UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0328 6386 6 'I'l;. . ■ I, . 'A. ,1,11 annDDDDDnDDDnDnDDDanDnnnDDDDDDnn , D D D D D D D ^o*^**^ D D D D D sd^ h\ D D D > ^l frr i^ " n i D ^ ^\nH V5P ■? D D •? ^^glv^S^ ^ D D '^^fgS^A** D D D D a D D D D D D UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS D D D D LIBRARY D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D , a D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D a n D D D D D D D D DDDnnnDDDnnnDDnDDDnDDnnnnDDDDaaD Li ^- ^ B ■■ . * / Uf i OF AMHERST, MASS. br47 ■¥€. V. '¥':i'f% -rv «^.'^^ wmSmmBIBmm^^^^mmmm 17c a Day Opens the Way to Better Pay A few dollars, plus your promise to pay the balance at the rate of 17 cents a day, places in your hands the new "Printype" model Oliver Typewriter No. 5, our very finest production. ;^''The best advice that can be given to the young man or woman is : Get an Oliver Typewriter! This offer places at your command a ma- chine that turns time, energy, and enterprise into the pure gold of success. 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Addre'"' The Oliver Typewriter Co., 116 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, 0. Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, 0. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. Calvert, Business Mgr. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter. VOL. XLII. JANUARY 1, 1914 NO. 1 Erditorial Our cover picture for this issue shows the apiary and poultry-house of W. R. Bartlett, Elyria, Ohio, whose article appears on page 17. We hoped to give at least a brief report of the New York State convention in this issue; but at the last minute we found it would have to be left over till Jan. 15. AN EXPLANATION. Some of our readers, after reading H. H. Root's article on imbedding wires in foun- dation, page 799, Nov. 15, got the idea that tlie wires in the frames are loose. They are not loose, but drawn taut in the frame in the ordinary way. When imbedding them in the foundation they are drawn out of aline- ment just enough to accomplish the result shown on page 802. NO DEMAND FOR HONEY DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD. As a general thing there is a slack time in the sale of honey during the holidays. The honey-salesman might just as well stay at home as to try to make sales during that tim-e of the year. But he can begin again, perhaps, soon after Jan. 1. It is very nec- essary that he do so, because there is a large amount of honey yet to be sold before the 1914 crop comes on. EDITOR OF " POULTRY LIFE " A BEEKEEPER. The breezy editor of that excellent poul- try journal, Poultry Life, Mr. Miller Pur- vis, is a busy man and a bee-man too. We quote herewith the first part of one of his editorials in the October issue. A PERSONALi WORD. If any one thinks the editor of this magazine passes his days in elegant ease, wearing a tailor- made suit and a tall collar, it would be best to re- vise this mental picture. The editor of Poultry Life fets up in the morning and works all day about six days out of seven. .lust at this writina; he is finish- ing the task of digging three carloads of potatoes that -^ he and one other raised this year. He also takes care =»< of a rather sizeable flock of fowls, enough bees to 35 make it interesting, and an orchard that is going to ""* make him rich enough some day so that he can afford f=^to throw his typewriter into an irrigation ditch, and forget that he ever sat up nights spoiling white paper for the purpose of saying things to the public. Here's long life and success to this fearless writer who is a poultry-man, fruit-man, and last, but not least, a bee-man as well. A. I. ROOT ON THE SUBJECT OF WINTER NESTS. In this issue, page 6, our correspondent, Mr. Byer, believes that A. I. Root is not a supporter of the winter nest as advocated by his son in later years. He refers to page 863 of our issue for Nov. 1, where A. I. Root is mentioned as favoring combs of sealed stores of 15 lbs. each, jjlaced in the center of the brood-nest. Api^arently this might look as if he were in opposition to the practice advocated later in Gleanings; but if Mr. Byer will turn to the top of the next page, 864, he will see that A. I. R. recom- mended cutting circular holes in the combs near the top-bars for a passageway. This would also provide a winter nest, if Ave take into consideration the fact that A. I. R. has always been an advocate of putting the bees into winter quarters early. After all, if bees are given solid combs of stores early in the fall they will soon make a winter nest of the kind that we recommend in December when cold weather sets in. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIFORMITY IN MAKING MARKET QUOTATIONS. Our Colorado correspondent, Mr. Wesley Foster, on page 8 of this issue, calls atten- tion to the lack of uniformity in the market quotations in the bee-journals. For instance, he says, " Some of the reports are from houses selling to retailers, some selling to wholesalers, and some, if not all, probably selling to both." He then goes on to give specific instances of how Cincinnati makes prices on honey going to retailers, and how Kansas City gives jobbing prices. If the producer does not know on what basis these quotations are made he is liable to be misled. We are addressing a circular letter to all those who quote prices, calling attention to this lack of uniformity, and asking if a more uniform scheme can not be adopted. In the mean time, it would be wise for any 5 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE beekeeper, before he consigns his honey, to secure prices by mail, based on sample or samples. PRICES ON HONEY EASING UP AS A RESULT OF SOME HEAVY LATE SHIPMENTS. We have time and time urged the impor- tance of selling honey, especially that in the comb, early. The latter should be sold, as far as possible, in the large jobbing cen- ters in September and October — certainly before the holidays. After that time it is liable to granulate or break down during shipment, and, what is worse than all, car- load shipments of comb honey after Janu- ary' 1 often have to meet markets already overloaded with the product. The situation this year is not as good as it miglit be. Nu- merous carloads of honey have lately been coming from the West, and in some cases have been dumped on to markets already congested. If these same shipments could have been delivered two or three months earlier, when consumers are calling for new comb honey, better prices would have been secui'ed. Too many times producers have gotten the impression that, by holding off, prices will become firmer. In a very few instances (and very few they are) delays have been to the advantage of the beekeep- er; but such delays are always exceedingly dangerous, and usually there will be a slump in prices along toward or shortly following the holidays. It is difficult to get them back again, because buyers, fearing that their comb honey will granulate on their hands, will begin to cut prices. While the situation is not quite the same with extracted honey, yet the market on liquid honey will generally ease up along about January. This past year has seen an unsual pro- duction of clover honey, both comb and ex- tracted ; and had it not been for the short- ness of the California crop, prices would have been completely demoralized. As it is, delayed shipments of Western comb honey, and extracted also, are being dumped on the Eastern markets, when they are in no condition to receive them. It is impossible to maintain prices under such conditions. Another thing that has eased the market somewhat this season is the oi^en winter we have been having. Buyers invariably claim that honey sells much better during a snug cold winter, and there is a reason for this. Carbohydrates (fats and sugars) are heat- producing. During cold weather our sys- tems crave sweets. Neither candy nor hon- ey sells during mild winters as they do in cold, hence it is not surprising that there has been less of a natural craving and de- mand for honey this winter. One heavy clover year is not likely to follow another; and the probabilities are that prices will equalize another season. In the mean time a lot of comb honey now on the markets may become granulated, and gi-anulated comb honey, if sold at all, must go at a big sacrifice. EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD NOT THE TERROR IT ONCE WAS ; HOW IT IS ELIMINATING BLACK BEES. We have lately been in districts where this disease has held sway for a few years back. But the foul-brood inspectors tell us that it is not as ditlicult to handle as ii was formerly supposed to be. In the first place, it has been clearly demonstrated that a vigorous strain of Italians will hold it in check, and often cure it. Some even go so far as to say that where this strain is used ex- clusively tliere need be no fear that the dis- ease will make any headway, and probably never get even a start. There are numerous instances where Italians are free from this disease, notwithstanding other yards of black bees within flying distance are rotten with it. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly apparent that European foul brood will ultimately clean out the black race entirely. It has already done so in many sections. Another thing, the Alexander treatment, or a modification of it, is coming to be more and more thought of for treating European foul brood. While it fails in some cases, it is very clear that the shaking treatment fails quite as often with the same disease. In this connection one will do well to read an article on it by E. F. Bender, in the last issue, who only voices opinions concerning this disease that are beginning to be ac- cepted in many parts of the United States. Taking every thing into consideration, the up-to-date, progressive, careful beekeep- er need not fear European foul brood pro- viding he keeps a vigorous strain of Ital- ians, and is otherwise careful to avoid in- fection by buying indiscriminate lots of bees. Indeed, we have heard that in some sections European foul brood has been a blessing in disguise in that it has eliminated entirely the careless, haphazard beekeepers who have always been a thorn in the flesh of the man who makes beekeeping a busi- ness. It is this don't-read-the-papers class who dump their honey on the market in all shapes and at prices that are ridiculously low. In this connection it should bo clearly understood that European foul brood is very different from the American type of the disease. While combs can be saved, many times, when treating European foul brood, there is no substantial proof yet JANUARY 1, 1914 advanced to show that they can be saved when alTected with American foul broo'l. While a vigorous strain of Italians is more immune to this disease, yet unless one exercises due precaution American foul brood can cause fearful havoc among them, On the olher hand, it may be said that the shaking treatment, if care is exercised, is generally efficacious in treating Ameri- can foul brood. BROOD-REARING IN ONE OP OUR BEE-CELLARS. Elsewhere in this issue (page 27) we I'efer to certain experiments in giving bees liard candy as a winter food. Our Mr. Pritchard, who is looking after our bees in the cellar, reports (Dec. 27) that in the upper cellar (under the machine-shop) the bees are breeding very heavily. The tem- perature stands at about 52. There will doubtless be considerable increase in the strength of the colonies in this cellar. There are very few dead bees on the cellar bottom. Tlie bees are quiet, but brood-rearing is go- ing on at a lively pace. This is probably due to the fact that the moderate weather before the bees were put into the cellar, and the candy feeding, as explained elsewhere, had started brood-rearing outdoors. The disturbance incident to putting the bees in the cellar, and supplying them with hard dry candy, has stirred them up still more, with the result that brood-rearing is going on as heavily as ever, even in the cellar. Queens are laying, even in the colonies hav- ing nothing but natural stores. It will be remembered that we had one yard of bees that we put in the cellar a year ago last December that was in poor condi- tion. The colonies were weak, and we put them inside, as we felt sure they would die if left outdoors. We supplied some of them with hard candy; but those with candy and those without began to breed. The bumping on the sled in moving had stirred them up. so that the bees were clustered all over the front of the hives when they Avere placed in the cellar. Naturally one would think this would spell disaster — that the bees would never quiet down again, and that the result would be dysentery and death. But these bees began to rear brood, and kept it up all win- ter; and when we took them out in the spring they were strong colonies instead of being two and three frame nuclei as when they went in. Well, now the same process is going on this winter in the upper cellar, for we just overhauled the bees and found brood in all stages in all the colonies, and here it is just the close of December. Brood-rearing may be going on in the other cellar, but we have not yet investigated to find out. More anon. bees and poultry; the combination of THE two vs. either ONE ALONE. In this issue will be found considerable matter from beekeepers who are also poul- try-keepers, discussing the combination of bees and cloickens, and the poultry business as a sole means of livelihood. Some interest- ing evidence is produced, showing that the combination of bees and poulti-y goes well together. When the work is most active among chickens in the winter and early spring, the bees are dormant, requiring little or no attention; and when the work is most pressing among the bees, in the late spring, summer, and fall, the conditions are such that the chickens can to a large extent find their own feed — especially so if they can have the range of a yard or a farm. One fact has been brought out; and that is, that the average farmer can raise eggs and chickens for market cheaper than the man who makes the business a specialty. When chickens are confined in yards they must be fed regularly balanced rations, and this feed costs money. On the other hand, when the hens have the run of the barn- yard, or the whole farm, in fact, they can find their own feed. The bugs and insects, many of them injurious, are numerous enough in the ground to make up an impor- tant part of their diet. Under such condi- tions the poultry business will yield com- paratively large returns. It is during the warm part of the year that bees require most attention. We know of numbers of people who run a small farm in connection with bees. On tliis farm they have a large number of chickens and 200 colonies of bees, say. The whole combination, especially if not remote from a good market, will yield good returns. Apparently, from the testimony given in this issue, keeping more chickens is not as profitable as keeping more bees. There are hundreds and hundreds of beekeepers who have anywhere from 300 to 500 colonies, and not a few who have as many as a thou- sand or more. The fact that these men have been in the business, are staying in it, shows they are making a living; and if we may judge by the comfortable homes, by the au- tomobiles and other home conveniences that some of these large honey-producers have, the business of honey production on a large scale is more profitable than the exclusive business of producing eggs for market in a large way. Mr. J. E. Hand, on the other hand, a type of the other kind, is not only a successful beekeeper but a successful ponlti-yman. He is running a combination of the two, year in and year out. While he deals with only GLEANINGS LN BEE CULTURE tlie poultry side in this issue the readers of this journal know him best as a beekeeper. There is another ijhase of this whole ques- tion ; and that is, the average backlotter can usually keep a .dozen good hens in a small yard. The scraps from the table, especially meat scra^DS and ground bone, will go a long way toward the maintenance of the flock. If they can have all the cuttings from the lawn-mower from the front yard, they will get along very well, providing they have with the table scraps mixed grain which they should always be able to get during the daylight hours. A small number of chickens in the back yard will yield not only a fair return but afford a large amount of pleasure to the good woman of the house; and last, but not least, eggs that she knoivs are fresh. The prices that eggs are bringing now in market, especially during the winter months, and the securing of winter eggs when no one else has them, should be carefully consider- ed. Ordinarily that means early chickens — much earlier than the average man will have them. FOUL-BROOD QUARANTINE IN IMPERIAL CO.^ CAL. In the early part of last year, as noted in Gleanings at the time and later, the supei'- visors of Imperial Co., Cal., passed an ordi- nance prohibiting the shipment of bees into the county from other counties of the State or other States, without first giving notice of such shipment within 24 hours after their arrival. This ordinance in case of violation places a penalty of fine and imprisonment, not only on the representatives of the rail- roads, but on the shipper himself. It ap- pears to go further, in that it gives the foul- brood inspector authority to prevent the landing of bees (Avhether diseased or not) in the county from districts where disease of any kind is supposed to exist. On Sept. 11 the foul-brood inspector, Mr. A. F. Wagner, in the exercise of authority given him by this ordinance, declared a quarantine against the shipment of any bees into the county. See Gleanings, Oct. 1st, p. 665. The inspector has evidently had his troubles. Two wagonloads and one carload of bees have been shipped in, and Inspector Wagner ordered the bees to be shipj^ed back immediatel5^ The railroad company demur- red, but finally took them and carried them out of the county. Suits and counter suits for damages have been threatened. Whether they have been carried into court or settled, we have not been informed. In the last issue of the Western Honey- lee, published at Los Angeles, a full text of the ordirance and quarantine is given. In an open letter to tlie Board of Supervisors of Imperial County, Mr. J. Edgar Ross, one of the most extensive beekeepers in the county, refers to this ordinance as " a gross injustice to the Imperial Valley immi- grants." He says he has never brought bees into the county, and never expects to. Among other things he says: The key to the entire situation is simple. A few extensive beekeepers now located in the valley wanted to put up a hi^h board fence to keep others away from what they know to be a good thing. There might be some plausible excuse for this if the valley were, as they claim, already overstocked with bees. That this is not the case is abundantly proven by the rate at which nearly all beekeepers in the valley are increasing the number of their colonies. As a matter of cold fact, hundreds of tons of honey are going to waste in this valley for the simple reason that there are not enough bees to gather it. The interests of my pocketbook, as any one can plainly see, lies in silence, for I have bees for sale, and bees are worth three times as much here as they can be bought for on the coast; but I do not write my principles with a dollar-sign, and am decidedly opposed to this dog- in-the-manger policy. Of course, Gleanings has taken no sides in this matter. Although we have been ad- vised that trouble was brewing we thought best to say nothing about it, hoping that the case or cases would be settled out of court. We have received intimation that one case has been " settled," but on just what terms, and how, we are not as yet advised. The situation, in a nutshell, resolves itself down to this : There is European and Amer- ican foul brood in some counties of Califor- nia. The beekee])ing area in Imperial Co. is isolated inside of a desert; and under ordi- nai-y circumstances disease will not get into the valley unless shipped in with other bees. Its beekeepers, desiring to protect them- selves from the importation of bees from in- fected counties into their county, apparent- ly prevailed on the board of supervisors to pass the ordinance, which they did a year ago. But there seemed to be some dissatis- faction over the action of Inspector Wagner in enforcing' the ordinance; that he was un- fair in letting some in, and not others. As nearly as we can ascertain, some beekeepers and perhaps the majority in the county are in favor of the ordinance; but one of the most extensive ones among them, Mr. Ross, believes it is unjust and unfair, and he pro- ceeds to pay his respects to Mr. Wagner (the inspector) and to his coUeagiies, in no uncertain language, in the Western Honey- bee for December. Mr. P. C. Chadwick, in his department in this issue (see page 7) appears to feel that the ordinance will act as a boomerang on the beekeepers of Imperial Co. if the time ever comes when tliey desire to move bees into some other county. JANUARY 1, 1914 Stray Stravrs Db. 0. 0. Miller, Marengo, 111. Happy New Year! Hey ! Mr. Editor, you nearly arg\;ed me into painting hives. After reading Doolit- tle, p. 842, I'll let 'em stay unpainted. I claim only part credit for the 266 sec- tions per colony, 1913. Most of the work was done by a woman — a hustler — Miss Emma W. Wilson. C. r. Bender's article on European foul brood, p. 897, sliows plainly he's been there. The most comforting item is that he has not seen a foul cell for three years, and yet he has kept his old combs. L. S. Edison, you ask, p. 864, whether to put frames of foundation in the center or side of the brood-chamber in April. You can do either ; but the best place is to leave them in the shop till a month or two later. A SPECIAL advantage of the motor-truck for out-apiaries is that your symj^athies are not drawn upon as with horse flesh, when you want to hurry home without stopping to rest, or crowd two days driving into one. Lately a man told me that the bees in the middle of the cluster in his hives fanned lively to get up heat when too cold. Is that the orthodox belief? [That is certainly not the orthodox belief, and, what is more, we do not believe it is true. — Ed.] A. I. Root, after reading what you say, p. 911, I feel proud to say that, with a single exception, I have found the toilet rooms of all the public institutions in Wash- ington scrupulously neat and clean. More- over, lavatories are furnished with hot and cold water, soap, and individual paper tow- els, entirely free. J. E. Crane has my thanks for sometliing I never saw before — a piece of comb with worker-cells on one side, five to the inch, and drone-cells on the other side, four cells mea- suring 11/^ inches. A plain case, with no bend in the septum. [This is quite a re- markable ease. Has any one else seen any thing like it?— Ed.] , You never can count on weather. At Medina you were caught Nov. 9 with hives 3 feet under snow. I was caught the other way. Nov. 11 I left home feeling that the bees were safe in the cellar ; but immediate- ly a warm spell turned up, such as never was known before, and I almost dread to learn what shape I'll find the bees in when I reach home Dec. 19. In American Bee Joiirnal for 1861, 17 days is given as the time from the laying of the egg to the emergence of the young queen. That was, I think, on the authority of Dzierzon and Berlepsch, and was, pretty surely, from rearing queens in not very strong nuclei. Later, 16 days was counted the time — 3 days in the egg, 6 days feeding, and 7 days sealed up. I think those are the generally accepted figures to-day, and they are so given, Gleanings, p. 567. But Cowan, and later the A B C and X Y Z, reduced the days of feeding to 5, making the time from the egg to virgin 15. In order to learn something about it from the bees themselves I made some experiments, not with nuclei, but with a full force of bees. I got some positive results, although not very exact. In one case, instead of 9 days from the laying of the egg to sealing, it was not more than 7 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes, with a possibility of a good bit shorter time. (In the course of the years I have seen so many small larvae in sealed cells "that I am inclined to believe that cells are often sealed after four days of feeding or less. I sus- pect that the bees are not very particular about the time of sealing up; but at any time after an abundance of pap has been placed in the cell, whether the time be more or less, they say, " There, now, you little pig, you have more than you can cram down, and you may as well be sealed up now as any time.") In this ease the full time from egg to virgin could not have been more than 4 hours over 15 days, with a pos- sibilitj' of being more than 4 hours under that time. Aug. 5, 3:05 p. m., I gave a comb to my best queen, and after 2 hours gave it to queenless bees. Aug. 19 I put the 4 cells in a nursery. Aug. 20, at 1 :05 P. M., no queen was out of its cell. At 3 :05 one was out. At 5 no other was out, but another was out at 6 :10. I did not look again till next morning at 5 :15, when I found the remain- ing two were out. The longest possible time of that first queen was exactly 15 days, with a probability of 2 hours less, and a possibility of 4 hours less. The time of that second queen ranged from 55 minutes less than 15 days to 3 hours 5 minutes more than 15 days. The two remaining queens must have been at least a few minutes long- er, but there's no telling how much longer. Here's a chance for some of you ambi- tious youngsters to give us some more exact figures. Get your eggs laid witliin a shorter period than two hours, and then make more frequent observations than I did. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Notes from Canada J. L. Byer, Mt. Joy, Ont. I have just read with interest the plan of wintering given by A. I. Root many years ago, and referred to on page 863, Dee. 1, by L. M. Brown. While there must be some mistake in saying that the four combs the bees were to be wintered on must weigh about 15 pounds each, the fact, I see, is that A. I. R. seemingly did not place as much stress on the necessity of a " winter nest " as does a son of his at the present. If I am wrong in my understanding of the plan as given, please correct. I understand that Dr. Miller has a crop for 1913 that averages over 260 sections per colonj. Accept heartiest congratulations, doctor, for such a wonderful record. We thought that the crop was fair here in On- tario; but after that report we have come to the conclusion that we got only a taste of honey after all. However, there is no envy on the part of this scribbler; and to my mind such a crop means a combination of a wonderfully good honey-flow, wonderfully good bees, and last, but not least, wonder- fully good management. THE EFFECT OF THE WARM WEATHER. " The mildest November on record " says the report of the observatory at Toronto in regard to the weather of Ontario during last month. No frost during the first week of December in our section ; so this is another record. To-day, Dec. 8, it is colder, and we are having our first light fall of snow. How this continued mild fall weather will alfeet the bees is a question I have been asked frequently of late; and, frankly, I have no certain answer to give to the query. Most of the time it has not been warm enough for bees to fly much, and I am not fretting vei'y much as to any bad results that may follow. At the Cashel apiary there may be an ex- ception, as there the bees are surrounded on the north, east, and west by swamp; and during many of the November days a trip to the yard would show hundreds of bees sipping water from the bog, only a few feet from the bees. Bees carrying water freely generally means brood-rearing, and natural- ly I will watch with interest as to how these bees winter. SNOW COVERING THE HIVES. This matter of snow being left around the hives is a live question in all our northern locations where we are apt to get lots of the beautiful. Snow falling in " season " can pile up just as much as it likes, and I will leave it around or over the hives with no fear of bad results. But my hives^ali have quilts over the frames, and the outside cases have a space under the gable between pack- ing and roof. If the bees had sealed covers on them instead of quilts I might have to be more careful of the snow ; but I have no use for the sealed covers in our latitude, so the snow does not bother. As to falling in " season," I mean any time after the middle of December, and I want no deep snow over hives after late in March. That fall of snow you had in Medina was unseasonable, and I do not wonder that it threatened bad re- sults if it had been left piled over the bees. After brood-rearing is well on in the spring- it is very dangerous to allow hives to be covered any length of time, particularly if the old snow has been taken away and an- other fall of heavy wet snow should come and cover the hives to any great depth. THAT WHITE HONEY IN ONTARIO. See here, friend E. R., you are going to get into trouble for insinuating, p. 836, Dec. 1, that the water-white appearance of our clover honey is due to the admixture of this- tle honey. I am told that thistle honey is very white ; but I can give no positive proof personally, for the reason that I am not sure that I ever had any pure. While some sec- tions that are poorly farmed may have enough thistles to make a slight showing in the surplus, such places are in the minority. In our home locations I think the editor could carry in a few armfuls all the thistles he could tind in the alsike within reach of our bees, so you can see that thistles cut no figure in our case. Up at the Lovering yard there are more thistles; but the honey there is not as white as we get at home, owing to the presence of some other plants that do not grow in York Co. By the way, T am informed that the editor took such a fancy to our Canadian honey that a policeman actually caught him with a bottle in his pocket — taken, presumably, from the honey exhibit we had at the big show. After an investigation he was let go on suspended sentence, owing to the near- ness of the holiday season. JANUARY 1, 1914 Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. The Western Honey Bee, as edited by Mr. J. D. Bixby, is in keeping' with the quality of work of the former editor, Mr. Geo. L. Emerson. Mr. Bixby will doubtless make himself fit into the position admirably, as- suring the success of the journal, with proper support. There was no fault to find witli Mr. Emerson, who, to the writer's per- sonal knowledge, made a saci'ifice in his own business to launch the journal successfully. Success to you, Bro. Bixby. I quote the following from Orchard and Farm: "A carload of bees taken into Im- perial County from San Diego County, in defiance of the quarantine on bees from that section, were ordered returned to the con- signor." In the natural course of events there will be some beekeepers who will want to get out of Imperial County some day, and the task will be made no easier by the attitude they are now assuming. Self-pro- tection gives every one a right to protect his own interests ; and if these bees were dis- eased the action was right and proper. But the chances are they were not diseased or they would never have been shipped. * * * The year 1913 has closed, leaving a feel- ing of no particular regret to the beekeepers of California, especially those of the south- ern part of the State. It was a most dis- astrous season for the most of us. Some of the favored few in the orange district made a fair crop, but they Avere the exception and not the rule. In the alfalfa districts a fair to good crop was secured, the condition there being about noi'mal. Disease has spread in some localities at a rapid rate, black brood (European foul brood) princi- pally. This has added to the burden of some, as it has been a year in which fighting the disease has been very difficult, owing to the almost entire absence of fresh nectar. The rains have added a new hope to our future, so we hope and trust that the season of 1914 will bring new life and courage to our beemen, as well as financial gain. The writer wishes a prosperous new year to those who have stood by their bees, giving them all the attention consistent with their time and means. « » « So this is the " Bee and Poultry " issue. Well, T was never much of a " hen granny," and my success with chickens was never to be bragged about. Once in my boyhood days I went out to set a hen on Friday. My mother told me I would have no success if I set her on that day of the week. Mother was not sui^erstitious, but liked to have some fun with the boys once in a while. I went ahead and set the hen just the same. In about a week my mother came running down to the hen-house to see what was caus- ing the commotion among the hens, and she arrived in time to see the last egg going- after the hen that was set on Friday. She had a good laugh at my expense, saying, " I told you so." My answer was that a Leghorn hen did not have sense enough to sit, any way. Let me tell you something of my wife's success with poultry, esjiecially with tur- keys on a city lot. There are many people Avho think a turkey must have at least 160 acres to run on. I once thought so ; but Mrs. C. has proven to my satisfaction that I was mistaken. For the past three years she has kept a jDair of these fowls for breed- ing purposes, allowing the hen to lay a full laying, then hatch and raise her own brood. This year she hatched 14, successfully rais- ing ten of the brood, which is about as good results as one ever gets with turkeys. But she knows how to care for thera, Avhich is half the battle. Two or three days before time for the eggs to hatch, there is always a noticeable decrease in the amount of milk the family cow is furnishing the table. Oh, yes ! clabber milk for the turkeys — no fur- ther arguments needed. The chief food they are given for several weeks is clabber cheese and green onion-tops cut fine and mixed with the clabber. My! how they grow if kept warm and dry! and the old mother hen knows how to do that. But how about chickens? Mrs. Chadwick does well with them, but takes more interest in the turkeys. We keep only the White Plymouth Rocks, for the reason that we have an exceptionally fine laying strain of this breed, from which we get eggs the year round. There are other breeds of chickens that are good layers, but the objection with us has been to get a strain that not only lays well, but that is also of some value for the table. For a general all-round chicken, the breed and strain we liave can not be excelled. Just the other day Mrs. C. sold tlu-ee old hens for 20 cts. per pound, for which she received $3.60. It is not so much the breed as the utility of the strain that is to be sought. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Beekeeping Among the Rockies Wesley Foster, Boulder, Col. Wanted — a real good method of gather- ing sweet-clover seed. I fear the beemen are neglecting this plant when the seed is so valuable, and the bloom so fine for bees. THE MARKET QUOTATIONS. It has long been somewhat of a puzzle to me just how to interpret the honey quota- tions given in the bee journals. It seems they do not record very clearly the rise and fall of the honey market. This is easily explained by the different standards of grad- ing used. For instance, a dark comb honey would sell for several cents a pound more in some markets than in others. Take the quotations given in Gleanings, Dee. 1, as an example. Some of the reports are from houses selling to retailers and some selling to wholesalers, and some, if not all, prob- ably selling to both. Some of the jobbers sell to other jobbers who sell to wholesalers who sell to retailers who sell to consumers who eat the honey that the bees made! The reports from Boston, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are undoubtedly the quota- tions at which the honey is going to retail- ers. The Chicago report of Mr. Burnett shows conditions there very well. All sorts of prices have been asked and secured. Some consignment honey from the West having been sold very low, the market has been badly hurt. This price-cutting, I be- lieve, has been done by houses that are not especially interested in building up the hon- ey business. The Kansas City report gives the jobbing price, the wholesale price ranging ten to twenty per cent higher than this. Wlien I was in Kansas City the lowest price I was quoted on any No. 1 comb honey by the wholesale fruit-houses was $3.35 a case ; the highest I was quoted was $3.75, which was about November 15. Kansas City was very heavily supplied with comb honey at that time, but it was moving out at a good rate. The best price I see in all the quotations is 17 to 18 cents in a jobbing way at Zanes- ville, Ohio. The retailer must pay 20 to 21 cents wholesale for this honey, which is the highest I see in all the quotations. Comb honey sells in Denver to the retailer at $2.50 to $3.00 a case of 24 sections, with some shading from this price where the bee- men sell direct to retailers. The St. Louis report gives the conditions about as I found them when I was there late in November. Wholesale fruit and produce men in Kansas City handle considerable honey, while in St. Louis they do not handle it to speak of at all, leaving the honey busi- ness for the wholesale butter, egg, and cheese dealers and wholesalers who have less perishable produce than fniit. poultry-raising in town does not pat. The writer's experience with poultry has not been very satisfactory. There are sev- eral causes for this : First, I am not situated so that feed can be bought as cheaply as it should. During October and November the feed bill was $15.65, with only about six dozen eggs to show for it. Our flock aver- ages about 170 eggs per hen per year, which, I am told by Mr. Vaplon, poultryman for the Colorado Agricultural College, is above the average. We have been unable to dispose of all the eggs throughout the year direct to consum- ers, as should be the case. If I were on a small farm where I could let the hens run, I believe a flock of about a hundred hens would take care of the grocery bill. I have averaged about $1.50 a year profit per hen, not figuring any thing for labor. Figuring labor at 20 cents an hour, the poultry has faced a deficit of about $75 per year. I believe the city or town man can not profit- ably keep poultry on the meat and egg basis if he buys feed at market prices, sells his eggs at market prices, and figures his. time at even starvation wages. I will have the ]ioultry-men of our Agricultural College back of me, I believe, in this statement. The place where chickens pay is where they can pick up half or more of their liv- ing— where they can run. The commercial poultry-plants succeed through getting above the market prices for eggs and selling fancy stock at high prices. There are very few successful commercial poultry-plants in the West, for the reason that they can not compete with the farmer's supply of poul- try and eggs which is produced so econom- ically. When I move to a farm I want a nice flock of chickens for profit; but in town I want them only to furnish a few eggs and a chicken occasionally for the table. I hope this is not too hard on poultry- keeping, but I believe it fairly defines the limits of the business. JANUARY 1, 1914 Conversations w^ith Doolittle At Borodino, New York THE BEST BEES. " You have been telling us different things about breeding, etc., but you have told us little if any thing about which kind of bees are best suited for different kinds of work. What I want to know is whether all bees are alike suited for comb-honey production, extracted-honey production, or for the pro- duction of wax. If there is a difference, which are best suited for these different kinds of work?" " I am well aware that volumes have been written on the subject of the best bees, each Tvriter having his own ideas ; but many do not have the matter fully settled in their own minds, even at the present time. Only recently one of out best apiarists told me that he was not fully persuaded that the Italians were better for any purpose than the blacks." " But you do not think that there are many beekeepers who will agree that the blacks are as good as the Italians for any purpose? " "There are two points in which the blacks excel, as I think is acknowledged by most of those who have experimented closely. The first is, they cap their section honey whiter than any others; second, they use more wax in doing such capping. AncI here you have an answer to working for the production of wax. It is doubtful, even at the present high prices of wax, whether it is as profitable to work for wax, under any circumstances, as it is for either comb or extracted honey, but if trying the experi- ment I would certainly choose black bees for such a test. At times of a good honey- flow, with little room for comb-building, these bees will plaster things over all about the hive with little bunches of wax, some- thing similar to the way in which Caucas- ians will plaster up the entrance to their hives with a mixture of pollen and propo- lis." " But how about extracted and comb hon- ey production? " " If I were producing comb honey alto- gether, I would procure a good queen of the golden variety, rearing all queens from her, and allow them to mate with any drones they might chance to meet, the most of which, without doubt, would be from an entirely different blood from themselves, which would give a direct cross. Such di- rect cross always gives the greatest vigor; and in reference to your question as regards the best bees for comb honey I should not care one cent whether the young queens from such a mother mated with drones from black or hybrid stock, as all my experience goes to prove that thoroughbred golden Ital- ian queens, mated to drones from either black or hybrid mothers, give bees equal to the very best for comb-honey production. But if I could conveniently hinder such ' mating I should prefer not to have these queens meet drones fi'om young queens reared from imported mothers." " How is that? Do not many of our best beekeepers claim that queens from imported stock give the very best honey-gatherers?" " Yes, and undoubtedly such claim is ab- solutely true. It is not because they would not give bees just as vigorous and of just as good honey-gathering quaities; but for the reason that, as a rule, workers having such imported blood in them do not cap their honey nearly so nice and captivating to the eye as do those having more of the golden, hybrid, or German blood in their veins. There is no one thing that helps to dispose of a crop of section honey to so good advantage, nor so promptly, as do the nice white and smooth cappings of the combs. Have you never noticed that all fancy honey quotations are based on the looks of the cappings to the combs, and that honey quality takes second place in this matter?" " That is right, now I come to think the matter over. But are not such bees as we have just been talking about the best for extracted honey also ? " " Well, hardly. They may gather just as much honey, but they use more of that honey in secreting wax, and wax production plays no important point in the production of extracted honey. Dark or leather-color- ed Italians, those nearly related to imported stock, often cap their honey with so thin a covering of wax, and that thin covering placed so close that it touches the honey, causing section honey to have such a greasy, watery appearance that it takes a gi'ade much below fancy in the market, even with the same good quality as fancy in the combs. Now, while this is all against comb-honey production, it is in favor of extracted honey, for nice capping to the combs is never thought of in an apiary devoted to extracted' honey ; hence the less honey that is con- sumed for the secretion of wax, the greater yield of the extracted article. For this rea- son, were I working exclusively for extract- ed honey I would select the darker Italians, Continued on page 34. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE General Correspondence COMMERCIAL EGG PRODUCTION A Resume of the Business from the Question of Building to the Hatching and Feeding of the Chicks BY J. E. HAND From the dollar-and-eent point of view it is, perhaps, advisable for the expert bee- keeper to concentrate his capital and ener- gies upon his chosen profession. There are conditions in human existence, however, that are infinitely more desirable than the mere making of money. " Variety is the spice of life;" and the human mind becomes broad- ened and invigorated by branching out upon different lines of thought and action. Beekeeping is not a year-around occupa- tion, hence a beekeeper on even a quite ex- tensive scale may relax the tension upon his mind, broaden his views, and increase his finances, by branching out and taking on a side-line winter occupation. Among all rural industries, jDerhaps none is so well suited for this purpose as commercial egg produc- tion, since it is largely a winter occupation, though virtually an all-the-year avocation. While poultry-keeping alone is by no means the money-making bonanza or the highway to wealth that it is too often painted, yet with intelligent management it will give good returns for the capital and labor ex- pended, including a reasonable profit. And you don't have to wait six months or a year for it; for after the plant is in operation, with proper care and attention to every detail commercial egg production will yield a daily and hourly income, rain or shine, summer and winter, with no off seasons. You carry out the feed in the morning and bring in a basket of eggs at night to pay for it, including a profit commensurate with the investment, pi'oviding you attend strictly to every detail of your occupation. Born and reared on a farm, and familiar with every branch of rural husbandry, I know of no line where more skill is required, or where a little neglect is so quickly felt in the profits returned as in the poultry busi- ness; nor do I know of any that will yield as prompt returns for extra care. Let no one who may read this article delude him- self with the idea that he can, without any previous experience or knowledge of the business, step into a profit-yielding business of commercial egg production on an exten- sive scale — a business where vastly more science and skill is required than in th" production of fancy section honey and the control of swarming. A beginner should start with 50 to 100 pullets, and increase his stock in proportion to his experience and ability. I emphasize these points because it is the purpose of this article to help beginners instead of leading them astray by painting the situation in roseate hues to foster hopes and ambitions that can be realized only upon the condi- tions herein mentioned. This does not nec- essarily imply a constant grind of ceaseless toil and arduous labor, but it does demand a constant supervision and strict attention to the most minute details of the business. The first thing to be considered is the location and buildings. It is very desirable to have the ground sufficiently undulating to admit of ample surface drainage. A side hill sloping south has advantages along this line. If in an orchard, all the better for the poultry as well as for the trees, for the hens will scratch the ground and pick up innu- merable injurious worms and insects, and in return for the favor the trees will pro- vide protection for the fowls in winter and refreshing shade in summer, all of which are important factors. While the buildings need not be expensive, it is imperative that they conform to sanitary rules, as well as to conditions that favor winter egg produc- tion ; for pure air and cleanliness means health to the fowls, and the healthy hen is the one to lay eggs in winter, when they bring the highest price, and we should as- sist her by imitating nature and making conditions as near normal as possible. While we do not claim that the system herein outlined is superior to all others, we feel justified in recommending it in prefer- ence to any other for two reasons. First, it has been uniformly successful with us, and we are not sure that other methods would be. Second, it is practically the same system that is practiced by the leading poul- try-men of the country, therefore we don't feel justified in confusing the beginner with a multitude of systems and innumerable visionai-y theories. So please don't consider it egotism that leads us to outline one par- ticular system instead of branching out upon unexplored territory. It is advisable to have the laying-houses in a continuous row, extending in a line east and west, and fronting south. This is im- perative, since the warm and penetrating rays of the sun reflected through the win- dows dispel the gloom of an otherwise dull monotony, and bring happiness and content to the inmates, even in zero weather, as will be attested by their scratching and singing, likewise by a better filling of the egg-basket. JANUARY 1, 1914 It should be not less than 16 ft. wide, and of sufficient length to house the number of hens desired, for no one has as yet placed a limit to the number that can be successfully operated in one continuous room unbroken by partitions. So long as correct sanitary conditions are rigidly maintained it is safe to assume that 1000 hens in one flock will give as good results as a flock of 100 ; and the minimizing of labor in caring for large flocks is an important item that swells the poultry-man's profits. The building is sheeted outside, roof in- eluded, with matched lumber, and covered, except the front, with felt roofing, and treated to a coat of roofing tar; if tarred every two or three years the roof will last indefinitely. The inside, except the fi'ont, is ceiled with plaster-board, for which studs and rafters are correctly spaced. The raft- ers are 2x8 material to support the roof, without props. The floor is double boarded with light roofing felt between. The lower may be of cheap rough lumber; but the upper floor is a medium grade of matched flooring, thus making the room warm, and precluding the possibility of a draft of cold air to endanger the health of the inmates. In the front, at intervals of 8 ft., is a single-sash window of 10 x 14 glass, sliding upward between studs, and protected inside by wire netting stapled to studs. At equal distances, between each pair of windows, is a door hung in two pieces to swing out- ward. The lower half is 32 x 42 inches, and the upper half 32 x 36 inches. Hinged at the top, swinging inward and upward, and hooked to the ceiling, is a netting-covered frame of equal dimensions with the upper door, so that, when it is opened, the screen is swung into position, preventing the exit of the inmates and admitting of ventilation by day. These doors are opened every morn- ing, and closed at night during winter, re- gardless of weather conditions. As a further means of ventilation by night and day is an opening six inches wide next to the roof in front, and extending the whole length of the building. It is covered with burlap, and, being so high, changes the air without creat- ing a draft over the heads of fowls at night, or forming any accumulation of frost or moisure on the ceiling. The floor is at least two feet from the ground, and well ven- tilated underneath to guard against moisture in the scratching-litter, and three feet would not be too much, as this is an important factor in sanitation; for moisture here means filth, which breeds disease. During cold winter weather a light frame covered with muslin is tacked on to the upper door-screens, thus combining light and warmth with suitable ventilation. Next to the north wall, and extending the whole length of the building, is the droppings- board, of a width to accommodate three lines of perches. These are in ten-foot sec- tions, 16 in. above the droppings-board, and swing back against the ceiling. Under the droppings-board are the nests open to the liens from beneath and behind, and operat- ing like the drawers of a work-bench. At in- tervals of 20 ft., intersecting the perches, is a short partition of equal width, extending from the droppings-board to the ceiling. This prevents the action of currents of air that would otherwise pass over the heads of the fowls at night with undesirable results. It will be noticed that the floor is free from encumbrance, and is virtually a mammoth scratching-room provided with perches and nests. Impure air and filth breed disease; and a sick hen is neither a laying nor a paying hen ; hence droppings should be removed daily, and dry fine sand sprinkled over the board. If kept dry the dropping"s are worth more per ton than the ordinary brands of commercial fertilizers. STOCKING THE PLANT. Next comes the stocking-up with early- hatched pullets, for these are the glory of the poultryman, and the winter egg-makers. This is the most complex problem of all, since it involves the rearing of hundreds of chicks by correct methods — methods that will produce strong healthy chicks; for a pullet with a weak constitution is an unde- sirable proposition. It is advisable to se- cure a sufficient number of yearling or two- year-old breeders of known health, vigor, and utility as egg-makers. This is impera- tive, for like produces like. Incubators were a success with us from the start, but it cost us dearly in dead chicks, wasted time, and money invested in artificial chick-killers under the cognomen of brooders. As killers they were all a howling success, and we eaiTied the dead ones out by fives, by tens, by fifties, and by hundreds. " Experience is a good school, but the tuition is rather high" (Billings), for it cost us dearly to learn that the best brooder on earth is a gentle Wyandotte hen. She is well equipped with soft fluffy plumage, and will mother any thing from a jack-ralDbit to a bull pup, and do it scientifically. We owned one that brooded four collie puppies until six weeks old. How is that for a brooder? In practicing artificial methods with bees or poultry, our success will be conditional upon operating along lines that harmonize with the nature, habits, and instinct of the individual with whom we have to deal. While it is perfectly natural for full-grown fowls to congregate in large flocks, right the re- 12 verse is true in nature's method of rearing chicks. Instinct unerringly guides the acts of the prospective mother-hen in hiding her nest, and isolating her downy brood so long as they remain under her control. This is nature's method of rearing strong, vigorous, healthy chicks. While we may not improve upon her methods, we can imitate them so closely as to secure equally good results. Hence at the time of starting the incubators we secure a sufficient number of broody hens to mother the prospective hatch, and stock each nest with tested infertile egg's, treating each hen with louse powder twice, and anointing their heads with head-louse ointment before the chicks appear, other- wise the treatment will kill them also. If chicks become chilled or overheated in an incubator after hatching they will dwin- dle and die in spite of the good offices of the mother-hen ; therefore we must be on the spot when the hatch is due, and, when over, the door is propped open to allow suffieient change of air to prevent panting with open mouths, and not enough to cause the chicks to pile up for warmth. When conditions are right they will be spread evenly over the tray, sleeping quietly. I emphasize this point because a mistake or a little careless- ness here will render all our labor and effort of no avail, since a chilled or scalded chick had better be dead so far as ultimate results are concerned. As fast as they get strong on their legs, place them under the hens at night, giving to each hen 35 chicks, making- sure the hens are on a fiat surface, otherwise the chicks will fall out and become chilled. The last batch removed will be the weaker of the hatch, and should be given to a gentle mother. When three days old, begin feeding com- mercial chick-feed, soaking it in water for 20 minutes, and spreading it on a clean board. Feed sparingly four or five times a day for the first week on wet feed, giving no water nor grit. Begin feeding dry chick- feed and drinking-water the second week, but no grit until two weeks old, and then sparingly. The gizzard of a young chick is a very small organ ; and if given access to fine sharp grit, chicks will fill their gizzards with it to the exclusion of life-sustaining food, and literally starve to death in the midst of plenty. The ignorant attendant, thinking to cure an imaginary distemper, dopes them with more grit and shells, with fatal results. When three weeks old the colony houses are isolated, and the chicks given a gi-ass run, or fresh-grown oats, with chick-feed or cracked corn and wheat morn- ing and night, having access also at all times to hoppers full of dry-mash food the same as given to laying hens. If these in- GLBANINGS IN BEE CULTURE structions are obsei'ved the result will be strong healthy chicks. The chicks are hatched during April and May, and the colony houses should be of a size to accommodate the hen and her brood until they are full grown. Some of the pul- lets will begin laying in September, but should not be pushed for egg production until about November 1, when they are to be assembled within the winter laying-house, and not permitted to step outside until their year of egg production is completed and they are taken to market. FEEDING FOR HIGH-PRESSURE EGG PRODUCTION This is the most interesting stage of the progTam, and tlie enthusiastic attendant watches the rapid development of his pets and the reddening of their beautifully curv- ed combs with bright anticipations of future success in the form of heaping baskets of beautiful eggs of snowy whiteness; and if lie performs his part faithfully and intelli- gently his hopes will soon be realized. Next to the rearing of the chicks, this is undoubt- edly the most critical part of the poultry- man's experience; for the success of the whole venture depends upon the correct feeding of a scientifically balanced ration. A mistake here will result in a waste of expensive food material and a proportion- ate decrease in profits. Every feed contains a certain amount of necessary moisture varying from 8 to 90 per cent of its weight; hence the wisdom of supplying so-called dry-mash foods unmixed with water. Since tlie hopper system of dry-mash feeding has been uniformly successful, and has economized labor to the extent of mul- tiplying the number of hens that can be eared- for by one man, and in one flock, it is not worth while to consider any other; and the subject of greatest importance is, how to compound the mash feed correctly. Space forbids a discussion of the composition of feed stuff and the nutrient value of differ- ent rations. Suffice it to say, it has been determined by carefully conducted experi- ments that the following ratio of mixing feed is second to none as an economical egg- making mash food : 100 lbs. corn meal, 100 lbs. ground oats, 100 lbs. gluten meal, 100 lbs. middlings, 300 lbs. bran, 100 lbs. beef scrap, 100 lbs. alfalfa meal. This compound sliould be kept constantly before the fowls in hopi^ers, while the morning and noon ration consists of a light feed of scratching material of mixed grains consisting of cracked corn, wheat, buckwheat, and millet. This is scattered in straw six inches deep, and the hens are literally compelled to scratch for eveiy kernel of grain they get. At 4 o'clock P. M. they are given all the corn and wheat they will pick up in 20 min- JANUARY 1, 1914 13 Apiary of J. H. Warner & Son, Middleburgh, N. Y utes, which causes more singing and scratch- ing, and the hens will go to roost with a full crO'P, which is very desirable, because this is the proper time for the digestion of a grain ration, since it maintains a healthy action of the digestive organs during the night, keeping the blood warm and the fowl com- fortable. Economical feeding depends upon the amount of food digested rather than on the amount consumed, hence green vegetable food must be libei-ally supplied, preferably in the form of mangolds, cabbage, and fine- cut clover. Granulated charcoal, granulated bone, grit, and oyster-shells should also be kept constantly before the fowls in separate hoppers. It has been demonstrated that this system of feeding will maintain health arid vital energy during a protracted period of high-pressure feeding. Fowls require more water in proportion to weight than other do- mestic animals; hence a liberal supply should be kept constantly be- fore them, preferably in a large container fitted with a drip fau- cet regulated to the amount they will take without running over the trough, and should be tempered with hot water during extreme- ly cold weather. FEED-HOPPERS. Manifold are the hoppers that do not hop, and legion is the name for those that hop so fast that an industrious hen will ingeniously hook the contents out upon the lloor with her beak in search of choice bits that are always found in dry-mash feed; hence such feeds should be ground exceed- ingly fine. We overcame this waste of feed material by using a hopper that does not hoj), but always remains wide open, and defies the most energetic hen to waste a morsel of its contents. Here it is : Make a Warner's poultry and bee yard corobined. grass down. The chickens have the run of the apiary, helping to keep the GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE One of J. H. Warner & Sun' hens eaeli. poultry-houses accommodating 250 light box with open top 30 inches square, 6 inches deep, mounted on legs 12 inches long; a loose-fitting frame, covered with inch-mesh netting, acts as a follower as long- as the feed lasts, and the biddies soon be- come disgusted with hooking beak and toe- nails upon intervening wires in a vain at- tempt to explore its contents. CHOOSING THE BREED. We would not select a Percheron horse for a trotter, and for the same reason we should not select any of the general-utility breeds for exclusive egg jDroduction. While single indix-iduals of these breeds may equal the best Leghorns as egg-producers, the fact remains that the Leghorns stand pre-eminent among all breeds as walking egg-machines; hence the name " Leghorn " is a synonym of efficiency and utility in egg-production. The white vai'iety is conspicuous on account of her queenly form and gi-aceful carriage, as well as her beautifully drooping crimson comb and the exceedingly large size of her snow-white eggs. Undoubtedly the Leghorn as a breed will stand high-pressure feeding for commercial egg production better than any other. Birmingham, Ohio. BEES AND POULTRY IN THE YEARS GONE BY BY L. G. GARY PouUry Judge This subject will bring out some good articles, no doubt, written by those capable of writing interesting articles; but as for myself, I have had experience that, if I had talent to relate in an interesting and proper manner, I might have an article worth read- ing. However, it is plain talk tbat we like to have, and facts that will do us some good. I have been a poul- ti-y lover all my life, and can not remember the time I did not have my few thoroughbred birds. When a boy of eight years I owned some grand pit games and raised them for an uncle of mine who was a great fancier, and paid some fancy prices for them. He kept me in stock, and I certain- ly sj^ent many a happy hour with my favorite birds. I almost lived with them, when I had time from running errands for my mother or helping my father around the farm. Boys began helping earlier those days than they do now, it seems to me. At the age of forty I can look back to those days of my childhood and readily understand why it is that I can not help raising i^oultry, and, furthermore, why I am interested in the production of thorough- bred birds. It seems to me I am a bigger crank than ever about all kinds of poultry. I will say that I have found my poultry work very pleasant, and, of course, interest- ing and also profitable. I also remember back in those barefoot days, when I was taking my first lessons in poultry culture my father, who was very fond of honey (I might as well include my- self in this fondness for honey) got the notion that he would raise some bees. At that time we knew little of the Italians or any particular breed of bees. We just thought bees were bees, and that was all there was to it, and that any kind of box was a hive. I do not remember where he got his first start, but I think he bought them at a sale. Anyhow, we had some bees, and in the spring more bees, as they swarm- ed often. How well I remember what a turmoil there was on the little farm when the bees swarmed ! My father and I out in the corn- field were startled to hear the dinner-bell begin to ring about nine in the morning; but we had no more than started for the house when we were assured that no greater calamity had happened than the bees swarm- ing, as we could hear the din and rattle that mother and the other children were making to get the bees to settle. We thought if we would beat on tin pans and make a furious JANUARY 1, 1914 15 noise of some kind it would cause the bees to settle. The bee business did not pay big results. If we got enough honey for the table we thought we were doing well; for whenever we took honey we had to kill the bees with sulphur. Poultry was not a very paying item of the farm then, as the birds were left to roost in the trees and in the wagonshed, on the fences — in fact, about wherever they took a notion to stop. Their feed consisted of what- ever they could steal from the horses, hogs, or sheep. When very cold weather came, and a continued cold spell with snow for several weeks, my mother would issue orders that the chickens that were roosting out be caught and put in the hen-house; so when dusk came we began gathering them in. They were wild, and such a lot of squawk- ing and squalling as we carried them to the hen-house and dumped them in at the door ! They would keep right on squalling after we threw them in the house. It is not much wonder tliat we did not get eggs in the winter. When the warmer days of spring came, and the hens began to lay a few egg's, you may depend upon it we did not get any eggs to eat, for they had to go to the store to help buy our g'roeeries ; and from that time until cold weather again those abused and neglected hens would buy the most of the groceries for the table. In those days if the hens began to lay, then they would get better care ; but when they shut off in lay- ing, then the feed was stopped. Now we know better than that. We must give our poultry good care at all times; for when moulting time comes, and the egg supply slacks off, we must feed well to hurry through the moult so that, without loss of time, the hens will go to laying again. What great improvements we have seen with bees as well as poultry ! Then it would have seemed beyond reason to say that one swarm of bees would yield honey to the amount of 75 or 100 pounds during one season. It would likewise have seemed in- credible to say that one hen would produce 200 eggs per year. All this has come to pass, and hens have been tested and known to lay more than 250 eggs per year. These hens are thoroughbred stock too. It does not pay to raise any other. Bees have been improved, and the hives have been improved, until it is a science to raise and care for bees intelligently. The old box hive has given way to the new frame hive, and the few unprofitable swarms to the prosperous and paying apiary where pleasure, interest, and profit go hand in hand. Likewise the old log hen-house, with its mongrels, has given way to the well-ar- ranged poultry-house with its number of thoroughbred birds, eggs in winter — profit- able the year round. In the days of boyhood we got ten cents per dozen (often less) for eggs. Now we are selling fresh eggs at forty cents per dozen. Bees and poultry go well together, and the successful poultry-breeder is very likely to be a successful beekeeper because he must be a person who looks into the details of his occupation and never tires of doing the little things that must be looked after to make success in both. A poulti-y-farm and bee-raising make a combination that, if looked after intelligently, and details and care given to every part, aft'ord pleasure, health, and prosperity. A good location for poultry is a good location for bees; and one who loves the work of poultry-raising will find bees as interesting, if not more, and very profitable as well. Trimble, Ohio. POULTRY-RAISING AS A SIDE LINE WITH BEEKEEPING BY ROSCOE F. WIXSON It seems to be a noticeable fact that a number of prominent beekeepers in differ- ent parts of the country have adopted poul- try as a valuable side issue to their business. On the other hand, there are a few who rely almost entirely upon the poultry as a means of livelihood, making the bee business whol- ly secondary, or not attempting to bother with it at all. In this section of the State the popular impression is that considerable ought to be made from chickens and com- paratively nothing from bees. I agree with the late E. W. Alexander, who said, " If you want a larger income, just add on one or two hundred more colo- nies." But in my case, with only a few colonies of bees and not many years' expe- rience, I find it impracticable to increase too fast ; and, accordingly, the fall and win- ter months leave me almost nothing to do with the bees. For several years I have kept a number of chickens, not only to take up the time but also as a means of profit. The accompanying view of my home yard of bees shows also the two poultry-houses which stand a little to the left of the pic- ture. The hives and the two houses are so closely placed together that it is a very easy matter to attend to the wants of each with- out going out of my way. The White Leghorn seems to me the best all-around hen for steady egg production. In order to keep the stock up to perfection, I introduce pure stock every year. Some time ago I found that a hen kept the third GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Apiary and poultry-house of Roscoe F. Wixson, conveniently located close together. winter does not lay as well as a pullet or a year-old hen. Without the use of leg-bands I often had trouble in telling the older fowls. The hens are now so banded that no fowl is kept for the third winter. The bands are aiTanged in two sets of numbers, the bands on the pullets being all No. 1, while the year-olds are numbered 2. When the yearlings arrive at the two-year mark they are sold, and the bands changed to the pullets of that year's raising. The selling generally comes along in October, so they are someAvhat over two years old when sold. For feeding I follow the balanced ration given out by the experts at Cornell Univer- sity. They consider 60 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of corn, 30 pounds of oats, and 30 pounds of buckwheat mixed together an ideal feed for winter use. During the late frll and winter, ground bone and meat can be obtained at the markets. This food will induce hens to lay when all others fail. At this writing, November 28, it is impossible to procure the ground bone, so I am feeding m^at scraps with good results. In looking over the books for 1913 up to the present time, I find that the total num- ber of egg-s sold from 23 hens is 2495. In this amount no attention has been paid to the number used in the household during the year for cooking. The hens still have yet a month left to their credit before the year is up. At the present, the average yield per day amounts to about 9. There- fore for December they would have at least 270 more, which would bring a total of 2765, or an average of 120 eggs per hen for the year. If the total number used for cooking were known, quite a good showing could be made. By also referring to the books, results show that the hens up to the present time have i^aid me a profit of 95 cents each. This does not take into consideration the value of 17 pullets, although the cost of raising them has been charged to the hens. Ever since the spring of 1905 I have been interested in bees. Last season gave me some experience, and also a fair crop of honey from thirty colonies of bees, spring count. In the Aug. 1st issue, page 525, I told some of my experiences in regard to beekeeping, so I will give only a brief report of last season. The total number of sections of honey produced amounted to 1397. In addi- tion to this I obtained about 500 pounds of extracted honey. On account of a number of colonies being reinfected with foul brood in the spring, there was an increase of only 11 colonies. When the season commenced, it never occurred to me that an extractor is a necet^sity in every bee-yard, especially when one increases by artificial methods. By July 1 I realized the great importance of a machine, and ordered one, but it did not arrive until the latter part of July, so I was able to procure the above amount only. I have no doubt that 1000 pounds of extracted honey could have been produced if the extractor had been in the yard the entire season. There is considerable profit and pleasure JANUARY 1, 1914 17 Fig. 1. — General view of W. R. Bartlett's apiary and poultry plant, located in a young orchard, similar view is shown on the cover for this issue. both in poultry-raising and in beekeeping. Both of these pursuits require i^atience and perseverance ; so success in many cases de- pends entirely on the man. It is my plan to keep on raising a few chickens as long as they do not interfere and bother me in apiary work. Dundee, N. Y. 1500 CHICKENS AND 50 COLONIES OF BEES Why the Two Lines Go Well Together ; Special- izing in the Production of Sterile Eggs BY W. R. BARTLETT The combination of bees, poultry, and, I might add, an orchard, is an ideal one. We have two acres of land in a young orchard, and liere we have the bees and poultry. A good growth of eldei'berry bushes and small trees on the south, east, and west lines of the lot, and the poultry-buildings on the north, furnish a good windbreak. We have from 1000 to 1500 chickens and 50 colonies of bees. As we hatch all our chickens with incuba- tors we are enabled to produce eggs and broilers (cockerels) when the prices are the highest. We feed the newly hatched chicks nothing for the first 48 hours, after which one of the commercial chick-foods is given every two hours for the first four or five days, gradually reducing the feeding to morning, noon, and night. The brooder house, one room 28 x 16, is divided into pens by poultry wire, and a lamjD-heated movable hover is placed in each pen of 100 chicks. This admits plenty of pure air, gives scratehing-space, and insures perfectly sanitary conditions. Grit, oyster-shells, and charcoal are con- tinually before all fowls. The morning and evening meals for the fowls of all ages con- sist of mixed grains thrown into the litter. A dry mash, fed in troughs, is given at noon. Green food is fed to all at nine in the forenoon. At the age of six weeks the chicks are placed in the colony houses and given the free range of the orchard. About Oct. 1 the pullets are moved to the large winter houses. The males are put Avith the two- year-old layers during the breeding season only — from January 1 to June 1. The pul- lets are kept for laying entirely, as we make a specialty of sterile egs for table use. We have a special trade in Cleveland, wh3re there is a growing demand for sterile eggs. We have not been in the bee business as long as we have in the poultry business; but we find business methods apply to the bees as well as to the poultry. A complete system of accounting is maintained. The hives are placed in rows, each one in the shade of a tree. Each hive bears a tin tag on which is painted the row letter, and hive immber, enabling one to locate any hive im- mediately. 18 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fig. 2. — One of Mr. Bartlett's poultry-houses at close range. In the management of bees and poultry, every man, as he gathers experience, adopts methods peculiar to his own needs and con- ditions. We have found that it is the best policy to have all hives and parts uniform and interchangeable; and we therefore pur- cl'.ase all our supplies from one reliable manufacturer, which saves much time and labor. We operate principally for comb honey. In order to check swarming somewhat we believe in plenty of hive room and ventila- tion. In the spring all queens are eliiaped. We find the smoking plan of introducing queens one of the best. There are several devices which have liroven to be very convenient, among which is a frame the size of a hive covered with wive cloth, which, when placed over the top of the frames, prevents the bees from flying out and robber bees from getting in when the cover of the hive is off. At the same time, one is able to see what is going on in the hive. When a hive is being robbed we find a wire-cloth box, large enough to tele- scope over the entire hive, very effectual. Early in the fall all colonies that are short of stores are fed a sufiflcient amount of syrup, so that none have less than 25 lbs. for winter. Weak colonies are united by placing one hive on top of the other, with a screen between them for three or four days. Our bees winter on their summer stands, and are protected with chaff cushions in a super on top (grain-bags, one on each side), together with an outer covering of roofing paper securely tied with a heavy cord. There are many reasons why the bee and poultry businesses work together advanta- geously. Each business has its own busy season. The incubating and brooding of chickens is practically over before the busy season with the bees begins. Another ad- vantage of the combination is that the same land can be utilized for both. Besides this, poultry fertilizes the land, bees fertilize the fruit, and the fruit-blossoms furnish the bees with nectar. Our idea is to have a good laying strain of White Leghorns, a good laying strain of Italians, and to " keep on the job." North Ridgeville, Ohio. A BEE AND POULTRY PARTNERSHIP BY RUTH C. GIFFORD My mother and I are in the poultry and bee business in partnership. The days I am busy with the bees she takes entire charge of the poultry. We have struck some " bumps " with the bees, but more with the poultry. So the thing's that follow in this article are from plain hard experience. For several years our troubles started a few days after the first chicks were hatched, and, in spite of all our care, we seldom raised half of them. Some died with the Avhite diarrhea, and others just dried up until they looked like bumble-bees, and fell over dead. Then we decided to change the feed and the method of management. Since that time we have seldom had a sick chick. With this method we give the chicks luke- warm water and grit when they are 40 hours JANUARY 1. 1914 19 old. Two hours later we give them a little bit of fine oatmeal. This is given them every three or four hours for three days. After that Ave use a good chick-feed of mixed grains. We usu- ally buy this by the hundred pounds direct from some poultry- supply house, because we find that by so do- ing we can save about a cent a pound. When the chicks are a week or ten days old we start to give, once a day, a level teaspoon- f ul of commercial beef scrap and fine bone for every twenty cliicks. We feed often, but give a very small quan- tity at a time. All the feed is scattered in straw or hay-heads, and the chicks have to scratch for it. When they are about a month old we add wheat and cracked corn to their ration, and give them all they want to eat. We never give chicks any kind of ground feed. Next the gapes start- ed among the chicks. We finally settled on the old- fashioned horse-hair method to remedy that. We could not always make it work, though, until some kind neighbor told us to catch a small string behind the two little hooks on the back part of the chicks' tongues, and to hold on to the ends of the string with the thumb and first finger of tlie left hand. This prevented the chicks from jerking in their tongues and sending the hair down their throats instead of their windpipes. If the little loop in the hair is dipped in turpentine the worms let go much easier. We never send the horse- hair down their windpipes more than three times. Then we let them sleep in a basket for several hours, and after that try again if they are still gaping. However, we usu- ally find that they have all stopped. Our chicks had lice, too ; but we never even touched them to look for lice until they Fig. 3. — Mr. Bartlett's method of preparing hives for winter. A super is placed over the brood-chamber containing a chaff cushion held away from the top-bars by means of a Hill device. The super-cover is then put on, and the whole hive ■wrapped in a heavy grade of black enameled felt. The regu- lar hive-cover is put on top, and the whole tied together. Lastly the paper- cover shade-board is put on and weighted down. were ten days old. Then we poured a mix- ture of four parts of coal-oil and one part of crude carbolic acid over the bottoms of the coops, and that night picked the head- lice off their heads. This is not pleasant work ; but chicks can't live with lice boring into their brains. We waited until they were ten days old, because then the handling does not weaken them, and we did it at night because they were sleepy and did not make a fuss. When the chickens weigh about three pounds we select the pullets we want to keep for laying. As our chickens are Plym- outh Rocks we have to try to guard against the type that gets overfat. We select the active, bright-eyed pullets that have medi- um-large combs, broad breasts, and are wide GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE between the pelvic bones. Even after this care we seldom risk keeping' them over two years. In order to tell which are the two- year-old hens, we place hog'-rings on the left legs of the pullets one year, and on the right legs of the pullets the next year. Then we sell the hens in June and July after their second winter. We like the hog-rings be- cause they are easy to use and so cheap that we don't have to botlier removing them when we sell the hens. North East, Md. BEEKEEPING, POULTRY- RAISING, AND GAR- DENING BY C. H. GEBHARDT On Nov. 1, 1912, I housed 18 yearlings, 25 pullets, and three cockerels of the White Wyandotte strain. After having tried many other breeds I think that the Wyandottes are the best all-around breed for every pur- pose. I had White Leghorns once, and could get a few dozen eggs more per year; but for broilers they are of no use; and in the fall, when one wants to sell the old hens, their carcasses will bring hardly any thing, while Wliite Wyandottes make the finest broilers, and the old hens weigh from 7 to 8 lbs. They are good layers and good moth- PiG. 1. — C. H. Gebhardt, Lake Geneva, Wis., and his White Wyandottes. ers, while Leghorns are non-sitters; and if one wants to raise Leghorns he can not find enough sitters, so he must keep a few of some other breed for sitters or use incuba- tors, which will not pay for a man with small means. I feed my laying hens a mash composed of equal parts of bran, corn meal, ground oats, chopped alfalfa, and 1 lb. of beef sciaps, keeping plenty of oyster-shells, grits, charcoal, and fresh water before them all the time. At noon I give them a few handfuls of wheat in their litter to keep them busy scratching. In the evening I feed them equal part (my own mixture) of wheat, cracked corn, and oats. Fig. 12. -Mr. Gt ipiajy, Lake Geneva, Wis. JANUARY 1, 1914 21 I paint the perches every week with ker- osene and carbolic acid, and powder the nests every week with Persian insect-pow- der. Once a month I change the nest mate- rial, also the litters out of the seratching- pens. For the laying hens I have a room 10 X 12 feet next to my horse-stable, so it is nice and warm. The scratching-pens, as can be seen at the extreme left of Fig. 1, are made out of old hot-bed sash 10 x 12 feet. The yard is 20 x 50 long, and in summer the chickens have free range. My wife takes care of all the young chick- ens, hatching them under hens. All this we do in our spare time, as I must attend to my garden from 7 a. m. to 5 p. m. The bees I attend to mostly alone in summer. Sometimes I took comb honey out at 3 a. M. as the bees were quiet, and it was not so hot' as in the bright sun, and at 7 A. M. I was through. The extracting of honey and grading of sections we did evenings. You see if a man is ambitious be can do a good deal. Lake Geneva, Wis. BEES AND POULTRY FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE Chicks Eating Drones BY H. H. SNOWBERGER My wife and I, now both past 75 years of age, jointly own three acres of gi-ound, and have for years kept bees and chickens in the same lot. We have been quite suc- cessful. While I do the work with the bees, and feed the old chickens, the care of the young chicks falls mostly to her during swarming time, and until the honey-flow is over, when I assist her to some extent until later in the fall when cold weather sets in. Then I assume all the work, both with bees and chickens. While I do quite well with the bees, there is occasionally a season, as all beekeepers know, when the honey crop is short or an entire failure; then an income of from $150 to $175 per year from our chickens comes in good play to bridge over the shortage from honey. " But," many ask, " will the two get along peaceably together? Will not the bees sting the chickens'?" Well, that depends. So long as we kept any black chickens we had many a chick stung to death ; but when we changed to Barred Plymouth Rocks there were not so many. Five or .six years ago we changed to Buff Orpingtons, and have had practically no trouble from stinging since, although the hens with their broods (we use no incubator nor brooder) are among and close to the hives more or less all day. I don't think we have had a chick badly stung since we ha\e kept Buff OriDingtons. A very few times I have seen one or two bees attack an old hen when she came too close or became too fussy close to a hive. But she would soon skeedaddle, and the brood would follow. One advantage in keeping chickens in the same yard with bees is getting rid of drones. I don't aim to rear many drones except in a few choice colonies ; but, as all beekeepers know, almost every colony will find or make a place to rear a few drones; and in man- ipulating my bees I always have a sharp knife in my tool-kit; and if I find any un- desirable drone brood I shave their heads off, when, of course, the bees will drag them out and drop them in front of the luve, where the chickens soon find them and learn to eat drones, and soon go to catching live ones, picking them from among the work- ers on the alighting-board, and even catch- ing them on the wing in front of the hive. I have my hives close to the ground ; but if I have any choice drones that I wish to save I must set the hive 20 or 24 inches above the ground. This work is invariably done by the young chickens after the mother henj has left the brood, or when they weigh 1^/4 to 2 lbs. I don't remember ever seeing an old hen catching drones; but the chicks do, and they go about it with perfect impunity, seldom being attacked by bees. Not all the chicks nor even a majority of them catch drones; but every season a few learn the trick, and they practice it industriously and succesfully. I have often watched them to see if they caught workers, but could never see them catch a worker. The Buff Orpingtons do finely for us along with bees. They are of good size, easily confined, a fair layer, good mothers, not easily excited, a splendid table fowl, and the nicest fowl to dress we ever raised. They sell very readily on that account, but the hens are inclined to be a little broody. We eat all the eggs and chicken we want, and sell $150 to $175 worth of eggs and chickens per year. We also keep a cow, and from these three sources we make a comfortable living on our three acres of ground, and have a little laid by for a rainy day which is fast approaching. Before I engaged in bee and poultry keeping I worked by day's work, and little more than made a living. For some years I have not been able to do hard work; but by keeping bees and chickens I need not work nearly as hard as I formerly did, and can make a much better living than when doing day labor; and there are many elder- ly people in limited circumstances barely making a living at hard labor who could materially increase their income, and per- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE a ';^.-*'^ Anton Larsen and his six honey-eaters. haios prolong their lives, if they would quit hard labor, for Avhic-h they are no more fit- ted, and engage in these same occupations, especially if they have a small permanent home of their own. Huntington, Ind. A BACK-YARD POULTRY-PLANT BY GEORGE T. WHITTEN My poultry-plant occupies a plot of ground about 20 by 50 feet, and consists of four houses six feet square, two-story, with gable roof, G^/^ feet to gable, and 4^/2 feet to. the eaves. The lower floor is for a scratching-space, and the upper one for roosts and nests. A shutter is provided on each side, two feet high ; these open out and rest on prop, and are kept open in summer for ventilation and shade. They are closed in winter, making the house absolutely tight except the door in the south end, 2 feet wide by 5 feet 8 inches high, which has wire on the inside and muslin on the outside. The cloth is jout on late in the fall, and taken off early in spring. All inside textures are home-made except tlie drinking-fountains. These are eight- quart galvanized-iron jjails, costing ten cents each. They are the most convenient foun- tain I can get, and give the best satisfaction. They are placed on a slatted platform rais- ed 14 inches from the floor. This keeps the water clean, and does not take any of the floor sjDace. I feed scratch food in the litter night and morning, except two or three feeds a week when oats, corn, or boiled vegetables are given for a change. Dry mash is kept be- fore them in hoppers at all times, also gi'it, shell, and charcoal. They have green feed every day in the form of lawn-clippings, turnips, Swiss chard, or beets. I sometimes feed sprouted oats. My chickens are hatched by hens and in- cubators both, and brooded in fireless brood- ers. These are 3 feet square, with floor, and a covered rim 3x6 feet on the front. Cheese- boxes are used for hovers with a hole cut on each side in front 10 inches apart, so the chicks can pass in and out at either side. These are placed in shoe-boxes that are the same width as the cheese-box, so that the entrances to hovers come in the corners of the box, or against the sides. In this way the chicks crowd one another into the hover rather than out. A cover is provided for the hover by means of a wire hoop that fits the inside of the cheese-box, and covered with burlap. Wires for holding it are bent to hang over the edge of the box. By these the mats can be adjusted to the size of the chicks by raising or lowering them. Chick JANUARY 1, 1914 23 feed is used, and growing mash kept before them at all times. Green food is given every day. For the best results pullets should be hatched the last of March or the first of April, and kept growing as fast as possible so they will begin laying during October. Results for one year : 39 hens averaged 171 eggs each for the year. Paid out for feed, etc., $115.29 ; received $277.65— profit. $162.36. This includes eggs and chickens I hat were i^roduced and sold. I think there is no combination that could be worked together on a farm to better advantage than bees, poultry, and fruit. Hartford, Ct. WEEDING OUT THE HENS THAT DO NOT LAY The Use of Trap Nests BY C. A. KINSEY Three years ago I bought two cocks and twenty hens, reputed to be good layers, because, I suppose, they were White Leg- horns. For two years those hens and in- crease did not more than pay for their feed. 1 fed them the best I knew how, which was according to the good old days on the farm when I was small, and went out in the morning and threw the hens a pail of grain from the granary, and gathered the eggs at night. Once a year or so father traded a rooster with one of the neighbors, and the neighbors all did likewise. I don't believe now that any of those flocks ever paid their keep, barring the fact that there was a good deal of grain scattered around that they could get which otherwise might have been wasted. A year ago I got a second-hand incubator, and through the catalog with it I secured a lot of free poultry literature from the man- ufacturers. Feb. 1, 1913, I selected 25 Leghorn pul- lets and 8 Barred Rock hens and pullets, and I bought two Leghorn cockerels and a Barred Rock cockerel to mate them with. They commenced to lay during the fore part of February, and laid fairly well during March and April, but not enough to pay for more than their feed. I knew that some were laying better than others; and in order to get their eggs for hatching I made some trap nests, put numbered bands on the pullets, numbered each pullet's eggs, and saved the best layer's eggs for hatching. I ]Hit in the trap nests May 12, and by July 12 I had found out several tilings about my hens. Out of the 25 Leghorns there were six that had laid 35 to 40 eggs each. Others laid from 5 to 20 each, and three none at all. They were good lookers; and but for the trap nests no doubt I would still have those 24 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE tlu-ee hens for breeders this year, for those three hens, mind you, would go into the nests just as often as the better layers, settle themselves comfortably for an houi- or so, and then cackle as loud as any, but never lay an egg ! When I dressed them for the table later, I found them to be practical- ly baiTen. During the latter part of the season some of the medium layers caught up with the best ones; the others I sold, or killed for our own use. The total eggs laid by the flock from March 1 to Dec. 1 would pay for the feed consumed by the old flock and the new. We have had eggs for our own use and hatching, and sold the rest; had all the fry- ers needed for a family' of four, and sold $16.00 worth besides ; and have for breeders 15 Leghorn hens and 6 Barred Rocks ; also 30 Leghorn pullets that are beginning to lay, and 32 Barred Rocks. I got some new cockerels of both breeds from flocks of good reputation as layers. I am also following the best methods I can learn as to feeding; viz., feeding in litter for winter, balanced rations, mash, green bone, sprouted oals, chopped vegetables, clean quarters, etc., and if they don't lay it will be because it isn't in them to do so. However, I expect that, with proper care, they will lay fairly well, and, with the aid of the trap nests, I shall be able to select the best layers, and thereby get cockerels that will produce layers, for it is claimed that the cock is two-thirds of the flock in that respect. Another thing, I don't have to hunt in all the out-of-the-way places for eggs. The hens prefer the trap nest, where they are unmolested. The big Barred Rocks will even push their way in some time early in the morning before I have set them for the day. Of course, trap nesting requires attention. For the good of the hens they should be looked after every two hours, at least, though mine have to go from one o'clock to nearly six in the afternoon. Belgrade, Mont. ASHES TO EXTERMINATE RED MITES AND LICE BY W. H. LEWIS It is over 30 years since I bought my first dozen of eggs from pure-bred fowls, and about the same time made an incubator. During this time I have had about all of what A. I. Root calls " happy surprises." " Convergent " poultry-yards and round barns wei'e voted a " dismal failure " in this region about 20 years ago. A few were built of each; but in every case they were torn down and the colony plan, or long house with yards on each side for fowls, and the square barn for the farm, were substituted. Hot tallow for chicken perches I tried about 15 years ago, and it is a waste of time and tallow. Dirt sticks to the tallow in a very short time, and the mites make " bridges " over it. During these thirty years, up to the last four years, my wife has been considered the " boss " of the poultry part of our ranch, and she knows something about chickens too. During the time mentioned of our " joint " management we have fought mites and lice by the millions, and I must confess we came out second best, as we never could exter- minate them. Four years ago I determined to take up the chickens as a sole business, having ar- rived at the age where the old man is crowd- ed out by the younger, and also concluded that, if I could not make a success, it did not much matter, as my wife and I have always tried to sit tight on the " nimble shilling." I commenced by increasing the flock, and cleaned out all the chicken-houses; we had used a good deal of slack lime as a deodori- zer prior to this time ; but not having any on hand the idea occurred to me to use ashes, which I did, and soon came to the conclusion that ashes are better than lime. Before summer was over I also noticed that my young chickens in fireless brooders were alive with mites while the stock in the old houses was perfectly free — first credit to the ashes. About this time I sold the old farm, built a new home and a lot of chieken- liouses on the colony plan ; moved my young stock from the old farm, sold the rest, and have done nothing else since (three years) but tend to my chickens and bees. I have used nothing in my chicken-houses (which are double-floored) but coal ashes as a de- odorizer, about two gallons to each house holding about 50 hens, once a week at clean- ing time, throwing the ashes on the drop- pings platforms, and over the top and ends of the roosts. Up to the present I have not seen a mite, no lice, but few fleas. These houses, now three years old, have not been whitewashed, nor has a jDarticle of disin- fectant of any kind been sprayed on the inside; and now I will give a bonus big enough to start all tlie millionaries of the T jiited States hunting to find a single mite, louse, or flea on the inside. Nothing but a plentiful dusting of coal ashes did it, and tlio ashes go out witli the droppings every week to fertilize the garden, and a new lot JANUARY 1, 1914 25 put in. Two years ago I gave my daughter, living on the lot next to me, a dozen hens from my pens, and in about a year the mites and lice came near finishing them — no ashes used. Since then ashes have been used according to my directions, and now chick- ens are clean. To conclude, thoroughness is necessary in every tiling to be successful. If my method is followed, and fine coal or wood ashes used, it will positively rid and keep clean any chicken-house, at least in this locality. East Barnaby, B. C. THE BEST POULTRY- HOUSE FOR SUMMER AND WINTER A Home-made Poultry-house for a City Lot BY E. H. UPSON After more than forty years of experi- menting with dit^^erent styles of houses I have, by close observation, come to the con- clusion that a cheap well-ventilated dry liouse is more satisfactory than the more elaborate affair. Having retired from the farm 1 am now located in the suburbs of a city of 13,000, and last spring I built a poultry-house which is so satisfactory that I should like to describe it briefly for the benefit of others of the Gleanings family who, like myself, are small beekeepers and poultry-raisers in a sort of play-and-profit combination. The house is 12 x 20 ft., inside measure, and 7 feet high at the eaves. It has a pitch roof, and is set on a solid concrete wall. In order to make it rat and mouse proof I cemented the floor with a concrete of one part Portland cement and six parts gravel without sifting. For convenience in letting the fowls to and from the yard I have an opening about 9 by 18 inches, fitted with a slide which I carefully close at night, and feel sure that nothing can molest the chickens, as all other openings are carefully protected by galvan- ized wire cloth. In one side, and near the end, I have a door 2 ft. 8 inches by 6 ft. 6, which, of course, I keep closed all the time except when in actual use. The building is enclosed with beaded drop siding, which makes it sufficiently warm for ordinary pur- poses. For ventilation I left two openings on the south side, each 20 by 60 inches; one opening on the north side, 20 by 60 inches, and one in the east end 20 by 40 inches; also an opening in the door 20 x 20 inches. AH these opening-s are closed with heavy galvanized cloth of mesh 5 to the inch. For summer I open all these windows and leave them open ; but for winter I tack heavy brown muslin over the openings except on the south. I have two barn windows, and on the east one window. This gives sufficient light, and the muslin gives sufficient ven- tilation and at the same time prevents the winds from blowing into the building. I have two rows of perches extending the whole length of the building on the north side. Two rows across the west end, and two rows on the south run up nearly to the door, which is located near the east end. These perches will accommodate 150 ordi- nary-sized chickens, and are high enough to give jjlenty of room for nests underneath. The perches are all placed above droppings- boards; and for ease in cleaning, the drop- pings-boards are all hinged on one side and hooked up on the other, so that it is the simplest matter in the world to clean the boards. For convenience in handling the fowls I placed the perches in rows around tlie walls, and can reach any bird in the house from the floor without disturbing any of the others. Tlie material for this building cost about $90 in our local market here. This includes paint for two good coats. Inasmuch as I did all the work myself, digging the trench, making the wall, doing all the carpentering, painting, etc., I am unable to state just what the entire cost would be ; but the labor and painting would probably be not far from $35 at present prices for labor of this kind. Some readers may wonder why I use a cement floor in- stead of a board floor. I will tell you. I consider a board floor the uwrst factor in producing disease among fowls that I know of. Ubee, Ind. A WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE WITH BEES AND CHICKENS BY MRS. S. H. STOCKMAN I have been a beekeeper for forty vears, and a poultry-raiser for more years than that. As I said in the March 1st issue of Gleanings, my husband and I were in part- nership with the bees after the first few months (not a silent partnership) until I took sole charge of the 20 colonies left, about 15 years ago, I think ; but the poultry from the first has been my sole charge. My husband's mother started me in the poultry line in 1870 — 43 years ago — with a Brahma hen and her flock of crossbred chickens. It was late fall, the chicks were about half feathered, and I smile now when I think what an unprepossessing lot thev were ; for if there is a more ungainly thing 26 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE in existence than a half-feathered Light Brahma chick I have yet to see it. I have never been out of hens since. I commenced beeli:eeping in 1871, and have enjoyed both as well as helped to keep the family pocket- book from getting entirely emjoty at times. I have kept many pure breeds and some crosses; but after all these years and the experiences which they have brought me T prefer the White Wyandottes for a general all-round-purpose money-making fowl. If well bred I find them healthy, good feeders, good layers of handsome eggs, and always ready for market from broiler size to adult fowl. I have of late years tried the Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks beside them, and found the White Wyandottes ahead in many respects. I have hatched for thirty years, mainly with incubators, and raised in brooders. I used at first the Monarch as made by James Rarkin ; later the Cypress incubators and brooders, which we have found perfectly satisfactory if given proper care. We hatched chicks then by the hun- dreds for several years, and had very little loss by disease, my husband using the incu- bators and I the brooders, and caring for the laying hens. For the last 15 years I have kept from 50 to 100 layers, and raised from 100 to 200 chicks, seldom with a loss of more than half a dozen for the trying time the first two weeks. I know well from experience that bees and poultry go well together in the way I manage it. While my husband is running the incubators in March and April (as we must hatch in those months in this State to get well-matured pullets for winter laying), I am looking over the brooders, cleaning them out, etc., and any thing needful, doing also the same with the bees. We ran a bee- supply business at our village; had for 15 years before coming to the farm, and I did about all the nailing and painting, putting- together the frames and other inside work of the hives, so I well know how to do it, and enjoy doing it. Still, when the chicks hatch I take the sole charge of them and the brooders. After the bees are all looked over in April there is not much to do for them, so I give the chicks my sole attention for two weeks, then get them on to dry chick feed; and after that, with full feed and water-dishes, they nearly care for them- selves. V/hen the busy time comes with the bees in July, swarming time, as I have my queens all clipped, and practice brushed swarming, I soon have them so but little needs to be done for them except to give them room if needed; and as I have their fixtures all ready in early sming I have nothing to do but set on the filled supers. About Aug. 1 I take ot¥ all clover honey. prepare the hives for the fall flow from goldenrod, fireweed, and aster; cut out and sell all the cockerels that have reached the broiler size, and all the undersized pullets; sell alive all my two-year-old hens, which compose about half my flock of about 100, leaving room for my 50 or more pullets which I get into the house for winter laying. I sell all my stock alive to a neighbor who sui)23lies a large summer hotel. My bees usually get enough for winter from the fall flow, and seldom swarm after July. So I generally have little feeding, if any, to do ; so by October I am pushing my pullets with good feed, and get them to laying by Thanksgiving or before. Auburn, Maine. OLD HIVES RETAIN THEIR VALUE Painting Necessary BY L, W. CROVATT Apropos of the discussion, p. 750, Nov. 1, regarding the value of old hives to the producer of honey, I wish to say that the article was correct in all essential details, as has been demonstrated in a practical man- ner in my own yard. Dr. John S. Howkins, who was, perhaps, one of the largest bee- keepers of this section of Georgia, had at one time 400 colonies located in West Sa- vannah. Illness caused the physician to turn the active management of his yard over to other parties, and, as usual, neglect caused a quick deterioration both as I'egards the attractive appearance of the yard and the production of honey, the bees having been allowed to dwindle rapidly. After one year Dr. Howkins decided that to attempt caring for his bees was out of the question; and at the eleventh hour, in a fig-urative sense, I was called upon to take over the bees and fixtures. Of the latter there were, perhaps, some hundreds of frames and a hundred hives. These had been in use for three or four years, some longer; but after getting the bees and empty hives to my home yard I immediately stored them out of the weather and made such small repairs as necessary, this being largely in the form of new rabbets, etc. The hive-bodies, after exposure to the elements, have proven, after a thorough examination, to be absolutely sound, only about ten or twelve being bad. These were discarded, and the sound ones again placed in use. The old hives are doing full service, having been in use in my yard for over nine months, and lliey compare favorably with the new ones — that is, stock made up for increase, etc., within the past few months. JANUARY 1, 1914 27 I regard the old hives as equal to (he new so far as point of service is concerned, and the outlook now is that a new coat of fresh paint will be all that is necessary to carry them through several years of work in the apiary. In view of the advance on lum- ber the advance on hives was a foregone conclusion some time ago, and the saving in tliis line represents a rather "pretty penny" in the operating ex- penses of this and the coming year. Hives can be saved and used corsianlly for years by the judicious use of paint ; but it is a wise move on the part of the Soutli- ern beekeeper to have the bottom-boards well above the ground in order to avoid the absorption of moisture from the bottom- board into the lower edges of the body sides and ends. And now for the results of painting. I am well aware of the fact that there are strenuous advocates of the unpainted hive; but if these had gotten a glimpse at the results of the weather on the few bad hives they would have probably been convinced ►«K^^ Fig. 1. — The fl ninttly 1% in. thick nished cake or block of candy. It measures anproxi- 6% in. wide, and 9% in. long. Weight about 5 lbs. that paint is valuable in the preservation of the wood; for in every case where the old bodies had crumbled from rot, the outer portion, in the form of a shell, was the only part remaining intact — rotten to a certain degree, but by far better than on the inner portions. Had it not been for the jDaint the whole structure would have crumbled at the first rough touch. Savannah, Ga., Nov. 25. HARD CANDY FOR WINTER STORES Some Experiments in Wintering Bees on Candy Alone BY H. H. ROOT Fig. 2. — Giving the candy to the bees. As promised in our last issue, we are pre- senting herewith a number of engi'avings showing the different steps in the process of supplying' cakes of hard transparent candy made of granulated sugar and water. For the benefit of our readers who do not have access to back numbers we are repeat- ing herewith the directions that have been given before in these columns: HOW TO MAKE THE CANDY. Into a dish of hot water on the stove slowly pour an equal amount of sugar, stirring constantly. Make sure that the sugar is all dissolved before boiling commences. If this precaution is not observed, some of the undissolved sugar is likely to burn, injuring the flavor of the candy and almost surely causing trouble with the bees later. If you have a candy thermometer, watch the temperature, and do not let it go above 275 to 280 degrees. Test frequently by dropping a very little of the syrup into cold water (about 50 to 55 degrees F.). When the boiling has continued long enough the drop of candy, when cooled in the water, should be hard and brittle when taken out; but when placed in the mouth it should soften slightly, so that it is tough. When this time has arrived, pour the syrup immediately. