ever his profession. If any thing is offered for sale, and you wish to purchase, know that the would-be vendor either owns the article, or is authorized by the owner to sell it. If a patent is claimed, know all about the patent, when issued, to whom, and what it covers; and if there is any interference. A patent may be offered which has expired, or it may cover only some unimportant part of the article you wish to purchase, and thus is practically of no value, or no patent may have been issued at all, or there may be such interference with others as to make it valuless. Be as careful in the purchase of a patent as you would be in the purchase of a horse or a homestead. Don't buy, unless you think, after reflection, the article (whether patented or not) will be useful to you. A patent neither injures any thing nor makes it any better. Sign no obligation of any sort for a stranger. J. M. SHUCK. Des Moines, Iowa. All of which I most heartily indorse, friend Shuck. I would by no means object to an article because it is patented, but I would object to any man who travels about with "rights for sale." PERFORATED SEPARATORS, ETC. Has the matter of perforating separators been sufficiently tested to enable you to advise as to its real practicability, and that it is a real advantage? In theory it would seem a good thing, by lessening the amount of tin, and thus perhaps making them more easy to keep warm, and also making them more easy to communicate through, subject to the disadvantage, of course, that the comb may be made more irregular on its capped surface. If you can assure me, however, that you deem it an advantage to have the separators pierced with % or % holes, I shall want to have a machine with which to pierce my separators. Will you please give me your ideas on the matter? I would test it myself thoroughly, and report, were I somewhat differently situated; but my own profession takes up my time so such an extent that I have not the time to devote to my apiary that I should like; and consequently I do not like to experiment in a direction where the probabilities are that no advantage will be gained. I have to-day tested the extractor, which, as I have informed you by postal, I received, and must say that its work is simply perfection. Nothing can be better, or do better work, and I am much pleased with it. Our minister has never learned any thing in regard to bee culture; but I have succeeded in getting him interested somewhat in the study, and he, although a cultured and scholarly man, and thoroughly versed in theology, says he has got a better and grander conception of the wonderful wisdom and power of the Creator, by what little he has seen in two examinations of my hives, than he ever had before. And so it goes. How can a man disbelieve in the God of the Bible, if he once sees his works in such form as he can not but see them in the frame of comb or the hatching egg? J. E. POND, JR. Foxboro, Norfolk Co., Mass., Nov. 1, 1882. I am sorry to say, friend Pond, that although we have sold quite a good many perforated separators, and at least a dozen machines for perforating them, we have, so far as I can recollect, no reports from them of any kind. Will the brethren who have tried them please stand up and report? I am very glad to know that you and your pastor are personal friends, friend P. Notes and Queries. F it is not too late I will report. I commenced '82 with one hive of blacks; increased one by dividing on May 7th; got 67 lbs. comb honey. I made the new colony May 7th, by giving a dollar queen, young bees, and brood. They were soon stronger in bees than the parent stock, which was of black bees; but the Italians gathered 27 lbs. surplus, and the blacks 40 lbs. Now, would you advise destroying the queen whose progeny gathers the most honey, to replace it with an Italian? D. D. LESTER. Christiansburg, Va., Nov. 22, 1882. [I would most assuredly replace all black queens with Italians, friend L. Your test is on too limited a scale; and besides, an old colony will nearly always go ahead of a new one.] Dr. Blanton has just sent me another lot, 17 barrels, and quite a lot of comb honey. We are still getting large shipments, and are turning out large amounts of honey. Have had now for some time, steady, two men washing bottles, filling and marking them. Cincinnati, O., Oct. 30, 1882. C. F. MUTH. The season was very dry and cold up to Aug. 1; oceans of white clover, but the bees gathered just enough to keep brood going on in those stocks which three artificial. I realized $6.50 per stand, all comb were moderately strong; one natural swarm, and honey, buckwheat. Net price, 14 cts.; 24 stands of blacks, 3 Italians; sold one, bought two, all in good shape, and packed on summer stands. T. F. SHEPARD. Town Hill, Luzerne Co., Pa., Nov. 11, 1882. I must tell you