Hidden Treasure: The Story of a Chore Boy Who Made the Old Farm PaySimpson, John Thomas
Science
Hidden Treasure: The Story of a Chore Boy Who Made the Old Farm Pay
Simpson, John Thomas
Farm life
They were just in time, for the swarm that filled the air was starting
to settle and they, too, were soon gathered and put into a new hive.
By this time the third one was out and they saw it was getting ready
for a long flight, for it kept getting higher and higher, despite the
racket they made, and started off. It flew for quite a distance before
it settled on the limb of a shell-bark hickory tree in a field on the
adjoining farm.
"Of all the places for them to pick out," said Bob, as he and Edith
came up and saw where they had finally settled, "but nevertheless I'm
not going to lose that swarm, if I can help it; though it's going to
be pretty hard climbing that tree. Every time I climb a hickory tree,
I think of Jim Black."
"Why, who was he?" asked Edith.
"Oh, he was the meanest man in the country. They say he'd wear out a
pair of new overalls climbing a sell-bark hickory tree to get the wool
out of a robin's nest," laughed Bob.
"He must have been pretty mean if he'd do that," said Edith.
After considerable work, Bob managed to get up over the rough jagged
trunk and finally succeeded in cutting off the limb on which the bees
were hanging. With the end of the limb in one hand, he worked his way
back to the trunk and then gradually on down to the ground, where
Edith took the limb from him. After putting the bees into a box they
carried them back and put them into a new hive.
Shortly after the bees had arrived at the farm, Bob had purchased ten
new sectional hives and a supply of ready-made combs to aid them in
rapid honey-making. Much to his surprise he found two of these hives
had been set up and had colonies working in them.
"I wonder when those hives got bees in them, Edith?" he inquired,
surprised to see he had two more colonies than he knew about.
"That's a secret," she laughed.
"What do you mean--a secret?" he asked.
"Well, yesterday when you were in town two colonies swarmed and Aunt
Bettie and I didn't know what to do with them, but Tony overheard us
talking about it, and what do you suppose he did?"
"It looks as though he hived them," replied Bob.
"That's just what he did. He wouldn't put on a veil or gloves, either,
but just went over to the limb, scraped them into a box, carried them
over and put them in the hive. He even picked up the queen and held it
up and showed it to me. I was afraid to get too close for fear I'd get
stung, for I didn't have a veil on. He said he understands bees and
that they never sting him."
"That's fine," said Bob. "I'd lost them if it hadn't been for Tony."
"Yes, I think they would probably have gotten away," said Edith, "so
you'll have to thank Tony for saving them for you. I think your hives
are too hot, Bob. The trees don't shade them from the afternoon sun.
Why don't you design a concrete apiary, a sort of an umbrella, and
keep them cooler, then they're not so apt to swarm. You could make it
so it could be closed up in the winter, too, then you wouldn't need a
cellar."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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