,,bee ,,hunting  ,a ,,book ,,of         
,,valuable ,,information ,,for ,,bee    
,,hunters--,,tell ,,how ,,to ,,line     
,,bees ,,to ,,trees1 ,,etc4  ,,by ,,john
 ,r4 ,,lockard  ,published by ,a4 ,r4   
,,harding1 ,publisher ,columbus1 ,ohio  
,copyright #aijh ,by ,a4 ,r4 ,,harding  
,,pub4 ,,co4    ,,contents    ,i4 ,bee  
,hunting    ,,ii4 ,early ,spring        
,hunting    ,,iii4 ,bees ,watering--,how
 to ,find ,them    ,,iv4 ,hunting ,bees 
from ,sumac    ,v4 ,hunting ,bees from  
,buckwheat    ,,vi4 ,fall ,hunting      
,,vii4 ,improved ,method of ,burning    
,,viii4 ,facts ,about ,line of ,flight  
,,ix4 ,baits and ,scents    ,x4 ,cutting
 the ,tree and ,transferring    ,,xi4   
,customs and ,ownership of ,wild ,bees  
,,xii4 ,benefactors and ,their          
,inventions    ,,xiii4 ,bee ,keeping for
 ,profit    ,,some ,,memories ,,of ,,bee
 ,,hunting  ,i was born in a little     
valley1 hemmed in by mountains running  
north and south on either side4 ,it     
varies in width from one to three miles 

from the foot of one range to the other4
 ,from my home ,i have a clear view of  
these beautiful ,mountains and1 as these
 mountains and lowlands teemed with game
 of all kind1 and being heavily         
timbered1 made an ideal location for the
 home of the wild bee4 ,from early youth
 ,i loved to lure the wild turkey1 stalk
 the deer and line the bee to his home4 
,is it any wonder that after forty years
 of undiminished passion for sports of  
this kind that ,i can truthfully say    
there is scarcely a square rod of these 
mountains that is not indelibly         
impressed on my mind in connection with 
some of the above mentioned sports or   
pastimes8 ,i will confine myself in this
 work to the subject of ,bee ,hunting1  
believing it to be one of the most      
fascinating and beneficial of pastimes4 
,,preface  ,in the preparation of this  
work1 it has been my aim to instruct the
 beginner in the art of bee hunting1    
rather than offer suggestions to those  
who have served an apprenticeship at the

 fascinating pastime4 ,i do not wish to 
leave the impression that ,i think      
others who have made this a study do not
 know enough on the subject to give     
suggestions2 far from it4 ,but to be    
candid with each other1 as lovers of    
nature and her ways should be1 even     
though we be veterans in the business1  
by an exchange of ideas we can always   
learn something new and of value4 ,many 
books on sports of various kinds have   
been written1 but outside of an         
occasional article in periodicals       
devoted to bee literature1 but little   
has been written on the subject of bee  
hunting4 ,therefore1 ,i have tried1 in  
this volume1 ,bee ,hunting for ,pleasure
 and ,profit1 to give a work in compact 
form1 the product of what ,i have       
learned along this line during the forty
 years in nature's school room4         
,brother1 if in reading these pages you 
find something that will be of value to 
you1 something that will inculcate a    
desire for manly pastime and make your  

life brighter1 then my aim will have    
been reached4  ,i am very truly yours1  
,,john ,r ,,lockard4    ,,bee ,,hunting 
,,chapter ,i4  ,,an ,,old ,,bee         
,,hunter4  ,the bee hunters in my early 
days used one of two methods in hunting 
the bee4 ,the hunter would select a     
clear day1 generally during buckwheat   
bloom1 and after determining on a       
course1 sun them to the tree4 ,this was 
done by placing the hat or hand between 
the eye and sun as close to the light as
 the eye would permit4 ,if the hunter   
knew the difference between the flight  
of a loaded bee and an unloaded one he  
would keep on the course until the tree 
was located4  ,this method must         
undoubtedly be injurious to the eyes and
 ,i do not follow this plan nor advise  
others to do so4 ,the other method was  
what was termed burning or baiting4 ,a  
fire was built near where the bee tree  
was supposed to be1 large flat sand     
stones were placed on the fire and      
heated4 ,one of these was removed to    

some place clear of trees and           
underbrush1 some bee-comb1 dampened with
 water1 was then placed on the stone1   
and when the fumes of the comb would go 
off into the air any bees flying near   
were apt to be enticed to the bait1     
which was sprinkled on a bunch of bushes
 and laid near the stone4 ,many bees    
were found in this way1 but if they went
 any great distance two or more fires   
had to be built4 ,this would require    
much time and often the hunter1 not     
being careful in extinguishing the fire1
 the surrounding leaves would catch fire
 and a destructive forest fire would    
result4 ,therefore it shall be my aim to
 eliminate anything of an injurious or  
objectionable nature in the work ,i lay 
before the reader4  ,on a calm morning  
in the early part of ,november1 ,i went 
to the top of the mountain west of my   
home4 ,the day was an ideal one4 ,the   
trees had shed their leaves1 making a   
thick carpet over the earth4 ,it seemed 
that all nature was getting ready for a 

long winter sleep4 ,all flowers except a
 few bunches of mountain goldenrod were 
dead4 ,the bees seemed to be aware that 
their labors were about ended and were  
eagerly looking for anything in shape of
 sweets that would add to their store of
 supplies and thus help to tide over the
 long winter4 ,after arriving at the top
 of the mountain ,i built a fire1 heated
 a large flat stone and took some bee   
comb and proceeded to follow the example
 before mentioned4 ,after watching quite
 a long time and not seeing any bees ,i 
was on the point of giving it up1 at    
this place at least1 when that sound so 
delightful to the ear of the bee hunter1
 the silvery tone of the bee in flight1 
came to my ear4 ,several times the sound
 was repeated but so far ,i had not got 
a sight of it4 ,on looking over the top 
of the bushes ,i saw two bees flying    
slowly1 sometimes coming near the bait1 
then darting away1 then returning and   
finally settling down on the bait4 ,all 
was anxiety6 ,i must be sure to see     

these two bees take their homeward      
flight4 ,in a very short time one of    
them slowly raised from the bait1       
circled a time or two1 and then darted  
away so quickly that ,i knew not where4 
,now the other one won't escape me so   
easily4 ,but when ,i turned to look1    
she1 too1 was gone4 ,in a short time    
they were back and lots of others close 
behind4 ,in a half hour there must have 
been a quart of bees on the bait4 ,by   
this time ,i had seen a number of bees  
fly due west and some due east4 ,so     
taking another hot stone and going some 
distance on the course west1 ,i put the 
stone down1 burnt more comb1 and in a   
few minutes had lots of bees4 ,they     
still continued westward4 ,the next time
 ,i stopped where a swamp extended from 
the top of the mountain back some two   
hundred yards4 ,there were many large   
gum trees growing in this swamp4 ,after 
a while ,i was convinced that the bees  
flew at right angles from the former    
course4 ,leaving the bait ,i went into  

the swamp and found them going into a   
large gum tree about twenty feet from   
the ground4 ,my spirits were high1 this 
being the first bee ,i had ever found   
entirely by myself4 ,taking out my knife
 and going up to the tree to put my     
initials thereon1 my spirits fell as    
suddenly as they had risen4 ,there in   
plain view were the letters ,i4 ,w4 ,the
 spirit of selfishness then showed      
itself4 ,what right had anyone to take  
this bee from me8 ,i had almost come to 
the point of thinking ,i had a monopoly 
in the bee hunting business and that    
others had no right to intrude4 ,i trust
 others do not show this spirit and am  
sure ,i have got rid of it myself4 ,if  
there is any pleasure or benefit to be  
derived from anything1 ,god certainly   
intends it for all4 ,the initials would 
not correspond with the name of anyone  
,i knew1 but supposed that some time ,i 
would find out who ,i4 ,w4 was4 ,now the
 bee that flew east could be looked for1
 but what was the use8 ,hadn't the best 