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Pig. 3. — Cake of candy in position. The color of the candy when cold should be about that of light amber honey. If it is darkened very much it is scorched and unfit for the bees. To pre- vent the scorching, reduce the fire toward the last so that the syrup will boil but slowly. We find that the block of candy is made tougher, and that it is less likely to assume a granular form so that it crumbles to l^ieees, if a small amount of honey is mixed with the syrup. About one pint of honey to 25 lbs. of sugar is sufficient. We also find that a given amount of sugar will make very close to an equal amount of candy. In other words, if one desired to make up 50 blocks of candy about the size shown in these illustrations (which average 5 lbs.) he will need to get ready about 250 lbs. of sugar. If the boiling is done in a kettle it is a good plan to put in about half a teaspoon- ful of lard in order to prevent the mixture from boiling over. If the paper pie-plates that have been men- tioned before in these columns hold enough candy, the syrup, when it is ready, may be poured into them; but ordinarily a some- what larger amount of candy is necessary. The pie-plates hold about 11/2 lbs. of candy. Fig. up the caudy with a chaflf-tray. Fig. 4. — Sheet of candy. ]tli laid over the The cakes of candy shown in these illustra- tions are about IV2 inches thick, 6V2 wide, and 9% long, and they weigh, on the aver- age, 5 pounds. Forms should be made of proiDer size, which will make the cakes of candy smaller at the bottom to facilitate their removal when cold without taking the forms apart. Before pouring in the candy, line the forms with wrapping paper, fold- ing the corners neatly. The appearance of the finished cake of candy is shown in Fig. 1. When giving candy to the bees, lay three or four small sticks across the top-bars in order to leave a bee-space underneath, F-igs. 2 and 3. Lay an enamel cloth on top. Fig. 4, over which set the chaff-tray or super containing a chaff cushion as the case may be, Fig. 5. The bees start working on the candy at once; and after a week's time, if the cakes are lifted. Fig. 6, a line of gi-ooves corres- ponding to the space between the top-bars is the result, said grooves being eaten out by the bees. Fig. 7 shows a close view of the candy after having been in the hive just one week. By this time the three spacing-sticks will have become imbedded in the candy to some extent; but the spacing is not so important after the bees have once eaten some of the candy, forming passageways. Fig. 8 shows the remains of a paper pie- ])Iate of candy that has been in the hive for several weeks. The plate retains its shape JANUARY 1, 1914 29 Fig. 6. — Examiniog cake uf Laiidy after being in the hive a week. fairly well, even to the last, although, of course, when the candy is about gone the bees gnaw the edges to some extent. We are wintering enough colonies on hard candy alone, without any liquid honey or syrup whatsoever, to give the plan a thorough test. So far all is well, although we shall make a fuller rej^ort later on. On Dec. 4, when we made the last exam- ination, we found brood in all stages in many of the colonies. The great blizzard occurred Nov. 9 — 11; but the weather during the last half of the intervening period was quite warm. Mr. Pritchard believes that liard candy is the best material to feed in an emergency during cold weather. It may be that in some cases it might pay to winter bees on candy alone throughout the whole winter, although the bees having the candy seem to be somewhat more active and more inclined to fly than bees having sealed stores of sugar syrup or honey. No doubt tliis is because the food sujDply is ahvays opened up, so to speak, thereb3' placing the bees in very much the same situation that they would be in if they were being fed slowly. BEES AND POULTRY, OR JUST BEES FOR THE EXPERT APICULTURIST BY O. L. HERSHISER Fig. 7. — A close view of a cake of candy on vv feeding one week. The grooves show the amount the It is to be presumed that the poultry en- thusiasts will come forward in the special number opened for a discussion of their interests to show how that occupation may be taken up by the beekeeper with profit- able results. If it be permissible for one who holds adverse views to gain admis- sion to this poultry circle, and raise his \oice above the din of • ackling and crowing 1 should be pleased to say a few words. Can an expert api- arist afford to divide his time and attention, and devote a part to poultry"? The results of close observation and careful calculation prompt me to answer, emphatically, no! I have an acquain- tance who is abundant- bees had'eTteil"' '''° ^^ ^ble to carry on the 30 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE poultry business in the most approved fashion, and he is noted for his strict atten- tion to the details of his business enter- prises. Some years ago he launched into the poultry business with a zeal born of a determination to make it a financial success. Eight thousand dollars was invested in a strictly up-to-date plant. His best season was some years ago when 25 cts. per dozen was realized for his entire output of 3000 dozen eggs, and his gross receipts for the same were, therefore, $750. As the plant was run for eggs, the receipts for breeding stock, eggs for hatching, and poultry for table use, are inconsequential. From the total gross income must be deducted cost of feed, interest on investment, taxes, and other lesser items, such as heat, egg-containers, help, etc. Only superficial mathematical calculation is required to show that there was little or no real profit in poultry for this individual out of the sum slightly in excess of $750. Allowing for eggs for hatching, poultry for breeding and for table use, must first be de- ducted interest on investment, $480, and taxes at the rate of over 20 per thousand, or at least $160, making the sum of $640. Then we have remaining very little for all the other items of expense and profit. It is needless to say the business has been aban- doned and the plant gone to destruction. As the writer had an apiary of from 75 to 150 colonies of bees in one corner of the plot of this ijoultry establishment for sev- eral years, a fairly accurate comparison may be made. The best season with the bees was a crop of 8000 lbs., about 2500 of which was comb, for which an average of 11 cts. per pound, or $880, was realized. Expenses consisted of rent of yard, $25 per year ; cost of sections, foundation, cases, and help, in all not to exceed $180, leaving for the sea- son a profit of at least $700, and this on an investment hardly in excess of $1100. I have in mind an apiary consisting of about 65 colonies, spring count, at this time increased to 118 colonies, situated 30 miles from the owner's home. The honey from this yard has been sold for a little over $625 ; and. allowing $175 as the value of the increase, it makes a total gross profit for the apiary of $800. Allowing $150 for all expenses, which would include interest on an investment of $1000, there is left $650 as the net profit, or 65 per cent on the in- vestment. Figures showing as much profit for an apiary about a quarter of a mile from the owner's home could be shown ; and figures showing over 100 per cent for an apiary about 15 miles from the owner's home could also be produced. The hired- help bill for operating these three apiaries did not exceed $20 except teaming and car- penter work in the honey-house construc- tion, and these are not exceptional eases. Except for a very few extreme specialists who have, by expensive advertising and years of persistent effort, succeeded in working up a demand for eggs for hatching at several dollars a dozen and birds at scores of dollars each, where are the poul try-men who can show the net profits from their investments that the expert beekeeper can from his? Out-apiaries need be visited only at inter- vals, and are left for the winter months without attention, and may be left for weeks at a time during the summer months with- out detriment ; but the poultry-man must give his fowls daily attention, at least in the matter of feed and the gathering of eggs. Indeed, any success with poultry depends upon the strict and critical attention of the man behind the hen, and he must he in evidence daily. Operating several out-apiaries by a man living in a village or city where neither bees nor poultry could be kept, is entirely prac- ticable; but the keeping of one or several poultry establishments successfully at such long range is unthinkable. Extracted honey does not deteriorate ap- preciably if kept one or several years, when market conditions may warrant it; and even comb honey may be successfully carried over the winter if necessary; but the poul- tryman must sell his eggs and dressed poul- try when fresh, regardless of market con- ditions. After all his " fuss and feathers " with the plumaged tribe, the average poul- try-keeper receives a net compensation for his work and attention that would make the beekeeper's occupation look like a failure. I imagine the poultryman who finds the close attention reqiiired in his business a bit wearing would find restful recreation and satisfactory profit in keeping bees provided he has the natural adaptability for it; but if the expert apiarist wishes to make more money without the close daily attention re- quired in the i^oultry business, and has a few hundred dollars to invest, let him estab- lish some out-apiaries and " keep more bees." This is not to be taken as advising against the keeping of a few chickens to provide fresh eggs and poultry for the home table, nor the keeping of poultry by the beekeeper situated on the farm, where the details can be attended to by hired help, and where more or less cheap feed is available — nor the keeping of poultry as a pastime, where the pleasure of the occupation is the chief com- pensation. Kenmore, N. Y. JANUARY 1, 1914 31 Heads of Grain from Different Fields Power Extractor vs. Hand Extractor I began to work -Hath bees twelve years ago. I did not know how to use a smoker nor how to get the bees out of the honey-supers. I have gained much valuable information since then from reading about how to care for bees, and from experience. At first I ran for comb honey ; then I ran part of the bees for extracted honey, and used a four-frame honey-extractor; but I found that it was nonsense to use a Iiand power extractor if there is much ex- tracting to do. I made a mistake when I bought the hand power. I traded it and bought an eight-frame automatic extractor and a 1% -horse-power gasoline engine to run the extractor and to pump water. I back the wagon up to the pump at an out-yard and let the engine pump a tankful of water to water the bees. This is a great saving of labor, and it will pay for itself in two or three years if one has much extracting to do. The honey gets thick, and candies fast as the weather gets cold in the fall; and it is hard work to turn the hand-power extractor when the honey is thick. I use a push cart and haul from four to six ex- tracting-supers, and eight or ten section supers at a trip. A motor wagon would be handy to haul honey and 1 ees where the roads 'are good. I have hauled hun- dreds of colonies of bees with horses and wagon, but it is necessary to be careful to shut the bees up well, and not have the horses near the bees when the hives are opened. A small honey-house is handy at an outyard to store bee supplies and to extract and store honey ; but the honey-house needs two doors — one at each end, on account of robber bees. One door needs to be double, as the eight-frame extractor and honey- tanks will not go through a narrow door. When the bees are thick at one door where they smell the honey, there will be no bees at the other door where they can not smell it. I made a mistake by not working for a beekeeper two months or one summer to learn how to work with the bees and how to take the honey, as it is slow work for a beginner. A honey-house may be in the middle of a bee-yard if one uses a motor truck ; but I use horses, and I want it at one side of the yard, so I can load or unload supplies or honey at any time in the day. I have hauled some honey home from outyards to extract it, but I prefer to have a small house at each yard. I need one small table in the honey-house, high enough to scrape and case the comb honey, and a low table at the end of it. The two take up the length of the room. I want it high enough to put a 50-lb. lard-can under the gate to the extractor when it is on this table. Sometimes I pile more than 200 section-supers on one table at one time, all full of honey. I make the frame of a table out of two-inch lumber and slant the table legs a little at the bottom, at the ends, and at the sides. I have six legs to a table if it is a long one. Where ants are bad, tables are necessary. It is well then to put small tin lids under the table legs, and to put a little pine tar in them. Chamberino, N. M., Apr. 4. The Bee Man. A Queen whose Eggs do not Hatch I have been a beekeeper for the last twenty years, and thought that I had seen about all the turns in the bee business; but I have run across something new to me, for we have a queen that has been laying prolifically for the last two weeks, and there is not one single egg hatched that we can find. She is a queen about four weeks old. I don't know her ex- act age, as we bought her mother this spring from a Texas firm and introduced her; and the queen that we got from Texas was laying nicely, so we quit watching her till we noticed that they were not build ing up as we thought they should, then we found that she had been superseded, and a young queen was in the hive ; and now the young queen's eggs do not hatch. Can you tell any reason for their not hatching? San Jose, 111., June 21. Fred Tyler. [Once in a great while we run across a queen whose eggs do not hatch. No reason can be given for this ; but it is evident that you had such a queen. — Ed.1 Do King-birds Eat Bees and Queens? Question No. 4, page 557, October Farm Journal, is, " The king-birds here eat my father's bees, and sometimes catch the queens. Should they be pro- tected? " The answer is, " Yes. The king-bird feeds on beetles, canker-worms, and winged insects. He does occasionally eat bees; but ornithologists declare that he selects only drones, and does not do enough damage to hurt the hive seriously." I want to know if the answer is correct. I have watched them eating bees a considerable time after the workers had destroyed or ejected the drones. As the Farm Journal editor says, the king-bird does not hurt the hive, but he certainly hurts the colony if he gets only one worker, as every little (one) helps, you know. Abilene, Texas, Nov. 4. M. E. Pruitt. [Ornithologists generally agree that king-birds do not eat worker bees ; but we have had reports show- ing that the crops of these birds had been opened, and that scores of worker bees had been found there- in. It has generally been claimed, however, by or- nithologists that they eat only drone and queen bees. — Ed.] Experiment in Fitting Comb Honey in Sections Successful I was greatly interested in the article by Dr. Humpert, Oct. 1, p. 674. I have only five colonies of Italian bees in eight-frame hives. In the summer of 1912 I worked with shallow extracting-frames on each side of the super, filled up with 4 ^4 x 4 1^ plain sections and fence separators. I had a customer who offered to take all the honey produced by my bees ; and as I was getting fifty cents for section honey I naturally wished that the extracting-frames were all sections. After thinking it over, I decided to cut out the honey and fit it in sections and give it to the bees to fix, which they did in fine shape. This was during a light flow from balsam. I left the sections on for five days, and received fifty cents each. I found that the best way to cut the honey was with a small fret saw. Tuxedo Park, N. Y. E. Wilson. To Hive Swarms Clustered on Fence Posts On page 790, Nov. 15, in speaking of places where swarms settle, you say that in many cases they seem to take particular delight in settling on one of the posts of the wire fence where it is a slow and tedious operation to get them. In cases like this, if you will set the empty hive on the ground near the post, and strike the post a heavy blow with an ax or heavy stick, the jar will dislodge the bees and they will fall at entrance of hive as nicely as though they were shaken from a small limb or basket ; then a little smoke puflfed on the post will stop them from crawling up again. I would rather have swarms alight on posts than on trees. Filion, Mich., Nov. 24. David Running. 32 Removable Roosts and Dropping-boards For some years I have used the arrangement for roosts described in the accompanying engraving, and found it convenient. It is my own idea, and I do not know that any one else has any system lilie it, I have not given it to any poultry journal; but if ' any one thinks it has any merit I shall be glad if he makes use of it. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE only what they supply themselves, so I do not see why one should not combine the two; for if one pays, the two ought to pay better. Grand Rapids, Mich. J. A. Pearce A, piece of galvanized iron cut 10 inches, trian- gle shape (nailed to the ends of the roost) with two holes in to hook on two nails in the side of the chick- en-house (the nails should slant upward). B, hanger Dailed under the droppings-board and supported liy nails in the end of the house. C, broom handles driven deep in the earth floor to support the drop pings-board with a 14-inch hole bored through so that a ten-penny nail can drop in. D is a similar support for roost hangers. E is the roost turned bottom up on the floor for small chicks. The perch is then 7 inches high. The advantage that this system has is that, with a 7-inch hoe having a handle 4 ft. long, and an iron water-bucket, I can clean the droppings-boards from 50 hens, and throw on three handfuls of road dust in about five minutes. Furthermore, all the hangers (iron) and supports are easily kept gieased with crude oil or soft grease with a paint-brush, and will last some time. Then if the roosts hang 12 or 14 inches from the wall, no insects can get to the hens. Finally, the droppings-boards, being 15 inches from the floor, the hens can go under them and use all the floor space, and the sun can shine under- neath also. If wanted, straw can be spread all over the floor for scratching, and all this arrangement tan be taken out to clean or oil, and put up again in a few minutes ; and it can be easily and cheaply made, the galvanized iron can be cut, including nail holes, with a sharp cold chisel on a hard-wood block if no tinner's shears are handy. My droppings- boards are made of soap-boxes. St. Louis, Mo. Chas. W. Collett. Blue Ointment to Kill Lice on Poultry In a recent issue of your magazine Mr. A. I. Root mentions having trouble in keeping his fowls free from lice. The poultrymen in this vicinity apply blue ointment around the vent, and consider this treatment one of the most valuable discoveries for the preven- tion of body lice on fowls that has been made for some time, as one treatment will iLSually keep the birds free of lice for from four to six months. The body lice go to the vent to drink, and, not being able to cross the ring of blue ointment, perish. The blue ointment must be specially prepared by be- ing softened with vaseline, as the ordinary article is too hard to spread. The method of applying is to take a small amount on the end of the finger and hold it against the bird until it melts, then make a ring. It must not be used on young chicks, as it is too sti'ong, and will kill them ; but it can be used after they are six months of age. It costs here 50 cents for half a pound, which is enough for a small flock for a year. The best time to apply is in the evening, just after the birds have gone to roo.it, as it is easiest to catch them at that time. Tacoina, Wash., Aug. 6. D'^vight Whitman. The Poultry Journals Criticised I'm getting disgusted with the poultry journals. About all there is in them is a write-up of " .Tones' fancy strain of White Leghorns that we visited last week," or " It will pay our readers well to visit Smith's poultry-yards and see his strain of fancy new-fangled breeds," and, of course, plenty of adver- tisements of the different breeders and supply deal- ers, which is all right if there were only some prac- tical articles on the problems that are daily con- fronting the man with a flock of utility hens which he is keeping for production, and not just to sell fancy- bred stock to another buyer at a high price for him to raise to sell to a third party at a high price, and so on. SUBSCRIBBK [It is true that a large proportion of the poultry journals are filled up with " puffs " for this, that, and the other ; however, there are some good journals that are strictly high-class in every sense of the wor.l. — Ed.I Bees Kept in Poultry-house Bees may be nicely kept in a poultry-house if it is kept as a poultry-house should be. I built such a one last year, and it practically does not need a thing after it is ready for the poultry to make it ready for the bees, and the bees do not take up any (if the room that poultry would use. One has to visit tlie poultry seven hundred times a year (twice a day), and they also have to be provided with an enormous lot of feed ; but the bees will get along with only two visits a year, and no feed, or feeding A Profit of $2.20 per Hen ; a Chicken that Learn- ed to Eat Drones In the fall of 1911 we moved into a rented place on which there was no poultry-house ; but as we had 15 hens, 13 of which v/cre pullets, I made a coop out of three drygoods-boxes. The following spring I fenced off a plot surrounding this coop with poultry- netting, and confined them. This plot was about four rods square, containing three large apple trees under which I placed 16 colonies of bees. My in- vestment for coop and fence was about $5.00. JANUARY 1, 1914 33 Besides givinfj me a profit of $2.29 per hen they performed valuable service by banishing the wood ants from the bees. When I first put my bees in this place these ants vi'ere very numerous, and swarmed all over the hives. I went for a shovel and sousht out their beds, dug them up to start the chickens scratching, and they did the rest. By scratching up their beds and eating their eggs the ants decided it was too warm a place and moved out. Bees and cliickens lived peaceably together all summer. One pullet learned to eat drones, and would catch them at every opportunity; but I never saw her catch a worker. Ogden, Utah, Nov. 28. Joseph H. Peterson. An Enthusiast in Florida This is our sixth winter in the State, and our fourth one here. One winter was spent on the east coast and one at Winterhaven. We have a home here. We like it very much. I have been a Meth- odist minister for over fifty-three years. I shall soon be 76 years old. I am fond of fishing, bee culture, and chicken-raising. I bought three stocks of bees last spring; transferred and Italianized them, and out of the three I made seven. I lost about half of the queens by the king-birds. The bees are all in hives of ten frames. I started north July 3, getting back again Nov. 6. There were two hives in fair condition. The other five were nuclei. I put supers on si.x of the hives. The bottoms of the hives were all well filled. The supers on the two best were well filled — 32 sections from one, and 31 from the other. Another had 17 sections, another 16, and the last had 4 — 100 sections, 4 x 5. All had very good honey. I do not think my bees will be idle more than two months in the j ear. James G. Tetu. Tarpon Spring, Fla., Nov. 24. A Bunch of Questions I have 18 stands of bees, and am going to buy 30 stands in the spring. Part of them are in crooked combs, but in L. frames and dovetailed hives, so the ones in crooked combs I shall have to transfer to straight combs. This is a fair locality. Please an- swer the following questions : Nn. 1. What kinds of Italians are the best — the golden or leather-colored ? Are they the stock you look to for your surplus honey ? 2. Do you practice spring feeding to stimulate brood-rearing when the colonies to be fed have plenty of honey ? What proportion do you use of water and sugar? and is there any preference in favor of beet or cane sugar? 3. What kind of feeder do you use for this pur- pose ? I have chosen the Boardman entrance f eedBr. Is there any danger of starting robbing where the feeders are kept clean and no syrup is besmeared on the outside to entice the bees. 4. What time in the spring should I transfer my bees? My plan is to wait until the weather gets warm and quite settled, and then drive the bees and queen into a new hive, put a queen-excluder on top of the old hive, and let it remain for 21 days; then drive the rest of the bees into the new hive. 5. In three weeks I want to divide the new hive and introduce a new queen of the best stock. Is that the right time? 6. When you divide your bees in the spring, say a ten-frame hive, how many stands do you usually make from a strong or average stand, considering the honey crop more than increase ? How long should the queenless part be without a queen ? Do you put wire cloth over the entrance for two or three days ? This last part would consume lots of time for an outyard four or five miles distant. Is the above way a practical plan, or is stuffing the entrance full of grass a better way ? 7. In buying queens with V2 lb. or 1 lb. of bees, is there any advantage in buying the bees to be only a sort of pad to the queen to prevent injury to her? Should the bees be introduced along with the queen to my queenless colonies? 8. Do you practice pinching queen-cells through the swarming season to prevent swarming? I am going to run ten-frame hives for comb honey, and eight-frame for extracting. Do you use full sheets of thin foundation for sections? Is there any real gain by it? Do you use bee-escapes for releasing the bees from the supers ? 9. In raising a few queens to restock with, will the bees make a queen-cell out of a regular-sized honey or worker cell ? In Bulletin 49, by the De- partment of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y., the instruc- tions are to take a frame that has had brood in it once or twice; cut two rows of cells, and leave one. Then let the frame be cared for by a queenless colo- ny ; but it does not state whether it is to be drone- cells or not. Would not the regular cells be too small for queen-cells ? 10. What kind of wire cloth should I use to make cages for cagini; queens? Can I get it of the reg- ular dealers '! Belle Fourche, S. D., Nov. 30. W^. A. LOSH. [1. As a general thing we prefer the original strain of Italians — the leather-colored ones. There are some fine strains of goldens ; but most breeders of them have apparently overlooked the business qualities, and breed for color only. This is the rea- son why so many of the goldens are inferio) . 2. The practice among our best producers is to feed literally in the fall, and to avoid spring feeding as much as possible. Still, there are times when stim- ulative feeding in the spring can be practiced to ad- vantage. But very often a beginner does more harm than good. For stimulative feeding we use equal parts of sugar and water well stirred together. For fall or winter feeding, we use two parts of sugar to one of water. There is no preference between the two sugars ; in fact, there is no possible way of detecting the differ- ence, even by the best chemists. 3. Of all the feeders on the market we prefer the Boardman. It is excellent for stimulating, and does well in early fall in feeding up for winter. It is not, however, suitable for late feeding. Where one de- sires to give a colony its full supply of stores at one or two feeds it is too small. In this case the Miller feeder is Leiter. The Boardman will not cause robbing if one will use ordinary precaution. The outside of the cans and the feeder blocks must be cleaned of any daub of syrup, and the colony must be strong enough to put up a fair defense at its entrance. In feeding weak nuclei an inside feeder, or, better still, slabs of candy are Letter. 4. The best time to transfer in the Northern States is in the spring during fruit-bloom; but the work may be done at any time of the year providing there is no danger of robbing. If practiced during the clover flow it will cause more or less of an interrup- tion with the colony ; and if the season has been on for any length of time it means the cutting up of combs that are heavy with honey. By transferring in the spring during fruit-bloom it avoids this. Your plan of procedure as outlined is not quite cl:ar to us. It we understand you correctly you mean that you drive the bees with their queen into a new hive on empty combs or frames of foundation. We infer that the old hive is left on the old stand, and that the new hive with its bees and queen is put on top of the old stand, with perforated zinc between. If this is your plan you will be doing an unneces- sary lot of work. Better by far remove the old hive from its stand a few feet. Put the new hive on the 34 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE old stand and drive most of the bees witli the queen into the new hive. Then 21 days later, after all the brood is hatched in the old parent hive, shake the rest of them in front of the entrance of the new hive ; finally remove the old hive with its combs, which may now be melted up into wax. 5. The answer to this question will depend some- what on the mode of treatment adopted in the answer to No. 4. If you are running for increase you can divide. If you are running for honey, we would not advise you to make the division. 6. As a general answer to this question, we would state that, if you desire to make increase, you should not practice dividing. If you desire to make in- ■crease and honey both, practice the Alexander meth- od as described in his book. Four or five nuclei can be made from one strong colony ; but this is on the basis of no surplus. As a general proposition we would advise making all increase after the main honey-flow is over, and then resort to feeding if the bees need stores. When practicing dividing it is usually necessary to shut up the entrances of the nucleus (moved from the old stand) with a little grass, for two or three days. Grass is better than wire cloth, because it will wilt away, releasing the bees without the aid of the beekeeper. But a far better plan where one has out-apiaries is to move the divided colonies from an outyard. In other words, make the division in some yard other than the one in which they have been stationed previously. Try as you may, splitting a good colony into several units, in the same yard, will result in a part of the flying bees going back to the old stand. The veteran beekeepers know how to overcome this to a certain extent, but not entirely. Every nucleus should have a laying queen, a vir- gin, or a cell, as soon as the division is made; otherwise valuable time will be lost. Another thing, a nucleus, as a rule, will not produce cells that will result in strong, vigorous queens. 7. Packages of bees without combs can be sent with or without combs. The presence of Her Maj- esty does not, so far as we can discover, detract from or add to the success of the shipment. If a pound of bees, however, is given to a nucleus with a queen, the latter should be caged in an introduc- ing cage for 24 or 48 hours. It might be advisable, also, in the case of hybrids or cross bees, to smoke both lots a little before uniting. 8. It is the general practice of honey-producers to destroy cjueen-cells at the beginning of the swarming season. Swarming-cells, if left unmolested, are al- most sure to cause swarming. You had better run your eight-frame hives for comb honey, and the ten-frame for extracted. In producing comb honey it is always advisable to use full sheets in sections. Starters are used by the manufacturers of bee-supplies for the reason that sections with full sheets do not ship well. Aside from this, there is no reason why starters should be used except on the ground of economy, and a poor econ- omy it is. We use bee-escapes when we can. Sometimes at outyards we shake and smoke the bees out of the supers. 9. In the instructions above referred to, worker- cells are probably meant, both on the ground of con- venience and because they might be accepted more readily for queen-cell purposes. Before you expect the bees to work out these prepared cells, all other brood in the hive to which they will go should be removed first. If you succeed by this method you will need to follow carefully the directions in the bulletin referred to. 10. Ordinary black painted wire cloth will give good results. Do not use any wire cloth painted green, on account of the Paris green in the paint. A two or three frame nucleus with a queen will ship almost anywhere with scarcely a failure. — Ed.] Danger of Spontaneous Combustion Referring to page 599, Sept. 1, do not store waste in an empty hive, in a box or a small building, but in a tin box with tight cover. Never let waste touch wood nor get air to feed any flame that may stai't in it. Spontaneous combustion is one of man's worst enemies, being but little understood, and working silently day and night. It requires just enough air to combine with the combustible to raise it to the temperature of ignition. A draft of air would keep the temperature down and prevent it. An empty hive is an ideal place to start a fire by spontaneous combustion ; but in a tight tin box the heat passes through the tin, lowering the inside tem- perature, and in case of spontaneous combustion the tight tin keeps the air away from the fire, allowing it to smoulder without danger. Hammonton, N. J., Sept. 7. C. E. Fowler. One Cause of Dark Wax If I boil bee-comb in an iron or metal kettle to extract the wax, will the wax be a dark color ? Williamson, Pa., Dec. 1. L. H. Lindemuth. [Wax will not be darkened in an iron kettle unless you let it boil for a considerable length of time. The lest way, as soon as the wax is melted, is to dip it off immediately; then you will find no discoloration. An iron kettle will discolor wax a great deal less than a receptacle of galvanized iron, or, in fact, of almost any other metal except the plain iron. The important thing is to see that the wax is dipped out and cooled as soon as it is melted. Wax kept hot for an hour or two, or longer, will invariably be discolored. The longer it is kept hot, the darker it will be. — Ed.] CONVERSATIONS WITH DOOLITTLE Continued from page 9. or tliose produced from queens reared from an imported mother, allowing these queens to mate with whatever drones there were in and about the ajjiary, as such crossing would give additional vigor to an already vigorous I'ace of bees. " Allow me to sum ujd this matter briefly from a standpoint covering a period of nearly forty-five years : Except for the breeding of queens for market, 1 would say. first have your queens mate with drones as distantly related to your queen mother as possible; second, use queens as closely re- lated to imported Italian stock as possible, where working for extracted honey, for there are no bees in the world, in my opin- ion, that excel those one generation from imported stock for large yields of extracted honey. Third, where white capping of combs becomes one of the great objects to work for, as is the case where working for section honey, choose the golden Italians on account of their qualities in that direction. These bees are in no way second to Italians from imported stock as to their honey-gathering qualities. They simply use, of that gather- ed, only enough to give the nice white cap- pings required when producing fancy sec- tion honey." JANUARY 1, 1914 35 Our Homes A. I. Root Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fiill. — I. Cor. 10:11!. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. — Psalm 51:10. He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city. — Prov. 16:32. Every little while I get to thinking I have got past at least some of my weaknesses of early life, and that I am now, in advanced age, making a pretty good record as a citi- zen and as a Christian ; but it almost seems sure, after such reflections, that Satan gives me another pretty severe " tussle." I think that one of my experiences of recent date may be helpful to some of you. This is the third winter I have been run- ning the Sears automobile I have told you about, and it has given me more satisfaction during the past six weeks than ever before. It has not been to the shop once, for Wesley and I have been able to make all repairs needed. After standing untouched during the whole summer, with gasoline left in the tank, it started right off promptly. Xow, wliile the machine has been all that could be desired, the compound pump sent with it, for pumping up the tires, has been giving a lot of trouble. It has for some time failed to pump up the tires real hard. Ernest always scolds because I let my tires get down so soft. I tell him there is less "jolt" in riding; but he maintains (and justly) it is harder on the rubber tires, and takes more power. In turning corners it is also much harder work if a tire is partially flat, because a larger surface lias to twist round on the pavement or sandy road, and this twisting also wears the rubber tire much faster. First, oil worked over into the small rubber air-tube of the pump, cutting the rubber so it clogged. A big wire pulled through several times removed two bits of rubber. Then I had trouble and worry in finding how to get the double cylinder apart. When I finally got at the plunger, one leath- er was worn through. Each time I found some defect I was " dead sure " I had rem- edied the trouble; but each time the pump failed to push up the tires good and hard. This pump that cost enough to do the best kind of work puzzled me, so I lay awake nights thinking about it. Why not take it to a garage? There are several reasons. We have a garage of our own in Medina, and I have been in touch with mechanical work all my life, and it hurts me to give up beat- en. Very likely there is some foolish pride right along here. It was my 74th birthday, but I had forgot- ten it at the time. I had worked in vain at the l)ump the day before, and was at it again until nearly noon. My nervous hands were covered with black grease, my back ached, and I was conscious I was getting in a bad frame of mind. That " alarm bell " was getting louder and louder. I was vexed and impatient. I didn't want any dinner, nor any nap before dinner. On this day par- ticularly it was incumbent on me to be pleasant and smiling to Mrs. Root when I sat down to the dinner that she had taken unusual joains in preparing. A drinking man once said to me, " Mr. Root, I am on a horse I can't manage. When he goes I have to go." I told him that " horse " would land him in a drunkard's grave, and it did, not long after. As I struggled with that rebellious spirit I wondered if I, A. I. Boot, was not in danger of being in a like pre- dicament. Suppose a visitor or a group of visitors should call as they do almost every day, wanting to see and shake hands with the author of the Home papers. The thought of it almost made the chills run down my poor tired back. I rushed to my little room upstairs in our home where I take my day- time naps, and tried to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. I had not yet " let go " of the pump, and, in fact, I could not get it out of my mind. I jumped out of bed, knelt down as I have done many times before, when, all at once, that wonderful prayer, that heautifid prayer of David's, occurred to me, and I prayed, " Create in me a clean heart, 0 God, and renew a right spirit with- in me." Were ever words before framed to fit so exactly such a ease as mine? I said men- tally, " Now I can sleep ;" but Satan was not ready to give up just yet. I remember thinking the prayer was not going to do any good, after all, tliis time. Let me pause right here. Unbelief and doubt are the result and a part of all sin. They go along together. But now listen : In spite of my still cherished rebellious thoughts and un- belief, the dear Savior, with his great pa- tience and infinite love, had mercy on me. In his arms he'll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there. That is just what happened. Oblivion came — blessed oblivion ! My troubles were forgotten — wiped out. In half an hour I awoke, " clothed and in my right mind," and went down to dinner praising God, and the good wife who had provided such a beautiful birthday dinner. In the afternoon I discovered the leather I was using was too thick and hard. In 36 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE this kind of pump, where the plunger takes the place of valves also, a very thin soft yielding leather is needed, and in a little time the pump was sending out a stream of air for certain, and with force enough to make every rubber tire on each of the four wheels " stand up " so only a veiy small sjDot, comparatively, touched the cement floor; and when turning corners, especially on hard-surfaced roads, but a touch on the steering lever is all that is needed. There is a great lesson for poor frail humanity in our last text. Great rulers and gi'eat generals must, as a rule, first learn self-control before they can expect to be chosen for important offices. One who allows himself to push ahead when he is vexed and impatient,* as I did, is a poor specimen of Christian, to say nothing more. 1 kept thinking I would have it all right in a few minutes, until I was too tired and nervous to do any thing well; and my old arch enemy saw his chance. While I think of it I thank God that it was only an inani- mate object that I was vexed with, and not any fellow-traveler in this world of sin. I also thank God that, when I realized my " armor " had dropped off, and seemed to be lost, I made haste to apply to " the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Poultry Department "the high cost of living — FOR chickens/' AND SOME OTHER MATTERS. The above has been on my mind a good deal for some time past, and Mrs. Root and 1 have had some " jangles " about it because, as she insists, I tell all the pleasant things about chickens and say but little about the cost (especially down here) of wheat, corn, and oats. I am paying now for each 100- Ib. sack $2.15, $1.95, and $1.90. I could buy a little cheaper in quantities, say in the city of Tampa, but I could not readily turn my eggs every day as I do at the grocer's toward my grain, which is delivered as I need it right to my granary in the center of the " convergent poulti-y-yards." But be- fore we get down to " figures " let us read the letter below from a good brother who seems to be " worried " in regard to the matter : Mr. A. I. Root: — I have been reading your Poul- try Department in Gleanings for some time; but fliere is one important thing that I should like to know. What is the average cost of feeding a hen for a year? I have heard that $1.25 or $1.50 will do it, but Green's Fruit Grower says that a healthy hen will eat $3.65 worth of grain in a year. If that is true I will get rid of my chickens, for there is no profit in them at those figures. I rely on your tell- ing us in Gleanings?. Cokeville, Pa., Nov. 21. John Major If Green's F7-uit Grower said as above, without any qualification, I should say they were careless, to say the least. It is possi- ble that a large hen, laying 200 or more eggs a year, shut uj) (say on the Philo plan), and having little but grain, and the grain bought in small lots at the grocer's (at a big price), may eat a cent's Avorth a day; but I am sure not on the average. Look up the reports of our egg contests in the different States, and see what they have published in regard to cost of feed. Our own chickens have a range of about five acres (if they care to go so far), and my feed bill with Buttercups and Leghorns for grain (wheat, corn, and oats) is only about 1/4 of a cent a day, and this result was obtained where the grain was in galvan- ized tubs when they all helped themselves all day long. With my flock of 80 hens and ducks, half a dozen eggs (40 cts. per dozen at the grocery), 20 cts., paid for grain for the whole flock. Now, before a lot of you rise up in protest, listen. We buy oats every day; get lettuce and cabbage not fit to ship; provide Bermuda grass " pasture," and last, but not least, give them nearly all the ground bones and meat they care for, and the " chicken bones " are given me at the combined grocery and meat market in con- sideration of giving them our trade. A half-dozen eggs pays for all cash outlay. ]f you get three dozen eggs a day, which is certainly a very moderate estimate, you have a dollar clear every day for properly caring for your fowls. Just one thing more. If the droppings from the roost are cleaned up every day they are, down here in Florida (where stable manure is $3.00 a load), worth quite a little. Somebody may ask if it is not pretty extravagant to provide five acres of " run " for 80 ducks and chickens. Yes, it is; but the five acres cost me only $150 per acre, and just now the assessor appraised them at $400. Then comes the question, " Why not raise grain or something else for chick- ens on this idle land so as to avoid these * Giving way to nervous impatience, especially wlien assisted by drink, is probably the cause of a lot of the murders, followed by suicide, that are now chronicled in almost every issue of our daily papers. When Satan gets his victim well started he crowds him ahead with relentless haste, making the most of his opportunity. JANUARY 1, 1914 37 expensive g-rain-bills? " 1 have for years been searching among "God's gifts" (for the people here in Florida) for something that will grow here and take the place of grain. May God be praised, for my search has been rewarded; and may he be thanked, also, for onr Department of Agriculture that helped me to get it. Listen : Just before going back north last April my good friend Bannehr, of Manatee (a beekeeper), gave me some canes and roots of cassava, and told me to plant them, say- ing that the roots were " good for chickens," etc. Now, to illustrate how we often neg- lect and pass by some of God's most pre- cious gifts (sweet clover?) I shall have to own up that, after throwing the roots to the chickens, and finding they didn't seem to notice them, I let the canes lie around un- cared for until Wesley said he knew how to plant them, and so he cut them up and l)lanted perhaps a doaen pieces that looked about like corncobs. When we were plant- ing dasheens the cassava was just peeping above the gTound, and I told Wesley he might as well chop them otf, as I didn't believe they were of any use. Well, eithei- Wesley didn't hear or he didn't get around to it for some reason, and I foi'got all about the cassava until we got here a few days ago, Avhen all at once I said : " Why, Wesley, what are those great branchey trees down among the dasheen?" "Why, Mr. Eoot, that is the cassava." " Do you mean they have made all that gi'owth in the past six months?" By my direction he dug some roots as big as my arm, and a yard long or more. After taking some pains to teach the chicks, they soon ate them with avidity — no cutting up nor any preparation needed. Then T sent to Washington for a bulletin (No. 1G7) which I recalled having seen. Let me give you some clipping from said bulletin : If the entirp crop is not wanted for use during the winter following its growth, a part of it may be left in the ground for another season, as the roots will continue to grow several years if not disturbed. Roots which have grown two or more seasons often rea'-h an enormous size, sometimes as much as 8 feet in length, and forming clusters weighing more than 100 pounds; but they become more hard and woody than at the end of the first season, and so are not as eood for the manufacture of starch or for feeding as those which have grown only one season. When it is known heforehand that a part of the crop is to he kept until the second season, it is better to dig alternate rows, so that the plants remaining will be less crowded. MEANS OP REMOVING FnO.M THi-: GTOUXD. As the roots are of considerable size, often from 3 to 4 feet in length by 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and as they gi-ow in clusters of from 4 to 8 on each stalk, a single cluster often weighing from 20 to 30 pounds, digging can not be done with a plow, as sweet potatoes are dug, but must be done by hand. Dr. Stockbridge states, in Bulletin No. 49 of the Florida Experiment Station, that when five lots of pigs were fed a period of seventy-five days, cassava gave a greater net profit and a greater percentage of gain in weight than did either corn, chufas, or pea- nuts, and a greater net gain in weight than did any except corn. The cost of the increased weight of the cassava-fed pigs was only 1.04 cents per pound, while the increase of the corn-fed pigs cost 3.06 cents per pound. In these tests the cassava was charged to the pigs at the rate of $6 per ton and the corn at 60 cents per bushel, these prices being somewhat more than the actual cost of growing the cassava and less than the usual market price of corn in Florida. FEEDING TO POULTRY. In localities where it is grown, cassava is used more commonly than corn in the feeding of poultry. It needs no preparation before feeding, as the roots are so tender that they can be eaten readily, and poultry eat them as greedily as do other kinds of stock. When fed alone cassava makes hens so fat that they do not lay well, as is the case when they are given an exclusive corn diet, so it is better to mix it with wheat, oats, or some similar nitrogenous feed. It is unsurpassed when fowls are to be fat- tened for market, as it makes a rapid increase in weight with very little expense One poultry-raiser at Orlando, Fla., who keeps from 500 to 700 fowls, states that he has fed cassava since 1885, and that it is the most inexpensive as well as the most satisfactory feed he can find for use in the place of corn, though it is not so complete a food as is needed by growing chickens and laying hens. Others who have used it for feeding poultry make similar statements ; and it is the general ex- perience that, when it is used as the principal food, from one-third to one-half a feed of wheat or oats should be added to the ration, and that the feeding of cassava saves fully one-half the usual cost of corn. Our cassava is growing on ground that was for several years a chicken-yard. As it is desirable to change yards, a very lim- ited piece of ground will gi'ow the roots, and, after well started, the chickens may be let into the yard again. If I were to try to grow grain of any kind a horse would be needed. While it is a very small job to pre- pare and plant cassava by hand, and the harvesting for chickens is nil, as the great roots grow just under the surface, and the spreading branches soon keep down all weeds, and even Bermuda gi'ass gives up trying to grow under rank cassava, the roots are almost equal to Irish potatoes for table use. jMrs. Root will scold if I stop here without telling the other side, so here goes : " THE OTHER SIDE OF POULTRY •" IN FLORIDA. It is the long wet summers, especially for those who live here only in the wintertime. If you will turn back to p. 356, May 15, 191.3, you will see that, when I left for Ohio. I had 125 chickens, none over four montlis old, and about 25 ducks; 150 fowls in all. I offered a neighbor all the duck eggs and all the roosters when they were big enough to sell for looking after them during the summer, I to pay all the feed- bills. What did the feed cost for the six months? Just about as many "dollars" 38 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE as I bad ducks and chickens when I arrived here in November. When I left in April I had a credit of about $38.00 at the gro- cery. It took all this and almost as much more to feed roosters and all. Sorehead or some similar trouble took off a dozen or two, and " varmints " a few more. Laying hens could be left with neighbors cheaper, it is true ; but a lot of " youngsters " are " no good " for eggs, and often a " heap " of trouble. It would have been as cheap or cheaper t- have " sold out " in the spring, and bought more in November; but who wants to sell young- pullets just beginning- to lay? Another thing, I wanted my es-^>t;- cial cross of Buttercups and Legliorns. If I stayed here the year rotaid, like neighbor Abbott, it would be much cheaper; but even he (who has several hundred laying hens) begins to think bees rather more profitable. They don't need corn, and seldom need su- gar. While I think of it, neighbor Ault (the man among the big dasheens) in some of his apiaries here near Bradentown se- cured last season about 200 lbs. per colony. But this was an apiary of only about 25 colonies. Just a word more about the chickens. I think our Experiment Stations find the large breeds need more grain than the Leghorns; but, if I remember, in one egg test the Rhode Islands Reds came very near taking the prize, and neighbor Ault. says he had a flock of reds that, while they had access to a field of alfalfa, gave a big egg yield and had almost no grain at all. This reminds me that three laying hens, Rhode Island Reds, were kept all summer just for their eggs ; and while eggs were 50 cts. a dozen in November I several times liad an egg from each red hen. Let us go back to that letter from friend Major before closing. Friend M., let us suppose you have no lettuce, cabbage, nor even a field of alfalfa, and that it does cost a " whole cent " to feed your hen one day. If she lays an egg that is worth four cents in the market, or more, can't you stand it? DO THE HIGH-SCORING CHICKENS AT FANCY PRICES GIVE US THE BIG-LAYING STOCK? An effort has been made to show that our great layers in the " egg-laying contests " are the outcome of the high-scoring stan- dard fowls; but here is something that does not exactly agree if I understand it correct- ly. The clipping is from the Pacific Poul- try man. Another claim to the world's chompionship for egg production has .iust been put forward. Professor Drvden, of the Oregon Agricultural College, gives a record of 291 eggs in a period of one year by a hen of mixed blood, owned by the college, which he claims is the best performance in the world to date. I need hardly add that we have probably no better authoxity than Prof. Dryden. The above hen was probably a first cross, and, verv likely, from standard breeds. See p. 624, Sept. 1. GRASSHOPPERS AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEAT SCRAPS FOR POULTRY. In the Ladies' Home Journal for Novem- ber is a letter from a widow who did won- derful things with poultry by feeding them grasshop)iers that she trapjDed, and then killed with formaldehyde. The account does not tell where she lives, but it says she trapped "eighty odd bushels" in two weeks, and she says it answers the place of ground bones or meat scraps wonderfully well. 1 confess that several times when I read of the grasshopper scourge in the Southwest I wondered if they could not be killed and dried so as to be preserved for winter ra- tions for poultry. Can any of our readers tell us wliether the above is fact or fiction? MUSTARD FOR CHICKENS AND MUSTARD FOR TABLE use; WHERE ARE THE MUSTARD- FIELDS ? I see in one of A. I. Root's articles he mentions receiving a barrel of ground mustard for his chick- ens. Now, I should like to know if mustard is grown an:'where in the United States in a commercial way; and if so, could there not be a way to get in com- munication with the growers, and order from them? Town Line, N. Y., Oct. 15. J. H. Calkins. Perhaps The French Co., of Rochester, N. Y., who advertise mustard for poultry, can tell us where the seed is grown, that beekeepers may locate near the mustard- fields, to the advantage of the grower as well as that of the beekeeper. BANEFUL DRUGS; A WORLD-WIDE WAR AGAINST THEM. Another evidence that God's kingdom is coming on earth is that the nations of the world are uniting in a war against opium and other baneful drug-s. See the follow- ing, which we clip from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: Dr. Wright reported that up to date thirty-five governments have signed the opium convention, in- cluding the thirteen nations that joined in the first conference in Shanghai after the movement had been initiated by the United States. Some of these coun- tries, notably Great Britain and Germany, are with- holding their ratifications until the last moment, tak- ing the ground that to be really effective the conven- tion must have the unanimous support of all nations. So far twenty-six governments have agreed to de- posit their ratifications, and they probably will be received at The Hague before December 31 next. All of the signatory powers are to meet at a third conference at The Hague after December 31, next, to agree upon the date when the prohibition of the use of opium and other baneful drugs shall go into effect throughout the world. JANUARY 1, 1914 39 High-pressure Gardening DASHEEN — MORE ABOUT THOSE IN THE PIO- TUKE, P. 784, NOV. 1. When neighbor Ault was digging that big hill of 2OV4 lbs., I picked up one of the long leaf-stalks he cut off, and took it home to see if that would make a soup or stew as good as the little shoots. I took it, leaf and all, and Mrs. Root used the whole thing for soup, and it made about the best dish of dasheen we have had. Of course we peeled off the outside covering near the ground. Just think of it, friends ! Supjoose you could take a tall stalk of corn that had given a big crop already, and make two or more good meals of one " cornstalk! " I have mentioned the fact that he used lime as well as stable manure. Well, he has just given me an additional fact in regard to his astonishing yield. When he came on the place he found a heap of little shells his predecessor gathered for some reason or other. Having no use for them he used them for stable bedding. After the horse bad tramped them up tine he shoveled the manure and all around the dasheen. I wish our experiment station would tell us if these mashed shells might have had any thing to do with this enormous growth of the dash- een. DASHEEN DATA DASHEEN IN OHIO, ETC. Dasheen purchased from the Brooksville Develop- ment Co., May 1, 1913, arrived and were planted May 10 on different kinds of ground. All grew and were up June 1. Dasheens planted on clay soils failed because of lack of moisture. One hundred and fifty tubers planted on sandy black loam did exceed- ingly well. Dug first mature tubers from them Sept. 1, 1913. They were entirely matured Sept. 15, dug on that date, the yield being six pecks. None of these received irrigation ; those receiving irrigation were frozen Sept. 22, 23, unmatured. The average height of plants was forty inches ; number of leaves about twelve. Dasheen planted here on suitable ground, and given ordinary cultiva- tion, will mature. Cedarville, Ohio. Harry Powers. The above, with sample tubers, was sub- mitted to the Department of Agi'iculture, and below is their reply : Mr. Uarry Powers: — Your letter of October 14 and the package of dasheens was received several days ago, and we desire to thank you heartily for the same. I have tested a few of the tubers on my table, and find them of very good quality. The quantity of tubers which you secured would hardly warrant your continuing the culture of the dasheen in Ohio, from the commercial standpoint especially, as the corms and tubers are very small; but if by irrigating and fertilization in the first half or two-thirds of the sea- son you could stimulate the growth of the plants, you might obtain a considerably more satisfactory yield. It would be, of course, necessary to withhold water toward the close of the season, in order to allow the tubers to ripen. I may add that stable manure is probably the best form of fertilizer used. I have to thank you again for sending us your report, and to congratulate you on the degree of success which you have attained. A smaller number of plants started indoors a month or more earlier, and then set out, would no doubt give a yield as large or larger. R. A. Young, Washington, D. C, Nov. 5. Scientific Assistant. Permit me to suggest that the irrigated tubers that did not mature would have made an excellent stew, as I have several times described, and we prefer this stew of im- mature tops and tubers to any other way of cooking the dasheen. In regard to yield, on our Medina stiff clay soil we had about three bushels of tubers from 50 plants, some of them very small indeed. Now hold your breath and listen : I have just been over to neighbor Ault's, and saw the corm and tu- bers from one of his best hills (see picture on p. 784, Nov. 1). After being dug .and washed there were 20^/4 lbs., the product of one small shrunken tuber, in just about 8 months from planting. Besides a good dressing of stable manure, Mr. Ault saj's he sowed about a peck of lime and worked it in on his patch of little more than a rod square. It may transpire that, like the clovers, lime is the thing. One more valu- able thing about the dasheen: Unlike the Irish potato, light, and even strong sun- shine, improves the tubers instead of doing injury. We clip the following from the Manatee River Journal : That the dasheen is a coming food product of Florida is borne out by reports made by parties who have been experimenting in growing it. Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, who spends his winters in Bradentown, and has just recently returned, dropped in a few days ago and showed us a letter from Mr. Young, of the Department of Agriculture, and called attention to articles from Bradentown upon the dash- een in his paper Gleanings in Bee Culture. The following is the letter : Mr. A. I. Root: — I have recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, California, and the Southern States, to study the taro and the dasheen. I find your let- ters of July 21 and July 22, with proof-sheets of your articles on the dasheen. I wish to thank you for these and the continued interest you are taking in the introduction of this vegetable, which we be- lieve will eventually prove of much value, especially in the Southern States. * * * j ^ag ju Braden- town early in October, and was greatly pleased with the dasheens grown by your neighbors, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Ault. They were the best I had seen up to that time, outside of our own planting at Brooksville, though the next day I saw a three-acre commercial field a few miles from Tampa that had made a re- markable growth. This was in muck soil that had been previously used for trucking. R. A. Young, Scientific Assistant. Washington, D. C, Nov. 7. In the November issue of Gleanings a letter and a half-tone picture of a mammoth dasheen is a con- tribution from Arthur E. Ault, of Bradentown. The plant pictured was between six and seven feet high, and he says the soil upon which they grow is a well- fertilized humus-filled sand, and that he ridged the soil with furrows six feet apart, planting two row^ 40 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE of dasheens to each ridge. He says the soil is moist, and there lias been water in the furrows nearly all summer, and tubers were then forming rapidly. Mr. Root adds that dasheens are fair eating before ma- turity, but not at their best until fully matured, although the young shoots and tender leaves are all right, and make a good substitute for mushrooms or oysters, with a few crackers added. As experiments indicate that the dasheen is going to prove prolific in South Florida soil, information about it is interesting at this time, though limited to experimental planting. Later. — A mammoth dasheen is on exhibition at the office of Messrs. Wyman & Green, the largest that we have had the pleasure of inspecting. It is true that we have seen only two, the other being the one that was recently placed on exhibition at the Journal office; but this one is so large and well de- veloped that we conclude it must be the limit. The hill weighed 19% pounds when first taken out of the ground, and removing the small tubers it weighed n V2 pounds. They were grown by the Mr. Ault already mentioned. The largest before reported was 18 pounds grown up near Brooksville at the Govern- ment plant. Mr. Ault's yield of dasheen, as given above, would be just about 1000 bushels per acre, which is more than the Department of Agriculture has ever mentioned, even on small areas. Perhaps 1 should explain that he put on the plot quite a liberal dress- ing of stable manure which his chickens scratched into the ground quite thoroughly. He also worked ashes in between the rows. Aside from its great value as a table vege- table, it will pi'obably be valuable for stock. Our chickens eat the large center corms with avidity. Mr. Ault's place is just over the fence from our own five acres. The dasheen grown here on our place needs no sal-soda nor soda of any kind (to (oun'eract the "acridity" mentioned), ei- ther in washing or cooking. The tubers for baking need only a brushing with a stiff brush before they are put into the oven, and for stews the stalk and stems, with small green tubers, need only rinsing and pouring the water off, as mentioned on p. 740, Oct. 15. l^arcel post. I mailed 3 lbs. to Mec^ .la, and below is Ruber's report in regard to them. The package of dasheens reached me safely yes- terday morning. No danger of any frost, for the weather has been very warm here for the last week or so. We baked some to-day. I ate five, and we all liked them very much. They remind me of roasted chestnuts, although a little drier, and flavor some- what less pronounced. DASHEENS IN THE GREENHOUSE OR IN A BOX } IN A AVINDOW. Our friends who are anxious to test the new food-i^lant can start them any time in the winter as they do tomato, cabbage, and other plants; and when spring comes, put them out when danger of frost is past. As they will grow with proper care higher than your head, they need a long season. Re- inember they are delicious food from the time they are an inch high until they are above your head, and every bit of the plant is edible, both above ground and under ground. My impression is, after the tubers are well seasoned they can be mailed safely all winter. We are testing the matter now, and will report. I hope some seedsman or some one else will soon advertise them by EOSELLE^ ANOTHER OF " GOD'S GIFTS." Some time in the summer our good friend Reasoner, of the Royal Palm Nurseries, On- eco, Fla., sent over to our place about a dozen Roselle plants which Wesley planted and cared for until we arrived in November, when we found them covered with " fruit." You might not call it fruit by the look; but we recently had cranberries and roselle both on the table at once, and, although they taste and look very much alike, I much pre- fer the roselle. I am sure they can be grown in the North if started in a greenhouse like tomatoes, for some of our plants are full of fruit when less than a foot high. See clipping beloAV from the Florida Grow- er. Roselle, or Jamaica sorrel, or lemonade plant, as it is often called in Florida, is one of the hibiscus family. The flowers are solitary with a red and thick calyx. Theee calices, when cooked, make an excellent sauce or jelly, almost identical in flavor and color with the crani erry of the North. The leaves make an excel- lent and refreshing di'ink. It is hardly necessary to give recipes for the above. The calices are removed from the ovary and used in the usual way, same as northern cranberries. A salad may be made of the stems, leaves, and calices just as a turnip salad. A syrup that can be used for coloring purposes can be made of calices or stems and leaves, boiled in the ordinary way and sealed in bottles for future use. To make the jelly, use less than the ordinary propor- tion of sugar; it is excellent for cake, but is not as firm as guava jelly. I think you can get seed, and perhaps plants, of Reasoner Bros., Oneco, Fla. If you want to know about the wonderful fruits and plants that can be grown in Florida write for their beautiful new cata- og. SHALL WE WIN BY " FIELDS OF BLOOD " OR BY THK "sweat" or "honest labor"? Here is an extract from an Armenian paper which states a truth that those who clamor for vast arma- ments .should try to absorb into their belligerent minds : " It is an old and dead belief that a nation is as strong as the powerful army she possesses, and that she is as vital as her cannon is large. The fate of nations is built, not on the field of blood, but on that of sweat. It is formed in factories, in the depths of mines, on farms, in temples of art and science, through reformed and just administration, through the creative desire which runs after perfection, and which leads the nations toward moral greatness and material prosperity." A hearty amen to the above, which we clip from the Farm Journal. ^^■■^ «ip* MiilMliiiWfA^iagii^iipaEawa:®!^ 17c a Day Opens the Way to Better Pay A few dollars, plus your promise to pay the balance at the rate of 17 cents a day, places in your hands the new "Printype" model Oliver Typewriter No. 5, our very finest production. The best advice that can be given to the young man or woman is : Get an Oliver Typewriter! This offer places at your command a ma- chine that turns time, energy, and enterprise into the pure gold of success. Thousands of ambitious graduates, with the aid of Oliver Typewriters, have won their way to better pay and broader opportunity. This is the age of mechanical writing. The great world of modern business revolves around the typewriter. Typewriter'operators are\in demand everywhere. Our employmentJBureaus in all the important cities are swamped with calls for competent Oliver operators. Prinf^^pc GUI VET? The Standard Visible Writer Easy to Pay—l? Cents a Day Yoji can make the machine meet the payments. You doubtless spend more than this amount every day for trifles you do not need. Thousands have paid for Oliver Type- writers on this plan without the slightest effort. Are you going to let a matter of pennies stand between you and this money-making machine ? Against your risk of a few dollars we risk a $100 typewriter — the same machine that is used by the greatest firms and cor- porations throughout the world. Shall we send you full details of the Easy Purchase Plan ? Catalog mailed on request. Address The Oliver Typewriter Co., 116 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, 0. ®bamtt00 ttt Tin Culture Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. Calvert, Business Mgr. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter. VOL. XLII. JANUARY 15, 1914 NO. 2 Editorial Our bees on the Apalachicola River, Fla., are doing finely. Ti-ti is just about ready io open up, when the bees will have natural pollen and nectar: Some recent reports go to show that Cali- fornia is having refreshing rains. Wheth- er these are going to insure a crop of moun- tain-sage honey or not we have not yet been advised. When we read the telegraphic reports of the floods in Texas we wondered how our bees on the Apalachicola River would fare, because they are on platforms but slightly above high-water level on the banks of the river. Fortunately for us, however, the floods did not visit that section. THE FLOODS IN TEXAS. In this issue, page 47, Louis H. Scholl tells of the awful destruction wrought by the floods in certain parts of Texas ; of how he and certain other beekeepers lost many hundred colonies. The sympathy of our readers, we know, will go out to them. OUR COVER PICTURE. The cover picture for this issue shows Benjamin J. Mayo and his son at the edge of their ])icturesque apiary. The engraving, page 62. shows a larger portion of the api- ary situated in a well-sheltered location. In addition to the particulars given in the article by C. B. Morris, page 59, Mr. Mayo himself writes as follows: I cleared a sm^all part of my woods and made a beautiful grove for my growing apiary (as shown on the cover page) ; Init as the bees did not build up as rapidly as I thought they should, I moved some into my orchard, a more open place (as seen by the pic- ture on p. 62), where they got more sunlight. This solved the difficulty, as those in the orchard did far better than those in the grove, shaded so much. My spring count (1912) found me with fifteen hives of the dovetail pattern. I should also like to add my testimonial to the plan of Mr. Arthur C. Miller of introducing queens by smoke, as I have tried it with twenty queens and find it works every time. I have been running for extracted honey only, as I think the honey in this locality is too dark for comb. This I have been selling in three-pound packages at fifty cents, and have no difficulty in disposing of all of it. I think I increased too fast last season as my crop was not what I thought it should have been; but I did fairly well, getting 1000 lbs. Metuchen, N. J., Oct. 31. THAT WINTER NEST AGAIN. We recently received a letter from Mr. George B. Howe, of Black River, N. Y., one of the most prominent honey-producers and queen-breeders of that State, and a very close observer. Among other things he refers to the winter nest. As it confirms our posi- tion we present it here for what it is worth. I wish to say something on this winter-nest ques- tion. You are right. I go to the bee for all my knowledge. Go to any hive — better yet, a bee-tree ; cut said tree and see what condition you find. Back to the hive ! Unless you have fed said colony beyond all bee reason, again you will find that winter nest, and in cold weather a bee and sometimes more than one bee in a cell. The colder the time, the more com- pace that cluster will be: and unless you have stud- ied this question you will not believe it possible for a large colony to get into so small a space when it is zero or below. The age of the queen does not change the color of, her drones. The color of the comb may make a slight difference. Some claim this . George B. Howe. THE SPECIAL NUMBERS FOR 1914. For the last two years we have received occasional letters from readers who have oveilooked annoucements regarding special numbers, and who, after reading some one of the special numbers, jumped to the con- clusion that Gleanings has "gone daffy " on the special subject in question. For in- stance, after the publication of our last poultry number, which was our regular Feb. 15th issue for 1912, we received a letter from a subscriber complaining because of the undue amount of space we were giving to tho question of the raising of chickens, He pointed out that our Feb. 15th issue was almost all on that subject! Not being a poultry-man he was naturally afraid "we were going to get too far away from the straight and narrow path of beekeeping. As there have been other letters each year from those of our readers who have not noticed the announcement of our plan, we GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE wish to mention again the list of special numbers for 1914. Jairuary 1 (last issue), bees and poultry; February 1, bees and fruit; March 1, beekeeping in cities; April 1, breeding; June 1, moving bees; Augiist 1, crop and market reports; September 1, wintering. THE NEXT NATIONAL CONVENTION TO BE HELD AT ST. LOUISj FEB. 17 — 19. Our readers will notice elsewhere that the next convention of the National Beekeepers' Association will be held at St. Louis on Feb. 17, 18, and 19. St. Louis has the reputation of being the most centrally located large city in the United States. As it is conve- nient from the east and west and from the north and south, there ought to be a large attendance. Mr. R. A. Holekamp, of the Holekamp Lumber Co., St. Louis, has been asked to arrange for a hall in which to meet. He writes us that he would appreciate it if those who expect to attend would send him a postal card so that he may arrange for proper hotel accommodations at reduced rates. Mr. Holekamp is an enthusiastic beekeeper and a live wire at conventions. The members of the National, and all others who expect to attend this convention, will do well to get in toueli with him immediate- ly. Unfortunately for us the date of this meeting comes when E. R. R. will be in Florida; and this necessarily means that his assistant, H. H. Root, will be doing double duty at Medina. We shall try to liave a representative present, and probably aiTange for a demonstration of a power- driven extractor with a complete modern extracting equipment, just such as is now used by large producers. This will be given in a separate room or building, apart from the regular convention hall. We understand that the management is laying plans to make this a big meeting, and a great social meet as well. MOVING BEES TO THE SOUTHLAND FOR IN- CREASE ; LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP. Apparently our experiment of shipping a carload of bees to Florida to make an in- crease of 100 or 200 per cent is attracting a good deal of attention if we may judge from the correspondence that has been com- ing in. We desire to say to one and all, do not think of moving a carload of bees south till you have spent a month or so in or near the point where you propose locating. There are three tilings you should know. (1) It is very important to find a spot that will not overlap on some one else. (2) Make sure that the point is one that will support bees. (3) Learn the locality before moving. The only way one can make it practicable to take a carload of bees south is to arrange with some beekeeper already in the vicinity to find you a location that will be advanta- geous to you and not interfere with the other fellow. A better plan is to go a month ahead and look the situation over. There is plenty of unoccupied territoi-y in the South, providing one will take the pains to find where it is. No beekeeper in the North or elsewhei'e can afford to go into a locality already overstocked. He will be interfering with his own interests, and at the same time cut down the yield of the local residents, and at the same time incur their ill will. This country is so large that there is room enough for all; but there is not room enough for a man to put his bees in a location close to another. It sometimes haiDpens that one can buy out the location of another beekeeper. This is precisely what we did wdth Mr. A. B. Marchant. He had a location apart from every one else which he was willing to sell. This was secured, and that is where our bees are noAV placed. An experienced beekeeper from the North would be working to a gi'eat disadvantage if he does not know the bee flora of the new bee country. This is the reason he should spend some time in the proposed location in advance and before he moves the bees. Beekeeping in tlie South is not the same as beekeeping in the North. Any one who at- temi^ts to move a car of bees South without the proper knowledge of the new conditions will fully comprehend when it is too late that " Experience is a good school, but the tuition is high." 'J HE NEW METHOD OF INTRODUCING W^ITH SMOKE; REQUEENING WITHOUT DEQUEENING. We call attention to the suggestive article l)y Mr. A. C. Miller, p. 50 of this issue, en- titled "The Economics of Requeening." Our correspondent figures that the direct loss of fjueens introduced by the cage plan is about 40 per cent. This may be true, perhaps, when we consider queens sent through the mails and introduced by jjersons of little or I'o experience; but our loss does not exceed 10 per cent, and is usually less. The loss by tlie average beekeeper is greater, perhaps, because he is over-solicitous in that he keeps opening the hive and peeping into it to see how the new queen is coming on. If he paid three or four dollars for hei% and he is a beginner with only two colonies, he will open the hive every few hours, and perhaps he will try to hasten the operation. Such a ]n-ocedure only makes the matter worse. Our best results from inti'odueing by the cage plan have invariably been secured by JANUARY 15, 1914 43 leaving the colony severely alone, allowing several days to elapse after the queen is supposed to have emerged from her cage. Repeatedly have we seen queens balled that had been out of the hive only a few hours. Naturally enough, she is shy, and the act of opening the new hive frightens her the more. If she starts to I'un, or skulks, and especially if she pipes or squeals, she invites attack, with the result that she is promptly balled. Yeare ago, when we were rearing queens, and introducing, we found so many cases of balling immediately after opening the liive that we concluded it was a bad practice. Now, then, to return : If Mr. Miller figures in the class of be- ginners who will tinker with their bees too much while the process of introducing is going on, the loss may be as gTeat as 40 per cent; but we do not believe that, with the experienced beekeeper, it will be over 10 per cent. We remember one large producer or- dered 100 queens. He ■wi'ote back and ordered ten more queens after he had introduced the hundred, saying he had bad luck. He had lost ten queens by the cage plan, and he wanted ten more. He intimated that some of the queens might have been old virgins, and if that were true it would account for his failure. AN IMPORTANT CASE OF HONEY ADULTERA- TION W^ON BY THE GOVERNMENT. When the new pure-food law went into effect, and later the pure-food laws in the various States, the adulterations of honey, particularly with glucose, were stopped or almost entirely so. Prior to that time a large part of the bottled honey on the market put out by the packing-houses was adulterated with glucose, and there was no way to stop it. In the mean time the honest beekeeper had to compete with this cheap twangy stuff; and as the grocer could buy the glu- cose mixtures for less money, the beekeeper was given a poor show. But since the en- actment of the national pure-food law (thanks to Dr. Wiley) glucose adulteration has, to a great extent, ceased. To some ex- tent cane-sugar syrup has been used as an adulterant, but to only a very limited extent, because glucose Avas so much cheaper. As it was comparatively easy to detect the addi- tion of cane sugar or glucose — especially the latter — the honey adulterators were compelled to quit using them or get into trouble with Uncle Sam. But later on there came a species of adul- teration that was very difficult to detect. A process had been discovered for making what is called " invert sugar." Although an artificial product, this came very near an- swering the chemical tests for a pure honey. The adulterators then saw their opportunity to put invert sugar into honey and sell tlie combination for much less than any pure honey could be sold for. They felt safe from detection because they believed no chemist would positively be able to show up tlie fraud. But it was not long before the Governmfiiit chemists were able to do so, f^-l the adulterators were stopped. Shortly after, however, the chemists of tlie manufac- turers discovered another process for making a new invert sugar that they felt sure would defy the best pure-food chemists of the country, and for a time the Government men were up against a hard proposition. But the Bureau of Chemistry, Washington, D. C, kept busy, and finally discovered sev- eral methods by which even this new invert sugar could be detected when mixed with honey. A recent test case before the United States court held in Philadelphia was tried and won by the Government. This is one of the most important cases ever held; and the fact that the Government is now able to detect any form of invert sugar when mixed with honey or any other kind of sweet is going to mean much to the beekeeping in- terests, not only in the United States but to the whole world, for Uneie Sam will see to it that all the chemists are properly inform- ed as to the methods he used in detecting invert-sugar adulteration in honey. So important and far reaching was this case that we asked our chemist, Mr. Selser, who was not onlj^ present 'but a witness at the trial, to prepare a technical statement showing the methods that were used by the Government to prove the presence of invert sugar in tlie honey that was seized. Before doing so he shows the difference between the two invert sugars. Furfural was so pronounced in the conversion of the dextrose of cane and beet sugar into the first in- vert sugar or levulose and dextrose that Browne & Fehles' chemical tests soon exposed the fraud. The food adulterators soon discovered their mistake. They then, by using a small per cent of tartaric or other acids, and heating at a low temperature, accomplish- ed the inversion without producing any furfural. They now felt they had an invert sugar that the pure-food chemist could not detect from the natural article, honey. They became very bold through the assurance of their chemists. About January, 1912, a large syrup and honey company of New York, doing a business of a quar- ter of a million a year in mixing honey, etc., sold and shipped to a Philadelphia dealer in pure honey six cases of what he bought as pure honey, and labeled " Choice Pure Strained Honey." The government officers, waiting for the opportunity, at once seized the shipment as misbranded and adulterated. This New York firm, evidently, were so sure their adul- teration of honey with invert sugar could not be detected that they employed the highest-priced and best corporation lawyers doing a large business in. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE the United States Supreme Court, along with the best expert chemists they could find. The Govern- ment, finding that the defendant would not submit to the fine and penalty, and realizing that it would be a test ease of chemist against chemist, had its two Un'i.d States District Attorneys in Philadelphia and its chief Prosecuting Attorney from Washington prepare the case for trial. The Government called only expert chemists, its own Chief Chemist with his three assistants from the Sugar Laboratory at Wash- ington, making all its pure-food analyses; its Chief Chemist in the Philadelphia laboratory, and the best Government expert on honey analysis in the United States, brought from Seattle, Wash., and one expert from civil life, who has spent about a quarter of a century on the analysis and natural composition of pure honevs. There were thus arrayed legal and chemical experts against legal and chemical experts, resulting in the cost to each side of many thousands of dollars, from which the beekeeper will get a last- ing benefit. Every legal obstacle was thrown in the way, and many of the expert chemical opinions challenged by the defense, with a counter chemical expert's opinion, and, as a result, the trial which might have been concluded in a single day lasted for about ten days. For those who may be interested in the chemical side of the case, and others who might feel there is yet a chance of safety in mixing their honey with this new invert sugar made with tartaric acid, we give a brief outline of the chemical lines upon which the case was fought and won. The first and most important fact brought out in the testimony was the difference between natural invert sugar (honey) and artificial invert sugar made by the use of tartaric acid. Judge Holland was espe- cially interested in the line of testimony on this point, questioning the witness again and again. The Gov- ernment chemists showed that all natural honeys contain soluble salts and basic acids. They had a table of the honeys of the world gathered in Wash- ington, showing the variance of these salts and acids in the honey of all varieties. The defense claimed their honey was 80 per cent Cuban and 20 per cent buckwheat ; but the government showed that there could not have been over 40 per cent of these honeys in the sample, since the sample was just in that proportion deficient *in these soluble salts and basic acids. This point was contested by the defendant on the ground that some mineral salts had been extract- ed with the dirt when it was heated and strained, and that this heating and straining would account for the deficiency. The Government admitted that, while some mineral salts could be extracted with the dirt, yet the salts that the Government chemists showed deficient was in xolvtion, and, if present, could not have been eliminated by heating, straining, or filtering. The Government further showed that the inversion in the honey-sac of the honeybee is never quite com- plete in the case of sweets gathered by the bees from sugar-cane, corn-blossom, honey-dew, or sugar syrup fed to the bees, for the very reason that soluble salts were never present in any of them. This explains why sweets gathered by bees, from the above sources, fail to make a honey that will meet the requirements of the Government standard; but all nectar gathered by the bees, and stored from polleriized plants or flowers, has soluble salts in their composition. Again, the protein test was another strong point in favor of the Government, and an important factor in winning the case. The Government chemists, in determining the ni- trogenous material, by both the ordinary and the Kilderhahl methods, found .14 per cent of protein in a sample seized, where the records show that a nor- mal Cuban honey, of which the defendant claimed the sample was 80 per cent Cuban, had .5 per cei,t, or Vz of one per cent, while the German government specialists' literature state that .2 per cent is the lowest known protein in any pure honey. The polariscope test was another hotly contested one. The direct and invert reading at a temperature of 20 Cen. and at 87 Cen., figured on a dry basis, showed the resultant actual difference in the two temperatures to be 23.2. Literature on the subject shows a range of 23 to 33, with an average of 27, clearly showing it to be away below the average, or just what 40 per cent with 60 per cent of invert sugar would allow. Again, in the tartaric-acid test there was found .08 per cent of tartaric acid in sample, while natural honeys contain only a scanty trace, and in Cuban and buckwheat honeys no tartaric acid is found. Finally, in the pollen-grain test of the microscope, while it was admitted to be inconclusive, the result corresponded with the small per cent of honey in the sample seized. We here give part of Judge Holland's charge to the jury, for it is significant : Geyitlemen of the Jury: — Every man, woman, and child in the United States, when he is hungry, needs food; and when he is sick he needs drugs; and the individual citizen is unable to see to it that the food purchased or the drugs purchased are pure, and the Government has taken on itself the work of perfect- ing that for the whole people, so that this is a con- test for pure food for the protection of the individual citizen who has not the facilities or the information to protect himself. It is a very, very beneficial act; but it has no terror for the man (or, rather, the manufacturer) who sells the pure article and brands it what it is. It is a fact, notwithstanding the at- tempt which did throw a great deal of doubt and uncertainty over the work of the experts in this case, that chemistry has been wrought to such a high point of efficiency that it can be told with certainty, or at any rate with a certain degree of certainty, what is contained in almost any substance, whether or not it is pure, or whether or not it has some other sub- stance mixed with it. You will notice that an article is adulterated if any substance has been substituted, whole or in part. There is no question as to whether the adulteration be deleterious or injurious to the health. Tlie sub- stitution may be beneficial ; but the law is to guar- antee each citizen that, as a consumer, he shall know, when he desires to purchase a certain article, what he gets and what he pays for. That is the object of the law. It is to protect the consumers against the adulteration or misbranding of their goods and their drugs so that they may be able to rely on what an article is said to contain, and may rely so that they will not be misled by the label. The Government, in its supervision of matters of this kind, concluded that this particular brand of honey, which is labeled " Excelsior Choice Pure Strained Honey," is not a pure honey, and it seized these six cases, and it now brings this proceeding, charging that it is impure or adulterated in one of its labels, and in the other that it is misbranded. Their label on it, " Choice Pure Strained Honey," is not true, as it contains other matters besides pure honey, and, therefore, it is misbranded. Their ex- pert proved what is alleged. Now, we are entirely dependent upon the testimo- ny of experts with the sole exception of the defendant himself. Tlie Government experts gave authority, and testified and gave an account of the analysis they made for the purpose of ascertaining what this mix- ture contained. They stated positively that they made his examination and they gave the result. They started with what they regarded as the most signifi- cant analysis, which is the one which produces the ash result, and they went through an entire list of known methods in chemistry by which they can as- certain whether the honey is pure or adulterated. They took Browne & Fehles' tests, and produced part dextrose and levulose, and the polarization in finding tartaric. There were nine tests in all. As evidence on the side of the Government, you will recall with what intelligence Government experts maintained their position as to the work they had done; and you will judge, of course, of the method in which it was done, and judge whether or not you will accept their conclusion or the conclusion reached by the expert of the defendant. The j^iry retired at the close of Judge Holland's charge, and, after deliberating about 50 minutes, brought on a verdict of guilty on both cha-rges of adulterating and misbranding. JANUARY 15, 1914 4S Stray Straws Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. J. E. Hand, thanks for sounding a needed warning note as to feeding sugar, p. 858. Besides the reasons you give against it, there is, 1 think, another. In honey there are elements not found in sugar (iron, etc.), and these may be of great importance to the health of bees, even though small in quan- tity. Replying to Thos. P. Bowles, I would say that it is as well to have the same number of sections ready in advance when prospects are poor as when they are good. After a severe drouth, all clover apparently killed, I've had (|uite a crop; although little or nothing may be expected next year from plants starting from seed next spring. But honey may come from unexpected sources. At any rate, foundation in sections will keep all right till the first good year that comes. Robert Hudson asks if Caucasians look like liybrids. They look more like blacks — so much so that sometimes an expert may be fooled. There are, however, yellow Cau- casians that look more like Italians. [Cau- casians look so much like blacks that we do not believe that even experts can tell the difference. Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish the difference between Carni- olans and blacks, although the former have more of a bluish-black appearance than a grayish black. — Ed.] John Phin, recognized authority on agriculture, died of pneumonia at St. Joseph's Hospital in Pater- son, N. J. He was 85 years old. It was as a micro- scopist that he became prominent after retirement from teaching twenty years ago. He wrote more than 200 books on scientific and other subjects. — Chicago Daily, Jan. 1, 1914. Another good friend gone. He kept abreast of the times in matters apicultural to the last, and not long ago wrote me that he still kept one colony of bees. [We also have been having some delightful correspon- dence with Mr. John Phin. We first made his acquaintance when we were studying the microscope nearly 40 years ago. We read with delight his book on the subject, and his journal on microscopy, published at the time. We had lost track of him until a re- cent letter showed that he still maintained his interest in bees. Perhaps some of our older readers will remember that some years ago he got out a dictionary of beekeeping terms. — Ed.] " Mr. Pritchard believes that hard candy is the best material to feed in an emergency during cold weather," p. 29. No doubt that's right ; and with emphasis on the " emergen- cy," the emergency being when good honey can not be obtained ; for I don't believe that sugar candy is ever as good for man or bee as the best honey. [That depends. We have put some colonies on dry combs, and all they have is dry candy. The candy is the thing that induces brood-rearing, and perhaps you would not use it for that rea- son. What we are after is a large force of bees early in the spring. Sealed honey or sealed stores of any kind do not invite brood-rearing. Indeed, it is our opinion that colonies will go into a state of hiber- nation on sealed stores more readily than on any other kind of feed that can be given. — Ed.] 1 don't know that I've ever taken much part in the controversy about bees moving eggs, but it never seemed reasonable to me that bees would do such a thing. To be sure, eggs have been reported where no queen could reach; but there was no accompany- ing affidavit that no laying worker was in the hive. Queen-cells were also found in such places, but I don't remember that any one ever reported that a good queen came from such cells. If the thing had been fol- lowed up I should have expected a dead drone to have been found in the cell. But, June 6, No. 49 swarmed. The queen was caged, and the cage stuck in the en- trance. Ten days later, when cells were killed and the queen freed, on one of the combs was found a spot perhaps two inches square rather compactly filled with young brood and eggs. Somewhat curiously, pre- cisely the same thing occuiTed with No. 14, and with the same dates, only in No. 14 three queen-cells were started with very young larvas. Here was my chance to see what would come from the brood in that comb, and especially from those queen-cells. I put; the comb in an upper story over an excluder, and some time after the cells were sealed I tore one of them open. The inmate didn't look like a drone. I put the other two in a nursery, and in due time put the resulting queens — for any thing I could see they looked like any other queens — into nuclei, and when they were laying they were introduced into Nos. 6 and 27, and, so far as I know, they are doing duty as faithful sovereigns in those two colonies to-day. Now, will some obliging friend with a better stock of argument than I possess please come to my aid and help to explain how all this happened without admitting that the bees carried eggs dropped by the queen while in the cage? 46 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE SIFTINGS J. E. Ceane, Middlebury, Vt. I hope the shipping of bees to Florida by the Root Co. may prove a grand success. We are all interested. * * * The most interesting page in Gleanings for Nov. 1 is the last one devoted to temper- ance rather than bees. Oh, my ! how it does quicken the i:»ulse to read the good news ! * * * That illustrated article by Prof. Gates, on pages 755 to 759, Nov. 1, is well worth the careful study of beekeepers desiring to make exhibits. Those Connecticut beekeepers are ahead of all the other New England States on honey exhibits, sure. » * * Does beekeeping pay? When I read in the ABC some time ago that our friend Dr. Miller had sold from his colonies devot- ed to the production of section honey an average of $39.97, I said, " It certainly does — sometimes." * * # I have been making beeswax the past week; and from about 480 combs in Lang- stroth frames I made some 160 lbs. of wax, or 3 1-3 lbs. for each ten frames. I find the secret of success is a good wax-press, plenty of boiling water, and patience. * * * What Mr. Porter says, page 819, Nov. 15, about home-made hives and fixtures is well worth careful reading and meditation by all beginners. The shabby hives that many be- ginners use is enough to try the patience of Job, and do more to discourage prospective beekeepers than almost any thing else. « * » The article by Prof. Lovell, page 687, Oct. 1, ought forever to settle the question of the likes and dislikes of bees for certain colors. The reason he gives for bees trying to sting dark objects before white is because they see the dark object more readily — a fact that beekeepers will do well to remem- ber. ^ * * * I thought, Mr. Byer, that you lived away up north, almost under the shadow of the north pole, and here you are comjalaining on page 751, Nov. 1, that you were suffering from torrid heat Oct. 10. The weather was just fine away down here in Vermont at that time — -just right to start the clover for next year. « » * Dr. Miller makes a good point, p. 740, Nov. 1, when he says it costs 39 per cent more per square foot to rear drones than workers. If we add to this the fact that drones are large consumers from the day they hatch till they die, while workers make themselves useful from the day they hatch, we see the folly of leaving large blocks of drone comb in our hives. * * * On pages 682, 683, Oct. 1, are some illus- trations of winter cases that remind me of one I made a year ago to house twelve colo- nies. It was Sy2 feet long by 41/2 feet wide. Three colonies were placed in it to face each side four inches from the wall, and about two inches apart. The space between the walls and hives was packed with planer shavings and some between the hives, and ten or twelve inches of shaving's above the bees. They wintered perfectly. * * * PIECES OF COMB VS. FOUNDATION. It makes one feel good to read how Mr. J. E. Hand is able to fill his sections with drawn comb, pages 805 — 807, Nov. 15. It looks as though it would work, too, where one has only a single yard to look after. But when I have six or eight yards to look after it makes my back ache to think of it. One might get drawn combs one year, and fit them into sections during the winter ; but then they would be old combs and not look as nice as new, nor work as nicely either. I might say in this connection that I cut down all my partly filled sections to about one inch thick so the bees will build out with new wax the face of the comb from i?4 to % of an inch, which gTeatly improves the appearance. I do not seem to have much trouble in getting bees to commence in sec- tions if honey is plentiful in the fields. MELTED WAX BRUSHED ON TO FOUNDATION TO PREVENT SAGGING. Mrs. G. N. Wisgate asks, page 620, wheth- er there can not be some way devised easier than wiring frames to prevent sagging of combs. Dr. Miller, page 749, suggests the use of splints, and I should like to inquire as to the experience of those who have coat- ed the upper part of the sheet of foundation with melted wax applied with a brush. It can be applied more quickly than frames can be wired and wires imbedded ; and as I saw it practiced by Mr. Poppleton in Flor- ida it appeared to be a success. I placed strong swarms on such foundation sheets without their sagging in the least so far as I could see ; but there was little honey com- ing in at the time. The extra wax is util- ized in drawing out the foundation into comb. JANUARY 15, 1914 Beekeeping in the Southw^est Louis Scholl, New Braunfels, Texas. ROSELLE JELLY, AND ADVERTISING IT. It has not been very long since our senior editor bad mucb to say about " roselle " and its culture. Not until recently, however, have I seen this plant grown to any extent, and the fruit made into delicious jellies and placed on the market. At one place I saw some four acres of roselle maturing its red, acid-flavored fruits in remarkable abun- dance. The plants averaged about six feet in height, spreading over the ground about five feet, and even more where they grew near irrigation ditches. The product put out is a superior pure- food article, very clear and beautiful, red in color, and put up in glass jars nicely labeled, making an attractive package. I noticed it in nearly all of the general stores. At some of the hotels several of these jars were left, one at a time being opened, and left with a spoon in it to be tasted by the patrons. This seemed unique to me, and may be applied in advertising honey to advantage perhaps. HEAVY LOSSES THROUGH FLOODS IN TEXAS. The year 1913 will go down in Texas history as one having a most excessive rain- fall and some of the most severe floods ever witnessed in this State. The damage done will run into many millions of dollars, be- sides the loss of over 1.50 lives. Among tlie first lives lost was the wife and four children of our friend Polk, a prosperous beekeeper at Belton, Texas. When Mr. Polk learned that there was dan- ger of high water near some of his bees he proceeded there, with his oldest son, for the purpose of bringing them to higher ground. The flood came on so rapidly, however, that he was soon cut off: from his own home and family, all of whom were lost, leaving him only the one boy who had gone with him. The bees he tried to save were also lost, since the flood reached unexpected propor- tions. Our sympathy is with this bereaved beekeeper in the loss he has sustained. OUR OWN LOSSES ALSO HEAVY. The Brazos River flood, the highest in history, made toys of seven of our eleven apiaries located on the large plantations of this rich river valley. Although the hives were located on high, heavily constructed scaffolds, out of danger of any previous floods, the water, which was 14 feet at most of the locations, swept away every thing. Our new two-story ironclad honey-house, workshop, and warehouse, 28 by 36 ft., our manager's residence, a neat city-style home, barn, and all other out-houses, went along also, together with several carloads of sup- plies, all of our equipment, including wag- ons and buggies. The two horses, a valu- able cow, hogs, and poultry were all drown- ed, and the entire place left in ruin. Our manager of apiaries, Mr. H. L. Rus- sell, who has been a most faithful assistant for nearly four years, was with me at New Braunfels, for a few days, making plans for the next year, when the news of the high water came. He started back immediately, requiring almost a week to make the jour- ney, walking the biggest part of the way through flood-swept territory. He had left his family and other relatives at home; and the reader can imagine the frenzied anxiety that possessed him.' He had learned that every thing was washed away ; but he could not ascertain in any manner the where- abouts of his loved ones from whom he was separated. After reaching there he was only able to find that they had escaped by means of boats they constructed after the water came, and were safe somewhere in an adjoining county. All communication being cut off, it was impossible to locate them, however; and although two weeks have elapsed, he is still separated from his fam- ily, and neither do they know his where- abouts. I am writing this on my way to the strick- en district and to these good people who have suffered so much. Although our loss is from .