1* 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jak. 



Many thanks, friend J., for your report 

 and kind admonitions. — The Simplicity hive 

 is so made that tlie shrinkage of the Inmber 

 can in no way affect any of the dimensions, 

 except tlie vertical depth of the hive. Now, 

 as all lumber will shrink, more or less, no 

 matter how well seasoned and painted, we 

 liave allowed this i for shrinkage. After 

 yon have used your hives one season, you 

 will find they will settle down, — at the very 

 least, the i you complain of. Then you will 

 have the standard I, that has been so long 

 decided to be about right. If I am not mis- 

 taken you will find some of the hives having 

 only about i inch ; and if we have any more 

 shrinkage than this, yoii will be piliching 

 the bees; but even then, you will find some 

 stocks that will build solid honey in this i- 

 incli space. The Italians, I believe, are 

 more addicted to such tricks. If you will 

 grease the top and bottom bars of your 

 frames with tallow, however, you can ef- 

 fectually stop it. — I did not mean any harm, 

 friend J., even if I did put you in the Growl- 

 ery ; for I thought you were just about right. 

 I too should feel guilty if I took from my 

 friends 40 per cent for a standard dollar ar- 

 ticle ; and it is by selling goods at a profit of 

 10 per cent, instead of 40, or even 25, that I 

 have builded up such a trade on the coun- 

 ter-store goods. You know I enlarged 

 Gleanings, and changed the discount from 

 40 to only 25 per cent after your letter last 

 year. Well, luiless I change my mind, the 

 discount next year (please all take notice a 

 year in advance), will be only 10 per cent, 

 unless the papers are all sent to one address ; 

 and then it will be the same as now. This 

 is done solely to correct the inconsistencies 

 you have mentioned. 



A STATEMENT THAT WASN'T TRUE. 



STINGLESS BEES. 



N Mr. Hawley's Brazilian stingless-bee 

 circular, alluded to in our editorials, 

 — ' appears the following: — 



But Rev. Mr. Clark, late editor of the ^)7ienVrt)i 

 Bee Journal, the man who later accidentally got a 

 bee in his mouth while drinking, and died from the 

 effects of having been stung on the back part of his 

 tongue, and, in short, others who have lost their 

 lives in one way and another in handling bees, will 

 not be apt to ask to be placed in the "don't care if 

 they do get stung" army of bee-men. 



While I was meditating sadly enough up- 

 on the suddenness of his death, and wonder- 

 ing that we had heard nothing of it before 

 through different channels, I was most 

 agreeably surprised to get a letter from 

 friend Clark, and he didn't say he was dead 



ther. I copied and sent himthe above, and 

 here is his reply: — 

 Friend Root:— 



Thanks for the above extract from Hawley's cir- 

 cular. I embrace the opportunity afforded by its re- 

 ceipt, to reply through Gleanings, and assure my 

 apicultural friends In the United States, most of 

 whom, I presume, read your journal, that I have 

 not yet departed this life, and hope to be able to do 

 a little more good in the world before I am called to 

 leave it. I had a severe and painful experience in 



the way of a bee-sting, of which I gave an account 

 in the A. B. J. for Sept., 187t. The sting was not in- 

 flicted "while drinking," nor was it inflicted on ihe 

 "back part," or any other part of my tongue, but on 

 the extreme point of the upper lip, just where the 

 mustache «livides. Among others who kindly re- 

 sponded to my account of the accident, was W. S. 

 Hawley, who furnished me a liquid remedy for 

 stings, which is certainly a very good thing. I never 

 heard nor read of abee-keeper, who accidentally got 

 a bee in his mouth while drinking, and died from the 

 effects of being stung; but I have known a great 

 many cases of bee-keepers and others who got a far 

 worse creature than a bee in their mouths while 

 drinking, -even that which "bitethlike a serpent 

 and stingeth like an adder," and died from the ef- 

 fects of having been bitten or stung. The saddest 

 feature of these cases was, that they took the ven- 

 omous thing into their mouths, not accidentally, but 

 willfully; not in the prosecution of an honorable 

 calling such as beekeeping, but in the foolish pur- 

 suit of dangerous pleasure. 



After a life of seclusion for several years, owing 

 to ill health, 1 am now in active work again, and, 

 among other multifarious duties, intend to act my 

 part in trying to promote bee-keeping. I have not 

 lost my interest in the science and art of apiculture; 

 and, although I handle bees under difficulties, being, 

 not like some favored mortals, bee-loved, but, for 

 some unknown cause, bee-hated, I shall not let them 

 alon« while my eyesight is good enough to see 

 through a bee-veil. 



The indications point to a great revival and ex- 

 pansion of bee-keeping throughout the Dominion of 

 Cauada. Now that the secret of successful winter- 

 ing has been discovered, the chief obstacle to the 

 prosecution of the business is removed. Yet I do 

 not fear that it will be overdone by too many going 

 into it, for it is only a small minority of the human 

 race who possess the qualities necessary to success 

 in this line. The exploits of D. A. Jones are doing 

 much to draw attention to the possibilities connect- 

 ed with bee-keeping in this country, which, in regard 

 to honey-producing resources, is probably equal to 

 any on the face of the globe. Wm. F. Clarke. 



Listonel, Ont., Dec. 18, 1880. 



Friend Ilawley, unless you "rise and ex- 

 plain," we shall have to think badly of yon, 

 for aught I see. 



A OIi\1> NEW YEAR TO GIiEVNIN«S. 



AN AOBOSIIC. 



A glad Xew Year to Gleanings! 

 (iod bless its patrons, one and all; 

 Lonn' may tlie savor of its teaehing-s 

 Abide in tnith, with great and small, 

 Delivering them from Satan's thrall. 

 No matter thdUgli Its lessons 

 Kmhody what tci some seems new; 

 Waked not our Lord ciiiaint musings, and 

 [brought strange truths to mortal view? 

 Yes: he arraigned fixed e\istonis, 

 Exeept where truth and right bore sway, 

 And then, with one great offering, 

 Redeemed from death its helpless prey. 

 Then let the ransomed everywhere. 

 On grateful hearts his image bear. 

 Glad should we be, with sacred gladness, 

 Like Moses coming from the mount ; 

 Expressing, even in our visage, 

 A happiness no words can count. 

 Nor need we shrink from pain and trial ; 

 I f Jesus Christ marks out the way. 

 No foe can harm us, and no shadow 

 Give daikness to otir heavenly day. 

 So, now, God speed our upward way. 



f'ottam, Ont., Can., Dec, 1880. Mrs. H. A. Awke-s 