bee hunters in the country tried to find
 it and failed8 ,beyond a certain point 
all trees disappeared4 ,this was the    
only ,italian bee known to be in a      
radius of ten miles and it was not a    
great while after their introduction    
into this country4 ,so taking my way to 
the top of the mountain near the edge of
 the swamp1 ,i was surprised to find a  
cabin1 and from indication it had just  
been built4 ,on going up to the door my 
eye fell on the occupant1 a man well up 
in years4 ,in one corner was a number of
 steel traps4 ,in another a rifle of the
 then modern type4 ,these signs told me 
that a new hunter had taken up his abode
 among us4 ,he told me to be seated and 
moved over on the rude bench to make    
room for me4 ,he began by asking me what
 ,i was doing out on the mountain1 and  
as ,i was so young1 no doubt had an idea
 that ,i was lost4  ,i told him that ,i 
was bee hunting and had found one but   
some one had found it before ,i had1 and
 that the initials ,i4 ,w4 were cut on  

the tree4 ,turning to me he said1 ,you  
don't know who that stands for8 ,well1  
young man1 ,i kin tell you4 ,i4 ,w4     
stands for ,ike ,ward1 and that's me4   
,the little fellers come sippin' around 
my cabin and ,i give 'em a little sweet 
water and found 'em in a jiffy4 ,i then 
told him of the ,italian bee4 ,he asked 
me why ,i didn't find it4 ,the reply was
 that the very best bee hunters in the  
country had tried it and failed and ,i  
supposed it would be of no use for me to
 try it4 ,well1 they must be great bee  
hunters2 why1 young man1 ,i would rather
 undertake to find a bee than ketch a   
rabbit in a good trackin' snow4 ,the    
rabbit might jump up and run away1 but  
after ,i get my bee started1 he's mine4 
,it was getting well along in the       
afternoon and ,i told him ,i must go    
home4 ,well1 your folks might think     
something has happened to you and ,i    
won't ask ye to stay any longer2 but    
come up again and we will find that     
yaller bee4 ,i thanked him and asked    

when it would suit him to go4 ,you kin  
come any time you keer to1 but ye'd     
better come early when you do come1 fer 
,i might be out scoutin' round and not  
be home4 ,that proposed bee hunt was the
 only thing thought of on my way home1  
the only thought that went with me to my
 bed1 and in my dreams ,i saw the most  
beautiful yellow bees in the world on   
combs of snowy whiteness1 some of them  
as large as a door4  ,early the next    
morning1 before the sun had shown       
himself to the people down in the       
valley1 ,i was far on my way up the     
mountain on my way to the hunter's      
cabin4 ,great drops of sweat were       
standing all over my face1 but ,i never 
slackened my pace until ,i heard the    
cheering ,good morning from the old     
hunter at the cabin4 ,jist come and rest
 yerself4 ,it's a little too early fer  
bees to fly yit4 ,i replied that ,i     
wasn't tired4 ,when ,i was your age ,i  
didn't get tired either1 but if you get 
to be as old as me you won't walk so    

fast up hill2 you're all a lather of    
sweat4  ,about an hour later we went out
 to where ,i had first baited the bees4 
,i began to gather wood to start a fire 
and burn for them again4 ,what are ye   
goin' to do with that wood8 was his     
inquiry4 ,on being informed that this   
was the way ,i got them to bait1 he     
chuckled to himself and said he would   
show me a better and easier way4 ,he    
then took a handkerchief from his       
pocket1 then a small bottle containing  
something that was of a fluid form1 and 
sprinkled the handkerchief with it4 ,he 
then got a pole eight or ten feet long  
and put the cloth on one end1 raised it 
as high in the air as he could1 moving  
it back and forth in the breeze4 ,very  
soon hundred of bees were darting       
through the air4 ,the pole was slowly   
lowered until the handkerchief rested on
 the ground1 sweetened water was        
sprinkled on some bushes1 and in a few  
minutes the yellow bees were flying east
 and the black ones found previously    

flying west4  ,this was a very simple1  
but a new departure from the mode       
followed in those days4 ,he explained to
 me that the little vial contained      
water1 with a few drops of the oil of   
anisseed added1 and there were other    
scents perhaps better1 but this being   
the only kind he had at that time was   
the reason for using it4 ,we went       
directly east on the course four or five
 hundred yards4 ,this brought us to the 
top of the mountain and to a large rock 
that was fully one hundred feet from the
 ground at the base to the top4 ,from   
this rock we had a clear view of the    
valley below4 ,the eastern side of the  
mountain was very hilly1 and covered    
with a dense growth of trees1 and       
farther down1 this forest never hearing 
the sound of the woodman's ax1 became so
 dense that the sun could scarcely find 
an opening to the earth4 ,the cloth was 
sprinkled with more of the scent1 waved 
a few times in the air1 and laid beside 
the bait1 which was composed of sugar   

and water1 on the rock4 ,bees came in   
abundance4 ,very soon we could see some 
bees1 heavily loaded1 circle around and 
dart off down1 down1 until lost to our  
sight4 ,others would fly both north and 
south along the top1 making three       
distinct courses4 ,the old hunter       
watched these different flights for a   
considerable time1 then going some      
distance along the top1 and after a     
short time came back saying1 ,just as ,i
 expected4 ,these fly out there1 make a 
turn1 and come back to join the course  
that flies straight down4 ,now come with
 me out the other way and we will see if
 the others don't do the same4 ,sure    
enough6 ,taking our station some fifty  
yards from the bait we could see them   
coming heavily loaded1 bend down and    
back toward the main course4  ,i have   
found many bees in my time1 young man1  
an' never saw one act this way unless   
the tree was close4 ,they act like they 
don't want to leave that rock2 but we   
will go down and look at some of that   

timber4 ,as all the timber far below had
 been looked at many times in the past  
,i thought it useless but did not say   
so4 ,after looking at the nearest trees 
below1 those farther down were examined4
 ,the morning had been cloudy but now   
the sun was bright and clear4 ,the      
hunter placed his hand before his eyes  
and gazing up at the sun said he never  
saw sich actin'2 they seem to come right
 toward the ground4 ,i have found 'em in
 queer places but never in the ground4  
,just then a bee lit on some leaves in  
front of me4 ,i called his attention to 
it4 ,now ain't it a beauty8 ,poor little
 fellow2 got too heavy a load an' has to
 rest4 ,now watch sharp2 when he goes he
 will likely fly straight4 ,in a short  
time he slowly raised1 made a half      
circle1 darted down the mountain1 and   
was lost to me4 ,not so with my         
companion4 ,stooped low1 his arm thrust 
forward as though guiding the bee in its
 flight1 he slowly turned his arm1 still
 following1 until he was pointing       

straight up the hill4 ,as sure as my    
name is ,ike ,ward that bee flew up the 
hill1 and just as sure its home is      
there1 too4  ,up the hill he went1      
looking more carefully at every tree1   
until the last tree below the rock had  
been reached4 ,i was on the upper side  
of this tree and was almost sure that it
 must be in this one4 ,the old hunter   
was on the lower side1 gazing intently  
up the hill toward the rock4 ,for some  
time he stood thus1 then said1 ,you had 
better look behind you if you want to   
find the yaller bee4 ,on turning round  
,i saw a steady stream of bees going in 
and coming out from the very base of the
 rock4 ,the mystery was a mystery no    
longer4 ,they had baffled all the bee   
hunters in the community for three      
years1 but at last they gave up the     
secret of their hidden home to ,ike     
,ward4  ,taking a piece of paper and    
writing thereon these words3 ,this bee  
was found by ,ike ,ward and pard2 if any
 person find it please don't mislest it4

