113 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



3Iav 



t';ie ends of the. frames, tvithout any loose lix- 

 inirs that will hinder in opening the hives rap- 

 idly; and also to allow this piece of cloth to 

 drop down so as to prevent light from coming 

 through the glass division boards. Possibly a 

 lai'ge cord hemmed alona; the edge of the cloth 

 "might do this, but as this would be considera- 

 ble trouble, it has been neglected, and feeling 

 that the house apiary was of late rather an un- 

 pleasant place, it has been, I feai', rather avoid- 

 ed. Several times, conscience has spoken 

 strongly, and 1 have marched to the spot with 

 a determination to fix the trouble at once. 

 But afcer I a-ot there, thought it was not so 

 very bad, that this hive was good enough, that 

 I didn't i-eally know how to fix the next, and 

 finally all I did was to sit in the easy camp 

 chair awhile and then go back to business that 

 I felt more interest in, leaving the whole un- 

 touched. Now this is just the very spirit that 

 ruins apiaries ; that lets bees starve, that 

 makes homes tumble down affairs, and un- 

 pleasant; that makes failures in business, and 

 for aught I know ruins nations. Leaving im- 

 portant duties undone because you don't fee! 

 like it. Is not poverty a real blessing when it 

 makes one dig right into the business on hand 

 whether he feels like it or not ? And then how 

 much better one feels when they have really 

 driven away this restless snirit, and find them- 

 selves happy and contented in doing just what 

 they know they ought to do. Da you suppose 

 our mothers never felt weary of going through 

 the same dull routine of duties day after day, 

 to give us our daily bread? Set about the 

 work you have on hand, and with a determin- 

 ation you will do it faithfully and well, even if 

 you should feel no enjoyment in it for a whole 

 week; and sooner or later you will feel that 

 tranquillity of mind that always comes to those 

 who arc persistently, faithful, diligent and indus- 

 trious. As for me, if I don't have that house 

 apiary in apple pie order, and the hives so that 

 not a bee can even make faces under the cloth 

 covers, before I give one word more of advice 

 to an J" one, then you may say I had better do 

 more, and trdk less. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Little victories. 

 ^J AST year, we gave IG pages of matter 

 -'"Ll| for 75 cents, and now, we give you 34 

 pages just as broad and just as long, without 

 counting the four pages of "Our Homes" at all, 

 for igl.OO. Furthermore, all those who paid 

 only 75 cents at the beginning of the year, can 

 send the extra 35 cents or not, as they choose. 

 You are all to be j'our own judges, but here- 

 after, the price is to be f 1.00. The main point 

 is, that no charge is made to any one for the 

 "home department" and the 35 cents that we 

 asked for, has no reference to it. These four 

 leaves you are to consider a free gift, and I 

 would be very glad indeed to omit them for 

 the few who have objected to them ; but as 

 our addressing, etc., is all done by machinery, 

 it would cost us much more to leave them out, 

 than to send them all along, alike. If you do 

 tear them out before they are read, I shall not 

 feel at all hurt, for very likely you are right 

 about it. Sometimes a physician in attending 

 a patient, forms an acquaintance of such a na- 



ture that he likes to make friendly calls afcer 

 he has ceased to be needed professipually. 

 That is just as I feel ; you have paid me for 

 my work on the other pages, and now school 

 is over, for to day, and I am just stopping a 

 few minutes for a social chat. Yon will shake 

 hands pleasantly even if you do not quite 

 agree with me, AViU you not? I do not like to^ 

 make any exceptious ; if you have been unkind 

 to me I freely forgive it, and if I have dis- 

 pleased, please overlook it on the gi'ound that 

 we are all dlffdrent ; like the brood of chickens, 

 of many colors, but all chickens after all. 



Friend Heddon was offended because we re- 

 fused to publish an article that we thought 

 unprofitable. As we can find room for only a 

 small part of the articles sent, who shall decide 

 whicii are meritorious, and which are not? 

 So long as yon send me your subscriptions, I 

 shall conclude you wish me to do this work, 

 and I will try and do it faithfully. Friend Coe 

 of the house apiary — we trust we shall be abl'" 

 to speak of each other in a frieadly way, whir- 

 ever happens — charg^es us unjustly with pur- 

 posely clipping his article so as to alter its 

 meaning; this is certainly a mistake, for we 

 did it only because it seemed to us a useless 

 repetition of what had previously appeared in 

 Gleanings. We consider it a duty we owe 

 you all, to prune all matter sent ns, and we 

 shall always take this liberty unless forbidden : 

 in that case, we shall throw it in the basket if 

 ws, think it needs %w\tniiig If such articles are 

 to be returned if not accepted, mentiou it and 

 enclose the stamps. Gleanings shall not be 

 the vehicle of unprofitable controversies, and 

 as I may err in trying to guard against this, I 

 will freely return the money to any dissatisfied 

 subscriber, for all unexpired time. Let us at 

 least settle all differences pleasantly. Friend 

 Coe, in a mild and neighborly way, I wish to 

 saj' that I do not consider anything about ??i,y 

 house apiary patentable ; and feel it a duty to 

 stand lietween you and ra^v readers if you try 

 to prevent them from building tliem. Only 

 last week a neighbor said he had built ono 

 much larger than ours, but that he omitted 

 the building paper, although he knew it was 

 cheaper and better, because he did not wish to 

 infringe on any patent. A patent can no more 

 prevent our using several thicknesses of build- 

 ing paper than it can prevent our using several 

 thicknesses of shingle or siding. If you cav£ 

 by law, make out that I am infringing, I wiii 

 submit pleasantly, and will in no case think o; 

 you harshly or unkindly, further than that you 

 are an erring brother, whom I wish to see 

 righted. 



Friend Bingham why do you waste talent^ 

 that are capable of better things in makiug 

 prominent the weak points of a brother bee- 

 keeper? Do you know how painful it is to a 

 stranger to see bi'others and sisters quarreling? 

 Come, let us drop it all and see who can make 

 the most honey, and let us promise that if we 

 get beat, we will take our ill-fortune pleasant- 

 ly. You with your black bees friend B., Mr. 

 Coe with his house apiary, and Mr. Heddon 

 with — what is it you recommend friend H.? 

 Box hives and brimstone ? 



We are almost throu:?h this chapter, and 

 have as yet said nothing of the "little victo- 

 ries" at the head of it. When we finished the 



