1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



491 



a pound of honey from their bees, but almost all the 

 old stands have plenty to winter on, and the bees are 

 still getting- enough outside to live on, so we will not 

 be as bad olf as in 1879. There was no increase to 

 amount to any thing this year. My apiary is situat- 

 ed high up in the mountains, and in a good season 

 have an abundance of bbiom of hundreds of varie- 

 ties. 



I forgot to tell you that my bees arc black. I will 

 try some Italians next spring, and see Avbat the dif- 

 ference is, if any. "Wilkins is about 1- miles from 

 my place. No honey this year. He is buying to 

 ship to England. Ci. W. Lechler. 



Newhall, Los Angeles Co., Cal., Aug. 'M, 1881. 



RAITIBLiE NO. 7. 



/fs^UH ramble this time takes us to the town of 

 IIMw) Granville, and to the apiary of Charley Blos- 

 ^-^^ som. Mr. B. has about 80 swarms, and runs 

 them for comb honey. His bees are in the Lang- 

 stroth hive, and are allowed to swarm naturally, 

 and two or more swarms are put together in the 

 new hive, or they are put in until the hive is over- 

 flowing with bees. The sections are put on and are 

 tilled in an incredibly short time. Thus a large yield 

 of honey is obtained from the new swarms. Our 

 friend Charley winters his bees upon their summer 

 stands with Acry good success. Instead of packing 

 with chatf, he uses a hive made of I'i lumber. 

 The soil upon which they stand is a gravelly loam: 

 but little moisture is retained on the surface, and 

 the warming- influence of the sun is felt more here 

 than upon other soils. We think it may have some 

 influence during the winter. Another prominent 

 bee-keeper of this town is Stephen Staples. As he 

 has just commenced his study of the habits of the 

 honey-bee, and has had good success in raising a 

 line lot of honey, and losing a number of swarms 

 during the past winter, he prefers to be classed with 

 the A B C's at present. We howe-ver predict his suc- 

 cess in the future, for he is a most successful far- 

 mer, and one of the most renowned fox-hunters In 

 all of this section. 



In another portion*of Granville we find Stephen 

 Carpenter, a man over 70, whose weight is over 300. 

 Mr. C. has a line cellar, and makes it a point to put 

 his bees in the heart of it, thus giving them plenty 

 of ventilation all around. The heart of his cellar 

 did not save his bees, through last winter, as his loss 

 was fuUj' one-half. Both of the above Stephens be- 

 long to the society of Friends, and we all know what 

 good thrifty people they all are. There are several 

 others starting apiaries in this town; but all they 

 want is just to get honey enough for their own use, 

 when we know they are itching for a hundred 

 swarms and piles of honey. Another peculiai'ity 

 with some is, that " my daughter or my v^on does the 

 fuHsina with the bees." 



In the adjoining town of Whitehall are also several 

 bee-keepers, and it is a good locality for the storing 

 of honey. Kaspberries, white clover, and basswood 

 are abundant, while upon the marshes around the 

 head of Lake Champlain are quantities of button- 

 bushes. 



We will visit but one apiary in this town, and hope 

 your juvenile class will find some thing in it to en- 

 courage them. Willie McLachlin is a boy about 11 

 years of age. He had two swarms in the spring, 

 and purchased a few moi-e, which, with his new 



swarms, gave him nine. From these he sold ttfty 

 dollars' worth of honey up to the first of August. 

 His honey is put up in pound sections; a neat label 

 is attached to each one, and his demand at 20 cts. per 

 lb. is greater than his supply. One swarm gave him 

 75 Ids. Of course, Willie's father and mother en- 

 courage him in all this, and the consequence is, that 

 instead of being a noisy street-boy he is a quiet bus- 

 iness lad. 



We wish here to call your attention to that bee- 

 sting mentioned in Ramble No. .5, June No. I have 

 recently seen Mr. Andrews, and can give further de- 

 tails. The honey was taken from the hive in the 

 fall, and put away for winter use. It was in a large 

 box, and as the honey was gradually used out there 

 was some drip in the bottom. It was in May, fully 

 seven months since the honey had been taken from 

 the hive, that his daughter dipped up a spoonful of 

 honey from the bottom of the box, and in the act of 

 swallowing, the sling alone (there was no bee in the 

 honey) caught in her throat, and the poison took ef- 

 fect unmistakably, as she was always affected with a 

 prickling sensation over the whole body. The doc- 

 tor, after removing the sting, examined it under a 

 glass, and could see the poison-sac, and the sting had 

 a fresh appearance. It was certainly preserved 

 in the honey for months. J. H. Maktix. 



Hartford, N. Y., Aug. 19, 1881. 



May the Lord bless Willie McLachlin, and 

 may his example move more to do likewise ! 

 The salvation of our country depends on 

 such as he. The streets and crowds of boys 

 around our depots are the places where Sa- 

 tan is continually training our youth for the 

 purpose of replenishing our prisons and re- 

 form schools. May the Lord bless thee, 

 AVillie, and help you to stay right where you 

 are, despite the temptations tiiat shall per- 

 haps s<wn tend to lead you away 1— I can not 

 quite give up about that bee-sting, friend 

 M., especially as you say the sting with its 

 poison-bag had a fresh appearance. Is it 

 possible tor any one to be sure it might not, 

 in some unaccountable way, have come right 

 from some live bee within a few moments V 



A%INTEBING. 



ALSO SOME THING IN FAVOR OF OUTDOOR WIN- 

 TERING. 



fJlHE first condition for the successful wintering 

 of bees is to have bees to winter, and plenty 

 - — ' of them in every hive; good strong colonies, 

 completely crowding the brood-chamber in October, 

 are the best. These are best obtained by keeping 

 each colony in prime condition through the sum- 

 mer. If this has not been done, weak ones should 

 be doubled up till all are strong. 



The second condition Is an abundance of good 

 sealed stores, provided as early in the season as pos- 

 sible, and kept for winter use. Colonies which are 

 used to get box honey will usually have enough in 

 the brood-chamber, but those used for extracted 

 honey will often be short. Even if we do not ex- 

 tract from the brood-chamber (I never do), if they 

 have a good queen they will carry the honey nearly 

 all above, and give the room in the upper story to 

 the queen. Some combs of sealed honey should be 

 kept for such colonies. Honey is the natural food 

 of bees, and when gathered and sealed up early in 

 the season is as good and cheap as any. Give them 



