268 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE, 



Oct. 



hollow extends. If the bees are to be saved, 

 the limb or tree should be cut off above the 

 hollow, and allowed to fall. A stout rope 

 may be then tied about the log hive, passed 

 over some lind) above, the end brought down 

 and wrapped about a tree until the hive is 

 cut off ready to lower. When it is down, 

 let it stand an hour or two, or mitil sundown 

 when the bees will have all found, and en- 

 tered the liive. Cover the entrance with 

 wire cloth, and take it home. 



If you want only the honey, and do not 

 care for the bees, you can slab off one side 

 of the hoUow, cut out the combs, and let 

 them down in pails. The bees can very oft- 

 en be saved in this way, as well as the form- 

 er. Fix the brood combs about the right 

 distance apart, in a pail or basket ; the bees 

 will in time collect about them, and may 

 then, toward dark, be carried safely home. 

 Many bee hunters briur^tone the bees, but I 

 am so averse to any such method of kilUng 

 bees, that 1 have not even the patience to 

 describe it. Sometimes the hollow is below 

 the limbs; in this case, the climlier passes a 

 surcingle about him, under his arms, around 

 the tree, and in this position chops the bees 

 out. I have V said nothing about smoke or 

 veils, for so far as my experience goes, none 

 seems to be needed. The bees Ijecome so 

 frightened by the cliopping, tiiat they are 

 perfectly coniiuered and cease entirely, to 

 act on the offensi\'e. It may be well to have 

 some smoking rotten wood near, and a bel- 

 lows smoker would be very convenient to 

 drive the bees out of the way, many times. 



After you have got them down where the 

 combs can be reached, the usual directions 

 for transferring are to be followed. A Ijee- 

 keeper who has a taste for rustic work, 

 might set the log up in his a];)iary, just: to 

 show the contrast between the old style of 

 bee-keeping, and the new. Some very inter- 

 esting facts are to be picked n\) in bee hunt- 

 ing. One of the trees we cut recently, con- 

 tained comb as much as a yard long, and not 

 more than 8 inches wide in the widest \)art. 

 It has been said that bees in a state of na- 

 ture, select cavities best adapted to their 

 needs. I am inclined to think this very poor 

 reasoning. If a farmer allowed nature to 

 take care of his corn tiekls, he would get a 

 very poor crop, and from what 1 have seen 

 of bee trees, 1 should judge tlie poor fellows 

 need to be taken care of, almost as mucli as 

 the corn. We frequently get 100 lbs. of 

 comb from a hive but I never knew a bee 

 tree to give any such amoant, as the product 

 of a single season. We sometimes llnd quite 



a quantity of honey in a tree, it is true, but 

 it is usually old honey, and often the accum- 

 ulation of several years. 



DOKS UKE HUNTING TAY ':? 



If you (iaii earn, a dolhir per diiy at some 

 steady employment, I do not thuxk it would,, 

 as a rule ; but there are doubtles loccilities 

 where an expert, would make it pay well, in 

 the fall of the year. With the facilities we 

 now have for rearing bees, a bee-keeper 

 would stock an apiary nuich quicker by 

 rearing the bees, than he would by bringing 

 theui home from the woods, and transfer- 

 ring. In tlie former case he would have 

 nice straight combs, especially if he used 

 the fdn., but the cx)mbs from the woods, 

 would require a great amoimt of fussing 

 with, and they would never be nearly as nice 

 as those built on the fdn., even then. So 

 much by way of discouragement. On the 

 other hand, a ramljle ui the woods such as 

 bee liunting furnishes, is one of the most 

 healthful forms of recreation, that I know 

 of ; and it gives one a chance to study, not 

 only tiie habits of the bees, but the flowers 

 as well, for in hunting for a bee to start 

 with, we find many plants that are curious 

 and many tliat we would not otherwise 

 know they freciueuted. In our recant trips, 

 we were astonished to tind the Simpson 

 honey plant of which so much has been said 

 in our Journals recently, growing in our owii 

 neigliborliood, and we saw the bees diinking 

 the sweet water out of the little hollow balls, 

 or rather i)itcher sliaped blossoms. Again, 

 clhnbing and taking the bees out of one of 

 the monarchs of the forest, is really one of 

 the fine arts, if done safely ; ami I feel like 

 takuig off uiy hat in deference to the one 

 who does tlie work nicely, something as I 

 would to a renowned docit)r or kiwyer, or au 

 expert mcclianic. 



NEVER (.iUAllUEL A1U)UT BEE TREES. 



When you have found yoin- tree, go at 

 once to the owner of the land, and get per- 

 mission to get your bees. No matter what 

 the law allows, do nothing in his absence, 

 you would not do if he were standing by, 

 and do yovu- work with as clear a conscience 

 as you woidd work in your own bee yard. 

 Many qnarrelsand disagi"eements and much 

 liard feeling, has been engendered by cut- 

 ting bee trees. If I am correctly informed, 

 bees are the proi)erty of whoever finds them 

 lust ; and on this account it is custcnuary to 

 cut the initials of the tinder, with the date, 

 in the body of the tree ; but you have no 

 more right to cut the owner's timber with- 

 out permission tlian you have to cut his corn. 