$10,000 to $12,000, I have given it little thought, because, nppei-most in my mind, has been the welfare of these faithful persons; and while I am making slow head- way from one halting-place to the next, over the miles and miles of ruined tracks, just rejflaeed to let the first trains pass after more than two weeks of suspended traffic, my anxiety to reach our now ruined former fields of operations is the gi-eater. Although Ave have lost heavily, Mr. Russell has lost all of his bdlongings in this terrible flood except the clothes worn by him. But we know that the faithful will receive their reward; and this happy thought is exemplified by the fact in this case that a number of good friends who remembered the Russell family from a few months' residence in my employ at New Braunfels, before Mr. Russell was placed in charge of the apiaries in the Brazos River Valley, have placed in my care a large trunkful of warm clothes that T am to deliver to them upon reaching my desti- nation. 48 GLEANmGS IN BEE CULTURE Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. DOES HONEY FROM THE SAME PLANT VARY? It seems that I am almost alone in my views on the color of honey from the same plant. That part does not bother me as much as do some of the arguments used to prove that I am wi'ong'. Some are not only claiming a difference in the color of honey from the same plant, but have gone further by saying there is also a difference in the body and flavor. No doubt this will be of great advantage to those who have an in- ferior grade of honey, for they can choose a fancy name and thereby augment the sales of their crop ; but it is hardly necessary to state that the true article from which they have borrowed the name must in time suffer. But, according to the trend of the discussion at the present time, they will have quite an array of argiiment to sustain them. In that case the name white clover, basswood, buck- wheat, sage, orange, etc., will mean abso- lutely nothing. We have a prominent bee- keeper in California who was also long a producer in New York, who says that he has seen the early flow from cultivated buckwheat so light that it could not be told from white clover by sight. He also con- tends for the difference in color of sage, according to the soil and elevation. I wish to review briefly Mr. Wesley Fos- ter's argument on p. 838, Dec. 1. I agree that plants are constantly undergoing a change; but I contend that it is not an over- night change. Mr. Foster has the following to say : " The various honeys such as alfalfa, orange, white clover, and basswood, how- ever, approximate a certain definite stan- dard." Yet in the Imperial Valley of Cali- fornia we are told that alfalfa^runs as Ioav in color as dark amber. Buckwheat in New York as light as white clover, and white clover in New York as dark as buckwheat ! Where are we at? Mr. Foster also says. " It is an accepted fact that the climate has an effect on the color of people's skins, hair, eyes, etc. People on the Pacific coast have a' different complexion from those in the Rocky Mountain region." Yet in Germany we find light-haired blue-eyed people, while just across the line in France we find tliem dark-haii'ed and black-eyed. So far as the complexion of people here on the coast be- ing any different from those of the Rocky Mountains is concerned, that is a fallacy. I had many talks on this color proposi- tion while at the California State conven- tion, for I was the target that several people wanted to shoot at. Nine out of ten agreed thpt, the heavier th^ flow from a source^ the lighter the honey. That was my original contention, that we obtain only the pure nectar from any flower when it is yielding bountifully; at other times it can not be judged as pure, from the fact that other plants are yielding enough to change the color. Take the button sage, for example. No amount of preaching can make me be- lieve that it is not water-white in its purity, for I have studied this flora for ten years under all conditions; yet there are some years when we get the pure water-white grade, though most of the nectar is from that source. The button sage, under the influence of warm sunny Aveather, will yield a perfect stream of nectar, so to speak, while a dark, cloudy, cool day will cause the wild alfalfa to yield more and the sage less; then the bees go to the wild alfalfa, and within the period of a few days will often color an extracting of sage honey until it reaches the light-amber class. Strictly speaking, it is not sage honey, yet it contains only suffi- cient wild alfalfa to throw it oft" color for a strictly sage product. A gentleman from Nevada told me that I was mistaken on the color of alfalfa honey — that it varies from white to light amber, the white being secured when there is a heavy flow on, and becoming darker as the flow becomes lighter. I asked him if he was sure his bees were getting only alfalfa in the light flow. He admitted that he was not. In a recent issue of the Western Hon- eybee, " Honey-plants of California " was quoted at some lengih to break down my arguments; one of the quotations given there ] am quoting here: "Page 1017. Mint family. Marrubium vulgare L; horehound. Common weeds of old fields and waste places about farms and villages everywhere in the Coast Rang'es, Sacramento, and the San Joaquin valleys and Southern California. Evergreen with us; season May to Septem- ber. A splendid yielder of dark-amber hon- ey too strong and dark for table use, but is used largely in medicine. The honey is re- ported by some Ventura County beekeepers to be of a light color ny^th a greenish tinge '' (my italics). "It is, however, probably wild-alfalfa honey with a slight addition of horehound, as the latter is very aromatic." The facts in the matter are wliat we are after and what we should have. We should also know if all honeys vary according to soil and climate, and to what extent; for if if can be proven that sage honey is at times, a light amber I must apologize to a firm of western buyers who quoted light-amber sage. JANUARY 15, 1914 40 Conversations w^ith Doolittle At Borodino, New York. SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED. " What is your experience with raw or boiled linseed oil for coating hives'? Would it not be better than paint? Don't your hives get water-soaked without paint or oil"? " Answer. — I have never used clear linseed oil on wood surfaces, but 1 do not see why it should be better than paint. To paint liives properly, or any thing else, the first coat should always be mainly oil and a very little white lead, or whatever is used to thicken the oil. Thin oil penetrates the wood instead of being absorbed by the pigment used; and when it hardens, it largely pre- vents moisture passing through the jjores. Some seem to think that the propolis which the bees use on the inside of the hive lias the same etfeet as does oil or paint; but this is a mistake, ns the thin coating of propolis- varnish which the bees use in all places (ex- .^epting on rough surfaces) contracts, checks, or cracks to sucli a degree when cold weather comes on in the fall, or during cold nights, that it becomes sufficiently porous. " If shade-boards such as I recommend are rsed, the sun does not shine on any part of the hive during the hottest part of the day. And any shade-board which will properly shield the hive from the sun will shield it from all storms as well, unless such storms are accompanied by extreme winds; and then the water will only be driven against the bottom part of the hives. INDUCING LATE BROOD-REARING. " My bees did not continue to rear brood as late the past fall as they generally do; consequently they went into winter quarters deuleted in numbers, and I fear for the re- sults next season. Is it possible to force bees to continue brood-rearing during the fall by feeding such colonies as are not in- clined to do so '? " Answer. — It is quite generally supposed that late feeding will induce late breeding, pnd so it will; but when the laying of the (jueen has dwindled away the last of Aug^ust or fore part of September, it takes time to gfet her started again. Even a natural flow of nectar from the fields, if of short dura- tion, fails to produce brood-rearing after the queen has once -topped laying. Brood- rearing is never carried on during Septem- ber or October, in this locality, to an extent equal to what it is in May and June, no matter how long feeding is continued, or how good the yield of nectar from the fields may be. And especially is this the ease where the laying of the queen has once ceased, preparatory to the bees entering upon a state of rest for the winter. But continued feeding will start up brood-rear- ing after a week or ten days have elapsed; snd when once started again it will general- ly be kept up as long as the bees can com- fortably take the food without becoming chilled. If we desire brood-rearing to con- tinue into cold weather, it can be kept up well toward winter by feeding regularly each day, and in all cold snaps giving the feed as w^arm as can be borne by the hand. But after having colonies come out well the next spring, where no eggs were laid by the queen after August 10 to 20, I do not now worry about this matter of late brood-rear- ing as formerly. Very late breeding often results in prematurely wearing out the vital- ity of such bees as are of the right age to stand the rigors of winter the most success- fully, and in such cases late brood-rearing is a detriment rather than a remedy. PUTTING FOUNDATION IN BROOD-FRAMES " I wish to fill my frames for the brood- chamber of the hives with foundation this winter; but when nailing them up I did not know that it was necessary to have a saw- kerf cut in the under side of the top-bar in order to hold the foundation. What would you do in such a case? " Answer. — In all the frames I have made during my 40 odd years of beekeeping life T have never used a saw-kerf in one of them, ror do T consider it necessary. Proceed as follows: Upon a board slightly larger tlian the frame fasten anotlier board, just^large enough to slip into the frame easily, and scant half as thick as the top-bar is wide, r^it the frame over this " form," then lay on the foundation with its straight edge or side close against the under side of the top-bar. It is well to have a handle of some kind on the under side of the first-named board. when, by holding the whole firmly in the left hand, you can pour from a tablespoon into the angle between the top-bar and the foundation a teaspoonful, or such a matter, of melted wax; and by holding the form in such a way that the melted material will run quickly from one end of the foundation to the other, the same can be fastened in the frame as securely and as perfectly as by any other process. When I first used this plan I turned the frame over and fastened the other side in the same way. But years of fastening only one side has proven that this is not necessan'. Keep a vessel of the wax warm over a lamp or in some other con- venient way. I use this method even when the frames are well wired. 50 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE General Correspondence THE ECONOMICS OF THE NEW METHODS OF REQUEENING BY ARTHUR C. MILLER The editor's kind remarks aiDpended to my article on " Requeening without De- queening," p. 851, Dee. 1, are encouraging and at the same time suggestive. They sug- gested to me the fact that the economic importance of this new method as well as that of direct introduction by the smoke plan is being overlooked. Furthermore, the economics of honey production are being sadly neglected. To be sure, a stray item now and then alludes to cost of some pro- cess or suggests some saving, but they most- ly have to do with the price of supplies, not with the labor, the operative cost. From the best figures I have been able to obtain, the direct loss of queens put in by the cage plan is about forty per cent, to say nothing of the subsequent loss of maimed and injured queens which occurs later. But not a word is said as to the loss in labor in the several inspections of the colony, nor is m.ore than a passing remark given to the loss from having the colony queenless for three to six or often more days. Then there are those colonies which persistently refuse to accept a queen, sometimes dwindling until they are of no value save to unite with some other colony. By the smoke method of introduction such loss is cut out, nearly one hundred per cent of the queens being accepted, and that immediately on the re- moval of the old queen. So certain are the results that it is unnecessary to inspect the colony afterward to see if the queen is safe. The aggTegate saving throughout the coun- try in cost of queens alone is immense; and if the labor item could be figured it would astound us. By " Requeening Without Dequeening " we save the labor (costly time) of finding the old queen. If we raise our own queens and raise as many of them as we had to when introducing by the cage method, we can save almost all of that time and thus be far ahead of the cage plan. All that is necessary is to run in the new queen at the proper tim.e, and the next morning look for a dead queen in front of the hive. Occasion- ally it is the second day before she is thrown out, and now and then longer; but even so, it takes very little time to walk along before the hives and look for a dead queen. They, are readily seen, usually having a few work- ers " nosing " them over. If a system of clipjjing queens reared one year one way, say (for example) the left wings, and those of the next year having the right wing's clipped, there is never any question as to which queen is thrown out. The veteran can readily distingaysh between an old and a young queen ; but sometimes the bees have been doing a little superseding unbe- known to the beekeeper, and a young laying queen is thrown out. Clipped wing's make identity positive. I have said, " If we raise as many queens as we had to when using the cage method of introduction." By that method we lost about forty per cent outright, which meant that^ out of 100 queens, only 60 are accepted; hence 40 more must be reared to take their place; and if about 40 per cent of those forty are lost twenty or twenty-five more are needed. In other words, under the cage system about twice as many queens had to be raised as were needed, and I have known beekeepers to raise over three times as many, because of the loss of virgins both in intro- duction and in mating. Just stop and figure the cost of that ! Divide it by the number of your colonies and see how much it adds to the cost of your honey per colony and thence per pound. The reason I said raise as many queens as when operating by the cage method is be- cause my loss when requeening without de- queening is about the same as by the cage method. But I save the expense and annoy- ance of looking for the old queen and re- moving her, and all of the queens accepted are " sound in wind and limb," which is not the case by the cage plan. In the article above alluded to I said (p. 851) that where the queens Avere supposedly equally matched the bees sometimes took a hand. So far as I have been able to find out, the bees never meddle with either queen uidess one runs — and perhaps " pipes " — then balling usually follows. Either queen may do the running. One item in running queens into colonies having a queen may be an important factor in the results, and it may not ; and that is where she is imn in, whether at one or the other side or in the middle of the entrance. Suppose she is put in at one side and the old queen is at the opposite side, and they do not meet for several days, as may occur; then the new queen has filled up with eggs, and has not the advantage over the old queen which we desire. Also, the old queen may have cut down egg-laying either from age, for a resting-spell, or preparatory to swarm- ing, and tluis have a still further advantage over the new comer. These are some of the JANUARY 15, 1914 51 thing's to which I referred when I said 1 had not determined some factors to my sat- isfaction. A little history in connection with this latest thing in requeening will, T believe, bo of interest at this time. Some twenty or more years ago Dr. C. C. Miller experiment- ed with putting' in ripe cells to cause forced supeisedure and for the prevention of swarming. I am not sure that he was the first to try that, but I do know that subse- quently others, including myself, tried it, and also used virgin queens. The results were far from satisfactory, though Mr. Da- venport, I believe, experimented with the same thing and is understood to have had less loss than the rest of us. The use of virgins or cells I believed was economically a mistake; and for that reason, and because of the small success, I abandoned their use. and turned to the use of young laying queens. The change proved wise, and brought success. Now comes in another bit of history of particular interest to Mr. Allen Latham and myself. For years before we became ac- quainted we found ourselves working out the same problems and arriving at the same solutions. As time went on we got to com- paring notes; and when we failed to agTee I always, and I think he generally, went over the problem again and most carefully. In other words, when he agrees with me 1 feel sure that 1 am right; and when he does not, I dig for facts to prove one or the other of us wrong. We have had many a long and interesting discussion of sundry matters pertaining to bee culture, and fre- cjuently remarked on the interesting fact of our so often tackling the same question and arriving at the same conclusion, each with- out the knowledge of what the other was doing. One day I asked him why he had been following me all these years? For an instant he sort o' gasped; then, catching the twinkle in my eye, he came back with one of his knock-out retorts. Look out for liim. Well, we have both been working on this problem of requeening without dequeening, he with cells and virgins, and I with those and (later) with la5dng queens. Neither of us said aught to the other of what he was up to, though he told me he Avas at work on something wliich he considered of great promise. When I decided to publish what I did I wrote to him for his opinion ; and, lo and behold ! we again had been working at the same problem. When I say that we agree in believing it one of the most important advances in modern bee culture, and also agree in believing that we will soon make the results as uniform and as certain as they now are in the smoke method of intro- ducing to queenless colonies, the beekeepers may be assured that they are not chasing any will-o'-the-wisp in following it up. And this reminds me of a phase of the subject which deeply interested both of us, namely, the requeening of colonies in trees, boxes, and box hives, where the owners for sundry reasons do not want their property disturbed, and where the cost of getting out and transferring the bees is prohibitory. The displacing of black stock under such conditions with good disease-resisting Ital- ians means more than at first thought ap- pears. Providence, R. I. BEEKEEPING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA The Bureau Hive for the Peculiar Weather Con- ditions BY F. DUNDAS TODD Unlike ancient Gaul, which, as schoolboys, we learned was divided into three parts, the big Province of British Columbia is popu- larly divided into two, generally known as the wet and dry belts. The section of the province under my care as a bee-inspector and instructor in apiculture lies in the wet- test part of the i^rovince. Generally sjjeaking, beekeeping is carried on by the let-alone plan. Under my super- vision are at least three thousand hives eared for in every conceivable way, and un- cared for in ways that are inconceivable. Again and again I have wondered exceed- ingly how, with such awful lack of protec- tion, a few hun.dred bees could survive a winter where the thermometer would drop to ten degi'ees below zero, and where often steady rainfall for days would soak every inch of comb, especially when the most fa- vorable conditions of protection and food supply often result in the extinction of the colony. Some day I may tell my readers some of my experiences and some of the conclusions about wintering I have reached. Our springs begin along in March, and not infrequently dawdle along in most ex- asperating fashion until near the end of June. Our nights are always cool, except- ing for a few days in the height of summer, and even at their worst they are far from being unpleasant. Brood-rearing begins in March. In a fa- vorable season an eight-frame hive will be packed with brood by the end of April. At that time a second brood-chamber may be given, and by the first of June both stories will be crammed with bees and brood. I have seen l)oth chambers of a ten-frame hive ci'owded with bees on April 20, 5-2 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Front view of Todd's bureau hives modeled after the hive described by Samuel Siininiiis in a " Modern Bee Farm." There is another side. A colony the least bit below par will dawdle along in a cold spring until about the beginning of the hon- ey-flow, and then give up the ghost. Last spring (1913) was the worst in twenty 3'ears, and it makes my heart sore to open up, as late as the last week of May, hive after hive the whole day long only to find a few hundred beas and a poor queen which is industriously doing her task and laying as many as a dozen eggs in every cell cov- ered by the bees. For several years I have pondered much on the problems of temperature and damp. I have seen and handled many kinds of covere and hives, but it would appear to be almost impossible to design one that will be waterproof in the valley of the Lower Fra- ser. Bit by bit I have come to be of the opinion that the real solution will be found in the use of a bureau hive on the lines of the one outlined by Mr. Simmins in his " Modern Bee Farm." I dare say many readers of this journal have wished that Mr. Simmins had given specifieations of the bureau; and since I have worked out the details for myself, made one with my own hands, and supervised the making of three by a first-class carpenter, I am in position to give definite data. My duties keep me all summer a hundred miles and more from my own apiary, so I have been unable to make comparative tests, but 1 have learned a few of its merits. For instance, it will not permit bees to fly out in a warm day with snow on the ground. Such a condition occurred in my territory last winter, and many beekeepers assured me that the snow was literally black with bees. Much of the terrible spring dwindling this season was doubtless started by this cause. 1 have also learned that it is a good winter- ing hive, and one in which brood-rearing advances very rajDidly in the spring. The general idea of the bureau hive is to jH-ovide an absolutely waterproof shelter for bees, and one in which an air-space sur- rounds the hive-bodies and so tends to a uni- form temperature in the colony. It is also a handy hive to work, as any hive body can be withdrawn for examination without dis- turbing the others. Furthermore, as all handling is done at the rear of the bureau, any bees that rise from the combs at once fly to the entrance, and so the beekeeper is not annoyed by their buzzing about his person. My bureaus are made from 4-inch tongue- and-gToove lumber smoothed on both sides. A little over 100 lineal feet of this wood is required for each house. The specifieations that follow are for a hive whose outside measurements are 13% X 19%. They will have to be modified a little for a different size. Platform is ISVzxSlVi; sides are 23%x35; JANUARY 15, 1914 53 Back view of tlie hives, showing one of the Lack pieces removed and the middle story pulled out. front is 15% x 32; hack is 15 1/^ x 35; inside of cov- er, which is of the telescope variety, is 17x23^/4. Bill of goods for one hureau : Lumber, 120 lineal feet of 4-inrh tongue and groove, smooth on both sides. %-inch square wood, 30 lineal feet. Screws, 5 dozen 1 % -inch steel. Screws, 1 dozen 1%-inch brass. Roof, canvas or galvanized iron. The hive-bodies are carried on runners attached to the sides of the bureau. The bee-space of % inch between sets of frame* is determined by the distance between the runners, hence the hive-bodies are made of the same depth as the frames — that is, 9% inches. To put it another way, when the frames are hanging in the hive-1 ody, both upper and under surfaces are flush with the correspondinng edges of the hive. We therefore start out by reducing the height of the hive bodies to be used to the proper size, then along the upper edge of the long sides we fasten with screws a pair of cleats % x% xl9%. These cleats carry the hives on runners attached to the sides of the bureau. Tlie upper surface of the hive-body now under consideration will be 15% inches across. Allowing Vs inch for play we arrive at 15% inches as the inside width of the bureau. As the sides of the bureau are nailed to the sides of the platform it is better to begin with the latter. The upper boards are fastened to a frame made of i % X 3 % wood set on the narrow edge. The side p'eces are 32 inches long, the cross-pieces 12. In nailing the parts together the front cross-piece is set flush with the ends of the side pieces, but the back I'ross-piece is i-et in % inch. This frame should be cxac'ly 15 Vj inches wide. The platform is made 15% xSlM. Both in front and back it is flush with the cross-))iec6s of the frame. Tlie sides of the bureau are 23% x 35. Once the pieces are fitted together and trued up, draw four lines across at the following distances from one end : 2 inches, 11%, 2078, 30%. The two-inch line marks the point of contact with the upper edge of the plat- form. It is advisable to nail a % -inch-square cleat along this line, to rest on the platform. It is ©spe- cially helpful when the sides are being fitted. The other three lines mark the upper edge of the runners on which the hive-bodies are carried. These runners are % x% x22i4 inches long. When in position they leave a blank space of % inch at each end. The front and back will butt tight against the ends of the cleats. At this stage it is wisdom to make all fastenings with finishing nails, but for permanency screws should be used, as a heavy weight will have to be carried by these runners. The front board is 15% x 32. Across it draw three lines, one 9%, one 18%, one 28% inches from what is to be the bottom edge of the board. These lines mark the upper edge of the % cleats, cleats against which the end of the hive will strike when in posi- tion in the bureau. The top edge of the cleat will be flush with the top surface of the hive-body. To avoid mashing bees when the hive is run home it is 1 etter to have a couple of screws projecting a trifle less than % inch from the face of the cleats on the front board. It is well to nail a binding cleat of %- inpt, N. J. . J. A. Hallinger, Titusville, N. -J. . C. G. Lippincott, Little Silver, N. .T. . S. Powers, Wading River, N. J. . F. G. Pox, Pipersville, Pa. . Henry Bassett, Salem, N. .T. . .Tuliiis Hittel, Plainfield, N. J. . R. Grabo\vski, Trenton, N. .1. . G. Franssen, Lyons Farms, N. -J. . Mordecai S. Haines, Mt. Holly, N. J. . W. I. Green, Shrewsbury, N. ,T. . Hudson B. Haines. Mt. Hollv, N. J. . W. B. Bennett, Bloomfield, N. j. JANUARY 15, 1914 Field iuu(jUU„ ul li .kisey Beekeepers held at Treiilou, N. J., last summer. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. Jfi. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. J. L. DiiBiee, Jenkintown, Pa. Dr. C. D. Cheney, Hoboken, N. J. F. C. Templeton, Plainfield, N. .1. Dr. W. .r. Wolfert, Red Bank, N. .1. Ed Krekl, Northvale, N. J. ,Tno. D. Antrim, Burlington, N. J. E. J. Dienst, Newark, N. J. Wm. Clayhunce, Titusville, N. J. Henry Mull, Newark, N. J. Richard D. Barclav, Philadelphia, Pa. W. E. Housel, Hampton, N. J. Jos. W. Tonkin, Sicklerville, N. J. Jos. J. Wolcott, Eatontown, N. J. Dr. H. D. Powelson, Bound Brook, N. J. I. J. Stringham, Glen Cove, L. I. Harold Hornor, Mt. Holly, N. J. J. H. Wilson, Ringoes, N. J. C. S. Sharp, Newark, N. J. E. C. Stevenson, Burlington, N. J. W. A. Selser, Philadelphia, Pa. Jas. J. Keller, Glendale, L. I. Chas. Sfhilke, Matawan, N. J. Mrs. S. Powers, Wading River, N. J. Mrs. E. C. Stevenson, Burlington, N. J. Mrs. H. D. Powelson, Bound Brook, N. J. Miss Grace O'Connell, New York. Mrs. .(ulius Hittel, Plainfield, N. J. Mrs. B. J. Mayo, Metuchen, N. J. Mis. Henry Mull, Newark, N. J. Mrs. E. E. Alexander, Red Bank, N. J. Wm. .r. Corlett, Clifton, N. J. Sim Bardslev, Edge Moor, Del. E. G. Carr, New Egypt, N. J. BEEKEEPING IN THE TROPICS An Open Letter to F. R. Beuhne BY CARLOS M. CARMONA Although I have read Gleanings for many yeai"S I have not cared to enter into discussions about the merits or demerits of jilans advocated relating to certain beekeep- \vg fjuestions carried on in its columns, on account of my ignorance of the language, because of my meager knowledge of bee- keeping, and also because of so much con- tradictory advice given by the different con- tributors. Furtliermore, most of tlie ques- tions discussed refer to questions not affect- ing tropical beekeeping; and, after all, I have to adapt American conditions and knowledge of beekeeping the best I can to local tropical conditions for want of any source of knowledge of tropical beekeeping to which I may apply. But lately 1 have found Gleanings im- proving so much, and publishing contribu- tions from different parts of the world touching matters that also affect tropical beekeeping, that I have been mucli interest- ed, and have been benefited greatly on cer- tain points which I have heretofore been unable to understand or explain. Having a new interest in the matter, therefore, I beg to ask a few questions and report my e periences to confirm certain questions dealt with recently. To begin with, I beg to confirm every word. p. 537, Aug. 1, as my own experience, beginning, " Years ago it used to be much heavier," to the end of the article, with the exce]>tion " I merely abandoned the plan as unreliable," for it is only lately I abandoned it on account of recent contributions in Gleanings, and presto ! the loss of 50 per cent of my queens stopped, to my surprise and delight. Formerly I had noticed that, after a swarm in a normal colony issued, the remaining virgin queen ahvays returned fertilized, and began to lay in due course without any meddling, notwithstanding the colonies were ])laced quite close together and under a shed, and while the nuclei, placed GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE as far apart as i3ossible, with the entrances contracted with different contrivances to help the queen find the location, were queen- less most of the time. I could not explain the reason, but now I can. The last contro- versy about the matter enlightned me fully, and the exi^erience confirms it. The answer to the query on p. 536 is, " Normal conditions/' as in the case of su- persedure. Mr. Beuhne says, p. 535, " Early in the spring I exchange queens between colonies liaving a three-year-old queen and nuclei with previous season's queens." Would he or you please ex^Dlain the modus operandif It may be quite plain to experts, but I should be thankful for details. By the by, tliis three-year-old-queen business does not confirm last paragraph on page 518. If " hives are tiered up three and four stories high without a queen-excluder ,'' how is the extracting managed? No brood in the top stories? How is one sure where the queen is? How are the supers taken from the hives — by using Porter escapes or brush- ing the bees from the combs? How about the lower stories having combs full of hon- ey at the sides? Is there any entire absence of drone comb in the upper stories? Mr. Beuhne says, p. 535, " These are, of course, the best colonies, and the general average for the 100 colonies in this apiary." How is it that out of eight colonies in this apiary not less than five colonies are num- bered over the one hundred — viz., 260, 248, 205, 127, and 256? In the spring Mr. Beuhne expects the queen to lay in at least two stories; there- fore, before that, she is confined to one story. As the colonies are tiered later three and four stories high, where and how does he keep so many empty combs? I have no- ticed the instructions given on pp. 547 and 486. This is a perplexing question with me, and one of long standing. Although I can not practice the freezing part, for obvious reasons, I thought that combs kept from the moths would last indefinitely, being made of wax. Two galvanized tanks of 250 and 150 gallons each were properly packed to the top with the combs, carbon bisulphide applied at intervals, and the tanks properly covered. But the combs crumbled, disinte- grated, and turned to earth in the end. Only a heap of dust at the bottom of the tanks and the stacks of wired frames was found. The tanks were in the extracting-room. Trinidad, B. W. I. [Mr. Beuhne's reply follows. — Ed.] EXCHANGING QUEENS BETWEEN DIFFERENT COLONIES BY F. R. BEUHNE In reply to Mr. Carmona, above, as to the method of exchanging queens as mention- ed in my article, Aug. 1, p. 535, there is really very little to explain. A comb of brood with the three-year-old queen on it is taken from the colony and inserted in the vacancy made in the nucleus by the removal of a similar comb with the young laying queen. The latter is then in turn put into the vacant space between the brood-combs of the colony. A small box is used to hold one of the combs ar.d queen while the other one is put into its place. This exchanging of queens would, perhaps, be somewhat risky if the bees in an apiary are demoral- ized by robbing. I have not, however, had a single failure. Of course, queens can be exchanged by the introducing-cage method: and when the nuclei contain frames of dif- ferent size from the colonies it is the only liossible way. I much prefer the other method, as there is then no need of going back to see whether the queen has been re- leased and to remove the cage. queen-excluders; tiering up. In answer to the question, " If hives are tiered up three and four stories high without a ciueen-excluder, how is the extracting managed?" I would say that the theory is to let the queen have the free range of the whole hive before the main honey-flow. At the first extracting, the queen and the most suitable brood-comb are put into the bottom body with an excluder between it and the upper stories. An exit is provided for drones to escape from the upper stories to avoid getting the excluder clogged with dead drones. I admit this entails some extra work and attention to details, but it is well paid for by results. Inserting the queen- excluder when extracting for the first time is the best method for " an ordinary honey- f^ow." If the flow is heavy, such as men- tioned on pages 534, 535, Aug. 1, the ex- cluder is not needed at all. The intake of honey is so great that the queen is forced down to the lower combs. No brood in top stories? Yes, of course there is. Brood from top stories is exchanged for combs of honey in the lower chamber. Porter escapes are not used by any one here so far as I know. In two of my apiaries the very small ants would be in before the bees get out of the combs; and why go to a hive twice — once to put the escape in, and then to take the honey away when you can take the hon- ey away at once in very little more time? One frame is taken out and temporarily JANUARY 16, 1914 67 placed against the hive ; the bees of the succeeding ones and the first as well are shaken into the hive (not in front of it). Where are the bees which were shaken oif one or two bodies of combs while the lattet are being extracted? In my own practice they are already at work on the empty combs, which I left there when removing full ones. If I have no spare emj^ty combs when commencing extracting I replace tlie first full combs removed with frames of full sheets of wired foundation. The extracted combs as they come from the honey-house are exchanged for full ones, and so on to the end of the day's work, when the remain- ing bodies of extracted combs are placed on top of the hives to be extracted next day. Thus it will be seen that taking away the lioney and returning extracted combs is one operation. Is there an entire absence of drone comb in the upper stories? No, not entire; but as nearly so as the use of full sheets of foundation in all new frames can make it. To make the best use of a heavy honey-floAV, such as Ave get from some of our eucalypts. one must have plenty of supering. It is all a matter of preparation during the short winter, and the investment of a little extra capital. When the flow is on, the bees will draw out one set of frames of foundation after another with astonishing rapidity. There are conditions of Aveather or other circumstances which Avill sometimes prevent extracting Avhile yet the bees are storing steadily. Well, put on more supers, and you will increase your yield considerably. Bees Avill not fill up a cell to the rim with thin honey, because it Avould not evajDorate properly; and Avhen the cells of one set of combs are half full, and no other empty ones available, the bees are not doing what they might do. HoAV is it that, out of eight colonies in an apiary of 100 stocks, some are numbered above one hundred (page 535, Aug. 1) ? The answer to this question is : All my colo- nies are numbered. The number individ- ualizes the colony the same as a name does a horse or a cow, and therefore the number follows that colony AvhereA^er it goes. The colonies in the apiary referred to were se- lected from my home apiary, those in the best condition to stand the transportation being picked out. They retained their orig- inal numbers, otherwise I should lose all record of their past jjerformances, pedigi'ee of queens, etc. In reply to the question as to keeping surplus combs during winter. I can add nothing to what appears on page 547, Aug, 1, and in the A B C and X Y Z book, except that I have never fumigated combs in any way, and never have any trouble with wax- Avorms, although they aie plentiful enough in tiiis district. I put the combs aAvay in the supers, covered moth tight in a bee and moth proof honey-house; and as the combs of Italian bees are free from moth eggs while on the hive, the important point is not to let the moths get access to them by leaving them unprotected after removal from hive and before putting away moth- tight. It is little use putting combs away secure from moths when the moths are al- loAved to lay eggs in them first. I am of opinion that the combs in the galvanized- iron tanks Avere destroyed by the action of e-arbon bisulphide applied to excess. Tooborac, Victoria, Australia. WINTERING BEES ON LOAF SUGAR BY E. G. CARR In replying to the question as to Avhen to transfer bees, somebody has said, " When- ever you Avish." While this can not be taken literally as meaning at any time of the year, still if one has the material and skill, transferring can be successfully done at seemingly very unfavorable times. A neighbor Avishing to " take up " a box hive asked hoAv best to kill the bees. Wish- ing to exjieriment Avith loaf sugar alone as a substitute for honey for Avintering, I of- fered to take the honey from the box and leave it Avith him and take the bees. On Dec. 16, 1912, the Aveather being fair and the temperature near 50, the old box was turned bottom side up, well smoked, and the side pried off. The combs were removed one by one, the bees brushed into a box, taken home, and dumped into a ten- frame hive containing Avet extracting-combs. These combs Avere extracted late, and con- tained perhaps a pound of honey in all. A tAvo-inch rim was put on top of the hive. The folloAving day an unsuccessful searcli was made for the queen. On Dec. 21 another search Avas made for the queen ; and Iavo patches of brood, each about six inches in diameter, were found Knowing the queen to be safe, ten pounds of loaf sugar was put on top the frames, and an ordinary flat cover placed on the hive. No packing Avhatever was used. An examination on Feb. 1 shoAved the cluster of bees partly above the frames and through the loaf sugar, this being also the condition on Feb. 8. March 20 the sugar was removed, weigh- ed, and found to be 6 lbs., 4 lbs. haAang been taken down in three months. At this time 68 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE It is well to bear in mind that this is not liiven as a tested cure for Eiu'opean foul brood, but only a plausible theory which may or may not be of value. New Egypt, N. J. Hive fitted with tray for feeding loaf sugar in cold weather. two frames contained brood, the total being' almost equal to 1 1-3 f ramefuls. There was less than half a pound of stores in the combs, a few cells being sealed. A very nice supply of new pollen had been gather- ed, the bees working on maples and elms at inten'als since Feb. 21. On March 31 the sugar was again weigh- ed, showing 51/4 lbs. still on top of the frames, and not over half a pound of stores in the combs. There was no noticeable gain in brood after March 20, and very few days when bees could do much work, owing to high cool winds and rain. About the 10th of May one frame of honey was given this colony, although there was a small amount of loaf sugar left. This colony was worked for comb honey, and about 40 sections from clover taken. It was quite a small cluster of bees when originally transferred. The experiment shows that bees in this climate can be wintered on loaf sugar alone. It has been suggested that this knowledge can be made of use, not only in supplying a deficiency of winter stores, but also in treating for European foul brood after the breeding season when there is not on hand a supply of tield combs on which to shake the bees. The idea was to exti-act the honey from the infected combs, return them to the hive, and place loaf sugar above the frames. The theory is that the bees will thoroughlv clean the cells of honey, preferring it to the loaf sugar, and there will be no infected honey left to start the disease when breed- ing commences. THE 24TH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE BEEKEEPERS' CON- VENTION BY P. C. CHADWICK The convention was held at the Y. M. C. A. building in Los Angeles, December 9-11, as per schedule. Nearly the entire time was taken up with business, the usual papers and lectures being dispensed with that all matters of business might have careful at- tention. Harmony prevailed through the session, though at one time danger ahead was signaled when the failure of our foul- brood law was being discussed. Trouble was averted, however, by a prominent mem- ber pointing out that there was to be noth- ing gained by wrangling over the question. The meeting was, indeed, a representative assembly of active beekeepers of the State. Familiar faces from the north and the south were to be seen among the workers. There were also beemen present from Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Ohio. Most prom- inent of these were Mr. G. C. Matthews, of Idaho ; Harry Crawford, of Colorado, and A. L. Boyden, of Ohio. Some new members whose faces have not before been seen in the convention were welcomed, for they must in time take the place of the older ones, just as, in the last twenty-four years, new ones have come and old ones have gone, there being always an enthusiastic bunch, nevertheless, to carry on the work. One is reminded more of a fraternal or religious gathering than that of beekeepers. Hope abounded in spite of two seasons of failure, and there were smiles and jollying words for every one. Indeed, the phrase might w^ell be coined, ''As hopeful as a beekeeper." There was no regular session on the 9th, the afternoon being devoted to pre-conven- tion committee work. At 10 :30 A. M. of the 10th, Pres. Farree called the regular session to order. This session was occupied by the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, the treas- urer's report, and the appointment of new committees. The afternoon session was short as a body, nearly the entire time being de-" voted to committee work, all members will- ing to work being placed on a committee. The banquet announced for 6 :30 r. :^r. was deferred until noon of the lltli. On Dec. 11 the convention was called (o JANUARY 15, 1914 order by Pres. Fanee. The exliibit com- mittee reported progress, but stated they were in need of funds to carry on tlie work, and an appeal was made to every beekeeper of the State to aid by sending in immediate donations or give a pledge for a certain amount at a later date. The corporation committee explained why the Consolidated Honey-producers of Cali- fornia had been incorporated. If I am cor- rect it runs like this: There was a clause in the proposed foul-brood law in which the names of the president and the secretary of the State Association were named as mem- bei's of the apiarian commission. When the bill reached the legislature it was found that there was no such organization incorporat- ed, and the secretary was so notified. There was a hurry call to organize legally in order tliat a stumbling-block might be avoided. It was found that it would be impossible to organize under the name of the California State Beekeepers' Association, due to the fact that there was on file in the office of Secretary of State a name very similar, and lie would not allow it. It was then decided to adopt the name of Consolidated Honey- producers of California, Avhich was done, the new organization being the legal head of the present association and belonging to it. As nearly as I could glean from the discussion, here was a worse stumblingblock than tlie one sought to be avoided, for the reason that the new organization was organ- ized, not as a mutual association, but as a profit-sharing company. J. Edgar Ross, of Imperial Co., I think, exjaressed the situa- tion when he said the appointment of an officer of a business corporation on a com- mission to regulate its own business could not be sanctioned any more than to appoint an officer of the Southern Pacific R. R. as State Railroad Commissioner. This leaves me with the impression that the governor was justified in vetoing our bill, and that there should be no blame placed on the shoulders of Prof. Cook, as has been done by some. If the neAv corporation had been organized as a mutual concern instead of a profit-sharing one I believe the bill would have been signed. The noonday banquet was the most enjoy- able time of the session, there being talks on topics of the apiary, toasts, roasts, and jokes, the burden of which fell, as usual, on our good-natured President, Mr. Farree. At the afternoon session Pres. Farree and Sec. Shaffner were unanimously electea to their respective offices, Messrs. Bixby and Allen taking the places of Emerson and Mendleson on the executive board. A meet- ing of the Consolidated Honey-producers of California was called to meet the third Tues- day in January in the Clamber of Com- merce to complete arrangements for han- dling the honey crop and furnishing sup- plies foi' the Association. THE NEW YORK STATE BEEKEEPERS' CON- VENTION HELD AT ROCHESTER, DEC. 2, 3 BY E. R. ROOT As stated in our issue for Dec. 15, 1U13, page 873, this was the largest convention of beekeepers we have had the pleasure of at- tending this winter in the United States. The only larger meeting was in Toronto, Ontario. President Geo. B. Howe makes a good presiding offi.cer. His enthusiasm is such that it will wake up a whole conven- tion. Ordinary discussions, in which possi- bly but very few would take any interesi, l:e will enliven with his own jjersonalily ; and Ijefore he gets through he will have every- body wanting to talk. He is also a practical honey-producer as well as a queen-breeder. With the possible exception of the Colo- rado Honey-producers' Association, the bee- keepers of New York are better oi'ganized than those of any other State. Tliis is large- ly due to the efforts of Mr. W. F. Marks, who for years has been president of the or- ganization, and the man who has taken so much interest in fostering the association idea throughout the State. On account of our space being so limited it will be impossible for us to give any thing more than a brief resume of what was said at this meeting. Again, there will be some gaps in our report, not because the discus- sion was not interesting, but because we were interrupted at times in taking notes. At the time we entered the convention room there was some talk as to whether the proceedings should be taken in shorthand. It was finally voted down on account of the expense. If there were any proceedings which were worth publishing in full they weie those that took place at this meeting. After some preliminary discussion in re- gard to membership fees in the local socie- ties affiliated with the State organization, the general program was taken up. The president, in his opening address, spoke of the importance of advertising our product. He called attention to the honey writing-pads tliat are sent out by members of the association to the consuming public. These pads.* calling attention to honey as a food, will be kept prominently before the consumer because of their utility. He re- ferred to the importance of having crop * These pads were gotten up by W. P. Marks. As they are very unique we will have an illustration of one of them later. aLEAKlNGS IN BEE CULTURE reports from various sections of the State and country, in order that the honey-pro- ducers might know how prices would prob- ably rule. Under present conditions the small i^roducers set the price. Some plan sliould be formulated by which these men- can be brought into line. Again, we must have organization. This should be so thor- ough that there will be a spirit of co-opera- lion and a general knowledge of conditions of the season. So far the New York State Association has kept aloof from the Nation- al; but the time has now possibly come wlien the State organization should affiliate with it. The old prejudices of the past sliould be allowed to die out. If mistakes have been made they should be forgotten. He would recommend that measures be tak- en to get in touch with the National. During the afternoon the question " What can be done to i3revent the variations in the price of honey? " was introduced by Mr. S. D. House, of Camillus, N. Y. Any one who attended any one of the meetings of the bee- keepers in New York could not help noting that Mr. House is a live wire. He is an- other one whose enthusiam is contagious. Mr. House started a lively discussion. It was not so much what he said as what he drew out of others until everybody wanted to talk. It is not the little beekeeper only, said Mr. House, who is making the trouble with the demoralization of prices. Some of the large producers, who are not in close touch with the organization or with each other, will establish a price of their own that will knock the bottom out of the mar- ket. He believes we should have a commit- tee of five to get out crop reports. Later this question was thoroughly thrashed out, in whidi it was shown that some members were selling too low. It was decided that prices could not be fixed at that time, but that some scheme should be adopted to in- sure a uniform scale of prices. This sub- ject was thrashed over until it seemed there would be no solution when Mr. Marks moved that the whole matter be referred to the committee on resolutions. This was agreed to. This was followed by an address by Mr. H. L. Case, of Canandaigua, N. Y., entitled, " Is the capping-melter a necessity? If so, what style is best?" Mr. Case somewhat startled his hearers by saying, " I never saw a capping-melter in my life. I am a pro- ducer of comb honey, and therefore have no use for such a contrivance." Then he paid his respects to the secretary for assigning to him a subject that he knew nothing about; but now that he was on the program he was going to say a few thing's relative to what he had found useful. One of them was a little tin pocket that he attaches to the side of the hive to hold the hive-record. These records are made of pieces of common sec- tion boxes. The pocket is so constructed that it sheds water and protects the record from the weather. He had also a scheme for wiring frames that would do away with drone comb. At the close of his brief address he was followed by Mr. Baldrich, who went on to describe that the capping-melter that he uses is not a device for taking care of the cappings as fast as they fall from the knife, but to melt them after they are drained. The device consists of a double water-jacketed boiler that may be used on a common stove. Mr. Irving Kenyon, secretary, uses some- thing similar to this, and he has found it a great convenience. Mr. House described a machine he had seen at the A. I. Root Co.'s l^lace, that melts the cappings as fast as they fall from the knife. We next listened to an address from a government man, Mr. Geo. S. Demuth, of the Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C, on the subject entitled " Some Critical Periods in the Season's Management." There are several things that might happen to a colony of bees, and some of these are under the control of the beekeeper. The source of nectar and weather conditions, of course, are entirely beyond the control of the bee- man ; but there are other conditions which the beekeeper may modify; and one of these is the condition of the colony. Sometimes we have all the conditions favorable, and then we can secure a good crop. Then come times when bees need to be fed. Scarcity of stores may mean a loss of brood, of bees, and the honey crop. Then there is the prob- lem of keeping the forces together instead of having them dissipated by unnecessary swarming. This is more difficult to accom- plish in the production of comb honey than extracted. The question of when to put on another super, and whether to place the same under or above the one already on the hive, is important. He believed that a great many beekeepers do not give room fast enough. Some err in giving it too fast. He would impress the very great importance of contentment in the family. At the close of this address Mr. S. D. House spoke of this idea of " contentment," saying that, in order to get the maximum work out of a colony, there must be content- ment and not uneasiness — a condition where all hands seem to be busy with the single object in view of gathering nectar from the fields, and making a place to store it. He also indorsed what Mr. Demuth said on the subject of tiering up — that some do not give room fast enough. The discussion naturally JANUARY 15, 1914 turned to the conditions that bring about swarming, and liow to prevent or forestall the same. Mr. Demuth in the discussion that followed stated that contentment can be brought about sometimes by giving more ventilation, sometimes more room, or both. The Asi)inwall hive, for example, provides both of these conditions. Mr. House said he believed that the Aspinwall hive would etTectually stop swarming, but he thought it too expensive, and that a sectional hive, on account of its easy manipulation, was cheap- er, and better for the i:)urpose. Dr. Dines agreed. In the course of the discussion that followed, some thought that an over- plus of drones tends to induce swarming. Mr. Charles Stewart held that it was not an overplus of drones but too many nurse bees. To this Mr. House and Mr. Demuth agreed. Speaking of the Aspinwall hive, Mr. Irving Kenyon reported that he had tried it out very thoroughly and had found it a success, both in the matter of prevent- ing swarms and in the production of comb honey, but considered it too expensive for the average beekeeper to adopt. IS IT DESIRABLE TO KEEP BEES IN THE SHADE? This was discussed by W. D. Wright, of Altamont, N. Y., who is not only an ex- tensive beekeeper but also one of the State foul-brood inspectors. This question, he said, may be answered by yes or no. The apiarist needs shade as a matter of comfort to him- self; and incidentally it may be useful to the bees. He had long advocated and practiced using an orchard with medium-sized trees as a desirable place to have an apiary. It is not always possible to have such an orchard, but he was sure that too much shade is too much of a good thing, and for that reason he did not advocate large trees. Shade- boards may be satisfactory, but he consid- ered them objectionable on account of their inconvenience in handling, and because they detract from the appearance of the hive. Years ago he tried out shade-boards, but discarded them. In conclusion : 1. He would keep all hives painted white; 2. Provide a good circulation of air around the hive; 3. Give large entrances; 4. Give all strong- colonies plenty of room. Mr. H. L. Case said he had used shade- boards both for shade and at other times of the year, when the bees do not need them. At such times he puts them in,, front of the hives to kill the grass. Mr. Chas. Stewart had a part of his hives in the shade and a part out in the open. He could see no difference in honey production. He has observed that when the hives are not sl^aded the bees go out earlier in the morn- ing, while tliose in shaded hives would work better during the heat of the day. President Howe said that black bees and Caucasians need more shade. Mr. W. F. Marks arose to ask "Who has black bees? Does not Mr. Howe mean brown bees?" This brought out not a little discussion showing that there were two strains of black bees; viz., the little black bees and the larger brown bees. Mr. C. B. Howard next discussed the (juestion of whether we should retail ex- tracted honey in liquid or granulated form. He had been selling granulated honey like lard and butter. Such a plan eliminates the cost of handling, and at the same time edu- cates the trade to honey in that form. The discussion naturally drifted toward selling liquid honey in various forms. Irving Ken- yon sells his in pails; Louis Wahl in milk- bottles, and he showed some very pretty honey of his production. He allows three cents for each j^int bottle, and five cents for a cjuart bottle wlien returned. At the evening session there was a lively discussion of the question-box — breeding queen-bees and breeding bees in general; best sections for the production of honey; best Italians to resist bee disease, and the color of Italians. President Howe gave it as his opinion that the imported Italian bee may show only two yellow bands. He had been informed that there are very dark Italians in Italy — some of them even black. On the question of whether comb and ex- tracted honey could be produced profitably in the same hive, there was quite a difference of opinion. Some of the largest producers seemed to feel that it was not practicable, although it might be done. Wednesday morning Mr. Greiner, who, up to this time, had taken no part in discus- sion, was asked to give his opinion on the proper location for an apiary. First, he said he would have a good honey location; second, good roads; third, a shady place in which to work. He could not always use an orchard, although he preferred it. Some locations out in the open, he said, have more swarming. One yard he had in dense shade gave him some of his biggest yields. Mr. Coggshall, one of the most extensive bee- keepers in New York, said, " Locate any- where, just so you do not crowd on other people." He found that clay land gives the liest clover. The apiary should be well pro- tected by undergrowth for a windbreak. At all his yards he has a building, and one key for the locks of all the buildings. Mr. Geo. S. Demuth, of the Bureau of Entomology, next delivered an address that ought to be printed in full. We have quite a complete digest of it ; and every beekeeper, especially if he intends to keep "more bees," should read it over carefully. 72 GLEAJSriNGS IN BEE CULTURE PROFITABLE AND UNPROFITABLE EXPENDITURE OF LABOR IN HONEY PRODUCTION. One of the remarkable things one notices, he said, when visiting beekeepers is the vast ditTerence in the amonnt of time and labor expended by ditferent individuals in accom- plishing similar results. It is not always the professional beekeeper who produces his crop with the minimum expenditure of time and labor, nor is it always the amateur who produces his crop with the maximum ex- penditure of time and labor. There are men here who are operating a series of apiaries with probably a less ex- pense than others are expending on a single apiary. A peculiar thing about this feature of beekeeping is the fact that it is not a phase of the business that can readily be taught at conventions nor through the jour- nals, nor even by visiting the more efficient beekeei^er. It seems rather to come from experience — not experience measured in years of routine work in the apiary, but the experience of the manager, the experience of the man who is not so covered up with the details of his business that he is unable to see their interrelation and relative im- portance. To make the problem more difficult, the beekeeper is at once both manager and rou- tine laborer; and one tendency is to become so engrossed with the routine work that ability as a business manager may be de- veloped slowly. Fortunately, however, bee- keeping calls forth such a variety of activi- ties that it stimulates development in vai'ious directions. Beekeeping is a business of de- tails; and while one may be overwhelmed with the multitude of details, another with double the number of colonies, and perhaj^s other business interests, somehow gets through the busy season and lives to tell about it. The paradox that the one who has the most to do has the most time for extra work, holds in beekeeping as well as elsewhere. The usual trouble with the man who is over- worked is that he hasn't enough to do to compel him to systematize his work. It may, therefore, sometimes be a kindness to over- worked individuals to impose extra burdens upon them. The greatest efficiency in beekeeping is not develojied by operating a single apiai-y of one or two hundred colonies with no other business carried on in connection. He had in mind a beekeeper who was forced into greater efficiency by a series of promo- tions in other business. He has gradually increased the number of colonies operated; and during the same time has been compel- led to decrease the amount of time spent in the apiaries. Years ago, with a single api- ary and but little other work, he was a very much overworked individual; but now he is operating three apiaries of 60 to 100 colo- nies each, for comb honey, is otherwise em- jiloyed, and several hundred miles away from the bees during 10y2 to 11 months of the year. Compared with some of you, this partic- ular beekeeper is but half grown; but it lequired considerable external pressure to compel him to become more efficient as a beekeeper. The beekeeper who uses his energies and ability at " half capacity " in order to be able to label himself a specialist is paying a high ]irice for a fancy label. The beekeeper with 100 or 200 colonies, who hesitates about keeping more bees, should by all means take up some other work in connection with beekeeping. The motto, " Keep more bees," should stand as a monument to the memory of the remarkable man who so patiently and per- sistently taught it; and it would seem like sacrilege, he said, to change it in any way; but could we not put up in big letters, '' Keep more bees," then write underneath in small letters, "but if you don't, get an- otlier job to be carried on in connection with beekeeping, and woi'k at the other job most of the time"? The election of officeis resulted as fol- lows: President, S. D. House; Vice-presi- dent, John T. Green ; Secretary, Irving Kenyon. ODE TO A HONEY-BEE BY T. F. NORRIS Dear bee, thou art a rover When the meadows bloom with clover. From bloom to bloom thou'rt goin? Where the sought-for nectar's growinsj Fearless of the rain and thunder, Through the distant fields you wander Where the winding streamlets flow EveJ onward, still you go. Onward still, thou blossom-rover. Till the autumn flowers are over. With too much courage for a bee. Or any thing so small and free. Through noontide's scorching ray. Ever hastening on thy way, On thy way on pinions fleet. Still in search of hidden sweet. Toil on, thou restless rover ; O'er many blossoms thou dost hover; Merrily o'er each bloom bounding, With your merry hum resounding. Toiling while the day is closing. Thence homeward to thy home reposing Is thy home a hive or tree ? Pray tell me, dear honey-bee. Vanceburg, Ky., Dec. 17. JANUARY 15, 1914 Heads of Grain from Different Fields Moving Bees in Mid-winter On Feb. 1, 1913, bees had a flight. It turned cold that night, and we had a snowstorm Feb. 11. I moved 40 colonies about 100 yards, and a few days afterward bees could fly again. I asked my man if he noticed any bees go back to the old place. He said, " Yes, they were all down at the old place for a few days, but always went back at night." That going back at night he was just guessing about. From what I have noticed in moving a colony that had been in ten days on account of bad weather, this fall, late, and the going back last winter, I am under the impression that a lot of flying bees are lost by cold- weather moving. I have some to move a short distance, but I am not pleased with this cold- weather moving, as a flying bee has no time to hunt a home when away from the cluster in cold weather. They simply perish. I have a neighbor who was com- pelled to move 30 colonies from one side of his house to the other a few days ago. I asked him if they went back. He said, " Yes, but they seemed to get back home to their new location again," and added that he could not notice that he lost any. Galena, Kan., Dec. 8. J. P. Brumfield. [Your bees had not been confined long enough to move them only one hundi-ed yards. A far better and safer way is to put them in the cellar and keep them there for two or three months. Then you can move them 10 another location ; but even then some of the bees may be inclined to come back to their old stands. When bees are moved out of the cellar, and put back in the same location, though not on the same stands, they will mix more or less; but this does no harm. In moving bees in midwinter from one side of the house to the other, it is desirable to have the old location changed as much as possible ; and the longer the bees can be confined to their hives before they fly again the better. They will go back, providing it does not turn cold toward evening too quickly, chill ing Ihem so they can not return if they would. If there is a period of a couple of weeks of bad weath- er from then on, these chilled bees will never get back ; but if the cold spell lasts only two or three days, and then warms up so the bees can fly, these chilled bees, as soon as they warm up, will generally take wing and go home. This is not a crude giiess, for we know whereof we speak. — Ed.] Best Time to Requeen What is the best time to requeen in central Iowa? How is it best and easiest to find the old queen? Edward Wurtzel. [The best time to requeen will depend somewhat upon conditions. If there is European foul brood in a locality, and the bees are black, the sooner you do it the better. If you rear your own queens, a good time to requeen is during the swarming season. Cut out swarming-cells from the best colonies; put them into nuclei where they can hatch virgins; then allow them to mate. After they get to laying, kill the poorest of the queens in the full colonies, and put these young queens in their place. - If you buy your queens the best time to requeen is after July 1, when prices are at their very lowest. During July and August, queens can usually be bought at quite a reduction in price, providing a quantity is taken. There is no best and easiest way to find the old queen. In the case of black bees it is sometimes advisable to run all the bees through perforated zinc and catch the queen on the metal after all the bees have gone through ; but in the case of ordinary Ital- ian and hybrid bees, or any bees that will be quiet on the combs, the best way is to look over the combs carefully one by one until she is found. — Ed.] Apiaries — Proximity of to Common Highway and Line Fences Have you any knowledge of cases tried in this State to determine the distance the law requires bees to be set from a public or private highway ? The reason I am inquiring is that a party is trying to force a private highway through the edge of my apiary. Should he be successful in securing the road, would I be obliged to move my bees ? I have always used this yard for my bees. Alamo, Mich., Nov. 29. Bert Williams. [We have no knowledge of any cases tried in Michigan to determine the distance that bees may be kept from a common highway. As a matter of pre- caution, however, we always advise that bees be kept as far away from roadways as possible, and in the same way advise keeping a good distance away from a line fence, especially if there is pasturage on the other side, where horses or cows are allowed to pasture. We do not know what the law would be in a case such as you describe; but we may say in a general way that you are liable for any damages that may take place. We would advise you to move your bees away from the proximity of the private roadway to be on the safe side — that is, providing you can do it, and we suppose you can. It is very much better in cases like this to avoid trouble in the first place rather than to run the danger of tourt proceedings. — Ed.1 A Correction Mr. Root: — I am in receipt of copies of the De- cember 1st issue of Gleanings, and I wish to thank you very much for the kind words, also for usherir'^ me to the front cover of your magazine. I wish to mention one error in the write-up. I note it reads that I am a son-in-law of Mr. H. P. Cary, which should be W. W. Cary, Jr. I think the following explanation will make clear how this came about. There was a senior and a junior Wm. Whiting Cary. Senior W. W. Cary was the man who worked with Langstroth and helped care for the first successful importation of Italian bees to Long Island, imported by Parsons. Mr. Parsons gave this Mr. Cary a sup- ply of Italians when he returned home from his season's work in 1860. W. W. Cary, Sr., continued breeding Italian bees from that time on until W. W. Cary, Jr., took the business and added to it the vine- gar business, which has developed very rapidly. Mr. H. F. Cary is the son of W. W. (!!ary, Jr., and he is my brother-in-law. He now devotes his entire time to the vinegar business, and W. W. Cary, Jr., spends his winters in Florida. You will note the bee busi- ness has been passed down from W. W. Cary, Sr., to W. W. Cary, Jr., H. P. Cary, and to me. Lvonsville, Mass., Dec. 15. Earl M. Nichols. Snow Does Little Damage if Entrances Face Di- rection the Wind is Blowing During the snowstorm on Nov. 9 and 10, as men- tioned p. 836, Dec. 1, some of our colonies were under snow to the depth of about four feet for some time. In mountainous countries, where men and beasts ai'e occasionally caught in snowslides we know snow may be very porous, and air may pass through it quite freely ; but we have all seen the result of a sudden change of weather when snow changes from a porous blanket to an air-tight covering — often in as short a time as one hour; and couseqiently I always look to all colonies facing any direction but east, which have no windbreak on the east. I have never found colonies with east entrances, and with no obstruction or windbreak in front of them, en- tirely difted shut. There is always a blow-hole form- ed by the warm breath of the bees. This blow-hole 74 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE usually inclines at an angle of about 45 degrees, leading away from the entrance of the hive, and consequently drifting snow passes over it and does not drift into it or close it. If we have a wind- break in front of the entrance, snow will swirl and drift back, closing it. Greenwich, Ohio, Dec. 9. R. .J. Wililams. Some Experiences with Queenless Colonies Gath- ering Pollen; Will Bees Gather Pollen with- out Queen or Eggs ? About the 10th of April a chicken caught a queen from one of my hives. I saw the chicken catch it, and thought it was then a good time for the bees to work on the pollen. On the 20th, ten days later, I opened the hive. Of course there were no eggs, but a good colony of bees for the time of the year. On the 10th I dequeened two other colonies. They also were examined on the 20th. I found no eggs in either hive, and I had cut out all queen-cells, which, of course, left them in the right condition for a trial on the pollen question. About the 23d the black- oak trees began to bloom, and they furnish more pollen than all other bloom combined in this country. They were in full bloom for over two weeks, and the queenless colonies gathered about the same amount of pollen as the other colonies. They all went at it with a rush, and kept it up during that time; but after that was over, Nos. 1 and 3 began to slack off on the pollen. No. 2, however, brought about as much as the other colonies. I gave brood to each of the colonies for a month or more. I supplied each with brood of the same strain, and No. 2 did not let up on gathering pollen, but broiight in about as much as those colonies with queens. About six weeks after taking the queens I tried to introduce one to each hive. I failed on 1 and 2. I tried again and failed again. I then put a queen between the tops of the frames, and they were both accepted and are strong colonies now with hives full of honey and pollen. There is a great difference in the strain of bees in gathering pollen. No. 2 had the most solid frames of pollen I ever saw. I swapped pollen for honey with other hives so as to equalize. These bees are hybrids, five or more times crossed up with Italian and brown German. They are just bees — that's all. BROWN LEGHORNS STUNG. I have White and Brown Leghorn chickens run- ning in my bee-yard, and the bees will sting the Browni Leghorns, but they will not sting the white chickens at all. E. C. Frazier. Central City, Ky. More About that Peculiar Disease You invite information, pp. 547, 548, Aug. 1, regarding a peculiar disease appearing in Colorado and California. I have noticed this trouble in this vicinity for the last two years, but have not thought much about it until this year, when it appeared in two out of tive hives which I keep in the back yard. The young bee,s hatch all right, but crawl around for a while and finally get out in front, never to return. Also the old bees bite the cappings and carry out bees all the way from one with just a little color in his head to bees that are ready to hatch. I examined some of the bees that were carried out, and caught some as they left the cells, and found that some hatched without wings. Others had a part of the cocoon so tightly stuck to them that it was impossible to remove it without killing the bee, and some seemed normal. All bees that were old enough were left alive and kicking outside. Now, I don't think this is chilling, poisoning, or paralysis, as it doesn't correspond to the symptoms of these. I fed my bees for six weeks on the best of sugar sywip without the least change, and there was no honey in the hive and none outside to gather, so it couldn't be poisoning. There is no spraying of fruit-trees here either. The trouble commenced in May, and lasted three months, stopping suddenly. It weakened two colonies until I had to unite them, and exterminated another. It doesn't appear to be contagious, as no other colonies caught it. I hope to .see more about it. Corona, Cal., Nov. 12. Dale Rycraft. Alfalfa Honey Varies According to Locality Mr. Chadwick seems to think that honey-plants furnish the same grade of honey in all localities. My experience with sage and alfalfa is that they do not. When keeping bees near Bakersfield, Cal., a few years ago I had two apiaries just four miles apart. One was in the district known as the " Weed Patch," where the soil was very sandy and the water was from twelve to eighteen feet from the surface. The other was on the Bloomfield ranch, where water was close to the siirface, soil heavy, and with much alkali. Ninety per cent of all the honey gathered in either district was alfalfa. The honey gathered in the Weed Patch, to quote an enthusisustic friend, was "White as milk, and sweet as a sweetheart's kisses." The honey gathered in the lowlands was amber. The taste of the two rroneys was different, and the dark honey probably had a higher percentage of water, as it was much easier to throw it from the combs with the extractor. In-fo Co., Cal., on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, furnishes a water-white alfalfa honey, as does the country nbout Keno, Nev. In Imperial Co., Cal., and Yuma Co., Arizona, alfalfa honey is dark. It is no use saying that the dark honey has been mixed with honey from weeds, etc., gathered at the same time. Bees do not put different grades of honey in the same cell, and at my Bloomfield apiary I never saw as much as one cell oi white honey; yet the bees got alfalfa honey, as thousands of them could be seen working on the blossoms of the great fields of that plant about them. Yuma, Ariz. W. G. Hkwks. Honey a Cure for Erysipelas I am going to tell of an incident that happened in our family last spring. My husband's uncle, who makes his home with us, was afflicted with erysipelas in his face so that it was swollen very much. Out physician advised us to get strained honey and apply by spreading on a soft cloth and covering the pa'ls, removing every two or threi' hours, bathing the ptrts in warm water, and apph'ng a fresh cloth prepared as before. This we did, and in a short time the erysipelas disappeared, and there has been no more trouble with it. Our physician, in talking about it said, " I was called to attend a young lady having a bad case of erysipelas, and did every thing I could to relieve her, but with no success until I thought of strained hon- ey. I spread some on a cloth and applied it to her face, which was so badly swollen that all the features were obliterated. On leaving I told them to keep the application on ; and next morning, when I called, her eyes were partly open. We continued the honey until we had a complete cure. " Some time after, I was called to Cleveland to at- tend a man who had been under another doctor's care. He had a trained nurse who thought that I was a cross-roads doctor who did not know much ; and when I told her to put on the honey she openly smiled. But I told her to do what I said, as the man was in such a bad state that I was afraid I could not save him. However, after three days he was so much better that I left for home, telling them to keep me advised as to his condition. He was cured, so I feel that honey is a sure remedy for erysipelas." Warren, Ohio. Mes. W. T. Daeby. JANUARY 15, 1914 'ib Our Homes A. I. Root Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. — Matt. 19:14. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. — Matt. 18:10. By the way in which I have frequently spoken of Mrs. Root, in these Home papers, some of you might imagine she was without weaknesses like the rest of humanity ; and if she imagined I was going to bring out some of her weaknesses right here in these Home papers before all the world I suspect she would " go for " me with a stool or chair or whatever else might come handy. But I am going to risk it at all events; and I am going to speak of two special weak- nesses. First, she will not put up with being deprived of God's fresh air. If you shut her up in a close room with the win- dows fastened down, and tell her she has got to sleep there she will get " fighting mad." Perhaps that is a little exaggeration after all; but still I think it is not very far out of the wa}'. If you ask her to go to prayer-meeting, and there are more than a hundred in one little room, with the doors and windows all shut, I am afraid she loses her religion in her indignation; and I must own up that I do not know but I stand px'etty near her in that respect. But per- haps I have learned to put up with bad air a little more patiently than she does, and some of her children are just like her. They say they will not go, unless they can have good air to breathe. I hope that some of the good people who complain, if a window is opened just a little, near them, will read this and think about it. (If they would pray about it too I think they would do better yet.) Many a time have I been en- joying a good sei'mon and feeling the spir- itual uplift because some nice fresh air was coming in from the window near by, when some old person would get up and shut the window clear down, when he could have taken a seat away from the draft, with even less trouble. Another one of Mrs. Root's weaknesses that I am going to s^Deak of just now is that she can not keep still when she hears a baby cry; and I do believe she has more sense and wisdom in knowing how to do the right thing to make a baby haiDjDy than anybody else in the world. Now, that is a pretty big claim, is it not? I do not know all the good women in the world, and so you will have to make allowance for my narrow vision in regard to motherly women who love babies. I told you some time ago of how a baby's ]3laintive cry roused Mrs. Root's motherly instincts; but for fear you did not all see it I will briefly go over it again. By some blunder Mrs. Root and I had no jjlace to sleep except in an ujDper berth when coming home from Florida. I think she was a little car-sick, and feeling badly; and when told she would have to climb up into the " loft," through no fault of our own, she became a little contrary and said she would rather sit up all night. But she could nut sit up all night, because there was no place to sit. At this juncture a good woman (thank God for good women, " the salt of the earth") sug- gested that her two children would gladly exchange their lower berth for the upper one; and, sure enough, it was just fun for them to climb up. By the time we began to feel happy, and were getting into our lower berth, somebody insisted on having the heat on in the steam-pipes ; but the porter said we could not have a lower window open, for it was against the rules. Then Mrs. Root became cross again. She said she would not sleep in that hot place, without a breath of air, for all the money in the world. Come to think of it, however, I do not think she said that in just so many words. She said it only by action. About this time I began to be so worried and troubled that that little prayer of mine started up of itself — ■" Lord, lielp ;" and right away after, Mrs. Root was startled by the plaintive cry of a baby. She asked our next neighbor about it, and was told that the young mother was so badly car-sick that she was vomiting, and a lot of women were trying to pacify the baby. They added that the sick mother had only ai; upper berth, and she was so sick she felt as if she could not climb up into it. Can you guess what Mrs. Root did? She fairly insisted that the poor mother with her baby should have our lower berth and we would climb " upstairs." But the mother protest- ed against having old people like ourselves get away up there. But Mrs. Root vehe- mently declared she would much rather have an upper berth, and did not mind climbing up at all. There, now I have put my foot in it. Don't you see I started out to say that Mrs. Root had only two weaknesses — first, she always gi'umbled when she could not have plenty of fresh air; second, she would never lie down and go to sleep and get the rest needed when she heard a baby cry (and I honestly believe it does not make much difference whether the baby is any relation to her or not). And now I have 76 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULrURE blundered into a third weakness. She some- times "tell fibs" when she is in a liiilii place. She actually told that young mother she much preferred an upper berth. whc:i she had told the porter an hour before tliat she would rather sit up all niyht than m climb up there. The above reminds me that cue of our grandchildren — I guess it was a little girl — after her mother had given her a spanking', after she got through crying she said to her mother, "''l lofs you still." Well, like the spanked little girl, I want to say of Mrs. Root that, even if she does get cross when she does not have good air, and bounces out of bed when she hears a baby cry, and e\ eri tells fibs (the kind of fibs 1 have described) to help a sick motlier. like tlie little uiil. " I lofs you still."* Dear friends, the above is a rather \ov\v. introduction; but it paves the way to the following, which I clip from the Younps- town Telegram. Just a minute right liere. Do you know there are quite a few dailies that exchange with Gleanings? Yes. tliey are actually sending a paper evei-y day for a whole year, and all they get in return is Gleanings twice a month. Is not this a clever world to live in? Well, below is what I read in the Telegram: WELSHES AT FIRST THOUGHT BABV'S CRIES WERE THOSE OF A CAT. The lusty cries of an eight-months-old baby prob ably saved its life early Sunday morning when it was found, muddy and bedraggled, in the front yard of 630 Hayman Street by Harvey H. Welsh, 709 Hayman Street. The police, after working an entire day to discover the parents or guardian of the child, are without a clue as to whom it might belong. The infant was nearly dead from exposure when found. Had it ceased its cries it is likely that it would have lain in the yard until daybreak, and it is doubtful if it could have stood the ordeal. According to the police the cries of the child were first heard about 3 A. M. by a sister of Mrs. Welsh. She awakened Mrs. Welsh and her husband, and the latter dressed to go out to make a search. But think- ing the cries were those of a cat, Welsh took off his clothes and returned to bed. The wails continued, and Mr. and Mrs. Welsh were again awakened by the sister who insisted that they make a thorough search. Welsh dressed himself a second time and went out. He found the infant not far away, about three feet from the sidewalk. It wore several dresses, which were water-soaked and covered with mud. Welsh gathered the infant in his arms and took it home, and the two women set about to prepare food. * Of course, the above about telling fibs is a pleas- antry. Mrs. Root never tells tibs, and will not tell even little ones. She simply changed her mind when she heard that baby cry ; and even if she did change her mind rather suddenly, and was rather vehement, I hope other women, especially every mother who reads this, will be ready to change their mind very quickly under like circumstances. I forgot to add in the proper place that, when we got up in the loft, I pulled the ventilators wide open, and Mrs. Root slept nicely, even if she did spend quite a little time helping to care for the baby and its mother. My little prayer was once more answered. — Courtesy Younystown Telegram. They removed the wet clothing and bathed the child in warm water. The baby, which was a girl, drank the milk given her as though she were nearly starv- ed. Her little body being warmed she fell asleep. The police were at once notified, and took the baby to the City Hospital. Detective Moyer was de tailed on tlie case Sunday morning, and worked the entire day without results. The child does not belong to the neighborhood in which it was found, and no one has reported to the police that a baby was miss- ing. The child was left purposely in the yard to be found, or to die from exposure, or may have been placed there by a drunken mother returning home from a night's revel, the police believe. Along with the above account came the picture of that forsaken baby. Just think of it, will you? Some woman, some mother, left her own baby in a place like that; and when the i^oliee made every effort to find that mother they could get no trace of her. Of course, not all women are like Mrs. Root; but I think the greater part of them would have been called irresistibly by the cries of that poor little deserted waif. Im- agine a mother, if you can, who would go away under the circumstances and leave her baby out in the cold and wet. She did not even take the pains to place it on a porch or under shelter. She probably knew it might rain, and so how could she perform an act like that? And after she went away did not her conscience trouble her? How could she sleep? how could she rest at all with that terrible burden resting on her soul, that she had thus in such a cowardly way deliberately left her own child? In these latter days, not only are women taking up men's work, but they seem to be taking on men's vices. One of these dailiM JANUARY 15, 1914 77 T have mentioned has been telling about a woman pickpocket. We can imagine a man so lost to all sense of fairness and honesty as to be willing to appropriate the hard earnings of another man by picking his j)0cket; but is it possible that there are women also who are so lost to all sense of honor and justice? Let us now get back to that baby. We are compelled to admit that there are fathers — -yes, a lot of them — who run away and leave their children. They generally leave them to burden and drag down the poor patient hard-working moth- er; but is it indeed true that there are women — mothers fashioned by God's hand — so lost and depraved that they would abandon their own children, and an eight- months-old babe at that? Before we close I want you to turn over again and take a look at that baby. I have looked at it again and again, and that little puekered-up mouth, so plaintive in its dis- ti-ess, almost moves me to tears whenever I catch sight of the picture. As the little one lay there suffering with the cold and rain, in its baby mind it was wondering where the mother was ; and it was wondering, too, where all the good peoj^le who had loved it and kissed it in time past had gone. It cried again and again for help. We all know that babies must be kept warm. Whatever you do, do not let the little ones get chilled. Give the baby plenty to eat; and if out in the open air, protect it with the best, softest, and warmest cloth- ing the world can afford. Jesus said, " The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." God has made am- ple provision for the birds and the beasts; but humanity has to be cared for — especial- ly the first stages of humanity here in this world of ours. These same daily papers have been telling us of the appalling num- ber of deaths of babies — little babies — and the whole world is up in arms to protect these little innocents. Not only are they to liave better milk, but kind and wise nurses are sent out to instruct the mothers. God bless the nurses; and may lie bless the Christian nation that is taking this matter in hand. Grown-up people are more or bss to blame for their misfortunes and troubles; but babies are in no way responsible. The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the fathers and mothers — on your shoulders and mine. It rejoices my heart to think that my life-long companion accepts this responsibility. She very often becomes very tired, I know; but a baby's cry is a strong- er appeal to her mothei'ly heart than almost any thing else on earth. Let us as a people not only look out for better environment foi- the babies in the way of health, but let us think of their spiritual nature. The wurld is just now discussing how much environ- ment has to do with helping the babies to become G^od-fearing, law-abiding people instead of criminals. The police and everybody else were ask- ing what could have possessed a mother to forget her motherly instincts so far as to go away and leave that pitiful baby there in the wet gi-ass and weeds to die from expos- ure, for no one heard its plaintive cries. The police, after long experience, suggested an explanation, and the only possible ex- plantation for such a state of affairs. It was the old, old story of strong drink; and I suppose we shall have to admit it is true that in these latter days women are getting to be slaves to strong drink as well as the men. We have had pitiful tales of men — or they were once men — who took the shoes from their poor babies' feet and pawned them to get drink. This woman sacrificed the baby entirely, and went away and left it because she loved drink more than she did her babe. Let us now once more take a look at that plaintive picture and then repeat the words of our text : " Suffer little children, and for- bid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom' of heaven." LIFE OR DEATH — WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE? We are told the following was clipped from the Youth's Companion: THE BOY AMD HIS FATHER. " And the father laid a kindly hand on the boy's shoulder, and said: ' Come with me, son. I want to show you something.' He led the way to his work- room in the attic. There were his carpenter-bench and his tools and his lathe; and in the corner was the dynamo that worked them all. The boy had seen them all many times. "'What is it, father?' he asked. " The father laid his hand upon the dynamo. ' Boy, by means of this a mysterious power becomes mine. We call it electricity, but no one knows what it is. We only know that, if we treat it in the right way, it will enable us to do wonderful things. It will work our mills and light our houses and our streets and run our cars. It will enable man to do more than any other power that has been discovered. But at the same time, if you treat it the wrong way, it will strike you dead.' " ' Yes, father, I know that,' said the boy. " His father turned toward him with an earnest- ness the boy had never before seen in his face. ' There is another power, my boy, much like thai in its results. There is the mysterious feeling that men have for women, and women have for men. Treat that right, and it will bless your life, and ennoble it. and make you ten times — yes, a hundred times — the man you ever could be without it. Nothing else on earth will do so much for you if you treat it right. But treat that feeling wrong, and it will curse you and blast your life and kill your soul! ' " For one moment father and son looked at each other square in the eye; then together they went downstairs in silence. In the hall below the boy put 78 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE his hand on his father's arm and whispered: 'I know what you mean, father, and I know it's true.' " I can say with that boy, " I know it is true." The boy spoke from a limited ex- perience, promi^ted by the voice or con- science, while I speak from the standiaoint of a man over 70. It is true in youth, it is true in middle age, and it is most emphati- cally true when a man gets to be threescore and ten. Ye are of more value than many sparrows. — Matt. 10:31. We clip the following from the Press Bulletin of the American Medical Associa- tion for October 25 : THE ANIMAL VERSUS THE HUMAN BEING. Inquiry was recently made of the Minnesota State Board of Health as to a certain family affected with tuberculosis. The family was large and the house small, so that such care could not be given to the atiiicted as to prevent the infection of others. The father had means and could afford to care properly for those diseased, if compelled to do so. A State inspector was sent to investigate, and this is what he found. A well-to-do farmer, with a farm of 320 acres, worth $100 an acre or more; a breeder of horses, having at the time of inspection seven im- ported Percheron horses and a herd of about twenty- five horses in all ; a breeder of registered hogs, his hogs being among the tirst in the State to be given the serum jirotective against hog cholera. This farmer has lived in County for about thirty years. Sixteen years ago his first wife died of tuber- culosis, leaving three childi'en. He married again. His second wife had thirteen children. The family now consists of father, mother, and fourteen children. A daughter of the second wife, aged 15, died last August of tuberculosis. A son of the first wife, aged 19, has been ill with tuberculosis for at least two years. No precautions have been taken to prevent his infecting others. The mother, with one newly born child and another too young to walk, is respon- sible for the care of this family of fourteen living children. There is no medical icare being given the son afflicted with tuberculosis. Apparently this farm- er can appreciate the breeding of horses and the pro- tection of hogs from hog cholera ; but he can not apprejciate the danger of tuberculosis or the need of protecting not only the members of his own family, but others also, from this disease. The annual loss, in Minnesota, caused by the death of wage-earners from tuberculosis, is about $12,000,000. The num- ber of deaths annually from tuberculosis in Minne- sota is about 2250. The estimated number of cases of tuberculosis in Minnesota at the present time is 10,000 or more. Is this human disease worthy of the same efforts for its extermination as is hog chol- era or glanders ? APPLES AND OLIVE OIL. We clip the following from the Rural Xeiv-Yorker : The latest "sure cure" for catarrh is living 90 days on apples and olive oil. So far as apples are concerned, I am fully in accord. I do not know much about the olive oil, but very likely it might make a " balanced ration " with apples, some- thing like the little bit of cheese that I use with my apple supper. Who will test the above and report? ILYING-MACHINES UP TO DATE; 900 MILES IN 900 MINUTES. As Gleanings was the first periodical on ihe face of the earth to give an eye-witness account of the Wright brothers' "first flight to make the machine come back to its start- ing-poinl, it is no more than proper that Gleanings should occasionally notice the progress that is being made in navigating the air. The steps of progress are so rapid now, and as our daily newspapers and mag- azines are full of it, it would take too much space to give here an account of all that is bfing done. Just now, however, the world is startled by M. Pegoud, who not only " loops the loop," but flies quite a little dis- tance with the machine upside down. Of course he has straps to hold him securely 1o hife seat. At flrst the world was inclined lo say his success was accidental — that he could not do it again; but he has done it again and again, and I think he says it is no very difficult trick. The whole tiling is described, vith some very good illustrations, in the Independent for Oct. 23. We give below the closing paragraph of the article: At the present time the cost of aeroplanes still ranges from $5000 to $10,000 per machine, which is too high for the average man ; and the sportsman and enthusiast has an extremely safe craft in the water aeroplane — the airboat, which is essentially a boat with wings, and the hydro-aeroplane, which is an aeroplane with floats to enable it to land on water. Water-flying is much more safe than land-flying, because the water always presents a flat surface to start from and land on; and, in case of a spill, the aviator, who is dressed in a floating icoat, just gets a drenching. A score of American sportsmen ac- quired airboats in the past summer and flew them continually, and made from 60 to 80 miles an hour while they flew them ; and two of them actually flew from Chicago to Detroit, 900 miles, which they covered in 900 minutes, going through a succession of storms which no boat could have weathered; but there were no accidents, not even a drenching. The demonstration of the safety of water-flying was so conclusive that scores of other sportsmen were (Con verted, and the four principal aeroplane constructors — the Wrights, of Dayton, Ohio; Curtiss, of Ham- mondsport, New York; Burgess, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Benoist, of St. Louis, Missouri, are working overtime turning out this sort of ma- chine. New York City. I am not prepared to say exactly who should have the credit for the water aero- plane, as it is called above; but I do know that the Wright brothers made experiments wth a craft to skim over the water of the Miami River, that passes through Dayton, a good many years ago, and before any thing ot the kind was mentioned in the papers. This I did not get from the Wright broth- ers themselves, but from one of their work- men. The Wright brothers certainly have the credit (and I guess it is acknowledged world-wide) of making the first heavier- than-air machine to rise up from the JANUARY 15, 1914 79 ground ; and I am inclined to think they were the tirst in the world to experiment with hj^dro-aeroplanes. Somebody will prob- ably cross the ocean vei'y soon with such a craft. If they can go a mile a minute, and skim along in spite of wind and wave, there will be comparatively little difficulty in making the trip. We clip the following from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: TESTS NEW aircraft; OKVILLE WRIGHT SHOWS ONE PROPELLER MODEL AT DAYTON, OHIO. Dayton, Ohio, Oct. 6. — Orville Wright, himself driving todaj', tested out his latest aeroplane model in a series of successful flights. The new model has but one propeller, which with the motor, seat, and drive, is in one unit in the »cen- ter section, as compared with the former two-pro- peller machines, with blades in opposite directions. The new model " E " is made especially for exhibi- tion purposes, and is capable of dismantling in short time. Much of the machine is built of aluminum. In a test against time a flight was made, and the entire machine dismantled and loaded ready for shipment in twelve minutes. This model has been viewed by representatives of the International Club. Another test will be made Oct. 15. High-pressure Gardening THE DASHEEN AND SOMETHING ABOUT IRISH POTATOES^ ALSO. I have spoken several times of the diffi- culty of getting Irish potatoes suitable for planting here in Florida, say in October and November, and we had the same trouble this year. Of course, there are potatoes on the market, but only those recently harvested, and therefore no sign of a sprout started. Two years ago we tried keeping over the potatoes we grew, and dug in April; but the rats got into our cellar in our absence and ate them all; and this past summer, when we boxed them up secure from the rats, they all rotted. On that Brooksville trip through the " wilderness " in front of a lone dwelling I saw some beautiful sprouted potatoes on the grass in the yard. The own- er explained that he kept them through the summer without any trouble by simply spreading them out on the barn tloor; and since then I have met several people who kept them in a similar way so as to be all ready for planting when they retunied from the North. Neighbor Ault, the man of the tall dasheens, is just now digging beautiful new potatoes, and has sent us a panful to mix with our " creamed " dasheens, and, I may also add, very nice new potatoes are on sale, where I sell my eggs, at 60 cts. a peck. We have been, for a month back, fitting our ground and planting Bliss Triumph pota- toes as well as dasheens. In regard to dasheens, see the following, which I have just clipped from the Jack- sonville Times-Union: It will not grow in soil suitable for cotton, but may be grown in soil suitable for potatoes. The im- portance of the dasheen to the Southerner lies par- ticularly in the fact that it matures in the fall, whereas the main potato crop in the South matures in the spring, and in winter the Southern States have to obtain their potato supply from the North. If dasheens were grown and properly appreciated there would probably be little need for the South ever to buy northern-grown potatoes for food. DI.STRIBUTED FROM BROOKSVILLE. The department's office of foreign seed and plant introduction, which has been the means of making the dasheen known in America, has received a num- ber of letters like the following : ■' On March 20, 1913, I received from your de- partment some dasheens shipped by the Brooksville, Fla., station. I planted them March 24, on a loamy soil here in Monroe, La., two blocks west of Ouachita River. They soon came up and were large enough to begin eating the greens and stems, which our family soon became very fond of. I grew 40 hills. The plants grew up 5 feet high. Some of the plants made only 5 pounds of dasheens while others made as much as 10 pounds to the hill. I have not dug mine yet. In fact, I can leave them in the ground this winter here, as the ground does not freeze so much here. We have been eating the dasheens for some time, and like them better than Irish potatoes. " I think you should add another name to them, and call them ' dasheen, or poor man's friend,' since any person with very limited space can plant a few hills in a garden or yard early in spring, and have nice fresh greens from early spring until frost, and then, best of all, come the tubers." Let me say once more, where in the world can you find another plant (or vegetable) that produces a nourishing and delicious food just as soon as it is above ground, and also where every bit above ground and un- der the ground is edible at every stage of its growth, and that gives a yield like that, mentioned in the clipping? At this date, Dec. 20, I have seen no 1914 seed catalogs. • I am curious to know how many will have enterprise enough to offer dasheen tubers. They will need but little room in gi-een- houses, hot-beds, cold-frames, and window- boxes, until the big leaves begin to spread tliemselves. Our " amadumbes " from South Africa are growing finely, and so far look very much like the dasheen. As the beauti- ful leaves unfold I am watching them morn- ing, noon, and night. I find I omitted one important fact in re- gard to the dasheen at the Government sta- tion at Brooksville. While there was a fair yield of tubers on ground without manure or fertilizer, the yield was almost doubled by a generous application on several rows through the middle of the field. The ama- dumbe I have several times mentioned (from South Africa) is now making a splendid, growth. A leaf just unrolling grew 5 inches* 80 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE (during a warm rain) in 24 hours. So far it looks almost exactly like our Trinidad dash- eens. Of course I have not as yet tested them for food. THE DASHEEN MAY YET StrPPLANT THE POTATO ; NEW VEGETABLE MAY REVOLUTIONISE OUR BiLI. OF FARE IN TIME. I clip ihe following from the Jacksonville Times-Union : A recent issue of the New York Sun had the fol- lowing: From Florida comes the report that the dasheen is finding much favor among the farmers of that State, and that it is becoming popular as table food, thanks to the experiments of the State Agricultural Depart- ment and to the government farmers at the Brooks- ville, Fla., plant-introduction field station and else- where. The government's interest in the cultivation of the dasheen is due to its anxiety over the Irish or white potato, which has developed a tendency to contract various diseases, and which is admittedly becoming more uncertain in quality and quantity as the har- vests go on. In a recent number of the Fruitman's Guide a Floi'ida correspondent writes that the successes of the Florida farmer in cultivating dasheen will make the Northern farmers sit up and take notice. He points with pride to the crop of a former Jerseyman named Porteus, who planted five acres to dasheen near Tampa and raised 35,000 pounds, or nearly 700 bushels, of the vegetable to the acre. Purtite, he says, expects to clear the snug sum of $5000 for his season's work, or a cash return of $1000 to tlie acre. The correspondent admits that the price of dash- een (5 cents per pound) is high; but insists th:n its general cultivation will reduce prices. Florida, he says, is particularly adapted to the raising of dasheen, as it will grow in the summer months on land that is not generally used for any other purpose. The land where the ex-Jerseyman's crop was raised was planted to celery on November 1 of last year, and produced $1400 to the acre; and on February 1 he planted Irish potatoes, realizing $500 to the acre. On June 1 he put in dasheen, which at $1000 per acre will give him a grand total of $2900 per acre for his year's work. According to Robert A. Young, scientific assistant in Unclj Sam's office of foreign seeds and plants of the Agricultural Department, the dasheen is closely allied to the taros of Hawaii, China, and Polynesia, and is well adapted for culture in iBost lands of the South. Each hill of dasheens contains one or two large spherical corms, growing to five pounds in weight, around which are developed numerous tubers. Both corms and tubers are similar to the potato in compo- sition, but contain less water. One plant will produce from four to ten pounds of tubers in good rich soil. Both corms and tubers have an agreeable nutty flavor and are easily digest- ed. Government analyses show that dasheen contains 27 2-3 per cent of carbohydrates (starches and su- gar), and 3 per cent of protein, as against 18 per cent carbohydi-ates for the whito potato and 2.2 per cent of protein. The dasheen requires rich sandy soil, very moist, but well drained. It is not injured by an occasional flooding, and the hammock lands of Florida are therefore especially adapted to it. The corms do not keep as well as t.c^ lubers, and it is considered advisable to utilize them first. The first-grade tubers weigh from four to five ounces, and are thought by many to be superior to the Irish potato. It is believed that the dasheen will be a familiar vegetable in our markets before long. Temperance god's KINGDOM COMING. We clip the following from the Farmer's Wife: SUFFRAGE IN ILLINOIS. The advocacy that Illinois is going to the bad, and that women vote for politics instead of principle, was smashed to smithereens on November 4, when tlie women of that State got out and voted four to one in favor of no license in 25 different munici- palities. In Jacksonville the total vote showed an excess of women's votes over those cast by men to the number of 39. In many of the towns the vote of women was almost equal to that of men. Illinois is a crucial field, a field wherein womel fiave nor been wholly united in the desire for suf- frage, but where it has been granted to them. The results of this election prove that when women have a duty to perform they measure well their moral responsibility, and go out and perform that duty to the best of their ability. And now read this from the Wheeling Advance: Oklahoma City, Sept. 25. — Not a newspaper in this State will carry a liquor advertisement in any form — it is the only State in the country with such a reputation. Can any other State come up to this '.' high-water mark " ? god's kingdom coming down IN TEXAS. We clip the following from the American Advance. Please notice concluding sen- tence. Texas' new anti-liquor shipment law, which has just gone into effect, prohibits the shipment of intox- icating liquors into any dry county, dry town, or even dry precinct, from any State, wet county, or wet precinct; and every man participating in the transportation of liquors, even from a wet portion of a city to a dry section of the same — -shipper, carrier, agent, receiver — is made liable to prosecution under a penalty clause providing from one to three years in the penitentiary as a persuader against violation. No firm, corporation, or person is allowed to solicit or accept orders in or from dry territory by letter, circular, or other printed matter. Now read the following from the Union Signal : The attorney-general's department of Texas is re ported to have handed down an opinion that news papers are prohibited from carrying liquor advertise nients in papers circulating in dry territory. Our big city dailies will begin to thinl things look serious when told they can't senc copies containing liquor advertisements int( Texas. ^^* I m. iiB,. 