7(5 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
J mv. 
OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT, 
Or First Principles in Bee-Keeping'. 
(Designed especially for the veriest novices, and 
those who know nothing of bees whatever. Dominat- 
ed bv a fellow Novice of several years experience 
replete with blunders, as well as with occasional 
successes.] 
'fj'J; VERY few days, some one calls on 11 s to 
.11 know something about Bee-Keeping. 
Although ’tis not always the first query, it 
comes along very soon as to whether bees real- 
ly pay in the long run. We inform them that 
our Apiary has always paid 11 s a fair profit, 
and a few seasons a very generous one, but 
still like nearly all new industries, in some 
respects it must be considered quite uncertain. 
Oftentimes comes the query, “If one is going 
to devote their time to the business had they 
not better buy 40 or 50 colonies so as to have | 
an income from them at once?” to which we 
reply, we should consider such a proceeding ! 
not only very unwise, but almost sure to end 
in failure. 
"Well, tell us just wliat yon would advise 
then Mr. N. to learn as speedily as we can 
consistently with safety. Give us a short cut 
that will relieve us of the necessity of wading 
through long chapters of dry details, if such a 
thing be possible. Tell us how to act, and let 
ns be doing something.” 
With all our heart, and as we very much de- 
tire that your undertaking be a source of pleas- 
ure as well as profit, please excuse us if we 
insist that you commence on a firm basis — do 
well what you do, do. 
WHAT TO DO FIRST. 
Get two posts 6 feet long and three inches 
square, these must be of some durable wood, 
white oak for instance. If you can afford the 
trouble and expense we really would prefer 
that you have them planed and painted, at any 
rate do not expect your Apiary ever to be any 
thing you may be proud of, if you push down 
some old sticks temporarily, one longer than 
tlie other perhaps, and both askew, for such 
work soon becomes unattractive and is shun- 
ned. Many visitors have admired our Apiary, 
and thought it no wonder we enjoyed bee-keep- 
ing in such a place, and these same persons : 
have declared their intention of tipping their 1 
poor neglected hives of bees up square, and 
true, removing 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 
tlie battle with old dame nature, and then they 
desisted before the “coy old lady” had even had 
time to yield and bless her devotees with such 
smiles as only the successful cultivator of the 
soil know's she can give. 
Select the site of your workshop, for such 
we shall expect it to be, near the house, and 
where it can have plenty of sun ; and if conve- 
nient slanting slightly to the south. Drive 
these posts or stakes in the ground, so that 
they stand east and west and just three feet i 
from eacli other, measuring from outside to 
outside. They are to he driven in the ground 
so that just four feet of them is left above, and 
they must stand plumb and square ; if yon 
can’t make them otherwise, get a lever and 
strong chain and twist them until they are so. 
Now nail a strip of pine board 1x3 inches ami 
3 feet long, on tlie south of both, and just level 
with the top, frnn one to the other; just three, 
feet below this nail a similar one. When the 
whole is square, true, and plumb, stretch three 
wires from one strip to the other ; these arc; to 
be at equal distances from the posts, and from 
each other, and we would then have something 
like tlie following figure. 
Let A, A, represent the posts. B, B, the 1x3 
strips nailed on the south side of the posts, ami 
C, D, E, the wives. These wires should be gal- 
vanized iron wire, about No. 1(1 or 17, larger 
would be more expensive and no better. Now 
we are all ready to have a tine thrifty Concord 
grape vine planted 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 our hives as soon as extreme hot weather 
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 individuals 
who can plant a vine and make it grow, at any 
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 peddlers) 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 transportation. Make a large hole beneath 
your trellis, and lift your vine into it as care- 
fully as you took it up, till 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 corn that you wished to do ex- 
tra well. If the operation is done in hot dry 
weather, it will probably need watering, and 
may be shading, until it gets started. We ex- 
pect you in future to see that no weed or spear 
of grass is allowed to make its appearance 
within a yard at levst of this grape vine. 
Since we have our vine planted, and ready to 
grow, we are now prepared to look up a hive 
of bees to be located on the north side ol our 
vine, close to the trellis. 
Next month we will consider the future 
training of this vine, as well as what to do 
with tlie Bee Hive. 
If you purchase one meanwhile, select one 
that has lots of bees at work. 