 ,he laid the paper above the entrance  
of the bees1 and1 laying a stone on it  
to keep it in place1 we ended this our  
first bee-hunt together4 ,this was only 
one of the many delightful trips which  
,i took with the hunter1 only one of the
 many valuable lessons received from him
 on this fascinating pastime4 ,he has   
long since passed away1 but the book of 
nature was open to him at all times and 
with a spirit that had no taint of      
selfishness in it1 was always ready to  
impart knowledge to others4    ,,chapter
 ,,ii4  ,,early ,,spring ,,hunting4     
,bees are very fond of salt in the early
 spring1 and1 in fact1 in all parts of  
the season when brood rearing is in     
progress4 ,now we will start out some   
fine spring morning1 take a hatchet or  
an ax and a polk of salt1 and we will go
 up on the side of the mountain and chop
 out a little trough large enough to    
hold a quart or more1 then sprinkle a   
little water1 scented with oil of anise 
or bergamont1 on the outside of this    

trough1 then put a few corncobs and a   
handful of salt in the trough and place 
the trough in the fork of a small tree  
out of the way of any stock that may be 
pasturing in the woods4 ,our work is now
 done at this place4 ,we can go on and  
put out several of these baits along the
 mountain4 ,the first rain that comes   
will fill the trough1 dissolve the salt1
 which will soak into the corncobs1 and 
the scent which we placed on the outside
 of the trough will entice any bees that
 may be flying4 ,after this we go home  
and a day or so after the first good    
rain that comes1 we will go back and the
 chances are that we will have several  
good courses4 ,now we will cover the    
trough over with a bunch of             
leaves--green boughs--and sprinkle these
 freely with sweetened water4 ,take a   
pint bottle1 fill it one-fourth full of 
granulated sugar and fill up with water4
 ,this is better than more sugar1 for   
when the syrup is too thick it requires 
more time for the bees to load up and if

 too thick1 in a short time the bushes  
become sticky4  ,after several bees have
 loaded up and gone home1 we will take a
 cloth and saturate it with the same    
scent used on the trough1 then take the 
bait--bunch of bushes--with us on the   
course1 hunt a place as free from timber
 as possible and lay out bait on the top
 of a bush1 the cloth beside it1 and in 
a short time we should have plenty of   
bees4 ,after determining on the course  
the same tactics are pursued until we   
arrive at the tree1 or1 if we have good 
reason to believe the bee stands in any 
certain group of trees and we fail to   
find the tree1 to make sure that our    
ideas are correct we will move our bait 
off to one side of the original course  
and thus get a cross course1 and at the 
junction of the first line of flight and
 this second line1 the bees must        
certainly have their home4 ,we must look
 at every tree with the utmost care1 for
 it is a very easy matter to overlook a 
bee tree1 even experienced bee hunters  

have done this4 ,but if we take time to 
examine a tree from all sides we should 
always be able to locate them4          
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,bees ,,watering4    
,,how ,,to ,,find ,,them4  ,as soon as  
the bees begin to stir in the spring    
they go searching around for water1 for 
this is one essential element in        
brood-rearing4 ,early in the season the 
ground is generally so full of water    
that bees are not confined to any       
certain place in order to get the amount
 needed4 ,but later in the season1 when 
the ground has dried off and wet weather
 springs have dried up1 if we go into   
the woods along the mountain and visit  
the never-failing springs sure to be    
found in the hollows and low flat       
places1 we will be pretty sure to find  
bees at some of these places4  ,it is   
not often that bees are numerous enough 
at these springs to make what would be  
termed a strong course1 but by following
 the plan which ,i here give1 you can1  
in a short space of time1 have all the  

bees necessary1 with no danger of having
 bees from other trees or from our      
neighbors' stands1 which would make a   
mix-up1 and make it much harder for us  
to follow the bee that is watering4     
,when we go on a trip of this kind first
 we will provide ourselves with a small 
glass tumbler2 a cover1 made of some    
dark heavy material1 long enough so that
 when slipped over the glass it will    
come within one-fourth of an inch of the
 open end4 ,then we will take a few     
drops of honey in a small vial1 the     
scent1 cloth1 and bait of sugar and     
water mentioned previously4 ,when we    
find the bees watering we take the      
glass1 without cover1 and place it over 
the bee1 which will immediately try to  
fly and finding himself a prisoner1 will
 crawl around the upper part of the     
glass4 ,previous to this a few drops of 
the honey were placed on a piece of     
cardboard or large leaf4 ,then we lift  
the glass and place the hand under to   
prevent the bee escaping and place it on

 the cardboard or leaf4 ,now place the  
black hood over it and watch the result4
 ,there is but one place for light to   
enter and this is the narrow opening at 
lower end of cover4 ,in a moment the bee
 can be seen crawling around the bottom1
 sometimes reaching down to the         
cardboard4 ,now he has found a drop of  
the honey and seemingly forgets his sad 
plight of a moment ago and proceeds to  
take a meal4 ,the glass is lifted gently
 off1 the dark thick cover preventing   
him from seeing our hand4 ,as soon as he
 is loaded he starts and circles many   
times and then goes home1 and in some   
manner that we can't explain1 tells     
others of what delicious sweets he has  
found4 ,no more water for that bee2 he  
is bound to come back and search for    
more honey4  ,we can go and catch as    
many bees as we think it necessary1 but 
generally five or six would be ample4   
,then the scented cloth is placed on the
 ground1 a bunch of green bushes laid on
 the spot where the cardboard had been  

sprinkled freely with sweetened water1  
and we are soon ready to start on the   
course1 following the instructions given
 in previous chapter4    ,,chapter ,,iv4
  ,,hunting ,,bees ,,from ,,sumac4      
,sumac begins to bloom about the first  
of ,july and continues through the      
month4 ,it is unquestionably the        
greatest source of honey in the country 
in which ,i live4 ,from the time the dew
 is off until dusk the bee is busy on   
it4 ,every old worn-out field is        
plentifully supplied with it and a      
different variety is found growing in   
small patches all over the mountains4 ,i
 have found more bee trees by the plan  
now given than perhaps any other4  ,we  
will visit some of these places and     
select a spot where there are a few     
bunches near together1 if no more than a
 half dozen bunches the better4 ,now    
having our bottle containing bait       
prepared1 let us select two or three    
bunches standing close together and     
sprinkle them freely with the bait1 then

 break off all others standing near4 ,at
 first the bees will fly around as if   
they don't like to light on the wet     
bushes but the ones that were used to   
getting honey from these flowers may    
visit other flowers and fly away1 but   
they are sure to come back1 and1 after  
taking a sip1 finding it a quicker      
method of getting a load of sweets1     
settle down to business and in a short  
space of time adapt themselves to the   
new order of things and are soon on     
their way home1 never failing to return1
 bringing others along4 ,keeping the    
bushes well supplied with bait1 we will 
soon discover a course and perhaps two  
or more4 ,then take the scented cloth1  
lay it near the bait1 and after ten or  
fifteen minutes break these bushes off a
 foot or more below the flowers and we  
are ready to start on the course4 ,after
 going two or three hundred yards1      
select a place clear of trees so that   
they can fly on their course without    
being compelled to fly around timber1   

lay the scent cloth near by1 and in five
 or ten minutes you will have plenty of 
bees1 or1 we may be going on the line of
 flight and find the bees suddenly cease
 to come to bait4 ,this is an unfailing 
sign that we have passed the tree or are
 very close to it4    ,,chapter ,v4     
,,hunting ,,bees ,,from ,,buckwheat4    
,during buckwheat bloom1 which occurs in
 the month of ,august and early part of 
,september1 many bees are found4 ,some  
hunters line them to the tree by        
sunning4 ,this method requires a very   
clear day and unless the hunter         
thoroughly understands this art1 knows  
an unloaded bee from a loaded one1 he is
 not apt to be very successful4 ,besides
 this fact ,i have known many hunters to
 so injure their eyesight as to become1 
in old age1 partially blind and perhaps 
altogether so4 ,i1 myself1 have found   
many bees in this way and feel certain  
that my eyesight has been injured1 but  
am very thankful that ,i discarded this 
method many years ago4  ,bees do their  

work on buckwheat from the time the dew 
is leaving until near noon2 and on a    
hot1 clear day but few bees1 if any1    
will be found working on it after #ab   
,m4 ,one of the greatest elements of    
success in hunting bees by the baiting  
method is to use a scent that is the    
same as the flower the bee is working   
on4 ,therefore1 gather some of the      
flowers of the buckwheat and have them  
distilled1 or1 if this is out of the    
question1 put some of the flowers in a  
quart jar1 say half full1 well packed   
down1 then just cover with diluted      
alcohol and let it stand a few days and 
you have an ideal scent to use at this  
particular time4 ,after getting a course
 from a field of buckwheat1 about ten or
 half-past ten go on the course1 and    
when you come to a place clear of       
underbrush and no large trees to bother 
the flight of bees1 sprinkle some of the
 scent mentioned above on some leaves   
and near the scent place a bunch of     
bushes sprinkled with bait made by      