1 ^^mmmmm'^>^ Hand Saw, No. £88 23 Price $2.00 Screw Driver, No. K50 6 Price $0.40 Auger Bits, No. KS 8, Price $0.30. No. KB 8, Price $0.60 Tools That You Need For the thousand and one repairs around the place, for building the needed things with wood, you need Keen Kutter tools because they make easier work. And they cut true, hit true, and stay with tiieir job. Be sure to buy mHKumR Tools and be sure to look for the Keen Kutter trade mark. That means first-rate materials, honest workman- ship, rigid shop inspection and the full worth of your money. It means, too, that if yon aren't satisfied with the way any Keen Kutter tool acts, any Keen Kutter dealer is authorized to return your money, whether you bought the tool from him or not. The Recollection of Quality Remains Long After the Price is Forgotten. " — E. C. SIMMONS. Trade Mark Registered . If not at your dealer's, write us. SliUIVIONS HARDWARE CO. St. Louis New York Philadelphia Toledo Minneapolis Sioux City Wichita Pocket Knife No. K618 Price $1.00 Bract, Nu. KP8 Price $1.50 Block Plane, No. KllO Price $0.50 Hammer, No, Kl ' Price $0.75 NEW Bingham ^'^ New Bingham Bcc SmoRcr Bee Smoker Pa.tented llu' ail-iniporl.-uit tool of tlic most (.'xtcn.sivL' honey produc-iTs of the world. This illustration shows the remarkable steel fire-grate which such men as Mr. France, Mr. Rauchfuss, the Dadants, and others say is the best on the market. . The Smoke Engine grate has 381 holes for air and draft — ec(ual to an opening two inches square. 15uy the large sizes and be pleased. For sale at \our dealers or direct. Smoke luifrinc, finch .stove, wt. iM lbs. Doctor, sK^incli .stove, wt. l^s lli.s., . . Two larj^er sizes in I'opper, extra . . . Conqueror, ;i-inch stove, wt. 1^ lbs. . . Little Wonder, 2}4-inch stove, wt. 1 11)., . Two largest sizei witli hinged cover. $1.25 .85 .75 .50 A. G. WOODMAN CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Piibli.slied fjy 'Jhe A. J. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. H. ROOT, Assistant PJditor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Bovdex, Advertising Manager. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. CaIiVEET, Business Mgr. VOL. XLII. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 NO. 3 Editorial OHIO EEEKEEPKRS, TAKE NOTICE. We wish to call the attention of Ohio beekeepers to the program (as given on page 119 of this is.sue) of (lie convention to be held at Athens, February 12 and 13. We know that no eifort has been spared to make (his meeting a great success. E. R. Root will be in Florida at that time, but H. H. Root expects to be present. RAIXS IN CALIFORNIA. Just as we go to press we have the fol- lowing from Mr. Chadwick, our correspon- dent in California: We have just had a four-inch rain, and our pros- pects are much brightened in consequence. Mendle- son says that we shall get the largest honey crop in years, the winter having been open and warm. The morning papers to-day, Jan. 27, are telling of a terrible rainstorm yesterday in parts of Southern California — the worst ever known. We doubt whether so much water falling at once will do as much good as it would if it came more slowly; but certainly from the beekeepers' standpoint the outlook is the most promising of any season in recent years. bees and poppies. For the past few months there has ap- peared in the newspapers in various forms a story of bees becoming stupefied by work- ing on i)oi>j>y blossoms. The various items have included the names of different parties, and certain details have been so obviously exaggerated that we have thus far given the matter very little thought. During a recent conversation with A. H. Berno, of Mans- field, Ohio, he said that last season on sev- eral different occasions when his bees were bringing in honey rapidly he found them working on poppias; and each time, after about a day, he said he could see a large number of bees lying about on the ground near the poppies, unable to fly, which bees, however, would finally recover and gener- ally get back to the hives by night. He cut down the poppies, and in about a week the bees were working again as usual. Mr. Berno is the florist at the Ohio State Reformatory, and he has had considerable exjjerience with bees as well as with flowers. If others of our readers have had oppor- tunities for making similar observations we should be glad to hear from them. PKOF. A. J. COOK vindicated. When an honest and capable man' tries to do his duty fairly and impartially, in a public office, especially if he does not favor some chronic office-seekers, he is pretty sure of inviting a fusilade of attacks. Prof. Cook, ever since he has taken the position of State Horticulturist of California, has had criticisms of one form and another hurled at him at different times. Matters finally came to a culmination recently, dur- ing which the opposition called a hearing before the Governor. Xot a single charge was proven true. Prof. Cook was thorough- ly vindicated on every point. Our readers will be glad to know this, because Prof. Cook has been so well and so favorably known for so many years back by the entire beekeeping world. LESS WATER USED IN MAKING HARD CANDY. The following note from C. H. Howard, Boston, Mass., came in too late for insertion elsewhere in this issue, and we thought best, therefore, to give it here as some might like to trv' the plan that he suggests in making candy for use late this winter. In your recipe for making hard candy you say, " Into a dish of hot water on ths stove pour an equal amount of sugar, stirring constantly." I have made hard candy for bee-feedin? for years, and do as you say, with this difference: I use one part water to six part-s of sugar, and usually boil from five to ten minutes. I think you will find it quite a saving of time if you try this amount of water. We tried using less water than the amount stated in the directions in our January 1st issue, but we had difficulty in getting all the sugar dissolved at once. If any sugar re- mains undissolved by the time boiling com- mences, the candy is sure to crystallize. It is true that it takes a little longer time to evaporate this extra amount of water, but 82 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE it seemed to us the easier way. Possibly others might think differently. At any rate, we should be glad to have reports from any who may try both ways. A COURSE IN APICULTURE AT THE IOWA STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. In keeping with many of the other pro- gressive States, Iowa is to have this spring, a course in beekeeping in connection with the State Agricultural College at Ames. This course is to be an eminently practical one, and the students are to be given daily lectures upon different phases of beekeep- ing, no text-book being used. In this the plan will be similar to the one carried on at some of the other institutions where bee- keeping is taught. Briefly, the course will consist of one lecture and one laboratory period of three hours per week for half a year. Among other things will be taken up a study of the anatomy, physiology, devel- opment, and habits of the bee, including practice in general apiary methods, the handling of bees and their products, the races of bees, diseases, etc. COVER PICTURE. The view shown on the cover gives a glimpse of some beautiful apples hanging in the trees just before picking time. No amount of careful blending of printer's ink can bring out the rich coloring, and we are glad that we made no attempt to imitate the natural tints. This picture, and the ones on pages 95 and 96 were taken last fall in the fifty-acre orchard of Van Rens- selaer & Southam (see article by Mr. Van Rensselaer on page 94). Very close to tins orchard is situated our Stone Hill yard, a part of which is shown on the cover of our July 15th issue. The spraying outfit used was also shown on the cover of our June 15th issue. Messrs. Van Rensselaer & Southam are enthusiastic over the value of the bees as pollinators, and they want even more bees, if possible, next season. Is it at all strange that the most progres- sive and successful fruit-men do not need to be told of the value of bees as pollinators, nor of the bad etJect on the fruit itself of spraying in full bloom? BEES AND GRAPES. During September and October we usu- ally hear of one or more instances of trouble arising between beekeepers and grape-grow- ers because of the supposed injury that the bees do to the grapes in biting or stinging- holes through the skins of the grapes and sucking the juice. Of course, it has been shown many times that bees can not do this; that birds are the real culjjrits, after all, and that the bees merely suck the juice from the fruit that has burst because of being overripe, or that has been punctured by birds, and is, therefoi'e, unmarketable. To get the grape-grower to believe this when he sees the bees with his own eyes working on the juice of the grape, is rather difficult. There is some difference of oj^inion as to whether bees pollenize the blossoms of grapevines. Our Mr. Marchant says he has seen bees working on the blossoms in the South, and he believes that bees do cross- pollenize grapevines. In our own apiary we have very large crops of grapes on the vines growing at each stand; but we confess that we ourselves have no absolute proof to otfer one way or the other. We should be glad to hear from any of our readers who have such proof' for if it can be shown that the bees pollenize Ihe blossoms of the grapes as they do of so many other fruits, tlus fact will go a long way toward overcoming the prejudice against the bees that exists in the minds of some of the gi'ape-growers. MISBRANDING AND ADULTERATION OF SPRAY- ING MIXTURES. In this special number on bees and fz'uit it may be pertinent to call attention to the fact that fruit-growers, besides having to be extremely careful as to the time for spray- ing, must also pay strict attention to the quality of the solution which they use for spraying. In these days of adulteration it is a favorite practice on the part of many sensational writers seeking for a little more notoriety to call every thing adulterated, even comb honey, as our readers know. However, tlie United States Department of Agriculture in a recent statement for the press has called attention to certain cases of adulteration and misbranding that the fruit- growers among our readers would do well to notice. Because of our lack of space we are unable to use the whole statement in question. The following is the introduction : GOVKRNMENT WINS INSECTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE CASES. Washington, D. C— The Government has recent- ly secured judgments against a number of concerns for violations of the Insecticide Act. These involve the misbranding or adulteration of insect-powders, moth-balls, roach-exterminators, and various other insecticides and fungicides shipped in interstate com- merce. Following is a resume of each case: We can not use the resume of each case, nor is it necessary here to mention all of the cases listed. The following, however, being instances of adulteration or misbranding of preparations used for spraying will be of interest : FEBRUARY 1, 1914 83 " Persian Insect Powder," shipped by Lewy Chemical Co., New York; " Orchard Brand Atomic Sulphur Fungicide," " Or- chard Brand Arsenite Zinc," " Orchard Brand Atomic Sulj^hur Combined with Ar- senate of Lead," " Bordeaux Arsenate of Lead Mixture," " Bordeaux Mixture," all shipped by Thomsen Chemical Co., Balti- more, Md. ; " Kerosene Oil Emulsion," " Lime, Sulphur, and Salt," or " Horicum," " French Bordeaux Mixture," the last three shipped by Benjamin Hammond, Fishkill- on-Hudson, N. Y. ; and " Lead Arsenate," shipped by Fred L. Lavanburg, New York. A careful reading of the article by " A New England Veteran," page 91, will con- vince almost any one, we think, that spray- ing is often gi'eatly overdone; or else it is done injudiciously by i^ersons who are fol- lowing unreliable directions, or, worse still, following no directions at all. If spraying is done in a haphazard manner, perhaps it is just as well that the solution used be adulterated. Up-to-date fruit-growers and beekeepers will do well to pay especial attention to the emphatic statement by Prof. H. A. Surface, in the extract on page 93, copied from the Practical Farmer. We wish that all ihe farm j^apers would publish such a state- ment. It would have more weight than the same thing in a bee journal, because the bee journal is supposed to be i^rejudiced in favor of the bees. " INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING." The above is the title of Bulletin No. 158, by Wilmon Newell, State Entomologist, and F. B. Paddock, Assistant Entomologist, and by William Harper Dean, formerly Assistant Entomologist at College Station, Texas. Seldom do we run across a bulletin from any station that contains more inter- esting and valuable matter on the subject of bees than does this one. Mr. Wilmon New- ell. State Entomologist, is an enthusiastic beekeeper. Unfortunately, he is not in posi- tion where he can devote all his time and energies to the subject of bees; nevertheless, he and his assistant have given us some valuable experiments, all of which are re- corded and given in the bulletin mentioned above. DOES IT PAY TO DIVIDE IN RUNNING FOR COMB HONEY? Wilmon Newell, unlike many experts, sees not only the scientific but the prac- tical side of bee culture. In the two first pages of this bulletin he gives the results of some experiments regarding swarm control that are exceedingly valuable— val- uable because he has gone after the work from the standpoint of the trained scientist. One of the problems he has tackled is, " Which is the more profitable — to prevent a colony from swarming, and thus conserve its strength, or divide it into two colonies early in the season and have both of them gather honey? " He admits that the consen- sus of opinion is in favor of the colony not divided. He selected a number of colonies -—one set he did not divide, and the other set he divided, giving a part of them queen- cells and a part laying queens at the time of the division. The colonies that had the laying queens had the advantage. He says : " It seems a safe conclusion that, had the ones which were provided with ripe queen- cells at the time of division been provided with laying queens instead, their production would have been at least as great as the others. The conclusion is justified that the purchase of queens for these colonies, even at a price of one dollar each, would have been profitable, inasmuch as this would have increased the average production of these colonies by 30 lbs. of extracted honey." The average from colonies that were divided had 114 lbs. of surplus; that is to say, the com- bined surplus from the two after division was 114 lbs. In the apiaries where the colonies were not divided, which either did not swarm or which were prevented from doing so, gave an average of 127 lbs. surplus per colony, or 13 lbs. more than the ones that were di- vided. " But," says Mr. Newell, " we ob- tained from divided colonies not only a sur- ]ilus of 114 lbs., but a colony of bees," which he puts at the very low price of $3.00. Looking at it this way, and figuring the honey at 7 cents, the difference in favor of division was $2.09. ]\IETHODS FOR CONTROLLING SWARMING. With regard to the methods for prevent- ing swarming, he found that increasing the size of the brood-chamber delayed it in some cases and stopped it in others alto- gether. Increasing the super room did no good. Shaking on foundation stopped the swarming and gave an average of 137 lbs. each. Colonies which did not swarm gave an average of 121 lbs. " One might be in- clined," he says, " from a consideration of these flg^ures, to suppose that the shaking treatment had actually increased the pro- duction. But such a conclusion would not be correct." The shaken colonies had the advantage in that they were stronger in the first place than the colonies that did not SAvarm. THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE BEE MOTH. Perhaps the most striking thing in this .84 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE bulleiin is tie life history and control of the bee moth, by F. B. Paddock. This is the most elaborate and complete treatment on the subject that we have ever seen; and while we believe that the author unduly magnifies the bee moth as a serious enemy (and it doubtless is such among the box-hive beekeepers of Texas), he has nevertheless given us a stoi-y that supplies many gaps in our knowledge of this pest. Its life history is illustrated by numerous fine half-tone en- gravings. It would be almost impossible to give a review of this magnificent piece of work, because it should be read entire in order to be understood. It is so well done that we shall beg the privilege of making it owr into one of our booklets when the sup- ply of this bulletin has been exhausted. This treatise on bee moth is followed by a critical study of Texas beekeeping, by "W. H. Dean. Some of the figures ai'e interest- ing in showing the importance of the bee- keeping industry in Texas. In spite of Avhat Mr. Dean says to the contrai-y one would be surprised to find so large a number of bee- keepers who keep black bees in old box hives. This fact will explain why the bee moth is really a serious enemy to some bee- keepers in Texas. Mr. Dean summarizes his report as follows : The average production of honey, all grades, per colony in Texas for the season of 1911, as secured from reports of 2733 beekeepers, was 26 pounds. Were the production from box hives eliminated from this estimate, the average would be much higher in spite of adverse seasonal influences. Bulk comb honey ("chunk honey") is the chief production of the Texas apiary. It follows extracted honey and sections, the latter form being compara- tively scarce. In the data expressing the views of Texas beekeep- ers as to whether apiculture is profitable as a side line rather than as a profession it is interesting to note that the most extensive beekeepers maintain that the industrj' is tinprofitable unless conducted on a large scale, and that those who claim the industry is profitable only as a side line are almost invariably beekeepers who follow the calling on the correspond- ing scale. DISTURBING BEES IN WINTER. In the American Bee Jotirnal for Decem- ber is an article from G. M. Doolittle on this subject. In a general way he advises against it; but toward the latter part of his article he gives some testimony that goes to show that it may not be altogether an unmitigated evil. We quote: I have many times proven that such disadvantage wa^ overbalanced bj' the advantage gained along other lines. Let me give one or two illustrations : When I had been keeping bees some two or three years a farmer living two miles distant advertised 27 colonies for sale in box hives at $5.00 each. This was considered a big price at the time, but, like any beginner, I was anxious for more bees, so I went to Bce them. He kindly consented to let me look them over, which I did by carefully tipping the hives on the benches they occupied, as they were wintering outdoors. I found that most of them were light in stores, and that there was only one colony in the lot that I considered worth the $5.00. I offered $5.00 for this one, which he took. I wrapped it in one of the sheets I had brought along, put it on the opposite side of the cutter seat which I occupied, turning it bottom side up, and drove home in the twilight of a cold evening in the fore part of January. I well re- member how the bees roared, as the sleighing was poor, and how I inwardly censured myself for not leaving them where they were until spring, as " such a disturbance as this " would surely cause them to die. When they got quiet, about 10 o'clock that night, I carried them to the cellar where the rest of the bees were, took the sheet off, and set them in their place beside the others, still bottom side up, as in the early 70's we always wintered bees in box hives that way. No more of the farmer's bees were sold, and im- agine my surprise to find on going there one day the last of April, that all but two of the 26 colonies left were dead, while the one I had disturbed " nigh unto death " was one of the best colonies I had. It gave a good swarm that year and stored 129 pounds of " box honey." After our great loss of bees during one winter in the latter 80's, a winter extremely cold and long drawn out, the claim was made that the bees " froze to death." I did not believe it, but claimed that no chance to fly during five months of " long confine- ment" was the cause. The argument "waxed so hot " .that one afternoon the next winter, when the mercury stood at 12 degrees below zero, I took a colony of bees, and, with cover and bottom-board removed, suspended the hive a foot above the ground, leaving it thus for 36 hours, during which time the mercury got as low as 23 degrees below. This colony was then put on its old stand again, and came out in May fully equal to any of its fellows which had no disturbance above the usual winter's elements. In conclusion, allow me to say that, if there is any thing in this article that would seem to show that the disturbing of bees in winter does no harm, I protest in advance against the assumption that I advise such disturbance. I do not so advise except where some gain is expected. We do not know but that we agi'ee with Mr. Doolittle that the average person, per- haps, should avoid disturbing his bees in midwinter. It is a good deal like a ease of spreading brood in the spring, and, we may say, spring feeding. But there are many things that the average beekeeper should not attempt, but which an expert can practice to advantage. We do not say that all experts under all conditions can disturb bees in their cellars and get an increase of 25 and even 50 per cent ; but there are some who can do it. We have accomplished it two different seasons, and have succeeded nicely with one lot of bees in our cellars thus far. Mr. Doolittle, in the second pai'agraph from the last, above quoted, shows that the one colony that was disturbed was the only one out of the whole lot during that severe winter that came out in good condition, while the rmdisturbed colonies nearly all died. Now, then, what an expert shoiild do is to discover the conditions under which an increase can be secured in the cellar. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 ^b Stray Straws Dr. C. C. MlLi.KR, Marengo, 111. L. W. Crovatt tliiiiks, p. 27, that his ex- perience would eoiivince adv^ocates of un- painted hives " that paint is valuable in the preservation of wood." Friend Crovatt, I think they agree with you that paint is good for the hive, but they think it isn't good for the bees. I SUPPOSE Italians are not alike in the matter of capping. At any rat€, my Ital- ians have hardly tallied with what Bro. Doolittle says about their dark capping, p. 9. With a few exceptions there has hardly been a noticeable difference in the capping of my Italians and blacks or hybrids. Drone Juice for Uniting. — In Rhein. Bztg. it is recommended to mash up drone brood, thin the juice with a little water, and then sprinkle bees with it to make them unite peaceably. [We should be afraid that, under some conditions, this would result in fearful robbing. Moreover, mashed - up brood of any kind is liable to cause sting- ing also. We certainly would not advise beginners to ti*y it if they do not want to get into trouble. — Ed.] J. E. Crane^ if you mean that four-foot board to be used for the whole apiary, p. 879, it seems to me your record will be crowded. If you mean one for each colony it must take quite a lumber-pile. You say glue makes leaves of a book stick together. I've glue galore, and the leaves of my books are daubed with both glue and honey, yet it makes no serious trouble in the space of 50 years or so. How it might be as a perma- nent practice I can't say. William Tanner has my thanks for a package of genuine German lebkuchen made in Nuremberg. I'm sending you a share, Mr. Editor. In Germany these lebkuchen associate' honey with Christmas in a way not known in this country. [The samples came duly to hand, and they are certainly very fine. It is to be regi-etted that in this country we do not have this German custom of eating tliis honey-cake lebkuchen during Christmas. The recipe for lebkuchen will be found on page 33 of our booklet of hon- ey recipes. — Ed.] I'd like to know what Mel Pritchard looks like. Is that he, p. 28? [Yes. His picture appears on pages 27, 28, 29, also on page 892 of our issue for Dec. 15. On page 888 appears a picture of our Mr. Marehant, who is now in Florida with our 300 colonies. Mr. Ray, another one of our apiarists, ap- pears on page 891. Mr. Mel Pritchard !iiakes smokers when he can not work with the bees. Mr. Ray goes out selling honey, and Mr, Marehant is taking care of our southern apiary. We always endeavor to keep our beemen busy the year round. — Ed.] In Germany " early breeders " are disap- proved, colonies that start brood-rearing later being considei'ed more successful. It begins to look, p. 3, that you were reversing that rule at Medina. [Here is a case where locality would have a bearing early in the spring in Northern Ohio. In the cellar espe- cially, we should say if brood-rearing can start by the first of January, and be main- tained from then on till the bees are taken out of the cellar, it will mean stronger and better colonies. Of course, one has to guard against starvation. Unless the bees are sup- plied with candy or unsealed stores, they may not do much brood-rearing. — Ed.] Laying Workers. — As reported in III. Monatsblaetter, Silvester Hirsch unqueened a normal colony, took away its unsealed brood, and gave it from time to time frames of sealed brood. During all this time, of course, the bees could rear no queen, neither did laying workers appear. Then he gave a comb with brood four or fiv|e days old, but nothing younger. The bees immediately started queen-cells, but destroyed them be- fore maturity. The worker brood proceed- ed to maturity, and, shortly after the emerg- ence of the young workers, eggs were found, two to ten in a cell — ^of course from laying workers. He thinks extra food produced laying workers. Whether they can always be explained in this way is a question. I have always believed that a worker never stings a queen, for if it did why should a queen live for hours when balled? One day last summer, while I held a queen in my hand a worker jumped upon it, and in a jiffy that queen was a dead queen. But I still think that a balled queen is rarely stung, if ever, j^erhaps because in the ball it is impossible for a worker to get into prop- er position to sting. [There have been so many reports that the bees have actually stung a queen to death inside of a ball, and we have had so many cases of it in our own yards, that we should say that death by suffocation was the exception and not the rule. It will be remembered when this mat- ter came up years ago, we stated that we had repeatedly had queens stung in the thorax when pulled out of a ball of bees. — Ed.] 66 GLEANINGS IN BEE OULtURfi Notes from Canada J. L. Byee, Mt. Joy, Ont. A mild winter so far, here in Ontario. At this date, Jan. 10, we have not yet had zero weather. But there is lots of time for real cold weather yet, as from now till Feb. 15 is the time we usually get our most se- vere snaps. Although the weather is mild, yet the air is not warm enough to stir the bees up any, and from all appearances they are wintering nicely so far. DECEMBER BROOD-REARING A DOIjBTFUL DE- SIRABILITY. Brood-rearing is going on nicely in De- cember, page 3, Jan. 1. May be all right for Medina, but none of it if we can avoid such a thing for us in this locality. If those bees could not be taken out of the cellar till some time late in April, as might hap- pen here in Ontario, I feel that so much December brood-i'earing would spell disas- ter. Although the editor tells of weak colonies going into the cellar and coming out strong in the sj^ring, I must say I am very skeptical about such a thing being possible in ordinary practice, to say the least. If there is any thing I feel sure about, it is that brood-rearing, especially out of season, is very hard on the vitality of the bees raising said brood, and that is the reason I have always been opi:)osed to the policy of early spring feeding for stimula- tive purposes. * * * OUTDOOR WINTERING MORE IN VOGUE IN ONTARIO. Judging from what one reads in Glean- ings lately, the indoor m.ethod of wintering seems to be popular around Medina, 0. This seems strange to us chaps away north here in Ontario, as the present tendency is more toward outdoor wintering all the time, and I suppose the climate of Ohio is much milder than with us — indeed, from the very fact that we are so much further north we no doubt have much colder Aveather than they have down there. This fall I have re- ceived letters from a number of beekeepers who are north and east of me, and where cellar wintering is mostly practiced, the writers declaring their intention of trying the outdoor plan next season. While I have in every case advised caution in changing from a plan that has given fair satisfaction to that of a system in which they have had no experience, yet I believe that the outdoor plan can be safely followed in manj^ local- ities where it is commonly thought to be unsafe to try to winter outdoors. We have ;;~"" cclcnics wintering outside exactly 100 miles straight north of Toronto; and while this is but our second winter in that section, I am not worrying much as to the outcome. * * * BEES AND FRUIT. This is an alluring combination that will have a tendency to make many city dwellers anxious to take a try at the " back to the land" policy. In a small way, fruit-growing goes nicely with commercial beekeeping; but unless competent heljD can be obtained, the specialist beekeeper is better to have just enough of the smaller fruit for his own use. They come in at the same time as the honey harvest; and as many of as could say from experience, we don't feel much like picking fruit for market when the bees are rushing us good and hard. Late apples, pears, etc., come on at a time when they can be handled better by a bee- keeper; but then the most of the commercial beekeepers do not have a large acreage of land to farm, so this line is out of the ciuestion. However, " bees and fruit " ap- peals strongly to this scribbler, and some day I hope to be able to settle down with one ajDiary and have the time and pleasure of reveling among all the choicest kinds of fiiiits that our climate will stand for. This is one of my dreams. Whether I shall ever be in position to realize its fulfillment or not is another question. * * * BOATS FOR TRAVELING TO BEE-YARDS. What Mr. Scholl has to say in the D.ec. loth issue about Grant Anderson, of Texas, simply reaffirms what I stated some time ago on the subject of motor boats. With- out a doubt, if I were starting in beekeei^ing again, and could find some locality suitable for honey production that had a navigable stream running through the country, that is the place I would choose to establish a series of out-apiaries. As mentioned before, we liave a gasoline-launch at the yard north of Toronto, 100 miles, and it is certainly the ideal way to get around nicely and cheaply. Unfortunately the river is not navigable far enough for us to put any more apiaries on its banks; but the boat has demonstrated its usefulness along the lines indicated by Mr. Scholl. No tire troubles annoy us, and no bad roads stop you at any time in the season when working with the bees. Then again, the launch is not so expensive to buy or maintain as is an automobile. But I am sorry to say we have few locations around FEBRUARY 1, 1914 87 US witli the necessary navigable waters, so I shall have to use the means of traveling at my command, and be satisfied. * * * FIGHTING AMONG BEES OF THE SAME COLONY. A. C. Miller is, in my opinion, quite a keen observer. I say this in all sincerity. In just the same spirit, I can not help ex- pressing the opinion that he sometimes makes claims to tilings as being facts when common practice seems to say there is noth- ing in his contentions. Writing in the American Bee Journal on the theme of queen introduction, odor, etc., he says that, when some colonies have combs with adher- ing bees taken from them, if these combs with tlie bees adhering are stood outside the hive for ten minutes or so, against trees, buildings, etc., when returned to the hive again there will be violent fighting among the lot united again, so that a quarter or more of the colony will be destroyed. Now, 1 don't pretend to be much of an observer ; but I don't believe this can be possible and not be noticed by men handling hundreds of colonies for years. In some old systems we used to have of finding queens in populous colonies for purposes of dividing for mak- ing increase, etc., often have we had the combs separated for much longer than ten minutes, and never once can I recall seeing a " scrap " such as Mr. Miller refers to. Of course, friend Miller says " some " colonies, so perliaps he has something out of the ordinary. But at present I am inclined to think he has stated very emphatically some- thing that will be hard to prove to be correct in actual practice. * * * BROOD-REARING IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. " Only young queens, thirty daysj or younger, will lay during the months of Sep- tember and October in the Northern States," p. 777, Nov. 1. Isn't that putting it a little strong? Any way, if it is true of the North- ern States, it is not the case in Ontario, still further north. At the Cashel yard I had 16 colonies in single-walled hives — in- crease made in July, all queens being of that month's rearing. They were left very late — too late, in fact, before being trans- ferred to double-walled hives. October 29 they were lifted into the winter hives, each comb handled singly. Fourteen of the colonies had brood hatching in two frames, while two had three frames each. Of course the frames were not filled with brood, as the colonies had been fed heavily for winter. A few of the colonies had too much space with no honey, to suit me; and when brood was hatched they were given some more winter stores. In no case did I observe un- sealed larvEe; but as I handled the frames rather rapidly I may have overlooked any if it was present. But the comparatively large amount of hatching brood was prhna facie evidence that these queens had been laying all through the first week of October, and they were at least three months old. BEES GETTING INTO THE TVRONG HIVES. That bees in an apiary mix up a great deal is a well-known fact; but it is only when unusual conditions prevail that I have a chance to see how much mixing is really done, and to get an idea of how any disease that might be carried by bees would soon spread all through an entire apiary. At the Cashel apiary the bees are nearly all Car- niolan and their crosses, only a very few pure Italians being in the yard. In the row furthest west, which contains about 25 colonies, there is one hive of pure golden Italians, the workers being about as solid yellow as any I have ever seen. It is need- less to say these bees are very conspicuous when mixed with other colonies of dark bees, and I was much surprised during the past season to see how these goldens have mixed up with their neighbors. For at least 30 feet on each side of the hive they come from, golden bees may be found in all colo- nies ; and while some are present in the row back of the one they are in, not nearly as many show up as in the hives in the same row. On one side of this hive its neighbor iiive is exactly tlie same in color, and I should judge that about one quarter of the inmates are golden. On the opposite side of the hive the next neighbor is of a differ- ent color, and very few goldens are mixed with them. Still further away on the same side as the different-colored hive, the next one is of the same color as the one with golden bees, and in this hive the yellow fellows show up very plentifully. This would seem to show that the young bees are attracted by the same-colored hive, as they certainly have not gone into the dark hives near them to any great extent. The colony of goldens does not seem to have so many dark bees, so they have not gained any by their indiscriminate mixing with their neigh- bors, and it looks as though they are not as •good home-finders as the dark bees. I re- member G. B. Howe telling me that there was always a much greater loss in mating among Italians than with the darker races ; and from my experience of the past few years I am ready to endorse that idea, as I continually find a much greater loss among Italians in cases of supersedure, etc., than is the case with the Carniolans and other dark bees. 88 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. SELLING HONEY THE SAME WAY THAT ORANGES ARE SOLD. This will not reach its readers until after the meeting on market at Los Angeles is past history, and I have not felt that it was my business to attend the meeting, as I am not on the committee; but I have thought many times, and still think, the only logical way to handle this marketing business would be on the lines on which the orange business is handled. This plan could be followed out successfully if properly managed. Not only would the beekeeper be saved the profits of a middleman or two, but the buyer would get the honey at a figiu-e that would let it reach the retailer and ultimately the con- sumer at a reasonable figure. The orange- marketing system as followed in California to-day is one of the most sane and satisfac- tory of any system of marketing of an agi-i- cultural product. I might profitably give a synopsis of the workings of the California orange pool, and explain the advantages. There are really several pools in opera- tion at some of the packing-houses at the same time. For instance, we first have the Christmas pool. This includes all of the fruit picked and shipped for the Christmas trade, and closes about Dec. 10 as a rule. All growers who put fruit in the pool receive the same for their fruit of the grade they furnish. Then there is the season's pools, and pools of various lengths during the season. It is the season's pool of which T will speak principally, for it will serve my purpose best in comparison. The holiday fruit is, as a rule, not included in the sea- son's pool, but all of the remainder of the shipping season is included which runs over a period for the navels from Jan. 1st to near the first of June, varying a little ac- cording to the season. The fruit is hauled into the packing-houses and weighed, set aside, and the boxes marked. "Wlien they are ready to pass over the grader, an account is kept of the amount of the different grades as well as the culls. These records are com- piled from day to day as the fruit of the individual comes in until all of his fruit has passed over the grader. At the end of this period the entire amount is added, so many of such and such a grade, and so many culls. The great advantage in the season's pool is that the grower receives for his fruit exactly what every one else in the pool re- ceives, or an average for the entire season. If the market happens to be bad in New York or Chicago for a week or so, and the price runs down at those points, the grower need have no fear of his fruit being sold cheap on that market, for after his fruit is packed it loses its identity, and no one knows or cares where it goes, and the result is that no one man gets all of the high prices nor all of the low, but the average for the season is figured on the entire amount, as so much per box, and the grower gets the average on the number of boxes he furnished for the season. When the fruit is packed the packers will advance a certain amount on the fruit shipped. This plan could be followed in handling our honey without any great outlay of capi- tal. Honey in the warehouse, covered with insurance, is considered gilt-edge security by our banks. There could be a central sell- ing agency from which all of this business could be handled, and a pool agreement signed for the season. When I had, say, 50 or 100 cases of honey stored I could take a warehouse receipt for it, get it insured, and forward it to headquarters; the manager could go direct to the bank, present the receipt and bon'ow on it, which in turn could be mailed to me in the form of a draft or check. This, at the end of the season, would be deducted from my returns for the season. An inspector could be put on the road to travel and check up the amount of each producer of the grade his honey would be classed under. If, for instance, there were ten beekeepers in Redlands who had honey stored, it could be inspected, graded, and reported to the selling agency as to the amount of the different grades. The selling agency could in turn sell a car of a certain grade and order it loaded and forwarded to a certain point. The beekeeper always needs money right away, and in this way could be satisfied, and yet help to hold the crop di- rectly in the hands of our own agency. This would eliminate also the habit of buyers traveling through the country, paying a difference in prices ranging as high as two cents for the same grade of honey in the same locality from different producers. I know this could be done if the beekeep- ers were ready to back the agency, and would put the honey market in the hands of the beekeepers instead of allowing the buy- ers to place arbiti-ary prices on our crops. I have written something on this line previously, but desired to enter a little more into details at this time. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 89 Beekeeping Among the Rockies Wesley Poster, Boulder, Col. IS THE SUPPLY LIKELY TO BECOME GREATER THAN THE DEMAND? Boulder County produced over three hun- dred thousand pounds of honey the past season — that is, ten carloads, and all comb honey. One of the smallest counties in Colorado produced twice the comb honey that a city like St. Louis can consume in a year. Forty beekeepers produced all the comb honey that two million people eat. There is something wrong, and conditions must be changed, or we shall see worse ahead in honey-marketing. When a State like Colorado produces enough comb honey to supply twenty cities like Kansas City with their supply, consumable production and overproduction are drawn on pi'etty close lines. Western beemen must shortly bestir themselves in the line of educating to honey consumption. They are now paying heavily for their blindness to the narrow- ness of the market for comb honey. A bumper crop will put us in bad shape every year it comes. * * » HEAVY SNOV^FALL IN COLORADO. Northern Colorado has had the heaviest snowfall in the writer's seventeen years' residence in the State. All together more than 40 inches of snow fell, completely covering all hives. Concern for the safety of the bees was immediately felt by the beekeepers, as the snow was very heavy and wet. Some began at once to shovel out the hives, opening the entrances by digging a trench along in front of the rows of hives. Others, through lack of experience, shoveled out the hives and set them on top of the snow. A large proportion of the beemen, however, left their colonies covered up, as it was found that the warmth of the clusters had melted the snow away from the four sides fully eight inches. Fear, however, was felt that, when the snoAv began to melt, it would form a slush at the entrance, and freeze at night, closing the entrance and smothering the bees. The writer shoveled his hives out by throwing the snow back over the tops of the hives, leaving a trench clear to the ground along in front of the entrances. In this way the hives have the protection of the snow on the remaining three sides and the top. The entrances can be watched, and any danger of freezing quickly remedied. However, we have had several warm days which have melted the snow close to the entrances nearly all away, so that danger is now practically past. ALFALFA PROSPECTS FOR THE COMING SEASON. The precipitation for 1913 was nearly 19 inches, or 4 inches above normal. This was caused by the big snow late in Novem- ber and early in December. Abundant wa- ter for irrigation is assured, and we hope the present good prospects will continue. Alfalfa is our main dependence for honey. The fall rains put all the clovers in prime condition, and the heavy snow has protected the clover since winter came. The ground is not yet frozen, January 3, and it is not probable that the snow will be gone for another month. Alfalfa is injured more by winter and spring freezing than in any other way. The snow so far has prevented winter-killing, and the usual winter pastur- ing has not been done. The late spring freezes are the most serious injury that can come to the alfalfa; but these will be less destructive as the hardier varieties are more generally grown. It has been demonstrated that the deep-green alfalfa will stand much more freezing without injury than the light- green varieties. With the selection of better varieties, and their more general cultivation, we may expect more uniform crops of alfal- fa honey every year. The varieties of alfalfa that the beekeep- ers and farmers may well enthuse over are the Grimm and Baltic varieties. They have proven superior in hardiness, tonnage, and seed production. The southern varieties which originally were introduced into South America from Spain, and then brought north, make up the bulk of our commercial varieties now gi-own. There is another important characteristic of the Grimm and Baltic varieties: They begin blooming before getting full growth. Fully ten days to two weeks of honey-gath- ering is provided for the bees before the alfalfa is ready at the earliest to cut. It is reasonable to suppose that varieties heavier in seed production are more valuable for the honey-bee, and this is another point where the northern varieties excel. May the time soon come, as it undoubted- ly will, when the hardiest of the northern varieties will be universally grown. As selection goes on, it will not be long before the hardiest varieties will be still further improved. 90 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Conversations with Doolittle At Borodino, New York. CONTRACTION OF THE BROOD-NEST. " In an old paper I read that much more honey can be obtained when the brood-nest is contracted than where the bees are allowed to have their whole brood-nest to work in as they i^lease. If contraction is profitable, I want to make my dummies this winter." Much depends upon what contraction is used for, and when it is used. The advocates of an eight-frame Langstroth hive use this size of hive for the purpose of securing an early rush of bees into the sections. They consider this the best way of getting a larger yield of section honey from white clover and basswood, as with this small hive the bees have little chance to store any of this honey in the brood-combs where very pro- lific queens are used, the brood from such a queen (and the necessary pollen needed for this brood ) keeping the combs of the brood- chamber filled so that, where any honey of any amount is stored, such must go into the sections. Some of oiu' most successful apiarists of the past have claimed that a hive, even smaller than the eight-frame L. hive, gives still better results, and so have used dummies to take the place of one or two of the out- side frames, thus using a six or seven frame brood-nest. They take these dummies out after the white-honey flow so that the bees can fill the frames, which now take the place of the dummies, with fall or dark honey for their winter stores. However, such contrac- tion, where a colony has a g'ood queen, is liable to bring on swarming; and when the fever is once contracted it is hard to con- trol, the prospects for a good yield of honey often fading away through the continued efforts to swarm, unless the colony is shaken or some other manipulation used, either to draw off a part or all of the working force from their brood, or take a part of the brood away. On the other hand, with an ordinary or poor queen a gain can be made at the com- mencement of the white-honey flow by using a dummy for every frame not occupied -vholly or in part with brood. Otherwio^ the combs not having brood in them will be filled with honey, the queen still further crowded down, resulting, as a rule, with little or no honey in the sections. The advocates of a ten-frame Langstroth or larger hive are quite sure that all con- traction of the brood-chamber can only re- sult in a smaller crop of section honey, rea- soning that, according to their views and experience, any contraction is a most unwise course to pursue. In the first place they claim that we need to raise all the bees possible before the opening of the main harvest ; that we must have an abundance of these workei'S or the harvest will be in vain, and to rear these workers there must be plenty of available cells. Second : In a hive we need all of the cells which a good queen will keep full of brood, and enough other cells for the storing of pollen and the need- ed daily allowance of honey that is neces- sai-y for an abundant supply to stimulate the whole household to its fullest degree. Then, when the coming harvest finds these combs all filled with brood, pollen, and hon- ey, there is nothing to be gained in taking out some of these combs and putting in dummies ; for if the brood-nest is full when the honey comes, the surplus must go into the sections. Then there are others using large hives who claim, where the season is poor up to within a week or so of the expected harvest, thus allowing several of the outside combs to be empty of any thing, that the best means of getting the bees into the sections, with the first flow of white honey, is to feed an inferior honey until these empty combs are filled the same as they would be had the season been good, thereby placing them in a better condition than would be possible by using dummies. Then contraction is practiced and advo- cated by some of our most practical bee- keepers using a ten-frame L. hive, which is, {he hiving of the large swarms sent out from these large hives on six or seven frames, using dummies to fill out the rest of the hive ; and in a locality where the surplus white honey is gathered in a short period of from two to four weeks, this is generally a profitable mode of procedure. Especially is this the case where the fiow from white clover and basswood is followed by a dearth of honey for a month or so before the flow from buckwheat or fall flowere begins. Un- der such conditions it often hap^Dens that one of these large colonies will get profitably at work in one, two, and sometimes three supers of sections, when, all at once, out will come a large swann. If they are re- turned, more likely than not the bees will keep on attempting to swarm till the harvest is over, resulting in scarcely a section of marketable honey. By hiving this large swarm in a contracted hive on the old stand, transferring the supers to the newly hived Continued on page 112. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 91 General Correspondence HELP! WHOLESALE SPRAYING OF BLOSSOMS CAUSING WIDE- SPREAD DISASTER IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS BY A NEW ENGLAND VETERAN It was with great pleasure and satisfac- tion that the writer read of the forthcoming " bee and fruit " number of Gleanings — not only from the anticipation of the enjoy- ment of reading something good — we have learned to expect that — but there comes the belief that the powerful influence of this widely read magazine may relieve the pres- ent situation in Eastern Massachusetts which has already gone far to destroy the beekeep- ing industry and interest of Essex, and, to a considerable extent, of other counties. That the matter is of vital and immediate importance to the gardener and horticultur- ist is obvious. In the matter of disease, while realizing fully the seriousness and the difficulties which beset both inspector and owner, the writer is optimistic, and from experience believes that in time it may not only be con- trolled, but, by eliminating the careless and ignorant beekeeper, raise tlie gentle craft to a higher and more satisfactory plane. For some thirty years bees have been to me at first a study and recreation, then my occupation, and have brought very satisfac- tory returns. Although surrounded by salt meadows and hard-wood forest-land, the fact that we are in the " apple belt," and that our farms are well tilled, has made the flow of nectar sufficient to give reasonable profits, and the aroma and flavor of our honey is such that there is no difficulty in selling locally all we can produce. In my home yard a sale of 25 swarms and a trifle over half a ton of comb honey has been a fair summer's work; but it is neither unfair nor exaggerated to say that, for several years, the authorities have taxed my bees in April and destroyed them in May. My crop last year was 42 lbs. of honey — no swarms ; and after heavy feeding, and the purchase of many queens, the api- ary is reduced in value one half below spring count and appraisal. With the advent of the gypsy and brown- tail moths there came the covering of the face of nature with, first, Paris gTeen, of which two-edged-tool people had a whole- some and well-grounded fear ; but later, with the arsenate of lead, of which they seem to have no fear at all; probably because, al- though it is quite as dangerous, and in some ways even more deadly, it was free from the evil reputation of Paris green, and was to most people a new substance — merely an " insecticide." It now sells at five cents a pound, and is to be found in the barns and sheds of most people who own trees or cul- tivate gardens. Frankly admitting, as I do, the absolute necessity of its use, it is still a good thing re remember that it is a very powerful cumulative metallic poison, but very imjDer- fectly soluble in the water with which it is applied; and, once exposed, is practically indestructible as a poison, although it may undergo some unimportant chemical changes ' bv oxidation. Its value is in its ability to kill ! Let me be plainly understood that the beekeeper is, or should be, the first to ac- knowledge that, where these pests have appeared in any considerable number, the only course is to spray ; but unless done at the proper time, and intelligently, it will defeat its own purpose. In this I find the men at the head, " the men higher up," are entirely with me. The ignorant employer, the farmer who does not know what he is doing, or, worse yet, does not care, or who i^ working on the absurd theory that filling the blossom with poison will kill the codling moth, not knowing that this moth takes no food of any kind, are the ones who have practically destroyed beekeeping and the wild bees in this locality. You may have more patience to listen to my sermon if I set down here something of the damage done last spring to the bees under my personal care and observation, other than my own. One yard of ten colonies in excellent con- dition, just beginning work in the supers, reduced by the second week in July to two nuclei. These were inspected, and pro- nounced free from disease. They had dur- ing the summer a loss of thirteen queens. Neither care nor expense was spared in the effort to save them. Another apiary of six strong colonies was reduced to five weak; no swarms nor har- vest. Two small apiaries were entirely wiped out. A market gardener, reduced from five to two ; an apiary of three reduced to one nucleus. A yard of five reduced to 92 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE two, and here every thing was done to save them, expense not being considered. A yard of seven was cut to three, this being an espe- cially interesting case, as they developed two mild cases of European foul brood, giving positive evidence that a case of foul brood properly treated is of less injury than " spraying in bloom." This list could be extended, covering my work in both Essex and Norfolk counties. Of all the bees under my care or advice, only two lots did any satisfactory work. One colony was kept in ;i cucumber-house until the spraying in bloom had passed, returned a very handsome profit, and gave two swarms which went into the winter nearly as strong as the par- ent colony. Another yard of four, on a large estate where tiie spraying was con- trolled, and both bees and fruit protected, increased to six and gave some 200 lbs. of fancy comb honey. Under normal condi- tions this is a good locality, and not greatly troubled by disease. To consider this question fairly and from 'all sides, one should bear in mind that the cutting out and killing of most of the wil- lows under the belief that they promote the increase of the gypsy moth has deprived the bees of their early pollen ; and hence, unless artificial pollen or pollen substitutes are supplied, the bees do not build up early enough to get the apple-bloom honey into the supers. This works out as of much greater importance than one would think. Also the cutting and burning of all roadside shrubs and bushes to destroy the moths sup- posed to be distributed by automobiles takes away in the aggregate a large amount of nectar, miles of elderberry, sumac, golden- rod, asters, etc. The filling of a " ripe " apple-blossom with a solution of arsenic may not be the most healthful treatment for the blossom; but I am a beekeeper, and will not attempt to discuss botanical matters. To say nothing of the money loss, it is not pleasant to see the yard covered with little bunches of bees quivering in the agony of arsenical poison, for arsenate of lead is " slow and sure," and the torture may con- tinue for hours. A neighbor came in haste to ask what was the matter, for his onion- bed was, as he expressed it, " covered " with dead and dying bees. The loss is not by the beekeeper alone, but the entire community is damaged, as shown by the fact that a large strawberi-y- field a short half-mile from my yard failed to fruit, although blossoming freely. The owner, an expert at the business, declares that, as my bees were practically the only ones available, their destruction caused his loss, which he estimates at $200, and it was to liim a very serious matter. Many who have enjoyed cultivating gar- dens are giving them up, as they depend on the bee for their early cucumbers and squasli. Tlie practical extermination of tlie bumble- bee has been the ciiief factor in raising the price of red clover from I2V2 to 45 cents per lb., and farmers no longer buy. Surely the loss of this valuable forage plant is not to be ignored. In spraying, especially with an engine of five to ten horse power (town machine), and in reaching tall elms and ether shade trees, a wide area is covered, both around and beneath the tree; therefore much clover, both white and red, is filled, iis the blossom is well adapted to receive and liold the poison. In this ease the nectar serves to carry the poison; but my observa- tion and experience convince me that the chief damage is by pollen, which soaks up and retains the arsenic; hence the slow ijuilding-up of a j^oisoned colony. The ni- ti-ogeneous foqi as stored up in the cells Idlls both old and young. Of this very serious aspect of the case I have observations and experiments, but will not take space to give them here. A thing difficult to prove is that queens receive poison directly from the honey-sac of the worker, either as food or drink; but I am convinced the very great mortality among ]aee of one frame, with the starter, thus giving a place for the bees to deposit the diseased honey. As soon as the honey has been deposited, probably by the next morn- ing after hiving, take away the comb of honey and insert a frame with a starter. All the combs built from the starters are saved by this method. The beekeepers of Iowa as a whole seem (juite willing to co-operate with the inspec- tors in getting rid of disease among the bees. As a matter of fact, the work of the inspec- tor is educational; and when the beekeepers ire all willing to become educated along apiarian lines, especially with bee diseases, there will not be the need of the field work of the inspector that there is now. FRUIT-GROWING SO GENERAL THAT BEES CAN NOT MAKE A LIV- ING : YET THE FRUIT-MEN ARE BUYING MORE BEES BY JULIUS JOHANSEN On the so-called " Peninsula," Danbury, and Catawba Island, fruit-gi'owing has be- come so general that the farmers there buy their own feed stuff, every available foot of ground being planted to fruit. It is only when an orchard has become too old, and is. consequently, pulled out, that the land is planted to farm crops a few years to in- vigorate it. as they say. Then it is planted to fruit again. ]\Iost of the farms are small — many only ten or twenty acres, with very few above 40. Many of these small farmers were also beekeepers on a small scale a few years ago. They kept eight or ten colonies each : and one of whom I knew had 25 or 30. How- FEBRUARY 1, 1914 103 Apiary of D. S. Zedeker, Parlier, (Jal., consistiug of 151 colonies, ail located under a grape-arbor. "Why don't the bees " eat the grapes " 'i ever, as fruit-growing became so general, the bees failed for lack of food, I think. Not able to get what they wanted, they took what they could get — honey-dew, I suppose. Some have asked me why their bees made nothing but black, bad-tasting honey. On account of it the colonies often died through the winter. After most of the bees had died the fruit- growers began to realize that some certain \arieties of peaches did not do so well as they did when there were bees to visit the trees. Tliis was especially noticed by a Mr. R. Shumardebeck, an extensive fruit- grower, and a keen observer of nature. He called on me, and asked for the loan of some bees. He said that, since liis neighbors' bees were dead, he scarcely saw a bee in his orchard; and since then this variety of his 1 eaches had given very small crops. Well, he got the bees, and hauled them six or seven miles; and after fruit-bloom was over he brought them back again full of honey. In the fall he brought me some peaches, and said the bees had greatly ben- efited his crop. At this time he also made arrangements to get some bees for the next spring. Since then I have heard that some of the smaller growers have stocked up again for the sole benefit of their fruit. Port Clinton, Ohio. EXCELLENT HONEY DISPLAY AT THE BRATTLEBORO (VT.) FAIR BY DR. BURTON N. GATES Assistant Professor of Beekeeping, Massachusetts Agricultural College The Valley Fair, held at Brattleboro annually, has the New England reputation for superiority of the materials exhibited in all classes. This September Mr. Robert G. Coombs, of Guilford, made an especially attractive display of bees, wax, api^liances, and comb and extracted honey. For the honey display, as shown in the illustration. Mr. Coombs used the massing effect. This was accomplished by means of shelving arranged in graduated steps. A further unique and desirable feature was the illumi- nation of his display by numerous electi'ie lights in the rear. This added materially to the brilliancy and s^Darkle of his products. The fair being held after cool weather had set in i^recluded the possible disaster from the entrance of robber bees which might have attacked the exposed comb honey. To obviate this difficulty, as has been previous- ly mentioned, the Connecticut Beekeepers' Association have prohibited the display of GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Honey exhibit at the Brattleboro (Vt.) Fair, 1913. This is an excellent set-up of the local product, the brilliancy obtained by the electxic illumination from the rear. Note comb honey which is not glazed or otherwise protected from the attack of bees. The glazing is further advisable from the sani- tary standpoint. Another feature which Mr. Coombs might have utilized is the glass shelving so much liked by those who display in Connecticut. Glass shelving, of course, facilitates the transmission of light and adds lo the brilliancy of the exhibit. Mr. Coombs is, by the way, an enthusi- astic and progressive beekeeper. He in- forms the writer that, from 131 colonies, he secured 1793 pounds of fully capped comb honey and 2209 pounds of extracted honey. Mr. Coombs also raised upward of 1000 queens, and has, besides, handled upward of 400 colonies of bees, a part of which was tlie increase from his yard. He puts into winter quarters about 131 colonies. The neetar flow in his locality is largely clover and raspben-y. By judicious manipulation it is estimated that at least 500 colonies may be supported in the vicinity. Amhei-st, Mass. THE OPINIONS OF SOME FRUIT-MEN AS TO THE VALUE OF BEES Location for Outyards Provided by the Fruit-men who also do all the Hauling Necessary BY J. M. DONALDSON On page 790. Nov. 15, the editor says: " We believe the time will soon come when beekeepers living in fruit districts need pay no rent for out-apiaries." With me that time has already come. When I moved into the fruit-belt of New Jersey, long before I liad increased my bees enough to make out- apiaries necessary, I began receiving re- quests from fruit-growers to place bees in their orchards, owing to the fact that they wanted the bees more than I did the loca- tions. I was able to make bargains with FEBRUARY 1, 1914 105 J. M. Donaldson's apiary, located in the Ballinger orckard. Mr. Ballinger is so anxious to have the bees there that he does all the hauliag free of charge. litem that were very much in my favor. My agreement usually is that I place the bees on the farm in question, and in return the own- er gives me ground rent, and does all my hauling- to and from the yards. This agree- ment makes it possible for me to operate all my yards with one outfit without either keeping or hiring horses. Of course I give my landlords all the honey they need for family use, but in return they give me fruit and berries that equal and often exceed the price of the honey. Cut No. 1 shows my Ballinger yard, locat- ed on the farm of David Ballinger. This farm has 138 acres planted with fruit and berries. Here is what Mr. Ballinger says: The liees at my farm I consider a very necessary adjunct to fruit-growing. I sjrew last year 15 acres of strawberries; and althouga we had several frosts which killed quite a lot of bloom, and also fruit that was set, we had a fair crop, for which I give the bees the credit, as they helped to fertilize the later bloom, which, of course, was weak in that particular. I also find the bees valuable for helping to get a set of fruit on my apple and peach .orchards, as oftentimes we have either too much wind or some days none at all. My crops of fruit and also strawberries have been larger, and also more regular, since keeping more bees. Cut No. 2 represents my Lippincott yard, located on the farm of J. Howard Lippin- cott, which contains 120 acres planted with apples, peaches, and berries. I was unable to get a written statement from Mr. Lippin- cott, but the fact that the apiary is there should be sufficient proof that he considers Ihem valuable. I have oiily one yard that is not located en a fruit-farm. That is my Campbell yard, located on the farms of the Campbell Soup Co. They grow vegetables and berries, also cucumbers, both in the open and under glass. Mr. H. F. Hall, their general manager, who is also president of the Vegetable-growers' Association, says : The service of the honeybee is of the utmost im- portance in growing cucumbers under glass ; as, without their aid, it would be necessary to hand- pollinate every female flower in order to obtain a crop. This would result in higher prices, due to the extra labor required, as well as to the fact that a liahter yield with a smaller percentage of high-grade fruit has always resulted when hand pollinating is substituted for the work of our little friends the honeybees. The bees adapt themselves very readily to the greenhouse environment, provided the hive is not Uept at too hi?h a temperature. During warm V, ealhcr it is advisable to place the hive outside the l'ou!-e, and provide an opening through the wall or I think that beekeejjers who are located near fruit-growers can hasten the time spok- en of by the editor if they will arm them- selves with expert testimony, go to the fruit- men, and have a heart-to-heart talk. Moorestown, N. J. 106 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE W Another of Mr. Donaldson's apiaries, located in the Lippincott orchard, consisting of 120 acres of apples, peaches, and berries. COLOR SENSE OF THE BEE A Lecture hy Dr. Carl MuUow, Munich. Pullislied in the Aluenchner Bienenzeitung. Heberle, B. S., Markt Oberdorf, Bavaria, German j. Translated hy J. A. [The average American reader is apt to skip over scientific articles, especially those which are not illustrated. In other words, we read what can be read quickly, and often put off the long di-scussions for another time — another time which too often never comes. The following list of experiments, proving that bees are not color blind, is interesting and valuable, and we feel sure that those who pass it by will be the losers. — Ed.] The relation between flowers and insects has long been one of the most favored and interestnig- chapters of biology. The natu- ralist Christian Konrad Sprengel was the first one who, at the end of the 18th century, showed by many experiments that flowers do not, without compensation, give their sweet treasure (the nectar) to the visiting insects. He demonstrated that the flowers were dependent on the visits of the insects. He showed various forms and devices of the blossoms that insured the necessary pollination by the nectar-gathering insects. The floweis secrete nectar, not as a generous gift for the benefit of the insects, but for the selfish purpose of being pollinated to propagate the species. Sprengel was also of the opinion that the various bright colors and the sweet scent of the flowers were for the purpose of attracting the insects. To facilitate the finding of the nectar in the depths of the blossoms there are often con- spicuous markings and jDatches at the base of the petals — signs to show the insects the way — to lead them to the nectaries. After Sprengel other naturalists continued the study of these interesting observations, and added numerous new facts. Most nat- uralists accepted the theory that the bright colors of flowers are for the purpose of attracting the insects. Some scientists, how- ever, opposed this theory, especially the French scientist Plateau, who endeavored to show by numerous experiments that the color is of no importance for the finding of tlie flowers by the insects. Other scientists who opposed Plateau's view devised new experiments to show that Sprengel's theory was well founded. The entire controversy was opened again when the oi3hthalmogist Hess, who had made an extensive investigation about the color sense of various groups of animals, asserted that the insects, especially the bee, have no color sense — that she is color blind. To digress a little, a few words about what is meant by color blindness. The color- blind man can distinguish various colors from each other, but he does not see as the man with the normal eye ; various colors he sees as only different shades of gray. He distinguishes the colors only after their lirightness. Through long experience the color blind has learned from childhood that FEBRUARY 1, 1914 107 his associates called this blue, that red, etc., so that in most eases he can tell the color of objects from its brightness. If, however, two colors tliat are of a decidedly different hue (shade) have the same brightness, then the color blind can no longer see a differ- ence. So we may say the color blind has the ability of distinguishing various colors, but has no sense of color — he sees the colors not as such. Hess came through liis extended investi- gations to the conclusion that a sense of color is developed only by the higher order of vertebrate animals, and that the lower order from the fish downward are destitute of the sense of color. Hess used m many of his experiments the bee, and thereby was the controversy whether the bees or the in- sec' s were attracted by the flowers through their bright colors opened anew. If, as Hess asserts, the bees are color- I)lind, how are the various experiments by which many scientists formerly showed that the bees were attracted and the sense of location assisted by the colors to be explain- ed? The explanation is very easy. All these experiments showed merely that the bees can distingTiish between various colors the same as the color-blind man, but are no proof that the bees have color sense. This is the new principle on which Hess (and perfectly correct) wants the question solved. That is the theoretical part of the ques- tion. Now we will consider some selected experiments which have been recently made with a view of proving the color sense in bees. We will determine the value of these experiments after the new theory developed by Hess. The zoologist v. Dobkiewicz made numer- ous experiments which, in their arrange- ments and results, often agreed with those of former investigators. For instance, on a clover-field that was visited by a great num- ber of bees he put up conspicuous artificial flowers of a yellow color that were fllled with honey. These flowers remained unno- ticed by the bees for a long time. The bees when once started to work on a flower are not readily detracted. If, perchance, a bee alighted on one of these artificial flowers, or the experimenter put one on, such a bee returned to the new feeding-place as long as she found something there. She is gtiided by the sight because now she alights also on yellow artificial flowers which contain no honey. In a similar way bees may be trained to visit colored disks. In a place in his garden over which the bees of one colony flew regularly, v. Dobkiewicz put up large disks that were covered with red, yellow, and orange colored paper. These disks were not noticed by tlie bees. He put a plate with hon- ey near these disks. This plate, with a few bees that had alighted on it, was set upon the yellow disk. The bees were now for days fed on the yellow-colored disk. One day the places of file colored disks were exchanged, but tlie honey remained on the yellow disk. The bees visited only the yelloAv disk — never the orange-colored one that had been put on the place that the yellow had occupied. Fi- nally the disks were again placed as at first. The yellow disk was now without honey, but the red and orange colored disks received honey. The bees visited again the yellow disk, looking in vain for the accustomed honey, while the honey on the red and orange disks was not noticed. The bees liad been trained to look for food on the yellow color. The possibility of training bees to visit a certain color is shown very nicely by the following experiment also carried out by V. Dobkiewicz. A square box was used having three sides of glass and the fourth one of cardboard. In the cardboard two openings were cut, one to the left side, the other on the right side. A comb of honey was put in the box. The bees had been trained in a former experi- ment to use an opening in a yellow box. On the cardboard sicle of this glass box a yellow disk was put next to tlie hole on the left side (the hole was kept open). The other hole on the right side was m.arked likewise, but a red disk was used, and the opening was closed. Inside both openings wei'e marked just as on the outside. The bees, which had previously been trained to the yellow color, used for entrance and exit the yellow open- ing on the left. After some time the mark- ing was exchanged, the red disk was put to the left and the yellow to the right opening. This change was made not only on the out- side but on the inside also and both holes kept open. The bees were not confused; they used the yellow opening as before, After some time the marking was changed back as it was on the start of the experi- ment, but after a while the marking on the inside of the box was changed, the outside disks remaining unchanged — both holes kept open. The left opening on the outside was now marked yellow and on the inside red. The opening to the right was outside marked red, but on the inside yellow — both holes kept open. Again the bees used with- out hesitation the yellow opening on the left side for the entrance, and the right opening, which was yellow on the inside and red on the outside, was used as exit. We might say that their sense of location, or the entrance 108 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE and exit in this experiment, was governed entirely by the yellow color. These experiments proved what older in- vestigations had already shown — tlie bees were in fact locating (finding their way) by colors. But do these experiments prove that the bees possess the sense of color? No, the bees might be color blind and react just as they did. By these, as by older experiments, was proven only that the bees can distin- guish some colors. Whether they see colors as such is a different question which may also be solved by experiments, as we shall see by the following investigations of the zoologist K. v. Triseh, Munich. He takes issue with the views of Hess regarding the color sense of animals. He has also made experiments with bees to disprove the view of Hess that the bees have no sense of color. K. v. Frisch in arranging his experiments was guided by the following jDrinciple : A color-blind eye sees the colors only as various shades of gray. It sees no colors — only colorless brightness of variable inten- sity (farblose Helligkeitswerte). Therefore to each color — for instance yel- low— there must exist a certain shade of gray which a color-blind eye can not distin- guish from yellow ; both Avill appear of the same colorless brightness ; both will have the same " farblosen Helligkeitswert." K. V. Frisch took 30 pieces of gray joapers wliich showed all the various shades of gray from white to black. These papers, all of equal shape and size, were fastened on a table, not in the regular order of the shades of color, but at random. Among them were also placed two papers in shape and size as the others but of yellow color. On each paper a small dish was placed. Those on the gi'ay papers were kept empty, while the two dishes on the yellow paper were filled with sugar syrup. As soon as the bees of a nearby colony discovered the syrup on the yellow paper they began to visit these two dishes in large numbers. The bees were fed for two days on the yellow paper to train them to the yellow color. The places of all the papers were frequently changed so the bees might not learn to locate the syrup after the order in which the papers were arranged on the table (to eliminate as much as possible every thing for guidance except the color). The bees alighted always on the yellow paper without the least hesitation. The two yellow papers and the dishes were taken away and two new yellow pa- pers were put in other places. Two new dislies were put on these yellow papers. 'IMiis was done so there would be no odor to attract or guide the bees. Now all the dishes on the gray and yellow papers were filled with syrup. From this experiment the following de- duction was made : If the bees are color blind they will see the yellow only as a gray, and must mistake some one or more of the 30 gray shades for the yellow. The bees, however, made no such mistake; they visited only the two yellow papers and paid no attention to the many syrup-dishes on the gray papers. In locating the syrups they were guided only by the yellow color. After the syrup had been removed from the dishes on the gray papers and the bees fed for some time on the yellow, the dishes with the syrup were removed from the yellow and replaced with empty dishes, so that all the papers on the table contained only empty dishes. The bees visited the two dishes on the yellow papers in great num- bers, searching in vain for syrup, but not a bee alighted on one of the gray papers. In the preceding experiment it has been proven that the bees recognize tlie yellow paper not only by the colorless brightness but by the yellow color. K. v. Frisch show- ed further by experiments that the same results can be obtained for blue. Tlie following is a strong proof. After bees had been trained to blue the two blue papers wei'e removed and two new blue papers were put on another place. All the 30 dishes on gray paper were filled with syrup ; only the two dishes on the blue paper were left empty. The bees visited the empty dishes on the blue papers in great numbers, and searched industriously for syrup, while the dishes with the syrup on the gray papers were for a long time not noticed. Against the preceding experiments the following objection might be raised. Al- though the shades of the 30 gray papers were so nicely graded that the human eye could barely distinguish the two nearest shades, perhaps the eye of the bee is so delicate for perceiving differences in color brightness that even if it sees no color it can readily distinguish the yellow and blue paper by its shade of brightness. If that were so, then the bees could be trained to one particular shade of gray. K. v. Frisch made the following experiments : The bees were fed nine days exclusively on gray No. 15. After removing the syrup- dish from No. 15, and replacing it with an empty one, the bees were searching for the syrup on the various gray papers without any preference to No. 15. The objection to the experiments is therefore groundless. With the above-recited experiments theie has doubtless been proven that the bees FEBRUARY 1, 1914 lOd really see colors. Another question is whether the color sense is similar to ours — if not, in what way it differs. K. v. Friseh has tried to solve this problem too. After bees were trained to a certain color, he used besides the gray papers various other color- ed papers also, and found that the bees sometimes, besides the color they were train- ed to notice, would also take notice of similar colors. Since the investigation is not com- plete we will not detail them further. It is interesting to note that the bees could not be trained to pure red. They would mistake it for black and dark gray. That means that the bees can not see the red color as such. The fact that the bees can't see red as such brings us back to the relation of insects and flowers. In former times when no one thought of making exact experiments about the color sense of bees, investigators had l^ointed out that blue and violet blossoms were preferred by the bees, and the pure red neglected. This is true only of pure red. Purple and carmine red contain some blue, and are, as v. Friseh showed, recog- nized by the bees, but easily mistaken for blue. The results of the experiments are in harmony with the colors of the flowers. With the exception of the poppies, whose size without the color is sutticient to attract the insects, there are hardly any pure-red flowers in our flora. Many plants produce shining-red fruits, but these are intended for the birds, not the insects. It is of special interest that in some countries red blossoms are found quite abundantly, but by those plants that are pollinated by the humming-birds, not by insects. The investigations of v. Friseh have doubtless proven that the bees have color sense. The old theory that the colors of flowers are designed to attract the insects, which has been opposed by Hess, has been successfully vindicated. Markt Oberdorf, Bavaria, Germany. REPORT OF KENTUCKY STATE BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION BY RICHARD PRIEST DIETZMAN On Friday, January 9, 1914, of Farmers' Week, conducted under the auspices of the Agricultural College of the Kentucky State University, there was held a beekeepers' convention in one of the assembly rooms of the State Experimental Station. About fifty beekeepers were present when the conven- tion was called to order at ten o'clock in the morning by Professor H. Garman of the State Experimental Station. He welcomed the beekeepers in a few well-chosen words, and introduced Mr. H. F. Hillenmeyer, of Lexington, Is-j., who presented a very inter- esting paper on " Kentucky as a Beekeep- ing State." He was followed by Dr. J. H. Kastle, the director of the station, who had prepared a paper outlining the purposes of the meeting. Professor C. W. Matthews, of the station, was introduced and read a very interesting paper on " Bees in Relation to Fruit-grow- ing." Dr. M. A. Auliek, of Bradford, Ky., was next introduced, and gave a most interesting talk on his methods of producing extracted honey. We understand that Dr. Auliek is one of the most successful beekeepers in the State, and that his extracted honey has always a ready market at the best prices. When he concluded his address, the points that he made were discussed on the floor by various people who were interested in the subject, after which Mr. H. C. Clemons, of Boyd, Ky., delivered an address on " Win- tering Bees," advocating the use of sealed covers. There seemed to be a number pres- ent in favor of the absorption cushion, and an animated debate took place, which brought the convention up to the adjourn- ing hour for lunch. After lunch, Professor Garman presented a paper on the " Prevention of Swarming." Mr. E. E. Barton, of Falmouth, gave a talk on sweet clover. Mrs. J. T. Marvis of the same town was unable to be present, but sent a paper on the same subject, which was read. Mr. Clemons then delivered a second address in the absence of Mr. Jordan, of Morgan, Ky., on " The Importance of Good Queens in an Apiary." The convention then proceeded to organ- ize a State Beekeepers' Association. Dr. Auliek was elected President, Mr. Clemons Vice-president, and Professor Garman Sec- retary and Treasurer. The constitution was adopted, and plans were laid for a vigorous campaign for members. A bill had been prepared to strengthen the law concerning foul-brood inspection, and it was next taken up and discussed, section by section, and unanimously approv- ed as prepared, and each member present pledged himself to use his best endeavors 110 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKP. Benjamin Paine's apiary and orchard at Roswi Reprinted from the March 15th issne for 1907. with the members of the Legislature from his district to secure the passage of this bill, after which the meeting adjourned. It is hoped during the coming year a large number of beekeepers in the State will become members of the State Beekeepers' Association, and that when we meet again next January during Farmers' Week we will have a strong, live, and com^Dact organ- ization, and a meeting that will be full of interest and instruction to all, from begin- ner to expert. A LARGE FRUIT-GROWER WHO IS ALSO AN EXTENSIVE BEEKEEPER BY BENJAMIN PAINE [Remembering the picture of the apiarv in an orchard which we published in our March 15th issue for 1907, we wrote Mr. Paine, asking him to tell something of his experience during the six years that liave elapsed. It transpired, however, that he had moved from the former location to another one near bv — but his article, which follows, gives the particulars. The engraving referred to is reproduced here- with.— -Ed. ] Finding I could not combine farming with beekeejDing without hiring a great deal of help (and that took all the profit), I sold the forty acres that I lived on, at the time the accompanying picture was taken, for $205 an acre, and bought ten acres about a mile from the original home. I built a new home, and planned near it my bee-yard. I planted 98 cherry trees between the house and honey-house. They are from 10 to 12 feet high now, at 3 years old, and this year some had five gallons of cherries on them. The bees, however, did not do as well, and for five years I kept getting less and less honey. After investigating this I found there were too many bees in my locality — ■ nr)0 colonies in all in a circle oi: three miles fu-Qund me, so I could see it was time for me to do something or lose out. I scattered my bees out in different yards from three to ten miles from home. I had about 200 colonies last spring. They increased to 400 colonies, and I got $600 worth of comb honey and 14,000 lbs. of extracted honey. I put about 12,000 pounds of this in five-pound paj^er bags, and I got 7 to 7^/2 cts. a pound for it. There is more and more call each year for honey l»ut up in this way. I had orders for tons that I could not fill this year. Seven to twelve years ago when I was nearly the only one that kept any amount of bees I could count on $10.00 to the colo- ny, spring count. Now since others have crowded in, if I get $3.00 to $4.00 a colony I do well. However, by spreading them out T did some better last year, although it takes more time and expense to care for them. My wife and I and my son tended them this year, so the expense was not very great. I have an extraeting-wagon with power to run the extractor. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 111 Idaho is a good bee country, but it is fretting badly overstocked for profit to the beeman. Roswell, Idaho. [Mr. Paine has promised us a set of pic- tures of his portable power-extracting out- fit. These Avill ai:)pear later in the season. —Ed.] PRACTICAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING BEES KEPT PRIMARILY FOR FERTILIZING FRUIT-BLOSSOMS FROM HERBERT MILES What is the best apparatus for separat- ing honey from the comb for use on a farm having from five to ten hives'? What is the best method of keeping the luimber of hives down to ten? Please under- stand, we have not time to practice any scientific methods of swarm j^i-evention and processes of that sort, but we don't want to lose any swarms or weaken our present stands by too much swarming. What we want to do is build up permanent strong- colonies that will produce the gi-eatest quan- tity of fine honey each season for our own consumption and that of our friends and relatives. The i^rime purpose for maintaining these bees is to 'fertilize our fruit trees, flowers, etc. We have 150 acres in the heart of Maryland, one-half under cultivation, the other half in woodlands. There is no running stream very close to our bees, and the writer noticed a number of them drinking out of a cess- pool a considerable distance off in the field from the house, into which are drained the ui-inals, bath-room, and kitchen of the dwelling. I believe this is a dangerous proceding, and one that is liable to carry infection not only to the bees but the people eating the honey. Of course, we have been told many times by scientists that water purifies itself after being ex- posed to the air and running a certain distance, and it Avould be difficult to cover the entire draining system from this cess- pool. The only other place for the bees to get water would be at the horse-trough or around the well-curb of the windmill. Can you suggest any easy and practicable arrangement to pre- vent the bees dinnking at the cess-pool drain. New York City. [Under the circumstances we suggest that you keep all queens clipped, clipping the two right wings even years and the two left wings odd years. This plan will automatically enable you to tell the age of the queens at any time. Undoubtedly it would pay you to produce extracted honey, as the problem of swarm prevention in extracted-honey production is very small compared to the same one in comb-honey i)roduction. Use good shade boards if the hives are located out in the cpen, and make sure that there is plenty of ventilation, both at the entrance and under the cover in the hottest part of the hottest days. Use pieces of broken sections under the cover, one at each corner, to give a little ventilation at the top in the hottest weather. This will do much toward preventing SAvarming, but, of course, should be done awaj^ with entirely when the nights are cool. FHH .HONEV BEE {^ipis ii/eili//ca) A.N 15 flER F^RODUC^ S. The cover of the writing-pad sent out by the N. Y. State Bee- keepers' Association. See Jan. 15th issue, p. 69. 112 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Follow the shaken-swarm plan for pre- venting- increase. This takes only a little time, and effectually prevents increase be- yond a certain point, if you so desire. For an extractor we would recommend a four-frame non-reversible. This would be as large as you would ever need for ten colonies, and would be a very inexpensive simple outfit. Bees must have considerable water, but they use it in brood-rearing, no water ever being mixed with honey. Bees seem to pre- fer water that is briny or salty. If you locate a half-barrel close to your bees, and see that it is kept well supplied with water, you will very seldom see them obtaining water any place else. Use cork chips, or wooden floats, so that the bees can take the v-ater readily without danger of drowning. —Ed.] BEES AND FRUIT IN ENGLAND B^ VFM. J. WOOLLEY^ JR. I am a fruit-grower on a small scale. I rent five acres of land and " let off " half of it, as I employ no help except in the summer months, and I want only 2V2 acres. One acre is planted with established plum trees in full bearing. One acre I have had planted 12 months with young apple trees, and cropping in between with strawberries, nar- cissus, and other flowers, marrows, tomatoes, cauliflowers, etc., and the other half-acre is generally planted with potatoes, which do well there. This last year (1913) the fruit crop in England was recorded in the trade papers as only one-fourth to one-half a crop on the average; yet in my holding, all the trees were loaded and some breaking down with the load of plums, with the exception of the Damsons, which bore only one-fourth of a crop. The trade papers mention three causes of the poor crop. 1. The fruit spurs on the trees were not well ripened, through the constant wet season of the year previous, and so were not able to carry their proper share of fruit. 2. The cold and wet period of 1913 when the trees were in bloom so that the blossoms did not set properly. 3. The attacks of aphides,etc., which were very numerous through the season. If those were the causes, whj^ were my trees able to carry such a crop of plums? I had the same wet weather to contend with. My answer is, the thoroughness with which the bees fertilized the blossoms. On the few days they were able to work while the trees were in bloom, the weather being so change- able, the bees did not fly far away from home, and, in consequence, the trees nearest TO the hives carried a grand crop of fruit. Only one mile from my apiary an extensive fruitgrower with every convenience and ap- pliance confessed to me that the season with him was " rotten." He did not keep bees. Do you not agree that every fruit-grower ought to keep bees ? I believe that the bees would pay the grower in increase of fruit, oven if he did not reap a good crop of honey as well. I find by experience that they pay me on an average $5.00 in honey be- sides the good they do to the trees. Evesham, England. CONVERSATIONS WITH DOOLITTLE Continued fr swarm, and then preventing after-swarming of the parent colony by placing it a foot or two away from where it originally stood, and in seven days, when the bees are flying freely, carrying it to a new stand, thus drawing most of the flying force in with the swarm, work will be resumed and continued in the supers without interruption, and the surplus be nearly as great as though no swarming had taken place. Contracting in this way throws the whole working force into the supers just at a critical time, and secures a crop of white honey that would otherwise have been frittered away by a continued effort at swarming, or used in the om page 00. rearing of bees that would have come upon the stage of action when about the only thing that they could do would be to con- sume much of the honey previously stored, and hang on the outside of the hive during the heat of late July and early August days. All know that white honey brings a higher ]n-ice than does the dark honey gathered in the fall, while the latter, as a rule, is just as good for winter stores. The contracting of the brood-nest, when properly done, with an eye toward securing the greatest amount of the higher-priced honey, puts this white lioney in the market and the cheaper grades in the hive for winter. