14 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1. 



"There, now, Mr. Boss, you have no idea 

 that I am going to reveal the workings of my 

 genius? Then I am sure if I should you 

 would meet them with words of doubt and de- 

 rision. Now, here is Mr. Gabfast ; he and I 

 have been comparing notes. He also possesses 

 a great aniout of genius, and has an idea in 

 his head that is worth looking after." 



"Hey? how is that, Mr. Gabfast? If you 

 have any thing new, give it to us," said the 

 boss. 



" Oh ! I am not giving away ideas any more 

 than is the Rambler ; but, after all, as the idea 

 does not give away the construction of the 

 thing, I have no objection to state the bare 

 idea. I have in mind a practical machine for 

 uncapping honey." 



"Pshaw! is that all?" said the boss. 

 " Why, I have studied that matter myself in 

 all of its phases, without tangible results ; and 

 if /could not invent it I am sure you can not. 

 It can not be done, Mr. Gabfast ; then if it 

 could be invented it would soon be worthless, 

 for the tendency of the times is to extract the 

 honey before it is capped. Why, Mr. Gabfast, 

 your time and your money are all fooled away 

 in the study of it." 



" See here, Mr. Boss," said I ; " you are al- 

 together too extreme in your conclusions. 

 The tendency is not for extracting honey be- 

 fore it is capped. If so it is a tendency for 

 thin unripened honey. It is an uncontrovert- 

 ible fact that honey ripened in a tank is not 

 equal to honey ripened in the comb in the 

 hive ; and if the general run of bee-keepers 



adopt the non-sealing plan, our product will 

 not command the favor it has in the. past." 



"Them's facts," said Mr. Gabfast, with a 

 beaming smile toward me. " The more I keep 

 bees, and the more honey I extract, the more 

 I want it sealed, and the more I need a good 

 uncapping- machine ; and just because I am 

 driving a team during these poor honey sea- 

 sons it is no sign that I can not invent new 

 machines. I'll show you, Mr. Boss, that my 

 genius is not to be sneezed at. Do you sade ? ' ' 



" Oh ! well, if you fellows are going for me 

 in that way I'll take off my coat and argue it 

 to the end. I never give up in such matters. 

 Do you sabe ? ' ' 



" Yes, we sabe," said I; " we have no desire 

 to argue; it is unprofitable business ; our works 

 hereafter will show our position ; but now as 

 we have gotten into the comparison of ideas, 

 let Die give one. I believe the day is coming 

 when the smoker will be an obsolete tool in 

 the apiary." 



"You don't say so, Rambler? Why, how 

 are you going to subdue the pesky bees with- 

 out smoke ? Is it gas, anesthetics, odors, or 

 what ? ' ' 



"None of them, sir, but purely science. 

 You know the tendency of the times is to the 

 annihilation of time and space, and man is 

 just learning to understand the wonderful pos- 

 sibilities of his mind. The day will come 

 when the beekeeper can approach the hive 

 and make a few passes over it, and the bees 

 will become as tame as flies ; and in order to 

 introduce a queen, just make a few passes, and 