filling a pint bottle one-fourth full of
 honey1 one-fourth of granulated sugar  
and one-half water4 ,many bees1 at this 
time of day1 are going to and fro from  
the field4 ,some of them find nectar    
harder to get than it was an hour before
 and some fly on the homeward journey   
lightly loaded4 ,they are beginning to  
lose faith in the buckwheat field and   
these are the very ones that detect the 
scent first4 ,others are becoming       
dissatisfied as these first ones        
did--one rubs against another1 and in   
bee language tells that he has found    
something mighty good down in the       
bushes1 and by the time the bait is     
licked up we should have a direct course
 from this location and be ready to     
repeat the operation farther on the     
course4 ,the next time the bait is put  
down we should have plenty of bees in   
not more than ten minutes1 and if they  
are tardy about coming1 providing we had
 a fair amount at the first location1 we
 have either passed the tree1 are nearly

 under it1 or have gone far off the     
course4    ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,fall      
,,hunting4  ,the main sources of the    
honey supply are now over1 and if the   
methods given in the preceding chapters 
are followed it is necessary for us to  
get out on the mountains or fields far  
distant from home apiaries and look for 
the few flowers that have escaped       
killing frosts4 ,a few bunches of       
mountain goldenrod are found here and   
there scattered over the mountain-side4 
,a white flower1 growing on a stem about
 two feet in height1 is also found in   
many locations4 ,i am unable to give the
 botanical name of this latter flower1  
but every bee hunter who has had much   
experience has seen many bees on it when
 other flowers have ceased to exist or  
have been rendered useless by frosts1 as
 a source of honey4  ,if but a few of   
these flowers are found growing together
 and a few bees are seen on them1       
sprinkle freely with bait before        
described1 and in a short time you will 

find ten bees to where there was one at 
first4 ,now if you start them from      
goldenrod1 scent of almost anything used
 in bee hunting will serve to draw them 
on the course2 but essence of goldenrod 
is far superior at this season of the   
year4 ,as ,i have before stated1 a scent
 should be used to conform as nearly as 
possible to the scent of the flower the 
bee is working on at any particular     
time4 ,it would be a superfluity to     
explain any farther1 as the same tactics
 must be followed as described earlier  
in this work4    ,,chapter ,,vii4  ,,the
 ,,latest ,,improved ,,method ,,of      
,,burning4  ,we now come to the time of 
the year when all flowers1 by the laws  
of nature1 cease to bloom4 ,indian      
summer is here with its nice balmy days4
 ,just right--not too warm not yet too  
cool4 ,the very time when even those of 
us who are getting up in years begin to 
feel young again4 ,how sad it would be  
to the one who loves nature and her ways
 to be obliged to lay aside all thought 

of sport until nature unfurled her robes
 again6 ,some of the happiest moments of
 my life have come during this part of  
the year1 and ,i hope to be able to     
convince my readers that we should      
always say welcome to the aged year4    
,well do ,i remember when ,i used to go 
along with the old hunter in search of  
the bee4 ,a fire would be made1 some    
large fiat stones heated and carried to 
a convenient place1 then bee comb       
moistened with water1 placed on them and
 soon bees would be seen darting through
 the air4 ,some might settle on the     
bait1 but if not enough to satisfy the  
hunter1 another hot stone was brought1  
and the process repeated until there    
were enough bees working on the bait to 
give a strong course4 ,then taking      
another hot stone and going a long ways 
on the course we would proceed to burn  
again4 ,perhaps the stone had cooled off
 by this time and the bee failed to come
 quickly or in sufficient numbers4 ,then
 we had to either go back1 replenish the

 fire1 heat more stones1 or build       
another fire at the new location4       
,carrying the hot stones from place to  
place was the work generally assigned to
 me4 ,sometimes stones of a slaty nature
 would be heated and when becoming quite
 hot would burst with a loud report and 
fly in all directions4 ,at that time ,i 
would just about as soon approach a     
loaded cannon4 ,after twisting a stick  
around the stone it was carried at arm's
 length to the new location and with    
sweat streaming down my face ,i was glad
 when the time came to lay it down4     
,this was undoubtedly laborious1 but the
 excitement connected with the sport was
 at such a pitch that the thought of    
labor being in any way connected with   
bee hunting never entered my mind4  ,but
 as time wore on ,i got to thinking that
 there might be other plans much easier 
and quicker than the one described1 and 
,i feel sure that those who love the    
sport will agree that the plan laid     
before the readers is in every way      

superior to the old method4  ,first get 
a small tin pail1 holding about a half  
gallon4 ,cut out1 from the bottom       
upwards1 a hole four or five inches up  
and down and two inches wide4 ,have a   
pan made so that it will fit down inside
 the pail just deep enough to come down 
to upper edge of the hole cut out of    
pail4 ,there should be a rim on top part
 of the pan to prevent it working lower 
down than the hole in the pail4 ,now get
 a miner's lamp1 which will not cost    
more than from fifteen to twenty-five   
cents4 ,coal oil can be used but lard   
oil is much better1 and better than     
either of these is alcohol4 ,a small    
lamp suitable for burning this can be   
purchased at a small cost4  ,now you are
 ready to start out4 ,take some refuse  
honey and your bottle of bait1 get far  
out on the mountains1 so there will be  
little danger of drawing bees from      
apiaries that may be situated in the    
valleys4 ,when a suitable place is      
found1 clear of underbrush and no large 

trees to bother the bees when starting  
for home1 set pail down1 put some of the
 honey in the upper part of the pail 7or
 pan71 strike a match1 touch it to the  
wick of the lamp4 ,the spout of the lamp
 should come within about two inches of 
the bottom of the pan4 ,the honey begins
 to boil immediately and sends its scent
 out over the mountains4 ,a few drops of
 the oil of anise and bergamont mixed   
can be dropped into the pan1 and a bunch
 of bushes held over the fumes until it 
is scented4 ,this is then laid on the   
top of a bush or stump close by and     
sprinkled with bait4 ,by this time bees 
may be heard darting through the air or 
seen hunting slowly through the bushes  
in search of something to eat4 ,it is a 
very good plan to blow the lamp out when
 the first bees are flying around4 ,the 
scent is strong all around and when the 
lamp is blown out the scent soon dies   
out except near the bait and the bees   
find the bait much sooner than if the   
lamp was kept burning4 ,there may be    

plenty of bees to start with from the   
first burning and if not1 all we have to
 do is to light the lamp again4  ,if you
 have your course and are about to      
start1 it only requires a second of time
 to pick up the burning apparatus and   
the bunch of bushes and start on the    
course4 ,but for fear you may be only a 
beginner and make a mistake which might 
discourage you1 ,i want to have a little
 talk with you before starting from the 
first location4  ,in reading articles   
relating to bee hunting1 some of the    
writers tell how1 after loading up1 the 
bees would circle round and round before
 starting on the homeward journey4 ,i   
believe ,i have seen a few bees make a  
complete circle4 ,i have seen hundreds  
of thousands that did not4 ,as a rule   
when a bee raises from the bait it will 
act as though it intends to circle1 but 
watch closely and you find before coming
 around to the place of starting it will
 quickly turn in the opposite direction1
 repeating this several times--always   

widening out4 ,it will seem to fall far 
back with a downward motion1 then gather
 up and come slowly back1 often passing 
to the opposite side of the bait and    
making a sudden motion1 is lost to      
sight4 ,this fact might make you think  
the bee really went in this direction4  
,i want to stake my reputation as a bee 
hunter of years of experience1 that when
 a bee is seen to make these half       
circles on one side of the bait and seem
 to fall off in any direction1 bearing  
down toward the earth1 that this is the 
general direction in which the tree     
stands1 and if ,i can see a bee make a  
few of these half circles 7though it may
 be the first one on the bait71 it      
settles the matter in my mind as to the 
general direction of the tree4 ,but even
 if our minds are made up in regard to  
this line of flight1 it is wise to take 
more time and watch closely1 for there  
is no good reason why we should not get 
two or possibly more courses from this  
first location4 ,then go on the         

strongest course until we find the tree 
and then come back and start on the     
others4  ,in going on the course don't  
fail to look well at every tree1 for    
sometimes they are found in very small  
trees when there are lots of large ones 
standing all around4  ,i will give my   
experience in finding a bee that has    
taught me to look at every thing on the 
course1 not even discarded stumps1 logs 
and bushes1 for ,i have found bees in   
the two former and hanging on the       
latter4 ,in early ,november ,i had a    
strong course from bait4 ,they flew     
directly up on the side of the mountain4
 ,the course flew over a large barren   
thicket and after looking at the timber 
on the lower edge of the barrens1 the   
bait was moved across the thicket4      
,there were a few chestnut trees        
standing between the upper edge and the 
place ,i selected to bait them again4   
,soon they came and flew back down4 ,i  
was sure they must be in one of the     
trees mentioned1 for there was nothing  

