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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



polls everywhere except top and bottom edges, 

 thus in a great measure preventing their being 

 stuck up with it. By the way, we have a good 

 supply of propolis every year. This plan 

 gives a nice clean white section, with very lit- 

 tle scraping. Sections filled out to within 

 about 's in. of the edge can be packed snug 

 without danger. During a heavy flow there 

 is a tendency to bulge a little at top and bot- 

 tom. I anticipate the same difficulty with the 

 slattt d separator or fence at such times. I ex- 

 pect to lry next season a few separators with 

 the cleats, except the end ones, even with the 

 edge of the board, that to be in two parts, 

 wdth a y-in. space between, giving one bee- 

 way through and also along both edges. I 

 don't think I need paraffine paper to protect 

 the sections. 



I have never used a queen-excluder over the 

 brood-chamber, for, except once in a great 

 while, I have discovered no use for it. 



Many may object to the extra trouble of sep- 

 arators and section-holders like mine. I think 

 that separators and section-holders can be 

 cleaned easier than sections can be scraped 

 and sandpapered, and with less danger to the 

 honey; and when compared with the present 

 popular bee-space section taken from a crate 

 withont tops to section holder, a bee-keeper 

 of pride will never begrudge what little if any 

 extra work or expense there may be. 



Cincinnatus, N. Y., Dec. 28. 



[If the slats to your fence came up nearly 

 even with the top of the sections, as ours do, 

 there would be no bulging at top as vou speak 

 of.— Ed.] 



THE PRODUCT OF THE BEE. 

 Freciiient Reference to This in the Bible. 



BY JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. 



As an example of industrious habits the bee 

 is more often referred to than any other of 

 God's little creatures — " the busy bee — " it is 

 always called. Indeed, man himself is fre- 

 quently conjured to avoid idleness by imitat- 

 ing the useful occupations of the honey-bee. 

 Nay, more — in Holy Scripture this little 

 worker is more frequently mentioned with fa- 

 vor than any other insect. Again and again 

 we notice allusions to honey, showing how 

 highly it was appreciated as an article of food 

 — a product that was as favorably regarded by 

 princes as by paupers. For instance, in Ec- 

 clesiasticus .39:31 we find the following sen- 

 tence: "The principal things necessary for 

 the life of men are, water, fire, andiron ; salt, 

 milk, and bread of flour, and honey, and the 

 cluster of the grape, and oil, and clothing." 



In another place, when God wishes to make 

 known some of the riches of the promised 

 land, he speaks to the chosen people through 

 the patriarchs and prophets, and says it is "a 

 land flowing with milk and honey." F'rom 

 this statement we must readily infer that the 

 men of that time knew the value of honey as 

 an article of food, and that God was offering 

 them a great inducement when he mentioned 

 the abundance of that commodity. Indeed, 



it is stated that the manna which fell from 

 heaven possessed the taste of honey, which 

 may be regarded as the divine approval of this 

 special product. 



In the early days honey was considered a 

 royal gift, and we see frequent mention of it 

 among the presents brought to soften the 

 hearts of kings and princes. When Jacob 

 sent his sons a second time into Egypt to 

 bring corn, and wishing to gain the good will 

 of the governor, whom he did not then know 

 to be his own child Joseph, he bade them 

 ' ' take of the best fruits of the land in 3'our 

 vessels, and carry down presents to the man, 

 a little balm and honey," etc. (Genesis 43: 

 11.) Then, too, it is related, I. Kings 14:3, 

 that Jeroboam, wishing to consult the proph- 

 et Ahijah concerning the recovery of his 

 sick son, sent his wife to intercede with gifts. 

 "Take also with thee," said he, "ten loaves, 

 and cracknels, and a pot of honey, and go to 

 him; for he will tell thee what shall become 

 of this child." In another chapter honey is 

 named among the presents that the children 

 of Ammon sent to king David and his follow- 

 ers when fleeing from his son Absalom. Be- 

 sides, there is occasional allusion to bees and 

 honey in Samson's love affair with the beau- 

 tiful Philistine. 



That God himself recognized a valuable food 

 in the product of the bee, we have proof in 

 the words of Isaiah. That prophet, speaking 

 of the hour when the Eternal Word of God 

 wovild come and assume our human nature, 

 says (chap. 7:14-16), "Therefore the Lord 

 himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a vir- 

 gin shall conceive, and bear a .son, and his name 

 s'.iall be called Ennnanuel. He shall eat but- 

 ter and honey, tha: he may know to refuse the 

 evil and to choose the j^ood." And, in the 

 same chapter, verse 18-20, he prophesies: 

 " And it shall come to pass in that day that 

 the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the ut- 

 termost parts of the rivers of Egvpt, and for 

 the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And 

 they shall come, and shall all of them rest in 

 the torrents of the valleys, and in the holes of 

 the rocks, and upon all places set with shrubs, 

 and in all hollow places ( verse 22); and for 

 the abundance of milk he shall eat butter; for 

 butter and honey shall everyone eat that shall 

 be left in the niid.st of the land." It would 

 appear from the above that the Egyptians call- 

 ed the honey-bees flies, or at least that there 

 were in the country honey-collecting flies. 



According to St. Paul, if Christ be not ri.sen 

 from the dead, our faith is vain; and j'et, in 

 support of this fact it is recorded that Christ 

 ate honey. St. Luke says, after the resurrec- 

 tion Jesus appeared to his disciples when they 

 were assembled together, and, after wishing 

 them "peace," and showing them his holy 

 wounds, he left still more evidence of his be- 

 ing again in the flesh. "Have you here," 

 said he, " any thing to eat? And they offered 

 him a piece of broiled fish, and a honey-comb" 

 (chap. 24:41-43). 



Here we have many instances, taken from 

 the words of inspired writers, which should 

 strengthen our belief in the value of honey. 



Notre Dame, Ind. 