what I have done this summer with one of your Simplicity hives. I got 56 one-pound sections from upper story, 55 of them as white as snow; not a cell of bee bread or brood was in them; but one section was full of drone brood. I removed the honey-frames and gave 42 sections of 11⁄2-lb. size, and they filled and finished 30 of them, and partially some of those left; and, stranger still, they were black bees real wild. My Italians filled all the boxes I gave also. I have other bees ten miles from the place. They have not made me a pound of surplus honey. - Louisville, Ky., Nov. 18, 1882. J. A. MCDOWELL. SWEET POTATOES AS BEE FEED. I have one weak colony, and shall have to feed them through the winter. I use sweet potatoes, baked very done. They will eat a good-sized potato in one night. I will ask others to try the potato as a bee food; and if it proves to be good, it will be quite a convenient article for winter stores. ELIAS CHAMBERS. Newcastle, Tenn., Oct. 21, 1882. [Sweet potatoes were some years ago recommended as containing the elements of both pollen and honey; but I would be very careful about using any such substance for winter stores. Better stick to the safe granulated sugar, and use this substance only when bees fly freely.] The only difference between you and me about the glove matter is, you protest against gloves, and Iprotest against bee-stings, S. C. LYBARGER. Ganges, Richland Co., O., Nov. 2, 1882. QUEENS SHIPPED IN OCTOBER. The two cages containing bees and queen each ar- THE SAD FATE OF THAT "JUVENILE." Blasted Hopes, Or Letters from Those Who have Made N the spring of 1878 I bought of you, in a chaff hive, one stock of Italian bees. I have now from that stock 36 in chaff hives, and 6 in Simplicity. I have done my best by reading, study, observation, and experience, to make them pay, but do not "see it" as yet, for the principal reason that my stocks swarm to such an extent through the summer that they are left weak in the fall, so that they dwindle" in the spring; and the principal result of my labors has been to fill the neighboring woods with bees. I have tried to prevent this Duarte, L. A. Co., Cal., Oct. 30, 1882. [Never mind, friend B.; it may set him to think- swarming, by all the means I can read or hear of, ing.] This has been one of the hardest seasons known in this section for bees. This county is well stocked. There are two men who have over 400 swarms each. There are a good many small apiaries. I have had the care of 94 colonies this season, from which we got 1400 lbs. of colored honey. G. W. BASSETT. Middlebury, Vt., Oct. 30, 1882. without success. My 36 chaff hives have each, in upper story, 10 wide frames, holding 8 1-lb. sections, making 2880 sections on the lot, and yet only about 1000 have been filled this season. One stock will fill over 100 during the season, while 7 or 8 right around it, all apparently alike, will not fill over 15 to 25 each, the whole season. Can you account for this, and give the remedy? If so, tell me what you will charge for it. I wish sometimes that you and the author of "Blessed Bees" On page 520 of October GLEANINGS, I read, were among mine for a short time. I think you the 11th of September we sent some one of our cus- would both sing a different tune. I came near lostomers a dollar queen, whose progeny, now that they ing a fine span of horses, mowing in a meadow near are batched out, show with unusual distinctness the where the bees are, and my hired men have threatwhite rings and down which characterize the so-call-ened to leave me on account of them. Some 20 miles ed albinos. Who is the lucky man?" I am the lucky chap. "On J. BEARDMORE. Annapolis, A. A. Co., Md., Nov. 11, 1882. Spencer, Roane Co., W. Va., Nov. 12, 1882. [Aren't you mistaken about the "60 days," friend H.? I know that alsike, sowed in March and April, will bloom to some extent in the fall; but I did not know it were possible to get blossoms in so short a period as the time you mention.] PENNSYLVANIA NOT "OUT," AFTER ALL. I don't believe I would count Pennsylvania out yet. I started in the spring with 24 colonies, 4 of them very weak; so much so that they gave very little surplus. From the other 20 I have taken over a ton of honey, over 500 lbs. in one-pound sections, the rest extracted, which we think is doing quite well, considering the cold wet spring and summer we have had. We increased to 33 by natural swarming. GEO. A. WRIGHT. West Lenox, Susq. Co., Pa., Nov. 6, 1882. NOT DISCOURAGED. My neighbors are getting quite excited over bees and honey; although this has been a bad season they seem not discouraged, but determined to improve in their knowledge and care of the little stingers. I am a mechanic, and they come to me for hives and combracks, and ask me many questions which I can not answer, as I have never kept bees