growing in the thicket large enough for 
a bee to go in4 ,after looking at the   
few trees spoken of and not finding     
them1 ,i went back down to the lower    
edge and could see them fly nearly half 
way across the thicket4 ,i was puzzled1 
and proceeded to look at the few logs   
that were laying down and still failed  
to locate them4 ,my next move was to    
hang my burning bucket on a limb and    
burn4 ,in no time there were bees by the
 quart on the bait1 flying in all       
directions4 ,singling out some of the   
steady flying ones1 they seemed to fly a
 short distance1 and drop into the      
brush4 ,on investigating1 ,i found them 
hanging on a little bush1 working away  
as though they had the best place in the
 world to store their honey4 ,they had  
evidently been there for a long time as 
they had several good sized combs       
fastened to the bush4 ,i knew they were 
bound to perish1 for cold weather was   
coming on1 so ,i told a friend where to 
find it1 and gave it to him with the    

understanding that he was to hive it1   
putting the combs and brood in the hive4
  ,the above is mentioned to prove that 
bees are sometimes found in places out  
of the ordinary1 and in closing this    
part of my work ,i want to impress you  
with the fact that it always pays to go 
slow and look well while on the course4 
99 99 99  ,,note--,if not convenient and
 a vessel of the kind described 7for    
burning7 cannot be had1 any small tin   
pail will do without cutting out the    
hole for lamp4 ,a couple of stones laid 
on the ground a few inches apart will   
make a place for the lamp and the bucket
 placed over it on the stones1 although 
the first mentioned will be found more  
convenient4    ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,some
 ,,facts ,,about ,,line ,,of ,,flight4  
,you have all heard the term bee line   
used1 and naturally infer that it means 
a straight line4 ,this was what ,i      
believed it to be in my earlier days1   
but from numerous observations ,i am led
 to believe that the terms bee line and 

straight line are in some cases         
incompatible4 ,if the line of flight is 
over ground unbroken by hills and       
hollows1 a bee will fly as straight home
 after loading up as anything having    
wings can4 ,but in following a course   
through a wooded country1 along the side
 of hills or mountains containing ridges
 and deep hollows1 the line of flight   
deviates far from a straight line4  ,to 
illustrate and prove the above          
assertion1 ,i will here give an incident
 in connection with bee hunting that    
occurred not many years ago1 and which  
goes to prove that bees do not always   
fly in a perfectly straight line4 ,east 
of my home about one mile there is a    
mountain extending north and south4     
,along the foot of this mountain1 a     
stream1 known as ,sideling ,hill creek1 
runs the entire length of the valley4   
,the mountain extending up from this    
creek is made up of ridges and hollows4 
,a friend of mine1 one day in ,july1    
found bees watering along the creek and 

nearly east of my home4 ,the bees flew  
south with the creek along the foot of  
the mountain4 ,after trying to find     
them1 7consuming two days' time in the  
attempt71 he came for me to help him    
out1 telling me that he had looked at   
every tree near the course for a        
distance of a mile4 ,it was a very      
finely marked ,italian bee1 and being   
anxious to find and hive it1 offered to 
pay me for my time whether we found the 
bee or not4 ,i asked him if he had      
baited them at the water4 ,he said he   
had tried but not a bee could be induced
 to take bait4 ,my time being limited   
just then1 ,i told him ,i would get them
 to bait for him and after this he      
certainly could find it himself4 ,oh1   
yes1 that's all ,i ask1 he replied4     
,going with him1 ,i used the method     
described in an early chapter entitled  
,hunting the ,bee from ,water4 ,in a    
short space of time ,i had lots of them 
loading up and flying south along the   
creek4 ,about a half mile on the course 

an old clearing ran up some distance on 
a ridge1 and the course seemed to go    
about midway through it4 ,my            
instructions were to put the bait on    
this place1 as it was clear of all      
bushes that might bother him from       
getting a direct course1 and after      
giving all necessary instruction ,i went
 home and awaited results4 ,the next    
evening he told me he had gone into the 
old field and1 as the bees were a little
 slow in coming to the bait1 he built a 
fire and proceeded to burn and got bees 
in abundance1 still flying on the same  
course2 then moving the bait much       
farther on the course to another old    
field1 found that they continued on the 
same line of flight2 and from this last 
location followed them in sight of a    
house1 the owner having thirty stands of
 bees1 thus convincing him that the bees
 all had come from this apiary4  ,but ,i
 was convinced he had overlooked the    
bees started with1 for these reasons3   
,this apiary was two miles from where   

the bees watered2 the same stream flowed
 near by the apiary--there were many    
springs near and water in abundance all 
along the course4 ,then the clearing    
first mentioned had lots of sumac       
growing in it2 many bees from the apiary
 were working on this and other flowers1
 and by burning1 these bees were enticed
 to the bait in such numbers that the   
few that may have been on bait from the 
tree were not noticed by an             
inexperienced hunter4 ,after telling him
 of my suspicions1 he was the more      
anxious that ,i should go along with him
 again and see for myself that there was
 no wild bee on the course4  ,i was     
equally anxious to prove to him that    
there was4 ,so the following morning    
found us in the old field where he had  
first placed the bait4 ,taking my bottle
 containing bait4 ,i sprinkled some on a
 bunch of bushes left there the day     
previous4 ,this was all that was        
required and the bees that had been     
having a feast at this location the day 

before soon found it out and eagerly    
settled down for another feast4 ,it     
seemed that the whole apiary had swarmed
 out and come to the bait--hundreds were
 soon flying towards this apiary4 ,here 
my friend ventured to ask if ,i was not 
convinced that they went to the apiary4 
,i had been watching very close and knew
 very well that the majority of the bees
 did go there1 but ,i had also seen a   
few bees fly a short distance on the    
course and bear off to the left4 ,i said
 nothing about this at the time1        
thinking it best to be positive before  
giving a final opinion4 ,there was a    
deep hollow running up from the opposite
 side of the clearing and getting in a  
more favorable position ,i could see    
many bees bear off from the main course 
and go up to the hollow4 ,now ,i was    
ready to tell him he had been outwitted 
by the bees4  ,calling him to me1 ,i    
showed him the bees flying up the       
hollow4 ,we then moved the bait about   
one hundred yards farther up and found  

that they still went on up4 ,we left the
 bait and proceeded to look at the      
timber4 ,finally one hundred yards above
 this last place there was a large white
 pine standing on the left side of the  
hollow and not over ten feet from the   
ground they were pouring in1 in a steady
 stream1 pure golden ,italians4 ,was he 
convinced this was the bee we had       
started with from the watering place8   
,no1 not at all4 ,it was too far from   
the course4 ,i told him we would cut it 
and take it home1 and if bees still     
continued to water at the same location 
,i would give in4 ,the bee was cut next 
day and taken home and all watering     
ceased at that place4 ,this was evidence
 enough for him and proved to him1 as it
 must to every one1 that under certain  
conditions bees will vary very much from
 a straight line of flight4    ,,chapter
 ,,ix4  ,,baits ,,and ,,scents4  ,in    
rambling through the woods and over the 
mountains ,i have seen bee hunters using
 bait with the oil of anise in it1 or   

perhaps a bait containing several       
different scents4 ,they did not seem to 
know1 nor care1 that bait containing    
these oils was injurious to bees2 but   
the fact is well known that they are    
injurious--not to our neighbor's bees   
alone1 but to the ones we are trying to 
find4 ,therefore1 never combine baits   
with scents of any kind4 ,the former is 
intended to furnish feed for the bee1   
and when loaded will always start for   
the home4 ,the latter is used as a means
 of getting them to come to bait4       
,there are many different scents used   
for enticing the bee to bait4 ,some     
hunters prefer oil of anise1 others use 
bergamont2 then some combine these or   
other scents4 ,but bear in mind that    
what should be used ought to conform as 
nearly as possible in scent to the main 
source of nectar at any particular      
season of the year4  ,in preparing these
 scents1 take an ounce of the oil you   
may prefer1 put it into a pint bottle   
and fill bottle one-fourth full of      