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 Heads of Grain from Different Fields Is a Hungry Queen More Likely to be Accepted ? I have been much interested in your account of the smoke method of introducing. I have tried it a number of times the past season, and have failed but once, and that was in the case of a double hive. Afterward I noticed the partition between the two colonies had a crack large enough so the bees of the two hives could go back and forth. Whether this was the reason for the failure I do not know. Do you think it would make any difference with the success of the method if the queen has fasted a few minutes before she is run in? There would be a few minutes when she would be without food if she were put into a cage alone, before we could get the colony in shape to run her in. Supposing the queen is received by mail with workers which would feed her, would she be as acceptable, in your opin- ion, as a queen that was a little hungry ? No doubt you have had experience in this. I have not, as all the queens I have introduced by this method have been queens taken directly from my own hives. Have you been as successful in running virgin queens into full strong colonies as you have with fertile queens ? Randolph, N. Y., Dec. 1. George Shiber. [Undoubtedly the leak between the two hives was the cause of the one failure that you report in the smoke method of introducing. A fasting queen, un- der ordinary conditions, will be more readily received by the bees than one that has been well fed. You will find the fasting method of introducing given in Samuel Simmins' book, " A Modern Bee-farm." A description of this same method will be found under the head of " Introducing," in our ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. Mr. Arthur C. Miller, however, the author of the smoke method of introducing, does not believe that it is necessary to go to the trouble to starve the queen before she is given to the bees. See his footnote regarding the fasting method as given in our ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. Ordinarily it is easier to introduce a laying queen than a virgin three or four days old to a full colony. But a virgin just hatched can be more readily in- troduced than a laying queen. But when the smoke method of introducing is used, it does not seem to make very much difference whether the queen be a virgin or a fertile one. — Ed.] The Smoke Method of Introducing Used for Years It is several years since I adopted the method of introducing queens by running them in at the en- trance with a little smoke. If the bees then kill the queen they would also kill her if she was introduced under the best caging method. F. A. Hooper. Four Paths, Clarendon, Jamaica, B. W. I. [The smoke method of introducing, as applied by Mr. Henry Alley, is very old; but Mr. Arthur C. Miller's modification of the Alley plan, so far as we know, is comparatively new. You will find quite a difference between the Alley plan and the Miller method. — Ed.] Combs Built in Sections Between Shallow Ex- tracting-Combs In the Nov. 15th issue, p. 805, I read the article by J. E. Hand on getting bees to work readily in comb-honey supers when producing section honey. I have made some experiments along this line with frames such as are used in N supers. I fill these with sections, and the sections with full sheets of foundation ; then place these in shallow extracting- supers, alternated with shallow extracting-combs, making sure that the outside frames of the super are combs. If these section frames are left a few days, Ag described, and just over the brood-nest, or in a strong colony, and over an excluder, the foundation will be found nicely drawn out if there is a fairly good honey-tlow. These section frames, with sections of drawn combs, can then be removed, and placed in section- honey supers, with fences between them, and then placed on any hive, when the bees will proceed to work on them at once if there is honey coming in. I think if Mr. Hand will try this method, instead of drawing out sheets of comb, and cutting up, plac- ing in sections, etc., as he describes, he will find the labor has been cut one-half without loss in principle. Shellman, Ga., Dec. 6. D. W. Howell. Should Winter Cases Project Below the Bottom- board ? I should like to know about using winter cases. I received one, and in putting it over the hive and leaving it an inch higher than the top of the hive it does not protect the lower part of the hive. Is it to be used that way, or should it go away down over the bottom-board and all, and an entrance cut in front? Charles L. Sommer. North Tonawanda, N. Y., Dec. 3. [We do not know what style of winter case you refer to; but the ordinary outside winter case that slips down over a hive will not cover the bottom- board and the entrance. The point of protection should be applied to the top part of the hive. If you are using a winter case that telescopes over the general body of the hive, it is usually advisable to remove the regular hive-cover, put on a super-cover, and then place on top several folds of newspapers, old carpeting, burlap sacks, or any kind of packing that will make a space of 1 % or 2 inches over the top of the hive and around the sides. When these are carefully tucked down, the winter case is shoved over the whole, making a nice warm enclosure over the hive on the inside. The outside cover of the hive is then put over the winter case for the winter, or it can be taken inside of a building if necessary. — Ed.] Hundreds of Acres of Sweet Clover Sown for Pas- ture In the Dec. 1st issue, p. 869, I have read the article by L. R. Witherell in regard to sweet clover. This clearly proves that he is either ignorant or prejudiced as to its good qualities. For 20 years I have been advocating it as an all-round better plant than alfalfa. I can show Mr. Witherell hundreds of acres sown to sweet clover for pasture, and more being sown every year. There is nothing as good as sweet clover for enriching poor land. Salix, Iowa, Dec. 12. Lewis Lamkin. Prospects Good in Jamaica May be Gleanings readers vnll be interested to hear what the bees are doing in Jamaica. We are enjoying the finest November weather we've had for many years, making ideal conditions for the bees. It is sunshine and showers, not two days together when the sun has not shone. The bees are working on Christmas pops (bell-flowers) and a profusion of minor bloom, many strong colonies storing well in supers, and the weakest getting enough honey to keep up brood-rearing. So favorable has been the fall weather that no drones were destroyed by the beos, so queen-rearing has gone on uninterruptedly, Jind fine full-sized queens raised. Most apiarists have not had to feed an ounce of sugar ; but, instead, have obtained a tidy surplus. This season is in marked contrast to that of 1912, when such wholesale losses were sustained by the flood-rains, and the crop was so much shortened. 114 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE With the bees at their present strength, or stronger when logwood opens next month, it is reasonable to expect a bumper crop and a big increase in bees to make good the losses of the past season. The cool balmy air, soft yet bright sunshine, to- gether with the healthy hum of the bees over myriads of wild flowers, all go to make one feel that it is good to be alive in this land of perpetual summer. Arthur W. Rogers. Belvedere, Jamaica, Nov. 26. Number of Colonies Needed per Acre in a Fruit Orcliard My brother and myself have about 200 acres of orchards of various fruits, and are interested in having plenty of bees to pollenize the fruit properlv. There is an apiary about three-fourths of a mile east of me, and another about the same distance west, and a party in Toledo wishes to establish another on my place. I do not care to take on another business myself, but want as many bees in the vicinity as will thi-ive properly. Can you give me any data that will help me to decide how many that is? Waterville, O., Dec. 22. W. W. Farnsworth. [ So far as we know there is no exact scientific data to determine the number of bees necessary for a given acreage of fruit trees ; but we may say this, that more bees are needed in some seasons than others. For example, there may be a number of days while the trees are in bloom when it is cold, chilly, or rainy, so much so that bees can not fly. If there is only one or two flying days during the entire blooming time, obviously it will take more bees to pollinate the trees in a given acreage than if the weather is favorable for a week or ten days. On this account, therefore, it is desirable to have as many bees as you can get on the place or near it. There is a forty-acre apple orchard about nine miles and a half north of Medina that was leased last year by Van Rensselaer & Southam. The former is an old experienced fruit-man, and he began prun- ing the trees, as the orchard had been neglected. He got in touch with us very shortly, and desired us to put as many bees in and near the orchard as we could spare. Wliile there were quite a number of small apiaries in the locality, he wanted a yard of bees riglit in the orchard. We put in some fifty colonies of bees, and at the time he said he would be glad to have more if w^e could spare them, but as we had similar calls from other fruit-growers we were unable to supply them with any more bees. At the close of the season they harvested 16,000 bushels of apples from the 40 acres, and Mr. Van Rensselaer told the writer that he would not have secured as large a crop as this had the bees not been placed right in the orchard. He is a great believer in hav- ing plenty of bees close to the trees. See his article in this issue, p. 94. To answer your question a little more specifically, we should guess that about one colony would be required to take care of an acre of fruit trees, but two or three colonies would do much better work if the weather is at all bad during the time the trees are in bloom. We are convinced that the fruit-growers have not half appreciated the importance of having plenty of bees on the place. We are sending you a copy of our journal. Gleanings in Bee Culture, for Aug. 15, and refer you to page 561 for the testimony of the Repp Bros, regarding the value of bees in an orchard. You will find further particulars in an article about these men in the Country Gentleman for May 24. While you are doubtless familiar with their fruit-growing operations, we suggest that you write to them, and ask how many bees they consider i* necessary to have per acre. There is another fact that might be somewhat in- terestiii,.; n you, and that is this: Last summer we visited the Logs of the Cape Cod Cranberry Company, of Boston, Mass. The president of this company was very desirous that we should come and visit his place, which we did. He had discovered that, when they were growing cranberries in a very small way, the bees in the woods were sufficient to take care of the work of pollinating the plants, but when they began to increase their acreages of cranberries, then something was wrong, and they were not able to get the berries. He finally discovered that, by putting bees around the bogs, he was able to get the usual crop. He showed one bog of some ten or fifteen acres that had only about four or five colonies of bees. It was very evident, he said, that the fruit was much more abundant near the bees, and the yield began to taper off the further the plants were from the hives of bees, showing that the bees went to the nearest blossoms first. In other words there were not nearly enough bees to take care of the entire bog. We should judge from what we saw there that it would take anywhere from ten to fifteen colonies, or about a colony to the acre of cranberries. For your two hundred acres there, it would seem as if you ought not to have less than 200 colonies, and we might suggest that it would be better to have these scattered over the orchard. You will be sur- prised in the inwease in the amount of fruit if you will increase the number of bees. We have seen so many examples of remarkable results from such work that we wish to suggest that you get as many bees on the place as possible. — Ed.] Bee Space on Both Sides of Ventilated Escape- board On page 887, Dec. 15, is a photo of Hodgson's escape-board. I made two Labor Day to try out. They are all right. I want no others, but I made them of copper wire, put the escapes with opening toward the outside, and had a bee-space on top of the wire as well as under it. I made the bottom piece 1 Vz inches wide, % thick ; the top piece 1 x i/^ inches, and put the wire between. This makes a much stronger and better job — no brace combs. The Lees go out much quicker than in the wooden ones. Lestershire, N. Y., Dec. 29. John H. Rising. [We believe Mr. Hodgson also uses a bee-space on both sides of the wire cloth. Those which we have made in an experimental way were so constructed — viz., wth a %-inch cleat above and below the wire. — Ed.] Winter Disturbance We have been thinking of storing our bees in a shed where an auto is kept. Do you think the fumjs from a running car would be injurious to the bees ? The car will be running from time to time. Norris, Mont., Dec. 1. Hadzor Bros. [We do not believe that the going and coming of the automobile will interfere with the wintering of the bees. They will soon get used to it, so that, if it should arouse them the first time slightly, they will pay no attention to it later. We presume the shed is opened up in such a way that the bees would be protected from the prevailing winds. — Ed.] An Explanation There is one item in the article by H. H. Root in the Dec. 1st issue that I do not want to leave as it is, and that is the statement of our honey crop for 1913. It was my intention that in connection with that report should go my statement that I knew of seasons when I never wet the extractor at all, or during the season did not wet it with white honey. I have blamed others, and justly, for giving one- sided reports, and I do not want to be an example in this direction myself. Brantford, Ont. R. F. Holtermann. fEBKUARt 1. 1914 n; Our Homes A. I. Root Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. — Matt. 22:39. Oh how I love thy lawl — Psalm 119:97. This is the condemnation, that light is come into tlie world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. — John 3:19. I have lately been having some business experiences that tempted me to think that a great part of the world (but not all the world, thank God) have just now a sort of craze to raise prices on every thing. Some- times I have been tempted to think they tuck on a bigger price when I come around, because ihey have got it into their heads tliat 1 have plenty of money and am so good-natured that I would not make a kick any way ; and as I got to studying over the matter — yes, tliis very morning — I said mentally, " Oh how 1 love good honest people — i^eople who really love their neigh- bors almost as well as themselves ! " I did not put it as it is in the text, " as thyself," for I feared that that would be expecting too much of any of us, good or bad; and tlien I reflected that if there were not any greedy or grafting people in this world we would not fully appreciate the honest ones. Yes, thank God, there are people (and quite a lot of them) who do not charge as much as they really ought to. I have in mind one good friend who is a sort of drayman who delivers goods from the railway station and otherwise. Several times I have laugh- ingly told him that he did not charge enough for liis bother and trouble. Now, this man has lately united with the church, and he began putting liis Christianity into practice by just this sort of thing — ^working so cheap- ly that many times his customers laugh- ingly remonstrated with him. Perhaps the dear old soitl will see what I am writing on these pages. Well, while this whole thing was passing in my mind I thought of David's speech or prayer, or we might almost call it a jDrayer, " Oh how I love thy law ! " Dear friends, I am having a lot of kind words. I think they come every day of my life, and sometimes they seem so extrava- gant that I hesitate to put them in print. Right before me is a letter that caps them all, and it comes from a man away up in public service. He is president and general manager of an electric railway company in a city of something like 30,000 people. You will note liis reasons for having his name and address kept out of print. His reasons, briefly summed up, seem to be that he is already having about as much trouble in his efforts to encourage righteousness as he can well bear; and if I should give liis name in full, and tell where he lives, he might Iiave more trouble yet. His request for a French bee- journal has been complied with; and may the Holy Spirit be Avith him and sustain lum in Ins battle for the right, and may God be praised for the victories that have already come in consequence of the brave standout from one single individual with heavy responsibilities on his shoulders. Will the readers of Glean- ings unite with me in a prayer for the writer of the letter below? I wonder how many large cities in this nation are being managed as outlined below. Tlie A. I. Root Company: — I read French, and would appreciate it very much if you could send me a copy, even if it is an old one, of a French bee ■ paper corresponding as nearly as possible to Glean- ings. You must have a number of these among your exchanges. If I like such a paper, I am considering suDscribing for it. I am also enclosing a little expression of appre- ciation of Mr. A. I. Root, which, perhaps, you would like to print for your own good. If you do, how- ever, please leave out any reference to the city men- tioned or the author, as I am not looking for any more trouble than I already have. AN APPRECIATION. For the last six years I have been reading Glean- ings, and I appreciate it more every year. Because I happen to be the head of a publi«c-service company which, like all other companies in the same line of business, seems to be continually embroiled in strife and trouble with politicians, I could not understand how it could be possible for any business to exist where there seemed to be peace and happiness and a spirit of Christianlike tolerance and forbearance. Why, in the bee business even rival bee-papers speak kindly of each other — a condition which is entirely too good to be true. And then all of the bee-papers interpolate their reading-matter with the real spirit of Christianity, and with talks on temperance and kindred subjects. I am afraid that at first I read Gleanings mainly out of astonishment and curios- ity. I have kept bees in a small way, and have got- ten a little honey every year ; but I have a greater satisfaction than the amount of honey I get in the knowledge that I am engaged in a pursuit which seems to be entirely free from petty jealousies and personal strife. I have particularly enjoyed Mr. A. I. Root's temper anice talks — not that I am a tee- totaler, for I was born and brought up in a wine- growing country of Europe, and I have a sort of sympathy for the product of the grape ; but I admit that every single thing that Mr. Root says about intemperance, whisky, and the whisky gang is abso- lutely true. Placed in such a position as mine, with hundreds of men in my employ, I know the evil of intemperance among workingmen. Several years ago, about the time I first took Gleanings, I issued an order forbidding all employes to enter saloons or to take any intoxicating liquors; and I am inclined to credit Mr. A. I. Root's talks with stiffening my back- bone for the purpose. We had to lose some good employes before they realized I meant it ; but others took their place, and by strictly enforcing this rule we to-day have an organization of employes in our electric railway, electric light, and other publiic ser- vice, which is probably better emancipated from the curse of intemperance than any other similar organ- lie ization in the country. The saloon element rose up in arms against such an order by boycotting my com- pany. They boycotted the cars, would not use elec- tric light, would not have any dealings with the •company unless they were absolutely compelled to. But vfe stuck to the order, and have prospered in spite of the opposition of the saloon element. This same saloon organization controls the politics of our city, and they elect their own mayor, sworn to en- force the laws, and he enforces them so well that saloons are open day and night, Sundays, holidays, election days, or any other day. On any pleasant Sunday or holiday, citizens may have the pleasure of seeing "His Honor "(?) seated at a round table in the back room of some saloon, guzzling beer with his boon companions. You may rest assured that that kind of mayor has used every effort in his power to annoy a public-service company, so utterly regard- less of the ordinary amenities of politics as to dare oppose the gang in power — the gang in this case being the saloon men. Naturally there has been a time in this city about as (cheerful and entertaining as the proverbial Donnybrook Fair. The brewers, the i^alonn men, and their friends are a crafty lot of individuals. Pew people realize the enormous power jf the liquor element in politics. If they did, the whole gang would be wiped out in one election. Some very level-headed thinkers have been of the opinion that much of the hue and cry against public- service corporations has been skillfully engineered by the liquor interests to draw attention away from the ulcer of their own existence. In the midst of this turmoil, and the mud of political campaigns involv- ing saloon men, it is and has been a pleasure to receive Gleanings twice a month, and go through its pages reading of the clean, honest business icon- ducted in a clean and honest way, and capped by the kind observations and comments of your Mr. A. I. Root. FROM NEAR " TJIE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN ;" A VERY KIND LETTER FROM A NORWEGIAN SCHOOLTEACHER. Dear old Friend: — Of course you have long since forgotten me; but I often think of you, especially among my bees, and every tim. when Gleanings flies into my house; also among my poultry I think of you. Since you are in my eyes an old brotherly friend, whom I should so like to see, I will make bold to ask you a favor. Many of our newspapers speak of a new plant as an exceeding blessing to manhood, going to supplant the potato. They call it dasheen. I. S. Young told me of you. He is dead now. Now, I should like you to send me a little seed, and at the same time tell me how it is planted, and when and how it is treated, and when it is ripe. The news- papers say not only the root is excellent, but also the leaves, stewed like salad. Both also are good for cattle. Are the roots cooked or fried? or both, like the potato ? The bags you put it in must be strong, so that the seeds may by no means be mixed up. You know schoolmasters don't earn much, and I have eight children to educate, so my little part of Norway (exceedingly picturesque) costs me only 280 English shillings ($70.00), and consists of wood, mountain precipices, debris, and oak roots; but now I have cleared it myself, with the assistance of my wife and children, and have two fruit trees and ever so many bushes and a kitchen garden. If what these three American plants or grasses promise holds good I might also easily have a cow (or even two), which would be a grand thing. My three oldest sons go in for the agricultural line, so you see what way my interests go along with teaching children, which is by far the most beautiful and blessed calling of all in life. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULtURfe My oldest son is just now with two empty hands, but a life and heart full of good will; and after having passed his agricultural examinations with the very greatest distinction, he bought a farm of his own; and if now these American plants hold good, you know what a blessing it would be to him as well, if I give him part of what you send me. Of course, I shall pay your outlay. His farm cost 24,000 En glish shilMngs ($6000), and he has but 3000. Fan cy, then, how the poor fellow will have to work. Perhaps you think, like others, that Norway is a country high up under the pole, with " ice bears " in the streets. Well, if you do, to undeceive you I will tell you that here in the South our gardens are as full of the most splendid apples, pears, plums, etc., as ever you saw, and myself and another man here get ripe grapes and peaches and apricots every year on free land ; therefore I don't think you need fear your seed would not thrive. To-day, Sept. 12, we have 73 degrees Fahr. in the shade (no sun in the sky to-day, otherwise it would be still warmer), and the water in the "fjord" (bay) is 72 Fahr. It would give your heart joy to see how happily and tidily people live in their little houses, and how the weest spot of ground among the mountains and rocks, by means of stone walls, is made into a gar- den with fruit-trees and flowers, often no bigger than 5, 6, or 8 feet square, and even less than that. Indeed, so rocky is this part of my glorious father- land that there is not a single garden about the town but is now, by means of stone walls, built up 15 feet high to get a patch of garden no bigger than the floor of your own dining-room. You never saw the like ; but if you once have such a little spot, whatever you plant grows most beautifully, and the steep mountains around absorb every ray of the sun and make it very warm, day and night ; and as the nights are very light even here in the south you can, if you will strain your eyes, read your newspapers at twelve and one o'clock at night in your garden about the middle and end of June. The plants grow day and night as well. Such a country, with so much stone and so little earth, must needs be poor; but as the nation is enlightened and gifted and pious and striving, you never see extreme poverty as you see in the rich countries. I do believe the word of God thrives nowhere so well as in the valleys of Norway, and perhaps you will think I speak right when I tell you of our missions among the heathen. We carry on missions in Zululand, Madagascar, Santhatistan, China, besides among the .Jews, and a minor mission in our own country. Well, the statistics some 20 years ago (and I feel sure it is the same yet) said that Norway alone (2% millions of inhabitants) gave as much to the mission as Sweden (5V^ millions of inhabi- tants) and Denmark (2^4 millions), and half of Finland (2% millions of inhabitants), put together. May I not be proud of such a fatherland, for Sweden and Denmark, at least, are ever so much richer countries than Norway. Norway is, perhaps, the most democratic country of Europe. Indeed, since 1827, nobility and gentry are forbidden by law. We are Lutherans ; and in all the country there are but a hundred Jews or so, and but 1100 Roman Catho- lics, which is a most happy state of affairs. Formerly our people were very much given to drink; but during the last thirty or forty years the uation has made such violent efforts against this unhappy habit that there is now but one country in Europe that consumes less spirits — viz., Finland. I am more than happy to say that, like their father, my three grown-up sons (28, 27, and 19 years) have not been under the influence of wine a single time in their life, which is much; for when young fellows come together in Norway their first thought is whis- ky. I think it is all owing to a tale out of my own brave, unselfish father's life. He distinguished him- self so much serving as a soldier that two lieutenants and one captain in the army offered to send him to FEBRUARY 1, 1914 117 the military high school some years and make a lieutenant of him. He was as poor as a church mouse, and would have been ever so happy to accept this grand offer ; but he was engaged to my sweet mother ; and because he was the man he was, he saw a chance to marry pretty soon, and said " no," much to his regret afterward, when we children came. Well, one of these lieutenants had confided to him a most exceedingly important key. What should hap- pen ? My father attended a party and got intoxicat- ed ; and, going home in the pitch-dark night, heard the key falling down somewhere as he pulled out his pocket-handkerchief. He lay down in the greatest anxiety, groping for the key, when a man came that way — the very lieutenant who had given him the key, and would have paid for him for years. He lighted a match and helped father, who felt nearly sober from fear and despair. Of course, father ex- pected to be scolded and arrested, and was miserable for days. But the lieutenant (God bless him for his heart and deep understanding of his fellow-man) gave him back the key and never uttered one word of anger or reproach. My father then swore a holy oath. " It was and is to be the first and last time in my life," and he kept his word till he died, 72 years old, as an " over custom-house officer," as we call it, in the king's service. This tale and his long life of sacrifice for his children (we were eight — i. e., seven sisters and a boy) made such an impression on me, his only boy, that already, 14 years old, it was as clear as day on my mind that I could not live through the day when my father should be compelled to lower his eyes before the world for the sake of his boy. And as my father kept his promise holy, I have kept mine. And now my three boys have stood out brave after us two, although they have been tempted enough. I have not been able to give them pocket money worth speaking of. Well, at a party some young fellows, some 20 and 22 years old, laid 12 English shillings on the table to my boy if he would drink a glass of pure whisky. He did not touch it. Bees are doing well this year. In my district we have the weather to rely on. Once I put my hives on the scales every day a week. My best colony once carried in 8 pounds. My parents allowed me to keep hens, as I was but seven years old, and I have gone on with them since then. I thank my prudent parents in their graves ; for, thanks to this intense love of animals, which sprang up then (I have or have had hens, geese, turkeys, ducks, canaries (hatched them), sheep, goats, doves, rabbits, peacocks, swine, and even once for some weeks a horse). I have been sticking to my home and poultry-yard and garden every leisure hour of my life. You should see me and my boys mining, shooting, and building terraces in the rocks every spare hour, and digging and manur- ing the garden. Well, the trees are yet small, but yet every inch of the floor of a middle-sized room is to-day, Sept. 22, covered with apples, and the pears are yet on the trees. There are joys and blessings in the footsteps of work. I believe mostly in hens and geese, and wish I could afford to buy a reliable incubator that would hatch these two sorts of eggs ; but I can not nor dare buy one for fear it might be a failure. I once made bold to buy a machine for grinding or cutting bones for my poultry ; but it was quite an impossible thing, and I had to throw it away as rubbish. In- cubating under hens is all right, but it can not come to much, which is a pity for a man without neigh- bors, and with a place where chickens of all sorts may roam about as much as ever they like. There is a rivulet going through to a little pond in my garden. If I get a photo of " Min lill vea imellanbergan " (my little nook among the rooks), as it runs in a most beautiful Swedish song, I shall have pleasure in sending you one. Perhaps you will shudder to see people building their houses like birds' nests among the precipitous rocks; but we live happily there, I assure you, and our animals with us; and such beautiful views, your heart would leap with joy 1o see them, and you would fold your hands in prayers and thanks to the great Lord who made this grand earth. You should see the lovely farm my boy has bought, and will now try to hold good with his two empty hands. A workman in Norway lives more beautifully than a prince in foreign countries as re- gards the view. I am now trying to get him some calves and one cow, for he has ever so much hay, poor boy, and not a single cow. Now you are tired of me long ago ; but you see you talk to me in every Gleanings, and I never speak to you. My motto has been all through life, " All or nothing," a whole man in every thing, or, as a Norwegian saying runs, " Not det skal vere Jul, skal det vere Jul," i. e., when it is to be Christmas, then it is to be Christ- mas— i. e., nothing by halves. I shall wait ever so long, perhaps, before I write to you again ; but if I do write, I will send you only two lines. If you send the seed I shall have to thank you in my own name and that of my noble boy who is fighting his battle like a man. It is hard at times; but upon the whole I know for certain, for I have seen much of the world — one year at Oxford, on year at Paris, and two years and a half as a teacher in a German grammar school near Dresden, Saxony, living in such a poor country. If my boy could get 2000 shillings he could buy a magnificent island covered with plenty of wood and with excellent pasture, only 15 minutes from his home — an island whiA it took me fully an hour to row around in a boat this sum- mer ; so you see land may be cheap in Norway, and a man may have his chances even here; but what is the use of it when money is so scarce 1 Harold Hovind, M. A., of the University of Christiania, Head Master of the High School of Tvedestrand. Tvedestrand, Norway, Sept. 15. Our readers will notice that we print the above letter substantially as it came. Our good friend's phraseology, coupled with his many kind words, makes it seem almost as if we were visiting in and around his north- ern home. If I were not so well along in years I should be tempted to take a trip to Norway. It seems he was a friend and acquaintance of the late Ivar S. Young, the big Norwegian who paid us such a friendly visit many years ago. My good friend, I can not understand why your bone-cutter was a failure unless it is because it is too hard work to grind bones. I would not advise you to undertake to hatch hen eggs and goose eggs at the same time together. Although it has been done, there are several reasons why it does not pay. The manufacturers of our best incu- bators do not recommend it. If I am correct, your locality is one of the best spots on earth to see real high- pressure gardening. May God speed you, not only in agriculture, but in temperance, righteousness, and in spreading the gospel 118 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE High-pressure Gardening PRODUCER AND CONSUMER — SAVING YOUR OWN SEED. Just about a year ago I wrote aDoui my troubles in getting seed of sweet corn to plant here in Florida in December. Before I could get any I sent to three different seed-houses. The first, after considerable delay, said they hadn't yet got in their seed; the second didn't list the corn (Golden Ban- tam) I particularly wanted; and finally I sent to one of the great seed firms in the North, and had my order promptly filled; but although the Bantam came up, almost every seed of the Black Mexican, in a row close by, gave only here and there a jDlant. I advised the seed firm to look after their Black Mexican, and" test before time to plant in the North. Never a word in reply; but several of our readers called my attention (as you may remember) to the fact that the Bantam, not being a sweet corn, is more re- sistant to cold, etc. I accepted this expla- nation, but yet I did not quite excuse the seed firm for entirely ignoring my courte- ous letter. I finally succeeded in growing a fine lot of green corn. The neighbors said that it was the best they ever ate; but on account of delays I have mentioned, it ma- tured just after we went North, about April 20. Now we are ready for what I have to tell you. When our nice sweet corn was at its best in Oliio (that I have told you about) I tied strips of cloth to certain stalks to be reserved for seed ; and when the ears were finally mature I dried them out back of the stove, and brought three kinds down here- Bantam, Mexican, and Evergreen, planting all three side by side in November. All three came up, every kernel, apparently Black Mexican just as well as the Bantam. How much is it worth, friends, to have good seed that you know will grow? Let us go a little further. For some time past I have got into the habit of using more seed than is needed, proposing to " thin out " the plants at the proper time ; but there are three serious ob- jections to this plan : It takes a lot of time ; it is often neglected ; and, besides, the small plants are hindered by coming up too thick. Down here we plant in drills because the fertilizer can be worked in so much better with a hand cultivator. Well, with my own good seed I placed just one grain of corn to about every foot of drill; and as I look out of the windows while I write I see my corn about a foot high, no crowding, and no missing hills; and it is so easy to hoe and cultivate that not a weed can be found. Don't you think that " growing your own seed " will be another " short cut " between " producer and consumer," and a gi-eat sav- ing of loss and disappointment? The man- ager of the great onion-farms in Ohio de- clare they miost grow their own onion seed. They get far better seed, and seed they knoiv will grow. DASHEEN — WHERE CAN THE SEED BE PUB- CHASED FOR PLANTING, ETC.? So many are inquiring, I have thought best to copy, by way of answer, the adver- tisements below, taken from the Florida Weekly Grower (Tampa, Fla., $1.50 per year). Trinidad Dashebn. — Edible, wonderful yield. Very decorative. Send 25 cts. for sample tuber and directions. Dr. H. A. Smith, Samville, Fla. Dasheen fob Seed foe Sale. — $4.00 per bu. ; quick delivery ; choice stock. Mrs. R. p. Burton, 800 So. Willow Ave., Tampa, Fla. The Dasheen. — The South's substitute for the Irish potato. Very productive. Have yields up to 500 bushels per acre. Successfully grown from the Carolinas south. Plant here beginning February 1, and until April further north; seven months to ma- ture. Cultural directions sent with seed ; cooking directions with cooking tubers. Seed $4.00 per bushel, f. o. b. Write for prices on five-bushel lots or over. Cooking tubers, $2.00 per bushel f. o. b. f Reference, The Grower.) Thos. Porteus & Sons, Rt. 3, box 126, Ybor City, Fla. Besides the above, Crenshaw Bros. Seed Co., Tampa, in their new seed catalog ad- vertise " 1 lb., 25 cts. ; per bushel, $4.00." Of course, the above are all small tubers for planting except where noted. The big "corms for cooking " are cheaper. From Brooks- \'ille I have an offer as below : Dasheen Seed. — $3.00 per bushel; $2.50 in five- bushel lots or over. Geo. Kitchen, Brooksville, Fla. DASHEEN TUBERS FOR PLANTING OR FOR TABLE USE. Two of my neighbors, Mr. Ault and Mr. Harrison, have a limited amount of dasheen which they grew from seed I furnished, which they offer as follows: Single pound, 10 cts.; 10 lbs., 80 cts.; 25 lbs. (% bushel), $1.75. The above are for small tubers for planting; larger ones for table use, one-half above prices. Your postmaster can tell you how much to send in addition to the above for postage if wanted by parcel post. Address Arthur E. Ault or C. L. Harrison, Bradentown, Fla. BUYING LAND IN FLORIDA ; SOME " BOILED DOWN " COMMON SENSE IN THE MATTER. I clip the following from the Times- Union : Don't buy land till you have actually seen it in person, and made the acquaintance of a few people (in the vicinity) who have no land for sale. I have two swarms of bees, and took off 250 lbs. last season. Grand Haven, Mich., Jan. 15. I. N. TUBBS. FEBRUARY 1, 1914 119 Ellis Hall, Athens, Ohio, where the Ohio convention is held. See program below. Convention Notices The regular meeting of the Kansas State Beekeep- ers' Association will be held at the Commercial Club Rooms, Topeka, Feb. 26, 27. All persons, whether beekeepers or not, are cordially invited to attend. The meetings will close with a banquet on the after- noon of the 27th. Topeka, Kan., Jan. 20. O. A. Kebne, Sec. The annual meeting of the Pennslyvania State Beekeepers' Association will be held in the Capitol building, Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 20, 21, 1914. It was decided to hold the meeting in Harrisburg on account of train service, and the city being more centrally located. A good program is prepared. Everybody welcome. H. C. Klinoer, Sec. Liverpool, Pa., Jan. 20. A district beekeepers' convention will be held in the county council building, London, Ont., Feb. 12 and 13, with the following program: THURSDAY. 1:30 P. M.— The use of steam in the workshop, Denis Nolan. Wintering Bees, James Armstrong, Cheapside. 7:30 P.M. — Marketing honey. Prof. Pettit, O. A. C, Guelph. Spring Management, John Lunn, Fingal. FRIDAY. 9:30 A.M. — ^Extracted-honey production, R. F. Holtermann, Brantford. Queen-rearing, Wm. Elliott, Adelaide. 1:30 P.M. — Beekeeping Appliances, W. A. Chrys- ler, Chatham. Question-drawer, John Newton, Thamesford, A cordial invitation is extended to every one to come and make this a good convention. Lambeth, Ont., Jan. 20. E. T. Bainard. PROGRAM OF THE OHIO BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION TO BE HELD IN ELLIS HALL, OHIO UNIVERSITY, ATHENS, FEBRUARY 12, 13. THURSDAY, 1:00 P.M. Address of welcome. Dr. Alston Ellis, President of Ohio University. President's address. Report of secretary. Report of Treasurer. Report of Chief Inspector of Apiaries. " Swarm Control," O. J. Jones, Urbana. " The Swarming Instinct," E. R. King, Creola. " Soft-candy Feed," Dr. Burton N. Gates, Amherst, Mass. THURSDAY, 7:30 P.M. Music. " Short Cuts in Preparing for the Honey- flow," H. H. Root, Medina. " Apicultural Progress with Plans for 1914," Dr. Burton N. Gates, Presi- dent National Beekeepers' Association and Prof, of Beekeeping in Massachusetts Agricultural College. FRIDAY, 9 :00 A. M. Music. "Wax Rendering and Refining," D. H. Morris, Springfield. " Sac Brood," J. E. Venard, Wilmington. " Some Recent Findings in Brood-dis- ease Suppression, Dr. Gates. " Producing a Crop of Extracted Honey," J. F. Moore, Tiffin. FRIDAY, 1 :00 P. M. " A Hive Standard," Dr. Gates. " Short Cuts in Extracting Honey," H. H. Root. General discussion. Athens, O. W. A. Matheny, Sec. NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION CONVENTION, ST. LOUIS, MO., FEBRUARY 17, 18, 19, 1914. The annual convention of the National Beekeepers' Association will convene at the Planters Hotel, St. Louis, Feb. 17, 18, 19, 1914. The first session will be held Feb. 17 at 10 A. m. A large hall and office rooms have been provided at the hotel. The following rates on the European plan have been granted to the beekeepers and their friends : FOR ONE PERSON. Rooms without bath, $1.50 to $2.00 per day; rooms with bath, $2.50 to $5.00 per day. FOR TWO PERSONS. Rooms without bath, $2.50 to $3.00 per day; rooms with bath, $3.50 to $7.00 per day. For each person over two in a room, $1.00 additional. The Planters Hotel is one of the finest in the city, and guests will be nicely taken care of. It is hoped that this convention may prove one of our old-style gatherings, where we meet many of our old friends and make many new ones. All meetings will be open to all the beekeepers who will come, whether members of the Association or not. What is needed is a large attendance. Let the beekeepers rally and make this a rousing gathering, such as we had in 1909, during the World's Fair. Bring your wife and daughters. St. Louis will try to make it pleasant for all. There will be rooms in the hall for exhibits if any manufacturers or beekeepers wish to show, or ad- joining rooms can be had if desired. Robert A. Holekamp, President St. Louis Beekeepers' Club. 4263 Virginia Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 120 PREI^IMINARY PROGRAM The headquarters of the National Beekeepers' con- vention will be Planters Hotel, where the meetings will be held. Those wishing hotel reservations may request the Secretary, Mr. B. B. Tyrrell, 214 Ham- mond Bldg., Detroit, Mich., to assist them. Some of the peculiar features of this convention may be outlined. Arrangements are pending for the use of the new moving-picture film relating to bee- keeping. The showing of this film will possibly be in a moving-jjicture theater. .-Vn attempt is being made to procure ample space for displays of manufacturers, dealers, and inventors of new appliances. Those intending to make dis- plays should communicate with the secretary. The meetings of the convention will be divided as found requisite, devoting time to the reading of the numerous important papers as well as to the trans- action of business by the delegates. It may be announced to the delegates, however, that a number of vital and important problems con- front the Association for action. Every affiliated society should, if possible, be represented by a del- egate. Otherwise send communications and instruc- tions to the secretary. The program as announced below is preliminary, and is subject to change. An eflfort has been made, however, to secure the very best talent available in the counti'y and abroad. In the absence of authors of papers, the contributions may be read for the writers. Any suggestions or addition,s will be ap- preciated. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17. 9:30, opening session. Seating of official dele- gates. Appointment of committees as well as routine business will be prosecuted in due form. " Sugges- tions for the Betterment of the National," Editor E. D. Townsend, Northstar, Mich. 1:00 P.M. Session for discussions. (Since the program is constantly growing, final arrangements are not yet possible. The papers offered are, there- fore, grouped and listed below.) 7:00. Business session. 8:00. Lectures with the lantern. WEDNESDAY. 9:00 A.M. Business session, with papers as time may permit. 1:30 P. M. Short business session. 2:00. Discussions and papers. 7:00 p. M. Business session. 8:00. Lectures. THURSDAY. 9:00 A.M. Business session, followed by papers as may prove possible. 2:00 P.M. Closing session. Pinal adjournment is subject to the business program. PROGRAM OF PAPERS AND CONTRIBUTIONS SUBJECT TO ARRANGEMENT. Apicultvral Education and Promotion. — " The Ques- tion of Apicultural Education," Prof. Morley Pet- tit, G-uelph, Ontario, Canada. " Developing the Industry," Mr. Frank C. Pellett, Atlantic, Iowa. "Modern Business Methods Applied to Beekeep- ing," Ml-. F. B. Cavanagh, Hebron, Ind. " Organ- ization of the Beekeepers," Mr. Jenner E. Morse, Saginaw, Mich. The Queen Business. — " Direct Introduction of Queens," Mr. J. M. Buchanan, Franklin, Tenn. " Selective Breeding," Mr. George B. Howe, Black River, N. Y. Beekeeping by Localities. — " New Jersey Beekeep- ing," Prof. T. J. Headlee, New Brunswick, N. J. " Honey Resources of New Jersey," Mr. E. G. Carr, New Egypt, N. J. " Californian Beekeep- ing Up and Down to Date," Mr. J. D. Bixby, Covina, Cal. " Beekeeping in Southern Califor- nia," Mr. Homer Mathewson, Binghamton, N. Y. " History of Beekeeping in California," Mr. J. E. Pleasants, Orange, Cal. " Development of Apicul- ture in Oregon," Prof. H. F. Wilson, Corvallis, Oregon. " Beekeeping in Europe," Mr. C. P. Dadant, Hamilton, 111. " Making a Market for Five Hundred Cars of Western Honey," Mr. Wes- ley Foster, Boulder, Col. Winterinci. — " Building the Perfect Bee-cellar," Mr. E. S. Miller, Valparaiso, Ind. " Humidity in the Wintering of Bees," Dr. E. P. Phillips, Washing- ton, D. C. Others to be announced. Special and General Suhjectn. — " Restoring the Soil Fertility and Producing Honey," Dr. H. A. Sur- face, Harrisbnrg, Pa. " The Secretion of Nectar," Dr. F. W. L. Sladen, Ottawa, Can. (Subject to be announced), Mr. J. J. Anderson, Salem, Ida. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ■' Moving Bees from the North to the South for Increase," Mr. E. R. Root, Medina, O. " Bee- keeping as a Money-making Proposition," J. J. Wilder, Cordele, Ga. Subject to be announced. Prof. Wilmon Newell, College Station, Tex. " Au- tomatic Recording Instrument," Prof. C. E. San- born, Stillwater, Okla. Remember there are other papers to be presented, but which can not yet be announced. All interested in bees, especially ladies, are cor- dially invited to attend the meetings. The sessions are open to the public. Business sessions, however, are participated in only by delegates. Amherst, Mass. Burton N. Gates, Chairman. Kind Words from our Customers THE MISSION WORK AMONG THE HIGHLAND- ERS OF KEXTUCKY. Among the many thing-s I have to thank God for is the one of being in touch, with the great and good men aiul women of the present age. Before I submit a " kind let- ter " from one of these I want to introduce him by an extract from a sermon by DeWitt Talmage entitled " Bloody Breathitt." Many years ago a soldier in Morgan's Confederate army rode over the mountains of the South. There for the first time he came in touch with the misery and ignorance and the nobility of the mighty High- landers. After the war was closed, this brave sol- dier of war entered a theological seminary and be- ( ame a soldier of the cross. Called to one of the chief pulpits of Louisville, he felt that barrack duty was not the place of honor. He longed for the picket line. He wanted to fight at the front, as he did in Morgan's brigade. Called to be a synodical mission- ary, at once he accepted the appointment. .4s the synodical missionary, his thoughts imme- diately turned to the place of the greatest want and wretchedness, to the Highlanders of the mountains. He organized church after church. He sent mis- sionary after missionary into these hills. Then the synod met and began to count its money. Little money was there. Then the officers of that synod ordered this synodical missionary to retrench, and not to build so many churches and schools, as they could not aff'ord to pay for them. Then a wonderful thing happened — wonderful because it was so simple in a man of great faith. Doctor Edward O. Guerrant resigned as the synod- ical missionary. Before that synod he uttered these words: " Brethren, if you can not afford to pay for the schools and churches and the missionaries for the poor Highlanders, God can pay for them." Doc- tor Guerrant went back to his home in Wilmore, Kentucky. There he knelt and asked God for help. The money commenced to pour in. Church after church has been established. School after school has been built. Missionaries after missionaries have lieen gathered for these fields. The orphan children were gathered info a home. Though wonders have been accomplished by this man of prayer, yet only the outer edge of the harvest has been gathered. My Dear Mr. Root : — My friend and neighbor, Mr. DeVault, takes your interesting magazine, and was kind enough to let me read your last number, and especially your article on the sorrowful condition of the poor people in New Jersey, etc. I am glad that ■such people have such a friend, and hope that God will raise up many more. I take pleasure in en- closing you some information of another class of our poor countrymen, who, though poor, are not degen- erate, and still retain many of the noblest traits of their ancestors. Gen. O. O. Howard was my friend, and twice honored us by visiting our home in Ken- tucky, and traveled with me to many of our mis- sions among the Highlanders. If I were at home in Kentucky I should be very glad to send you his graphic account of his tour among the Highlanders. I am spending a few months here, during our cold weather in Kentucky. With assurances of my kindest regards and best wishes, and begging an humble place in your pray- ers, I am sincerely Your brother and servant, Edw. O. Guerrant. -^^^■jr-' >**'-»«*,* V lirr Imb 9 4n>»-.lwi i ' POLLYANNA THE GLAD BOOK By ELEANOR H. PORTER, author of "Miss Billy" and "Miss Billy's Decision;" illustrated, cloth -bound, $1.40 postpaid. "Enter Pollyanna. She is the most irresistible maid you have met in all your journeyings through Bookland. She is so real that you forget that she is a story girl. After the first introduc- tion you will feel that the inner circle of your friends has admitted a new member. A brave, winsome, modern American girl, Pollyanna walks into print to take her place in the hearts of all members of the family. " Twelfth Printing Read some of the press comments: " Pollyanna is the ' gladdest ' book that was ever written. It is of more real value than any thousand sermons to which I have ever listened." — Fassaic Daily News. " It is a book that charms at once by its style, and delights by its charac- ter-drawing and the interest developed by the story." — The Boston Jounud. " Pollyanna is a delightful character, and the book reft-eshingly natural." — Cedar Riqyids Record. Premium Offer Send us two new yearly subscriptions to Gleanings IN Bee Culture with remittance of $2.00, and we will send you postpaid as premium a copy of "Pollyanna."' A copy of ** Pollyanna'' for TWO NEW subscriptions to Gleanings in Bee Culture d-<- on their stands. The bees were then released and given a flight after thirteen days of confinement. Upon exam- ination next day I found three colonies dead, making a loss of one per cent. Ac- companying these bees there was a carload cf supplies. During the past six weeks 1 have been very busy in nailing frames, £esembling hives, and painting them. In regard to stimulating, I now have 200 Boardman feeders in use. To-day, Jan. 8, I saw a few drones flying, and the bees are gathering an abundance of pollen. Examination shows brood in all stages in advance of the season. In conclusion I would say tliat, if any beekeeper thinks this trip was all pleasure, I extend him a cordial invitation to accom- pany me on my return trip. BEES WORK MORE READILY ON BROOD FOUNDATION THAN ON THIN SUPER, EITHER IN THE BROOD-FRAMES OR SUPER DY GEOI.Gi': T. WHITTEX Last spring, when fitting up one of my observatory hives, I was short of medium brood foundation to fill two frames. I filled three of the center frames with half medium brood and half thin section foundation — that is, a strip of" each covering half the width of the frames. As the strips of sec- tion foundation were about two inches too short to fill the space, they were placed down within half an inch of the bottom of the frame, and a piece of brood foundation filled in the space at the top. The three frames were i^laced in the center of the hive. The bees were put into the hive, and at once began to draw out the brood foundation, leaving the thin section. They continued drawing out and filling it with brood and lioney until the outside frames were nearlv filled. When I found they would not work on the thin foundation if there was any thing else, I took the frames out, melted some wax, and painted them Avith a thin coat ; Init they still refused to work on them. T then cut these portions out and put in medium brood foundation. The bees then went to work on them, drew them out. and filled them the same as the others. They would draw the brood foundation out, and fill and cap it, up to the very last cell where the two came togetlier. I observed that, while they were working on the foundation early in the season, when there was not much honey coming in. they worked the foundation out very thin ; but as the floAv increases they do not work it out much but build on to it. This experience led me to think that one reason bees hesitate to work in sections is the tlun foundation used in them. I filled some sections Avith a strip of medi- um brood foundation % of an inch wide, all the way around the edges, and some with thin super, full sheets, and placed them alternately in an observatory super, and I found that the bses worked on the brood foundation first in every case, and filled the sections out to the edges well. I intend to give this a more thorough trial this coming season. Whether tliis has any effect on the swarming problem I do not know, for I have not had a natural swarm in four years, and only three in seven years. Hartford, Ct. " [Your experience is quite in line with that of others. There can be no question but that bees prefer brood to thin super foundation. This preference is so marked that some large producers have been using brood foundation in their sections in place of thin super. The bees will enter supers Avith heaA'ier foundation much more readily than supers with ordinary thin. This may and probably does have a beai'- ing on the swarming question. The princi- pal reason Avhy thin snper should be used — and tliat may be an important one — is that it leaves less midrib in the comb honey ; bi;t GLEA2JINGS IN BEE CULTURE during the past summer we tried light brood foundation in several of our section su^Ders. After the sections were filled and capped over we asked Dr. Phillips, of the Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C, who took dinner with us, to try them. He, like the rest of us, was frank to say that he could detect no appreciable " gob " or mid- rib. In fact,, if we had said nothing about the brood foundation in the first place he would have thought nothing about it except that it was very fine honey, equal to the very best in every respect. We are coming to believe that perhaps we beekeepers have magnified the evil of using brood foundation in sections. The fact is, we doubt very much whether the average connoisseur can detect the difference be- tween a nice section of comb lioney built from brood foundation, and a comb built from ordinary thin super. There is another factor to be considered — namely, that brood foundation will cost more per square foot than thin super; but the relative difference is not great. If by using the heavier grade swarming can be reduced, and if the bees will enter the sec- tion supers a day or two earlier, we may well afford to pay more. Mr. Whitten's observation, that bees will thin down foundation more when they have time, is in line with experiments by the late Mr. E. B. Weed some fifteen years ago. This is an interesting question, and we shall be glad to hear from others who have any thing to offer on the subject. — Ed.] PROVIDING WATER FOR BEES AND QUEENS SENT BY MAIL BY L. J. DUNN There is always a loss by shipping queens and bees by mail without water, especially export shipments. With a punctured water- can, as in the one and two pound packages, the cages are in all kinds of positions in the mail-sacks, and the opening may be above the water at times, leaving the bees without Avater. By inserting a piece of cloth for a wick, as I have done, the water siphons out, no matter what position the cage is in. The plan has proven satisfactory with me on long shipments. San Jose, Cal. [We have had no opportunity of trying Mailing-cages with water-cans to provide moisture for the bees en route. FEBRUARY 15, 1914 a wick in the can of water used in the mail- ing"-eages, but we see no reason why it slioukl not work. In the accompanying' illustration the larger cage has Mr. Dunn's water-can in the upper left-hand compart- ment, the wick being indistinctly shown in the side. We tried on quite a large scale a similar can shown in the upper right-hand compartment of tlie smaller cage. We used a very thin can or box containing hardly an eighth of water. By this plan the bees can reach the water through the jaerf oration as long as there is any left, unless the cage stands on edge when the water is nearly gone. The use of the wick ought to give better results, provided it can be adjusted in such a manner as not to waste the water. —Ed.] A NEW WAY TO MAKE CANDY FOR COLD-WEATHER FEEDING BY A. v. SHALL Under separate cover I am sending a sample of winter candy made by a process that I consider easier and safer (less danger of burning) than the cooldng-down method. The process is simply to pour into a box of dry sugar enough thick syrup, boiling hot, to make a mixture about the consistency of mortar. In a few hours this will cool into a solid granular cake, and then it is ready for the bees. By experimenting I find that this candy can be made as dry as ten pounds of sugar to one of water, and it can be made as moist as seven pounds of sugar to one of water. I consider the proportion of eight to one about right. To each pound of water add an ounce or more of honey. This gives the candy a food flavor; and as the bees eat it they smack their lips and say, " It's just like mother used to make." And I don't think the candy has the flinty hardness when a little honey is used. A convenient way of forming the cakes is as follows: Put a partition in a super and fold a piece of heavy wrapping-paper so that it will just fit in one of these spaces like a paper box. Into this put your dry sugar. If you want a cake that contains nine pounds of sugar, put six pounds in the box. You will get the other three pounds of sugar when you add your thick boiling-hot syrup. Pour in enough syrup so the sugar can be worked like mortar. Let it set until cold, when you can lift it out, paper and all. Trim the paper down to within half an inch of the surface of the candy. Place this, candy side down, on top of the frames, supported by little blocks. Now put on your packing, and with a good water-tight hive- cover your bees are ready for winter. There are a good many advantages about feeding candy, particularly for out-apiaries. Prom the trend of beekeeping to-day we may expect som.e of tliesp to be brought before the public in the next few years. ARTIFICIAL POLLEN. On page 864, December 1, Mr. B. W. Bi'own asks for an artificial substitute for pollen to be fed inside the liive. Duiing bad weather in the spring I have fed graham flour, honey, and a little powdered sugar, mixed to the consistency of stijff dough. This was packed in paper tubes, % inch in diameter by ten long. The tubes were closed at one end; and the bees, having access to such a small surface of the dough, ate their way through the tube slowly. These tubes were placed on top of the brood-frames, two tubes in a hive. They were not used until after natural pollen had appeared, and then they were given to the One of W. I.. ('Iieiifx's swarms that clustered con- veniently on u wire fence. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE A swarm large enough to fill a wagon-bed! Mr. Cheney, Jr., ready for work. bees only during stormy periods. The bees seemed to relish the mixture, and I attribute the steady laying of my queens during stormy weather to -the feeding of this arti- ficial pollen. St. Joseph, Mo. [We have examined a sample of the candy sent us by our correspondent. It resembles moist loaf sugar, although it is somewhat softer. We should think it might crumble enough to cause some waste by particles dropping down between the combs, but per- haps not. It is simpler to make than the hard candy describee! in the Jan. 1st issue. Later. — The following came to hand after the foregoing was written.— Ed.] Your letter of Jan. 20 is at hand. I have just looked at fifteen hives having the candy slabs over the frames. There has been some crumbling, as you suggest. The slabs with the greatest amount of water crumbled most ; but the slabs with the least amount of water crumbled no more than the hard boiled-down candy which I have used here- tofore. I find that, if the syrup is made too thick, it will " wet up " only a small amount of dry sugar, resulting in a slab of candy with too much water. I find tliat syrup made two of sugar to one of water will wet up a large amount of dry sugar; and by using only enough to moisten the sugar nicely we get a very hard slab which crumbles but little as the bees work it. I have made some slabs in paper boxes about the size of a cigar-box. These were placed two in a hive, candy side up. The bees come up between the two slabs, and work the candy from the top. This is very satisfactory. SOME SWARMS THAT DID NOT CLUSTER UP IN HIGH TREES BY W. L. CHENEY I have been reading the Aug. 1st issue in regard to shinning up trees for swarms. The pictures show how obliging some of my swarms were. I have 70 colonies, all in ten-frame hives. I am running for both comb and extracted honey. We have a fine white-clover flow. I feel like telling every one to use the steam uncapping-knife. I would not go back to the old hot-water knife unless compelled to do so. Mason, Mich., Aug. 4. FEBRUARY 15. 1914 143 A PLEA FOR FARM BEEKEEPING BY A. J. JAMES Beekeeping is essentially a rural pursuit, and it is but natural that bees should be found on farms. Bees and farms have been associated in the popular mind from time immemorial, yet, as a rule, the farmers have not done a great deal toward the develop- ment of apiculture. This work has been done largely by specialists who have devot- ed their lives to it. The farmers usually have so many other interests that it is not to be expected that they would become very extensive beekeepers. However, there is no good reason why every farm should not have a few colonies, at least, if only for the sake of providing the family table with one of the most wholesome and delicious sweets known. The farm is the ideal location for an apiary. There the bees can be in close prox- imity to the nectar- bearing blossoms, and they will also perform an almost invaluable service by the fertiliza- tion of the plants they visit. The most exten- sive beekeepers have their apiaries in the country frequently on the farm of some one who, for a nominal consideration, lets an- other man's bees gath- er the honey which lie could just as well have for his own. If the farmer himself has not the time to devote to the bees, it would be well to get the boys interested. It is a well-known fact that when the farmer boys have a few acres of women folks take care of the bees, and women do make excellent beekeepers. They can do all tlie work needed, except, perhaps, the handling of heavy hives and supers, and some of the men can usually be pressed into service for that. Bees make a fine combin- ation with poultry-raising, and have made lots of pin money for the Avoraen. Occasionally some writer holds forth with a glowing account of the large profits some one has made in the production of honey. It is true that quite frequently large profils are made, but usually by those who are experts in the business. The production of honey is not a get-rich-quiek game, and there are ups and downs in that line of work as well as in any other. However, the farmer beekeeper with a few colonies will usually make enough honey for his own use ground to work themselves they are not so anxious to go to the cities, and this idea would work out nicely with the bees by giving them a few hives for their own. Let them learn how to handle them, and reward their efforts by buying their lioney for the table. They could thus earn their spending money. Frequently the for Foot-power saw made by N. H. Wilson, Derhy, Vt. It is made of 2 X 3-ineh maple, and the legs are 39 inches high. TJie top is 2 ft. wide and 3 long. The pieces are bolted together with %-inch bolts. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE with perhaps some to sell in almost any year, and when the extra good seasons come he will profit aocordinglj'. One item to be considered is the increase in the number of colonies. In an ordinary year each strong colony will usually produce a swarm, or it can be divided, thus making an extra colony, which, in a good hive, will soon be worth from five to eight dollars. Decide now that you will keep a few colonies at least. If you have had no pre- vious experience, do not start on too big a scale, but let the increase of your bees and your knowledge of them go hand in hand. Many a promising beekeeper has made a failure by yielding to the temptation to l^urchase a good-sized apiary at a bargain when he knew little or nothing about the management of it. Five or six colonies will usually be sufficient to begin with, and after experience is acquired, more bees can be purcliased if the original stock does not increase fast enough. Above all things, use only good, factory- made hives of a standard size and style. A miscellaneous lot of hives is considerable of a nuisance in an apiary. Uniform liives will be interchangeable, which is a great advan- tage, as it frequently becomes necessary to move them from one bottom-board to an- other, or to sliift supers from one hive to another. There is no economy in making your own hives unless you are skilled in the use of tools, and can get lumber cheaply, and even then it will be better to buy the fixtures required for the inside of the liives, as they are made by machinery, and can be produced in a factoi-y more cheaply than by hand. San Antonio, Texas. HELPS AND HINDRANCES IN DEALING WITH FOUL BROOD BY J. W. STINE Read before the Iowa State Beekeepers' Association at Des Moines, Iowa, December 11 and 12. From the standpoint of a foul-brood inspector I will try to line up briefly the helps on one side in dealing with disease, and the hindrances on the other, and to come to some practical conclusion as to the situation in southeastern Iowa the past sea- son. The Bible says, " No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." This is as true in beekeeping as in any other line of work. We are either a help or a hin- drance to one another. This leads me to say that I believe the beekeeper himself can be either the greatest help or the greatest hin- drance pertaining to the foul-brood situa- tion. I quite agree with Mr. Pellett in what he says in his article, page 856, Dec. 1. It is surprising how many we find Avho know little about the inside of a hive, and nothing at all of bee diseases. Tlien there is the man who thinks he knows all there is to be known about bees and is not willing to learn. He is the hardest to convince. One man whose bees we inspected last sum- mer said he had known about foul brood for 25 or 30 years. But he let three colonies die that we had marked diseased, failing to treat them as we had requested. We had to take extreme measures, much as we were loath to do so, and burn one weak colony that we knew would not winter, before he would believe we meant to carr>' out the letter of the law. This is the most extreme case we have found, and as a rule we find the beekeepers ready to get all the informa- tion and help they can. We recall one other instance when we did not see the owner, but the boys tried to pilot us around through the blackberry bushes and underbrush in the back yard and show us the bees. The boys Avatched at a safe distance, saying those Avere the Grossest and blackest bees in nine counties. I proceeded to give the bees a good smoking; and the poor things, so unaccustomed to such a thing as being handled at all, scurried up among the combs in the old box, glad to find a place of refuge in the furthest corner. I lifted the box from its bottom-board and found it had been placed on top of bees and evergreen brush, and the poor little fellows had to make their way through that brush all summer to gain the inside of their home. I gladly removed the brush, and placed the box back on the bottom-board, and not one of those little blacks offered any resistance — but such a way to keep bees ! It is just keeping them — it isn't caring for them. Not a frame hive was in the whole bunch, and the only way I could get a peep at their brood was to tip the boxes up or break a piece of comb out of the hive to examine it; It is nearly impossible to do even this in some cases, as the hives or boxes are nailed to bottoms, and some are so badly decayed that it is nearly impossible to handle. Thus we find in this case, as in many others, the man, the bees, and the hives are the gi'eatest liindrances. One of the greatest helps we have found is good foul-brood and quarantine laws FEBRUARY 15, 1914 backed up by a loyal fraternity of beekeep- ers and friends. While the laws of the different States may differ somewhat, they are essentially the same so far as I have been able to ascertain. I believe Iowa has as good a foul-brood law as any State, and what we need most is a larger aj^propriation of money from the State to carry the law into effect in a general and educational way. Two other great helps should be men- tioned, and these are the bees and the hives in which they live. Mr. W. D. Wright, of Altamont, New York, has the following to say in an address on the subject : " The Italian Bee as a Factor in the Extermina- tion of European Eoul-brood," delivered at the New England N. S. and Canada bee- inspectors' convention at Amherst, Mass., Feb. 7, lfll2. He said he always advised inUoducing I lie Italian bee wherever he in- spected bees. At first the New York bee- keejaers were slow in using tliis method; but after using it a while they became very enthusiastic over the Italians. Some of the men used the dequeening method with Ital- ians this year with good success. For several reasons I believe the Italians are better in fighting American foul brood. In regard to the hives, I will say I much prefer the ten-frame Langstroth hive to any other kind ; but the main thing is to have the bees in movable-frame hives. We have mentioned that the beekeeper is the greatest help, and I believe it is equally true that the beekeeper may also be the greatest hindrance. EARLY SPRING FEEDING ADVISABLE ONLY TO PREVENT STARVATION BY J. L. BYER During the last three months of the year 1913 I received more letters asking for information along certain lines in beekeep- ing than I have ever received in any six months previous. Briefly the questions ask- ed can be summed under three heads: Spring management, controlling swarming when producing extracted honey at out- apiaries, and wintering. These queries were in the main from beginners; yet some who have been in the business for years were inquiring about running out-apiaries, while others are contemplating changing from in- door to outdoor wintering. All replies Avere answered to the best of my ability (which is not saying that the parties got much satisfaction), and I have been thinking it might not be out of place to give the gist of these replies in Gleanings; for, although these subjects are all well worn in some respects, yet they are questions of a vital nature to our industry, and many things in connection with them will bear rei^etition. In this article I shall briefly outline my notions as to best methods of spring man- agement ; and while I do not pretend that the ideas presented will meet with the ap- proval of all beekeepers who live in north- ern latitudes, yet they have proved to be the best with me; so, after all, that is the only ground I have to make any claims upon. In fact, no one is justified in debating any thing from the theoretical standpoint alone, as experience is needed to separate the chaff from the wheat in all these debatable ques- tions. As we liave often said, the secret of any successful system of spring management is in doing the right kind of fall work. Hav- ing young vigorous queens in all the hives is one of the things to do in early fall. Packing the bees good and snug not too late in the season is another matter. But the greatest factor of all, aside from being sure that colonies have queens with vigor enough to build up rapidly in the spring when other conditions are right, is that I want the bees to have abundance of good stores. By " abundance " I mean enough to carry them through till apple-bloom, provided they are not able to get a bit of nectar before that season of the year. Some years, when the weather is favorable, the bees will get enough to keep things going in a way from the time early willows bloom ; but such sea- sons ai'e the exception, in our part of On- tario at least ; and whenever the bees are stinted for stores in the spring the colonies do not build up as they do when they have " millions of honey " as friend Doolittle would say. Wintering outdoors exclusively, the first real work in the early spring is to see that snow is shoveled away from front of hives when weather is warm enough for the first flight. This is generally late in March or early in April, seasons varying a great deal one year with another. While I rather prefer snow around and over the hives previous to this time, yet after the bees have had a flight, if at all possible to do so I want snow kept free from entrances from that time on. After a flight, brood- rearing goes on rapidly ; and with a fall of wet snow, as we are apt to get late in the season, damage is sure to result if hives are covered for any length of time. If at all 146 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE possible I like to shovel the snow away from the hives the night before 1 expect the bees to have a fly next day. If snow is shoveled away from the entrances during a cold sun- shiny day, quantities of bees will rush out on account of the disturbance, no matter liow much care is used, and be lost on the snow. After the bees have had a flight I leave them severely alone for the time being, unless there is standing water in part of the yard; and in that case I scatter straw or other material over such places, as open water in an apiary in the early spring means the death of thousands of bees when they can ill be spared. Of course apiaries should be situated on a dry place ; but often, with, a heavy fall of snow going away rapid- ly, water will stand for a few days in places that are ordinarily dry. Watch for these places and save lots of bees during their first flights in the spring. Although I want to have all colonies as heavy as already intimated, yet I always liave a feeling in the spring that one wants to be sure that all have enough stores. Ac- cordingly, as soon as snow is all gone so that one can get around the hives readily, I make an examination and see that everj^ colony has sealed stores. This examination takes but a few moments at each hive, and not a frame is lifted in the work. I take off the covers of the cases and turn back the packing at the rear of the hive, rolling the quilt forward so as to expose an inch or two of the back ends of the combs. A few puffs of smoke are sent over the bees gently if needed. Often this is not even necessary, and a glance will at once show if the stores are there or not. Bees wintering outdoors always consume the honey from the front of the hive first; and rest assured, if no sealed stores are in evidence at the rear of the hive, the colony will soon starve if not attended to. In half a day a hundred colo- nies or more can- be examined; and after the work is over, even if not a colony is found short, it gives a feeling of satisfaction to be sure they are all right. If one is so unluckj^ as to find starving colonies early in the spring, the only thing to do is to feed in the way that is most con- venient. If the weather is warm enough to allow opening of hives, full frames of honey can be given; but for temporary help I much prefer, in a case of this kind, to lay the frame of honey flat over the top of the bees till warmer weather comes later in the season. Candy made of sugar is a handy method of feeding; and as a last resort good thick syrup can be given in a feeder invert- ed over the bees, and all securely wrapped over to prevent heat coming from the hives. In running a number of out-apiaries this work outlined is all that 1 want to do before fruit-bloom comes on ; and as that intro- duces the swarming problem I shall deal with that feature in a future article. I am not in favor of early spring feeding nor manipulation of the colonies in any way. Xeedless handling of frames and bees early in the spring causes hundreds of good queens to be balled every year, and explains much of the queenlessness in strong colonies that have apparently wintered well. As to early stimulative feeding, even if I felt sure of its benefits in any way, it is entirely im- practical to carry out any system on this line when out-apiaries are being looked after. Roads are bad at the season, bees are all packed in winter cases, and to feed hun- dreds of colonies away from home regularly would mean a gTeat expense and a great amount of work. As I have no use for early feeding unless as an absolute necessity to avoid starvation, I think that those who are following this plan of early feeding are doing a lot of work for nothing. In the early spring bees need all their vitality reserved as much as possible, and experience has shown me conclusively that the feeding of syrup made of sugar, in the early spring, wears the bees out rapidly, with nothing gained to compensate for the loss of the bees or the cost of syrup fed. With normal wintering outdoors, and abundance of stores in the hives, our colonies that have good queens are always boiling over by fruit bloom, and in most seasons many have to be supered at this time to hold back swarming. What more could be desired, even if feeding did help? for who wants bees to get in the swarming mood before the coming of fruit- bloom? I have been asked what amount of stores I consider necessary to carry colonies through till fruit-bloom. In answer, I can hardly give any thing definite. This winter we have 100 eight-frame Langstroth hives wintering outside in one yard — a hive alto- gether too small for my ideas, so far as my choice is concerned. About the middle of last October these bees were fed all they would take of syrup, the hives averaging probably 15 povinds of honey each, before being finished up with syrup. The larger hives were all made heavy, but none were given all they would take. As I rarely if ever weigh a hive, I can only guess at the amount given, and would estimate it at about 35 or 40 pounds of stores to each colony. After fruit-bloom we have a dearth for about two weeks, as a rule, and then it will pay, and pay big, to feed the bees — especially to see that all colonies have open stores enough to feed the great amount of FEBRUARY 15, 1914 147 brood that will be present at that time in all strong colonies. One other point that leads me to see the utter uselessnpss of early spring feeding is this : In my experience, colonies that are weak in the sjoring, and yet have a good queen, always have all the brood they can care for, but are likely to be short in bees. If stimulative feeding is for the purpose implied by its name, lo cause the queen to lay more freely, what good will this extra laying do if the bees already have all the brood they can care for? Mt. Joy, Ontario, Can. SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS ON SPRING FEEDING COMPARED Feeding the Entire Amount Necessary, at One Time. BY E. S. MILES The subject of spring feeding is, perhaps, one that is about as little understood, and one about which there are as many diiferent opinions as any question connected with our pursuit. Who has not heard the mysterious phrase " stimulative feeding," and who can say positively just what it means? One will tell you confidently that, if you feed a little syrup each day through early spring, even when the l)ees have plenty of honey in the hive, you will always have strong colo- nies for the harvest. Another will contend earnestly that, if you see that your colonies have an abundance in the fall — so much, indeed, that they will under no condition of weather run short, you will always have strong colonies for the harvest; and while you are turning these statements over in your mind, hopeful, perhaps, of an ultimate reconciliation, a third steps up and asks, " Did you ever see bees breed as they do when there is a nice flow from fruit bloom, and they have plenty of empty comb ? " Now, these three statements do seem at vari- ance at first thought ; but, like many things we hear, there is truth in all, and the whole truth is there in the three propositions. There is, however, a little error mixed in the truth of these statements. (How a little error does hinder one from seeing the truth!) So if we are to get at the truth in this, as in any thing, we must begin by eliminating the error. Experience has shown that, given a good colony of bees in a suitable hive, with good combs and an abundance of stores, so much that the bees will not use them all, no matter how bad the spring should be, they will breed up for the harvest. If this is true, there is an error in the fii-st statement, and the bees build up, not because of the daily feeding, as claimed in it. but in spite of it. But what of the question of a good flow and plenty of empty combs? Do not under- stand us as claiming the bees will build up under any circumstances, without all the comb tlie queen needs being available: and as we all know that empty comb alone will not be sufficient to enable the bees to build up, it follows that 'A must be the flow, or, in other words, the feed. This brings us to the conclusion that we can do no better than to have a good colony with plenty of food, and leave it alone through early spring. But another question arises : Suppose, through some misfortune, we find ourselves with colonies not in this ideal condition. Can we feed them after the manner of the natural flow? If so, how? I have done considerable feeding of bees, and under al- most all conditions of colonies and circum- stances of weather; and my experience thus gained has shown that it is impossible to obtain by feeding as good results as come from a natural flow. A little reflection will show why this is so. ^The necessity for feeding in spring arises almost invariably from bad weather, and bad weather aggra- vates the troubles of feeding. On this ac- count, no doubt, we have found it difficult even to approximate, by feeding in bad weather, the results of a natural flow. We have always observed that, when bees are fed, and especially the first time when they are short of stores, it creates a great excitement among them. If it is daylight they rush from the hive in great numbers, and without noticing, apparently, where they came from or where they were going. In bad weather, no doubt, many never re- turn. If this is repeated day after day, is it any wonder the colony does not increase in strength? If we wait for good weather the colony may starve, and we would feed in any weather rather than allow that. But if the ideal spring condition is, to quote an eminent authority, " Millions of honey at our house," and if from any cause we find ourselves short of this, why not bring it about by feeding enough at one time? It may not be possible to do this by syrup feeding in the case of weak colonies; but with good fair colonies it is quite practica- ble. It must be mentioned in this connec- tion that we have no use for anv feeder 148 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE which does not allow the bees to take the food at a rapid rate. In our opinion, the Alexander feeder is pretty hard to beat for all practical purposes, especially if it is made large enough. Either have it large, or put two feeders on at one time. In case it becomes necessary to feed, we put on the feeders; but unless the weather is warm enough for bees to fly perfectly, we feed only in case we fear starvation unless cir- cumstances are so we can feed after dark. Then when the first good day comes we jjrepare enough feed to feed each one enough to last it till there is flow enough to supply the needs as nearly as can be fore- told. If it is early in the spring, and the chances are that they will not gather much for some time, we begin in the morning and feed right along all day, or until they have enougii. We find, by this way of feeding, that there is not so much trouble with rob- bers as where just one feed is given, for the bees soon become gorged, as in a natural flow, and while in this condition no robbing reed be feared. After this kind of feed they will care for all the brood they can keep warm, which is all one can get under any method of feed- ing. If, after one of these feeds, we find we have misjudged the future, and the bees begin to gather, it is not a hard job to slip out a comb or two and give empty ones in their i^lace; or if the colony is good, give it a super of combs, preferably a shallow ex- tracting-super. It is surprising how much the bees will use, and how much brood they will mature under this treatment. We like this way of feeding, especially for outyards, for we can fix a yard in one day so it will not be necessai*y to visit it again for two or three weeks. In conclusion we should like to ask those who have been feeding after the old way, a little at a time, to try this way on a part of their colonies, and see if it is not an im- provement over the old. Dunlap, Iowa. CRUSHED OIL CAKE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR POLLEN BY R. J. T. MUCKLE Last sprinff, 1913, was cold so long that no pollei. was to be had, and the colonies were dwindling rapidly, the queens ceasing to lay. I tried flour, corn ineal, oatmeal, and finally shorts, and was gi'aiified to see that in this latter I had got something the bees scrambled for. My nephew, for fun, put out crushed oil cake, and from that moment even the shorts were almost deserted. Queens began to crowd the combs with eggs, the bees of which are not only the largest, and incidentally the brightest- colored Italians, but as gatherers of pollen and nectar, and builders of whitest caps, the best yet produced in the many years I have been a bee devotee. Flax seed subjected to pressure separates an oil, as you know, leaving in the press a cake of fibrous nature. This is then put through a crusher and becomes the "crushed oil cake " that I use. This is of immense value in feeding stock. It contains about 50 per cent of protein, and is on this account, I believe, peculiarly suited to the rapid maturing and intense energy of our short-lived friend the honey- bee. Claudeboye, Manitoba, Can. FOOD ANALYSES; DIFFERENT FOODS COMPARED AS TO PROPOR- TIONS OF ACIDS AND ALKALIES BY E. P. ROBINSON A number have written for more detailed information than is given on p. 904 of the Dec. 15th issue, regarding food values, hoAv the numbers 1860 and 4220 are obtained, meaning of last column in table, etc. As other readers may also have failed to under- stand the table fully I write these few lines instead of replying to the letters personally. The analyses given were obtained from bulletins published by the United "States Department of Agriculture, and may be had by applying to Senators or Representatives in Congress, or by paying a small price. The flg-ures 1860 and 4220 are accepted by nutrition experts as about the correct number of calories to be obtained from a pound of protein, carbohydrates, and fat when fully digested. A calory is the accept- ed unit of heat, amount necessai'y to raise tlie temperature of one gram of water one degree centigrade. The figures given in the last column are FEBRUARY 15. 1914 149 merely the result of division of calories or food value of each food by its cost in cents. Take sugar for instance: 1860 caloi'ies di- vided by 5, cost in eenls of one pound, gives 372 as the number of calories, or units of heat value, for each cent expended. The last column was headed " Value i^er cent." If it had been expressed " Value for each cent " it would have been clearer. Another point not usually considered by students of nutrition is the matter of bal- ance of mineral acids and bases. It is now quite well agreed that an acid (inorganic acid) condition is obnoxious in the nutrition of both animals and plants, and to be avoid- ed so far as possible. Acid soils are neutral- ized or sweetened by applications of lime, and stomachs are sweetened by doses of soda and magnesia. With knowledge and care in eating, this acidity may easily be avoided, many desirable foods being highly alkaline, as may be seen by the table below. A preponderance of mineral acids over bases in the diet may result in malnutrition and underdevelopment of the bones, and therefore of the stature and size of tlie growing child or animal. Rheumatism, dia- betes, fevers, rickets, and acidosis also are results of an excess of mineral acids in the food, as compared with mineral bases. It should be carefully obser-ved that it is min- eral (inorganic) not organic acidity that is so injurious, the latter rarely proving ob- noxious. An oddity occurs in not a few of our fruits and vegetables, they being highly acid organically, and still more highly alka- line inorganically. Rhubarb is an example, about the highest in organic acidity, and nearly the highest in inorganic alkalinity. It may be stated that all meats and cereals are acid inorganically, while all fruits and vegetables are alkaline. White bread has over four times as much excess inorganic acid as oatmeal. All who eat meats and cereals should also eat liberalh' of vegeta- bles and fruits. MINERAL ACIDS AND BASES OF VEGETABLE AND ANI- MAL KOODS. I Mineral | Mineral ! Excess | Excess I Bases | Acids | Base | Acid Eggs 484.9 517.8 32.9 Oatmeal . . . 236.4 279 . 2 42.8 Beef 588.2 712.9 124.7 White bread . 192. 364.1 172.1 Chicken . . . 619.7 801.2 181.5 Cow's milk. . 971.14 678.0 293.14 Onions .... 886.1 336.8 549.3 Rhubarb . . . 2581.7 886.0 1695.8 Spinach . . . 3670.2 1051.3 2618.9 Tomatoes . . 5216.6 1512.1 3704.5 Packer, Ct. PRACTICALLY NO MUSTARD GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES BY GEO. J. FRENCH We have had the pleasure of reading the letter from J. H. Calkins (p. 38, Jan. 1) in which he inquires whether mustard is gi'own in the United States in a commercial way. What is ordinarily called mustard seed, in our fields, is not mustard seed, but is either wild rape seed or charlock. The only place in the United States where mustard is gjown commercially is in the Lompoc Valley in California, and very little is grown there. The best mustard seed in the world comes from England. There is some grown in Holland, a great deal is grown in Russia, and there are shipments from Italy and Austria; in fact, the seed is cultivated all over the world, particularly in the East, for its oil, which is used as an article of food, the expressed oil of mustard being bland and mild — a delicious salad and cooking oil. The strength, so called, of the mustard, is contained in another oil, which can be taken from the seed only by distillation. The best mustard flour is not simply ground mustard seed, but is the extracted flour of various mustard seeds, blended to produce the greatest result in the volatile principle of mustard, which is required in the perfect mustard flour. We note that Mr. Calkins wants to get in communication with the growers — but there is no one who gi'ows mustard flour; there is one kind of seed grown in the United States, as per the above. We think in these times of the high cost of living, that Mr. Calkins' ambition to get close to the first cost is a most commendable one. Gleanings in Bee Culture has awak- ened a fondness for honey in my own imme- diate family, and we have bought honey and had honey given to us, and this spring we are going to get closer to the source of sup- ply, just as Mr. Calkins wishes to do — we ore going to keep a hive of bees ourselves. Rochester, N. Y. [As our correspondent is president of the R. T. French Company, makers of mustard bran, etc., we are sure that he knows where- of he speaks. — Ed.] 150 ■ GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE REPORT OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION BY GEORGE F. WEBSTER The convention was held at Vermilion, Jan. 21, and was a most successful meeting. President R. A. Morgan called the meeting to order at 1 :30 p. m._, and Geo. F. Webster, of Sioux Falls, was called upon to discuss the subject of bees on the farm. He pointed out that bees are as necessary to the farm and orchard as the flowers are to the bees. He mentioned also the desirability of having honey on the farmers' table in place of the unwholesome glucose syrups, and the pleas- ure which may be derived from handling and working Avitli bees for any one who has the taste and time for the work. W. P. Southworth, of Sioux City, gave an interesting talk on experiences and ex- penses of marketing honey, which was to the point and well received. F. A. Dahl, of Gayville, described how he produced his big crop of fancy comb honey, having supers piled nine high on some colo- nies. T. M. Goddard told of his success with feeding sweet clover, both green and dry, to all kinds of stock, and had found no trouble in getting them to take hold of it with a relish. Dr. E. A. Morgan, who has had extensive experience as a beekeeper and queen-breeder in the Northwest, led a very instructive dis- cussion of foul brood, giving his method of using the McEvoy treatment, which must prove helpful to those who are having trou- ble from that source. The afternoon session closed after it had been decided to hold a picnic next summer at either Vermilion or Gayville — time and place to be decided by the president and secretary. The evening session was called to order at 7:30, the program opening with the pres- ident's annual address, which showed that the speaker had made the subject, " Does it pay to keep bees ? " one of deep study, pre- senting many facts and figures to prove that honeybees indirectly keep the wheels of commerce moving by making possible great crops of fruit and grain and vegetables. He showed that, as " all flesh is grass," and that as all vegetation is derived from seed, all flowers have to be fertilized in order to produce seed ; and the honeybee is one of the principal factors in producing perfect pollination. If the facts put forth in this discoui-se could be understood by the general public the beekeeper would be hailed as a benefactor. The subjects of extracted honey, winter- ing bees, split sections, chatf hives, etc., were taken up, and pi'oved so interesting that a motion to adjourn had to be suggested by the janitor touching the button, causing the lights to blink. The election of officers resulted in a unan- imous vote to retain the present incumbents, R. A. Morgan, of Vermilion, President, and L. A. Syverud, of Canton, Secretary and Treasurer. Vermilion was selected as the place for the next convention, to be held early in December. Tire following among others were present, nearly all of whom took part in the discus- sions : Mr. Byerhoof , Geo. Carpenter, Miss Alice Cope (County Superintendent of Schools), Dr. and Mrs. Cotton, Alonzo Cotton, An- drew Dahl, T. M. Goddard, M. L. Mickelson, Dr. E. A. Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Morgan, Miss Edna Morgan, W. P. South- worth, L. A. Syverud, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Vincent, George F. Webster, and T. R. Walker. REPORT OF THE WASHINGTON STATE BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION BY J. B. RAMAGE We beekeepers of the State of Wasliing- ton have just held our 20th annual conven- tion. It was the best in the lustory of our association. In point of numbers, enthu- siasm, educational benefits, and good fellow- sliip, we had a larger attendance than any previous convention, and the enthusiasm was at high tide at all times. Every paper and talk was instructive, and every one enjoyed the presence of the others. We had the pleasure of having with us Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Espey and daughter, from Iowa. Mr. Espey gave us a short method of curing American foul brood without wasting so much valuable comb and foundation. His talk was very instructive. Mrs. Espey read a paper on why women should be beekeepers. It was also a valu- able paper. Our oldest member who has been a con- tiniTOUs beekeeper, Mr. Anson S. White, Cowichee, Wash., told us how he increased FEBRUARY 15, 1914 from four colonies to thirty, and secured 730 lbs. extracted honey. One of the lot was evidently very weak, and has died. All the rest are strong, and have a large winter supply of food. Mr. White has resided on the same farm for the last thirty years, and has kept bees nearly all the time, producing honey by the carload. He is one of tlie pioneers in the county. Mr. White and Mr. Leigh R. Freeman, editor Northtvest Farm and Home, are the only ones left of the original membeis of the association. All the papers were full of good whole- some instruction, and created a good deal of discussion, especially when the care of al- falfa and sweet clover was mentioned. Just before the noon hour the secretary called the officers to their feet in front of the members and presented them with the badges of their office, which, he stated, had been generously donated by the proprietors of the American Bee Journal. After which tellers were appointed to take the names of all present and give them a badge neatly printed as follows: "Annual Convention Wasliington State Beekeepers' Association. Noi-th Yakima, Wash., Januaiy 7, 8, 1914." Every one present offered a vote of thanks to the donors. The afternoon and morning of the second day were full of discussions, and filled in by music by friends of the association. The piano was generously loaned us by the Sherman-Clay Music Co., the manager being one of the singers. The banquet was a success in every way. After the toasts the election of officers took place. The following officers were elected : E. E. Starkey, Prosser, President; Lee G. Simmons, Ellensburg, re-elected Vice-presi- dent (thii'd term) ; Gus Sipp, Selah, re- elected Treasurer (second term) ; J. B. Ramage, North Yakima, re-elected secre- tary (fifth term). Three new members were added to the list, with promise of more soon. The pres- ident, secretary, and C. W. Higgins were elected a legislative committee to draft the foul-brood law and have it presented to the legislature in January, 1915, and do what they could for its passage. When the convention adjourned, the hap- piest bunch of beekeepers separated which it has been my lot to be associated with in my beekeei:)ing experience. North Yakima, Wash. A NEW WAY TO USE THE NEW SPECIAL SECTION SUPER BY CHARLES HOWELL I have been putting the new special super to a test for two years for fancy comb honey, as I wanted to use a section-holder that would protect the section all around, and I find some difficulty in getting the sections out of the fraroes. Furthermore, I do not like the odd-sized sections. Both gives the four sections good compression, so that one can handle them as easily as brood-frames. I do not tier up, as I can easily take out finished sections and fill in with empties, so this is a big saving. The 14-inch bee-space above sections is a great help to the bees in doing fine work. objections I have done away with without making any change in any of the fix- tures. By using the 4I/4 x 414 plain section in the frames made for the 4% sections I place a slat 17 inches long on top of the sections held in place by one super spring, which I do not think there is a super made that can beat it. One can finish up all his 4% sections all in the same super until they are gone, produce chunk or extracted at the sides if desired, and still be using regular fixtures. Hackettstown, N. J., Jan. 5. 152 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE COMMENTS ON SOME RECENT STATEMENTS BY J. T. BOWEN HOW LONG HAS THE SMOKE METHOD BEEN USED? A unanimous vote of thanks is due Mr. A. C. Miller for liis smoke method of intro- ducing queens. Nearly 3000 years ag'o Mr. Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun. At said period milk and honey was an article of food, so may be Mr. Solomon or his apiarists knew all about smoking in the queens; at any rate, Mr. R. F. Holtermann has been using it over 30 years, page 902. Mr. Hopper, of Jamaica. West Indies, of queen-rearing fame, used the same practice — to what extent I don't know ; but in 1905 I saw his colored assist- ant run in queens at the entrance with smoke, sometimes rolling them first in honey. FLOODED BEES. Blessed be the beeman who has no need of a bee-cellar and no fear of snowstorms. Page 5, Jan. 1, Dr. Miller is found dreading in what condition he will find his bees in the cellar on his return home; and the A. I. Root Co. is digging colonies from three feet of snow. But " man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." December 30 it rained and rained, and then rained some mjore. The following morning found every one of my 145 colonies under water from 2 to 6 inches. Tlu-ee were floating abroad. Still it rained ; but a big day's work lifted them on to their stands. I feared a tremen- dous loss. January 8 was California weather. Every colony seemed on a rampage. Even tlie three that went swimming suifeved no harm beyond that of moldy combs. Page '731, Oct. 15, 1913, John Pashek uses ^-inch mesh to keep out mice. I should think the bees would have a hard time in carrying out their dead. T use %-inch, which is mouse-ioroof, and offers less in- convenience to the bees. A GOOD RECORD BY A BLACK COLONY. On page 728, Oct. 15, A. P. Haberecht has an apiary ranging from pure blacks to golden Italians, and as honey-gatherers finds no difference. My 145 ten-frame colo- nies are a similar mixture. My record colo- ny gave me two big swarms (i. e., Alexan- der), and seven supers of extracted. I run eight frames in supers. The queen was so black I thought I would end her career in the spring, but hated to do so, as she was beating every other queen at laying. Her progeny were like their mothen — not a yellow streak to indicate any trace of Ital- ian blood. With such a record, hands up of tliose who would advocate changing such a queen for an Italian or any other for- eigner ! On page 843, Dec. 1, Arthur C. Miller says bees don't sting dead things. Don't you believe it, Mr. Miller. Once in Jamaica, W. I., I threw away a dead rat — yes, sir, really dead. Accidentally it stnick a hive. A few seconds later, not knowing the cause, you might have sworn that colony was swarming. They settled in a heap on that poor dead rat. If they were not stinging it, then what under the sun were they do- ing? Not till I pulled it away with a long stick did they become tame. LIVING TO BE 100 YEARS OLD NOT YET OUT OF FASHION. A. I. Root expresses a hope that he will live to be 100 years old. That should be easy so long as he continues to behave liim- self. My grandmother went home at 102 years, after bringing up to maturity 14 children. My great-grandfatlier went to sleep with his fathers at 100. Both were of English stock. Neither of them was a stu- dent of dietetics. They took ho thought what they should eat or what they should drink. GREAT DIFFERENCE IN COLOR OP ALFALFA HONEY. I wonder if Bi'o. Chadwick is still of the conviction that alfalfa honey is always one and the same color. This is a purely alfalfa district, dependent solely on irrigation. Wild flowers have long since passed before the honey-flow, hence there is absolutely noth- ing to give coloring to the nectar; yet be- tween the flrst and last extracting the dif- ference in color is so pronounced that an- cient Isaac, whose sight was so dim he didn't know Esau from Jacob, could, I think, make a good gTiess as to which was light and which was dark. If the above is not so, then I must be oolor-blind or I need an oculist. BEES CHASING BLACKBIRDS. Has anybody ever seen bees chase black- birds? In this valley we have millions. The past season I have repeatedly noticed a bee appai-ently making a desperate effort to overtake one of these birds. Whichever way the bird would twist, the bee would follow. Dixon, Cal. FEBRUARY 15, 1914 153 Heads of Grain from Different Fields A Vision of Spring The trees still stand naked and brown and bare, With never a leaf showing anywhere. The snow's piled deep, and the winds are chill As they sweep o'er the orchard upon the hill. The bees are housed in their quarters snug. With plenty of honey for each small "bug;" And they scarecly hum ; they're almost as still As the giant trees upon the hill. But we'll shut our eyes, and in vision see How the spring will alter each bare brown tree. See ! out from their cozy cradles come The leaves and the flowers, one by one, Till even the tiny gurgling rill Will sing of the fragrance upon the hill. Then deep in their hearts, 'neath the pollen gold, The blossoms a promise of fruit will hold. And, courting the blossoms, we find the bees In the branches swayed by a Maytime breeze. In the happy hum of the bees we hear Tlie promise of honey to eat next year. Though the trees are bare, and still the bees' hum, We know that the glad spring in due time will come. Gladwin, Mich. Ikma True Soper. Trouble in Malting Hard Candy I have been trying to make hard candy for bees according to the instructions given in Gleanings. It is easy enough to boil it down to the consistency you recommend, but it is difficult to do so without darkening the candy and having it go back to sugar. I have tried to make it several times, and each time I got a cake of sugar about the color of goldenrod honey. Some of these experimental batches were boiled briskly, and others very slowly ; but in each case the result was about the same. It is not fit for bees. If you can give any further information it would be appreciated. St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 9. Subscriber. [We are not sure from what you say that your candy is unfit for the bees. Goldenrod honey, owing to the fact that it is so often not pure goldenrod, varies in color from quite light to quite dark, so your comparison is not definite. The candy, as we make it, is considerably darker than most clover honey, but not dark enough to be called a dark am- ber. It might be called light amber, but, of course, this also is somewhat indefinite. When you place a little of the candy in your mouth you should not be able to detect at once a strong scorched or burnt taste. We have just been eating some of our candy, and we find after it has remained in the mouth a few minutes it is possible to detect a slight taste along the caramel order — a pleasing taste rather than a scorched burnt tast€. If your candy has a distinctly burnt flavor we are sure that vou boiled it too fast or else too long. Perhaps you added too much water in the first place, so that it required too long exposure to the heat to evaporate it to the right consistency. — Ed.] Tiie 4x5 Sections Used in a 4X Square Section Super I am using 4x5 sections in an ordinary super made for 4% square sections without any change in the super except strips nailed to the upper edges to make the side walls the proper height. Instead of putting a false end in each end of the super to take up the extra space I make a special fence, the end cleat on one end of which is enough wider to make thu fence reach from one end to the other of the super. The section-holders are also a little different, one upright being nailed far enough from the end of the bottom-bar to be just right for the four sec- tions. I use the 4x5x1% sections in the same supers formerly used for the 4i/4 square section. At any time if I should want to use the latter again it will not be necessary for me to pry out any false ends in the supers, nor to make any other alterations. I use a top-bar over the sections, so that I really have wide-frame section-holders. I find that this keeps the sections cleaner, and saves lots of scraping. San Jose, Gal. W. A. Barstow. Granulated Sugar Not Suitable for Queen-cage Candy Being a subscriber to Gleanings, I am presuming on that fact to address you. I also have your A B C book. In looking over its columns, I note the formula for making "Good" candy. I find that the common granulated sugar is not a success in making this candy, as the crystals will not dissolve. I have plenty of pulverized sugar, but fear to use it on ac- count of the small quantity of starch or flour that all this class of sugars contains. Would the common unre- fined brown sugar do ? I note a late formula in Gleanings for making candy, but can not get all of the ingredients. What shall I do? Berea, W. Va., Jan. 1. J. E. Meredith. [ It is not practicable to make Good candy using granulated sugar or even brown sugar. The only thing that you can use is pulverized sugar. Usually you can secure this without any starch in it. It is very possible and even probable that the pulverized article you refer to has no starch in it. We suggest that you try making it according to the directions given in the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. In the mean time, if you desire candy for feeding bees during the winter we refer you to the hard candy referred to in Gleanings. See Jan. 1st issue. — Ed. J Wintering Bees in a Room with an Open Window; Deep vs. Shallow Frames for Wintering Would it be practicable to keep two or more colo- nies of bees in a building 15 feet square, using a window four feet square as a common entrance? Other conditions being equal, should bees winter better in deep or very deep frame hives than in shallow-frame hives ? Marlboro, N. Y., Dec. 8. Chas. E. Dowling. [ It would not be impossible to keep bees in a room with an open window such as you describe, but we do not believe it would be advisable. The bees, after a time, would get accustomed to going into this open- ing, and then into their individual hives; but the difficulty would come at the close of the day when it became so dark that the bees would not be able to locate their entrances properly, and on that account would not fly out very early nor very late in the day. The time was when it was thought the bees would winter better on deep frames or square frames than on shallow ones ; but if one shallow hive is placed on top of another the advantage is in favor of the shal- low frame. The bee-space between the two sections makes it possible for the cluster to reach the stores in any part of the hive, and at the same time pro- vides a fine clustering-space. — Ed.] The Heat of a Solar Extractor Is the heat in a solar wax-extractor detrimental to the wax ? It has been asserted that the heat gener- ated causes the wax to be too brittle for foundation. I have never tested the heat in mine, but it must go over boiling-point of water, I think. I vrill note it 154 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE when we get a roally hot day. Mine is 2 i/^ ft. deep, and there are two sheets of glass with an inch air- space between. St. Albans, Christchurch, N. Z. E. G. Ward. [Heat from a tropical sun where a double glass is used in the solar extractor will sometimes scorch wax ; but nowadays a single glass is used almost universally. Years ago, with a double-glass machine we fried eggs, and raised the temperature nearly up to the boiling-point. As wax melts at 140 degrees the wax might be lurnt if retained too long in the machine. — Ed. ] The Quarantine on Bees in Imperial Valley, Cal- ifornia Mr. Editor: — It would seem to me, after reading your issue for Jan. 1, that a few words from me would not come amiss. One J. Egar Ross, a part of whose letter you published, presumes to take up the cause of a few disgruntled beekeepers and writers who were trying to override an ordinance in force in this county by bringing in bees in violation of a quarantine. This letter was published in full in the Wi'fitern Honeuhee. Space will not permit me to go into his letter in detail, so I will take iip the most of the important points. He says great injustice was done to a party who shipped in a carload of bees. Nearly every beekeep- er in this county knew that these bees were coming in to test the law, and fully expected to take this into the courts, and that the railroad company refus- ed to deliver them to the consignor, as I held the railroad company responsible for violation of quar- antine, and they returned them to the consignee after keeping the ^vires hot three or four days. I acted only in the capacity of an officer doing his duty, of which the owners were fully aware. The question as to whether they were healthy or not never entered the ease ; but they came from a quar- antined county. He goes on further to state that I permitted some to come in while I objected to others. Again he is silent as to the reason for this apparent partiality. This was before the quarantine was established, and was like this: The ordinance leaves it to my discre- tion as to whether or not bees could be brought in. There were certain counties that I accepted a bill of health from without quest" jn, and others I was not so ready to accept; and j. explained my position in each case. Personally I treated all alike, without fear or favor. Now as to the dog-in-the-manger argument. If the beekeepers were not afraid of- importing disease would they not have gone out and bought up these cheap bees ? They have as good a business instinct, and are as anxious for bargains here as anywhere else. One more noint : Mr. Ross puts himself up as an expert on bee diseases. The fact is, he did not know American foul brood when I showed him a case in his yard last spring. I think Imperial Co. has gained a great point in the enforcement of this ordinance for which they have a progressive board of supervisors and district attorney to thank by standing back of the beemen, for which the beemen are very appreciative. A. F. Wagner, Inspector. El Centro, Cal., Jan. 21. Twin Mating Nuclei with Three Combs on a Side I am making up a supply of twin mating-boxes a little different from any thing I have seen. I am making them with loose bottom and loose central division-board fitting in grooves cut in the ends and resting on the bottom-board with division-board out. They take seven frames the same size as the fr^me in the Root twin mating-box, the only difference being a long top-bar with division-board in. They take three frames to a side, making a nucleus with comb area the same as one standard L. frame. Three of these boxes united, with division-boards out and frames substituted, make a colony for winter with <-omb area the same as seven standard L. frames. Liberty, Tenn., Dec. 15. J. Ivan Banks. [Your form of twin mating-box is almost the same as the one that we are using in our own yard. We started out with the idea of making the central division-board removable. It is of very thin stuff, and sliaes down into corresponding grooves in each end-board of the nucleus box. WTiile these can be removed very readily when the hives are new, it is practically impossible to get them out when they are stuck up with bee-glue. We find it perfectly prac- ticable to run the twin nuclei side by side, and there is really no need of withdrawing the central division- board except at the close of the season. A plan could be readily devised for making the division- board easily removable, even though it were covered with propolis at the end; but it would be quite ex- pensive.— Ed. ] Bees Working on Sawdust for Pollen A few days ago I sawed 20 cords of green wood. To-day is a warm shiny day, and the pile of sawdust is entirely covered up with bees. They seemed to be gathering pollen so far as I could see. I noticed some of them had a good bit of pollen on their legs. Never before have I seen bees after sawdust. Roanoke, Va., Jan. 22. Henry S. Bohon. [During a dearth of pollen, when the bees are fairly crazy for it, they will make things pretty lively about stables where bran is kept, or about a barn where there is an accumulation of screenings, etc. We have heard of bees working on sawdust, although not very often. Whether they really get a nitrogen- ous substance that they can use in brood-rearing, or whether they are deceived, we do not know. It is iiard to imagine any thing nutritious for young brood in sawdust. — Ed.] No Bad Results from Feeding Thin Honey in the Fall I have read the article on feeding sugar syrup b) J. E. Hand, Dec. 1, p. 858. I consider this an im- portant question, but it seems to me Mr. Hand is mistaken in his claim that the bees do all the evap- oration while on the wing. If so, why do we find thin nectar in the extracting-super, and that, too, when the bees are gathering only a little. I have never fed such thin feed, but for a num- ber of years I have practiced feeding Lack honey thinned to the consistency of nectar, through the month of September, for the purpose of finishing sections, and have never experienced any winter loss from those so fed. On the other hand, I sometimes lost 15 per cent of those not fed, which has led me to believe that fall brood stimulation is good. Last fall I fed all my bees half a pint of thin honey each night from Sept. 17 to Oct. 4, the result of which I shall watch with interest. Durkee, Ore., Dec. 13. J. O..Baird. Color of Alfalfa Honey Differs with Successive Crops p. C. Chadwick, of California, holds to the opinion that one kind of flower gives but one sort of honey so far as color and flavor go. He would not think so if he lived in the Pecos Valley. As alfalfa is our only honey-plant through the summer, how is it then that the nectar from the first and second crop is amber, at least, while the third crop's honey is water-white ? Dexter, N. M. C. Vanden Bout. FEBRUARY 15, 1914 155 Our Homes A. I. Root Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that be upright in heart. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. And a little child shall lead them. — Isaiah 11:6. A year ago I told you about being happy over a Christmas present— a little bag of dasheen tubers that came in the mail on Christmas eve from the Department of Ag- riculture of our nation — God's gift— and I believe it will prove to be a precious gift to hungering multitudes. Well, I have just re- ceived another new and most precious gift; but it is more along in the line of spiritual blessings than either food or raiment. When some kind soul sends me " a book to read," of late years, I almost always feel a bit sori*y; for how can I read hooks when the news of the world's progress lies untouched before me, week after week, and often month after month, because I can not get time and still take the exercise in the open air I must have. I have tried several times to read current fiction; but almost every time, after wasting precious moments, I have said invariably, " Why do ye spend money for that wliich is not bread, and labor for that which satisfieth notf" Christ- mas eve came, and several books. Among them was one entitled " Pollyanna, the Glad Book," by Eleanor H. Porter. (L. C. Page & Co., Boston.) I believe it first came out in the Christian Herald in 1912. Since then it has, during the first half of 1913, under- gone " eight impressions." I read the first chapter and said to Mrs. Root, " This book is diiferent." Although it is of late hard for me to read any thing more than about half an hour at a time, the book was finished next day. Then I turned back to the begin- ning and proceeded to read it all over again, for the latter part threw a new and unex- pected radiance (yes, that is the word) over the whole book. In one sense it is not a " religious " book. I don't think a text is quoted, nor is there any mention of the Bible, until near the last part. It is a unique creation. May God be praised for the woman whom he has commissioned to deliver this message to an unhappy and hungering world. Before I can deliver my " message " I ^hall have to give you a brief sketch of the book. My sketch won't spoil the book when you come to read it. Briefly, the well-to-do parents of a bright young girl planned to have her marry a rich young man; but she preferred a young and perhaps obscure young preacher. They stormed, and threat- ened; but, like Moses of old, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season," she cast her lot with the young pastor, and, disowned by her family, they two moved out west and he began Avith the customary small salary. In the eyes of the world he didn't seem to be very successful. Oh, dear me! how little does the world know ! Two little girls were born — "Polly" and " Anna;" but both soon died; and after giving birth to another, named Pollyanna, the poor unfortunate mother died also. When the last little girl was eleven years old, the overworked and poorly paid pastor died also, with nothing left for the poor child but a few things that had come in " a barrel " from some " ladies' aid " society. They found the child had only one relative living — her aunt Polly, who was living an idle, unsatisfied life, and who had not, after all these years, forgiven her poor sister's " want of sense " in marrying a preacher without a cent in the world. Now, this poor preacher who lacked fame and renown, and the things of this world, was (especially be- fore he died) rich in God's Holy Spirit, and he spent the last days of his life and his last remaining strength in instilling into the heart and mind of that eleven-year-old child the riches of God's holy kingdom. Happy as a lark, she started out on her mission, the ladies' aid society paying for a ticket to her Aunt Polly. Now this wise father, recognizing how difficult it is to teach children spiritual things, had been teaching the motherless girl a little " game," as he called it, and this game was to try to find something to be " glad " about, no matter what comes up. To illustr?te: When the child first came, her aunt, who priJed herself on her fixed rules and promptness, told Pollyanna to be sure to be on hand when the supper-bell rang at six o'clock; but the child was away off in the fields, admiring her new home. As a punishment she was told she could have only " bread and milk " in the kitchen with " Nancy." To her aunt's gx'eat surprise, and almost consternation, she replied, " Oh ! thank you, Aunt Polly. I just love bread and milk, and I love Nancy too; and you needn't feel bad about it, one bit." In fact, her little life was just full -of the beautiful text commencing "Rejoice and be glad;" and that was not all. She commenced at once teaching every one, young and old, rich and poor, the beautiful " game," as she call- ed it, of being " glad " always. By accident she ran across a poor discouraged minister GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ill her new home. He had gone off into the woods to pray. His deacons were in a quar- rel. Three of the best workers in the "la- dies' aid " had withdrawn ; the choir had ''split;" the officers of the Endeavor Soci- ety were in a jangle; and the Sunday-school superintendent had resigned ; and while he was praying over the troubles, God sent Pollyanna as an angel of light to his trou- bled soul. Here is the way the book tells it: " Do you like being a minister? " The Rev. Paul Ford looked up now, very quickly. " Do I like — Why, what an odd question ! Why do you ask that, my dear ? " " Nothing — only the way you looked. It made me think of my father. He used to look like that — sometimes." " Did he? " The minister's voice was very polite, but his eyes had gone back to the dried leaf on the around. " Yes, and I used to ask him just as I did you if lie was glad he was a minister." The man under the tree smiled a little sadly. " Well, what did he say? " "Oh I he always said he was, of course, but 'most always he .said, too, that he wouldn't stay a minister a minute if 'twasn't for the rejoicing texts." "The — what?" The Rev. Paul Ford's eyes left the leaf and gazed wonderingly into Pollyanna's merry little face. " Well, that's what father used to call 'em," she laughed. " Of course the Bible didn't name 'em that. But it's all those that begin ' Be glad in the Lord,' or ' Rejoice greatly,' or ' Shout for joy,' and all that, you know — such a lot of 'em. Once, when father felt specially bad, he counted 'em. There were eight hundred of 'em." " Eight hundred! " " Yes — that told you to rejoice and be glad, you know; that's why father named 'em the 'rejoicing te.xts.' " " Oh! " There was an odd look on the minister's face. His eyes had fallen to the words on the top paper in his hands — " But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" "And so your father — liked those rejoicing texts," he murmured. " Oh, yes! " nodded Pollyanna, emphatically. "He said he felt better right away, that first day he thought to count 'em. He said that if Grod took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, he must want us to do it — some. And fa- ther felt ashamed that he hadn't done it more. After that, they got to be such a comfort to him, you know, when things went wrong; when the Ladies' Aiders got to fight — I mean, when they didn't agree about something," corrected Pollyanna hastily. " Why, it was those texts, too, father said, that made him think of the game — he began with me on the crutches — but he said 'twas the rejoicing texts that started him on it." " And what game might that be? " asked the min- ister. " About finding something in every thing to be glad about, you know. As I said, he began with me on the crutches." And once more Pollyanna told her story — this time to a man who listened with tender eyes and understanding ears. A little later Pollyanna and the minister descended the hill, hand in hand. Pollyanna's face was radi- ant. Pollyanna loved to talk, and she had been talk- ing now for some time: there seemed to be so many, many things about the game, her father, and the old home life that the minister wanted to know. I talked about the book in our Wednesday evening jDrayer-meeting, and at the close a lady came to me and said : " Mr. Root, I am glad to know that you are of such a happy disposition." " Oh ! bitt I am not. Mrs. Root could probably tell you quite a different story. The reading of that book really startled me to think how many times, almost every day, something transpires that I a"m not glad about at all." " Eight hundred times." It keeps ringing in my ears. Shall everybody " be glad " all the time, no matter what happens? No, no ! there are conditions. See Pollyanna's text at the head of this talk. It is only the ' righteous " and " ye that are upright in heart." It is not enough that we " love God " and " our neighbor as ourself." After having done this we are to " be glad " and '■ shout for joy." I do sometimes (thank God) shout for joy, especially when I am working out among the "dasheen;" and I often feel like it when I don't shout; but, oh dear me! what a tremendous job the dear Savior has on his hands to finish the work of making me over so that I am really and "truly," as "Nancy" (bless her heart) might say, " born again " and fitted for his kingdom ! Years ago a physician and a church mem- ber came to me greatly excited because his leputation was being injured by what he called undeserved gossip. He declared he would go to the full extent of the law. As we were well acquainted I tried to persuade him to stick to business and let it drop. Finally I said, " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake," but to my surprise it only made him angrier still. " Mr. Root, is that your doctrine? " 1 laugliingiy replied, "No, my good friend, it is not my ' doctrine;' but the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ." A prominent business man, a doctor with quite a practice, and a professing Christian, was in heatJien darkness, one might almost say, of the blessed promises in God's holy word. It was to him an "unexplored region." Again, at one of our " teachers' meetings" that were always well attended by quite a number of old Bible scholars as well as an able pastor, I happened to say that somc- vJiere in the Bible we were told not only to " rejoice and be glad " when " lied about," etc., but we were admonished to " leap tor joy." One of the company felt sure I was mistaken ; and when I didn't find it I'lght away the Avhole company turned on me, and even the minister " turned the laugh on me," because I insisted our Lord ever FEBRUARY 15, 1914 157 uttered any tlung so extravagant; but when I read to them Luke 6 :22, 23, they made profuse apologies all aiound. I mention these two incidents to show how the child Pollyauna was, in her simple faith, " head and shoulders " above the whole community, not excepting the poor, ivorried, and tried pastor of the churcli. Once in a while we tind a man (or wom- an), not always a professing Christian, who can look kind and pleasant when big quar- rels are started. I know a few such. One man (who may see this) has many a time turned angry looks to smiles by his happy way of starting innocent jokes when trouble loomed up ahead. He is alm.ost always '' glad." A daily at my elbow tells of a policeman who, while looking into the bar- rel of a revolver in the hand of a man who declared he would never be arrested, talked kindly to the man, and finally induced him to surrender peaceably, when he would like- ly have killed several more of his townsmen otherwise. A few weeks ago I asked you to pray for me that I might have grace to meet the boys that annoyed me a year ago. Well, for a time they seemed to have forgotten all about it until during the holidays, when there was no school. As I came out of the postofiPice one day there was a yell I understood, and a crowd of boys were climlnng all over my machine. Asking the Savior to guide me T said, " Why, hello, boys ! How many do you suppose this machine will pull? Climb in, all of you, and we will try." This, of course, was unexpected. By managing just right I succeeded in taking the whole load through the streets and up to the bank. It seemed risky leaving them with the machine; but T decided the good will of the town boys was of more value than a whole automobile, and went into the bank. I had to wait a little; and when, on looking out of the window. 1 saw them pulling and twisting every thing movable, my faith and courage began to. fail. Just then the story in the Bible of how God told his jDeople to stand still and see him. fight the battle came into my mind. When I was ready to go, to my surprise the engine started promptly. At the grocery where I traded the proprietor said : " Mr. Root, won't that gang of boys in- jure your machine?" He seemed surprised when I didn't seem disturbed, and he then spoke again. " Mr. Root, they are actually wheeling it aAvay. Nobody knows where you will find it when you are ready to go." I presume he thought it strange I didn't call the marshal; but as I saw it moving away I remembered a story of some mission- aries who held a consultation as to whether they should fight the natives who were going to destroy the church, or trust to the power of prayer. What do you suppose happened "I When I was ready to go 1 found my prop- erty intact, about ten feet from where I left it, and not a boy in sight. The old doctrine of " an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" would have landed both boys and myself — where? The individual who can " rejoice and be glad " under all circum- stances will not only be a power in his own community, but — listen to what the scrip- ture says : " He that overcometh and keep- eth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." THE DIVINING-RODj OR " WATER-WITCHING.^' On page 662 I classed the above among the suiDerstitions. Since that has been in ]nint I am glad to see vai ions periodicals taking it up. The Scientifi,c American^ in answer to an inquirer, indorsed my state- ment. The Country Gentleman informs us that Germanj' is making exhaustive investi- gations to see if it is a humbug. Their con- clusion seems to be that these people who call themselves water-witches may have a sort of " intuition " that enables them to guess shrewdly where water is most likely to be found; and, of course, this queer thing which they call " intuition " would not work with their eyes blinded. In re- gard to the witch-hazel or peach-tree switch they agree that the water-witch must in- voluntarily make the thing swing around. This explanation, you will see, admits that the water-Avitch may be honest and sincere. The German people call the water-witch a " dowser." With this explanation let me quote from the Country Gentleman: Oui- home-bred scientists have, in a way of speak- ing, doused the dowser with cold water. Replying to the German savants, the majority of a jury of American scientists have rendered this verdict: The divining-rod theory is all rot! "Yes, rot," asserts Professor Hering, who occupies the chair of physics at the New York University. " I don't think any competent scientist in this country has ever taken the divining-rod seriously or attempted to experiment with it. Although I have seen it tested several times T have never seen an attempt to locate water with it result in success." George C. Stone, of the Amer- ican Institute of Mining Engineers, echoes this sen- timent. Professor Peele, of the Columbia School of Mines, adds his contempt for the dowser, and tags him as a charlatan and faker. During the recent drouth Kansas tried the " water witch " along with the rainmakers. But he failed, or the water proved to lie salty when he did find it. T am glad to see the matter brought to tlie attention of men who stand away up in jn-actical experience in matters that should fit them to become judges. 158 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE High-pressure Gardening MORE ABOUT THE DASHEEN UP TO DATE. When we reached here in Xovember 1 asked Wesley about the last planting near a ditch where we had never been able to raise any thing, and he replied " Nothin' doin,' " even with the dasheens, and said they gTew only about a foot high. Some time later I investigated and found quite a crop, after all, of small tubers, very clean and solid, that had grown in almost pure white sand ; and, sure enough, we got quite a big wheelbarrow load. When I was a boy (60 years ago) I was enthusiastic on "sor- ghum," and there was much difference of opinion in regard to the new syrup. Final- ly it transpired that cane on poor soil pro- duced a much better syrup than that raised on rich mucky soil just right for big crops of corn. I wondered if it would not be so with the dasheen; and, sure enough, these diy tubers, almost as heavy as bullets, were the very nicest for baking. One more " dis- covery," and a very important one: When we first came I went out to where I planted the Government tubers a year ago, and with my knife I cut out the top of one of the largest corms, taking stalk and big leaves, and had it made into dasheen stew as I have described. Now, the big eorm was left in the ground with the cluster of smaller plants all around it. I cut out so much of the corm'that it left a saucer-like cavity that held rain water, and I supposed, of course, this would cause decay. Just about _ two months later, as it seemed to look all right, I took it in for dinner, and Mrs. Root called it the best baked dasheen we had tried. It had kept in the ground right where it grew, perfectly sweet and good, even when muti- lated in the manner I have described. This opens up another fact. In this frostless region dasheen may be left in the ground until wanted for the table, the year round; and, in fact, the vei-y hills that I planted over a year ago are now bright and green, and growing finely. Of course they are greatly crowded, and the central corm has mostly dried down; but the other-s are still making a larger crop of small tubers. We are dividing these hills of a dozen or more plants, and making new plantations, without waiting to have the tubers die down. Now, right in here comes something that has been only lightly touched upon. We have found a few of the corms that were dug and stored in November that had com- menced to decay with what seemed to be " dry rot." But this was mostly when the roof of an outbuilding leaked, or when they were left in heaps before being dried out thorougldy. When Die smaller tubers have been dried in the sun, and then spread out on inch poultry-netting under shelter, they have so far kept perfectly. I wrote to the Brooksville Station about it, and below is Prof. Gomme's reply. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OP PLANT INDUSTRY Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction Plant Introduction Garden Dear Mr. Root: — -Your letter of ,Tan. 8 came to hand. We have experienced trouble in the keeping of the corms of the dasheens. The rot you speak of may be due to two things — viz., dry rot, or a fungus known as sclerotum. I am sending your letter to Mr. Young, in Washington, who will, no doubt, write you fully. He has charge of the dasheen project, and would rather, perhaps, give his views of the matter. This year all of our medium and seed tubers have kept well, but the corms as usual have decayed somewhat. I find that they will decay under any conditions, especially if stored damp. The corms especially evaporate while in storage. From our planting on the 314 -acre tract, we obtained about 1093 bushels, which was not a bad yield. I wish to thank you for sending me Gleanings. It is very interesting and instructive. Myself and wife both enjoy it. Brooksville, Pla., Jan. 11. Wm. Gomme. Assistant Farm Superintendent. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BURKAU OF PLANT IXnuSTKY Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction DASHEEN CORMS MORE ABOUT THEIR KEEPING QUALITIES. Dear Mr. Root: — Mr. Gomme (of Brooksville, Fla.) has referred to me your letter of June 8 in- quiring with regard to the keeping of dasheen corms. The corms of the dasheen do not keep as well as the tubers. This is, no doubt, partly because the corm is the first growth that takes place, and it would natu- rally be the first to yield to decay of any kind. While temperatures as low as between forty and forty-five degrees may lower the resistance of the corms we have no data to show to what extent this affects their keeping qualities. It is likely that they are affected by some definite disease, such as that known as Rolf's sclerotum or one or two others to which the dasheen is susceptible. In our last circular on the dasheen, issued in May, 1913, we advised using the dasheen corms as soon as practicable after harvesting, because of their not keeping as well as the tubers. A copy of this circu- lar is supposed to have been sent to you ; but on the chance that you have not received it I am asking that another one be sent. I also enclose herewith a sheet of special directions for baking the corms, and general directions for cooking dasheens. If any other information is desired regarding dasheens I shall be very glad to answer as far as possible. R. A. Young, Scientific Assistant. Washington, D. C, January 16. Permit mc to add to the above, that up to the present time (Jan. 19) the safest way to keep the corms here in Florida is to leave them i-ight in the ground where they grew, until wanted for the table. I have been using them twice a day all winter, so far, and greatly prefer them, as a steady diet, to the best Irish jDotatoes. Here are the direc- tions i-efeired to : FEBRUARY 15, 1914 159 DEPT. OP AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON, D. C. THK COOKING OF DASHEEN CORMS. The dasheen is one of the new vegetables with wliieh the Department of Agriculture is experiment- ing in the Southern States. It is the staple food of millions of people in tropical and subtropical coun- tries. The plants themselves look something like the large-leaved ornamental caladiums or elephant-ears of the garden. Various parts of the plant are edible, but the principal food is furnished by the large, spherical coim, or " tuber," and a number of smaller tubers which are attached to it in the ground. The dasheen corms can be prepared in many ways; but they are generally liked best when par- boiled for about fifteen minutes, and the cooking completed by baking in a fairly quick oven. De- pending upon the size, they should be baked from one to two hours, a fork being used to test them. Corms weighing more than two pounds should gen- erally be cut in half from top to base (lengthwise) beforehand, in order to reduce the time necessary for baking, and to prevent the chance of forming too thick a crust. The appearance of the corms for serving is im- proved by scraping off the fibrous skin before boiling. If this is done and the corms are not baked so long as to make the crust thick and hard, it will be found to be of delicious flavor. If the corms are dipped in water during the scraping, as is usually done, a little baking soda should be added to the water ; otherwise a slight irritation to the hands may be caused. The interior of the cooked dasheen may be' cream white, pearl gray, or some shade of violet. It is usually quite mealy, though sometimes, especially when first opened, it may be somewhat moist. The flavor is generally more or less nutty. The upper or bud end, after cooking, is sometimes rather moist, or a little fibrous, as compared with the middle and lower parts, and when so may be discarded. .Vs soon as done the corms should be cut open lengthwise, covered with a napkin, in a warm dish, and served immediately. If they have been cut open before cooking, the thin crust formed over the cut surface should at once be lifted, on taking from the oven. (This crust is itself very palatable.) The mealy interior can be taken out easily with a fork or spoon. Baked dasheens are generally drier than baked potatoes, and therefore need more butter. Salt is used in seasoning. If impossible to serve immediately when done, the corm should be prepared for serving, as already described, or pricked several times with a fork to allow the steam to escape, and kept covered with a napkin, or other loose cover, in a warm place. If avoidable, however, there should not in any case be a delay of more than a few minutes in serving. THE OBJECTIONABLE FEATURES IN REGARD TO GROWING ALFALFA. I suppose there really are two sides to every thing. A periodical called Better Farming sums up the one objection to hav- ing a field of alfalfa. Here it is : Tliere is one objection to alfalfa : It was discover- ed by an Oklahoma farmer who uncovered his ach- ing heart the other day in print, and told his tale of woe. He said: "We hear a good deal about the value of an alfalfa crop. Some people never let up blowing about it. They tell you if you feed it to your work team you won't have to feed grain to keep them fat ; that it is worth pound for pound as much as bran for feeding milk cows ; that it is one of the best pork-producers ; that it is fine for feeding beef cattle. Give us a rest I It makes us tired! In May, just at the time you ought to be hoeing out your cotton, you have to go into your alfalfa field and cut the first crop. Then in .Tune, just when you have a chance to go fishing, there's another crop of alfalfa to cut, and you don't go. It's blazing hot in July, and you feel like you ought to shade some, but you have to get in another crop of alfalfa. In Au- gust you want to go to camp-meeting, swap \ arns, have a good easy time, and imagine you have got religion. But you can't — there's that dog-goned al- falfa again. In September it has always been your custom to visit the wife's kinfolks, but do you do it? Not much. Confound that alfalfa 1 In October you are done with most other crops, and you want to go off to that gambling contraption known as the coun- ty fair, and spend some of your money, but you have to harvest another crop of that infernal alfalfa. And iu November in desperation you turn the cattle in on the field, and they graze on it all fall. Are you through then? Heavens, no! You've got to spend all winter feeding it up." Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the thing.^ which God hath prepared for them that love him. — I. Cob. 2 :9. FLYING TO BE MADE SAFER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I am sure the friends who have followed me in my reports in regard to the develop- ment of aviation by the Wright brothers will read with interest the following, clipped from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: Dayton, O., Jan. 5. — Orville Wright, premier avi- ator, to-day discussed the possibilities of his automat- ic stabilizer, which, he declares, will make flying " fool proof " and as comparatively safe as transpor- tation by land. It means that an unskilled operator may make a trip from Dayton to New York and re- turn with comparative safety. He said: " We have invented an automatic stability device which will revolutionize flight," said Wright. " It is more accurate than any aviator can be, and will make flying fool proof, or as nearly fool proof as any thing can be. I have flown many miles with it ;ind have never touched the controls. We are now simplifying, and expect to be able to bring it to the point where it may be put in general use by early spring. " We believe in making aerial work as safe as any on land," he said, " and we will continue to labor in that direction! We hope to see the day when it will be just as safe to board an aeroplane and take a long trip as it is at present to make this journey behind a locomotive. " The stability device will go a long way toward making this dream a reality, and we are enthusiastic about it. Our device insures lateral as well as fore- and-aft stability. It depends in part on electricity, and we shall soon have the mechanism so perfected that it will not get out of order, and that means safety in flight. " As may be generally known, many of the acci- dtnts in aviation have been due to what is called stalling. The aviator lets his speed sag below a certain point, the point necessary to secure sufficient w.ind pressure on the wings to sustain the machine, and it falls. Nothing can stop it. " If he is traveling on an even keel when he re- duces his speed below the danger-point, his machine will slide back, tail first, to the ground. Our device prevents the plane from rising too sharply ; and if the speed falls below the danger-point it automatically directs the machine to the ground so that it will acquire speed enough to sustain it." Discussing the future of the aeroplane, Wright said : " The aeroplane will be used for commercial pur- poses, especially as a means of speedy transportation over vast distances. Over waste places and deserts tlie aeroplane will be used; in fact, wherever water is not available. " Mails w^ill be thus carried, doubtless, over large stretches of territory in Texas, Utah, and New Mex- ico. Automatic stability is all that is needed to make it vcholly practical, and I believe we have solved the problem." Judging from a pretty close acquaintance with Orville Wright, I feel sure he would not express himself so hopefully were it not that he has some very good reasons for so doing. I wonder if they will not be coming down to Florida to test this great invention. DASHEEN, FLYING-MACHINES, AND SOME- THING ABOUT GOD^S NEW AND WON- DERFUL GIFTS TO US IN 1914. Some of you will think, no doubt, my heading embraces a queer combination. Well, perhaps it does; but the idea was suggested by a picture Huber has just sent me of our Medina plant that is to come out in our new catalog. When I stirred the world up on bee culture years ago I had, as people thought, some extravagant day dreams of the outcome of the honey indus- try; but it is all coming to pass, and even more than I ever dreamed of. Later, when I visited the Wright brothers, and told what I had seen, the world laughed again ; and I confess events have crawled along a little slower than I expected; but just listen to what has been going on almost " under my nose," and I didn't know it. About a week ago our good friend Mr. Gault (of " Gault raspberry " fame ) wrote me as follows : Dear Mr. Root: — As you are interested in air- ships I enclose a circular which you may care to look over. If you come over, call on me. St. Petersburg, Fla., Jan. 6. W. C. Gault. Below is a copy of the circular. ST. PETEESBURGTAMPA AIR-BOAT LINE ; FAST PAS- SENGER AND EXPRESS SERVICE. Schedule: — Leave St. Petersburg 10:00 a.m. Ar- rive Tampa 10:30 A.M. Leave Tampa 11:00 a.m. Arrive St. Petersburg 11:30 A. M. Leave St. Peters- burg 2:00 P.M. Arrive Tampa 2:30 p.m. Leave Tampa 3:00 P. M. Arrive St. Petersburg 3:30 p. m. Special-flight trips can be arranged through any of our agents or by communicating directly with the St. Petersburg Hangar. Trips covering any distance over all-water routes, and from the water's surface to several thousand feet high at passengers' request. A minimum charge of $15 per special flight. Bates: $5.00 per trip. Round trip $10.00. Book- ing for passage in advance. Note. — Passengers are allow-ed a weight of 200 pounds gross including hand baggage; excess charg- ed at $5.00 per 100 pounds; minimum charge 25 cents. Express rates, for packages, suit-cases, mail matter, etc., $5.00 per hundred pounds; minimum charge, 25 cents. Express carried from hangar to hangar only; delivery and receipt by shipper. Tickets oii sale at hangars or city news stand, P. C. West, Prop., 271 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, Fla. I confess at first I could hardly believe t]'.at an airship right here in Florida was carrying passengers and express matter on a schedule, and I wrote asking if it was GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE true, and if they really were making daily trips. In response I received a copy of the St. Petersburg daily for Jan G, from which I clip as follows : SWIFTER THAN ANY CRAFT IS THE AIR-BOAT; ST. PETERSBURG TAMPA LINE AVERAGED TRIPS YESTERDAY IN 22 4-5 MINUTES. Averaging twenty-two and four-tifths minutes per trip the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line is carry- ing out the schedules advertised, and is making time between this city and the terminal across the bay which few express trains could equal. Yesterday in the two trips to Tampa the time was, first trip, 24 minutes over and 22 back; second trip, 21 over and 24 back. This is time which is unequaled in the South by either passenger trains, automobiles, or any other passenger-carrying flying craft but the Benoist. Tom W. Benoist, who is the head of the manufac- turing company in St. Louis which makes the Be- noist air-boats, is rushing his works to capacity in order to send several more machines here as soon as possible. Jannus and Fansler state that they are e.xpecting to hear from him any day with the in- formation that the machines have been placed in transit. With the arrival of the additional air-boats the service to Tampa will be greatly improved, and more passengers can be carried every day. With additional air-boats new trips may be arranged, and it is possible that Bradentown and Pass-a-Grille will be put on the list of ports of call. With a variety of trips which may be made by the air-boat more passengers will be carried, and the entire fleet of machines kept busy every day, is the belief. That the inauguration of this, the first commercial line of flying craft in the world, St. Petersburg is becoming known in a way she was never before heard of, and by people who otherwise would likely never hear of this city. Later. — After being in operation for two weeks, during which time the air-boat line has maintained its schedule without any serious mishap, the little air craft, after completing the flights made yesterday, had traveled 1002 miles. During the past week the air-boat has made its usual record in aeronautics, having completed the week by not only maintaining its regular schedule but having made the trips with- out any delay or engine trouble. The air-boat will be pressed into service Sunday, Feb. 1, to bring Don C. McMullen, president of the State Anti-saloon League, who will deliver a lecture on that day in this city on the saloon question. Mr. McMullen is anxious to attend Sunday-school in Tampa in the morning of that day, and that wall make it too late for him to catch the steamer and be in this city in time to make the lecture. Rather than take an automobile he made arrangements to come over by the air-boat. The air-boat has proven a decided success for commercial travel since the inauguration of the line in this city. The eyes of the aeronautical world are upon St. Petersburg, and the air-boat line and many of the prominent aviators of this and foreign coun- tries are watching with interest the results of the air-boat line in this city. — St. Petersburg Times. I find the daily flying machine between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Fla., mentioned above, is really a hydroplane. It starts m the water, alights in the water, and drops in the water again if any thing goes wrong, and in fact keeps only a few feet above the water on the whole trip of about 30 miles. Notwithstanding, passage is engaged a long way aliead. At present tliey carry only one passenger at a trip. 1?? dttltuu MAR 5- 1914 T3C XLII. MAR. 1, 1914, KlOJ ROOT'S POWER EXTRACTORS for the LARGE PRODUCER for 1914 The late W. Z. Hutchinson, when asked as to what would combine best with beekeeping, said, " The best thing to go with bees is — more bees." If more bees is the slogan, then the best equipment should be installed. This would be an outfit that will handle ad- vantageously the product of 200 or more colonies with a minimum of time and labor. POWER EXTRACTING OUTFIT.— The value of this cannot be gauged entirely by the number of days it is used during the season. It should be remembered that it displaces a large amount of extra equipment in the way of extra supers and combs. The extracting must be done quick- ly in order to hold in check the swarming that is sure to follow unless room is given when needed. The amount thus saved, including reduc- tion of labor and time, will materially reduce cost of production. ENGINE. — This should not be selected without due examination. There are certain types of gasoline-engines that are not fitted for driving honey-extractors. Machines requiring to be started and stopped an endless number of times during the day require an engine of special construction, and the beekeeper will do well to investigate thoroughly these points before purchasing. Our new engines, the ' ' BUSY BEE, ' ' are selected for and are exactly adapted for just this kind of work. CAPPING-MELTER, — No extracting house is complete without one. We have a number of styles and sizes to select from. Illustrations of all these will be found in our large catalog. The smaller sizes are intended to be used with wax-presses, which also are shown. HONEY-KNIVES.— For rapid and easy work our new steam honey-knives can't be beat. Extra tub- ing is furnished when ordered. Send for our new 34-page book, ' ' Power Honey-extractors, ' ' describ- ing these fully. These equipments are supplied by various dealers throughout the country. Information as to nearest dealer on request. The A. I. Root Co,, Medina, Ohio Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. Calvert, Business Mgr. Entered at the Postoifice, Medina, O., as Second-class matter. VOL. XLII. MARCH 1, 1914 NO. 5 Editorial As reported by our California correspon- dent, Mr. P. C. Chadwick, in his depart- ment for this issue, the conditions for the honey-flow continue favorable in California. While in many localities there was but little rain in February, yet the general rainfall for tlie winter is far above the average. All reports indicate that the bees are bringing in iDoUen, and breeding up rapidly. Gleanings has just been enjoying a visit from Morley Pettit, Provincial Apiarist of Guelph, Ont., Canada, and his sister, who stopped at Medina a part of one day on Iheir way home fi'om the National conven- tion at St. Louis. Miss Pettit has almost entire charge of practically 300 colonies, and is an experienced beekeeper in the fullest sense of the word. She makes use of a power extracting outfit, and is an expert in the handling of extracted honey. Mr. Pettit has been doing some splendid constructive work in Ontario, and he de- serves the good wishes of all, whether on this side of the line or on the other. So far as beekeepers are concerned, this " line " is becoming more and more imaginary. Mr. Pettit desires to correct the statement made in an editorial in our Dec. 15th issue. While a frequent contributor to the Cana- dian Horticulturist and Beekeeper, he is not tne editor of the apiarian department. DEATH OF p. B. CAVANAGH. Our readers will be greatly shocked to learn of the very sudden death of F. B. Cavanagh, of Hebron, Ind. Mr. Cavanagh had been ill for several months, but no one was prepared for his death, which occurred on the morning of February 12th. Mrs. Cavanagh has the sympathy of the entire Gleanings force. We understand that the entire outfit of bees, etc., is to be sold. Mr. Cavanagh was a successful beekeeper and one who was rapidly becoming an au- thority on many topics connected with our pursuit. He was a frequent contributor to these columns, and his articles bore the stamp of accuracy inspired by an intimate knowledge of the subject acquired through personal experience. His opinions were really tlie result of his own experiments, and he rarely proposed untried theories. When we visited him in July, 1911, he seemed to have any amount of physical strengUi and endurance. It is hard to be- lieve that our friend has been thus suddenly cut off from finishing his work here. DEATH OF A NEW YORK BEEKEEPER. We are very sorry to be obliged to chron- icle the death of Mr. Chas. L. Wardwell, of Union Springs, N. Y. He was one of the vice-presidents of the Cayuga County Soci- ety, and an expert in comb-honey produc- tion. At the time of his death he had over TOO colonies, which he had packed for win- ter on the summer stands. He put his hon- ey into cartons, and secured the best prices. Mr. Wardwell died very suddenly in De- cember. He would undoubtedly have be- come a comb-honey specialist of note. A CORRECTION. The following will explain itself : In your editorial in the Feb. 1st, issue I note one point which may be a trifle misleading. On page 83, second column, second paragraph, first line, the word " apiaries " is used where " colonies " was evidently intended. All the experiments mentioned in bulletin JSTo. 158 were made in one apiary, and, indeed, such experiments would not be worth much unless they were in one and the same apiary. Colo- nies side by side are under the same conditions as regards the supply of available nectar, and as re- gards weather conditions, but comparisons could not be made between colonies in different apiaries, as there would be practically no possibility of condi- tions being the same in the different yards. WiLMON Newell. College Station, Texas, Feb. 13. prospects IN FLORIDA — E. R. ROOT's TRIP, BY TELEGRAPH. The general cold in the North has made it colder than usual in Florida. In the northern part of the State there were some frosts, but not enough to do any damage. The weather has turned warm again (Feb. 20), and the abundant rains throughout the State give promise of a good crop of honey. In the region of Bradentown the penny- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE royal has started brood-rearing, so that the bees are in excellent condition. The pal- metto and orange promise a good yield. The cool weather in Florida about the loth, when I arrived, made it seem better to do the South first, and then take in Apalaehi- eola, where our bees are. Later reports show that they are building up rapidly so that we shall soon make increase. In our next issue I hope to give a full report. Next week I expect to visit the region of Stuart, on the east coast, where Poppleton and Selser are. At that point we expect to take a launch, and tour the inland waterway a short distance. — E. R. R. KEEPING BEES WITHIN CITY LIMITS. Seldom have we been so deluged with copy for a special number as we have been in case of this number — the special on bee- keeping in cities. We have not been able to use all which we received by any means; and in order to get in a representative lot of experiences from all types of city bee- keepers we were obliged to condense quite a number of articles that we did use. There are some drawbacks which we be- lieve should be mentioned at this time. As several of the writers in this issue point out, at times there may be trouble with neighbors who have not made a careful in- vestigation, and who do not know very much about the subject. In several in- stances that have come to our notice in the past, a beekeeper having a few colonies in his back lot has been asked to move his bees outside the city limits. The beekeeper in question obligingly did so; but the one com- plaining has found, somewhat to his sur- prise, that there were just as many bees " biting his grapes " as there were before. The point is this : Bees are not observers of local ordinances ; and unless all colonies are moved some two or three miles outside ihe city limits there probably are just as many bees found inside the city as ever. But since there are likely to be bees in trees, etc., near the city, it is next to impossible to prevent bees from flying about inside. In another way, however, bees within city limits may sometimes prove to be a nui- sance. We refer to bees kept in such a place that the natural line of flight is across some street or alley. In this case passersby are likely to be stung occasionally ; and if one person is stung more than once he is pretty likely to make a vigorous complaint, which complaint is really justifiable. In our opinion, if a place for the bees can not be found where they will be compelled by sur- roundings to fly pretty well into the air when they leave the hive, or where they will have a natural line of flight away from thoroughfai'es or other places where there are likely to be i3eople passing back and forth, it would be better to make no attempt at keeping bees at all. Nearly always, how- ever, the hives may be placed where the bees will molest no one. Oftentimes if they are located on a roof, even in a crowded dis- trict, their presence will hardly be known. The beekeeper should select gentle bees, also, and he should be very careful not to stir them up during a time when they are naturally a little irritable, as during a hon- ey-dearth, when they are inclined to pry into everybody's business but their own. Summing up the whole matter we may say that it rests entirely with the beekeeper as to whether his bees are a nuisance or not. By taking some thought as to the location of the hive, to the selection of the bees, and to the time and manner of manipulation, he can avoid all trouble. Carelessness re- garding any of these points invites trouble. are city beekeepers a menace to the IN- DUSTRY IN general? Frequently some of our professional bee- keepers deplore the existence of the large army of beginners in beekeeping; first, be- cause they produce considerable honey and contribute to the overstocking of city mar- kets, thus lowering prices; second, because disease is likely to get into their yards, so that other bees are in danger. To the first of these points we should like to say that the average beginner, for a number of years at least, produces more enthusiasm and interest than he does honey. In other words he creates a much larger market for honey than he can possibly sup- l^ly himself. Furthermore, the average be- ginner gets a better price for his small crop than most professional beekeepers do. It seems to us, therefore, that fears along this line are groundless. As to whether a beginner allows liis bees to become diseased, thus endangering the health of the other colonies in the vicinity, we should say that this depends upon the beginner. In our opinion, trouble along this line is more apt to come from careless or overworked farmers who really have no interest in the bees at all, and who keep them merely because their fathers used to keep them, or because they are able to hive occasionally a stray swarm. A beginner who is interested in his bees is not likely to foster disease. In case of city beekeepers especially (at least those who are as bright and as up-to-date as the writers of the articles used in this special number) we believe we have very little to fear from foul brood or other bee disease. MARCH 1, 1914 163 Stray Straws Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. My first start in beekeeping was in the very center of a place now a city (Maren- go), with an apiary of one colony in a whole sugar-barrel. " As the soil, so the honey," is the caption of an item in Leipz. Bztg., 125, in which it is stated that analysis of soil from Ram- boulliet shows 30 per cent more iron than soil from Bid ; and honey from RambouUiet contains 75 per cent more iron than Bid honey. Messrs. Doolittle and Root agree that bees may be hauled with no inconvenience in hives with entrances open. Certainly this mode of transport would not be toler- ated in Europe. — L' Apiculteur , 32. I think Doolittle and Root hardly commend it as a general practice. The British Bee Journal has uniformly opposed beet sugar for bees. I never knew just way. But now I find, p. 510, that it is difficult to purify beet sugar and to get rid of all the potash salts. " These salts cause fermentation, and it is principally for this reason that cane sugar is to be preferred." Dr. a. Ludden thinks my bees were cross last summer in anticipation of a partial stoppage of the flow. At Elwha, Wash., he says it is " the rule that 24 to 48 hours previous to closing of a honey-flow they get hostile, and 'tis not safe for any one to go into the yard, and honey coming in at a good clip too." I wonder if it can be possi- ble. For the first time in many years I had some combs filled last summer, for extract- ing. They were extracted in January, of course after warming up. It went better than I expected, but I don't recommend January as the best month for extracting. T have an up-to-date extractor; and what fun extracting is, compai'ed with extracting years ago with the ancient Peabody ! That able authority, D. M. Maedonald. says, British Bee Journal, p. 478, "I do hold that with us blacks live longer than Italians, the latter being here a softer race." No doubt that canny Scotchman had a vision of a lot of American beekeepers jumping on to him ; hence the cautious " with us " and " here." Yet he may not be entirely safe from some of his own countrymen. Nos. 29 and 59 stood back to back. June 10 queen-eells were killed in 29 and its queen removed. June 16 No. 59 swarmed and re- turned, its clipped queen not being found. Within 15 minutes No. 29, whose queen had been removed, swarmed out, and a clipped queen was found in front of the liive. It was the queen of No. 59, which had entered No. 29 wliile the swarm of 59 was in the air, and then ordered a walkout in No. 29. The few hundred pounds of extracted honey I produced last season I put on the home market in 5-pound friction-top pails. I determined I wouldn't have any worry taking it back to liquefy it or to explain be- cause it candied after customers got it. I made sure it wouldn't candy in the hands of customers by letting it candy before sell- ing it. If they don't want candied honey they don't have to buy it. But it sells all right, and I've heard no complaint. Allen Latham is making trouble. He wants to know, Mr. Editor, on what ground you base your disbelief in the fanning of bees in the midst of winter cluster. He says we should not disbelieve simply from igno- rance— fuller information may change" be- lief— hard to prove a negative — and more of that sort. Jan. 13, 14, mercuiy hovering around zero, and wind howling, he went to his hives and all were noisy, some buzzing almost as much as in a summer nectar-flow — no bees at entrance, no warm air issuing, and he wants to know what's wrong with thinking the noise came from inside the cluster. Here's the way it has always seem- ed to me : We are told that when very cold the bees shrink into an incredibly small cluster, and when crowded thus close what room is there for fanning? Still, just to accommodate A. L., I'm ready to change my belief on later and fuller information, and leave you, Mr. Editor, to say why you dis- believe. [We know that outdoor bees some- times set up a roaring in vei-y cold weather; but we always supposed the condition was abnormal. When bees in a compact ball are in a state of semi-hibernation or hiberna- tion, if you please, in which they seem to go into a dead sleep, without a tremor of mo- tion except a slight tremble of the wings when the hive is opened, there could be no buzzing or fanning. On the other hand, if we open up an outdoor colony in the dead of winter and find the cluster scattered over the frames, and buzzing, we feel sure that that colony will die very soon, even though it be the strongest stock in the yard. Yes, doctor, we are in line with you, "but we are ■willing to change our belief if necessary on fuller information. — Ed.] 164 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Notes from Canada J. L. Byer, Mt. Joy, Out. Normal winter weather here in Ontario since last Notes were sent in; and to-day, Feb. 10, we have about 6 inches of snow covering- the clover that we hojie to get some honey from next year. We had much more snow, but the rains took it away. Bees are wintering nicely so far — last flight Nov. 23. » * » THE SHORT COURSE AT GUELPH. The writer spent two days at Guelph during the " Short Course " in apiculture. As I fully expected would be the case, there was a bumper attendance — probably about 100 in steady attendance for the different sessions. One of the best things in connec- tion with the different lectures was a series of demonstrations on queen-rearing by Mr. J. A. McKinnon, of St. Eugene, Out. Mr. McKinnon is more at home in the real woi'k of producing good queens than he is before a big crowd of students, but nevertheless anybody could see that he was thoroughly practical and fully understood this v^ery important part of beekeeping. Mr. McKin- non is one of our younger men in the busi- ness, and one of the very few who make a specialty of raising good queens for sale here in Ontario. * * * DIFFERENCE IN VARIOUS STRAINS OF BEES IN RESPECT TO CAPPING HONEY. Dr. Miller speaks in last Gleanings about Italians for capping comb honey, and says that his compare favorably with other breeds in that respect. Certainly there is a wonderful difference in strains of this breed so far as capping goes, as one good breed- er, so far as his stock is concerned in other respects, has Italians that would not do for comb honey at all, if fancy sections were to be produced. Invariably, when bringing in combs to be extracted, the helpers in the honey-house notice the dark-looking cap- pings and say, " Some more honey from Mr. s' bees." However, as a rule theso bees are good stock, and for extracted-honev production their habit of placing capping? so close to the honey makes no difference. * * « CO-OPERATION ; THE TRUTH IN REGARD TO THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO ADVISE ON PRICES OF HONEY. Much is being written on co-operation, and just at present, no doubt, many are wishing that we had some good system in operation. The writer has always been i.i favor of the principle of co-operation, but he is not even yet convinced that we can successfully operate such a system when we have so many difficulties to overcome. Bee- keepers are so widely scattered over the country, so differently situated in the matter of being large or small producers, and there are so many different qualities of honey produced, etc., that the more I consider the subject the more herculean the task seems when we try to devise ways and means of forming a co-operative association. One of the serious questions in a matter of this kind is the financing of such a project to start witli ; but one of the most serious ob- stacles of all, as I see it, is the fact that among beekeepers, as in other callings, there are always a lot who are selfish and unrea- sonable. This leads me to remark that I had not much thought of co-operation in mind when I started to write this note, only in so far as a matter of comparison as to what we might expect if we were trying to run a co-operative society. « « » PARCEL POST IN CANADA, To-day, Feb. 10, Canada at last starts out in giving us a parcel-post system. A glance over the proposed system as now in force seems to suggest that there is lots of room for improvement before it will interfere much with tJie express companies which have things pretty much their own way at present. As in tlie United States, the zone system is used ; but the regulations now in force, e:cept in a very few instances, are not nearly as liberal as those across the line. The worst feai ui'e is that the first zone takes Ml a distance of only 20 miles. For that distance the ficst pound is 5 cts., each addi- tional pound,] cent extra. The second zone lakes in the limits of any one province in the Dominion, and the rates are about dou- ble those of the first zone. In other words, it would cost rne as much to send a parcel to Toronto, wldcli is 22 miles from my home, as it would to send one to Port Arthur, on the north shore of Lake Superior. How- ever, we are now committed to the principle of parcel post, and with lots of judicious kicking, we shall get something that will make the ex])ress companies take notice. All together, six zones arc arranged for, and for the longer distances small parcels can be sent quite a bit cheaper than by ex- press. One of the first changes that will be sure to be asked for is that tlie first zone be extended to iV) miles at least. MARCH 1, 1914 165 Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwick, Hedlands, Cal. SEASON PROSPKCTS 'I'O DATK. January was liberal with us in the matter of moisture, an average rainfall of eight or more inches having fallen during the mon!h. At some places the fall was excessive, doing much damage. At Santa Barbara eleven inches was recorded for the storm, while at other points there was even more. Beekeep- ers are generally much encouraged at the prospects, very substantial advances in sea- sonable conditions having come with the rain. The ground is wet deeper than it has been for two years, with warm weather, early breeding, and excellent growth of honey-jjlants to encourage us still more. We are not yet assured of a honey crop, however; but an occasional good rain dur- ing February and March, with showers in April, and continued warm, should bring us an old-fashioned bumper crop for the sea- son of 1914. Feb. 12. — No rain so far this month. Bees coming on fine. BEEKEEPING IN THE CITIES. The back-lot or back-yard beekeeiDer is the future keeper of hundreds or perhaps thousands of colonies. In a recent issue of the Country Gentleman 1 read this : " The best way to become a successful dairyman is to grow up in the business." With the bee business it is equally true. In fact, I believe there is no branch of agriculture that re- quires as intimate a knowledge to make it a success IS does the bee business. At any rate, the back yard is the incubator of future beekeepers. I wonder what per cent of our beekeepers of to-day had their start in this small way. My guess would be that fully 95 per cent start with a few colonies. I know of a few men, however, who started at the top, and are working down ; and they are coming down faster than many of us went up. The small beekeeper is not looked upon with favor in this part of the world, as he is considered a nuisance on account of dis- ease spreading more rapidly with him than with the large beekeeper, who usually looks after his colonies a little more closely than the beginner. Be that as it may, we have the small beekeeper here, and he will be ever bobbing up while time lasts, so the inspector may as well give him a show. I enjoy the little fellows, and I like to converse with them, tell them of foolish things I did years ago and hear them confess to laughable mistakes. THE CITY BEEKEEPER STIMULATES THE HONEY MARKET^ AND THUS HELPS THE PROFES- SIONAL BEEKEEPER. The small beekeeper is a better advertiser than the large one, for the large one does not have time to go and hunt a market, but looks for a wholesale liouse to take his crop, while the little fellow goes out and sells to liis neighbors and teaches them to use honey. Then when the little fellow has a crop fail- ure his patrons hunt a market elsewhere, and thus they remain permanent users of honey. Many of the advances that have been made in bee culture are not due to discov- eries in large apiai es. but are the result of inquisitive experin 3: ting by the small bee- keepers. My knowlelge of the bees is very largely gained by keeping a small number of colonies always near my door where they can be watched daily. Five years ago I decided to start in the bee business in a small way on the back of my city lot, my plan being to buy a few colonies and work up just as though I had no apiary at another place. So I purchased three colonies and went to work just as if I had my first colonies. I have now increased them to such an extent that I have 30 colo- nies in my back yard, to say nothing of ten that wore taken to the apiary three years ago. From them I have taken considerable honey, done much experimenting, and, best of all, have enjoyed their presence for the pleasant sounds they make and for the addi- tional inspiration they have suppled me. * * * I fear Mr. Foster is figuring wrong with his poultry expense. He counts his time at twenty cents per hour, which I think should be added to the other side of the ledger. In the summer I put in from three to five hours on weeks days with my cows, chickens, bees, and garden in general, in addition to my regular day's work of eight hours. If I ' figured this time I should be losing on an average of $2.00 a day, and should soon be bankrupt. But my view of the matter is that I am salvaging that much time that might otherwise be an entire loss. When my time is worth full value, Mrs. C. or one of the children gets the job of feeding the chickens. There is a lot of time in agricul- tural pursuits that is figured at very much more than it is worth. 166 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Beekeeping Among the Rockies Wesley Poster, Boulder, Col. WILD FLOWERS IN THE FOOTHILLS IN APRIL. Bees located near the mountains have the advantage over those out on the plains. The wild flowers are in bloom in the foothills during the fore part of April, and the bees that reach this bloom are well sui^plied with pollen, and breed up faster. RYE GRAHAM FLOUR FOR BEES. I would urge every beekeeper whose colo- nies may cause the neighbors trouble in the spi'ing to put out rye gxaham flour. Many farmers hold a prejudice against bees be- cause they frequent watering-troughs, feed- stalls, etc. The beekeeper owes it to his neighbors to cause them just as little incon- venience as possible. One of the marks of a good neighbor is neighborliness; and the beekeeper can manifest this spirit by keep- ing the bees so well supplied with the best water easily obtainable near the apiary that they will not frequent other places; and by putting out flour or meal the bees may be kept away from the sheep and cattle feed- ing-bins of the farmers. Put out the flour and water before the bees get to frequenting other places. * * * SLOW GERMINATION OF SWEET-CLOVER SEED. The interest in sweet clover is uncovering some important facts regarding the plant, one of the most important of which is the slow germination of the seed. That this is not understood generally has been shown to me by the letters received from prospective customers and from others who have bought seed. One man wrote to me, asking if I could guarantee 80 per cent germination of the seed. The chances are that very little seed (if any new seed) will test that high. Old seed seems to germinate better than new. The amount of seed required to soav to the acre could be greatly reduced if the germination percentage were higher the first year. The slow germination is caused by the hard seed coat that is so impervious to water that the seed can not sprout readily. All who are intending to sow sweet clover should thoroughly post themselves upon the characteristics of the plant, and the seeds- men should furnish all possible help also. The sweet-clover bulletin by J. M. Westgate, published by the Department of Agi'icul- ture, Washington, will be of great help to those interested. HOJrE-MADE BEE SUPPLIES. Mr. W. L. Porter diifers with me on the fjuestion of home-made bee-supplies. It is probable that, if we both had the same set of facts placed before us, we would agree. The average beekeeper can keep bees just as well in a box or home-made hive as in a factory-made hive; and as he makes no profit to speak of from his bees he is better off than if he had them in factory-made hives, because he has less money invested. However, the readers of Gleanings or the Review, where my article originally appear- ed, are not average beekeepers. I believe from my observation and acquaintance among beemen that the majority of up-to- date beekeepers have been well satisfied with their results in making some of their sup- plies. No one beekeeper is so situated that he can make all his supplies, and this was stated in my original article, I believe. I would distinguish between the average bee- keeper and the average reader of the bee journals. Most of the western beemen who make any of their supplies have them made at a planing-mill, so that they are only partially home-made. In the actual making of home- made goods there is little of it done ; but by having hand or power saw the beekeeper will find it a wonderful convenience. The way the sun warjjs lumber in the West soon makes factory and home-made hives look much alike, both requiring constant renail- ing and painting. Quite a large proportion of our most successful beemen figure that it pays to have some supplies made at home to their order. Several beekeei^ers I know, who count their colonies by the hundreds, make their own and their neighbors' foundation. One of them who made up several hundred pounds of brood foundation last winter told me it was his first e.xperience, and that it was about as difficult as turning a clothes-wring- er. Personally I do not want any homo-made frames or section-holders or other inside hive furniture; but I am using some hive- bodies, super-bodies, covers, and bottoms that are giving me as good satisfaction as any factory-made goods I ever owned. I have made mistakes, and always shall; but \he man who can not correct his first mis- takes will not make a beekeeper. MARCH 1, 1914 Conversations Avith Doolittle At Borodino, New York. WHEN TO SET BEES FROM THE CELLAR. " Will you tell when the bees should be set from the cellar in the spring? Do you think it would be any advantage to set them out the latter part of February or the fore i>art of March if there is a good day? " The time of setting out may depend a little upon the time of their last flight in the fall. If you set your bees in the cellar the loth of November, and they had a good flight the 14th, they would be likely to re- main in the cellar in good condition two or three weeks longer than if their last flight had been on Oct. 22, as was the ease in this locality several years ago. One beekeeper said that he knew that, if bees had a good flight as late as November 15, they could stand the confinement necessary from that time till the fore part of April. I do not feel so sure about this. My experience has taught me that the time of putting in and setting out, within reasonable bounds, has very little to do with success; and this I say after having set the bees in as early as November 3 and as late as December 18, and having set them out as early as March 5 and as late as May 2. I think I can tell what the results will be as early as January 20 — how the bees are going to come out in the spring, and this at a time when I am without any knowledge as to what the length of the confinement is to be. Some years I am sure that, if spring were to open by the middle of February, as it does generally in May, and the bees were set out then, there would be spring dwin- dling, with many colonies too weak for the first surplus, while at the same time other years I am sure that they could bear con- finement in the cellar till May 1 and come out bright and strong for the harvest from white clover. If, on November 15, I could be informed as to the character of the stores which the bees have in their combs, the age of the greater part of those going into their winter repose, together with the temperature and moisture of the air in the cellar, I could tell pretty nearly how they would come out. But these are things which we are, not al- waj'S sure about, as a cool wet season is likely to give inferior stores and bees with a low vitality, while an open winter makes the control of temperature and moisture much more difficult. Some say that, where bees seem to be wintering poorly in the cellar from any cause, they should be set out the latter part of February, or on any favorable day there- after, for a fiight, and at night returned to the cellar; but from years of experience along this line I do not find that they are profited thereby enough to pay for the labor required. Others advocate setting all colo- nies out when any are so treated; and where any colony is so " sleepy " that the bees do not seem inclined to wake up we are told to pound on the hive while it is still inside the cellar, so as to stir them up so they will be ready for their purifying flight before the cool of the evening draws on. Locality may make a difference in this matter; but some- bow I doubt it. Here in central New York, when the bees sleep very quietly in the cel- lar, as they are doing to-day (Feb. 6), they do not need .a flight at all. And when we are likely to have spring dwindling, they are so restless that they will run out and spot the hives in front before this time, and, if moved at all, will rush out pell-mell with scarcely any reference to the tempera- ture. At such times as this last, it would seem that a flight might do some good, and for a few days after setting in they do seem more quiet ; but when the time of surplus comes, colonies set out prove no better than those left in, or not enough so to pay for the labor spent in getting them out and back in again. On the other hand, if they are left out they all generally perish. I used to try to convince myself that the time to set bees out is when the blossoms of the soft maple and the elm open, and once wrote that, when the bees can come in with pollen obtained from these flowers an hour after setting out, one bee with its fel- lows can rear and bring on the stage of action three other bees, while an earlier set- ~ ting-out would mean that three old bees would be required to raise one young one. I verilv thought this was just as it should be; but from careful watching and experiment- ing, I am free to admit that the best results ore obtained by setting out somewhat earlier than this, or when the buds of these trees begin to show their exjDansion by the sep- arating of the outer covering which has protected them during the winter. In this way brood-rearing has gotten a little head- way by the time the bloom opens, and then the pollen coming in is of greater value by pushing a greater volume of brood through the activity resulting from the scramble in preparing chyle for Ihat already in the cells. The temperature should be 50 degrees F, GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE General Correspondence A BEE FARM ON A ROOF IN NEW YORK CITY BY HARRY HIRSCH Country, town, or city, it's all the same — you can keep bees anywhere. If you have a back 3'ard or a back porch, that will do. And if you have only a flat roof with a vista of chimneys and house-tops, that site is as good as any. In my estimation the most important factor in city beekeeping is the careful se- lection of stock. Bees inclined to vicious- ness and swarming will not be tolerated in a crowded city. There is only one strain of bees fit to cope with the exciting conditions governing a city apiary, and that is the Italian. So gentle and unobtrusive are my Ital- ians, that, although I have been keeping them on the roof for three years, neighbors who live in the surrounding apartment- houses will not credit the assertion that there are thousands and thousands of bees living just beneath their windows. " Why," they exclaim, "we never see them; and, besides. we never hear of any stings in the neighbor- hood." Then I usually hasten to explain that an experience based upon several years" acquaintance with bees has convinced me that stings are never heard but felt. Al- ways n lover of nature I seek to set right my fellow-l)eings on matters as pointed as these. Italian workers, besides being perfect ladies while " out shopping," as one little neighbf:r has so aptly described it, are also remaikably tractable when bearded in their den. This trait is of prime importance; for to get in touch with nature without getting touched by it is a delicate problem in bee- dom. The only adequate hive for a busy city man is the double-walled chaff hive. To it I must ascribe my success, as it not only conserves the heat during winter when every icy wind has full play across the exposed roof, but has great cooling qualities during summer when the tin-roof, under the action The sweetest spot in New York. A sheltered place on a roof is ;in ideal loiaticni for bees in a city. These colonies have been on this roof for three years. 170 GLExVNINGS IN BEE CULTURE of the sun, deludes itself into the belief that it is an oven in full blast whose sole duty is to bake both the hives and the bees so unfortunate as to alight on its surface. In addition to these commendable features of the double-walled hives, the amount of labor they take off the hands of the city beekeeper at the approach of winter must not be overlooked. There is no need of l)acking, nailing, throwing the bees in a tumult, and creating a general mess of ex- celsior, hay, shavings, roof-paper, newspa- pers, and a thousand other improvised odds and ends, as is customary with single-walled hives. The following spring, there is no fuss in unpacking, with the risk of chilling the brood in the hives by the sudden cooling of the single walls. With double-walled liives all is calm and tranquil with the bee- keeper. Peace reigneth in his soul and in his hives. ' A city man is a busy man. A city man's hobby must not en- croach upon his regu- lar occupation. It must not tend to cause him anxiety during busi- ness hours nor enforc- ed labor out of them. The moment it does this, it ceases to be a hobby and becomes a responsibility and a bore. Now, the conditions governing my apiary are peculiar. It is sit- uated in the center of the largest and busiest city of America. Miles and miles of dwelling- houses surround it, with no open country for a long distance off. Where, then, do the bees obtain their hon- ey ? Why, from a city park — Central Park. Is there enough nectar to keep three hives go- ing? you ask. Going! Why, it's all I can do during June and July to keep the enthusias- tic inmates of the hives from moving over to the park en masse and staying there. Central Park is an unusual park. Within its one and a quarter square miles it contains trees and shrubs from practically every part of the world. The sylvan paths of this urban arcadia present a bewildering array of alien visitors. We discover a Chinese pagoda-tree growing by the side of a Norwegian maple; a Manchurian barberry nestling in the shade of a pine from the far-off Himalayas, while in the distance the dai'k foliage of a Crime- an lindeii serves as a background for a swaying bamboo-tree. Basswood (linden), the standby of honeydom, is well represent- ed here. Louis Peet, in " Trees and Shrubs of Central Park," gives the varieties of this tree as seven, mostly European. There are fully thirty-five specimens of the linden in the park, though whether they are all hon- ey-producers I am unprepared to say. In addition to the strange collection of native and foreign flora. Central Park contains a large botanical garden where tropical plants such as bananas, cotton, oranges, etc., are kept under shelter. During the hot days of Taking a dare. MARCH 1, 1914 171 summer the doors and windows of the green- houses are kept open, and the place is visit- ed by a constant stream of bees. In short, variety rather than quantity of bloom is the iDredominating feature of the nectar pasturage in Central Park. This ex- [dains why my honey embraces more differ- ent varieties of flavors, fragrances, and colors than is dreamed of in the philosophy of the rural beekeeper. Frequently have I emptied a pollen-cell of its little pellets and found the'ni of so varied a hue that, if ar- ranged in a row. they would go far toward giving a fair example of a spectrum. Extracting is out of the question with so few hives. I merely run them for section and comb honey in shallow frames. I use the Danzenbaker super, and place sections and shallow extracting-frames into it alter- Lee Essenliower's bees on the roof of a department-store Pa. A large tank of water keeps the temperature nately. Whatever bait sections I may need (and I And them indispensable) are secured by inserting six sections of foundation in an emjjty Hoffman frame. The sections can be made to fit snugly with the aid of match- sticks. The frame of sections is then placed in the hive-body to be drawn out. When tlie sections liave been drawn out about a (juarter of an inch they are removed from the frame and distributed in the supers. During the honey-flow I practice severe con- traction of the brood-frames. I know that this is condemned by most beekeepers; but the end justifies the means, and a nice array of sections at the end of the season covers a multitude of sinful contractions. By con- traction and a judicious use of bait sections I have averaged 16 section boxes and 12 lbs. in extracting-frames from each hive. Swarming must be carefully guarded against. Eternal vig- ilance and clipped queens are the price of peace in a crowded city. In the very few cases of stinging in the neighborhood during three years, investiga- tion showed that the bees were invariably only on the defensive. A child I'eturning from school in the afternoon perceives a " golden fly " resting on the window-sill, or per- chance perched on an iron paling industri- ously cleaning itself. Only a few minutes before, the teacher has inoculated the child with the "swat-the-fly" theory, and the child now bubbles over with supi:)ressed excitement as happy fortune places before her an opportunity to reduce I heory to practice. With hand poised for a blow, little does the victim (I refer to the child ) anticipate with what swift retribution lier ignorance of ento- mology will be reward- ed. >, ;i^- „ • T? 1 „ There is much to be building in Reading. t ■ -, n i i nearly constant. derived irom bees be- 172 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE A " house apiary " on a roof 100 feet above the street. The colonies are located inside a tank house. sides honey or stings. What a wholesome relaxation we experience from the every-day sordid cares of the narrow cramped world when we delve into the mysteines of the hive ! A mere lifting of the cover of a hive, and we are transported into an enchanted city where our woes and cares are forbidden to enter. We wander through the fascinat- ing streets, we draw into our nostrils the fragrance of perfumed treasures, we gaze into golden enchanted palaces; and when we at length reluctantly dejDart, and the cover is replaced, we feel better, happier, and (may we say it?) purer for our little jour- ney into the charmed city. Beekeeping with Italian bees in a double- walled chatf hive is the nearest approach to a non-wori-j'ing, joy-giving, business-relax- ing hobby I can think of for a city man. New York City. AN AVERAGE OF 60 POUNDS PER COLONY, 100 FEET ABOVE THE SIDEWALK BY LEE ESSENHOWER My bees are practically 100 feet from the sidewalk, on the roof of C. K. Whitner's department-store building. On May 25, 1911, this building was destroyed by fire, and in 121 days was rebuilt. At this time the thought struck me that the roof would be a good place for bees, and they were put there as an experiment. Last summer I took 360 lbs. of honey from six colonies, and built up the others so that now there are eleven colo- nies. The hives are in the lower tank house, or the house where the pressure-tank is kept. There are, in fact, two tanks in operation — one simply a gi'avity tank and the other a large iron tank 16 x 8 ft., under a pressure of compressed air of 80 lbs. pressure, hold- ing 60,000 gallons of water, ready for any emergency. In this house the bees are kept. Strange to say, the water holds the tempera- ture pretty even all the year round, and makes ideal winter quarters for the bees. High winds, to some extent at least, deci- mate the colonies; but despite this fact we have all along secured good crops. The bees have about two miles to go before coming to any real pasture for surplus honey. Our pasture consists of melilotus mostly, though we have a STeat deal of linden along our MARCH 1, 1914 173 A view of tile hive eiiti'aiu- 111 tlie other side of the tank lioiis sidewalks; in fact, we have a good linden field. I wish to say in this connection that I was the main instigator in introducing the melilotus many years ago, when the country seemed to be in an uproar for fear that bee- keepers were introducing an obnoxious weed ; but still I kept silent, and continued to spread the seeds. I have been more or less interested in bee culture since 1877. Reading, Pa. A CITY MAN'S BEES PAY HIS TAXES BY HARRIS T. KILLE If any of the readers of Gleanings should ever have occasion to visit New- Brunswick, N. J., and take a walk out on Jones Avenue, they would surely stop and lake a second look when coming opposite the house owned by the subject of this sketch. It is as much different from the ordinai-y run of houses as a queen-bee is different from a drone; and if the reader should be so bold as to step upon the broad colonial porch and ring the door-bell he would find a man as different from the ordi- nary run of men as the house is different from the ordinary run of houses. Measured by linear or avoirdupois your host Avould not grade very high ; but if you should apply to him the scale for the measurement of genius you would have to use more than your ordinary pocket-rule, and it would not make the result of your estimate any the less accurate if you shove the decimal point over three or four places to the right after you have made your most accurate calculations. The name of this genius is Henry Mills. His business is that of stock jobber for rail- roads. But one might just as well call him a carpenter, blacksmith, mechanic, or what not. He's a veritable Jack of all trades; and if we call him by that name we can say that he lives in " the house that Jack built ;" for he built that neat house (Fig. 1) all himself, at odd times, without interfering- wit h his regular work. He made his own cement blocks — made evei-y thing, in fact, except the doors and windows. He has not quite finished it, but he has been living in it for more than a year, and he started to build it only two years and a half ago. He showed me over the house; and the rooms that are finished and furnished are certainly beautiful. In the back yard, not fifty feet from a 174 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE neighbor on one side, and almost bordering the street on the otlier side, are his bees. He has 19 colonies. He made all his frames and hives himself. His hives are built much on the i3rineiple of the Danzenbaker, but have frames one inch deeper. " The bees," said he, " winter much better on these than they do on the standard Danzenbaker size, which is entirely too shallow for good win- tering unless two stories are used. How- ever, if I were starting in again," he con- tinued, " I would use nothing but the stan- dard ten-frame L. hive. Then if I wanted to sell out at any time I could get some- where near the original cost of the hives." To the question, whether his bees sting the neighbors, Mr. Mills replied, " I have never had any trouble from their stinging the neighbors, for I manage so as to do no work among them when they are gathering no honey, or when manipulation would be apt to enrage them. I have had, however, some trouble in the spring, because we in- variably have warm days when the bees take their cleansing flights, even on Monday, wash-day. The neighbors at first thought that the spots on their clothes were caused by sparrows; but my mother told them that the bees were responsible, and ever since then I have had more or less trouble." Mor- al.— See that your truth-loving mother does not tell all she knows. A product of Mr. Mills' genius, with which he seemed better pleased than he did with his make of hives, was a honey-extract- or. He had made it practically himself, although he had to have a little assistance from a local blacksmith in making the gear- ing. For the tank he used an ash-can which, by reason of corrugated strips extending from the rim to the bottom at regular inter- vals about the outside, has much gi-eater stability than many factory-made extractors. The revolving framework inside was built for service. It Avas made of iron straps 1 Fig. 2. — Henry MilLs' home-made honey-extractor. Fig. 1. — Home of Henry Mills, New Brunswick, N. J. inch wide by ^ thick. The photo. Fig. 2, shows the construction of the inside frame- work and comb-baskets. The gearing was also built for hard usage. If our manufac- turers could combine the strength of this built-for-service extractor with the lightness, reversibility, and ease of running features of their extractors, we beekeepers would not have to deduct from 10 to 20 per cent for deterioration every year from our net earn- ings. Although we do not have very severe winters here in New Jersey, Mr. Mills be- lieves in giving his bees protection. As will be seen from Fig. 3, Mr. ]\Iills' bees are lo- cated on a knoll overlooking the town. They receive the full force of the cold northwest winds which sweep over the town, so that it is only by packing his bees well that he is able to winter them successfully. He uses an outside winter-case made of unplaned half-inch lumber. This is so constructed that, when set down over the liives, it leaves an inch space all around the outside and extends two inches above the top of the hive. It is prevented from obstructing the en- trance by the extension of the cleats on the bottom-board on which the hive-body rests. To the lower inside front edge of the case an inch strip is nailed the full length of the case. This prevents the sawdust and planer shaving's (which he ]3acks in the space be- tween the hive, and case) from obstructing the entrance. Around the lower edge of tlie other sides he wedges a layer of coarse shav- ings, on top of which he pours sawdust until the space is completely filled. 'Mr. Mills always leaves his excluders on March i, i9i4 175 Fig. 3. — Mr. Mills' apiary on a knoll overlooking the town of New Brunswick, N. J. top of the hives so as to give the bees space in which to pass from frame to frame, up over the cluster where it is warm. Over the excluder he si3reads a burlap bag or enamel cloth, and fills in the two-inch space above with sawdust and planer shavings. Mr. Mills thus has the advantage of a double-walled hive for wintering, and at the same time has Fig. 4. -Winter case for holding packing material aroimd regular single-walled hives. his light single-walled hives for summer manipulations. His winter case is shown in Fig. 4. Whenever Mr. Mills has had colonies light in stores he has fed them successfully dur- ing the winter by placing a slab of hard uncrystallized sugar candy a S23ace above the brood-frames, and covering the same with burlap and saw- dust to retain the heat of the cluster. To the question as to how much his bees paid him, Mr. Mills replied, "It varies with the season. Some years the bees do surprising- ly well, while other years they don't store much surplus. I don't have a very good loca- tion here, for the bees get practically nothing from clover. However, I can usually count on a fall flow of dark honey. This dark hon- ey sells here among my neighbors just as well as the best clover hon- ey— in fact, better; for 116 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE one year I had enough clover honey to sell, and the customers came back stating that they wanted some of that black thick honey such as I sold them last year. But, even though I have not as good a location ps some," he continued, " I manage to get enough from the bees to paj^ my taxes. My taxes amount to over $40. I always lay my honey money aside for that purpose. Every year I have enough to pay my taxes, and some years I have considerable left over." Not so bad, I thought, for a city man who l«eps bees for the fun and recreation he gets out of the business rather than for the financial gain. New Brunswick, N. J. OVER TWO TONS OF HONEY A YEAR FROM A CITY APIARY BY GEORGE ZAUTNER [Another picture of our correspondent's apiary appeared on the cover of our Oct. 1st issue. — Ed.] I have been interested in beekeeping ever since I was a little boy, though we have always lived in the city. My father bought his first hive of bees about 42 years ago. When he built his home it was on the out- skirts; but now the city has grown so large that it extends a mile or more beyond us. I always helped father when he was work- ing with the bees, and I became very much interested in them. The first comb honey we produced was in a square box that held about five or six pounds of honey, with glass on two sides. In those days we were satisfied if we got two or three such boxes from each hive. Now all is different. The improvements in beekeeping are something wonderful. We now have the modern hives and all the necessary equipment for up-to- date beekeeping. The honey season is very short in this section. It begins about June 15 and ends about July 20. We never get any surplus from fruit-bloom. The bees use for brood- rearing what they get from that source. We depend on clover for our crop. When the clover is gone, that ends the season. So you can see we have to get our bees in prime condition by June 15. We have two large city parks quite near us, and I think we get most of our honey from that source. We must give our bees the best of care in order to get them in condition for the honey- flow. In early May, when a queen has her hive well filled with brood and bees I open the hive, put her with a frame of brood in another hive, filling the rest of the space with drawn combs, and set it on top of the other hive without an excluder. In three or four weeks I have t^^o hive-bodies filled with bees and brood. About June 15 I take eight of the best frames of brood and the queen, and put them below with an excluder on top to keep the queen below. Then I put on the first super and set the other hive-body of brood on top. This makes the upper hive queenless, and the bees will start queen-cells eveiy time. But in five or six days I open the upper hive and cut out every queen-cell. This operation will keep the bees from swarming for the present. When the first super is about half filled I put another one under the flist one so as to give them plenty of room to work. In about fifteen days from the time I put the first super on I take off the upper brood- nest and set it on a' new stand. Most of the brood will have hatched by this time. I leave it on the new stand for a day or two, when all the field bees will have flown back to the old hive. A splendid way to make increase is to give this hive a young queen. Or it may be set on top of another hive that is run for extracted honey. In order to produce fancy section honey one must have his hives overflowing with bees. All our queens' wings are clipped. If a swarm comes out the queen will drop in front of the hive in the grass (I keep the gi'ass short to prevent the queen from get- ting lost). I cage her in a wire cage made for that pui"pose, remove the hive to the rear, and put an empty one in its place. Then I place the queen in the cage on the alighting-board of the empty hive. When the bees in the air discover their queen is not with them they come back, looking for her. When sufficient bees come back to protect her I release the queen, when she will run in the hive, and all the bees follow her. Toward evening I open the liive that the swarm issued from, and cut out all queen- cells. I then set the swarm to one side and put the hive that the swarm issued from on its old stand, shaking the swarm back in front of the hive that it came from — bees, queen, and all. After this I add another super to give them more room. This opera- tion of cutting out the queen-cells and shak- ing the swarm back takes only about ten or fifteen minutes. The next morning, befoi'e the bees begin to fly, I set the hive on a new MARCH 1, 1914 177 Home and apiary of Geo. Zautner, Albany, N. Y. Though located right in the city, the bees practically paid for the house shown. stand in a different part of the yard. This seems to satisfy them. We have no trouble with our bees stinging the neighbors. When bees are cross, and are inclined to sting, I believe it is due to rough handling" more than any thing else. Our average crop of honey is about 4200 lbs., and the average number of hives 65. 