for fear of stings; but I find it necessary to post myself for the benefit of the trade, so here goes $2.00 for an A B C book and GLEANINGS. E. T. MARTIN. Griffin's Corners, Ont., Can., Oct. 30, 1882. north of here a bee-man had to pay $300 for a team of horses his bees stung to death. I learned this after I had gone into the business. Now, if you can tell me how I can keep my bees at home, and how I can make them all (not one in ten) fill the sections in upper story, I will pay you whatever it is reasonably worth. As it is, I am getting tired of experimenting and hoping, although I am credited with a good deal of perseverance. Mt. Clemens, Mich., Nov. 13, 1882. EDWARD ORR. Friend Orr, preventing excessive swarming is one of the problems in bee culture; but if you read the books and journals, Í think you will find no trouble in mastering the difficulty - at least, so it will not hinder much. If you get from 15 to 100 lbs. of comb honey per colony, I can't quite see why your hopes ought to be blasted. From the tone of your letter, I should infer you have other business that is taking rather more of your attention than your bees. Both GLEANINGS and the A B C give the dark side of bee culture faithfully, do they not? I have never before been classed with the author of "Blessed Bees," that I know of, so far as presenting too bright a picture is concerned. The information you would like to buy, that would enable you to make each colony do as well as your best one, would pretty nearly sum up the whole science of bee culture, for it is, in fact, what we are all working for. Every scrap of information on the subject that I can scrape up is given you monthly. I know bees' stings make trouble now and then, but so do horses' heels. Did you ever hear of anybody declaring he would keep horses no more, because of the money a runaway had cost him? Thanks for your experience nevertheless. Your Blasted Hopes department seems to be almost going begging. I think I can give you a case. 1 started bee-keeping with the hope of making about $500 per hive; have not done so yet. Started this spring with 185 colonies; sold honey and wax for twenty-two dollars and a dime. Looks like Blasted Hopes, doesn't it? Sold bees, $244; have 130 colonies, mostly weak. D. M. CARROLTON. New Orleans, La., Nov. 21, 1882. THAT INDOLENT COLONY. BEES THAT WON'T WORK, ETC. [SEE P. 489, OCT. NO.] that usually opens about the 20th of July, gave no honey, except from a few scattering young trees the old trees not blooming at all. "I should have tried moving the old stock away. and giving a young queen to the bees clustering outside." After you had built up your stock for the purpose of obtaining comb honey (increase being a secondary consideration), and failed, by not getting the bees to meet your efforts in the short time that comprised the season for surplus in this vicinity, with indications of a severe drought in prospect; with due deference, I surmise Mr. Root would have done about as I did - tried to get them in a condition to winter without dividing, thinking it would be less trouble and expense to care for one colony than two, in case feeding to supply winter stores should be compulsory. But I did divide them. Sept. 1st I took eight frames of comb, loaded with bees and brood, from the old stock, put them in a new hive, introduced a queen "the first time trying," and today, Oct. 11, they are a thriving little colony, with nice white "bulging" combs, and so strong that I am obliged to be very careful when handling them without smoke. Still, on contemplation I can't reconcile myself to any idea other than that the fumes of burning sulphur would have been the most judicious treatment, after giving the combs containing brood to another colony. BUTTON-BUSH. Button-bush, that grows in clumps, at intervals for some two miles on the borders of a small stream, within easy reach of my bees, follows basswood, and always displays a succession of flowers in profusion, for about two weeks. Although while in bloom this season it was roaring with bees, no surplus was stored from its nectar. (Here I would wish to ask if any bee-keeper has ever obtained much surplus honey, and, in fact, in any other form, from this shrub.) About Aug. 20, button ceased to bloom, and my black bees killed their drones. In favorable seasons, goldenrod and asters are in bloom when buttonbush closes. This season the early varieties were blasted. These plants usually occupy the attention of bees until cut off by severe frosts. "How much honey did you get from your best workers, of nearly the same strength?" An aggregate of 58 lbs. My best result was from a colony of pure blacks, 62 lbs. of white comb honey. In both reckonings, partially filled boxes are not counted. There are 27 of those nearly full of comb, with some honey. They would