alcohol2 let it stand a few days and    
then fill up with water4 ,this would    
make sufficient scent to last any one   
for several years4 ,a small vial can be 
filled and taken along--even an ounce   
vial will last several trips2 or a few  
drops of the oil can be put into a      
bottle and water added1 but as water    
will not cut the oil1 it remains        
insoluble and when the bottle is turned 
in order that the mixture will run out1 
it often happens that our scent 7after  
using a time or two7 is no good1 the oil
 having disappeared4 ,but by cutting the
 scent with alcohol1 the last drop will 
be just as strongly scented as the      
first4  ,i have used about all the      
different scents known to bee hunters   
and oil of anise was my standby for many
 years4 ,i found bergamont to be good4  
,horse mint1 goldenrod1 and many other  
oils and scents were used at some       
particular time of the year1 but the    
most powerful and lasting scent ,i ever 
used was oil of sweet clover4 ,having   

run out of the oil and not knowing where
 to get it without sending to some drug 
house1 ,i bought a toilet preparation   
labled essence of sweet clover1 and     
found it filled the bill4 ,a few drops  
were spilled on my sleeve and in going  
on a course this was all that was       
needed4 ,if ,i stopped but a moment1 my 
arm was covered with bees4  ,i don't    
advocate the use of the hunting-box for 
bee hunting4 ,i tried them long ago and 
found the method slow and uncertain4 ,in
 carrying my box from one location to   
another and releasing the imprisoned    
bees ,i would always see them circle    
around and light on a leaf and consume  
from five minutes to a half hour in     
cleaning themselves up and when they did
 depart1 there was no assurance that    
they would come back4 ,however1 some    
hunters must meet with better success   
than ,i have had in hunting by the box  
method1 and to those ,i would say1 if   
bringing the bees to your box is what   
you want1 just rub a few drops of the   

oil of sweet clover on the side of your 
box and that part of finding the bee is 
done4  ,it is hardly necessary to say   
more about baits4 ,my views have been   
given in the earlier chapters on bee    
hunting4 ,a few drops of pure honey is  
perhaps the best that can be used in    
starting the bees on bait1 but as soon  
as several have loaded with the honey1  
sprinkle your bunch of bushes which you 
intend to carry on the course with a    
bait made by filling a bottle one-fourth
 full of pure granulated sugar1 then a  
little honey and filling the bottle up  
with water4 ,this will make the bait    
sweet enough and it will not become so  
sticky as if more sugar or honey were   
used4    ,,chapter ,x4  ,,cutting ,,the 
,,tree ,,and ,,transferring4  ,i hope   
those who read this book may find       
something in its pages that will be     
beneficial4 ,in your excursions through 
the forests you are unconsciously       
getting the benefit of the greatest     
source in the world of physical         

perfection--,god's pure air--and1 at the
 same time there are no reasons why one 
with reasonable tact cannot be benefited
 financially4  ,when should a bee tree  
be cut and transferred to the hive8     
,there is a difference of opinion in    
regard to the time of the year and also 
to the manner in which it should be     
done4 ,i respect the opinions of those  
who have expressed themselves on the    
subject1 but after trying nearly all the
 methods described ,i found nothing in  
them that came up to my ideal of a      
perfect plan of transferring the bee    
from the tree to the hive4  ,my first   
plan was to cut the tree and1 if not too
 large1 saw it off both above and below 
the bees1 keep them in with smoke1 and  
tack screen over the place of entrance4 
,then hire someone to help carry it     
home4 ,it was set up on end and left to 
take care of itself and if a swarm would
 issue from it and we were successful in
 hiving it in the old box hive 7the kind
 mostly in use in my boyhood days71 we  

thought the last chapter of bee-keeping 
had been learned4 ,then1 after the      
movable frame hive came into use the    
tree would be cut1 the bees drove into a
 box1 the honey taken from the tree and 
with a few pieces of brood all was taken
 home4 ,the small bits of comb were tied
 in the central frames for the bees to  
cluster on and the bees shaken from the 
box in front of the hive4 ,this plan was
 certainly superior to the first        
mentioned but had one serious           
drawback--the brood that was in the tree
 was left to perish4  ,after seeing the 
serious defects in the described        
methods1 my next move was to take a hive
 with me on going to cut the tree4 ,all 
comb containing brood was placed in the 
frames1 the bees run into the hive1     
which was left at the tree for a week or
 more in order that the bees might have 
all the combs joined to the frames1 and 
then brought home4 ,this was another    
advance in the method of transferring1  
for the thousands of young bees about to

 emerge from their cells were saved1 and
 the colony having its brood and        
strength undiminished should be able to 
fill at least one super of honey besides
 all stores needed for themselves4      
,taking it for granted that we cut the  
bee in the early part of the summer1 one
 super would be a low estimate1 but even
 this would pay all expenses connected  
with the cutting1 buying a hive and     
fixtures1 and as the bee is now in an   
ideal hive we can hopefully look forward
 to the next year when our profits are  
coming in4  ,there could be other plans 
given1 some of them having virtue1 but  
,i will now lay a plan before the reader
 which if followed will prove more      
remunerative1 and with less expense1    
than the former methods4 ,to carry a    
hive and tools necessary to cut a bee   
tree will require the service of an     
assistant and when1 after a week or so1 
we return to bring the bee home1 more   
help is needed4 ,a man is worthy of his 
hire and of course is paid4 ,carrying a 

hive over rough and uneven ground is    
hard work4 ,so by the time we have the  
bee home and sum the matter up1 the     
financial part of bee hunting don't     
impress us very strongly4  ,i have been 
in the habit of hunting bees during the 
fall months1 but if ,i need a day's     
outing1 no month from early spring1     
until late fall fails to find me on my  
tramps through the forest in search of a
 bee tree4 ,no difference what time of  
the year ,i find my bee nor how many may
 be found in any particular season1 they
 are always left stand over winter and  
cut the following spring1 but not before
 ,may1 for ,i want the bee to be strong 
in bee with abundance of brood4 ,about  
this time of year ,i take a box eight   
inches square at the end and two feet in
 length4 ,over the one end some wire    
screen is nailed and a lid1 the center  
being cut out and replaced with wire    
screen1 serves as a covering for the    
other end4  ,with bucket1 ax1 and this  
box we will go to the tree1 cut it1     

being careful to fell it as easy as     
possible4 ,when it falls the bees should
 be smoked at once to prevent them      
rising in the air4 ,for good reasons ,i 
prefer to cut the tree about nine or ten
 o'clock in the forenoon4 ,after blowing
 a little smoke in at the entrance1     
proceed to chop a hole in the tree low  
down on the side1 then another hole     
farther up or down the tree1 depending  
on whether the bee works up or down from
 the place of entrance4 ,after this is  
done1 split the piece out1 blow more    
smoke on the bees and take the combs    
out4 ,brush the bees off1 lay them on   
the log some distance from the bees1    
place the forcing box over the main body
 of the bees and by brushing and smoking
 drive them into it4 ,the box should be 
in an elevated position1 say forty-five 
degrees or more1 as bees will go on the 
upper end much more readily when the box
 is in this position4 ,be sure the queen
 is in1 which can generally be          
determined by the manner in which the   

bees enter the box4 ,if they are        
inclined to run back out after being    
forced in1 it is a pretty sure sign the 
queen is not with them4 ,when you are   
sure the queen is with them1 and there  
is a sufficient number of bees with her1
 lift the box gently off1 turn it upside
 down and place the lid on and fasten   
with a couple of tacks taken along4 ,now
 place the brood combs back in the tree4
 ,first a comb then a couple of small   
sticks crosswise to form a bee space4   
,continue this until all the combs are  
back in the tree1 and as the top part of
 the log was not split off1 the piece   
split from the side can be fit in1 bark 
and flat stones can be used to form a   
covering that will keep the rain from   
getting in4 ,by cutting the tree at this
 time of day thousands of bees are out  
in search of nectar and when they come  
home and find their home gone1 will fly 
around in the air until becoming        
exhausted1 and will then settle on the  
leaves and bushes in bunches and knots  

