22 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1. 



chaff-packed hives, and our percentage of loss 

 for the last 15 or 16 years usually runs about 

 three per cent. Not only that, we have strong 

 vigorous colonies in the spring. Our locality 

 is too mild at times to warrant the greatest 

 success, for us at least, vuth indoor or cellar 

 wintering. After trying the two methods side 

 by side we found the outdoor plan gave us bet- 

 ter results. 



FIVE - GALLON SQUARE CANS ; A GOOD AR- 

 GUMENT" FOR THEIR USE. 



On page 886 I had something to say about 

 barrels and square cans. Referring to what 

 was said about both in the bee-journals, Mr. 

 Leahy, in the last issue of the Progressive 

 Bee-keeper, says : 



We used to buy in barrels and kegs, but with us the 

 loss of honey by use of barrels would more than pay 

 for cans; in fact, we were often compelled to empty 

 contents of barrels into cans after we received the 

 shipment We have no hone consumers who will 

 take a barrel of honey, nor } et a half-barrel; but we 

 have many who buy a'5-gallon can from us every year. 

 A can can be set in a warm place, and the honey be 

 kept liquid while a barrel or a keg can not. Five 

 cents will furnish a nice 2-inch honey-gate, that you 

 can give to a customer to draw the honey from a can 

 with, while it would take 25 or 50c for a faucet with 

 which to draw the honev from a barrel or keg. Our 

 experience has been that panel cans will not crack 

 while being roughly handled; and as they cost no 

 more than cans with straight sides, we advise the use 

 of cans, and panel cans at that. If you have any hon- 

 ey in barrels to sell, please don't let us know any thing 

 about it; but we want some good alfalfa honey in cans. 



It is true thatTa" five-gallon can is just right 

 for family size. Whenever we get some extra 

 choice extracted honey, thick in body, fine 

 in flavor, I just take a whole can of it " over 

 home." I always like to treat my bee-keep- 

 ing visitors to the best honey there is to be 

 had in the United States ; and usually (not 

 always) at our house we have something in 

 that line fit to set before a king. 



One of these 60-lb. square cans can be set in 

 the house anywhere, next to the stove or 

 down cellar ; but it would not do to set a keg 

 of honey in a hot place. Say, brethren, would 

 it not be a good idea for us to talk about a 

 family can of honey, just as we talk about a 

 family flour-barrel ? There are hundreds, yes, 

 thousands, of families that lay in a stock of 

 eight or ten gallons of maple syrup, and why 

 not honey in equal quantities? 



COGGSHALL AND HIS OUT-APIARY HELP ; BI- 

 CYCLES FOR OUT-YARD WORK. 



I have already spoken of my visit to Mr. 

 Coggshall about the middle of last October. 

 At that time Mr. C. gave me a photo showing 

 him and his men preparing to go to their out- 

 yard. This I have since had engraved, and 

 show on page 10. 



The view was taken just in front of Mr. 

 Coggshall's beautiful residence. Mr. C. and 

 one of his sons are in the wagon. The others 

 stand by their bicycles ready to start. When 

 they go to their out-yards all the helpers go 

 together, some in the wagon carrying empty 

 supers, etc., and the rest going on bicycles. 

 The wheels are used because they enable the 

 men to go in separate groups from one yard 

 to another. They usually go in pairs to each 



yard. One pair may precede the rest, get 

 things ready and hives opened up, when they 

 will be joined by one or two more. 



You see bicycles enable the men to go and 

 come as they please ; and when one or more 

 can't work to advantage at one yard they 

 mount their wheels and go to another. 



Wheels are an advantage over horses in an- 

 other way: bees can't scare or sting them, and 

 at Coggshall's yards this is quite an item. 



At each out-yard there are smokers, veils, 

 extractors, kegs, and every thing else neces- 

 sary to carry on the work of an extracting 

 apiary ; so all that is necessary for the boys to 

 do, usually, is to mount their wheels and ride 

 to the several yards. 



Niver tells a story about Harry Howe that I 

 can't help repeating here. As nearly as I can 

 remember, the facts are these : 



Mr. Niver went over to call on Coggshall, 

 on the first of September. Harry was help- 

 ing to thrash. Said Mr. Niver to Harry : 



" Busy nowadays? " 



"No, not very," said Harry. 



" What have you been doing? " 



" Why," said Harry, "this being the first 

 of September I had to go hunting ; walked 

 seven or eight miles ; shot several squirrels, 

 and got back in time for dinner. After dinner 

 Lamar wanted me to go to one of the out- 

 yards and take off 200 supers. This I did, 

 and got back about four o'clock, going some 

 fourteen or fifteen miles. As I had a little 

 time left I turned in and helped the thrash- 

 ers. ' ' 



" So you haven't been very busy, eh? Let's 

 see : You walked seven or eight miles, and 

 brought home a string of squirrels ; wheeled 

 some fifteen miles, took off 200 supers, got 

 back home, and then helped thrash ! " 



' ' That's Harry all over, ' ' said Niver. ' ' Yes, 

 and for that matter that is about the way Cogg- 

 shall and all his men work ; and then if you 

 ask them if they are busy they simply say, 

 ' Oh ! not very.' " 



At the time I visited Mr. Coggshall he was 

 husking corn. I asked him what he was do- 

 ing that for. 



"Well," said he, " there was nothing par- 

 ticularly to do, and I thought I might as well 

 husk as do nothing." 



" But," said I, " a man who works as hard 

 as you do, at steam-engine pace, ought to 

 have, it seems to me, a little breathing-spell 

 once in a while." 



" Breathing-spell ! Why, to loaf," said Mr. 

 Coggshall, " would kill me quicker than to 

 work." 



SNOW AROUND THE ENTRANCES OF HIVES. 



Very frequently lately the question has 

 been asked whether snow should be swept 

 away from the entrances of hives, especially 

 when it is drifted around about the hives as it 

 has been in most northern localities within 

 the last two or three weeks. I have been in 

 the habit of giving the advice to let the hives 

 alone ; that, unless the snow is drifted very 

 badly, there is no danger of smothering the 

 bees, for the snow, if it is light, is full of air ; 

 and as to protection, nothing could be better. 