1 find ready sale for all the honey we can pro- duce. We never have enough to supply the demand. Beekeeping- is only a side issue with me. I work in the shop every day, and take care of my bees in my spare time. I also have quite a large garden. We raise all our own vegetables and all the fruit we can make use of and to spare. Beekeeping goes a long way toward re- ducing the cost of living'. The home shown in the picture has practically been paid for with the proceeds from my bees. Albany, N. Y. HOW I BECAME AN OUTLAW BY THE OUTLAW This is sub rosa, you understand — just lietween you and me. The fact is, I am a lieekeeper. As being a beekeeper is not a crime per se, I shall have to explain further that there is a certain city ordinance in force here to the effect that no bees are to be kept within the bounds of the city. The ordinnnce is, in effect, as follows: Be it ordained liy the rommon council that it is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person or persons to conduct or carry on the business of rais- ing or producing honey from bees or keep or main- tain an apiary or any hive or hives of bees, within any portion of the city. That any person violating any provision of this ordinance shall lie deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished with a fine not to exceed $200, or by imprisonment in the city jail for not exceeding one hundred days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. But I did not become a beekeeper and violator of the city ordinance with malice aforethought — no, nothing like that. I am 178 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE just a victim of circumstances, merely doing that which has been decreed by fate. It happened tliis way : One Sunday morn- ing, about the first of June, I encountered a small after-swarm of bees in the act of set- tling on the branch of a pepper-tree in front of the house that constitutes my dom- icil. Under such circumstances what could I do but hive the swarm? It would certainly not be right to leave a swarm of bees hang- ing on the branch of a tree, above the side- walk of one of the principal streets of the city. The hiving was easily done with the aid of a borrowed clothes-pole, and on the end of this pole was attached a small basket. Just think of it ! walking along the street with my mind busy on matters that would come up in the office on the morrow, and then, ten minutes later, walking along the same street with a swarm of bees i^i a bas- ket ! The basket of bees was duly hung on the clothes-line, while I proceeded to alter into a hive a certain box which the grocer had delivered with groceries the evening before. The alterations of the box sufficient for the time being took about ten minutes. The bees were then dumped into the hive, and the next moment I found myself the owner of a colony of bees, and also the violator of a certain city ordinance, and subject to a fine or a jail sentence, or both. But before taking up with you my expe- rience as an outlaw it might be well to lay the foundation for my acts. But remember I am telling you this biographical junk so that you will be in the proper frame of mind to understand and follow me through my acts as a practical outlaw beekeeper, working under an adverse city ordinance. That is my honest reason. Of course, if you in your own narrow-minded way think it mere ego on my part — why, I will not quar- rel with you — just let you retain your opin- ion, and risk your calling up the chief of police. To commence at the beginning, early en- vironment forged the first link by reason of my father being an apiarist on a city lot. Stings were part of my early education. Then the wanderlust claimed me, with the result that one bright summer day, follow- ing the termination of the American occu- pancy of Cuba, I stepped ashore at Havana, and there among that band of pioneer bee- keepers who followed the army of interven- tion I met the greatest of them all, the " Rambler."* Rambler was one of nature's aristocracy. He was a man who cared little for money and less for dress. He always * J. H. Martin, whn was one of oiir most valued correspondents about 15 years ago. — Ed. associated the idea of a new suit of clothing with a ten-dollar bill. But as a man he stood the acid test. He was one who saw through every sham of life; smiled quietly at the various subterfuges and artifices which he encountered in others and ever remained as a nugget of pure gold among the pebbles. By reason of his rambles and observations, coupled with an inventive turn of mind, the result was that his brain had become a store- house of those little matters generally spok- en of as kinks. And while he had for years freely given his ideas to the beekeeping world through Gleanings, yet when he breathed his last there in the lee of Principe Hill, ai)iculture lost a thousand thoughts that were on record only in Rambler's brain. Then there were the months I spent in the locality of where was situated the first apiary of bees in frame hives located on the island. I wonder how many of those who read this have been on the spot. How many, like myself, have cut their names in the trunk of that old royal palm-tree just above the well ? For several years I led an ambu- latory existence, to and from, over and around, the island of Cuba, at that time the greatest bee country in the world. So, now, having turned for your inspec- tion the foregoing page of the past, I trust that all those who are true apiarists at heart will understand and forgive my acts as an outlaw. In answer to those who raise the question as to why I did not remove my colony of bees outside the jurisdiction of the ordi- nance, I will say that on one side of the city is the ocean and on the other is the desert; that the past season has been one when the desert flora refused to yield honey, with the result that, during all the time when I have had my colony of bees, the apiarists outside the city have had to joractice feeding in order to keep their bees alive. Here in the city, matters are different. There is an abundance of peppei'-trees and eucalyptus along the streets of the residence district, and in the public parks are thousands of eucalyptus of every variety besides thou- sands of other trees and shrubs. So here there is a continuous flow of honey, some- what similar to the summer in western Cuba. The result has been that my little swarm of bees, without foundation, not even for start- ers, has been able to build on an average one frame each week. Perhaps the question may arise in the minds of some as to the legality of the city ordinance under which I am an outlaw. To such I will state that it is my own personal opinion that the ordinance is valid; that the coui'ts would sustain it under what is known MARCH 1, 1914 179 H. C. Young's ajjiary in the country, 15 miles from Buffalo. in law as the police power. As most bee- keepers are not lawyers, I will say that what is known in law as the police power is the internal regulations of a State that have in view the preservation of good order, good health, good manners and morals, and the general health of the public. Chief Justice Shaw, of the Supreme Court of the United States, in the slaughter-house cases, stated " That upon it depends the security of social order, the life and health of the citizens, the comfort of the existence in a thickly popu- lated community, the enjoyment of j^rivate and social life, and the beneficial use of property. Police power, as defined by Blackstone, is ' the due regulation of domes- tic order of the kingdom, whereb.y the in- habitants of a state, like members of a well- governed family, are bound to conform their general behavior to the rule of propriety, good neighborhood, and good manners, and to be decent, industrious, and inoffensive in their respective stations; that by the general police i^ower of a state, persons and prop- erty are subject to all kinds of restraint and Ijurdens in order to secure the general com- fort, health, and prosperity of the state.' " The courts of the various States and of the United States have continually sustained and upheld legislation that was enacted for the public welfare, health, or comfort, even though such legislation worked injury or inconvenience to innocent parties, even though it violated some organic law, holding that such legislation was valid under the police power of the State. For example, the constitution of the United States pro- vides that full faith and credit shall be given by the various States to the laws of the sister States. Very well; in Illinois is a statute that provides conditions under which a person can jDractice medicine. A doctor, after complying with the laws of Illinois, in going to California, for instance, will there find that California pays no attention to the law regulating physicians to practice, and requires that an examination be taken ; and, believe me, it is some examination — in fact, such that very few physicians care to take it. But the California courts hold that such legislation, even though it is prohibitive, as in effect it prohibits the Chicago doctor from practicing medicine in Dogtown, is valid under the police power, as it tends to protect the general public from iueffieient doctors. So, under the circumstances, I have no defense to offer, as I do not think a valid defense exists. I am just like any other educated lawbreaker. Being fully aware of the position occupied in society, I take every precaution to avoid being caught in the toils of the law that is being willfully broken. To be continued. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE OVER 200 POUNDS OF SURPLUS HONEY PRODUCED BY ONE COLONY ON A VERANDA IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO BY H. C. YOUNG Having bad no experience in keeping bees — in fact, never having bad a good look at a bee, I started to read Gleanings in Octo- ber, 1911, and studied the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. The following spring, ia May, I received my beginner's out lit. consisting of one bive of bees, extra liive, etc. As I live on a corner of a prominent bus- iness street in Buffalo, 1 decided to keep my bees on tbe veranda on the second floor of my bome, tvhicb is very close to tbe side- walk. Hundreds of people pass daily, and thousands of bees fly overhead. Without the aid of an experienced bee- man or any one else, I would open tbe bive three or four times a week or oftener, with- out tbe use of a smoker, ^^eil, or gloves, and pull out frame after frame. I bad no diffi- culty in picking out the queen, drones, and workers; also tbe drone and worker cells, and later I discovered tbe queen-cells. About 11:30 a. m. on tbe 4tb of July my bees swarmed, clustering on a poplai'-tree about 25 feet from the bive, and they re- mained there until about 2 p. m. With tbe aid of my three brothers we set out to liive tbe swarm. Imagine the crowd of curious city people attracted by this undertaking Our first thought was to cut down the branch with the cluster and place it before the emp- ty hive. Not thinking about the weight of the bees, we began sawing, and soon there was an unexpected cracking noise, and the branch snapped off, throwing the cluster of bees to tbe pavement, about twenty feet below. In a few seconds the air. like a blind- ing snowstorm, was filled with live bees. The terror-stricken people scattered, and ran in all directions for shelter. In order to convince them that there was no danger I hurried to the street with head and arms bare, scooped up the bees in my hand, and shook them into tbe bive without receiving a sting. Soon the frightened ones regained their nerve and returned to satisfy their curiosity. About a week later I found a new queen in tbe old liive, which evidently became mated with a black drone. I soon noticed the difference in the disposition of her bees, as photo No. 1 will show. Tbe old queen and her bees in the swarm have maintained their very mild disposition to tbe present day. The following spring. May. 1913, T pur- chased five more colonies, I kept one colony in tbe city and sent all tbe rest to tbe coun- try, about fifteen miles away. Starting that year with seven colonies, and with tbe cap- ture of one stray swarm in the city, I in- creased my apiary to fifteen colonies during the summer, and secured about 500 lbs. of honey. From my limited observation I am led to believe that a few colonies do better in the city tbaii in the country. During a drouth bees find little or no nectar in tbe plants of the meadow or mead; while the warmer, the drier, and the more arid the weather, tlie more the city folks sprinkle their gardens and lawns, thus keeping the honey-flow nor- mal. 1 noticed during last summer, wliilo we had a long drouth, tbe bees in th.e coun- tiy Avere not gathering any honey, while those in the city dniing the same dry weath- er were busy working filling up cells day H. C. Young, of Buffalo, N. Y., showing the result of his first experience with hybrid bees. MAIvCll !, 1911 181 after day. 'JMiis one colony in tlie city pro- duced a surplus of over 200 lbs., wliich was nearly half of my entire crop. I desirr to impress upon your readers that, far beyond the profits arising- out of my short experience in bee culture, 1 have had pleasure of the highest order. The bee is one of God's most remarkable creatui-es, and a study of it has enlightened me as to liis vast wisdom, and will, I trust, make me a better if not a greater man. Buffalo, N. Y. A HOUSE APIARY FOR CITY BEEKEEPERS BY C. S. NEWSOM The photograph shows my house apiary, every one of the sixty colqnies which it con- tains being within 4 feet of my work-bench in the center. When the picture was taken 1 neglected to open the doors in each side. After building the house I sawed out large openings and put hinges to the doors which swing upward. The doors are held up by a two-foot stick with a screw-eye in the end, engaging with another one in the door. All these openings make considerable light ; and any bees inside soon disa^ipear through them. The cupola is also arranged for large openings for still more light if needed. When my bees hang out in front of the hive as they did in the sweltering sun last season, I propose scooping them into hives of comb foundation with a frame of brood added, and a queen ; and those scooped will be darkened in the house a day or so ; then the hive will be set up on the frame for my new swarms. Then I shall have a new swarm, and the old hive not molested nor even disturbed, and the work will gu riglil on- The bees that cluster on the outside of the hive are mostly young ones hardly able to fly, and they can just as well have more room and a chance to do something. I think the plan will retard swarming. Hereafter at the close of the season I do not expect to have a great lot of unfinished and uncapped sections. The bees can work at night in the warm room. Breeding will also begin earlier in the spring, and will keep up later in the fall, insuring strong colonies. The wall of the building around each en- trance is painted a different color to enable the queen or the bees to return to the right entrance. Athens, Ohio. [While house apiaries are used consider- ably in Germany and other parts of Europe, especially where outdoor room is scarce, they have been abandoned largely in this country, chiefly on account of the expense. -H M - ^r F" ' _,.^^^mc • 'm WEWsrdMSHOUSEAPtARY. !>0-C«(«..«i r-.- ■i-vJ,',.i'-.: -^^ Afe^L .,'r\l >>.. y * ■ m «,..■.■ ■' ■ - ^—P''--J= l-^.°'J^' C. S. Newsom's liouse apiaiy located in the city of Athens, Ohio. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE There is no other great objection, provided there are suitable openings in the side which will give sufificient light for finding queens, bay, and for permitting any bees that have the combs, when they are being looked over, to get outdoors at once. In our opinion, scooping up bees that cluster outside because of the heat or over- crowded condition of the hive, and forming a new colony with them, would give rather uncertain results. We think it Avould be much better to make the increase in some other way, for the cluster outside may be eomposecl of field bees largely. — Ed.] A DRUGGIST'S EXPERIENCE WITH BEES IN INDIANAPOLIS BY H. D. HOPKINS I am one of the many who have the bee fever, and I have had it for about 18 years. I keep my bees in the central part of the city in a thickly settled district within half a block of a schoolhouse. Occasionally I loan the teachers my observation hive to teach the children the habits and industry of the bee. I ii,lways winter about five colonies on their summer stands well covered with leaves, and piotected by a slied. I have H. D. Hopkins' ornamental hive for a city lot. never had a winter loss. I am a druggist, and have little time to look after the bees; but I enjoy keeping' them for the recreation. 1 have a neighbor three doors below whom they bother a little by mak- ing use of her well- spout for a drinking- fountain. They have to pump out the bees before they get water. I make my peace with them when T take off the honey. The bees also object to the lawn-mower next door, and sting the man or lady behind it, so that requires more honey to keep i^eace with my neighbors. Last year I sold the increase, which was six colonies. I took off 120 lbs. of No. 1 white-clover honey. I have no trouble in disposing of it among my neighbors at 20 cts. I should like to keep more bees; but there is not enough pasturage in the city for them. I have tried chickens and pigeons; but for real pleasure, profit, and little work, give me bees. AN OLD-FASHIONED BEE-GUM REMODELED. While visiting my brother's apiary this summer in Putnam County I found an old abandoned bee-gum. 1 requested him to send it to me, for I thought it would be a curiosity. After it reached me I decided to modernize it, so I made six brood-frames to fit and hang on tin brackets. I cut' down an eight-frame super to hold three of the D section cases. The frames and sections can be removed and replaced at any time. 1 covered the log with bark and gave it a roof (if bark, so I think I have quite an orna- mental as well as a useful" hive. It stands ^ai^m^^f'r^ Cover and super removed, showing- the cumbs in the brood chumbur. MARCH 1, 1914 183 4 feet high, and has an IS-inch brood-cham- ber 12 inches wide in the center. Indianapolis, Ind. [It is true that bees kept in a city are sometimes troublesome about outdoor pumps or watering-troughs. This trouble may be partially prevented by providing water close by, for they must have it at times. Adding some salt to the water often helps, as the bees seem to prefer it for some reason. At times it is also very important to place artificial pollen whei'e the bees can get it, to keep them away from nearby barns, etc. — Ed.] F. A. Connor's jumbo hives in Worcester, MavSS. JUMBO-DEPTH HIVES FOR CITY BEEKEEPING BY P. A. CONNOR My small apiary of Carniolan bees is located in the suburbs of this city. I am a great advocate of jumbo hives. The pic- ture shows my extracting hives. I might mention that these hives consist of two regular dovetailed jumbo bodies, Hoffman lli/4-inch-deep frames, metal-roofed covers, Danzenbaker bottoms. I have found, after an experience of about 20 years as a bee- keeper, that this is the ideal hive for ex- tracting, especially with Carniolans. I am constantly meeting with severe crit- icism when I advocate this style of hive ; but there are several important advantages in using this hive. One can adopt the jumbo hive and still keep on using the standard Langstroth ten-frame hives and supers. In my judgment it is of great importance to have a hive which standard supers and cov- ers will fit, and one adapted to bottom- boards. The queen rarely goes out of the chamber she is in, as the brood-chamber is of sufficient capacity for the most prolific queens; hence queen-excluders are not nec- essary. As a non-swarmer, or practically so, when operated for extracted honey, I have found this hive the best I have ever used. Possibly I have given too much praise to this hive ; but let me say here that one should study his locality very carefully before de- ciding on what size of hive to adopt as his standard. In this locality bees are unable to gather nectar for more than six months in the year, and colonies must necessarily be kept strong throughout the season. Worcester, Mass. 184 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE BEEKEEPING FROM A CARTOONIST'S VIEW POINT BY J. H. DONAHEY [The writer of the following is the cartoonist of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who, as we mentioned editorially in our Dec. 1st issue, is an enthusiastic beekeeper. Mr. Donahey is in E^pt at present ; but when he returns he is going to furnish Gleanings some cartoons depicting the joys and sorrows of the beekeeper. A more extended notice of these will appear later. — Ed.] Three years ago, on the evening that Halley's comet v.as supposed to strike the earth and demolish us, our tirst colony of bees arrived. They were hybrids, very cross, and in a single-walled eight-frame hive. We lad never kept bees before, and knew prac- tically nothing about their care beyond a faint memory of the old-fashioned box hive that used to stand under the apple-tree in the country village. With a desire to do something with our own hands, husband it, and make it gi'ow, and from the fact that we wanted life in some form in the flower garden, we chose ihe colony of bees. We knew they would occupy very little space, and would lend that ( ompleting touch we felt our garden really needed, although it was an experiment pure and simple. In our haste to place the colony on its stand we neglected to read the instructions accompanying the new veil, and so received our first baptism of formic acid. Hoav well we remember when the good wife looked up into the sky at the flying comet, inquiring if we really thought it would hit us. We an- far greater than we had ever hoped or dreamed. The next year, during our absence, a colony concluded to swarm. Mrs. Donahey, who had never handled bees, tried a new trick, and one we had never heard of before. Knowing we could not get home in time to hive them, she secured the lawn hose lying near, and, turning on the water, directed the stream on the bees as they were pouring out We did not care one whit whether it did or not. swered that we did not care one whit wheth- er it did or not. We have had many enjoyable experiences, and have had to hasten to our volume of the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture very oft- en; but with it all we have found a pleasure of the entrance. She explained later that she had read somewhere that bees do not swarm when it rains, and she concluded to try a summer shower on them. They went back into their hive that day, but they did it all over the next morning, but we were MARCH 1, 1914 185 there \o put theiii I'itilit into their new Iiome. Our hist hive, after being reqiieened with an Italian, has grown to fourteen, and last season we took off one thousand jjounds of very fine comb honey, and the clover secre- tion was as white as any we have ever seen produced in the country. The bees are kept in tlie double-walled Huckeye hive, and are wintered out of doors. They are on the side of a hill that is covered with some timber overlooking a stream, facing the southeast, and in the rear of our home. The little workers come and go all day* long without our neighbors ever knowing they are there, unless we by chance present them with a toothsome bit of honey, or invite them over to inspect the busy homes. To the city man or woman who loves nature, and who has but a small back yard, the bee offers many advantages over any other form of outdoor amusement or recrea- tion for profit. We know of no occupation better adapted as a diversion to any one who deals in the abstract. The little bits of wis- dom picked up from the insect world, the messages they bring as their tired little wings carry them in from the fields laden with lioney, the lessons they teach us in their patience and perseverance, all tend to create a stronger feeling and a better love for our fellow-man, to say nothing of the dividends received in golden nectar. We have learned many things from the bees, and look forward to the time when we shall understand them better; for we long ago gave up hope of ever getting them to understand us. But the knowledge we have already acquired is far greater than we ex- jiected to attain in one small back lot in the city. Cleveland, Ohio. BEEKEEPING A SIDE LINE AND FOR THE FUN OF THE THING Read before the Second Annual Convention of the Iowa Beekecpcvs' Association at Des Moines, Iowa, December 11, 1913, by Hamlin B. Miller, MarshalUown, Iowa* My subject to-day is of such a nature, and my beekeeping experience of so short a duration, that 1 must confine myself to per- sonal experiences more or less, in order to make my remarks of sufificient length and interest. I don't presume in this effort to teach you old-time beekeepers any thing. I am just going to be satisfied if I can only entertain you a little, and jDerhaps take you back to your beekeeping youth. It tickles me every time I think of the funny thing's I have read in Dr. Miller's " Fifty Years Among the Bees." I am not related to Dr. Miller, the pioneer beeman, that I know of; but I have experienced some of his early and peculiar symptoms of bee troubles in my own bee-work infancy. I often congTatulate myself upon the for- tunate escapes I several times have already made, and fully appreciate the many hints and experiences that others have given in the bee-journals that have helped me to avoid many pitfalls and needless humilia- tions that I otherwise would have fallen heir (o in spite of my already fast accumulating experiences in bee culture or " bee smart- ness." Right here I do not wish to forget to mention that I OAve the greater part of my bee knowledge to the bright, up-to-date, and resourceful bee-journals. After I really started, I was going some. I couldn't stop long enough to eat my meals. IMv physician had ordeied me to go on a diet. I even overworked that. T fasted. I didn't eat at all, seemingly, and soon lost thirly-hve pounds of flesh with my fasting and " bee fever." But then, it did me good — have regained part of my flesh, but have never been able to break the fever. Now, every man has (or at least should have) a hobby. Some think a hobby means chasing a golf-ball for hours over a forty- acre field. Others think it is to travel on foot twenty miles or more over the roughest localities, carrying a heavy gun and ammu- nition, just to get a chance to see a fiock of ducks too far away even to hear a gun. My physician having ordered me to stay out of the printing-office, adding that I must rest from the nervous strain I was carrying, I immediately landed on my neg- lected lawn with a lawn-mower, a rake, and a spade. It was fun — never had really en- joyed it before, because I did not know I I^ossessed another talent besides the acquired printing-office habit. Then my wife also landed on me for fiower-beds and various other yard improvements. It just seemed as though she would sidetrack my hobby for hers, she was so industrious about it; but I was too far gone to lose out on the bees. While all these new-found pleasures were becoming settled upon me, a new neighbor in the meantime had moved in next to me, and lie had two colonies of bees. I was just a * On afro'int nf our tack of ppa'-p in this special niunljer we have not lieen able tu n^.e (|uite all of the paper. — Ed. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE little bit leary of the pesky things, for the sight of a bee had always affected me just the same as it does the majority of mankind. I was never unprepared to make my get- away. It wasn't long before my neighbor was making an awful smudge and monkeying with those bees. By tip-toeing around and peeking over, I saw it all. Standing on somewhat higher ground I was astonished as I beheld him actually putting his hands down in that hive, right among those bees. The cold chills ran relay races up and doAvri my nervous body as I watched him lift out the frames covered with the yellow-banded fellows and dozens of them running over his hands. " Hello ! George ! What are you do- ing? " I asked, in as calm and possessed a manner as I could muster up. Without lift- ing his eyes he said, " I'm trying to see what these little fellows are doing." His calm answer and the seemingly in- different manner with which he turned those frames of comb and bees over and around, all the while critically examining them, cap- tivated me, and I tvas stung with the " hce fever." May be you think it strange; but the fever has not yet abated. Well, my confidence soon grew bolder, and I was finally near enough to peek over into the hive. Wonderful! delightful! en- trancing! But, horrors! He asked me to hold a frame for him while he did something or other that needed attention. My nervous chills immediately changed to " shiverinos." My teeth would have chattered themselves loose had I not set my jaws firmly together; and (would you believe it?) when some of those varmints ventured to run over my hands the water seemed to ooze off from me in a manner that would put a Turkish bath to shame. After it was all over I went home, weak as a cat, and lay down to ru- minate, resuscitate, and recover, for I had experienced a drenching equal to any Turk- ish bath I have ever had administered to me. I couldn't rest. I wanted some bees; and their not stinging me was one of the best reasons I should have them; and then, again, I had never before in all my life had enough honey to eat. My neighbor was Mr. George Belt. I asked him to find me some bees. He did. We soon became fast friends, just because we had found true pleasure in the same hobby. My wife soon called me " nutty." George and I were both fatally afflicted witli the malady. Many an hour we ruminated on the possibilities and tlie pleasures we liad discovered in the yellow-banded friends. growing more " nutty " every day. Ever after we hailed each other as " George B." and " Hamlin B." 1 soon secured three colonies, brought in from the country in home-made hives. Gee ! but I was afraid of them just the same Setting them on boxes in the back yard I carefully pulled oft". one of the cleats that kept them in the hives, and ran away tO' a safe distance. They were so overjoyed at the fresh air I had let in that the whole yard seemed to be full of bees and their music, which I did not understand, as they played in and out of the hive. As soon as their enthusiasm had waned I stole up and lib erated another hive. Now, " George B." did not see this or he would have laughed. My wife also became interested at this juncture, and began handing out advice as to how I should conduct myself and manage the newly acquired backyard friends. Many have been tlie fool things we thought of and experienced during the past three years. This was in the fall of the year, and I put those three stands in the cellar, and shut tlie cellar up tight from the air as well as light. Every time I went down cellar I hurried out again. My wife always made me go down for vegetables and canned fruit, I had to be bold, of course, but I was really afraid, just the same. The bees would come out and fly around. The floor, was becoming thickly covered with them. I was awfully worried. I knew they would all be dead on the floor before spring. They got so noisy at times, and so bold, that I put off taking them out of doors until after the middle of the following April; and when T did grow bold enough to do so I had another case of chills; for while cai'rying out the second and third hives the other bees took especial de- light in settling on me as the most likely object and place in the whole back yard to rest, and they actually turned my hat and clothes into a brown spring suit. It made me somewhat disgusted ; but my wife wisely remarked, " You can't expect much else from bees." She knew all about it, of course. Well, there were less than one million bees in those three hives after all had died in the cellar that wanted to die there. We ham-ested (or, rather, stole) sixteen pounds of bulk honey from one of these colonies that fall, but had to feed two colo- nies all winter. The other colony fell dead on the hive bottom three days before I put tlie others out the following spring — starved, of course. " Fool trick," my wife said. " I know it," was my response. I pined for thirty days — never felt more uncomfortable in all my life, for I really thought they had MARCH 1, 1914 187 enough to li\e on until it was time to put them out. Thing's began to go better, i had six strong colonies the next fall. Took out 150 nice sections of honey. T ate honey all win- ter and sold the rest at 25 cents a section. I wintered the six colonies perfectly. I had a thei*mometer in the cellar, and kept liie cellar windows open nearly all the time, but darkened the opening with a long heavy curtain. I discovered that every thing else also kei)t better in the cellar with the tem- perature around 45 degrees. During the past summer I increased to eleven colonies. Lost two of my queens, and then consolidated three stands into one, leaving me nine. I'll tell you how it was. Tlie colony that had up to this time made me 108 sections of fine honey did not swarm until the last day of June. I was lounging in the yard swing, watching half a bushel or so of the tenants hanging on the front of I lie hive, when all at once they came out of that hive like a cloud rose in the air, and left like a roaring tornado. I was mad. J never before had had nerve enough to clip a queen. My wife was excited also. More advice was given me as to how I could have prevented sucli a blunder. I got out my tools, jerked the supers off from that hive, and found the queen. I think now she was a virgin. Then I slipped the scissors under her wing and clipped her; also clipped the queen of another colony that had just swarmed. After it was all finished, I re- pented what I had done, as my book knowl- edge had then had time enough to soak through and leak out, and I realized what I probably had done. The next day I found one of those clipped queens balled on the front steps of the next-door hive. I sprin- kled water on the ball. She emerged and ran into that liive before I had time to stop her. Something happened to that colony as it became queenless. So did the other hive where I had clipped the queen. I don't know about the colony with the runaway swarm. They kept on working. But I do not know yet Avhether it still has a queen. I presume I shall find out next spring — another fool notion, I suppose. I presume mv wife will tell me about it at that time. I harvested 247 nice sections of honey that year, much of it No. 1 fancy, and all selling at 25 cts. per cake. 1 weighed ten sections that 1 sold to one party for $2.50, and the scales showed ten pounds and four ounces — 25 cts. per pound, you see, and the customer wanted more. If there ever was a hobby to get a man's mind off from every thing else, the bee is it. They say fish and cabbage are foods for the brain. Well, I do believe the bees are the emergency brakes in cases of overwork and brain-fag. I have wasted thirty-fi\e years of pleasure and fun, as well as profit and better health, by not having discovered the interesting and industrious bee as my friend. There would not be so many bioken-down business and professional men if they had taken time to become interested in a few colonies of bees. I also believe the outdoor treatment of bee cultui'e, taken early in life by the average individual, would eliminate many cases of the white plague commonly called tuberculosis, not to mention other ail- ments that the outdoor life would benefit. God made the bees for us. He has her- alded the praises of honey in the book of holy writ. Man makes sugar and molasses by chemical processes. The bees make hon- ey by the process provided by God himself, who never patented the process, and never has changed, nor invented a better way than he started the bee out with at the beginning, notwithstanding all the tlieories that Dr. Bonney and the many other wise and learn- ed fellows are continually contending about in tlieir endeavors to make over the bee and its habits. Do you know I have learned to appreciate and love, more and more, God's outdoors since I got this bee trouble? I had never seen the sun rise since I Avas a little boy on the farm until the bees gave me the morning- boost. I have got so I can't successfully night-hawk it any more, and neither can I lie in bed in the morning while the bees are out and at it. But I have never been able to get out so'early but that I have seen them coming home as well as going out. My health is better, I feel better, and really am better, because I have learned to love the bees. ARRESTED FOR KEEPING BEES BY A. T. RODMAN I have decided to tell my troubles to the readers of Gleanings. During the summer of 1912 my neighbors across the street in- formed us that our bees were destroying their grapes. The facts were that we had had a dry season just as the gi'apes were maturing, and then, just as the gi*apes ri- ]iened, a heavy rain. This caused a rush of sap into the grapes; and as the skins had been hardened by the dry weather they GI-EANTNGS IN BEE CULTURE Map of the part of the city in which tlie trouble arose. burst open. The results were that the bees commenced to hull them out. We ex- plained to our neighbor the cause of the trouble, and told him to ])ick liis grapes at ouce. The season of 1913 was different. It was dryer than the season before, and there was a scarcity of insects for the birds. This, caused them to turn to the ripening- fruits for food. My neighbor again complained about the bees. I told him that, if he would keep the birds away from his fruit, the bees AfARCti 1, 1914 189 would not be there. You see I bad been watching the biids feeding on his grapes before he was out of bed. However, he came over one Sunday to inform me that he was going to make a test case of it, and intended to swear out a warrant for me the next day. I tried to reason with him, and look him to see my grapes. I also read of several cases to him as published in the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture. I also (old him that he would likely beat rae in police court, but I would defeat him in tlie end in a higher court. Before he left he said he was going to leave it to somebody else to prove that bees damaged fruit, and Ihat he was going to drop it. I thought the li'ouble settled, and in\iled him over again. Contrary to liis i)romise he went the next morning and swore out a warrant for my iii'rest. He also put out sweetened water ;ind scalded llie bees, and poured coal oil on ihom and killed them in every way possible. 1 notified the liumaue officer, and he put a stop to the slaughter at once. However, he .-■•wore on the si and that he had killed half a peck of bees. They also made a pretense of being afraid of the bees. This caused me to have some pictures taken to show that bees do not sting when in search of food unless squeezed in some way. My neighbor (if he can be called such) is a politician; and when he found out I had taken the pictures he said it would not make any difference — as much as to say he had the judged ''fixed." The facts are that the judge is a friend of his. In order to make liis case good he went all over the neighborhood and found out all the children that had been stung by step- ping on bees. He liad their parents sub- poened and brought into court as witnesses against me. His next-door neighbor, who had some hard feelings against me, swore that he could not sit on his front porch of evenings till bed time on account of the bees. Just think of it, brother beekeepers! what an industrious strain of bees I have, flying around at night and driving my neighbors in at a distance of 315 feet from my apiary ! Another stated that her children were afraid to pick the peaches on account of the bees. That same boy came to my house and looked through eleven colonies of bees while I was away. But when his mother wanted him to pick peaches he was afraid of being stung ! As the trial progressed, everybody thought that I was sure to be discharged. No one could swear that the bees the children step- ped on were my bees — in fact, no one could sav that the bees that were on the fruit were my bees. 1 also proved that my next-door neighbor had bees as well as many others; in fact, 1 had only about one-fourth of the bees in that district. 1 also exhibited fruit that had been in the hive for 58 hours, and not a grape was df'maged. After all the evidence had been nitroduced the judge le'videred the following decision : " There has been a great deal of expert testimony introduced that proves that bees do not injure fruit. On the other hand, there has been more convincing testimony that people have been stung by the bees. However, I want you to get a decision in a higher court, and I will find the defendant guilty, and place the amount of his fine at •$100, which is the minimum amount." I was l)laced under arrest at once, and detained i)i the police station for a time. I gave a $200 bond, and was released. Strangers to me, when they heard the decision, left the court- room in disgust. One man was heard to say, as he sliook his fist, "I'olitics! politics! d — d politics! " Then I got busy preparing for the higher court. There was no law pi'ohibiting the keeping of bees in the city limits. I took several photos of other apiaries, some of which are shown on the map. I live on a plot of ground 125 x 250. and control two other plots of the same size adjoining me on the north. I had 22 colonies. I found one apiary of 100 colonies on a fifty-foot lot in a congested residence district. The picture will show how close the houses were on each side. Does it not look a little strange that T should be fined .$100 for keeping 22 colo- nies on 21/4 acres while others could keep 100 on a 50-foot lot ? When the trial came up in the criminal court I was well prepared. Mr. J. F. Die- mer, of Liberty, Mo., who is also secretary of the State Beekeepers' Association, was pres- ent and volunteered his assistance. Mr. Austin D. Wolfe, of Parkville, Mo., also was present as a witness with fruit to introduce as evidence. I had an observatory hive of one frame of bees with a lot of grapes in- closed, as well as a pear and a peach to show that the bees did not damage sound fruit. When my case was called, my lawyer did something that I did not altogether approve of, and without my knowledge. He produc- ed the city ordinance that I was charged with violating, and showed that the city had not proceeded according to law against me, as I had not been notified as required by the ordinance; also that I had not violated the ordinances cited in the complaint. After Judge Latshaw examined the law he promptly dismissed the case. Many of 190 GLEANINGS tN BEE CULTURE my friends who keep bees in the city were present, and what a hand-shaking time we had! Of all the beekeepers in my neighborhood 1 am the only one who is really making any thing out of bees. The people never see any one else carrying away honey as I do. They also see me on the street cars with bundles of queens in mailing-cages; therefore they seem to forget that there are any other bees than mine; so if a bee gives anybody any trouble it's always mine, and I hear about it. I use up-to-date methods in caring for my bees, to which I attribute mv success. I have supplied my beekeeping neighbors with queens, so it was impossible to identify my bees. Many of my neighbors were willing to testify for me, and some came and oifered their services. ] shall alwa.ys feel ven' giateful to them for their assistance. While I should very much have preferred to settle the case on the strength of the testimony, it possibly was better to have it dismissed. The man who had me arrested stated that lie would have an ordinance passed prohib- iting the keeping of bees in the city ; but we have beat him to it, and the prosecuting attorney has stated that it would likely be unconstitutional. I have also learned something. The next time any one tlu'eatens me with prosecution I will go and see the prosecuting attorney at once, talk the matter over with him in a reasonable way, and that will end the trou- ble. Any one who is likely to get into trouble should remember that attorneys are ignorant in regard to beekeeping, and are likely to issue a warrant through ignorance, and put one to a lot of trouble and expense in defending himself. Kansas City. Mo. HIGGINS VS. VAN WYE ; A MAN WHOSE BEES GOT INTO COURT BY W. A. H. GILSTRAP The above action was called in the Supe- rior Court of Stanislaus County, at Modes- to, Cal., about 10:40 o'clock, Oct. 24, and was concluded after sunset the same day. The case was of special interest to the bee- keepers of the county, and of passing inter- est to many others. Mr. Higgins, in his complaint, said that Mr. Van Wye's bees were located near his home on the land of another person (Mr. Garver), and that they came to his pump and trough in great numbers, stinging his stock, his family, his hired help, and him- self, causing suffering and loss of service ; that he wanted the bees removed, and called for $400 damages. Mr. Van Wve denied il all. The case had been thrashed out at the meeting of the beekeepers at the Oct. 7th session of the county club, and Mr. Van Wye was strongly advised to move his bees and avoid a suit. He in turn insisted that we should help him in the suit, as it was ours as much as his ; for if he could be made to move his bees when some one wanted him to, "others would have to do so, and there would be no place left to keej^ bees. During the trial it was clear that Judge Fulkerth wanted to get at the exact facts and the proper remedy for the trouble. At a remark from an attorney the judge said in substance, " Bees are lawful property, and beekeeping a good business. What the court must determine is what the conditions in this case are." He asked more vital ques- tions than the lawyers, perhaps. The plaintiff said he fought the bees with his hat till he was exhausted; that they stung him and made him so nervous he could not sleep; that in striking at a bee with an oiler he struck near his eye and made a bad wound on his face; that he tliought he would be in the insane-asylum in three months if the bees stayed there. The bees were located there in June, 1912, and he had offered the defendant a location on his place further from his house, where they would not bother him so much, but defendant would not move them. When (|uestioned he admitted his health was poor before the bees were there. Mrs. H. said she was stung three times the day before the trial; that the bees scared her by getting in her hair and clothes, agree- ing with Mn H. that their little girfhad been laid up by beestings, but denied that Mr. Higgins was made nervous by the stings, saying she was the " nervous one." A man 25 or 30 years of age, perhaps, was the best witness for the plaintiff. He lived near, and was. stung on the. temple while working for Mr. H., and lay uncon- scious for some time in the alfalfa. He had been stung on previous occasions without serious results, and supposed the results of that sting were from the place it struck him. The bees were thicker at Mr. H.'s place than where the witness (I forget his name) lived, but at the hitter's place they were quite an inconvenience. He was so candid and fair in his statements that a person would have to believe what he said. MARCPI 1, 1914 Willis LyiK'h, ouf county inspector, and J. G. Gilstrap, who had tried hard to keep the case out of court, gave long testimony about the location of the bees, their man- agement, variety, what should be done with them, etc. The apiary was about 590 or 595 .set from the well, 100 feet from Mi'. H.'^ hog-corral. The only water provided for the bees when the case came to trial was a tub about a third full, in which was a grain sack on a float of some kind, probably a redwood board. The water was stale, and unfit for bees. There were no trees or other screen between the ajDiary and the well, except a partial screen of weeds part of the year, while the bees were located on ground too high to irrigate. Several witnesses not mentioned were called to the stand, and several more present did not testify, as it was late, and the evi- dence was sufficiently clear. When all the evidence was in, the judge said it was clear that the bees Avere an in- convenience, and they would have to be moved; that tlie plaintiff was unnecessarily nervous, but had suffered no financial loss, and the court could grant no damages; that he did not wish to work any unnecessary liardship on the defendant, and wished to know how soon he could conveniently move llie bees. Mr. Van Wye would not answer directly, as he did not know that he could get another place for them. The judge in- formed him that bees are entitled to protec- tion, but human habitation is of first impor- tance, and suggested 30 days as the limit. The defendant preferred a rainy day late in the winter if they had to be moved. Then the decree came that the bees must be moved far enough from the plaintiff so that they would not annoy him, by Nov. 15. Judge Fulkerth said, in summing up the case, that such little cases should not come into court, but should be settled as neigh- borhood affairs. He warmly commended J. G. Gilstrap for trying to keep the case out of court. Mr. Van Wye has the costs to ]5ay. He had a Modesto lawyer, also one from San Francisco. Modesto, Cal. BEEKEEPING FOR PROFESSIONAL FOLKS IN CITIES BY W. M. COPENHAVER, M. D. It is very important and very necessary that all who are closely confined by office work of various kinds find, sooner or later, some outdoor attraction, be it some of the various athletic sports or some such work as gardening, chicken-raising, etc. ; and the more intensely interesting such live- lihood may become, and at the same time proving a source of profit to the partici- pant, the more likelihood Avill there be of its remaining a source of recreation. In the undertaking of almost any enterprise in life, it seems natural for one to consider the profit to be derived therefrom, and few of us care to undertake any work without the belief that there will be some return for the labor and energy expended. This seems to be human. After considerable thought and study di- rected toward the choosing of a side line or " hobby," if you please, suitable for one of sedentary habits, one that Avonld afford op- portunity for considerable study, and at the same time bring one in touch with outdoor life, and because of its adaptability to life in a city, I have chosen that of beekeeping. There are few cities, large or small, where a few colonies of bees may not be kept with more or less profit and a great deal of pleas- ure. Dwelling briefly on tlie profit side of our hobby, I might say that, for tlie amount of capital invested, the returns from beekeep- ing will often show a larger profit for the expenditure than from almost any other enterprise; and as proof of this statement T may say that T started with one colony in the spring of 1908, whicli was my first year with bees, and increased it to nine colonies, and received 50 lbs. of fancy comb honey as surplus. In my present location, a town of 16,000 people, where bees had never been kept, two miles from nectar-secreting plants, from one colony, bought the spring of 1912, I made an increase to four colonies, and took 108 lbs. of fancy comb honey. During the year 1913 these four colonies gave a return of $15.00 per colony, spring count, with increase to 17 colonies, and $20 in prizes at the Montana State Fair. This shows in a small way what can be done on a back lot in the heart of a city, and proves the statement tliat, besides pleasure, there is also profit in keeping bees. But there is the more important side of beekeeping for the individual of sedentary liabits than that of profit. I refer to the thoroughly absorbing subject of the study and manipulation of these very interesting inmates of the hive. One can not become interested in the study of the habits and life 19-2 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE of the honeybee witliout also becoming- in- terested in plant life; for the life of the bee is so intimately associated with that of the flowering' i^lants, especially those that pro- dnce honey and pollen, that the stndy of the former enlarges into that of the latter. When weary with office cares and the ills and woes of others, how quickly one forgets himself and all else while manipulating the busy bees and studying the many wonders of the hive. So absorbing are their activi- ties that one gains thorough relaxation, and returns to his work refreshed through this relaxation, and exhilarated by the enthu- siasm which bee culture inspires. I have found the subject of beekeeping very fascin- ating, and an ever increasing interest seems to accompany its study. It seems to be specially suitable for professional folks, because the work connected with it can be performed at odd times, and does not need constant attention. If one must be away for some time the bees move quietly about their duties, regardless of our absence. The subject of beekeeping is not all writ- ten as yet. New problems and new condi- tions are continually arising, and many surprises are in store for the apiarist. All in all, the student will find it a fascinating study, and much recreation and relaxation in it from office toil. Helena, Mont. BEEKEEPING IN THE LARGEST CITY IN THE WORLD BV D. M. ilAf'DOXALD Perhaps London is about the last place in the world in which successful beekeeping might be looked for; yet it is an undoubted fact that, within a few miles of the very center of the city, it has been made to pay. I have seen small ajiiaries on the flat roofs of buildings, one in a beehouse, and several in observatory hives fixed in windows, and I have been informed of scores of apiaries all over the metropolis. In some respects London is the Mecca of beekeeping in the British Isles. A very large proportion of the honey grown finds its way to its markets. Our leading appli- ance manufacturers and dealers are located there. Our monthly and weekly bee journals are published there. Three of the leading shows are held within its boundaries — the dairy, the gToeers', and the confectioners'. To these all the best samples of honey whicli have stood first at local and county shows gravitate as a natural center for final adju- dication. Our new Government Apiary ai's in the morning before going to work, and after six o'clock at night. Columbia City, Ind. Frank Langhor, Increasing 3 Colonies to 17 in Two Years, and Se- curing 2100 lbs. of Honey, all on a City Lot We live in the city on a lot 40 x 120. We have a chicken-coop on the back of the lot, with a good-sized yard to it, and in this yard we keep our bees. A year ago last fall we put five colonies in the cellar and lost two of theui. The other three were in pretty good shape, and that summer we took off 500 lbs. of comb honey and got 8 new swarms. I put the eleven colonies in the cellar in the fall, and last spring we carried out the eleven, all in good condition, and this fall we quit with 17 swarms, and I took off 1600 lbs. of honey — 800 lbs. comb and 800 of extracted \ioney. We had one little after-swarm come to ns the latter part of June. I built it up and took 106 lbs. of comb honey from it, and the bees had plenty left to winter on. Madison, Wis. F. D. Johnson. What can be Accomplished in Four Years Perhaps it would be interesting to know that, four years ago next spring, I placed an advertisement in Gleanings, seeking a position on a honey-ranch. I landed here at Elso with just $50 in my pocket, I went into partnership with Henry Willis of this place, and bought 50 stands of bees, he furnishing the cap- ital. Last fall I bought out his half interest, and I now have, all my own, about 250 stands of bees wliich produced nearly 20,000 lbs. of alfalfa honey the past season; about 200 extra hives, frames with full sheets of foundation, 1000 supers, both extract- ing and comb — -the former with either full sheets of foundation or combs di'awn out; one bee-cellar, one honey-house, large power extractingouffit, one I. H. C. auto truck, and one 50-horse-power Springfield roadster for ,ioy-riding. Last, but not least, I have a honey market which will take at least 40,000 lbs. of honey a year. Can any one beat that ? Elso, Mont,, Jan. 24. A. H. Bell, 807 Sections from Six Colonies, in Auburn, N. Y. Tlie inclosed report is from my notebook, telling the date and number of sections taken from each hive. The sections were all fancy. No. 1, and a few No, 2. I also have over 100 unfinished sections that I expect to use for baits. Hive No. 6 is a stray swarm that clustered on our hospital porch .June 14, to which I gave all brood from the other hives, using Doolittle"s plan described in " A Year's Work in an Out-apiary." Hives 12 3 4 5 6 July 4, sections 32 42 20 70 .July 12, sections 36 26 35 26 50 43 July 20, sections 21 48 22 36 15 August 23, sections. .. . 40 42 37 30 42 44 September 20, sections. 20 10 12 8 97 168 146 112 189 95 Total, 807 sections from 6 colonies. Auburn, N, Y, MRS, .Joseph Raesler. Castor Beans for Shade for Bees on a City Lot I am only a backlot beekeeper, located here in a city of 30,000 inhabitants. Here one has many things to contend with that the man out in the country is free from. In the first place, we must not place the bees too near the house or the walks in the yard, or the " boss " of the house is liable to put in a vigorous protest. The neighbors have to be taken into consideration also-; and to keep peace with all, and have the bees well located as to sun and shade i.5 no easy problem with the limited space at hand. I keei3 my bees in a small house, 6 x 10 ft. This provides the required shade; but in the house the light is poor and one can't see to work with the bees to advantage. Last summer I planted some castor beans sent me by a friend from the Botanical Gar- dens, Washington, D. C. I planted the seeds about five feux south of the fenc» on the north side, of the lot; and when the plants started to grow, " Jack and the Beanstalk " were distanced a mile. The growth was very rapid and strong ; and when the trees came to maturity they were from 6 to 8 feet tall, and some of the leaves were 2 ft, across. I had a bracket on the fence to place a hive of bees on. The trees shaded this stand very nicely, and made an ideal place for one colony. The shade STiggested to me that this would be a good opportu- nity to use the plants for other than ornamental pur- poses, and also an easy manner to get the desired shade when the hive-stands are in exposed positions. The plants can be trimmed from time to time ; and as the season advances, if more sun is needed, say in September, cut the trees down. I call the plants " trees " for the reason the ones I had were trimmed just as one would trim a shade- tree. I have promised to furnish, seed to a friend out in the country about ten miles. He has 100 colo- nies of bees, and very little shade for them in the beeyard. La Crosse, Wis,, Jan, 17. Thos. D. Budd. 196 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Sources of Honey around Portland, Oregon I am lint as yet a beekeeper, even on a small scale ; but I hope to get a few colonies next spring. My work is very confining, and I shall not have a great deal of time to devote to bees, nor can I have room to keep very many of them ; but with, say, five colonies (as I plan to start with five) I should be able to get some increase as well as a fair surplus of honey. The part of the city in which I live should furnish good bee pasture, as there are lots of wild flowers in addition to dandelions, dogwood, and white clover. On the hills above us are myriads of dogwood, wild blackberries, thimbleberries, wild strawberries, wild peas, and numerous other flowers that I know no names for. In addition there are hundreds of acres of hazel brush that I suppose would furnish poilen enough for all the bees in the State. On the open places on the hillsides, and down on the lower lands, including lawns, white clover and dandelion grow in profusion ; so it looks to me as though I am admirably situated for keeping a few bees. We also have a kind of thistle here which bears a (matured) burr similar to the cockleburr (the blossoms are of a kind of shaving-brush shape, of the ordinary thistle), which must be a good hon- ey-plant; for during the summer I noted one plant on which bees were working ; and while; I can not say how many of them, I would venture a guess at about fifty. Portland, Ore., Oct. 17. D. C. Millican. Bees in an Attic I have a large attic in my house some 10 feet high in the center, and 36 feet wide, with sloping roof. It is perfectly dry. The house faces the north and south. I have been told that this would be a good place to keep bees. It is in a good residential sec- tion where there are plenty of white-clover blossoms all summer. Any assistance you may be able to give me will be greatly appreciated. Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 8. W. D. Frasee. [There is no reason Avhy you can not start bee- keeping in your attic as you suggest. About the only objection to the plan is that it is a little incon- venient to take supplies up and down, and it is also a little difficult to manipulate the bees without having a good many of them fly out around the room; and as they can not find their way back they become lost. The first objection named need not be a serious one if the work is planned as it should be; and the second objection can be overcome if the hive or hives can stand by a window, which, during the summei at least, is removed entirely. In the fall you can replace the window, allowing the bees only a small entrance, and the colony will winter very nicely, since the hive is well protected. If your attic has a south window this would be the window in which to locale the colony of bees, for it pays to select a sheltered window if possible. A gi-eat advantage in having the bees located in the attic is that they are up so high that very few persons will ever know you have any bees, and no one is likely to be troubled by them. There is hardly a city in the country that does not have a number of colonies of bees located in attics. — Ed.] with the bees. About two years ago I went into the machinery business as a side line, and thought per- haps that with a helper I could attend to the bees and at the same time make good with the machinery. Before I took on the machinery end of the deal I was averaging from $4. .50 to $6.00 a colony per season Owing to the honey-flow and weather conditions I run mostly for extracted honey, but have found that since I have been doing both the bees have not aver- aged me over $4.00 per colony, because they have not had as good care. I find there is ahvays some- thing to do around tlie beehouse or apiary at all times for the betterment of the bees as well as to the profit of the keeper. Any one who wislies a larger income than at pres- ent, and who has a few liundred dollars more to in- vest, will do well to put on a few more colonies of bees. He will be better satisfied in the end, and will have more dollars in his pocket. I have seen king-birds eating bees by the hundreds when there were no drones in the yard to speak of. I also have shot these birds at different times, and found worker bees in their crops in great numbers. If these birds are allowed to hang around the apiary ill great flocks, as I have seen them, they will weak- en the working force of every colony. Haskinville. N. Y. " M. C. SiLSBKh. If a Beekeeper Wislies a Larger Income Let Him Get More Bees I have just read Mr. O. L. Hershiser's article, p. 29, Jan. 1. To a beekeeper who wishes to make the most out of his bees I would say that I would not advise him to take on another line in connection A Good Record from Kansas About May 1, 1913, I bought four colonies of Ital- ian bees, paying $20.00 for the four, and $.3.00 extra for fixtures. I brought them home and set them on places I had provided for them to stay all summer. The hives were in fairly good condition as to strength when I got them. About June 1, or with the com- mencing of white-clover bloom, I worked them ac- cording to the Alexander plan of increase, leaving the queen with one frame of brood and nine frames of foundation in the body below with queen-excluder over them. I set the old body with brood on top, then let them alone for nine days. On the ninth day I looked through them. The brood was all capped over, and three of the four had plenty of nice queen- cells capped over. One hive had not started any queen-cells, so I let them stay as they were. One of the hives I did not think quite strong enough to divide. I cut out all queen-cells and let them alone without making any division. From the two other hives I set the top body off on new hive-stands. So you can see my increase in that way was from four hives to six. However, I formed a nucleus later on and built it up to a fairly strong colony by cold weather. I worked the bees for extracted honey ; but the drouth cut down the white-clover and sweet-clover crop about half, if not a little more than that. The season was so dry we did not have any fall honey- — only a little which they got from the river bottoms, which are about two and a half miles from my place. However, my bees made a living after the clover gave out, but nothing more, up until frost. I know they got it from the river bottoms, as there were no live flowers nearer to my place for about a month or longer before frost. They gathered some surplus during a part of June. I sold $28.00 worth of ex- tracted honey, and kept three gallons for home use. I sold it at 50 cents per quart, the parties furnishing the vessel into which they put it. My honey weighed full 12 pounds to the gallon. This surplus was noth- ing to brag about; but the price was good — 16 2-3 cents a pound. This is where the city b<»r keeper has the advantage of the beekeeper who pa>8 freight, commission, and tlien gets a low price for his honey. I had customers who came back for more, but I had to refuse them or do without myself. Kansas City, Kan. W. A. Dillon. MARCH 1, 1914 Our Homes A. I. Root Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. — Matt. 6:20. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his right- 20usness, and all these things shall be added unto you. — Matt. 6:3.3. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. — Heb. 10:25. They that feared the Lord spake often one to an- other.— Mal. 3:16. I have told you how eagerly I questioned every beekeeper and every one I could get hold of who knew any thing about bees when I was first attracted by that runaway swarm. After I had gotten hold of the book " Langstroth on the Honeybee " 1 became still more entranced with my new hobby. I hired a horse and buggy and hunted up the beekeepers in our immediate locality, but they all had box hives. Some of them had heard of such a thing as a queen, but they did not know for sure. At length I heard of an old farmer east of town who actually had his bees in Lang-stroth movable-comb hives. You can hardly imagine with what haste and anticipation I went over to his place. There they were, sure enough, in his dooryard — a dozen or more hives, just such as I had been reading about in that wonder- ful book. I can not quite recall, but I think he opened a hive and showed me a queen. Then we two all at once became fast friends. I soon had some hives made, using one of his for a pattern, besides following the di- rections in the book. After I had vay colony transferred to this Langstroth hive I order- ed tliat $20.00 queen I have told you about. He asked me several times if I had got them in good shape to winter; " for," he added, '■ it would be a sad thing to lose a queen that cost so much money, besides being the first Italian bee brought to this region." Finally he went down to my home and de- clared my poor weak colony of Italians would not hold out a month. You see I bad experimented with them, making them raise queen-cells, etc., until there were really not very many bees left. By his instructions I purchased a good strong colony and got my queen safely introduced. At tlie time of which I am speaking I was manufacturing jewelry, and doing quite a good business. This friend of mine, Mr. George Thompson, was a devoted Christian, and one of the leading men in our nearby CongTegaiional church. As I made progress with the Italians he used to drop in quite frequently to find out how I was getting along with tlie bees. After we had become quite well acquainted he came into the store one day and said : " Mr. Root, you are beginning to have considerable property here." He glanced around at our establishment, and then continued: " I suppose you have it well insured? " I replied in the affirmative. "You have your home insured also?" I assented as before. " And your life is insured also? " When I replied as before, he added some- tiiing like this : " Mr. Root, I am glad to know it. It has been remarked to me that, although you are making wonderful progress in your work, you are a careful and prudent business man. That is right and good. Now may I take the liberty to question a little fur- ther? " I laughingly replied, " Go ahead, friend Thompson. I am glad to see you interested in my welfare, and I shall take great plea- sure in answering any question you choose to ask." I think that, up to this point in the con- versation, I had no intimation of what he had in mind. So far as I can recall he said something like this : " Mr. Root, you are managing admirably for the things of this world, but what ' in- surance ' have you for the Avorld to come ? What provision have you made for ' the home over there.' " He pointed up as he said this. I thanked him, and he hurried away, but although a very busy man at the time with bees and the little factory, watch-repairing, selling goods, etc.. his remark kept ringing in my ears. The thought kept coming up like this; and let me put it in language as my good friends down south might say it — " Right smart " of the things of this world, but how about that " home over there " — the unseen world to which we are all hasten- ing? What have you done about treasure in heaven? What i^rogress is being made in thQt direction? I was forced to admit tliat a frank and honest answer would have been, " Nothin' doin'." It would really have been true at that time, dear friends, that I ])aid little or no attention to what was going on in the world outside of bees and business. I was keeping track of the boy Edison, reading the Scientific American, and the farm pa- pers that touched on bees ; but I did not go to church nor to Sunday-school; and yet at the very time a prayer-meeting was being held in one of the upper rooms of my store. I used to drop in and take a back seat for ^ GLEAJNINGS IN BEE CULTURB little while, sometimes; but as I was not particularly interested I did not seem to catch on. I presume it was a little later— perhaps two or three years — that our two children, a boy and a girl who went to Sun- day-school as regxilarly as the rising of ^ne sun (thanks to the good mother), begaa to inquire why pava never \^'f,nt to church nor Sunday-iT'liool. I have already told you something about how ii happened that I " woke up." I remember vividly one par- ticular Sunday of going to Sunday-school. The superintendent put me in the men's Bible-class. My friend Thompson was the teacher. I remember wondering how it was that I had never before become intimately acquainted with the members of that class. They were good and bright men, and my heart warmed toward them all. In fact, it was at a time when I was just beginning to love humanity and God the great Creator. I do not tliink I ventured to take any part in the exercises tlmt day. It was all too new to me. At the close of the lesson the teacher took out a little book and " called the roll." It seemed at that time (close to forty years ago) that it was the custom in the report to give the number of regular attendants and also the number of visitors. My good friend had his pencil raised from the book a little, and said, " Mr. Root, shall I enroll you as a regular attendant of our class, where you know you will be most welcome? or shall I put you down as a visitor to-day? " How well I remember the kindly look he gave me. I hesitated a little. It was a crisis in my life. God only knows how grave a crisis it was. Years of anxiety and years of turmoil, contrasted with years of joy and happiness hung on my decision. You know, dear friends, I am impulsive, and have been all my life. I finally replied, a good deal 'inder the sudden impulse, and said: " Friend Thompson, you may put me down as a regular attendant; and, God help- ing me, I am going hereafter to Sunday- school every week in my life." I do not know what he wrote down in that little book. It is probably lost by this time ; but I do remember I felt troubled about it right away afterward. Not only my good friend but toward a dozen others heard my declaration ; and above all, and incompar- ably more than all, God heard it. I called on him to witness my pledge or vow, if you choose to call it so, that I was going to Sunday-school from that time on, evei-y week of my life. I not only had stepped through, but I had put up the bars behind me. There was no retreat. I could not well ask him and the good friends I me^ on that momentous Sunday to let me recall those hasty words. There was nothing to do but to push forward; and as I puslied forward my footsteps grew lighter and happier every day of my life. I soon learned there was a weekly prayer-meeting, and my pledge seemed to include that prayer-meeting also. To be consistent it also included the preach- ing service, morning and evening; and pret- ty soon it began to be remarked that, if no one else were present, A. I. Root was suie to be unless he was too sick and hence eouid not go. My punctuality has been commented on wherever I have been; and as of late I am really obliged to get up nearer to the teacher or preacher, my invariable presence is more conspicuous. Please do not think, dear friends, that it was only a hobby of mine. A good pastor away out in California once said that, during all his life, he had noticed that those who are crowded up close to the sacred desk are the ones who got the most good; and accessions to the church always come from that part of the audience nearest the speaker. Our pastor has of late been ui'ging at times — yes, vehemently urg- ing— the members of the church to come up in front, and to leave the back seats vacant for strangers or those who do not go to church very often. I can not understand why so many good people crowd into the back seats, away off from the front, when it is such a pleasure for me to get up close to the speaker. There have been spells dur- ing all of these forty years when I was too sick to go to church; and sometimes I have ventured to go when the rest of the family remonstrated, and I always feel better after going to church, Sunday-school, or prayer- meeting, and it is a good thing for the health to meet with God's people. I feel sure it has been the means of prolonging my life — my regular habit of being on hand at religious worship. Out in California, away up in Michigan, and one time down in Tlor- ida, my friends informed me that there was no Sunday-school; but in all three places I managed to have at least a sort of Sunday- school when the time came around; and in at least two of the places a church has been built up where I started a Sunday-school. Assembling with God's people on his holy day is laying up treasures in heaven. Giv- ing your money and your time to the cause of temperance, repressing gambling, the white-slave traffic, and all such evils, is lay- ing up treasures in heaven. If men do not tell you so, the Holy Spirit will. What do the baubles of this earth amount to com- pared with " treasures " laid up " where moth doth not corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal " 1 MARCH 1, 1914 199 High-pressure Gardening HAVING THE GROUXD ALL OCCUPIED. After our " high-pressure " soil has been carefully tile-drained, worked up fine, with all trash plowed or spaded under, manui'e and fertilizer worked in, it is of the utmost importance that we have a plant of some kind, wherever there is room for a plant. Down here in Florida sometimes one hun- dred dollars' worth of fertilizer is applied to a single acre. Now just think what folly it would be to have " missing hills " or spaces where nothing is growing in the rows ! worse still where only weeds are allowed to gTow. I have recently spoken about saving your own seed so as to have eveiy kernel of corn that is planted come up ; but this can not always be done. I have also spoken of planting field corn, not only the second time but even the third; but this last i^lanting usually gives only fodder, which is better than nothing. I have also told you about what a crop of white beans we secured, with no cost except the price of the seed and the labor of planting them when the corn failed, or when the croAvs pulled it up. One season we raised several bushels in this way, and they were sold to our factory help for a good price as soon as thej- ran out from the thrashing-machine. Well, 'in truck-gardening there have been many attempts to grow something of value wherever there happened to be missing hills, or perhaps a space to get in a row of some- thing. Cabbage-plants are often put in ; but, as is the ease with white beans, when the main crop is off, the cabbage or beans, or something else, may not be ready to har- vest. Let us consider a moment the impor- tance of having another crop occupying the high-priced gi'ound the very day the first crop is removed. I remember, years ago, telling Mrs. Root one morning to take a good look at a fine patch of Early Wakefield cabbage. Said I, " Sue, before sundown every cabbage will be off, and the ground covered with growing strawberries." We did it; and by the aid of a transplanter I had invented, scarcely a strawberry plant wilted. The above illustrates finely the advantage of filling vacant spaces with something that can be all cleaned off the " minute " the main crop is harvested. Here cuTPf'^ in, " gentle reader," my latest " new discovery." Dasheen will fill the bill, for it IS always ready to harvest, the easiest thing .0 transplant, and, if you want further proof of the value of growing shoots for food, read the following from a bulletin just issued from the Department of Agri- culture by our good friend Prof. Young. I have already spoken of the difficulty of keeping the large central corms after being dug, and tliis solves the problem. The bul- letin is entitled " The Forcing and Blanch- ing of Dasheen Shoots," and contains five beautiful cuts. I quote as follows, omitting the cuts : As the growing of the dasheen as a tuber crop begins to assume commercial proportions, it seems desirable to make available to growers and others who may be interested the details of a special treat- ment of the corms (large spherical tubers) by which a delicate fresh vegetable for winter iise may be ob- tained. Credit is due to Mr. P. H. Dorsett, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, for the original sug- gestion of raising the shoots in this way. Other workers associated with the bureau have also- con- tributed helpful suggestions during the process of the experiments. Acknowledgment is also due to Dr. J H. Kellogg, Battle Creek, Mich., for carrying out the extensive greenhouse-bench experiments illustrat- ed in this paper. The young blanched shoots of the dasheen make a very tender and delicious vegetable and are used much like asparagus. The flavor is delicate and is suggestive of mushrooms. CULTURE. To obtain the shoots, corms, weighing 2 to 3 pounds or more, are planted in a fairly warm place in very moist sand Or sandy soil. A half-and-half mixture of sand and ordinary potting soil has given good results. Wet sphagnum moss has also been used, but the sandy soil is probably better. The corms are just covered, the terminal bud being at the surface. Provision must be made for keeping the shoots in total darkness from the time they begin to grow. Water should be supplied often enough to keep the sand or soil continuously moist. Several ways of forcing and blanching dasheen shoots have been tried, and all have been successful in that satisfactory shoots were grown. In any instance, however, in which the raising of shoots is to be undertaken, the method best adapted should be selected. In the first experiments made by the De- partment of Agriculture, both sand and sphagnum moss were used in which to plant the corms. In one of these, blanching was accomplished by keeping the shoots covered with sand, while in the others a frame covered with several thicknesses of burlap was used. The boxes in which these experiments were carried on were placed in a warm greenhouse on a bench that was supplied with bottom heat. Neither of the foregoing methods is adapted for use where the production of shoots on a large scale is desired. For such a case, provided the weather is not too cold and a suitable greenhouse is available, a bed may be prepared under a bench. The space may be darkened by hanging several thicknesses of heavy paper or burlap from the sides of the bench. This plan is suited to the spring of the year, while those methods by which bottom heat can be applied may be used at any time after the corms become available, in the late fall or early winter. The method which is probably best for large-scale production is to use a raised bed provided with bottom heat. A cover practically light-proof and with sides 18 to 24 inches high, is required. The temperature inside this should be about 70 degrees Fahr. The soil (or sand) should be a little warmer, say 80 degrees. To obtain this temperature it is best to enclose partially the space beneath the bed. The first crop of shoots is usually ready for cut- ting in 35 to 40 days after planting. From 6 to 10 cuttings can be made at intervals of 10 to 14 days, depending upon temperature and the size of the 200 GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE eorms used. The shoots are cut close to the corm, and, as far as practicable, before the leaves begin to expand. They will then usually be 8 to 16 inches Ions. After the corms become exhausted, which is indi- cated by the weak growth of the shoots, they are discarded. Out of doors in a warm region, as in Florida, the corms may be planted in rows in sandy soil, and the shoots blanched by ridging up the soil as growth progresses. Instead of ridging the soil, boards may be used, as in blanching celery, but the shoots must not at any stage of their growth be exposed to light for any considerable length of time. Our readers of last year will recall that these bleached shoots were frequently men- tioned. Well, in digging our dasheens in November it was rather difficult to get out every small tuber, and, as a consequence, they are all the time coming up here and there. As the garden was spaded pretty deep, many of these " volunteers " have long- bleached shoots before they get up to daylight, so we have the " asparagus dash- een " for just digging them out. About two weeks ago neighbor Rood said some stable manure would help my stufE on the new ground, and I bought a load ($3.00). Well, after it was well worked in with a hand cultivator we had a very heavy rain, and this manure, in addition to the commercial fertilizer, just " hit " the buried dasheen tubers, and their ivory-white shoots are now sticking out all over the garden. NORTHERN-GROWN SEED POTATOES FOR THE FLORIDA TRADE. In order to give you just a little glimpse of the traffic in growing seed jDotatoes for the Florida truckers I clip the concluding j^aragraph from a letter from a very good friend of mine. Florida is planting an immense acreage to pota- toes this season. Our potato sales into Florida for planting alone must exceed 50,000 bags of 150 lbs. each, since Nov. 1, 1913. I am keeping my eye on the dasheen, and expect to be selling them (southern grown, of course) within two years at least. Our seed-potato trade includes Texas, Florida, Louisi- ana, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Maiden, Mass., Feb. 6. Edwin E. Harrington. One of the first things we did when we got here in November was to plant some pota- toes in the garden, and we have been plant- ing more and more as fast as the ground was ready ; and if you could call on us now (February 10) I would show you the finest- looking potatoes I ever saw, and the new ones we are now digging are as fine as they look. FROM PRODUCER TO CONSUMER. The following hits so many nails square- ly on their respective heads, we clip it en- tire from Farm and Fireside of Nov. 22 : SKLLl.XU I1:G.1 CLASS HONEi' By K. E. Hawkins " George, I'll give you fifteen cents for all the honey you'll bring me this year," remarked the groceryman to a steady farmer customer. " Not on your life," was the ready reply. " Why should I sell it to you for fifteen cents when I can get twenty for all I have, and more too? " There is the rub with the farmer beekeeper. The storekeeper, the commission man, and a dozen others fleece him out of half he might make in the honey line, and it's usually his own fault. This man sells his honey to private customers, getting the best retail price foa- it, instead of turning it over to the store- keeper at five cents less a pound. True it means a little more work, but work brings its reward. PURE HONEV HAS A DEMAND. When your honey crop is ready ask your wife to put a case or two in the buggy when she goes to those private customers with the butter and eggs. They are always glad to get honey the purity of which is assured. Then, too, they always pay top- notch prices, as they do for the good butter. I know one farmer's wife in Illinois who makes one trip to .Toliet every week of her life with butter and eggs. Her husband has nine swarms of bees, and this very year the product of the bees has been over one thou- sand sections of marketable honey. Nearly every private customei', and they have many, in .Joliet, has ordered a case of honey from the sample she showed along with the butter and eggs. Nearly every cus- tomer had a neighbor or two who bought some of the product when they saw it, and were told about it by their friend. " After I got home last night wife made hot bis- cuits, and we had some of that honey you gave us. Say, it was good. Can't you send us twenty pounds by parcel post?" might well be the text of a letter to a farmer from a friend. The new rate would allow the sending of twenty pounds for fifteen cents within 150 miles from the farmer's postoifice. Every farmer has many relatives and friends he can drop a line to, and sell a great deal of honey this way. In fact, I know of an Iowa farmer who has already shipped some five hundred pounds this way, solely on orders got from letters written to friends who knew by experience the value of his products. WHERE THE MAN HIMSELr IS IMPORTANT. The whole thing is marketing it yourself, saving the middleman's and several other betwixt men's profits on your owti goods. Get a small rubber stamp, and stamp your name and address on each section. You will be surprised at the number of orders it will bring. Be sure your honey is clean, and that the surface of the sections is cleaned. Ap- pearance forms an important price in grading, and grading makes the price. Don't sell combs which are broken and leaky. Poor honey on the market lowers the price of all other honey there. Most people will buy any thing because it is cheaper . Poor honey is always put out at a lower price. I am pleased to note there seems to be just now an unusual movement to get pro- ducer in touch with consumers. Even the manufacturers of poultry-netting and fenc- ing are offering to send fencing direct to farmers, and, more still, no pay until 30 days' trial. The Kitselman Fence Co. (see advertisement) send their fencing anywhere, and if not satisfactoiy in price and in every other respect they pay the freight back again. Send to Muncie, Ind., for their elaborate catalog. " TERRY AND TEMPERANCE." Friend Root: — I shall be 77 years old next Febru- ary, and have practiced Terry's methods for years, and do almost as much work now as I did 40 years ago. Doesn't it do you good to see how the drys are gaining? We have a real President at Washington now. BelleviUe, 111., Jan. 26. E. T. Flanagan. mK^mm-..^^ mi "^.^ • ^ m^'*^ ■^* i^A' ^ '^ ^i>^" %„ ■ ■# VOLTxilriVlARf 15,1914, NO. 6 fiiSiW^ POLLYANNjA THE GLAD BOOK By ELEANOR H. PORTER, author of "Miss Billy" and "Miss Billy's Decision;" illustrated, cloth -bound, $1.40 postpaid. ''Enter Pollyanna. She is the most irresistible maid you have met in all your journeyings through Bookland. She is so real that you forget that she is a story girl. After the first introduc- tion you will feel that the inner circle of your friends has admitted a new member. A brave, winsome, modern American girl, Pollyanna walks into print to take her place in the hearts of all members of the family." Xw^elfth Printing Read some of the press comments: " Pollyanna is the * gladdest' book that was ever written. It is of more real value than any thousand sermons to which I have ever listened." — Fassaic Daily News. " It is a book that charms at once by its style, and delights by its charac- ter-drawing and the interest developed by the story." — The Boston Journal. " Pollyanna is ;i delightful character, and the book refreshingly natural." — Cedar- Ropids Record. A Copy of Pollyanna as Premium Send us two new yearly subscriptions to Gleanings IX Bee Culture with remittance of $2.00, or your own renewal for one year and a new subscription for one year with remittance of $2.00, and we will send you postpaid as premium a copy of "Pollyanna." The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio Canadian postage :?()c extra per year; Foreign postage (JOc extra per j'car. Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. A. I. Root, Editor Home Uopartmeiii. J. T. Calvert, Business Mgr. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter. VOL. XLII. MARCH 15, 1914 NO. 6 Editorial THE HEAVY SNOWS AND CLOVER. Thk heavy snows that have covered the iiTouud all over the North during the last month will go a long way toward insuring a good crop of white, alsike, and sweet cloxer. The snows not only protect the clovers, but thoroughly wet down the soil for the early spring growth. WEATHER IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA. The weather has been very beautiful in Bradentown — bright si.inshine and a cool crisp air while the Northern pajDers repert blizzards, zero weather, and snow. It has been cool at night, in the morning, and evening, and warm during the middle of the day. Ordinarily it is much warmer than this; but the exceptional cold weather in the North has had its influence in the South. THE COLD FEBRUARY AND ITS POSSIBLE EFFECT ON WINTERING. The exceptionally cold February through- out the North, preceded bj^ a comparatively mild December and January, may have a bad effect on outdoor-wintered bees, par- ticularly if brood-rearing got much under way in the warmer part of the winter; but the cold coming so late probably will not do much damage if March is not too severe. The cellared bees of course will be all the better oft' for the cold. We are not sorry that the most of our bees are in Floiida this winter, and the rest in our Medina cellars. OUR COVER PICTURE. The cover picture for this issue shows the result of taking a colony of bees from a tree, as described by J. Bakula, page 221, of this issue. If the work is done at the right time of ;he year and in the right way, a good strong colony of bees may often be obtained be- sides considerable honey. Ordinarily it does not pay to remove bees from trees in the fall; for unless conditions are unusually favorable the colony obtained can not be wintered with any degree of success. Very early in the fall might be all right if the bees have time afterward to adjust them- selves to their new surroundings; but, of course, unless one has watched the bees in the tree for some time he runs the risk of having all his trouble for nothing. More than one large tree has been cut down in the fall, revealing only a late swarm, and a weak swarm at that, with practically no honey. THE ROOT BEES AT APALACHICOLA. The last reports from our apiary on the Apalacliicola River show that the weather has been cool and unfavorable during th.e last two weeks of February. Notwithstand- ing, our Mr. Marchant in charge says the bees have been breeding right along, and that he is now about ready to put on upper stories ; but he has had to feed. The bloom from ty-ty is just opening up, and it is ex- pected that the yard will be on the boom. Before swarming, the two-story colonies will be divided and another yard* establish- ed. E. R. R., now in Florida, after visiting the southeast coast, will go on up to Apa- lacliicola, arriving there from the 12th to the 15th of March. The weather was so oool on coming into Florida on the 13th of February that he decided to visit our apiary just before his return to Ohio. The defer- red visit will give him a better opportunity to study conditions and thus better deter- mine whether the experiment of moving carloads of bees into this region for increase and honev is a success. AN EXPLANATIOa. Quite by accident, we left out the last half of J. L. Byer's discussion in tlie last issue relating to the condition of the honey market in Ontario. As his first paragraph on the subject was not very complete, we hasten to place the rest of it before our readers at this time. The second paragraph in (s(uestion is as follows: As nearly all beekeepers in Ontario know, for a number of years the Ontario Beekeepers' Association has appointed a committee each year to gather statis- tics as to crops of honey, and then they advised each member as to what price they should expect for their crop. I suppose that, if the beekeepers had been in- 202 terviewed at any time previous to August, 1913, 90 per cent of them would have said, and truthfully, too, that this committee had put thousands of dol- lars in the beekeepers' pockets during the last five or six years. This year, as usual, the committee did a lot of work and sent out the usual report ; but in this case, for reasons neither they nor anybody else thought of at the time, the price they recommended proved to be too high to move off the honey; and what a different story there is now on the part of some producers! Some actually had the nerve to write letters saying that the " ring," and other choice epithets of like nature, had issued the price list for the purpose of holding back others so that they (the committee) could sell their honey at the higher price before the general drop in prices would come into effect. The men on this committee have done a lot of work for no monetary consideration, for years ; and to think that for once they in common with nearly all other beekeepers did not foresee the ab- normal conditions ahead they should be accused of crooked work — candidly, Mr. Editor, you wouldn't print what I feel like saying, and I am not a pro- fane man at that. Just to give the lie to such insin- uations, I might say that the men on this committee did not sell in the early market, and at least one of them has the bulk of his crop on hand at the present time. I might also say that I was not a member of said committee; but I did attend their meetings on invitation, and acted in an advisory capacity along with the members. This being the case, I take full responsibility with the members in so far as being mistaken in our estimates and in not anticipating the dull times; and I repudiate any crooked methods just as emphatically as though I had been an actual member of the committee in question. These are pretty plain remarks, but no plainer than the occa- sion calls for. PKOOF THAT DISEASE CAN NOT BE TRANSMIT- TED BY COMB FOUNDATION. At the Pennsylvania Slate convention at Harrisbuig, Feb. 20, 21, the question came up as to whether the use of comb founda- tion is not responsible for the rapid spread of disease. This point has been raised a good many times in spite of what we con- sider very good proof to the contrary. Some years ago experiments were made with a view of transmitting foul brood by using foundation made from wax rendered from foul-broody combs; but these were not suc- cessful. However, in our ■ opinion the strongest proof that foundation is not re- sponsible for the transmission of disease is that it is being constantly used in healthy apiaries where there is never any disease. There is scarcely an apiary, large or small, in which comb foundation is not used every year. In case of large apiaries hundreds of pounds are used. Most makers of comb foundation divide the wax which they re- ceive into two grades — the light and the dark. The light, being made principally from capping^, is used for making the thinner grades of foundation used in supers. - The dark, generally rendered from old combs, is used for brood foundation. Now then, while it is practically impossible for any maker of foundation to tell whether the GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE wax he receives is made from foul-broody combs, it remains a fact, we believe, that considerable of the dark wax made into brood foundation was originally rendered from foul-broody combs. Perhaps most of such wax is made from old combs in box liives, crooked combs, etc. ; but much of the wax is from diseased combs, the exact pro- portion, of course, no one being able to ascertain. Here is the point : Assuming that a large proportion is made from wax rendered from diseased combs, if such foundation had the power to transmit the disease into the colo- nies in which it is placed, then we should expect foul brood to break out immediately all over the country to such an extent that the beekeeping industry would be almost wipfd out in the course of a single year. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds and thou.sands of apiaries where foundation is i;sed year after year — brood foundation, too — where disease has never been known. Now, if there is any stronger proof than this we should like to know of it. It might be argued that strong colonies may be able to resist the disease. Tliis might be true in case of European foul brood, but it is certainly not true in case of American foul brood. HOW DOES DISEASE TRAVEL? In our opinion there is nothing strange about the transmission of disease among bees. The most direct cause is the tendency of the bees to rob openly and violently during a period of honey dearth. Bees, when possessed of the robbing mania, will often go further for honey than they will for the nectar of the flowers during a hon- ey-flow ; and the easily overpowered colo- nies, weakened by disease, become the prey of these mad robbers that seize the stores only to find, later on, that, by so doing, they have " poisoned " their own brood, and accomplished their OAvn downfall. In rare instances bees have been known to go seven miles for the nectar of the flowers. This shows that an apiary can hardly be expected to remain free from disease indefinitely if such disease exists even four or five miles away. CITY BEEKEEPING IN FLORIDA. Intensive farming, market gardening, and the phenomenal growth of the towns and cities in Florida, are driving the keep- ing of bees more and more into the out- lying districts where the hand of man has never touched the ground. On this virgin soil will be found the palmettos, gallberry, and pennyroyal, all of which yield honey. In other parts will be found the mangrove and the tupelo. MARCH 15, 1914 An exception to the rule of the city and the garden driving- out the bees is the mam- moth orange and grapefruit groves. It is in these that the hand of man has developed an important and increasing source of nec- tar supply. These groves and the unculti- vated areas of palmetto furnish a blend of a beautiful light-colored fine-flavored hon- ey. There is scarcely any thing better for (able honey, north or south, than a palmetto honey with the flavor and aroma of the orange-blossom. The time will come when there will be a distinct demand for it, just as there is a demand for Florida oranges and grapefruit. ORANGE HONEY. This is coming more and more to be a staple article of commerce, not only in small but in car lots. One who has not seen the mammoth groves of citrus fruits in California and Florida can not form any conception of their vast areas, covering square mile after square mile of territory. While the groves in Florida are smaller tliey are more numerous and more scattered tlian in California. From the latter State orange honey is being shipped east by the many carloads, as the large honey-buyers will testify. In Florida an orange honey is more apt to have a blend of some otlier source like palmetto; but it should not be understood that no pure orange is produced in Florida. The larger and more numerous the groves, the purer will be the honey, especially if the territory adjoining is under cultivation, as is the case in many sections of the State. FLORIDA LAND^ GOOD AND BAD. As a rule the character of the soil varies so much that some areas will be productive while that immediately next to it is too poor to produce any thing but scrub pal- metto. For instance, here will be a fine piece of hammock land that will gi'ow any thing from celery to oranges. Right next to it will be an area of white sand with no hardpan beneath. On the former, one can get good returns from his investment. On the latter, he can get no returns, and he will be a sadder and a madder man — mad enough to kick the real-estate agent who sold him, clear into the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, where he can not " catch another sucker." Some " sti'ike it rich;" but many poor suck- ers are left stranded without a penny to get back. Speaking about real-estate agents, there are plenty of them all through Florida. In some places they are literally thicker than bees. It is actually true that the countrv' could afford to have " more bees " and less of some of these sleek, oily-tongued chaps. A tourist seeing the numerous signs of real- estate agents in St. Petersburg very inno- cently asked a Florida cracker how many there were in the city. " As many as there are inhabitants," was the instant response. While this is a slightly exaggerated state- ment, the craze to buy and sell land per- meates a large part of the population. In many instances the land has doubled and tripled in value in the space of two or three years. Such sudden wealth has developed an unhealthy mania to " get rich quick " that is more or less pronounced — a condi- tion that is certain to bring disaster sooner or later. We see precisely the same thing in Okla- homa, in California, in New Mexico, Ari- zona, and Oregon. There are honest real- estate men in Florida as everywhere else. There are men there who are proud of the business they have done for their clients. THE FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL YOUTH. There are numerous chances to buy good land at right prices, and there are thou- sands who have found home and health in the State. It is literally true that many Math failing health, or who could not stand the Northern winters, have found a new lease of life in Florida. Not a small part of the population were forced to come south or die. One man in the last stages of Bright 's disease came to Manatee as a last resort. He was directed to eat plentifully of grapefruit, drink from the Manatee spring, and live outdoors. He is to-day a well and rugged man, the manager and owner of a large truck-farm. He certainly looks as if he had found " the fountain of eternal youth " that the Spaniard of old sought and did not find. While we don't believe much in the curative value of spring waters in Florida or anywhere else, we do believe that the Florida outdoor air has performed miracles in restoring health. To see and talk Avith those that have been cured is to believe. WILL THE BOOM IN FLORIDA LAST? Many believe that there is bound to be a slump in the present exaggerated value of lands in the State; that such boom times can't last ; that there will come a time when the " get-rich-quick " mania will exhaust itself; that in the mean time thousands who have " invested " will lose their hard earn- ings. While this is bound to be so in some places, and to some extent in all places in the State, it is to be hoped that it will not be true generally. As long as there are thousands and thousands of sick and over- worked people in the North needing a rest and a warm climate during midwinter, there GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE will be a demand for homes and land. The average person, if he does not take time to investigate thoroughly before investing in land — especially land remote from a good town or water front, will lose out; for inost of tlie land in the State is good for nothing, either to-day or at any time in the future. The three elements that determine values on land in Florida are water front, proximity to a good town, and productiveness The man or agent who can guess where a big town or resort will locate will strike it rich if he can live long enough. A. I. root's FLORIDA VISITORS; AN OPEN LET- TER FROM E. R. ROOT TO THE READERS OF GLEANINGS. From one to half a dozen people almost daily visit A. I. Root at his Florida home in Bradentown. There is nothing great or remarkable at his place; but our readers evidently want to see the man whose writ- ings on home, garden, and religious topics they have read so long. Said a visitor the other day, " There are just two men in this world I have been wanting to see. One is Elbert Hubbard and the other is A. I. Root. Excuse me," he coiTected, " I mean A. 1. Root and Elbert Hubbard. I shall go back to my friends now and say I have seen Mr. Root';" and he evidently was pleased; but there are some, doubtless, who go away with a different impression when they see a little old ip.an in old clothes with cap drawn down over his ears, who gives them only a moment of his time, and wlio possibly rather abrupt- ly excuses liimself, and they see him no more. In all fairness to Mr. Root, it should be stated that he was never of robust health. Once, as a child, he was given up to die; but his mother, the neighbors said, would not let liim die. From childhood up he suffered from frequent lung trouble, and during the intervening years he has had to be very careful of his health. The building ui) of two large businesses during his earlier manhood soon put him where it was thought he would not live long. The doctors pre- scribed midday naps and letting go some of his business cares. He did not readily ac- cept the latter part of this treatment until a siege of malarial fever, which neaiiy took him away, comjDelled liim to relax. His boys came out of college, and from then on he gradually let go of tlie active care of the business. This, fortunately, enabled him to go on with his experimenting and writing until now many who have followed liim these years, and read those lay sermons, are anxious to see the author. Nearly seven ty-fi\e now, his years have begun to pull upon him, so that he is obliged to take not only his noonday nap but one or two more during the afternoon and evening. If a visitor perchance hap- pened to come upon him just before one of these naps he may be surprised and pained at the abruptness of the interview. To apologize or explain might make matters worse. The fact is, that there are times when A. I. Root is i^hysically unable to give his callers much attention. At other times, fresh from a nap, his visitor may be sur- prised at the exuberance of liis enthusiasm in showing his garden (particularly his dasheens), his chickens, his ducks, and his tropical plants around the house. Such a treatment seems wholly in accord with the style of his writings. The abrupt inter- views perhaps seems to be the very antithe- sis of his Home papers. No one regrets more than Mr. Root that he is unable to give to all the same consid- erate attention that he gives to some. The former may be justified in the belief that the real A. I. Root is not the same as the A. I. Root on paper. Right here it is proper to remark that when A. I. writes matter for publication he does it in the fresh hours of the morning, or after a nap in the afternoon, when he is at his best. In this connection, also, it should be said that Mr. Root has no office force at his Florida home — not even a sten- ographer or a clerk. His replies to the nu- merous questions that are sent to liim at Bradentown, if at all, must necessarily be brief. I wish to suggest that all questions be sent to the Medina office. I have studied Florida, and am fairly familiar with what my fatlier is doing, and his views on va- rious subjects. As I am in Medina eleven months in the year I can, with our office force, the dictaphone, and stenographer, answer most of the inquiries that come in. I make tliis suggestion that father may prolong his life, and thus give tliousands the benefits of his Home talks and lay .sermons. The answering of many letters is becoming a serious task to a man of his age. A. I. says visitors are always welcome at his Florida home; but if any one of you should get a short visit or interview you will knoAv that it is not because it is you, but because you happen to come at his nap times when it is absolutely necessaiy that he take a rest, and without which his Home talks would soon be no more. E. R. Root. Bradentown, Fla., Feb. 27. MARCH 15, 1914 Stray Stravs^s By Dii. ('. C. Mii.i.KK, Marengo, III. Henry Reddert disapproves of bees on hiuisetops because the bees try to get in windows in time of preserving fruit, p. 193. Why should bees on housetops trouble more I hau bees on the ground '! •' Bees do not put different grades of lidiiey in the same cell," j). 