by the hundreds4 ,if there was any nice 
white honey we have it in the bucket and
 picking up the box start on the        
homeward journey4 ,presuming we have a  
movable frame hive at home with an inch 
of starter in the frames or1 what would 
be better1 a hive filled with comb from 
the year previous1 we place the hive on 
its permanent stand and take the lid    
from the box and shake the bees down at 
the entrance4 ,for fear the queen has   
been left in the tree it would be well  
to have an entrance guard placed on the 
hive1 as this would exclude the queen   
and as soon as the queen is seen the    
guard can be removed4 ,in a short time  
we can tell whether they take kindly to 
their new home4 ,the queen is a laying  
one and some pollen should be taken in  
the following day4 ,i always made sure  
,i had the queen and never had a bee so 
treated to swarm out after being hived4 
,now what about the bee in the tree8    
,when we left it there were thousands   
flying around and settling on the leaves

 and bushes1 other thousands in all     
stages of development in the combs4 ,the
 ones that are hanging on the bushes    
begin to make further investigation and 
finding their brood soon cover it and   
with the bees hatching out every hour   
soon make the colony almost as populous 
as it was before the tree was cut4 ,in  
taking the combs out we may have seen   
some queen cells started4 ,if so1 so    
much the better4 ,if not1 there         
certainly were eggs in some of the combs
 and in sixteen days at the most they   
can rear a queen from these eggs4 ,when 
this time has elapsed1 take your box and
 smoker4 ,take the combs out as before2 
drive the bees into the box1 and as the 
brood is nearly all hatched out by this 
time you will have nearly as many bees  
as you got the first time4 ,these are   
brought home and treated as the first   
swarm and the combs can be placed in the
 log again for the few remaining bees   
that may have been left1 to cluster on  
and these can be brought home later and 

joined to the second swarm4 ,by this    
method you get two strong colonies from 
one tree4 ,there is no help needed2 no  
heavy lifting and carrying of hives to  
and from the tree4 ,by following this   
plan you can soon have quite an apiary  
and be on your way to enjoy the profits 
as well as the pleasures of bee hunting4
 ,this plan is original with me and ,i  
believe it to be the very best plan     
given so far1 and ,i expect to follow it
 until someone gives us something       
superior4  ,the profits of bee hunting  
will depend on the ability of the man to
 manipulate the bees after taking them  
from the tree4 ,you must agree with me  
that in cutting the tree1 there is      
nearly always some of the combs         
containing honey broken up and covered  
with dirt1 and this honey can never be  
classed as salable4 ,therefore1 if we   
hunt bees merely for what honey may be  
in the tree and leave the bees to perish
 from starvation and cold1 it were far  
better1 from a moral and financial point

 of view1 to let the tree stand4        
,,chapter ,,xi4  ,,customs ,,and        
,,ownership ,,of ,,wild ,,bees4  ,there 
are customs in vogue among sportsmen    
that have been handed down from         
generation to generation1 that have     
almost become laws4 ,indeed1 we have    
heard it said that custom becomes law4  
,a hunter may wound a deer1 follow it   
for a distance and find that another    
hunter has shot and killed it4 ,the     
question might arise as to whom the deer
 belonged4 ,a bee hunter may find a bee 
tree and mark it and some other hunter  
might find it afterwards and cut it4    
,the same question might arise as to    
whom it legally belonged4 ,if sportsmen 
were to settle the disputes they would  
refer back to custom and say the deer   
belonged to the one first wounding it1  
providing the wound was of such nature  
that the one first wounding it would    
have been pretty sure of getting it1 by 
following on1 and they would also decide
 that the bee belonged to the one who   

first found and marked it4  ,a custom   
that may seem to be founded on justice  
is pretty apt to be followed by laws    
that may coincide with the custom4 ,but 
we must remember there are statute laws 
relating to the ownership of wild       
animals and bees1 and though we all band
 together as sportsmen1 we cannot       
abrogate nor set aside these laws       
already formed4  ,in my boyhood days1   
when ,i would find a bee1 ,i was very   
slow to tell any one just where it was  
for fear they might cut it4 ,was this   
true sportsmanship8 ,i think not4 ,some 
other bee hunter might hunt for that bee
 a day or more and finding it would have
 reason to say that ,i had deceived him 
and he could hardly be blamed if he cut 
it4 ,i have been used just this very way
 more than once1 and felt like          
retaliating by cutting a bee that was   
found prior by another party4 ,but am   
glad to say that ,i never did4 ,since ,i
 became more mature in years ,i have had
 more confidence in my fellow sportsmen 

and now after finding a bee tree the    
first time ,i see any one who is likely 
to look for the bee1 he is told its     
exact location1 thus probably saving him
 much valuable time in not looking for a
 bee that is found4  ,as a fitting close
 to this work it might be well to quote 
the statute laws relating to the        
ownership of wild bees4  ,bees while    
unreclaimed1 are by nature wild animals4
 ,those which take up their abode in a  
tree belong to the owner of the soil1 if
 unreclaimed1 but if reclaimed and      
identified1 they belong to the former   
owner4 ,if a swarm leave a hive they    
belong to the owner as long as they are 
in sight and are easily taken2 otherwise
 they become the property of the first  
occupant4 ,merely finding a bee on the  
land of another and marking the tree    
does not vest the property of the bees  
in the finder4 ,they do not become      
private property until they are in a    
hive4  ,this is a statute law4 ,but true
 sportsmen do not think of going to law 

for adjustment of these matters1 but    
rather depend on that fraternal spirit  
by which all questions relating to      
ownership are settled amicably4         
,,chapter ,,xii4  ,,some ,,of ,,our     
,,benefactors ,,and ,,their             
,,inventions4  ,bee keeping as a source 
of revenue dates far back in ancient    
history4 ,with the advent of the movable
 frame hive and the increased demand for
 honey all over the world as a source of
 food supply1 it received a new impetus 
and there are many bee keepers in this  
and other countries who are not only    
making an honest living in the pursuit1 
but have become wealthy as well4  ,over 
half a century ago1 ,rev4 ,l4 ,l4       
,langstroth invented the movable frame  
hive and became the benefactor of the   
bee-keeping fraternity4 ,prior to this  
time there was no way of telling the    
condition of a bee except what could be 
learned from an external diagnosis4 ,if 
from their actions we were led to       
believe the colony was diseased1 or that

 the bee moth was holding sway1 there   
was no way by which we could remedy the 
evil4 ,but this invention gives us      
access at all times to the brood chamber
 and we are able to see just what is    
wrong and apply the proper remedy4      
,perhaps it is fair to add that all bee 
keepers do not agree that the movable   
frame was invented by ,father           
,langstroth4 ,this honor is conceded by 
many to belong to ,huber or ,dzierzon1  
,german bee keepers4 ,be this as it may1
 the movable frame hive of today1 used  
throughout ,america and many foreign    
countries1 is the product of the        
inventive genius of this great          
benefactor of the bee-keeping           
fraternity4  ,the invention of many     
accessories since the death of ,father  
,langstroth1 many years ago1 would      
almost make us believe that there is    
nothing further to be desired1 that     
perfection has been reached4 ,but well  
we know that perfection cannot be       
reached on this earth1 and so we will   

look forward1 knowing as time goes on   
that other great minds will add to the  
store of knowledge now possessed by the 
bee keeper1 and bee keeping of the      
future will be as far in advance of the 
present as the present is of the past4  
,with the help of appliances and the    
instruction given by able writers in    
many magazines and bee papers anyone    
with a fair amount of ability should be 
able to make a success at this vocation4
 ,there are many men who1 while they    
have proved to be benefactors to us1    
have at the same time become wealthy4   
,there are many instances of this1 but  
,i will mention ,the ,a4 ,i4 ,root ,co41
 of ,medina1 ,o4 ,a4 ,i4 ,root1 the     
senior member of this firm1 was an      
apiarist of note while ,i was still a   
little boy4 ,after a while he began the 
manufacture of hives and appliances4 ,he
 invented the pound section box1 the    
extractor and many other accessories    
that could not be dispensed with at the 
present day4 ,many of his inventions    

