The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-16
for dWn1men.

projects concerning the gathering OF
honey, says the Philadelphia Press"
For the up-to-date woman who prefers
a suburban residence is well able-ap'
parently-to steal a few hours from hel
clubs, her charities. her hiking hours and
her social life to visit the delightful col
lection OF hives sure to be found within
her garden gates. She can find at least
an hour each morning to inspect the col
ony of tiny worker i~ndefatigably garner
ing the hidden sweets of blossoms.
The first evidence of this new occupation
for the maids and matrons Of society's
world reached me some two weeks ago
while visiting a young married woman
whose beautiful countr place is situated
not far from Radnor. We were inspect
ing the handsome stables with their
blooded stock, which Is always, Of course.
a pleasure to which one looks forward in
visiting a really fashionable country
house. We had fingered long over the
magnificent specimens of canine which
the place afforded, and were vending our
way back TO the porches when my hostess
stopped short with an exclamation.
well" she said, 81 do believe / had
forgotten ito show you my very latest
rural acquisition. How could 1 be so
thoughtless. They are so interesting,
tool mean my busy bees
Bees I said. do you mean that you
a v taken to bee raisfng?. That is a
novel departure"
ST do. indeed" she answered, with a
merry laugh. ''Come and see" She leo
the way forthwith across the grass to a
row of odd shaped creations which, with
the foregoing information held In mind,
I had no difficulty in recognizing as the
hives.
This Is my bee arm-my apiary." she
said, pointing out the colony with a very
pardonable pride. 1t looks fourishing,
doesn't 1t? And f~ourishing it really is.
/ have naturalists here from distant cities
even to see my stock and my hives.
Which last, by the way. nave all the lat
est inventions in the way OF ventilation,
light, warmth and arrangement. 1 am
deeply interested in hives n mine are
the latest out.
st have studied this subject from the be-
ginning" she continued. ST read up
every theory and every discovery to be
found and talked with well known apiar-
tans before beginning my farm. That is
the only way to begin. Did you know
that some one called this occupation the
poetry of rural economy Isn't that
pretty sentiment for tt?
We'll, I began upon the poetry of rural
n with about as little idea of bees
and their nature and habits as It was
possible for a woman more or less enlight-
ened upon subjects of general interest to
possess. I hardly knew the difference
between the queen, the drone and the work
eE. Although. Of course. a child even has
some vague sort of notion that the queen
is rather an important person about the
premises"
What is the difference?" / asked. "I
am afraid I know little more than the
children about this feature of rural life"
wen. the queen bee is. of course, the
mother of the hive and the important per-
sonage about the place. TIL drones are
the fathers of the colony and they are
lazy fellows. as you know by the name.
Then there are the little workers These
are the toiiers of the family and possess
the instrument for gathering the flower
honey and the sac for storing 1t about
their persons.
"Of course. I went thoroughly into the
study of swarming natural and artificial.
Every bee lover wants to look into this
important subject at the very first. For
you know swarming is the emigration Of
the bees and is a grave matter for every |
apsarian.
"But." L asked, "don't thess experi-
ments have very unpleasant features. |
I should think there would be too fire.
qusnt use of the natural weapon Of these
little creatures to make the life Of an
apiarian anything but a Joy. In fact, |
unless your furnish the normal woman
with a coat of mail which Is bee proof. I
hardly think she would become much Of
enthusiast upon the subject"
Wei, there are s'bee caps for the pur- |
pose. But then you know the experf- |
enced farmer In this line is very seldom |
the victim OF these unpleasant marks of
attention Her safeguard lies in her |
knowledge of the habits of his beeship. |
There are times-although 7 can hardly
understand tina the tyro who has suf-
fered from his attack Will not credit this |
misunderstanding which the maker of honey |
be approached with perfect security. |
There are times Of course. when he has
gorged himself with honey, and, like
everything else after a meal. is feeling |
lazy. Then in manipulating the hives.
This used to be the chief horror of the
bee-man. There was no method by which
he could prevent the little inmates from
making an Infatuated sontie. And of |
course he was badly stuns. But all these |
troubles are done away with. Our hives
nowadays are arranged to anticipate every
mood of the occupant. and we are pre- !
pared for any emergency. The combs |
can be changed with perfect freedom
and all other operations be carried on
without the coat of mail unless a woman |
is capable of fears to an unusual de- |
gree.
One study which your bee raiser Ito
be a good one) is obliged to Understand |
from the very foundation, is that : ven
tilation.'
DO the hives have a regular system
ventilation? Really, the subject is a
most complicated one. More so than one
would imagine"
Indeed they have a regular system .
she said, laughing. You have no idea
what a delicate little creature this honev-
maker really is. They have to he
thought of and cared for constantly. |
They are extremely sensitive to bad ven-
Cold they cannot endure. And
a strong sun beating upon the hive in