have been filled, probably, had not the flow of honey been interrupted by the drought. My bees stored no surplus of any account after the 20th of July. At that time the clover began to brown from lack of moisture. Basswood, IS VERY LATE HONEY DESIRABLE? My bees have been working very busily on them for the past three weeks, bringing in pollen, and, judging from their gate as they waddle up the alighting-board, honey also. If objecting would avail, I would say, "Let the honey alone," for I have fed sugar syrup until the tops of the snow-white combs show a repletion. As to pollen, I would not object to the requirements of brood-rearing. Late honey, unless the season is very mild, and moderately dry, when it is being stored, is "no good." In cool damp weather it sours quickly, and in that condition nourishes the fungoid germs that are active agents in producing - dysentery, I believe. This prompts another thought, and it is, "Don't feed thin sugar syrups to bees late in the fall." Sometimes they will cap it after it sours in the cells, or it sours after it is capped, I can't tell which, for I have found cells capped containing sour sugar syrup. Proof by analogy is this: Let any person live on sour bread a couple of weeks, and if human bowels won't (qu)ake in that time, I'll admit that sour honey, or (acetic fermentation is meant) pollen, will not disturb the assimilating apparatus of the honey-bee. Caution: Remove all uncapped stores on preparing bees for winter, if they are in the afore-mentioned condition sour. J. F. LATHAM. Cumberland, Me., Oct. 12, 1882. - MY BEE-KEEPING FOR 1881 AND 282. FROM 3 TO 17, AND 1140 LBS. OF SURPLUS HONEY. T was HE spring of 1881 found me without a single bee or "buzz." Thinking that the bees here bad run out and become diseased, I tried to get some more from a distance, but failed. A friend gave me one hive on trial; if I got it through to pay him two dollars. I fed it up and it swarmed twice, so I went into winter with 3 and came out with 3 in the spring of '82. The 9th and 10th of June they swarmed the first time; I waited for swarms for the next 10 days, then put on upper stories with sections (all L. or Simplicity hives). They began swarming again 13 days from first, and kept it up to the end of the 19th day from first issue; that got away with all my "bee knowledge." I thought then that some of the old bee-men were mistaken too. I put one back the 18th and one the 19th day from first issue; total, 13 colonies. Next, the swarms swarmed 4 times more. One of the first swarms filled 56 2-lb. sections, and one filled 2 cases of 56 1-lb. sections, and worked considerably in the third. Honey taken up to Sept 25th, 786 lbs.; box, 516; extracted, 210. The honey season was good all summer down to the middle of Sept, except from fruit-bloom to white clover. Plenty of red clover and buckwheat, but there seems to be no honey in it. I Do my best, I could not get buckwheat honey. have watched bees on it, and am satisfied that they get but little, and that thin. I have a wood pasture full of the so-called "lady-slipper. It grows from 2 to 5 feet high, and very thick. My bees worked on it from the first of July till late in Sept. It grows only on rich, low, shaded soil here. We have horsemint and red clover in abundance, but bees do not work on either. I have also taken 49 frames from upper stories; at 6 lbs. p r frame this gives 294 lbs., and 10 more on hives yet to take off, 60 lbs. more. Total, 1140 lbs. for 3 in spring, and those the little blacks at that. I wonder what those boasted Cyprians, Holy-Land, Italians, and albinos would have done here this season. I had empty frames for two-thirds of my swarms, and two-inch starters for remainder. I have got more honey this season from those three in spring than when I had 40 and 50 colonies heretofore. Tell your boys and girls, when they talk about strikes, to "go west and grow up with the country." Crops failed two years on my farm. I shall get grain enough to fatten one hog this season; nothing but hay, and that on a capital of $5000. J. E. JARRETT. West Point, Lee Co., Ia., Oct. 16, 1882. Now, friend J., you have not, in all this story, once said how many stocks you go into winter with. You see I have put it at 17, because you said that, after you hived 13, the swarms swarmed four times more; but perhaps they have even more than that. It is wonderful, any way.