Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-07

ness by instinct, and SO far this season
has found nine bee trees and scooped
in Il hundred pounds of wild honey,
and wild honey, it must be remember
ed, has flavor peculiarly its own,
which can not be duplicated in those
connections of glucose and fiavoring
extracts manufactured to order Mr.
Beeman has his own method of finding
bee trees. and he does not reveal them
TO every Tom. Dick and Harry who
asks him. Bee trees are not SO numer-
Gus in Connecticut that there are
enough TO go round, SO those few who
possess the peculiar nature or instinct
which picks out such Il hive are keep
inc their knowledge to themselves.
There is one method which the Itch
field county bee hunter uses in certain
cases which he has no objection to
being known. When he leaves home
for an expedition he takes along with
him several Jumps of loaf sugar Ar
irving in the woods he moiStenS two
or three Jumps and places them on
the stump of an old tree or on Il rock.
wait. Developments come rapidly A
busy bee flies over the spot. scents the
sugar, takes Il few sips, and flies away.
Pretty soon it returns. accompanied by
other bees. and these go and bring
more, until finally quite Il swarm will
be lowering over that sugar Mr.. Bee
man gets in his work now. Cautious
l1-l tf.l1y e, ~
his sharp penknife he Sits both wings
This doesn't harm the bee, and makes
it distinctive. Keeping his eye on this
bee he takes ont his watch and notes
the time when it flies away and the
| time when it comes back again, also
the direction which it takes From
long experience the hunter knows Just
how long it will take bee laden with
honey to fly Il certain distance and
discharge its load of sweets. and how
long it requires to return without its
load. BY making his calculations he
knows just how far the big tree is.
Following the direction of the bees
flight to the distance he has calculated.
1t doesn't take long, with careful
this system works perfectly. though cir
cumstances may make the location of
the tree somewhat tedious and labOri-
Gus. Mr.. Beeman's experience has
brought him in a good income during
the fall of each year, and he has gained
quite reputation as Il honey hunter.
A peculiar story of bees on Il glori-
py,iS NJ
and shows that jag" however delight
full it may be to the senses. sometimes
results fatally to insects as well as
individuals. Mrs. Theodore Hyde was
making sweet pickle pears a few
days ago, and sweet pickle, especially
after it is spiced, has Il very pene-
trating as we'll rs seductive odor Mrs
Hyde left the jar of pickle in her kitch-
en-. with the window open, for Il little
while, until she had time to run into
Il neighbours and swap recipes for
making pickles. On her return she
was greatly put out. not TO say alarmed.
to find that her new pickle had attract
ed a swarm Of bees, and her kitchen
was in the possession of the insects.
which knew how to defend themselves
when attacked. She awaited the re-
turn Of her husband at dinner tine
to know what to do. He quietly picked
up the jar and set it out on the lawn.
where during the afternoon, the bees
continued to imbibe the intoxicating
connection until over half the swarm
were in a state of inebriety.
The jar remained out of doors all
night. The next morning the two
quarts of pickle were entirely gone
while in the jar were two quarts of
dead bees which had persisted from
cold while too drunk to fly home. 1t
was the most destructive jag in loss
the state