1883 



JUVENILE GLEANINGS. 



183 



THE FISHER CHILDREN AND THE BEE-TREE. 



My pa had 3 hives of bees iQ the ppring, and now 

 he has ten. He sot lots of honey from them. The 

 12th of February he had my uncle and one of our 

 neighbors cutting logs for him; and as I heard the 

 tree fall, my little sister and I ran to them and went 

 up in the tree-top, and I thought it curious to see 

 bees flying around there; and so I went on a little 

 further, and found the bees. It was late In the 

 evening, and wc put a quilt over them and let them 

 stay till the next day about noon, and then we took 

 the hive and hived them. My pa put them In the 

 house and let them stay a day or two, and then put 

 them out where the other bees wen,-, and the bees 

 began to rob them; and then he took them back in- 

 to the house and began to feed them. My school is 

 out now. I went every day. There were 98 days^ 

 and I missed but two lessons. 



Fkanky FisHEit, age 11. 



My pa has bees, and I help him tend to them. He 

 takes Gleanings, and I read so much about little 

 children writing, I thought I would write some. My 

 mother has 9 birds, and I help her tend to them, and 

 I wash the dishes for her. Lela Fisher, age 9. 



Maplewood, Ind., Feb. 24, 1883. 



FOUU-VEAR-OLD HARRY'S EXPERIENCE IN BEE CUL- 

 TURE. 



My papa works in the sash factory. One night 

 last summer -when he came home he said, " Who has 

 been taking the covers off the bee-hives?" 



Our four-year-old Harry said, '* I did, papa, but the 

 bees hit me so 1 could not put them on again." I am 

 left-handed. Anne V. D. Case, age 9. 



THE HIVE THAT WAS QUEHNLESS, ETC. 



We began keeping bees list spring. Father pur- 

 chased three swarms of what were called Italians, 

 bnt we have made up our minds that they are hy- 

 brids. One swarm proved to bequeenless; but we 

 did not take any bee paper, so did not know what 

 was the matter. After some time an old man came 

 to our house, and was looking at the bees, when he 

 discovered that there was no queen. The swarm 

 became reduced so much that we put the rest of 

 them in with another swarm and now we have two 

 nice colonies. I think we shall have no more 

 trouble, now that we take Gleanings. Father Is 

 going to send for an A B G book. 



STONE FOR HIVE-COVERS. 



There is a stone - quai'ry a little way out of town, 

 and father was there getting stones to flag our col- 

 lar bottom, when he found some very thin ones, 

 which the man gave him. He brought some home, 

 and made covers for the Simplicity hives. First he 

 squared the stone, then took a common prick punch 

 and marked it around. Then he broke it across a 

 saw-horse. It is as true as slate. The stones are 

 from li to Ji of an inch thick. I should like your 

 opinion in regard to the stone covers. 



Hattie L. Case, age li. 



Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y., Feb. 20, 1883. 



I think theV will do tiptop, Ilattie. They 

 won't warp, rot, leak, nor get blown off by 

 the wind. If you rub two against each oth- 

 er, you can make them as smooth as a board. 

 Thank you for the idea, little friend. 



ought to know something, so I am going to tell you 

 something new for the Juvenile. I guess it is new, 

 because I don't see it in any of your bee-papers ©r 

 books. 



CHARLIE'S PLAN FOR UNITING NUCLEI. 



When you want to double up your nuclei in the 

 fall, or weak hives in the spring, just lift all the 

 hives and set them close to the one where you are 

 going to leave them. Lift out all the frames, and 

 shake all the bees down in front of the hive; cover 

 the hive up; move all the hives and the fixing that 

 had the bees in; then take a little hammer and rap 

 on the side of the hive till those inside roar again; 

 then these fellows outside think they are swarming, 

 so they will all run in, and these that are flying will 

 all come in too, and stay there without fighting. 



Charles Whitfield. 



Dundas, Out., Can., Feb. 19, 1883. 



Your plan is a very good one, Charles, and 

 the drumming you describe will usually 

 cause them to accept the new location, ancl 

 adhere to it, just as if they were a natural 

 swarm. 



THE HEN BUSINESS. 



I have been reading the Juvenile, and I see that 

 you have been in the hen business. I wish that you 

 would write some more about hens. That is what 

 interests me the most, for I am in the hen business. 

 I am going to see what a girl 10 years old can do 

 raising chickens this summer. I want you to ask 

 some of your nieces if they want to see who can 

 raise the most chickens this summer, then we will 

 write and tell you in the fall. 



Our bees are in the ceUar yet, and they want to 

 get out very much; but the yard where we keep 

 them is full of snow. Papa let his bees fly last year 

 the lOlh of February. Gertie S. Hall. 



Northfleld, Minn., March 1, 1883. 



Well, Gertie, we have got about two or 

 three dozen hens; but tliey lind so many 

 places to hide their nests in our big ware- 

 house, that we can never lind them. If you 

 know of any little girl who is real qoo'd at 

 linding hen's-nests, 1 wish she would come 

 and help us get the eggs. 



A voung bee-man's lettuii. 

 I am ten years old, and have had to watch the bees 

 all summer for five years, to see when they were go- 

 ing to swarm. I can hive them alone, go yoq see I 



ABOUT THE BEES, AND HOW TO MAKE HENS L.VY, &C. 



Pa got 1100 lbs. of extracted houey from 35 stands 

 last summer, and we extracted about 18 lbs. last Sat- 

 urda3\ 



If you want to get a heap of eggs, take red pepper 

 and dry it by the fire, so you can mash it, and mix 

 with the feed; then give it to the hens once a week. 

 I see so many of you are asking Bible questions, I 

 thought I would ask one. Where was Moses when 

 the light went out? Sister Fannie has written a let- 

 ter, and sends it with mine. 



Bettie G. Faris, age 13. 



My pa has been keeping bees for 15 years, and has 

 a sawmill on his farm. Our chickens have the chol- 

 era. Do you know what will cure them? I help my 

 two little brothers haul fodder, and we have the 

 most fun on top of it. I have a little brother, as 

 sweet as a peach, and he has blue eyes. 



Fannie M. Faris, age 9. 



Town House, Smyth Co., Va. 



And so you are Mr. Faris's children, are 

 you, Bettie and FannieV We know him, for 

 hu is the man who makes fdn. with plaster 

 molds. Thank you, Bettie, for telling how 

 to make the hens lay. I don't know how to 



