1877. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



127 



you pusl) down some old sticks temporarily, 

 one longer tluin the other perluips, and both 

 askev.', for such work soon becomes unat- 

 tractive and is shunned. Many visitors 

 have admired our apiary, and thought it no 

 wonder we enjoyed bee-keeping in such a 

 place, and these same persons have declared 

 their intention of tipping theii" poor neg- 

 lected hives of bees up square and true, re- 

 moving the weeds, starting grape vines, etc., 

 but alas ! their attempts were too often but 

 a couple of sticks picked up hastily as we 

 have mentioned, and a few vigorous strokes 

 in the battle with old dame nature, and then 

 they desisted before the ''coy old lady" had 

 even had time to yield and bless her devo- 

 tees Avith such smiles as only the successful 

 cultivator of the soil knows she can give. 



Select the site of your workshop, for such 

 we shall expect it to be, near the centre of 

 your plat of ground and drive these posts or 

 stakes so that they stand east and w^est and 

 just three feet from each other, measuring 

 from outside to outside. They are to be 

 driven in the ground so that just four feet 

 is left above, and they must stand plumb 

 and square ; if you can't make them other- 

 wise, gpt a lever and strong chain and twist 

 them until they are so. Now nail a strip of 

 I'lue board Ix'^- inches and 3 feet long, on the 

 y »uth of both, and jus '. level with the top, 

 from ojin to the other; just three feet below^ 

 this, mil a similar one. When the whole is 

 square, true, and plumb, stretch three wii-es 

 from one strip to the other ; these are 

 fo be at equal distances from the posts and 

 fn:m each other, and we woidd then have 

 sonieti;inf- like the following figure. 

 B 



-j 



A 



:E :I) :C 





Let A. A, represent the posts, B, B, the 

 1x3 sUi'ps nailed on the south side of the 

 liijsts. and C, D, E, the wires. These wires 

 ."•iici'ld be galvanized iron wire, about No. 

 Hi < V 17, larger would be more expensive 

 !.n«l no Letter. Now we are all ready to 

 h;ive a fine thrifty Concord grape vine plant- 



ed directly underneath the central wire D. 

 Of course some other grape will do, but we 

 have found none so hardy and thrifty, and 

 that gives us the strong rapid growth that 

 is so desirable for making a shade for om- 

 hives as soon as extreme hot we-lher comes 

 on. Vines are usually planted only in the 

 spring and fall, but we should have very 

 much more confidence in your success if we 

 knew^ you were one of those clever individ- 

 uals who can plant a vine and make it grow, 

 at aiip season of the year. You can surely 

 do it if you have a mind to. Go to your 

 nearest nursery-man (don't ever buy of ped- 

 dlers) tell him what you want, and get him 

 to help you take up the vine, roots dirt and 

 all, soaking the soil with water to make it 

 stick together if need be, while you place 

 the whole in a bushel basket for transporta- 

 tion. Make a large hole beneath your trel- 

 lis, and lift your vine into it as carefully as 

 you took it up, fill in with good soil, and 

 after cutting off all the top but one shoot 

 with three or four leaves, treat it just as you 

 would a hill of com that you wish to do 

 extra v/ell. If the operation is done in hot 

 dry weather, it will probably need watering, 

 and may be shading, until it gets started. 

 "We expect you in future to see that no weed 

 or spear of grass is allowed to make its ap- 

 pearance within a yard at least of this grape 

 vine. Those accustomed to making rustic 

 work, would doubtless be able to make very 

 pretty trellises at a trifling expense for ma- 

 terials. This vine is to have its one shoot 

 tied to the central wire D, as fast as it 

 grows, pinching off all side shoots after they 

 have made one leaf. When it gets to the 

 top of the trellis, pinch it off also, and it 

 will soon throw out side shoots. Pinch all 

 off again except one on each side near the 

 bottom bar B. Train these by tying, straight 

 out horizontally until they reach the posts, 

 then train them up the posts and pinch them 

 off like the middle one. Now get two more 

 shoots to train up the w^ires C, and E, and 

 we are done. The future treatment of the 

 vines consists only in cutting the upright 

 shoots all back to the horizontal arms tied 

 to the low^er bar B, every winter, train- 

 ing hro new shoots up each wire and post 

 every summer, and pinching them off when- 

 ever they get to the top. 



Very well ; yovu- one vine is supposed to 

 have become strong and vigorous, and to 

 have not oidy covered the trellis completely, 

 but to have seemingly become impatient of 

 being I'estrained by the continual pinching 

 back necessary to keep it within such nar- 