-I do wish the boys and girls who want to "strike" would " go west" and try farming a while, and see if they wouldn't decide that sure pay, every Saturday night, even if it isn't very large, is about as good as other kinds of business that have their ups and downs. I don't believe any of the girls ever had any thing to do with striking. If they did, I didn't know it. BURYING BEES IN THE GROUND. THE WAY FRIEND BOOMHOWER DOES IT. HAVE had considerable experience in wintering bees under ground; and if properly done, they are sure to come through in first-class condition in the spring. I have read friend Hutchinson's plan in Oct. No., and I think I can give a better as well as a cheaper way of doing it. I bave buried bees in the ground for myself and for others for the last 5 years; and besides, I have seen several other bee-keepers who have practiced this method for a number of years. The winter of 1881 and '82 will long he remembered by bee-keepers in this part of the State, as well as many others; but no bees were lost that were buried on the plan that I am about to give. One man of my acquaintance had 300 colonies buried, and 299 came out alive and in splendid condition. I had 24 colonies buried last winter in my out apiary; and so well did they come out that they could not be seen to give off a particle of excrement, and I actually think they did not consume 5 lbs. of honey on an average, per colony. Other lots came out equally well. So well do they winter on this plan, that I would recommend all who have small lots and no good cellars or chaff hives (and, by the way, 1 have as yet seen but one chaff hive that is a success), to bury in the ground. Below is a drawing of the plan, which will be readily understood by any one. First, select a spot of ground that is somewhat descending-so much so that surface water will easily drain off. With a shovel or spade throw out the earth as wide, or a little wider, than your hives are, and about 6 inches deep, and no deeper: cover the bottom of the trench nicely with some dry chaff, buckwheat is best, but almost any kind that is dry and fine will do, then cover the chaff with boards just as wide as the trench; then take scantling 2x3, or 3x3, just as one happens to have; lay it down lengthwise of the trench, right down on the boards. Carry and set the bees, without any bottom to the hive, right on these scantling close together; then take short boards, and stand them over the hives, as in drawing; this forms a roof; then take rye or wheat straw, stand it up lengthwise, and cover the boards evenly with the straw about 3 inches thick, then cover with earth about 6 or 8 inches, and the job is done. The earth is taken from each side of the trench so when the whole is covered the bottom of the trench from whence the dirt is thrown to cover the bees is considerably lower than the bottom of the trench. This makes it impossible for any wa ter to collect or stand under the bees. The drawing below will explain all. A is the hive in position. BB are the scantling on which the hives are set. CC are the boards that form the roof. D is the straw covered over the roofboards. E is the dirt thrown from the trenches, XX. FF are air-spaces. G is the chaff under the board in bottom of trench. In burying bees I find only one objection; that is, where too many are put in one trench, the whole get aroused before they are all put out when the trench is opened in spring. I would not advise putting more than 12 or 15 in one trench. The bees winter so well that, when the trench is opened, they are so strong and lively that they are very quick and active. If desired, I will tell in a future article how to proceed to take then out of the trenches in spring. F. BOOMBOWER. Gallupville, N. Y., Nov. 6, 1882. Very good, friend B. Burying bees is an old idea, but your plan has two features that may be an improvement. First, making sure they are dry; second, and most important, giving abundance of air, and getting rid of all dead bees at one and the same time by omitting the bottom-boards. With the covering you give, I presume no ventilators are ever needed. 1882 Our Homes. Pil-te therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.-JOHN 18:37. OU will remember, friends, that there was a discussion going on in regard to the charge against Jesus of wanting to be king, and Pilate was questioning him in regard to this charge. Jesus told him, simply and plainly, he had no interest in the kingdoms of this world: for he had, but a few moments before, forbidden his followers to tight at all, and had, even by a miracle, restored the mischief that rash Peter, in his blindness and misconception, had caused. Pilate was not a Jew, and cared little about the Jewish wrangles, and seemed anxious only to let this poor, unoffending, and singularly innocent man go free, if he could do so. and at the same time avoid having any trouble with the clamoring Jews. While Jesus declined answering or saying even a word in his defense before the hypocritical chief priests, he talked freely and candidly with Pilate. After Jesus had said his kingdom was not of this world, Pilate says, in substance, "Well, then you are a king in some sense, and of something. The statement your enemies make, that you claim to be a king, is at least in some sense true." To the words," Art thou a king, then?" the reply that our Lord, in his wonderful innocence and childlike humility makes, is one of those texts that can be read over and over again; and every time I read them, the beauty and grandeur of the words thrill my very soul. Thou sayest that I am a king," which means," You say rightly, I am a king;" or, "Yes, I am a king, as you say." Now comes in a point where the God part of his wonderful nature asserts itself. