108 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apb. 



abuse a kind wife and a family of pretty cliil- 

 dren, said that be at one time, after the death 

 of one of the little ones, wrote a promise in the 

 family Bible not to drink any more. He even 

 wrote this side by side with the register of the 

 death of the little one, just because he felt that 

 it would then be more sacred, but as he was 

 not a follower of Christ, of course he did not 

 go down on his knees, and asfe the dear Sav- 

 iour to give him the strength to keep to this 

 good resolution. He kept sober for awhile, 

 but as soon as he got among his old compan- 

 ions, down he went as he had many times be- 

 fore, and he then gave up, and thought there 

 was no use trying. He afterwards got into a 

 revival meeting, and gave his heart entirely to 

 the Lord, and do you suppose he then drank 

 any more V Of course he did not, and further 

 more by keeping close to his Saviour in daily 

 prayer, he, like the young man with the tobac- 

 co, lost all taste or desire for it. The smell 

 has now become to him disagreeable. Do you 

 now know why we call Jesus Christ our 

 SAVIOUR ? 



Going into the jail to see the j'oung man 

 mentioned, I took a passing glance at three 

 other young men who were there confined, and 

 their faces so impressed me, that I asked per- 

 mission to hold a Bible Class in the jail. When 

 I first mentioned the matter, they seemed rath- 

 er troubled and annoyed, but after a little talk, 

 they were quite at ease, and before I left they, 

 all but one, joined in singing one of the Gospel 

 Hymns. When I then asked permission to 

 kneel in prayer with them, they all assented, 

 and knelt with me. Do you think as I left, 

 promising to be on hand promptly every Sab- 

 bath, that any doubts beset me as to the pro- 

 priety of the undertaking ? Or do you think 

 it strange that I really loved those poor fel- 

 lows without having ever learned why they 

 were imprisoned \ While at the jail, I had 

 some conversation with the slierriff's wife, and 

 she told me of her native town where the 

 churches and Sabbath Schools both seemed to 

 have scarcely life enough in them, to hold out 

 much longer, and of the way intemperance 

 was prevailing, and then urged me to try and 

 visit them long enough to start them anew. 

 What a field there is for labor, and how it does 

 open out and widen out, when one once gets 

 to work. I thought the lady's face seemed fa- 

 miliar, and pretty soon I learned that she was 

 the person who lirst suggested at that confer- 

 ence meeting, that 1 was the one to undertake 

 the Sabbath School I have told you about du- 

 ring the past few months. Just one chance 

 observation that she had forgotten all about, 

 started the train of thought that led me into 

 this work, and mouths after, I had been led 

 into that very jail, step by step. In the course 

 of events the lady who gave the advice, had 

 in charge these very boys who, as they told 

 her, felt they had hardly a friend in the world. 

 Little do we know of the efl'ect of a single 

 kind and encouraging word, nor where the ball 

 may stop that is once set rolling, for either good 

 or bad. 



Let us see ! A young minister came to our 

 town a few years ago, and by his boyish and 

 earnest way, touched m.e, and made me feel 

 more uneasy, than could perhaps the combined 

 efforts of Mie best orators. I argued the mat- 



ter with him, but he told me in plain, strong 

 terras, that my influence was bad, and that I 

 was not a good Christian. I tried to ignore 

 him, and to go along in the old way, but find- 

 ing no peace, I gave up, became humbled, and 

 asked for instruction. Pretty soon I found 

 rayseli seconding his efforts, first at home, and 

 then in a little broader field, and finally the 

 eflects of his labors with one single individual, 

 have gone clear into your home, dear rcadei', 

 through the medium of these Home Papers, 

 and if they have been instrumental in stirring 

 to activity the soul of one single brother or 

 sister in this broad land, I shall feel that the 

 Master has indeed, some message for us all to 

 deliver to some one else. 



eNE word about my selling bses from advertisiiiir ; 

 last fall I advertised in 3 jxipsrs 100 swarms at .?:;. 

 and S6. I paid out §8. and sold 27 swarms, so you see 

 tkey do not sell vnry fast even at that price. One ques- 

 tion ; how much more are bees worth in the c-pnns that 

 have wintered well, than in the fall ? I am wintering in 

 three different ways ; in cellar, in trench, and in chalT. 

 The best chaff, is clover I thuik. Albert Potteu. 



Eureka, Wis., Dec. 23d, 187G. 



[t would suggest that we call a swarm of bees v/orlh v 

 more, the first of May, than they v/ere the fall previous . 

 To illustrate, we will call a good colony of Italians wortl> 

 just before the honey season, S15.00, and but SlO.OOafLer 

 the honey season is over. At this pries they should Vic 

 well provisioned for winter ; without, say $.7.50.] 



I received your extractor o:i the 10th of Juqc. I be- 

 gan the season with 10 colonies, increased to 19 and 

 took 1268 lbs. extracted and about 2o0 lbs. of box hon- 

 ey. All the honey that I did noC consume, except 15(> 

 lbs., 1 sold at from 22 to 30 cts. My bees arc mostly 

 Italian. I use the Quinby suspended frame, my objci-t 

 is to double my stocks, keep my bees in the best pos- 

 sible condition, and secure the greatest possiljle 

 amount of first-chws extracted honey. Shall I buiUl 

 double width or two story hives ? [The latter.] "With 

 8 frames in lower story would 10 frames in an upper 

 sto^y made larj?!"- enough, be of material advantage ? 

 [We think not.] In rii)enirtg honey after it is taken 

 from the hive, is it best done in a deep or shallow ves- 

 sel ? [Shallow.] will it be best to keep the vessel 

 standing in hot water or near, or on the stove? 



Henky Kulf, Hilliard, O., Jan. l!)th, '77. 



[Either way v/ill answer but if the latter be caretul 

 about OTerlieating.] 



Win you allow the discounts named on Idn., if the 

 amount bought before July 1st in the aggregate 

 reaches 50 or 100 lijs.? [Yes.] What heft is best for 

 surplus boxes ar.d for brood chamber? [Thinnest 

 with good walls.] VYill bees rear brood in it as read- 

 ily as in natural comb? [Disputed questions, altho' 

 we can not sec that our bees make any diflerericc.] Is 

 there any perceptible difference between s\irphis 

 honey in frames or boxes furnished with fdn., and 

 those constructed entirely by the bees? 



J. B. Mains, Bedford, O., Feb. 10th, "77. 



[We think no one would discover the difforence, 

 unless it was pointed out to him. With the very thin 

 tdn. produced liy "'i'' machines, we think wc can d 'ly 

 cxpeits, JO tell cin" from the other,] 



