6d8 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



kp,ai%iff^mt' 



BEE -MEN AS A CLASS. 



S it is nearing the time to renew our subscrip- 

 ^iVv tion to Gleanings, which seems indispen- 

 sable, I want again to give mj' husband a 

 pleasant surprise. Your paper comes the very day, 

 always, on which it is looked for, and read and re- 

 read with pleasure and profit. I have often wanted 

 to ask you privately if you do not think if the re- 

 ports given now and then of such wonderful yields 

 are rather extravagant. I must say, they stagger 

 us unless the bees get it by robbing, which may be 

 carried on more extensive!}' than any one imagines. 

 They are sly little fellows, and have very little con- 

 science. Mr. Mattison packed his hives for winter 

 some time ago, taking good care to give plenty of 

 ventilation on top— something he had before neglect- 

 ed. Now he has the chaff between the walls of the 

 hives instead of large bags of it on top of the bees. 

 The weather in this entire region has been very hot 

 and dry, which, together with an extremely cold 

 winter and late spring, has made it quite a bad year 

 for honey. It was heart-aching work to read of 

 such losses of bees as was so generally sustained 

 last winter; but I have become quite an admirer of 

 '■^bcc-mcn," as they seem to be such a good-natured 

 set of fellows, taking the ups and downs of life so 

 coolly; even in Blasted Hopes they still work on, hav- 

 ing, as one remarked, " some hopes that were not 

 blasted." Success to the great indust'-y, of giving 

 such a choice luxury to the world. 



Emelxne Mattison. 

 Ocean View, Oape May Co., N. J., Oct., 1881. 

 Now, my very good friend, that is a rare 

 compliment you pay our sex ; or if you 

 mean, by the term " bee-men," " bee-wom- 

 en " too, it is a line compliment to tlie fra- 

 ternity, i believe you are right, and that 

 our people are not only hopeful, but ''right 

 smait " almost every w'ay. — I am sorry your 

 faith is not a little stronger in regard to 

 these large yields. Please bear in mind that 

 it is not all due to the owner of the bees, but 

 it seems as if a kind Providence delighted in 

 showering dovm great big rewards, once in a 

 while, to those who have beeti patient, and 

 have suffered disappointment long. There- 

 fore, my good friend, be hopeful ; and when a 

 great tlood of houey shall be sent you, just 

 be in readiness to receive it.— If I am cor- 

 rect, robbers among bees, as well as among 

 men, are never great workers. 



DOES BUCKWHEAT MAKE BEES VENOMOUS? 



The article, " Bees on a Rampage," in September 

 number of Gleanings, reminded me of something 

 I have read. The writer had visited a man who kept 

 bees, and fovind the b^es so cross it was net safe to 

 go near them. The gentleman told him to come the 

 next day, and he would show him his bees. The next 

 day he found the bees perfectly gentle and harmless. 

 The gentleman's explanation was, that his bees had 

 been at work in the buckwheat, and were full of 

 "pizcn." From that article I inferred that buck- 

 wheat has a tendency to make bees peculiarly ven- 

 omous. I suppose old bee-keepers can tell whether 

 it is so. 



medicinal value of BEES. 



Concerning bees as a medicine: A friend of mine 

 some j'ears ago suffered some time from gravel, and 



doctors' medicine did her no good. Some one rec- 

 ommended bee tea. The number of bees was to be 

 seven. They were obtained, and her intense suffer- 

 ing was relieved almost the instant she swallowed 

 the tea. Mrs. A. Knowlton. 



Saunemin, Livingston Co., 111., Oct., 1881. 



I can hardly think that buckwheat has any 

 tendency to make bees venomous ; but as 

 the bees usually work at it only in the morn- 

 ing or fore part of the day, they are quite apt 

 to get to robbing in the afternoon, especially 

 if the weather is quite warm and dry. The 

 visitor very likely came at a time when the 

 bees had been robbing, and of course it was 

 not a very convenient time then to show 

 them. By the next morning, however, they 

 would be all over it, and their owner could 

 then show them without trouble.— Upon in- 

 quiry of one of our best physicians, I lind 

 that the poison from the sting of the bee is 

 one of Iheir most potent remedies for a cer- 

 tain class of diseases. 



GOING TO conventions. 



As we entered the hall at Lexington, Ky., where 

 the convention was in session, we looked to see who 

 was present that we knew. Failing to see A. I. 

 Root, we thought it takes time and money to attend 

 conventions; and while we are here working to pro- 

 mote interest in bee culture, he is at home making 

 money. We beat the bushes, while he catches the 

 game. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



Peoria, 111., Oct.. 1881. 



Now, Mrs. II., I protest. IIow do you 

 know I am not at home shaking bushes, just 

 on purpose to make birds tly all over the land 

 to conventions ? I am pretty certain, any 

 way, that some of the fine birds, brought in- 

 to the conventions by our bright boys and 

 girls, were first started out by some of our 

 friends who stay at home and keep to work 

 a great deal. I tell you there's a " power of 

 bushes " round our ranche that need shak- 

 ing very often. 



ITIAKRIAGES OF eiEG F01.KS. 



BEDELL- ALLBN.-On Wednesday, Oct. 26, 188J, 

 by the Rev. T. R. Faurit Le Roy, at tho. bride's res- 

 idence, J. D. Bedell and Miss Sophie E. Allen, both 

 of the parish of St. Mary, La. No Cards. 



Friend Root:— By this mail I send you a small piece 

 of my wedding cake ; and as I have received so much 

 assistance from you, and succeeded so well in bee- 

 keeping, I should like you to publish my marriage 

 notice in your journal. J. D. Bedell. 



Franklin, La., Oct. 2", 18S!. 



I do not know but that the above is a bad 

 precedent, dear friends; but as it was ac- 

 companied by a box of wedding cake, my 

 wife and I will try to stand our part. I do 

 not mean that getting married is a bad prec- 

 edent, but only the putting it in a bee jour- 

 nal ; and even then, if it should induce some 

 of our single blessed friends (they know who ' 

 I mean, without my looking their way) to 

 get themselves wives, and " bee," somebody, 

 1 do not know what hurt it would do. Well, 

 who among our contributors will be married 

 next? Priend Bedell, the Bible says,— 



By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 

 if ye have love one to another.— John 13:33. 



Now may it be known among all men, 

 that you and your new wife are Christians 

 in the true sense of the word, because you 

 have love one for another. 



