1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE. 



13S 



drink. If you can not boil It, you can take a little 

 oatmeal mixed with cold water and sug'ar, but this is 

 not so good. Always boil it if you can. If at any 

 time you have to make a long day, as in harvest, and 

 can not stop for meals, increase the oatmeal to half 

 a pound, or even three-quarters, and the water to 

 three quarts if you are likely to be thirsty. If you 

 oan not get oatmeal, wheat flour will do, but not 

 quite so well. For quenching thirst, few things are 

 better than weak coffee and a little sugar. One 

 ounce of coffee and a half-ounce of sugar, boiled in 

 two quarts of water and cooled, is a very thirst- 

 quenching drink. Cold tea has the same effect, but 

 neither is so supporting as oatmeal. Thin cocoa is 

 also very refreshing and supporting like\vise, but is 

 more expensive than oatmeal. 



When a person is working hard and perspiring 

 freely, the craving of the stomach,' if closely con- 

 sidered, is as much for food as for drink. Cool, eas- 

 ily digested food is what is needed. If one watches 

 a number of growing boys at work hard, he will lind 

 that as noontime approaches they go to the water- 

 pail more frequently. A slice of bread and butter 

 given at such a time will almost invariably stop the 

 thirst and for a longer time than a hearty drink of 

 water. If the food can be given in a liquid form, so 

 much the better. Some workmen use a regular 

 gruel, made rather thin, instead of water, and are 

 greatly benefited thereby. 



While there is a cry on every side that Americans 

 eat too much, we are inclined to think that a little 

 food taken both for noon and afternoon in the drink, 

 would increase both the health and comfort of our 

 workmen and be of lasting benetit to growing boys. 



DRIED OR EVAPORATED GREEN CORN. 



This article of food seems to be eliciting 

 much interest, and among the several offers 

 I have had for a ton, to be furnished during 

 the coming year, is one of 8 c. per lb. Inas- 

 much as 1 lb\ of dried corn furnishes a great 

 deal of nutriment, I think this price pretty 

 fair. 



GATHERING AT THE TA15LE. 



While I would not encourage in our read- 

 ers a disposition to be thinking constantly of 

 what they are going to eat, I think it condu- 

 cive to one's health to take some interest in 

 what tliey are going to have to eat, and to 

 feel a pleasure in gathering round the daily 

 board. What mother has not felt a thrill of 

 honest pleasure in hearing the children ex- 

 claim, '' Oh goody ! mother is going to give 

 us some of those nice biscuits and honey for 

 supper " V Is it not better than to have 

 them come in a lifeless sort of way and look 

 and act unthankful while the meal is being 

 eaten ? I would by no means task the moth- 

 er to get a great variety, for oftentimes one 

 simple little dish, say something the children 

 have asked for, does more to make a meal a 

 hai)py one than many expensive and trouble- 

 some dishes. Neither does it all devolve 

 upon the mother, by any means. Let each 

 one be led to try to contribute in some way 

 to the general good feeling. One can bring 

 flowers, another some apples, or other fruit. 

 Have the boys stimulated to feel a pleasure 

 in providing water, and another in getting 

 the chairs, and all, in trying to be quiet and 

 good natured. For many years I fought 

 against the use of napkins at the table, and 

 called them aristocratic, etc. ; but now I can 

 hardly feel right to eat without one, or see 

 the children do so, because I know how 

 much they aid in helping us all to keep otir 

 clothing neat and presentable. You all know 

 what fun it is to sit down to a cozily ar- 

 ranged table at some quiet family picnic. 

 Well, let us have just such a little family 

 picnic every day ; and if we all try our best. 



it will not be a very hard task to have each 

 meal so that, when we bow our heads to 

 God in thankfulness before the usual " ask- 

 ing-a-blessing," there shall really be thank- 

 fulness welling up from the bottom of our 

 hearts. Hurrah! it is supper time now! 

 Come on, children ! let us go to supper, and 

 let us see who will show m;imma by our ac- 

 tions that we appreciate the efforts which 

 she has made to please us. 



FRIEND L.ADD'S STORY. 



IN WHICH HE TELLS HOW THE HONEY HUNG ON 

 "POSTS AND BUSHES." 



^f^ UST a few words fmm our bee country may not 

 pjj be out of place. One of your correspondents 

 reports an enormous yield of honey, such as 

 we had in 18T8, only ours was a little more so. It was 

 such a yield as to cause the bees to fill up every thing 

 in reach, build all over sides of hives, and in some 

 cases on posts and plants, some feet away from the 

 hives. One colony in box hive filled up, and I placed 

 an old empty hive close to it, which was filled in 3 

 weeks with beautiful honey (no bee bread) and many 

 times I took buckets full of honey from inider 

 benches and projections. Swarms isstied all sum- 

 mer, and no drones were killed. Every thing seemed 

 to bear honey; very heavy honey-dews, also, helped 

 to swell the crop. I drove many out late in August, 

 and transferred, keeping all the honey, and they 

 filled up in a few weeks. Swarms were fotind under 

 large limbs on trees, with several sheets of comb. 

 We had no extractor, or^we might have taken an 

 enormous quantity. One swarm of a neighbor's 

 came out late in June, went back to hive, clustered 

 outside, and built between two hives. When asked 

 to transfer them, they had IV sheets of comb built 

 the height of the hives (box) about 18 Inches wide. 

 I did transfer them, but was cov ered with slings (I 

 can sympathize with Bro. Duster.) They got " on 

 their ears," and some followed me over a mile to- 

 ward home. I had made little headway in control- 

 ling them, and they kept things lively around that 

 house for a week. Well, they filled a "Mitchell" hive 

 in less than three weeks, and I took from it eight 

 full frames, giving empty ones, which were filled as 

 rapidly as at the first. That swarm is famous to- 

 day for honey and stings. All our bees are blacks. 

 No full record was kept, but many times I have 

 weighed 60 lbs. taken at one time, and from one hive. 

 Badly broken comb honey sold that year for 6 and 8 

 cents. Now comes the other part. Three-fifths of 

 our bees died the following winter, leaving the hives 

 mostly full. Since then I have not taken one sur- 

 plus box full. We have had a honey famine for two 

 years, but have hopes of 1881, and reports of hun- 

 dreds of dead colonies of bees. One question: Is it 

 the exception o*rule for Italians to refuse to work 

 in top surplus boxes? Ed. Ladd, Jr. 



Beverly, Macon Co., Mo. 



Thank you, friend L.; for bow that we 

 know what may happen, we will just have 

 every thing in readiness to take care of that 

 honey when it comes. I believe it is pretty 

 well settled, that Italians will not take to 

 the boxes as readily as the blacks, unless Ave 

 make special provision to get them started 

 by large starters in a few of the boxes, and 

 such like means. 