were never patented1 thus saving that   
cost to those whom he wished to         
befriend1 and by honest dealing1 selling
 the best of everything needed by the   
apiarist at the lowest possible cost    
consistent with superior workmanship1 he
 has today1 the most extensive          
manufacturing establishment in ,america1
 and possibly the world4 ,in connection1
 the firm publishes1 ,gleanings in ,bee 
,culture1 a monthly magazine1 devoted to
 the interest of bee keeping4 ,the      
ablest writers1 men who have made this  
their life work1 contribute regularly   
and give us advice which1 if followed   
will lead to success4  ,therefore1 when 
the bee history is completed1 and the   
names of many who have been our         
benefactors are recorded1 the names of  
,l4 ,l4 ,langstroth and ,a4 ,i4 ,root   
will shine with lustre4    ,,chapter    
,,xiii4  ,,beekeeping ,,for ,,profit4   
,it is not generally known that         
beekeeping is quite an industry in the  
,united ,states and that this country   

maintains a lead over all other lands   
both as to the quantity and quality of  
the honey it produces4 ,this is the     
case1 however1 and ,america is          
recognized by other countries as the    
honey-land par excellence1 where        
beekeepers turn out honey by the carload
 and this is so1 for ,california1 in one
 lone year1 produced #hjj carloads1 and 
of this #ejj were shipped out of the    
state4 ,texas is also a heavy producer  
and year in and year out will actually  
outrank ,california4  ,although produced
 in such vast quantities it must not be 
inferred that quality is neglected2 on  
the contrary we cannot be excelled when 
merit is considered4 ,our apiarists are 
scientific to a very high degree and    
possibly no branch of ,american farming 
has been worked up to so great a pitch  
of excellence1 only dairying and        
horsebreeding can be compared with it1  
but ,american apiculturists lead the    
world1 whereas1 our horsemen or dairymen
 do not4  ,this proud position is owing 

to the splendid discoveries and         
inventions of the ,rev4 ,l4 ,l4         
,langstroth of ,oxford1 ,ohio1 who has  
been dead for some years1 but whose     
spirit still lives4 ,previous to his    
time beekeeping was only an amusement or
 pastime1 or more accurately speaking1 a
 hobby4  ,now1 the industry is founded  
on a sound scientific basis and bids    
fair to grow at a lively rate in the    
years that are to come4 ,at present1 the
 amount of money invested in bees and   
bee appliances is not less than one     
hundred million dollars4 ,the annual    
income from this source cannot be much  
less than #bj1jjj1jjj1 and in a good    
year all over the country1 it would     
approximate #ej1jjj1jjj though it is    
very seldom that there is a good season 
for bees all over this vast country4    
,beekeeping is a branch of agriculture  
and like other pursuits belonging to    
that science there are fat years and    
lean years4 ,it is not an uncommon event
 for a beekeeper to clean up a sum of   

money for his crop which will more than 
equal the value of his bees and all the 
appliances he uses4 ,other years may be 
total failures1 but year in and year out
 no industry pays larger returns on the 
labor and money expended4 ,the wise     
beekeeper is not deterred by a bad      
season but simply bides his chance4 ,he 
knows that in course of time the bees   
will make good all losses and give in   
addition a handsome profit to the owner 
for his kind attention and thoughtful   
consideration4  ,there are still many   
opportunities for bee-keepers in this   
country4 ,this is particularly true of  
,west ,virginia1 ,tennessee and         
,kentucky1 where the conditions for     
beekeeping are almost ideal and where1  
as a usual thing1 the market for honey  
is good4 ,all through the ,south there  
are openings for beekeepers and it will 
be a long time yet before all openings  
are filled4 ,southwest ,texas is a sort 
of beekeeper's paradise and only a part 
of it has been occupied as yet4         

,arkansas is a particularly good state  
for bees1 but it has only been partially
 developed by up-to-date beekeepers4    
,parts of ,pennsylvania are open to good
 beekeepers and so are portions of      
,michigan1 one of the leading states of 
the ,union4 ,ontario and ,quebec are    
excellent for bees--none better4 ,nearly
 all the western states are good for    
bees and some of them rank high as honey
 producers4 ,this is true of ,colorado  
and ,utah4 ,idaho1 ,montana1 ,nevada1   
,wyoming1 ,new ,mexico1 ,arizona1       
,washington and ,oregon offer excellent 
openings for first-class beekeepers4 ,in
 the ,west1 beekeepers1 usually select  
an irrigated region where alfalfa and   
sweet clover are common1 so that during 
the long dry summers the bees are kept  
busy storing honey of a very high       
quality4  ,successful beekeepers are    
found in every state1 and it would be   
hazardous for anyone to say just what   
state is best for bees4 ,ohio1 ,indiana 
and ,illinois produce large quantities  

of fine honey1 but this is nearly all   
consumed within their own borders at    
fair prices so that beekeepers do fairly
 well4  ,what hinders beekeeping more   
than any other fault is the neglect of  
the beekeepers in not providing adequate
 shelter for the bees during cold       
weather1 and also from the heat of      
summer4 ,in the ,northern and ,central  
states good protection must be provided 
against zero weather4 ,our bees         
originally came from the tropics1 and   
for that reason they require ample      
protection4 ,the ordinary hives must    
have an outer case placed around them   
and then leaves1 straw or sawdust well  
packed around them4 ,fixed in this way  
they will withstand the rigors of an    
arctic winter4 ,lack of adequate winter 
protection is the weakest point in      
,american bee culture1 and yet is easily
 provided4 ,this accounts for the saying
 of many who have tried it1 ,beekeeping 
doesn't pay4 ,perhaps at no time is     
protection more necessary than in early 

spring when the hives are full of young 
and tender brood4 ,the hives may also be
 covered with layers of thick paper or  
asbestos board4 ,a small hole will allow
 all of the fresh air necessary for bees
 in a state of sleep4 ,these points are 
first mentioned because neglect of them 
accounts for most of the failures we    
often hear of4  ,no success can be      
anticipated unless one uses the best    
hives made on the ,langstroth principle4
 ,we have no space here in which to give
 a complete account of the hives now    
made on that plan4 ,the better way would
 be for anyone interested to write for a
 sample of ,gleanings in ,bee ,culture  
,medina1 ,ohio1 or to ,american ,bee    
,journal1 ,hamilton1 ,illinois1 so as to
 get in touch with the publishers1 who  
issue books adapted to the wants of     
beginners4 ,these magazines also issue  
supply catalogues and in other ways are 
quite helpful4 ,splendid books can be   
purchased at a low price giving complete
 information with regard to the bee     

industry4 ,many persons have learned the
 whole art of beekeeping by a careful   
study of a good book on bee culture     
supplemented of course by observation4  
,nothing very important1 however1 can be
 learned about bees unless one possesses
 a colony of bees in a movable comb     
hive4 ,in fact it is useless to attempt 
to obtain a knowledge of bees without a 
hive to work with4 ,i1 therefore1       
earnestly recommend any beginner to     
obtain a colony at the earliest         
opportunity4 ,very often an ordinary box
 hive can be secured for a song4 ,this  
will do to begin with4 ,next send for   
two complete standard ,langstroth hives1
 a smoker1 a veil and a bee book2 also a
 swarm-catcher4  ,if the box hive is of 
a medium size it will probably east two 
swarms in spring about fruit-bloom time 
or a little later4 ,when the swarms     
emerge they may be quickly taken down by
 means of the swarm-catcher1 if they    
happen to lodge in a branch of a tree1  
as they usually do4 ,if the hives are in

 readiness it is no great feat to safely
 place the swarms in their new homes and
 all will go well4 ,the parent colony   
may be disposed of in a week or ten days
 7not later7 after the second swarm     
issues1 by drumming the bees out of the 
box into the hive which holds the second
 swarm4 ,this is done by giving them    
smoke from the smoker and then battering
 on the hive with a stick1 which so     
alarms the inmates that they rush over  
the side of the upturned hive into the  
new one4 ,what is left is simply a lot  
of dirty combs fit only for the melting 
pot4 ,this is probably1 the neatest1    
cleanest and cheapest method of making a
 start in beekeeping4 ,it is well within
 the ability of most men and the cost is
 comparatively small4 ,if the bees are  
native blacks1 later on they may be     
changed to ,italians simply by          
purchasing young pure bred queens for   
about a dollar each4 ,the old queens are
 killed and new ones introduced in a    
cage till the bees make her             

acquaintance1 when she is automatically 
released4 ,in two months' time very few 
of the original bees will be found1 all 
having died from hard work and old age1 
and their places taken by rich golden   
yellow ,italian bees4 ,it may be well to
 add this caution1 ,do not experiment   
with any other race of bees4