calvert. 

 There are times when it is a Christian duty to 

 stand at your post a good deal as a locomotive 

 engineer is expected to stand at his post." 



