Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-11
HOW BEES WE'RE KEPT OFF.
An Agriculturist Tells His Neighbors' Woes
and His Own Remedy.

An ARr1CulturtSt Iell8 his NelSnUOrS W Oe3
and His Own Remedy.
More than once my neighbors had been
annoyed by my bees attacking them as
they were passing along the road short
distance of, and more than twice had
been appealed to to abate the nuisance.
The matter was becoming serious, espe-
cially as could see no better location for
my hives. Whichever way turned them,
q road or neighbours yard was right in
range, and besides, after the bees left the
hive, they would go in whichever direction
they preferred anyway. l found, how
ever, that where they issued from the OPP
posite side Of the hive from their pasture
field they usually rose somewhat higher
before they reached the road. Still this
was only partial remedy. and l deter
mined to observe further.
was not long in discovering that few,
If any, Of my bees went to their highway
attacks with malice aforethought. In
stead they were making the traditional
Though not the additionally straight) bee
line for their forage ground, when, just as
they would attempt to cross the road,
along would come some useless thing big
ger than themselves and block the passage.
i IiSc HOlICCu tlldt IL uOcSl liidlltC PdI
ticularly whether person runs against a
club or the club falls against the person,
il the velocity is the same. That is prob
ably the way bee looks at it, and bees
don't like to be insulted. They sit down
hard on that at once and sting.
There are two safe ways for railroads
to meet road crossings-to wait or to be
waited for at the crossing, or to switch off
on some other line and not cross at all.
I saw no way to make the bees wait, SO
decided to switch them off. AS q first step
I built trellis just inside the garden
fence and covered it as soon as possible
with some rapid growing vine. The trel-
lis was perhaps eight feet high and con-
sisted of few posts, to which common
fence boards were nailed This part OF
the work was done as early in the spring
as possible and the seeds sown as soon as
the condition of the soil and climate war
ranted Just back Of this l commenced
work on a more permanent sort Of trellis
and set out row of grapevines. 1t was
late for them, but most of them are thirty
ing, though don't expect them to take q
very active part in my plan for some
years. But the vines along the outer trel-
lis grew rapidly and soon covered the
framework with a mass of foliage and
bloom.
This continuance, have no doubt, in
terfered with the bees to some extent at
first and possibly submitted to few Sc
we're stings, but it made no complaint, as
the neighbors had, and gradually these
animated bullets learned to rise somewhat
before they shot and cleared the trellis 1t
was about the most peculiar method I ever
heard Of for raising bees, but the results
were most gratifying After they are once
up in the air, they seldom drop much till
they approach their stopping place-cer-
tainly not in the short interval between
the trellis and the road.
l feel that l have solved problem that
formerly gave me no little vexation. That
is what those vines do. Now, about the
grapevines starting inside. The quick
growing vines l mentioned are a sort Of
makcshift that have to be renewed each
year. The grapcvines, after they obtain
their growth, will make q permanent bee
break and protect my plague stricken
ncighbors from further injury.-Bee Keep