1)3TC 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



^2 IS 



tlo and are not what experdenc-e teaches us is useful 

 and profitable. In like mxuiner, the circus rider teach- 

 es his horse a groat many ■curioiis antics, which the 

 matter ofta-ct man would have no use for in the solid 

 service of the ix>a',}ster or t2ie cart hoise. The labor 

 aiecessary to keep up an apiary of 200 <5olonic^ and 

 anakc ami prepare all the i>ar-aphernalia of a modern 

 ■establishuient, requires -all the tiKie of a bee-keeper. 

 ■1 keep, on my own place, 200 colonies, with a little at- 

 'ienlion irom the i;ardciw3r to hive one swarm irom 

 •each parent stock, and the tiuie I take in putting on 

 ilioney boxes and removing when fille<l— more an 

 amuseiaent thatn lalxjr. I ssy one swarm only from a 

 iliive, which you caa t<»ll your oorrespotMlent C B. 

 t'riend, is effected by hiving a natural swarm, and as 

 foonas they are quiet in tific new house, placing the 

 Hiive on thestaad of the parent stock aad removing the 

 latter 10 or K y-ards. Tlie new, acquires new sia-ength 

 by the l>ees from the old stock returning to that local- 

 sty. The old hive will send out no other swarm that 

 fieasoH, but gather stores rapidly if Uic pasiu.rage is 

 ^'ood. 



The work to make one frame hive will make a dozen 

 itriangular hives such as I use, twenty-two inches 

 cfiuilateral, and the glass or tin hoses containing 10 

 dbs. honey will cost 13 cents, and with these simple 

 raeans I will coHjpare results with any apic«Uurist in 

 eiie country provided all things are e^iual. 



The common lanucr wants 15 or 20 colonies I'or toaie 

 aise, iias no time to nurse bees the live long day, he 

 wanls a simple cheap hive and plain honey boxes all 

 of same pattern, so that any one will fit on the hive. 

 He wants one swarai each from his old colonies. 

 Then if the pasturage Is gootl, and he has common 

 sense, he is sure of a bountiful harvest of houey, and 

 colonies enough to sell half his stock with the least 

 ^.rouble imaginable, free of the ten thousand annoy- 

 -mces which the regular apiculturist imagine-s are 

 actually necessary. 



It seems that everybody nowadays who hives a 

 swarm of bees thinks he knows all about it; hence 

 She superfluous suggestions. Just think of ventHa- 

 ■^iiiT?. Is that following nature ? Do the bees not close 

 mp all ajKirtures, even the entrance, when too large? 

 •Another absurd operation is the boring a one inch 

 aioie entirely through the center of tiie comb to give 

 S-'a.sage to the bees, when they have already left 

 enough gate-ways for all purposes. 



My apiary is located among plum trees. I prefer 



natural swarming to artificial. 1 permit one swarm 



only to issue from same stock. Iveep the stock strong 



and dispense with most of the humbugs on the subject. 



Geo. E. Peteus. M. D. 



!^ S.— I don't supiwse you will publish my views as 

 it is not strengthening the position of all you zealots, 

 but trzitk is what we. are all striving at, and I am re- 

 minded here of Campbell, 



"When science from Creation's face 

 EnchantmenTs veil withdraws. 



What fairy visions yield (heir place 

 To cold material laws." 

 G. B. P., Council Bend, Ark,, Aug. 5th, 76. 



We should ix; very sorry iudeed, to seem un- 

 willing to give a fair hearing to any side of 

 bee-culture, even though it might be some- 

 thing that would result in pecuniary loss to 

 ourselves, as manufacturers of implements for 

 the apiary. The above letter seemed so can- 

 did and straight forward, we sent the writer 

 ^5.00 at once for the articles mentioned, and 

 asked him to send us one of his hives. His 

 reply is below. 



The five doUar bill enclosed, I return to you. Th« 

 triangular hives I have preijared for my own use, are 

 rather rude and my tirae is aow so engaged in pre- 

 paring to sell the crop cotton from four iar^e planta- 

 tions that I can not immeciately send you one, hut 

 will do so .(gratis) some time this winter. The fact of 

 yo«r sending me that bill, proves that you are en- 

 deavoring to reader the bee lousiness a certain and 

 profitable ^-ocation, Kud your Bee journal a medium 

 of truth, of facts observed, and a scientiflc colbction 

 of all the most useful inventions connected with api- 

 Cttlture. I have hitherto looked upon all Bee journals 

 as I do upon all other journ.alism, that is, asahusi- 

 ness for a livelihowl; rather -catch penny trai)s" but 

 t&is remittance of yours has done more to convince 

 me, that your object is usefulness as well as thrifii- 

 ness, thao all the articles you could write in twelve 

 Eiontias. With the kindest i-eciprocal sentiments I 

 will write some articles in an old-fashioned way 

 which may not suit the fashions of apiculturists now- 

 adays, but our Mr. Heddon, no doubt wiil read them. 

 I will soon write an article "Why do Bees selt.'e on 

 any object when they swarta naturally, and not go 

 directly to the woods?" 



2d. My siuiple method of hiving a natural swarm. 



3d. Bee pasturage iu the alluvium of ibe Mississippi 

 river bottom. 



4th, Winteritsg bees in this latitude. 



But as I aEi moi^ of an observer than teacher, / 

 would rather read the suggestions of others who are 

 more corapetent than mysel!- I am a free thinker up- 

 on every subject and believe nothing without a reason 

 to sustain it, and ia all the economy of bees, upon 

 close inspection, there is a cause which impels the 

 instinct of this wonderful insect. 



Geo. B. Peteks. 



Covmcil Bend, Arkansas, Aug. 17th, '7(''. 



IPex'taii^iiig tro Bee Ciiltvire. 



tWe respectfully solicit the aid of our friends i« 

 conducting this liepartwicut, and would consider it 

 a favor to have them send us all circulars that have 

 a deceptive api)earance. The greatest care will be at 

 all times maintained to prevent injustice being done 

 any one.] 



s^iRIEND ROOT :— Enclosed I send you an order 

 Jn wliich I received of the name signed. The 0th, of 

 — ' Dec. I shipped the 8 boxes as a sample, which he 

 recei\ed, as I have his receipt. But the pay for it has not 

 yet come. I have written to him several times, but get no 

 answer. Had he paid for the sample, he would have got 

 200 lbs. more. As it is, the S7.60, price of sample, 1 have 

 not received. Can you tell where this Charles Freed can 

 be found ? dealer in comb and strained honey, etc. (was 

 some time). No. 218 Arch St. Philadelphia, Pa. 



Lymak Legg, Rose, N. Y. Aug. 8th, 1876. 



The letter referred to is written on a sheet 

 that has a large bee-hive on it, and proclaims 

 in large engraved letters "The American 

 Honey House." Contents : 



MR. LYMAN LEGG:— Sejid about 50 lbs. of small 

 boxes as sample ; i)ack them well, so as not to move 

 about Go to some store and get an old boot bos, this is 

 what is generally used, and cover with strijjs alx)ut one 

 inch apart, so as to show what is in it ; also, put one on 

 each end for handles. Prepare as above and mark, "this 

 side up with care." Chable.S Peeed. 



No. 218 Arch St. Phiklelphia, Pa. Dec. 1st, 187-1. 

 Now friend Legg, you or any other of our 

 readers are very thoughtless indeed, if you 

 send your money to any one you know noth- 