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world." Remember, friends, it is the selfsame man who was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." and who, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, yet opened not his mouth." This last has just been verified, as he stood before the chief priests and false witnesses. There was nothing to be said before those deliberately bad, wicked, and false men. Pilate was a bad and wicked man too, but he has no prejudice against Jesus, and so he speaks out plainly to him. Christ frankly tells him all about his kingdom, for which he came into the world, and for which he is the boru monarch. Now, what is the great cause he came into the world to found? Simply truth, honesty, uprightness, and purity. In other words, "That I should bear witness unto the truth." Simple truth. He did not come into the world to rule with a rod of iron, nor to show his power and his might, as kings do, nor to impress the world with his grandeur and magnificence in any worldly sense. He knows of these things, and their allurements; for Satan once tempted him. He came into a world full of untruthfulness and selfishness; and he, by his pure, spotless life, bore witness unto the truth. 621 One of my skeptical friends some time ago sent me a pamphlet denying the divinity of Christ, with a most urgent request I would read it. I did read it, and, to my great surprise, it impressed me stronger than ever before with the beauty of Christ's pure, simple character. It endeavored to show he was but human, because he was so humble and so lowly; and the author could not comprehend how one having the universe under his command could take up such a humble station in life voluntarily. To his mind, it was beown accord, wander about the country among yond belief that the Son of God could, of his the lowly and the poor and humble, spending his time in ministering, and nursing sick people. A por harmless mistaken man, with a almost to the last moment, he wandered mere handful of followers, who clung to him from place to place, disappointed and rejectsubstance. Unconsciously he almost said, ed at almost every turn, said the writer in "Despised and rejected of men," and yet did before he came here on earth. This same not seem to remember it had been said of him strange, mistaken, simple-hearted man was, however, so the author said, loved so devotedly by some of his friends that they would at any time lay down their lives for him and his cause. Do you know what that cause was, dear reader? Our text tells; it was for the cause of truth, against falsehood and injustice. Do you think there is any need now of men who will give up their lives in the cause of truth? "For this end came I into the world." Jesus came into the world for no end or plan of He saved others, himself he can not save. his own. His enemies said of him jeeringly. They told the truth, though not, perhaps, in the sense they intended. He could not consistently with his mission to the world, save himself. He came to bear witness unto the truth. and to save men from sin, from selfish untruth. There is a great deal in this world that is false and untrue, and almost all untruth comes from selfishness. We use falsehood, because truth would cost us something. We should lose by letting the full truth come out, so we evade and prevaricate. As Jesus came to save others, and not himself, his life was pure and truthful. Not even his enemies have ever accused him of any selfish plans or work during all the time he was here upon earth. Now, my friends, a man who comes into the world solely to get as much as he can of every thing for himself, will be pretty sure to be an untruthful and false man. The Bible says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself;" but suppose one instead of doing this should put in practice, "Thou shalt make thyself thy God, and love thyself with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and Such a man would with all thy strength, and thy neighbor must look out for himself." live only to please himself. Jesus "pleased not himself." The life and teachings of our Savior are such a constant reproach to a selfish man, that he hates him instinctively, or, what amounts to the same thing, he hates the very mention of that spirit. The spirit |