844 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



A crowd of new enthusiasts. 



wanted to know what ''that thing" (the 

 smoker) was. When they saw it in working 

 order, and realized how easy it was to han- 

 dle bees by using one, they saw the fun was 

 not all on one side. Mr. Yates left bulletins 

 on foul brood with a good many people. 

 I think the inspeetoi'S have the opportunity 

 of doing a lot of good for those who ap- 

 preciate their work. Their work is not all 

 " honey " by any means. 



There is a need of education along bee- 

 keeping lines ; and to those who fear over- 

 production of honey from this cause I 

 would say, look at the work of our fruit- 

 growers' associations scattered all over our 

 country. They are creating a demand for 

 their product. They show fruit, talk fruit, 

 and even give it away at our conventions in 

 winter ; and by giving people an apple they 

 are creating the demand. I don't mean by 

 this that beekeepers should give away a 

 whole crop of honey, but a sample now and 

 then, put in the right place. I think it 

 would work wonders. 



Another thing, we hear of over-produc- 

 tion of apples in some localities, when only 

 a few miles away the demand is keen ; but 



the means of transportation are the stum- 

 blingblock. The qv^estion of distribution is 

 what is bothering some of our beekeej^ers, 

 and I think some fruit-growers also. Any 

 way, let us all push a little. 



I am sending a picture of some of my 

 friends who came to see us from a near-by 

 city. It was with some misgivings that they 

 consented to handle a frame of bees; but I 

 assured them that the bees would behave, so 

 you see the result. The hive in the picture 

 is one similar to Mr. Fuller's, of Blackstone, 

 Mass., but this one holds 14 frames. A 

 gentleman 73 years old came to see the bees 

 one day last week, and I guess he was pret- 

 ty well pleased with what he saw, judging 

 from his expressions. When I showed him 

 the queen-cells the bees were building he 

 said he never before saw any thing in all 

 his life to equal it. Well, who did? The 

 work bees will do is wonderful; and when 

 spring opens up with all the beauties of 

 nature, and the bees start to work, one can't 

 help feeling that it is good to be alive on 

 this old earth, and be a beekeeper. 



Berlin, Ct. 



BY W. B. COZINS 



' Concerning the smoke plan of introduc- 

 ing, I wish to say that I have introduced 

 queens into full hives, half-hives, and two 

 and three frame nuclei, with perfect suc- 

 cess except once, and I don't consider ihat 

 the fault of the plan. 



I seldom stop the entrance, and never 

 unless there are signs of robbing or some- 

 thing else that is unusual, and I introduce 

 at any time of the day that suits my con- 

 venience, although I believe toward eve- 

 ning is best. 



