1128 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



instinct have been inherited and persisted? 

 and, if so, how long would it persist under 

 ray normal conditions? 



If wide ranging is a trait of certain 

 stock, and tan be inherited, then I have 



never yet gotten any of that kind of stock, 

 tho I have bought queens from many dif- 

 ferent breeders. Some one else, however, 

 may have had different experience. 

 North Platte, Neb. 



MY SUPERSTITIOUS NEIGHBOR 



BY A. B. M^GUIRE 



One swarming season my neighbor (whom 

 I will call George) successfully hived a 

 stray swarm of leather-colored Italian bees. 

 I can still see him standing by the old box 

 hive, with a cotton sh^et over his head and 

 body, pounding upon the hive and whistling 

 like fury — just a continual whistle, when 

 he would stop to get his breath. After 

 the majority of the bees were inside the 

 hive he got three small stones and placed 

 them on top of the hive, and then went 

 away and left them. 



When George proceeded to take the bees 

 home he asked me to help him. We 

 cautiously approached the hive and plugged 

 the entrance; then we gently lifted it and 

 carried it across the fields to George's home. 



" George, what did you put those three 

 stones on top of that hive for ? " I said. 



" For good luck." 



" But how can those three stones bring 

 you good luck? " 



" It is a great secret which you probably 

 don't know ; and if I tell you, no luck will 

 follow, because a woman has to tell a man 

 the secret if good luck is to follow." 



" Well, George. I don't believe in any- 

 thing like that." 



" Well, I do, and my grandfather did, 

 and he always bad good luck with bees." 



" If you have good luck with this colony 

 of bees will you give me a swarm next 

 year?" 



" No, I won't give it to you ; but I'll sell 

 it to you for five cents. If I give it to you 

 I shall give away my luck, and I won't do 

 that." 



I agreed to tins and departed. 



As the cold days of winter came, and 

 brought with them great blizzards and 

 zero weather, a death-like appearance 

 seemed to settle over the old hive in George's 

 back yard. There was no sign of life there ; 

 but as the dawn of another spring came and 

 brought with it new life for every living 

 thing, the bees awoke from their death-like 

 slumber to take advantage of it. 



Swarming season came again, and the 

 bees swarmed. They were successfully 

 hived, and I purchased my first colony of 

 bees for five cents. 



George had his lucky stones placed upon 



the hive; but before he would let me take 

 the bees he took the stones off and put 

 them in his pocket, saying as he did so that 

 he must not let them go with the bees or 

 he would lose his good luck. Well, I got 

 the bees home at last, and put them in the 

 yard. They did well during the summer, 

 making about fifty pounds of surplus 

 honey ; but during the next winter they died. 

 George said something like this : " I 

 thought you would have no luck with them. 

 Now I tell you what I'll do. I will sell you 

 another swarm for ten cents, and also make 

 you lucky with bees." 



I agreed to this ; and wlien swarming sea- 

 son came, one forenoon about ten o'clock I 

 happened over at George's place just in 

 time to hear a wonderful racket, and a noise 

 which seemed to come from the further side 

 of the orchard. I hastened around the 

 house and climbed over the fence; and as I 

 looked down thru the orchard a great sight 

 met my eyes, for there at the further side 

 was George and his family pounding old 

 tin pans and whistling as tho they were 

 serenading some newly married couple. 

 " Hello, George, for goodness' sake what is 

 all this noise about?" I asked. "Are you 

 having a serenade all by yourselves?" 



" No, I am just trying to hold back these 

 contrary bees. They took it into their 

 heads to leave me this morning; but I guess 

 I showed them a different stunt. This is 

 the best thing that you can do to settle a 

 swarm of bees. You just try it some time 

 and see if it isn't." This was another new 

 one for me; but I said nothing more, and 

 George proceeded to liive the bees. I got 

 them for ten cents — my second colony. 



"Now," said George, "I am going to make 

 you lucky with this colony of bees. Here 

 are three stones which you place on top of 

 the hive from west to east and you will have 

 good luck." 



The secret was then told to me, which is 

 as follows: 



Walk to the east three steps; turn to 

 the south and walk three steps, and with 

 each step to the south pick up a stone. 

 Take the three stones and place them upon 

 the hive fi'om west to east, and good luck 

 will follow. 