74. No, nor dif- ferent colors of pollen in the same cell, nor \isit more than one kind of flowers on the same trip. That's the rule, but there are exceptions, friend Hewes, in all three cases. Alexandre Astor^ ApicuUeur, 6, says science shows that honey contains mineral salts — salts of iron, potash, lime, phos- phates, etc., and that these are indispensable to the formation and maintenance of living organisms. Since sugar is almost entirely deprived of these salts, bees fed almost solely on sugar must necessarily deteriorate. " The Outlaw/" p. 178, trusts " that all tliose who are true apiarists at heart will understand and forgive his acts as an out- law." That might pass for a joke; but taking up a column or so to prove that he is really a breaker of valid law can hardly come under that head. Let us hope that " to be continued " may give the key to the I)uzzle. A VARIATION of the McEvoy treatment by E. G. Brown is given in Review, p. 12. Prepare a hive with frames of foundation or starters, only let there be one frame of drawn comb. Brush the diseased bees into it, and when they have been in the hive long enough to emjjty their sacs, draw out the comb of honey, carefully brush off the bees in front of the hive so as to scatter no hon- ey, destroy the comb, and replace it with a frame of foundation. Endorsing the editorial on European foul brood, p. 2, I may say that, if it were left to me to decide whether it should continue in this neighborhood or not, I should hardly know which way to vote. [Do you mean that European foul brood has been a blessing to you in that it has eliminated the black strain of bees, or the careless haphazard beekeeper, or both? It is certainly doing both, and therefore to some beekeepers, at least, it is not an unmitigated, evil. — Ed.] Longevity I am inclined to believe an important factor, and I am quite willing to be convinced that greater longevity brings greater storing. But I'd like to have some proof that the extension of life is in the gathering period, and not in the previous portion of the bee's existence. We are told that in the busy season a worker lives 6 weeks — 16 days as a nurse-bee and 26 days as a gatherer; that is, 62 per cent of its span is spent at field-work. If, now, we can get a bee to live 12 weeks, what gain will there be unless more than 62 per cent (if its life is spent as a fielder? McIIenry County, III., in which I live, has a " Soil Improvement Association," l)artly supported by the U. S. DejDartment of Agriculture, with a resident Soil Expert belonging to the Department. There have been planted 350 acres of alfalfa, and for the coming season 115 bushels of alfalfa seed have been bought. But the special thing 1 wanted to tell you is that 20 bushels of sweet-clover seed have been bought, or more than one-sixth as much as alfalfa. So far as I know, that is without any reference to bees, but solely for hay and pasture. It shows that sweet clover is forging to the front pretty rapidly, and that Uncle Sam is lielping to get it there. "Increasing the suj^er room did no good." That's quoted, p. 83, from Wilmon Newell, as referring to jjrevention of swarming. I'm a bit skeptical about his meaning that without qualification. I think he believes that, if bees are crowded for super room, it favors swarming; and that's not such a great way from saying that decreasing super room favors swarming; which, again, is not so far from saying that increasing room favor's prevention. Personally I am of opinion that there are eases in which, with timely enlargement of super room, there is no swarming, whereas without that enlarge- ment the bees would have swarmed. My practice accords with that belief. Whereas I formerly added an empty super beneath as soon as the lower super was partly filled, I now add an empty super on top as well. Especially do I believe in abundant super room before the bees begin to liave swarm- thought. [" Increasing the super room did no good " was not a direct quotation from Wilmon Newell, as you say, or at least we do not find any quotation-marks in the copy before us. As the paragraph is brief we might as well quote the whole of it. This is what Mr. Newell said on the point : Many experiments were tried in which a large amount ot super-room was furnished the colonies, both prior to the development of the swarming fever and afterward. It is unnecessary to take space for describing these experiments, as in no case did the addition of abundant super-room have any percepti- ble effect upon the swarming tendency. 206 dLEANlNfiS IN BfiE CULfURj! SIFTINGS J. E. Crane, Middlebury, Vt. I will take off my hat any day to Anton Larson and his six honey-eaters, page 22, Jan. 1. * * * " Cheap, twangy stuff " is what the editor calls honey adulterated with glucose, and he is right, p. 43, Jan. l.'x * * * Can any one tell us whether sweet clover will kill out quack-grass when sown on a turned sod of this kind of grass? Mr. Glenwood Beard is right in liis state- ment, p. 856, Dec. 1, that swarms from colonies infected with American foul brood do cari-y diseased honey with them. My experience in making money by poul- try corresponds quite closely with the ideas given by 0. L. Hershiser, page 30, and I have gTeat respect for the business ability of those who make a fair success of poulti-y on a somewhat extensive scale. « « « Dr. Miller says, page 5, Jan. 1, that most of the work of securing that bumper crop of honey in 1913, of 266 sections per hive, was done by a woman. " Did you ever? " AVho shall say from this time on that bee- keeping is not a woman's business? * « » Mr. Byer, in speaking of Dr. Miller's last year's crop of honey, page 6, says, " Such a crop means a combination of a wonder- fully good honey-flow, wonderfully good bees, and last, but not least, wonderfully good management.'' That is what I call a wonderfully good combination. * » * C. W. Dayton'.? experience in sliipping honey by parcel post, as given on page 859, Dec. 1, would seem to show that it may be sent safely in this way. We have had no difficulty. We use corrugated paper, how- ever, instead of wood for cover. Let us remember that the word " parcel " means " something done up," and for this purpose it should be done up securely. * # » It makes one's heart flutter a little to read on page 860, Dec. 1, of Mr. Gilstrap's young son getting a hundred stings at one time. It is not all of us who have whisky or brandy at hand, so I want to say that carbonate of ammonia is even better than any form of alcohol. A lump the size of a bean should be dissolved in half a glass of water, and a teaspoonful given every half hour or oftener. Ammonia is a quicker stimulant than alcoholic liquors, and, be- sides, it is an antidote to bee-poison. Dr. Miller is right, p. 45, Jan. 15, in thinking bees will move eggs for the rearing of a queen. I had a case of this some thir- ty-five years ago. The bees built a queen- cell on a comb that I gave to a queenless colony in spring. The comb having been wintered out of a hive, and as there was no f|ueen in the hive, they must of necessity have moved an egg to rear the queen where they did. * * « I received some time ago a copy of a booklet edited by A. I. Root and J. T. Cal- vert. It would be cheap at a dollar consid- ering the facts it contains. Its title, " The Truth about Sweet Clover," does not appear to be in the least misleading. What is more it doesn't cost a dollar. Just write to the A. I. Root Co., and they will send you a copy for the asking. BROOD REARING IN THE CELLAR. That which interested me, perhaps, more than any thing else in the Jan. 1st number was the brood-rearing in one of the bee- cellars at Medina, page 33. It seems to me that we have here the germ of something of great value. If weak colonies in the fall can be so wintered as to come out strong in the spring it is a mighty improvement over having strong colonies in the fall come out weak in the spring. This account of win- tering bees and winter brood-rearing re- minds me of what the man said of whom I bought my first hive of bees nearly fifty years ago. He said the best way to winter bees is to leave them out of doors until late, and then take them to a cellar, when they at once commence breeding. That is just what tliey have done at Medina, and with just the result that he stated. They have had a season of rest, and the moving has caused them to consume or fill themselves with honey; and what could be more natural than that they should feed their queen and she begin laying freely, and that in the higher temperature the eggs should be hatched and the brood reared? But the supply of pollen, and how far this brood- rearing can be carried without the bees flying or producing disease, is something we long to know. Please, Mr. Editor, tell us more about it. MARCH 15, 1914 Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwiok, Redlaiids, Cal. Mr. Crane, p. 794, Nov. 15, following' vonr reasoning', bees in a twelve-frame colo- ny might build up faster than those in a ten by having a greater amount of stores than those in the ten-frame hive. There is no question that ample stores have much to do with rapid increase in the spring, far more than is generally supposed; but I had in mind equal conditions in this line when I made my original comment in the July 1st issue. Some of our California beekeepers seem to think it is a waste of time for them to read of wintering bees. In reality it is one of the problems we have much to learn of — not of the extreme cold, but to know really how to handle the problems that arise from season to season that we should be able to meet intelligently and promptly. Tn the East I was able to tell very closely when the winter was over ; but here the bees may be ahead of the season, or the season ahead of the bees. The latter is the most important we have to watch; for if the season is much in advance of the bees it means a loss of valuable time. * * » It began to rain Feb. 17, after three weeks of practically cloudless skies. More fell on the 18th ; still more on the 19th, 20th, and 21st, by which time California began to resemble a " drowned rat," and flood conditions became grave indeed. Redlands received no mail from Los Angeles for three days; but the Los Angeles daily papers were able to reach us by auto truck. Such a storm is rarely experienced in this section, as the rainfall was little less than phenom- enal, ranging from four to as high as 15 inches in various localites. The gi'ound is soaked to a great depth, vegetation is at its best, and anybody coming in on our overland trains would be very likely to form a false conception of the beauty of our foothills by the way they look now. I have never seen a finer growth on the button sage at this time of the year than at present; but for all of our good prospects we may not be able to harvest the crop that many anticipate. The spring is unusually early, but may be late yet if the winter should be like "that of 1905. Both March and April may yet be cold and backward, as was the case that year after a warm January and February. In case warm and open weath- er should continue, the season will arrive before the bees are ready for the harvest. However, the condition of the soil and the great amount of water stored therein will doubtless prolong the blooming season of oui' honey-plants to sucii an extent that there is almost sui-e to be a good harvest. AN OPPORTUNITY AND A PREDICAMENT. There are some opportunities ahead of us that I wish to point out at tliis time, even thougli we are likely to pass them in our eagerness to take toll as heavy as possible from a good season. There is an oppor- tunity ahead to eradicate almost entirely black brood (European foul brood) by tak- ing advantage of a heavy honey-flow to retard the progress of the disease while we are getting our colonies requeened witii good vigorous Italian stock. If every bee- keeper in the southern part of the State would make it a point to Italianize, our trouble by another season would be so lim- ited that there would be no grave fears in any quarter. The chances are, however, that many will not do so, and the disease will linger among the careless for years to come. Those who do requeen with good resistant stock will be paid for their trouble, and at the same time will lessen the chances of the disease becoming malignant. A predicament that we shall see to our sorrow, if the prospective good season does arrive, is that of a big supply of honey on hand among a disorganized force of bee- keepers while the buyers are organized to make the best of the disorganization. That is business on their part, for they can see ahead. It is foolishness on our part, and we shall realize it when our fine sage honey drops to a figure much below what we even let ourselves dream of now. We can not blame the buyer. He is " on to his job." The entire trouble is that we have failed to form a mutual agreement by which we may hold the market of sage honey in our hands. The buyers could then go to our represen- tative for his honey at a figure fair to both the buyer and the producer. But we are willing to let the other fellow make the market, and buy at a price fixed by himself; so if we get " stung " we shall know who is to blame for the pain. We meet together once a year, and resolve to resolve to re- solve. We appoint committees to resolve further, and at the end of another year we are ready to begin anew the same old proc- ess. I wonder if we shall ever wake up. Perhaps about half of us will at a time, while the other half is sleeping. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Beekeeping in the South^vest Louis Scholl, New Braunfels, Texas. TEXAS HONEY PRICES, AGAIN. Several times we have discussed honey prices and market conditions of the past season in Texas, and several letters of com- ment have come in. Below is one. I notice that you advocate that beekeepers of Tex- as get together and agree on a more uniform selling price of their honey. I believe this ought to be done. I can not see why we can not have quotations of prices of honey in Texas published in Gleanings twice a month as other sections of the country are represented in the Honey Column. It would help some. I am often at a loss to know what price to ask for my honey when the season opens up. I do not want to undersell any one, so I have to guess at about what it may be selling at. Tehuacana, Texas. T. M. Jones. The above communication has brought on another thought — that of quoting the price of honey in the Honey Column of this jour- nal so that the Texas beekeepers, and others too, who may be interested, can keep posted to a certain degree at least. I have recently met a number of beekeepers who told me that they found, after they had disposed of most of their honey at a certain price, that they could have obtained a little more for it if they had had some means of learning the reigning market price at that time. Can you not arrange in some manner, Mr. Editor, to give our readers such quota- tions as mentioned above? I feel that this service would be highly appreciated by a large number of them. [We will see what can be done. — Ed.] « * » THE EVIL EFFECTS OP SELLING OFF-GRADE HONEY. There are two evils that are responsible to a marked degree for causing low honey prices. One of these is the beekeeper who does not read bee-journals nor keep posted on the market price of honey; and who, when he does have some honey to sell, sim- ply dumps it on the market at any ridicu- lously low price that he may be able to obtain. The other evil is the beekeeper who puts inferior honey on the market at any low price that he may be able to get for it. Either one of these beekeepers will have a tendency to affect the entire honey market and bring down the price. Under the first class Ave may place tlie large number of small beekeepers who own only a few colonies, and these, perhaps, in box hives. Those of this class do not care to keep up with the times; and since the amount of honey they have to sell is usu- ally small they are not so particular about the difference in the price they obtain and that at which they ought really to sell. However, there are a great many beekeepers who have a much larger number of colonies who can be put in this same class. And the amount produced by all of them amounts to enough to cut quite a figure. With the beekeepers who put inferior honey on the markets we can class some of our better beekeepers as well as the smaller fellows just mentioned. It has surprised me many times to find some of our well- posted beekeepers putting up honey for the market that we were sure they knew ought not to be offered for sale. It often hap- pens, however, that many of these beekeep- ers must dispose of every bit of honey that they can get together in order to make ends meet. This is especially true during less favorable seasons, and it is during those years that inferior honey is more plentiful. This is not always the case, however, for we have found honey in many of the stores we had occasion to visit on our trips during the most favorable seasons that ought not to have been packed at all. Much of this was packed with fancy honey, and this made the contrast between the good and the bad so much greater. While the mixed lots of honey were a drug on the merchant's hands, good honey was in strong demand. But the chance of selling these merchants more good honey was cut off because they were stocked u]) and would not buy until this " stuff " was disposed of. It makes a gi-eat difference if the mer- chants can get good honey and keep it mov- ing off their hands. It gives room for other purchases, and in this manner large quan- tities of honey can be moved off on to the consuming masses. How different, though, if the merchants are loaded up with inferior stuff that they can not move! During the time it remains on the hands of the mer- chants there is little chance of moving more honey, even though it be of better quality. The result is that the market becomes more or less demoralized. The merchants hesitate about buying more honey, even after they have succeeded in disposing of the " stuff." It is to be hoped that moi'e attention will be paid to these most important matters. The difference of even only a fraction of a cent per pound more for our honey is to be considered seriously in this time of greater cost of production and higher cost of living, and with the honey price not keeping the same pace of advancement in price with other commodities. The margin between profit and loss is not great enough to per- mit of much carelessness. MARCH 15, 1914 209 Conversations Avith Doolittle At Borodino, New York THE HARD OR SUGAR MAPLE. " Will you tell which is the first thing in the spring to give the bees a good send-off on their way to a successful gathering of suri^lus from the white clover? We have plenty of the hard or sugar maple about here. Is there any thing better than this? " Any beekeper who has a spark of love for his pets is all awake for the season Avhen the first song of the bluebird breaks forth on the air, and the musical croak or peeping of the frog in the pond is heard once more. And especially is that apiarist interested when the workers of the hive begin to bring in the first water, and when scanty loads of pollen can be seen in the pollen-baskets after a search far and near for this great incentive to brood-rearing. He knows then that active brood-rearing in such a colony has commenced. With us such activity commences with the pollen furnished by the skunk cabbage, this being found from three to ten days earlier than from any other source. Then comes pollen from the various pussy willows, and a day or two later that from the soft maple and ihe swamp elm. These last furnish a limited supply of nectar, or enough at least to en- able the bees to pack the pollen in the pollen-baskets without cari-ying honey from the hive, as is done with most of the very early pollen-bearing flowers. I know of nothing more cheering to the heart of the wideawake apiarist than the bees scrambling into the hive with their loads of pinkish- hued and yellowisli-green pollen from these two sources, for they forecast a successful harvest from the white clover and basswood. These flowers lay the foundation for the great army of workers needed for the gath- ering of the harvest in June and July. Yet, notwithstanding this, the harvest would be meager were not these sources followed a week or two later by something which enables the bees to complete the stnicture that is necessary over this foun- dation. And this something is the bloom of the hard or sugar maple. Occasionally there is a year when a heavy freeze, or cold rainy weather cuts off Uie maple bloom, in which"' case the army of bees which are generally reared in time for the haiwest do not ma- terialize unless the apiarist is awake to his job and provides plenty of honey for each colony so that there is no disposition to retrench in brood-rearing during the time of scarcity which, under such circumstances, occurs between the soft maple and elm and the fi'uit bloom, the latter a week to ten days after the hard maple. Especially necessary is this maple bloom when the fruit bloom is cut off by bad weather, which is far more liable to be the case than with the maple, as there is only an occasional year when the maples fail, while a good yield from fruit bloom is the exception rather than the rule. Then the hard maple possesses a quality inherited by no other tree with which I am acquainted. It not only yields pollen the most bountifully of all trees, but gives a fairly good yield of nectar at the same time; and, coming as it does in ample time to incite the bees and queen to the greatest activity in brood-rear- ing, where this tree abounds the apiarist is assured of a good yield from clover and basswood unless the weather is unpropi- tious, or unless the bloom should fail from these two last greatest in value of all the nectar-producers here in the w^hite-clover and basswood belts in the northern United States and southern Canada. One reason why hard-maple bloom rarely fails of giving the bees a good chance to work on the bloom is that the bloom is held in the bud for a long time in unpropitious weather: and just as soon as the sun comes out bright and clear, and the air begins to become balmy, out will come the flower- buds, hanging from long golden threads, and often in less than 36 hours a tree Avhich looked as though it would not bloom in weeks comes out h: full bloom, looking as though each twig were a festoon of silver and gold, as bright in color as a bed of dan- delions when in full bloom, and gi^dng whole tree-tojDS a glorious appearance. And one of the strange things, and a fact rarely noticed except by the close observer, is that at the first blossoming stage there is scarce- ly a leaf put out till after the buds have mostly opened, inviting the bees to a sump- tuous feast which they are on hand to enjoy from early in the morning till late at night. In my first years of beekeeping I thought tliat the combs got pollen-bound from the enormous quantities of pollen stored, where good weather lasted till the wind-up of this bloom; but later I found that, before the fruit bloom put in an appearance two weeks later, this pollen was nearly if not quite all turned into brood, with which nearly every available cell in the comb was teeming. Then, besides this honey and pollen coming to the bees, there is another marvelous sweetness coming from the evap- orated sap which flows in early spring from any wound that may come to the tree. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE General Correspondence SWARM PREVENTION AND SWARM CONTROL A Definition of Principles BY J. E. HAND It is well known that the conditions that favor section-honey production are likewise productive of swarming'; hence it behooves the producer of the most fancy product of the apiary to adopt methods and principles of swarm management. There are two sep- arate and distinct principles involved in the operation, known as " swarm preven- tion " and " swarm control." SWARM PREVENTION. Swarm prevention, as its name implies, is supposed to prohibit swarming entirely. While many have laid claim to successful swarm prevention by manipulation, such claims have not been well sustained; be- cause, in order to aceomplisli it, the colony is usually thrown so far from a normal condition as to render it practically unpro- ductive during an ordinary clover harvest. The dequeening method is generally conced- ed to be the most effective in this class. It consists of rendering the colony queenless for ten days, and removing queen-cells at the beginning and end of that j^eriod. Since queenlessness is an abnormal condition that has a deleterious effect upon the working- qualities of bees, little can be said in favor of swarm prevention by dequeening. There are other principles of prevention by man- ipulation, but they are all more or less ob- jectionable. SWARM CONTROL. Swarm control is different from swarm prevention, in that it does not prohibit swarming, but governs, directs, and con- ducts it along lines that harmonize with the swarming habit of bees. Chiefest among methods of swarm control is the shake- swarm method. It consists of substituting the artificial for the natural swarm after queen-cells have been built. It is natural, because it satisfies the swarming impulse. It is profitable, because it places the swarm in precisely the same condition as though they had voluntarily migrated to a new domieil — a condition that ensures the best work that bees are capable of performing. It is economical, because it admits of swarm control by mechanical means, which elimi- nates excessive labor, such as moving heavy hives, peddling combs of brood about the apiary, etc. Thei-e are other principles of swarm control, but they are all more or less objectionable because they ignore psychic conditions of bees and its influence upon their working qualities. We may prevent a horse from running away; but if he re- fuses to work he is of little account, for we have lost control of him just as much as though he had run away ; and the same con- dition will apply to bees. SWARM CONTROL BY MECHANICAL MEANS. While the basic principle of swarm con- trol by mechanical means has been exploit- ed at frequent intervals during the past quarter-century, the correct method of ap- plying the principle as herein described is a recent invention, for which a patent was granted in 1911. The equipment consists of a bottom-board wide enough to accom- modate two hives side by side, said bottom- board being equipped with a simple device that is out of sight under the hives, and is capable of shifting the field force of a col- ony into an empty hive, or of two colonies into one hive, by turning of two switches, the ends of which proti'ude from an en- trance on each side of said bottom-board. Here is the method : Begin operations for swarm control by placing a hive with full sheets of foundation and a queen-excluder on the vacant side of a switch-board beside a strong colony that has queen-cells started. For convenience we will designate the col- ony as No, 1 and the hive as No. 2. Move levers so as to close both entrances to hive 1. which will direct all comers into hive 2 without changing the appearance or posi- tion of the entrances, which are wide open when viewed from the outside; hence bees will enter the new hive through their accus- tomed entrance without any hesitation. Transfer the supers to 2, and shake most of the bees off the combs of 1, letting them run into 2, making sure to get the queen also. Insert a flat conical bee-escape in the entrances back of the levers, so that no bees can leave hive 1 except through the escapes, wliich discharges them close to the entrances to 2, which they will enter on re- turning from their first flight. No. 2 will thus receive constant re-enforcements of young bees during the next three weeks; and if the harvest is of long dui'ation it may prepare for swarming in spite of the March i5, 1914 211 treatment. In this case the operation is re- versed, and the bees are shifted back into 1, in which conditions that favor swarming do not exist. The second shift will not be nec- essary in an ordinary harvest from clover and basswood. This method is positive in operation and results, and is superior to any other method of swarm control that I have tried ; furthermore, it will cure an or- dinary case of foul brood, while the shake- swarm method as usually practiced will have a tendency to scatter it broadcast. There are many ways in which this simple equipment may be utilized for the econom- ical control of bees by mechanical means, but this article is limited to swarm man- agement. Birmingham, 0. A NEW JERSEY HONEY SPECIALIST BY E. G. CARR C. H. Root, of Red Bank, N. J., the only producer in the State who devotes his entire time to the business. About 15 years ago a SAvarm of bees alighted near a wood - working shop of Mr. C. H. Root, at Red Bank, Monmouth Co., and then was started a beekeep- ing career which has been one of if not the most suc- cessful in New Jersey. Mr. Root is a skilled wood- worker, and at the time had a number of em- ployees, and had given such close a p p lication t o had become im- for him to business that his health paired, making it necessary abandon his regular work. Having always been very active he quick- ly realized that idleness would not be desir- able, and that some light work would be beneficial. He began to inquire into the possibilities of beekeeping as a business. He early realized the importance of avoid- ing costly fads and mistakes, and adopted the plan of appealing to a beekeeper in whom he had utmost confidence when any problem or new plan presented itself. Living in a city of 8000 population, Mr. Root at once adopted the small outyard sys- tem, and has since successfully kept to this plan. He now operates about 300 colonies in eight yards, situated in all directions from Red Bank from l^/^ to 8 miles dis- tant. These are all on the premises of fruit, berry, and vegetable growers who ap- preciate the good services of the bees and are glad to have them there, a number of them having requested that the bees be so placed. Five of the yards are worked for extracted and three for comb honey. The comb-honey yards ai'e successfully run on the Doolittle plan. Mr. Root tinds that shaking "a la Doolittle," however, will not always pi-event swarming, particularly if the colony has contracted the swarming fever previous to the shaking. Eight-frame hives with Hoifman frames are used in two yards, and ten-frame hives in the others, the ten-frame size being pre- ferred. The 4^ square plain sections with fences are used for the comb-honey work. Only the necessary tools are kept at each yard, and the honey is hauled home for ex- tracting, and for grading and packing. Previous to 1913 a bicycle was used to visit the yards, and a horse and wagon to do the hauling; but this season a Ford run- about is being used with perfect satisfac- tion, both for visiting yards and for the hauling, Mr. Root having built what he calls tlie working body, which he uses, just back of the seat in place of the regular equipment. This is quickly detachable. The entire work is done by Mr. Root alone — not only the producing but also the packing of the comb honey. The entire crop of extracted honey, with the excep- tion of about 50 one-gallon cans, is put up in 1/2, 1, and 2 pound jars. The crop for 1912 was nearly ten tons. It would be difficult to find a more par- ticular honey-producer. All hives are put together with painted joints, and the same degree of thoroughness is characteristic of all his work. An equipped wood-working shop, and his skill and connection with the lumber trade, enable Mr. Root to make his bottom-boards, hive-stands, covers, and winter cases, and no factory-made goods could excel them. He does not think it would pay him to make hive-bodies or frames. A summer visit to Mr. Root's yards will show an idea which appears to be original with him. The summer hive-covers are of the telescoping type, three inches deep and of half-inch material; but instead of being 212 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE One of C. H. Root's apiaries near Red Bank, N. J. roofed with metal they are covered with canvas brought down and tacked under the bottom edge, and given three coats of paint. This is a cover that will not blow off, leak, or become hot when in the full sun- light, and does not require frequent paint- ing. It io a generally accepted statement that beekeepers are particularly weak on the selling end; but Mr. Root seems to have been very successful in this respect in sell- ing through a broker who gets him 16 cts. for comb honey, f. o. b. his depot, and such a price for the extracted honey that it nets liim 1'2 cts. after deducting all expenses for glass, labels, packing, and labor figured at a good price per hour. While Mr. Root is the only one at present in New Jersey who devotes all his time to producing and mar- keting honey this is no indication that this may not be done in a number of other places; but it rather goes to show the possi- bilities of specialization along this line in this State. Mr. Root is ex-mayor of Red Bank, and the present president of the New Jersey Beekeepers' Association. New Egypt, N. J. REPORT OF NEW JERSEY CONVENTION BY C. D. CHENEY The 1914 meeting of the New Jersey Bee- keepers' Association, held in the Entomol- ogy building at the State Experiment Sta- tion at New Brunswick, Jan. 21 and 22, may be set down as the most satisfactory meeting yet held by the association. Several gentlemen on the program failed to appear or send a paper; but these lapses were overlooked amid the abundance of dis- cussion in which Mr. A. C. Miller, of Prov- idence, R. I., Mr. George M. Steele, of Philadelphia, and others took part. The matter of winter feeding was discussed in its various phases, Mr. Steele saying that his experience was most satisfactory with block sugar dumped directly on the frames and covered with table oilcloth (cloth side up), in a dry climate, or with burlap in damp situations, the idea being to secure about the right moisture to enable the bees to take the sugar without waste. Mr. Miller described very carefully and minutely how to make Fuller candy, and pinned his faith upon it, claiming earlier brood-rearing, and no danger of getting any of it stored in the surplus. Incidentally he mentioned that his friend Latham had demonstrated that five pounds of this candy would carry a colony through without other stores. This statement, being so much at variance with the accepted standard, caused the assembled beekeepers to gasp. Mr. MARCH 15, 1914 213 Hornor had just before stated tliat he had fed two barrels of block sugar, giving each colony 15 to 20 pounds, and had two barrels yet to feed ! The evening session was even more inter- esting. Mr. Miller gave a talk on " The Dol- lar and Cent Side of Beekeeping," and it was very evident that liis training as a i)anker had certainly qualitied him to figure things down to one-half of one per cent, and then multiply. As usual in bee " talks," many most interesting and instructive topics were brought in and discussed, and many side-lights were thrown upon matters only indirectly related to dollars and cents. Mr. Miller stated, in reply to a question, that he liad at one time a considerable number of colonies of yellow Italians, but that he "was glad to be rid of them — they are the worst of sneak thieves." This remark caused a roar of laugliter, as Mr. Miller had unwittingly trodden upon Mr. Steele's toes. Mr. Steele retorted by say- ing his yellow bees are not that kind. They are very gentle, and he never has any rob- bing. Mr. Miller said, " Put some highly colored feed in your dark-Italian hives, and in a day or so you will find it all in the yellow hives! " Good-humored tilts like this made things interesting tliroughout the meeting, and Mr. Steele was subjected to considerable " joshing," which he met with characteristic humor and energy. It is not possible, in a brief account like this, to do justice to the paper by Dr. Phil- lips, on " Two Essentials in Honey Pro- duction." Suffice to say he threw new light upon well-known methods by explaining the bearing and relation of various scientific principles. The ground was thoroughly covered and fully discussed. Mr. C. H. Root, of Red Bank, was re- elected President, and Mr. E. G. Carr, of New Egypt, was also re elected Secretary- Treasurer. There was a rather small display of hon- ey and wax, for which prizes were awarded. The " newest useful invention " presented was adjudged to be the tube bee-escape for transferring and treating foul brood with- out shaking. This also received a prize. Many new members were enrolled. Hoboken, N. J. BEES MOVED EGGS FROM ANOTHER HIVE AND REARED A GOOD QUEEN BY W. L. MILLER I notice that Dr. Miller, in his Stray Straws, Jan. 15, doubts whether bees ever actually move eggs from one hive to another. I had an experience last summer that has absolutely convinced me that bees actually do steal eggs and move them to their own hive in time of need. Last June I hived a swarm that had issued from No. 3. In hiving I saw that they had a very fine-looking queen which, of course, went in with the rest. About a week later I had occasion to look in this hive to see if every thing was all right. I found about five completed combs nearly full of honey, and some pollen, but no eggs nor brood. All the combs were carefully looked over for the queen, but she was nowhere to be found; so, thinking that I had possibly missed her, I went on, hop- ing all might be well by the next time I came around. Exactly a week later I again could find no eggs nor bi'ood ; and after shaking all the bees through a queen-excluding zinc, and finding no queen, I sent for one. A few days afterward, on again looking in, I found a lone egg. A diligent search was at once made for more, and two more were found, one in the same comb and one in another. No queen could be found. It was not the work of a laying worker, as I had been troubled with them befo4'e and could see that it was none of their work. This was something I had never before encountered, and the developments were noted with jealous care. Queen-cells were built over all three. They were sealed. The day before they were due to hatch I acci- dentally destroyed one of the cells. The next day I found the two cells hatched and two large vigorous virgins on the combd. A few days later one was found dead in front of the hive. The other was in the hive, and mated. Five days later this queen began laying and kept at it all summer. I still have her to-da3^ and she is just as good as any I have ever bought. This incident has made me a stanch sup- porter of the theory that bees do move eggs from one colony to another. I should also like to say that the Miller plan of introduc- ing queens by the smoke method is by far the best way to introduce queens. I tried it for the first time on the very day that I received the issue of Gleanings containing it, and have used it every time since, and liave yet to fail the first time. Stephenson County, 111. 214 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE DOUBLE-LENGTH SECTIONS CUT IN TWO Furnishing the Bees a Larger Frame in which to Make Comb Honey BY ELMER GRESSMAN I have often had combs of honey built in frames as straight as a board, with nice white cappings, and have wished that it were only in sections, so that I might reaUze the price of fancy comb honey. I have tr:ed selling the large combs at a reduced price, but with poor success. I have quite a trade in extracted honey in 5 and 10 lb. pails, but some years ago some of my customers inquired for comb honey. Most of them belonged to the class who are trying to reduce the high cost of living; and being in sympathy with their efforts I took along some nice shallow frames of honey, which I offered at a ven' reasonable sum, not including the weight of the frame, which I figured out, so there would be no excuse not to buy. My liber- ality was not appreciated, however, for al- most every one said, "Oh my ! those are too large. I wanted it in those little boxes." After explaining that it was harder to produce it in little boxes, and listening to their numerous objections, I made up my mind that I was not equal to a woman in an argument, even in my own line. So I went home with part of my shallow honey a sad- der but wiser man. That started me to thinking night and da}'. I thought that, if the combs were half as large, perhaps I Gressman's super for producing honey in double-lenjth sections. After the frames are full the f 'iir-' - lire nit in two 'n the middle, and the frames taken apart. The fourth side of each section is then pressed on, and the section is ready fur tlit market. ouuld keep up my end of the argument ; but 1 found later there was no argument needed. Never have 1 had a complaint about the large size of the section. The difference in the cost of producing comb and extracted honey is getting greater every year. We see all kinds of inventions to aid in cheapening the production of ex- tracted honey; but if one looks back he will find there has been very little done to im- prove on the production of comb honey. For tliis reason it can easily be seen wliy the drift has been so strong toward ex- tracted honey. We all know that bees will not work in sections as well as in extracting-frames, and that they are still more averse to them if the sections are divided off by sepaiaturs. I think my invention will be easily under- stood by the aid of the illustration here- with produced. The sectional frames are made by pressing together six dovetailed ])ieces to make a long section which can be cut apart in the middle to make two later on. Of course the dovetails must be made so they will come right. There is a small metal stay to support the top section strip. This stay causes a dei^ression in the surface of the comb right where it should be cut later on, and then the extra sides of the sections are pressed on. making two com- plete boxes of honey from one frame. These are then put in a reg- ular shipping-case to dizain for a few days. The shipping - case should have a tin tray in the bottom while draining to catch the drip, and exchanged later for a paper one. There is very little work about the whole process, as the section- al frames can be as- sembled very rapidly witli my press. There is no necessity of put- ting the sections back on the hive for the bees to finish them, as the artificial side is hardly noticeable. The stay causes a nice MARCH 15, 1914 215 vonnded ed^e Hlce tlic natural side. The sectional frames are used crosswise of the su- per with full sheets of foundation, and with the hive level from front to rear; a n d with fairly strong colonies sitraight combs will be the result. If there should be any partly filled combs during a poor season they can be extracted the same as shallow frames. I would advise two sizes of boxes — 6% X 5 X 11/2 for local trade; a double box fitting a ten-frame super crosswise, or a 5^2 X 4 X 1% for eight-frame supers which can be used on a ten-frame hive if neces- The finished section. Note that the right-hand side is the one that was cut. sary, provided queen-excluding zinc is used with a wide frame margin at the sides to make it wide enough. Hamburg, N. Y. Double-length section-super adapted for eight-frame hives. [In our opinion the value of this plan hinges upon one point — viz., whether the bees work more readily in long shallow frames fitted with foundation than they do in small boxes like the regiilar-sized sec- tions. A number of beekeepers producing comb honey in shallow frames have report- ed to us that it costs them practically as much to produce the honey in the shallow frames, pound for pound, as in the small sections ; that the reason bees enter extract- ing-suijers more quickly is because the combs in the latter are already built. We ourselves seriously question whether the slight advantage gained by the larger frames would make up for the greater amount of labor required in putting together the six- piece frames with the stays, cutting the combs apart, fitting in the third sides, draining, etc. We may be wrong — we have been before — and if we are we shall be glad to be corrected. — Ed.] EXTRACTING FROM THE BROOD-COMBS BEFORE THE HONEY-FLOW TO GIVE THE QUEEN ROOM 1!Y GKORGE M. HUNTINGTON In the production of comb honey, which is the only honey produced in this vicinity, alfalfa is the main source of nectar. I find that, if colonies are brought through the winter strong they will build up and gatlier new honey for brood-rearing, and tliere will be from one to two full frames of old honey remaining in the liive, according to the strength of the colony. The strong ones will have the most left, and will commence to store in the brood-frames so that by the time alfalfa is in bloom (or from the middle of June to July 10, wliich is the time two- thirds of the honey crop is gathered), the 216 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE ayiut warm da\ iu .hmuai'\, I'njiii coluiiics wiiili-rcil Photographed by Chas. Y. Hake, York, Pa. brood-chamber becomes clogged with honey, and crowds the queen to the lower part of three or four frames (I use ten-frame hives), so that, by the time the main flow is over, the strong colonies become weak on account of restricted space for brood, and gather little honey the rest of the season. On the other hand the colonies which are weak at the start will consume all the old honey in brood-rearing, and do not get much of the early honey on account of not having a strong field force at that time, so that their queen does not get restricted in brood sjDace. These colonies will become strong a little late for the beginning of the main flow, but will remain strong through- out the rest of the season, and store twice as much in supers as the former colonies do during tliis latter period, and they are then apt to be the strong colonies the spring following. Would extracting two or three frames fi'om the brood-chamber of the strong colo- nies a week or ten days before the main flow keep these colonies strong the rest of the season? If so, would it stop work in the comb-honey supers? If the queen oc- cupied the extracted combs as soon as re- turned to the chamber (say there are three combs to extract, and that it is done one frame at a time thi-ee or four days apart, and inserted in the brood-nest between the brood, and the season is warm at that time), there will be no chilled brood. What would be the result in the supers if the bees stop work there? As to spreading brood, it can be done here any time after May 15 in ordinary years. Wlien I find a colony intends to swarm I brush every bee from the frames and put the frames into a new body, leav- ing a comb pf unsealed brood, and perhaps a comb of honey on the old stand. All the sealed brood (and there will be very little unsealed brood in the new body) is placed on a new stand and queen-cells destroyed, and a new queen placed between the combs as soon as enough young bees have hatched to hold the queen from absconding. I do not lose any brood from chilling. Of course the entrance is made small until there are enough to guard it. The old queen is left with all bees, young and old, to draw out the new combs. This overcomes swarming for the season. I have never had any spare combs at this season, so I could not put empty combs into the brood-chamber to see what the result would be. I have tried frames of fu)l sheets of foundation, which stops work in supers until the new sheets are drawn out. and the queen prefers the old comb for her egg-laying. T could, to an extent, strength- en the weak colonies by taking hatching- brood from the strong and exchanging with the weak for unsealed brood; then botli MARCH 15, 1914 217 queens would become honey-bound and siiither but very little of the later flow. If extracting' fi'om the brood-chamber would increase the amount of brood during- the period just before and while the main flow is on, the lioney crop of the later flow could be doubled ; and even with my small apiary the extractor would pay for itself the first season. The late honey is of a much heav- ier body than the main flow, and does not grade as higli. The main flow is about 7") per cent No. 1; the later flow, about 75 pei' cent No. 2. A strong colony produces three cases of honey which has the largest per cent of No. 1. A weak colony produces three cases mostly No. 2. A colony that keeps strong throughout the season will produce five cases averaging more tlian 50 per cent No. 1. For extracting from two to three combs per season per colony in an apiary of 75 to 150 colonies, what size of extractor would you advise? The chances are that this will remain a comb-honey territory on account of the heavy body of the honey, and the extractor would be used only to relieve the brood-chamber or for extracting from combs discarded on account of drone-cells or other faults. Bishop, Cal. [After reading the above, one can not fail to be impressed by the fact that locality, in spite of the frequent jests whenever thj name is mentioned, is an important item to be considered, for it is emphatically true that one system of management will not apply in all places by any means. This question of extracting before the main hon- ey-flow is one of these problems that depend upon the locality. In our opinion there are few localities indeed where extracting be- fore the honey-flow is necessary ; but under the conditions mentioned by our correspon- dent it is probable that the judicious use of the extractor in giving the queen room to lay Avould be the wise course to pursue. If there is any regularity about the oversup- ply of stores before the main honey-flow, one might ask whether it would not be better to supply less stores in the fall, and so avoid the necessity of extracting in the spring. Perhaps, however, it wonld be risky, if not altogether impossible, to do this.^ ('oncerniiig the use of the honey-extractor in the spring, no less an authority than E. W. Alexander advocated this very thing. We quote from page 28 of Alexander's " Writings on Practical Bee Culture: '* I honestly think a moderate use of the extractor through the latter part of May and fore part of June, fspecially when running an apiary for comb honey, would be the means of many beekeepers securing twice as much surplus as they usually do. Here at the North, May is the month of all the year when our bees require the closest attention. It is then that we should care for them so that every inch of comb in the hive may be utilized for brood-rearing that can possibly be used for that purpose. Bring your extractor into use, cleaning your hives of near- ly all capped honey, and see to it that every queen in the apiary is doing her very best to crowd the combs with brood; then you will soon have those strong colonies that will give you a fine surplus, and at the end of the season you will hardly believe it when told that the summer has been a poor one for the production of honey. If the main honey-flow is preceded by a comparatively long period of warm weather, no doubt there would be no risk in using the extractor; but it would seem to us un- wise to extract just before the main honey- flow, as otherwise the bees would probably have a tendency to put the new honey di- rectly back into the same combs, and it would then be harder to get them broken of this habit than if the honey had been left there in the first place. Moreover, nothing would be gained along the line of providing more room for the queen. We do not feel competent to cover the whole ground suggested by our con-espon- dent, and we should like to hear from oth- ers, therefore, who may have had experience along this line. — Ed.] A BOTTOM-BOARD FEEDER MADE ENTIRELY OF METAL BY JOSEPH FINSTED The accompanying picture shows a metal bottom-board feeder which has proved more satisfactory than any other feeder I have ever used for feeding bees in cold weather. Last fall I had over 200 colonies that had to be fed from 5 to 20 lbs. each to give them ample stores for winter; but on account of other work I neglected the bees until the first i^art of October. Being so late in the season I had planned to feed in a wholesale way so as to be ready with the feeding be- fore cold weather set in; but, alas! when I was ready to go on with the wholesale feed- ing my plans were shattered on account of cold weather that set in unexpectedly. I tried several feeders that are now on the market, which are used over the brood- nest ; but those feeders failed entirely to GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Joseph Finsted's metal feeder, designed to fit under the back end of a hive like the Alexander feeder. Note that the edge of the tin on one side projects enoiigh to rest on the end of the bottom-board, while on the other side it extends straight up, providing easy means of fastening to hive-body with a nail. attract the bees on account of the cold, so I had to resort to some bottom-board feeder which would bring the syrup or honey in closer contact with the bees. Then, in the smaller quantities, the feed could be stored before getting cold. I tried the Alexander feeder, but found the capacity too small, and it was also rather difficult to attach it to the hives. I then looked for a feeder that would overcome those difficulties, and at the same time be more substantial and have better lasting qualities than any wooden feeder. The feeder shown answers these requirements, and it can be used on either S, 9, or 10 frame hives. St. Paul, Minn. [Mr. rinsted does not explain how the feeder can be used under hives of different widths. There are two sliding covers for each end of the feeder. (Only one is shown in tlie engraving.) When a narrow hive is used, both ends project, being covered by the slide. When the ten-frame is used, only one end projects and the slide on the other end may be removed if desired and not used at all.— Ed.] A SUBSTITUTE FOR POLLEN IN THE HIVE BY JAMES W. WILSEY Last March, when I examined my bees, I was much disai:)pointed to find that no brood-rearing was going on. It was evident that brood had been reared in the winter, and there was little pollen in the hives. There was one hive in Avliich I was sure there would be brood as the previous year the queen had kept it full of brood early and late; but this hive had none whatever. I then took an empty comb, and, laying it horizontally upon a table, I placed a scoopful of ordinary wheat flour on it and worked the flour back and forth with a post card until it filled all the cells. I then nibbed my fingers over the comb to pack the flour down so that it would not fall out when the frame was placed in an upright position. This frame I placed in one of the hives as far away from the cluster of bees as I could get it. I did this so that I could get at it to examine it without breaking the cluster of bees, as the weather was cold. The effect was magical. Brood-rearing on a large scale commenced at once, and many bees could be seen at work on the frame of flour. I placed similar frames of flour in my other hives with the same result, and my colonies were fully two weeks ahead of the colonies in the neighboring apiaries. These frames of flour also kept the bees from going out for pollen on cold and windy days, as on tfich days my bees work- ed on the frames of flour while my neigh- bors' went out in the fields and swamps looking for pollen. We have all seen the yellowish and brown- MARCH 15, 1914 ish scales which accumulate on the floors of the hives when much brootl-reaiiny is going on. These scaly particles the beos remove to the alighting-board. As soon as the bees begin using flour for raising brood the bot- toms of the hives become covered with white scales, and the scaly particles which they remove to I he alighting-board are also white. My hives are kept in protecting cases the year around, and the bees are warm and Ciomfortable in the blustery weather of »nring. New Paltz, N. Y. TRANSFERRING FROM A TREE ON THANKSGIVING DAY BY AUSTIN I). WOLFE About 7:30 on the morning of Thanks- giving day, 1912, I looked out of the win- dow and saw my neighbor' Ashby coming out of his gate. He had an ax in one hand, a bucket in the other, and he invited me to go with him to cut a bee-tree in his pasture. I took Paul, an ax, and a smoker and veil. This seemed to promise a good appetite for the Thanksgiving dinner. The tree proved to be a linn (Southern basswood), and fairly solid. We developed considerable sweat before it fell. While we took breathing-spells, a tall sinewy mulatto swung i^ast us at the foot of the hill, with an ax and bucket. " Better come along o' me, Mr. Wolfe," he called. "Where to, Nim? " " Oh! I'm goin' to cut the biggest bee-tree I ever see," he replied; "better come and get some." I did not go, but remained and saw how much (or how little) Ashby got. The colo- ny was small, the honey poor. It had not paid for tlie effort. But that evening Paul brought me word from Nim that he had taken over 50 lbs. of honey, and that the bees were golden Ital- ians. So next morning we went again, and roamed the timber pasture until the place was located. It was another big linn, lying on its side on the slope, with the evidence of yesterday in chips, bark, and old comb. In the hollow of the trunk there hung as pretty an inverted pyramid of bees as I ever saw. Rigiit then and there I should have photographed them. Into the frames of the jumbo hive I tied panels of comb found on the ground. Then I set the hive in the hollow of the tree and began work. At first I scooped them by handfuls and dropped them into the top of the hive. Then the smoker came into play. The bees dodged, and hid and tried to es- cape through hollow branches and behind dead wood, but at last learned the way to Hive located close to an exposed cavity in the tree where the bees formerly made their home. 220 GLEANINGS IX BEE CULTURE the Ldve and marched there. I worked for two hours, and then was able to record only indifferent success. Nowhere was it possible to catch sight of the queen or to gain a good indication of her location. The shad- ows began to lengthen under the cover of the hill, and we felt that remaining was use- less, so I propped up the hive, with the entrance still in the tree, and left it for the night. Next morning with the little girls I went to see what further developments were noticeable. There were no bees in the hol- low tree, but in the hive was a cheerful humming. Listen as I might, however, there was no indication of a queen. In the early morning, under the shadow of the trees, I made some pictures, and you can see how they turned out. We then closed the en- trance, tied down the cover, and carried the hive by hand to the beeyard, half a mile away. Now the picturesque conclusion should be that the queen appeared; that, under judi- cious feeding, the colony thrived, and that by the following fall they had yielded a handsome surplus. Alas! not so. While I fed them the bees lived. But there was no weather warm enough to warrant sending for a queen. What the colony might have done under specially favorable conditions is a matter of speculation. Perhaps some oth- er beekeeper will tell what he would have done under similar ciicumstanees. Febru- ary and March were cold, and the bees died. Parkville, Mo. [This experience only goes to prove that it rarely pays to transfer a colony, even from a box hive, in the late fall of the year. The transfeiTed bees are bewildered, and their nest is not arranged according to their liking; and if there is no warm weather, soon the results are likely to be any thing but satisfactory. If these goldens could have remained in tlie tree until spring they might have been taken at that time, and built up into a useful colony. — Ed.] CONDITIONS OF THE " LOCALITY " IN GEORGIA BY L. W. CROVATT " Locality," that term used by beekeepers throughout the United States in discussions of every conceivable character, is truly blamed for many things; but in reading the articles from the pen of P. C. Chadwick, of California, dealing with the practical failure of the honey yield last season, I am struck v/ith the changed conditions obtaining. This is certainly " locality." To the contrary of what Mr. Chadwick writes, I am constrained to say that in the year 1912, in the southern part of the State of Georgia, we had one of the most successful seasons. The yield was bounteous, and it is an undoubted fact that the natives were better repaid through the energy of their bees than in several years. It appears from reports sent by my friends through the southeastern section that the crop that season was the largest in a long while, the honey being of that transparent delicious coloring and body and flavor that demand the very best prices, and which is calculated, through its snow-white cappings and pleasing contrast to the section wood, to be an ornament to anj^ table, no matter hoAv fastidious. The bees in this section, where wintering problems may be said to be negligible, built up splendidly for the spring flow (1913) ; and this being the case, the bees secured the full benefit from the myriads of flowei^s that, because of the " open character of the winter," proved to be the most profuse in many j-ears. There was a splendid yield from the tupelo, which seems to be an early spring growth in the swamps of Georgia. The poplar is reported to have been a fine source of nectar; and in later times, when the gallberry came into flower, the bees were working like mad. The ty-ty, another sure source of surplus, also yielded to an abnormal degi'ee, accord- ing to those in the comparatively limited belt, and it has been my privilege to eat some of each kind. Never have I tasted a finer flavor of honey. The natural result of the big crop is that beekeeping in Georgia, not considering the temtoiy of Bro. Wilder, will be given a stimulus for next year. Neighbors of the successful men have taken notice of the crop this year, and optimism seems to be in the very air. Considering the fact that Ave have, in tbis region, none of the yielding plants regard- ed as " staples " by brother beekeepers of the North and West — notably clover, bass- wood, alfalfa, etc., the results of the spring work in Georgia and parts of South Caro- lina are of a particularly gratifying char- acter. " Gallberry " may not, perhaps, sound so romantic, as suggested in the A B C; but no one can deny the fact, who has ever MARCH 15, 1914 221 nuuUng the bee-tree. tasted the honey from this pk^nt, that it is a superfine product which is bought with avidity by the general classes who consume honey. From the fact that at least 75 to 90 per cent of this honey is consumed in the South, however, this may explain why the gallberry and ty-ty honey are not better known in the leading markets. Verj' frequently some of the big men come out in jDrint with the statement that better values may be secured, or should be secured, for honey. The facts of the case, however, are that the average rural bee- keeper is already reaping the hai-\'est from this source, for I find that they are now securing from 12 to 121/2 cents per section at wholesale, and the demand is good at these values. Years ago a buyer could secure all the honey needed at from 8 to 10 cents per pound ; but this is now a thing of the past, for the average citizen of the country hav- ing changed over to the modern hives from the old-fashioned box, is securing surplus in splendid marketing condition. Two young men at Meldrim, Ga., recently purchased an apiary of 75 colonies for $600. They increased to 160 colonies, and secured 12,000 pounds surplus of extracted honey. The bees were subsequently moved to Pennsylvania for a fall yield. Another, at Ellabelle, purchased a large number of new hives for section honey. He transferred his entire yard of forty box hives to movable-comb hives; captured 22 swarms in the spring, and has secured sev- eral thousand pounds of comb honey, to the surprise and envy of his neighbors. The trunk cut off four or five feet from the ground. We may not ha^ve another big yield for some years; but the indications are that many people who see visions of some " easy money " will make a try for a crop next year any way. They may reap better than tliey know. Savannah, Ga., June 2.3. ONE HUNDRED POUNDS OF HONEY FROM A BEE-TREE BY J. BAKULA I have often had the opportunity of watching a bee-tree cut at night ; but on the special occasion concerning which I write, the cutting of the tree had to be accom- plished on a nice warm afternoon, as Ave had to leave for home that same evening. The tree was a short scrubby redoak (30 or 40 ft. tall) as often seen at the edge of a field, some twelve or fourteen inches in diameter, I judge it to be now. Thei-e were two trees growing from the same stump, so we cut it four or five feet from the ground GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE in order to allow the saw to enter betAveen the trees. When we started to cut we discovered it to be merely a shell about two inches in thickness all around, the cut we made being within a few inches of the hon- ey. Cutting- away the wood was done in a short time, as large pieces could be split at a time, as it wasn't thick. It was a shame to tear up the honey, as it was packed in there so close and nice, the combs all being sepa- rate and not built to- gether as seen some- times. It occupied a space of ten or twelve feet. Had the bees had more space I'm certain there would have been much more honey, as the colony was a large one, and it had been there since early in the spring. I judge there was about 100 pounds in the tree. I shall also have to give you an idea of how I was prepared for the battle. My friend tied a mosquito- bar over my head, but failed to tie it bee- tight, allowing three bees to enter, so that I had a chance to count them. I had on gauntlet gloves with handkerchiefs tied around my wrists. As I chopped, the hand- kerchiefs worked off, allowing the bees to get at my wrists ; but 1 was game. I stayed to the finish. When completed I discovered Section of the hollow log with one t^iJe split off, exposing bees and honey. my wrists somewhat larger than usual, and I had a double chin, which prolonged my stay in the country a day longer. The next morning quite early the bees were all settled in a bunch underneath, so they were easily swept into a hive with a whisk-broom. Dubuque, la. [The fourth picture, showing some of the honey obtained, is given on the cover. — Ed.] THE ACT OF AN OUTLAW BY TTTE OT'TLAW Continued from the March 1st issue, page 177. Adjoining the house was a garden of serai-tropical trees and shrubs. This garden was the property of certain people living several thousand miles away — heirs of an eccentric old man. During the old man's lifetime the garden had been one of his hobbies ; but since his death the garden had received but little care. It was in this' gar- den, screened from passers-by along the streets, that I placed my hive of bees. GETTING COMBS BUILT. As I have previously stated, I used no foundation. Not one penny in money have I spent to acquire any thing whatsoever MARCH 15, 1914 223 necessary to the upbuilding of the colony. The procedure 1 followed was this: Three days after hiving the swarm I took all the comb built up to that time; and with the aid of a piece of twine string 1 tied the bits of comb into a frame. From that time on, additional frames were added as necessary, care being taken to place the new frame between two frames of unsealed brood when- ever possible. From experience in making inci-ease I have found that comb will be built faster, and will be more apt to be worker comb when the empty frame is placed in the manner just statecl. In the matter of avoiding drone comb, there is another little kink that can be prac- ticed. That is, when drone comb is built, to make a practice of tearing it out, then reversing the frame end for end. The re- sult is that quite often the bees think they have that drone comb yet, and build work- er comb in place of the drone comb you have removed. In order to practice successfully the fore- going, it is necessary to go through the hives two or three times a week, depending on how fast comb is being built. It might be well to state also that the practice out- lined is in case comb is being built in the brood-nest. Surplus comb is a different matter. If store combs are being built it is best to let them build them as the bees see fit, or use foundation if you want worker comb. And here, perhaps, a few remarks on the subject of wax production might not be out of the way. Some years ago this matter, aside from honey production, was quite widely discussed ; and at that time, under certain conditions, I practiced wax produc- tion successfully. It was in Cuba. There, as is well known, the honey season is in the winter season during the eampanilla bloom. However, the swarming season is in the summer months, from April to October, and during these months the bees transpose all the honey gathered into brood and wax — the rule being that it is almost impossible to secure any surplus honey during the summer months. As increase was not want- ed, my object was to produce wax in place of bees. The method used was to have nothing but worker comb in the brood-nest, and quite often the brood-nest was con- tracted. In the super, every other comb was removed, care being taken to leave only worker combs. Empty frames were then placed between the combs in the super, and a queen-excluder between the super and brood-nest. The result was quite success- ful, the bees building drone comb in the empty frames; and as the bees desired and expected the queen to lay in the drone comb so built, they held it open, no honey being stored in the new comb. All that was nec- essary to complete the operation was to make the rounds of the hives every week and cut out the comb so built. This pro- cedure quite successfully held down swarm- ing, and converted the surj^lus energy of the bees into profit. The problem here confronting me with my little swarm of bees was to build them up as strong as possible; get all the comb built that could well be done, so as to have something to work with when the real hon- ey-flow came on in the spring. As I have previously stated, it was at the end of the lioney-flow when I cajDtured my bees. While the summer flow here is in many ways similar to the summer flow in Cuba, yet the bees have no desire to swarm. They seem to know that the winter months will bring- hard times, and not a time of prosperity. At the end of two months my colony had completed eight combs, which number filled the hive, and with the completion of the eighth comb there was another problem. To have attempted to have the bees build in the super would have been out of the question, for two reasons : First, they were not strong enough, even under normal con- ditions, to have allowed a sufiflcient cluster of bees to be formed in the super to build comb ; and, second, had there been enough bees, there was not a sufficient flow of honey to induce them to build in the super. But the bees could and would repair a breach made in a vital part of the brood-nest. So I continued as before, plac- ing an empty frame, one at a time, between two unsealed frames of brood, the combs that were removed being placed in the super, with the result that I continued to get a frame of ^v^orker comb built every week or ten days, where, had the bees been left to their own devices, they would not have built an inch of comb. THE ANNUAL CLEAN-UP DAY. While matters were thus progTessing smoothly within the hive, a cloud appeared on my horizon in the form of an announce- ment, made by the mayor of the city, to the eft^ect that September 10 would be the annu- al clean-up day. Clean-up day, I might state, is an annual occurrence here. A proclamation is issued by the mayor of the city, and evei-y householder and property owner is requested to put matters right about his premises. Briefly stated, it is a universal external housecleaning in which the entire city participates. This meant that the representatives of the heirs who owned the land where the bees were located 224 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ^* ':'^^Si^ "ff^ijiX^ /ft-!W u '^5 I'uut Int ill Kansas Cit\ SuL' article by A. T. Uoilaiaii woukl follow his usual custom of hiring two or three men for a day to prune and trim the trees and shi-ubs of the garden ; and if the bees were allowed to remain, it meant their discovery, and the opportunity of my being a defendant in the police court, together with the confiscation, or at least banishment, of the bees from the confines of the city. In the language of Grover Cleve- land, I was " confronted with a condition, not a theory," and that meant that some- thing had to be done. Where the true nature of a condition is understood, there is, as a rule, some way in which to meet it. While Robert Burns stated a truism Avhen he sang — The best-laid plans of mice and men Gang aft aglee, and uttered a thought that has been a pop- ular saying ever since, nevertheless the only reason for the sad accident recounted by Burns was a lack of knowledge of the con- ditions; for had the mouse known and taken care to build its nest lower down than a plow-furrow. Burns would never have had cause for lament. For my part, I took the initiative, with the result that the procla- mation of the mayor, the deed of the care- taker, and the acts of the laborers came to naught, and the bees remained within the confines of the city. To be continued. TENNESSEE BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION, NASHVILLE, JANUARY 30 BY J. M. BUCHANAN^ SEC. A most interesting and instructive meet- ing of the Tennessee Beekeepers' Associa- tion was held at Nashville on Jan. 30, with perhaps the best attendance in the history of the Association. Papers and addresses on vital toiDics, together with lively discus- sions, took up the entire day. The opening address was by the Presi- dent, Mr. J. M. Davis, of Spring Hill, whose subject was " The Bee as Man's Co- worker." He gave an outline of the history of beekeeping, and showed the value of the work of the bees, both in the production of lioney and wax, and in their aid in the fertilization of fruit-bloom. He pointed out the fact that the apricot is the only stone fruit that is not dependent on the bees or other insects for the proper pollin- ation of its blossoms. " Fancy Comb Honey in Spite of Foul Brood " was the subject of a talk by L. F. Watkins, of Nashville. Mr. Watkins told how, in addition to managing a farm of 200 acres, he had cleaned up an apiary of neai'ly 100 colonies badly affected with American foul brood, and at the same time had produced a good crop of fancy comb honey. MARCH 15, 1914 225 In a discussion on marketing honey a number of good points were brought out. and emphasis was given to the need of proper grading and packing, and also to the advantage of hohling u]) the price. It was shown that it is foUy to spend time and Labor produeiiig a crop of nice h.oney and then selling for whatever the merchant offers. There is a demand for all our prod- uct in the local markets, and at good }U'ices. Another discussion was in regard to controlling swarming. It seems that most of the members just " let 'em swarm," as that seems to be the easiest way to " con- trol" swarming. It was pointed out that, in the production of comb honey, with pro- longed and intermittent flows such as we have, there is no satisfactory m.ethod of prevention of swarming. It is, perhaps, as well to allow them to swarm once, and then throw the strength of the colony to the swarm. When working for extracted honey it is a much easier matter, as was stated by B. G. Davis, as the use of young queens, plenty of storage room, particularly of drawn combs, and good ventilation, would go a long way toward solving the prob- lem. Miss Mira Tandy, of Nashville, gave an address on " Beekeeping as a Supplemental Course in the Public Schools." She favored the organization of beekeeping clubs among the boys and girls, after the manner of the boys' corn clubs. Such clubs would create an interest in beekeeping, and she thought would help to keei> the boys and girls on the farm. Dr. J. S. Ward, State Apiary Inspector, gave a review of the inspection work for tlie past season. He said there was a marked improvement in the foul-brood situation in the State, and that, with proper care, the disease could be kept under control. Dr. Ward spoke of the symptoms, and gave the methods of treatment" recommended for the disease. He showed that the introduction of a hardy strain of Italian stock is essen- tial in the cure of European foul brood. As for sacbrood, he thought a change of queens all that was needed, although this had not been thoroughly tested. He said he liad seen whole apiaries wiped out by sac- brood. A paper by Porter Ward, of Elkton, Ky., was read, in which he told of producing ten thousand pounds of honey from 100 colo- nies, besides running a farm of 150 acres. This was bulk comb honey, and, by the way, this seems to be quite a popular way of packing honey in this State. Tlie following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, T. J. Ayers, Cedar Hill; Vice-president, W. B. Romine, Pu- laski ; Seci-etary, J. M. Buchanan, Franklin. Dr. J. S. Ward and J. M. Buchanan were selected as delegates to the National con- vention at St. Louis. After the convention adjourned, an hour was spent in a general social chat, which was enjoyed by all. Franklin, Tenn., Feb. 4. WISCONSIN STATE BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION BY HARRY LATHROP The annual meeting of the Wisconsin State Beekeepers' Association was held in the assembly chamber at the State Capitol, Feb. 3 and 4. The attendance, while none too large, was better than it has been in late years. Considering the resources of the State for beekeeping, we should have one of the strongest State associations in the Union ; whereas we have hardly an average in numbers. I think the reason is, our State is so rich in other agTicultural resources, especially in dairying and stock-raising, that organized beekeeping is crowded out. At the opening of the convention, the Secretary, Gus. Dittmer, announced that our President, Jacob Hoffman, had died during the year; and Vice-president Wilcox Kot being present, it would be necessary to appoint a temporary president. N. E. France, State Bee Inspector, was aiipointed. II nd took the chair. He introduced, as the first and principal speaker. Rev. Father Jaeger, of Minnesota. Mr. Jaeger is at the head of the Department of Apiculture in the Minnesota State University. His topic was, " The present needs of beekeeping." " First," he said, " we should look foi'ward to see what is the goal or object toward which we are to work." This goal, as he stated it, is the placing of beekeeping upon such a solid basis that it will yield a fair profit. He called attention to the fact that, vears ago, when the farmers made and sold butter of all grades, colors, and flavors, the price was very low. Since the dairy inter- ests have been organized, and the product made uniform and excellent, the sale has greatly increased, while the price has been getting higher all the time. The ul'.imate aim of the beekeeper should be the produc- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ■ ' 1 •I r' ' it-/- X ^t mfgwmi^^!^:^ y»^^\Nj i^iiii wlJl'^iHI irll m ^^#;"^^' • '^' . ,Vj ■•■,.si -,■ 1^ ^W \ V ' 1, " :M- i ^'■•f^:'" ^'^^^ ' ' ' S J^"^^ JSh .< .', X ,.' A. T. Rodman's apiary ou a quarter-acre plot in Kansas City, Kan. See article in last issue. lion and marketing of the perfect section, and then the price will follow. One great need, he said, is leaders. " Too many keep bees who are not beekeepers. We need men and women who have the time, disposi- tion, and will to devote themselves to the occupation of beekeeping." " Casual beekeepers will not advance the industry; real beekeepers will produce and place upon the market a good and uniform product." " The aid of the State is also needed, and the State must be impressed that beekeep- ing amounts to something." He told of the independent department of beekeeping in the University of Minne- sota, and how it was secured through the legislature and not by the consent of the university. " Beekeeping," he said, "would bring as good returns as any other branch of industry, and the beekeepers must have the help of the legislature." At the close of the address Mr. France stated that last year our legislature made a new law carrying an appropriation of two thousand dollars, which was secured easier than the one we got seventeen years ago carrying five hundred. Next followed a paper on the subject, " Should a Young Man Specialize in Bee- keeping?" Opinions differed on this. Some thought it best, while some advised going slow and combining beekeeping with some other business. Mr. Allen, our delegate to the last Na- tional convention for 1913, was called on for his report, which he gave. He related mostly what has been published in the jour- nals, but spoke in particular of the fact that he had been one who did not approve of the purchase of the Review by the board of (liiectois. I will here state frankly that the Wis- consin association, as a whole, does not seem to have confidence in the National organization. There is not a good feeling. The sentiment was freely expressed that they were dissatisfied with the change in constitution whereby the National lost its protective phase. Some spoke of a movement to start an independent National organization having the protective distinction; and finally the convention voted to send no delegate to St. Louis. However, brethren, be not discon- certed, for this is not a case in which the tail is to wag the dog. Prof. Saunders ("Bug" department of the University) spoke on the value of the Univereity short course in beekeeping. Mr. France, Jr., described some of the work that had been attempted during the Iavo seasons since the department was started. While only a start has been made, and there is a lack of means, we can see that in the future such a department can do very valuable work, such as can not be carried out by the individual beekeeper. On the evening of the first day the mem- bers took a street car and went over to the University Agi'icultural Department and listened to a lecture on State inspection by N. E. France, State Inspector. This was appreciated, as was also the exhibition of MARCH 15, 1914 227 materials that the department of beekeepinji' has gathered in one of the rooms. One part of the program was the inti'o- duction of short talks on some new thing that each member had discovered during the past season. I will not relate any of these, because none of them proved to be new to any one except the one who gave them. Introduction of queens by the smoke meth- od was described and discussed. It was ap- proved by those why had tried it. The election of officers resulted as fol- lows: President, N. E. France; Vice-presi- dent, Frank Wilcox; Secretary, Gus. Ditt- mer ; Treasurer, Harry Lathrop. The writer hoboes that the National con- vention will be a hummer, and that the Wisconsin men will come up to their annivil meeting next year feeling fine, and get into line like good little boj's. Bridgeport, Wis., Feb. 9. MAKING INCREASE BY TAKING A FEW COMBS OF BEES FROM EACH OF THE STRONG COLONIES, AND AT THE SAME TIME PREVENT SWARMING BY W. C. HURDIN About every eight or ten days we look through our colonies; and if we think they are getting a little too strong in bees and brood, and do not have enough room for the queens to lay, we take one or two combs of sealed brood and the bees that are on them and put them in an empty hive. We do the same with other hives that are too strong, and when we have enough combs to till the empty hive we give them a comb of honey and also a comb of eggs, putting this latter in the center of the hive where it will keep warm. This comb of eggs will provide young larvse with which the bees can start queen-cells if *here is no young queen to give them. In a few days' time we thus have a good strong colony. Some will wonder whether these bees, being mixed up from so many hives, will not fight and kill each other. We made up some twenty colonies last season in this way, and we have had no trouble along this line. I like to make up these artificial colo- nies on a good hot day if I can, fo' then most of the old bees are out of the hive in the field, and there are not so many on the combs to hinder me in finding the queen. I always make sure that I do not get the queen on one of the frames of brood that I take out, of course. Most of the bees taken away are young bees, and they mix with bees from other hives easily, and also stay in the new hive without trouble, for, so far as they are concerned, one hive is just about as good as another. However, when the new hive is about full of bees, if I see any of them that look as though they were going to fight each other I give a few puffs of smoke, and they soon quiet down. Some will say that it takes too long to wait until the bees can start queen-cells of their own, so, if desired, one can provide young queens, either of his own raising or some bought from a breeder, and give one to each new colony started just as though requeening. If one has all the colonies he wishes, and does not care to increase his apiary too much, it is well not to give the bees a laying queen, but let them start queen-cells of their own. It will be some time before there is any brood from the young queen. Conse- quently it will be quite a while before there will be more new bees in the colony. In about ten days after going through the old colonies the first time, go through them again and see how strong they are. If any of thein show signs of starting queen-cells, showing that there is danger that they will swarm, take out a comb or two of brood and shake the bees all off back into the old hive ; then put these combs of brood in the new hives that were started some days before, at the same time taking- out of the new hive some of the combs that had brood in them when the colony was first started. By this time these should be emp- ty ; and if these empty combs are put back in the old colony the old queen will have more ro ;^i: to lay in. In this way the old' (|ueen can keep both colonies going until; the new colony has a laying queen of its own. Then, to(/, giving the eld queen plenty of room to lay in helps a good deal toward preventing swarming. By the old way of making increase it often makes both the new and the old colony weak for a long time to come; while by the plan tliat I have described, of taking a ccmb "^v two of bees and brood at a time, the old colony is left in good condition for work at any time when the honey-flow comes. One can give the new colony enough GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Delegates in attendauce at the meeting of the National Beekeepers' Association, St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 17, 18, 19, 1914. combs of bees and brood right along to make it just as strong as any colony in the yard. We have started new colonies this way quite early in the season, even when the weather was fairly cold. But when the nights are cold we cover the hives up until they are well protected, and we have never lost a comb of brood from chilling. We have some quick changes, too, here in Man- itoba, in the spring, and some very cold windy days that are hard on the bees. Last season none of our old colonies wanted to swarm, in spite of the very hot weather that we had. We like to keep all colonies good and strong right along, for the hives that contain lots of bees are the ones from which we get most of the honey. Gladstone, Man., Can. BEEKEEPING BY A FARMER'S WIFE AMONG THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA BY MRS. J. T. REEVES I have thought that our experience with bees might interest the readers of Glean- ings, especially the women, as I am the " beeman " at our place. My husband is a great lover of honey, and wanted to get some bees. We tried to buy sotne, but failed to find any for sale, as almost every one wanted more bees than he had. Then, too, some think it is bad luck to sell bees. Finally, however, when a neighbor offered us some black bees in box hives on shares we took two stands and kept them two years. Both colonies swarmed. We lost one of the swarms, and the parent colony from which the other one had issued we lost because the bees robbed it out before it grew strong enough. Soon after this, one of my husband's friends from the other side of the mountain said his mother had five colonies that she would sell for three dollars apiece. I thought we should not get so many at the start, as I did not expect any thing except enough honey for the table. However, my husband brought them across the mountain late in tlie fall, and these bees have been a constant source of surprise and delight ever since. We have made many mistakes, but I think we have profited by them — at least, enough not to make the same mistakes again. The first season (1912) was a fine one for bees. We did not put on supers until after swarming time, and what a time we did haye ! We ran out of movable-comb hives and had to use all kinds of boxes. The first colony swarmed four times, and in all we had fourteen swarms. Some of these we doubled, and some we returned (o the old MARCH 15, 1914 hives so that in all we wintered just four- teen colonics. As 1 think of it now it seems a wonder that we got any honey at all; but the bees did most of their swarming- during locust bloom, and we secured more honey than our family of seven could use. We sold some and divided with relatives and friends. This locust honey was the wonder of every one who saw it, as, indeed, all of our honey is to the people here who keep bees on the " robbing " jdan. The locust honey is Avater-white, and lias a very fine flavor. The flow from locust is a little un- certain on account of the danger of bad weatlier oi' frost, as in the case of the year 1!)13. In the fall of 1912 we had to feed con- siderably in order to winter the bees; but we did not feed enough. The followiig spring was so cold that the bees nearly starved, and only six colonies gave us sur- plus honey during 1913. It was so cold all the spring that we did not get any locust or apple-bloom honey. On the contrary they nearly starved until the last of June when we secured two supers of fine honey from each of the best colonies. Later we were surprised to get a super of buckwheat honey from each one, but we do not like buckwheat honey.. We had no swarming during 1913. I gave (he bees plenty of room; and whenever they began to hang out on the front of the hives I propped up the brood-chamber on four blocks. I am anxious to see whether this will keep them from swarming during a good year, as I want to start an outyard 229 somewhere along the mountain. We live at the foot of the Blue, on the north side. On the south side of the mountain they have an entirely different climate with sourwood, honey-locust, and many other plants tliat do not grow on this side. I think our bees go to the south side for sourwood honey. Our side of the mountain is colder and higher, but, nevertheless, a good country for clover. The honey in 1913 came too late for the beekeepers who depend merely on .robbing the colonies in the fall, and we were the only ones who had any honey to sell. It was hard work dividing it, for the people were so anxious to buy. In fact, we had so much honey that the neighbors thought we fed our bees, and one man tried to feed his CO get them to make surplus also; but he gave it up when the bees • from the sur- rounding country nearly took possession of his place. Our bees have paid for themselves several times over, and they certainly furnish plen- ty of entertainment. They add much inter- est to the life of the farmer's wife, to say nothing of the money. I have chickens, turkeys, guineas, pigs, and calves to attend to, but I prefer my bees to all of them. My friends laugh and tell me I am bee-crazy; but they show some interest at once when I tell them how much money I have made from them. Beekeeping is just as much a woman's work as taking care of chickens, and I never get too tired to hive a swarm or take off a nice super of honey. Laurel Springs, N. C. VALUE OF BEES FOR TRANSFERRING POLLEN TO DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF APPLES BY J. C. M. JOHNSTON I have received so many queries from readers of my article in Gleanings, May 1, p. 316, on spraying apples and pollinating the blossoms by means of bees, that 1 think it well to explain the matter more fully. W^hen apples are in bloom, bees fly from liower to flower and from tree to tree to collect the honey. Some of the pollen of the blossom clings to the bees; some of it is brushed on the next flower; some is carried to the hive for bee-bread. But the jjart that is transferred from flower to flower pollen- izes the ovaries of the blossom, so that they begin to grow and keep on growing until they develop into an apple. Bees are thus of vast importance to the apple-grower, especially since the pollen does so much more good if it is carried to another flower instead of falling on the organs of the flow- er where it grew. It does more good if it is carried to a different tree instead of to a blossom on its own tree. Finally, it is still more valuable if the bee carries it to a different variety of tree from that on which it grew — say from a Northern Spy to a Baldwin or vice versa. For this I'eason modern orchards are often planted with the varieties alternating — first a row of Bald- wins, then a row of Northern Spies, then a row of Greenings, and so on until the whole orchard is planted. The result is that the bees and the wind can readily carry the pollen from Greening to Spy, from Spy to Baldwin, so that each apple is pollenized by pollen from a different tree and from a different variety. Then the apples are big 23(3 &LfeAJliNGS tN BEE CULTURE gei', richer, redder, more resistant to late frosts, and better keepers. Hence the or- chardist wishes to keep as many bees as he can to poUeuize his blossoms. Now, how shall we regulate the spraying for codling worms so as not to kill the bees when they come to the bloom for honey, and, incidentally, to pollenize our young ap23les"? Easily enough if we just wait until the right time for spraying. After the blossom-leaves (or petals, as they are nam- ed) fall, the nectar dries up, the stamens and other organs in the flower shrivel, the calyx opens wide, and the young apple stands erect on the stem. The bees now cease to visit the trees, and the orchard is in just the right condition to be sprayed for codling moth. Take j'our gasoline-si^rayer ; set the pres- sure gauge at 200 pounds, and with a Bor- deaux nozzle (not a Vermoi'el nozzle) shoot the spray downward into the erect end of every young apple on the tree. To do this you will have to stand on a tower on the spray-rig, or else have a gooseneck on the end of your 12 or 14 foot bamboo spray-pole, to direct the spray downward into the upright young apples. The apples are in the right condition, wide open, and upright, for about seven days after the petals fall. At the end of the seven days the blossoms begin to close up and the apples to turn downward on the stem. The poison is now within the calyx (cup), and when the worm hatches on the leaf beside the apple, and crawls into the calyx for its first meal it gets a tiny atom of the poison, dies, and goes no further. This whole range of activities — beekeeping, pollenizing, spraying, closing the blossoms, developing the apples — seems so nicely adjusted by nature in order to furnish the greatest en- couragement for the beekeeping orchardist in his interesting but arduous work. New Wilmington, Pa. HARVESTING SWEET-CLOVER SEED BY F. W. LESSER Wesley Foster asks for " a real good method of gathering sweet-clover seed," p. 8, Jan. 1. I have saved considerable seed ; and while I do not know that my methods are real good, I do know that we have lost hut little seed. In 1912 we cut a patch of a couple of acres, and, it being near home, we used a gi'ain-binder to cut it with. We cut it while the dew was on, and very little of the seed slielled off. We then put the bundles in shocks, the same as grain, and let stand till the stalks were thoroughly dried out, when we made a stack of it to await the thrasher- men. We would have put it in the barn if ^e had had room. In hauling we spread canvas or horse- blankets over the hayrack to catch what seed fell off. In 1913 we had four patches (about five acres in all) three miles from home, and, as it was inconvenient to take a binder that distance, we cut it with a mowing-machine. A man followed the ma- chine with a fork, and laid it to one side in small forkfuls out of the way of the ma- chine on the next round. It was allowed to lie in this manner about two weeks, or until the stalks were dried, and then hauled and stacked. It does not handle nearly as easily this way as it does when in bundles from the binder, and I would prefer cutting vrith a binder when possible. Any thrashing-machine can thrash it, but they leave about thirty per cent of broken stalks, etc., with it, which must be removed with a fanning-mill. In cutting small patches with a scythe we simply let it lie in small forkfuls until cured. It may need to be turned in wet v.eather, but it takes a lot of water to hurt it. We have tried thrashing it with a flail, etc. That way is all right for a small quan- tity, but we never could get all the seed; a machine gets practically all of it. It is difficult to determine just when to cut it to get the maximum amount of seed, ar some seasons there will be seed in all stages from the blossom to the ripe seed at the same time; and if we wait for all to mature, that which ripened first may have dropped off. The fully developed green seecl will ripen to a certain extent on the stalk after being cut, but I do not believe the seed is as good as that which ripens before cutting. It is a gi-eat crop, and I expect to plant nine acres the coming spring. East Syracuse, N. Y. A Narrow Range of Vision Sylvia, supple and slender, and Aunt Belle, bulky and benign, had retured from a shopping tour. Each had been trying to buy a ready-made suit. When they returned home, Sylvia was asked what success each had in their efforts to be fitted. "Well," said Sylvia, " I got along pretty well, but Aunt Belle is getting so fat that about all she can get, ready- made, is an umbrella." — The Youth's Companion. MARCH 15, 1914 231 Heads of Grain from Different Fields $75 Worth of Honey the First Year I started in the spring with 12 colonies. I got nine swarms, some my own, and some from my neighbors. I also bought nine colonies (in old hives), making a total of 30 colonies. I lost two by old queens dying, leaving 28 to winter. Fred E. Osborne witli a couple of his combs of bees. Secured $44.12 for the comb honey sold, and $.31.72 for the extracted. This is a fair average, considering some of the diflficulties under which I labored. Norwalk, Ohio. Fred E. Osborne. Wires Held by Staples instead of Being Threaded Through Holes in the End-bar During the past season I liave been using V4-inch double-pointed tacks to fasten the wires to the frames instead of threading them through the holes in the end-bars, and find it easier, requiring no special apparatus to hold, measure, or tighten the wire. The staples are also better since the wires can be drawn tighter, and they do not become slack after the foundation is put in the frames, as they always do with the usual method on account of the wires sinking into the wood. My usual method is as follows: In a small board I drive a ten-penny nail deep enough to be firm, set my spool on this, and drive another nail far enough from the spool to allow the spool to turn freely and prevent the wire from unwinding M'hen it is cut. Then I take a case of hives, turn it down so the hive- bodies rest on the end, and seat myself with one end of this workbench opposite my left hand ; place my spool near the center, and a pile of tacks at my right, and with a good tack-hammer I am ready to begin work. Taking a frame in my left hand, and resting the end-bar flat on the bench, I start my first tack, tie the wire in it, reverse the frame, draw enough wire from the spool to reach the other end of the frame, place second and third tacks over the wire, driving them about half way in; reverse the frame, and continue till the last tack is reached, when the wire is cut and tied. All tacks should be set parallel with the frames. Then placing the end-bar flat on the bench, all tacks are driven in till the wire is tight enough. The only disadvantage I find is that it requires care to keep all wires in the center of the frame: and until one becomes used to the method he will likely get a few sheets of foundation slightly out of line. Occasionally driving in a tack to tighten the wire will pull the tack at the other end, but with a little practice this will seldom happen. The advantages are that the wire is taken directly from the spool, and there is no chance for it to snarl or kink, and there are no loose ends to bother at any time. Personally I find it much easier to place the tacks over the wire than to thread the wire through the holes. The great advantage of thir, method is that the wires never become slack; and if the foundation is not drawn out at once after being put in, the injury is far less from buckling and warping. BULK COMB HONEY HET.PS THE SALE OF EXTRACTED. Perhaps most beekeepers would prefer producing extracted honey to any form of comb honey, but realize that the extracted not only brings a much lower price but is much harder to sell at any price. This season I have been selling on the local market bulk comb and extracted honey piit up in the same style of glass packages; and while at first the bulk comb sold much more rapidly than extracted, of late the demand for extracted has been increasing in proportion, a greater number taking advantage of the difference in price. The bulk comb attracts the attention of the customers, and the price of the ex- tracted attracts their pocketbooks. The uniform packages, and the fact that they are put up by the same party, help to avoid suspicion that the extracted is adulterated. I believe that I have sold at least twice as much extracted honey as I could have sold had I been selling it alone, besides the larger amount of bulk comb I have sold with the same effort. What we need for bulk comb is a wide-mouth glass jar sold at the price of the Mason. The Pre- mium is very good, but is hard to get, and the price is too high and breakage in transit too heavy. Oklahoma City, Okla. W. H. Hobson. [If one does not like the usual plan of threading wires through holes in the end-bars we should think a more rapid method would be the bent-wire-nail plan which has been suggested several times. The nails are driven in part way, bent over, forming hooks, and the wire strung back and forth. — Ed.] Heat in the Hive as a Cause for Swarming After reading the article in your September 1st i.s.sue, p. 593, about Mr. Vernon Burt's scheme to prevent swarming, I thought that possibly the ex- perience of an amateur with bees might be of inter- est; and when I say "an amateur," and inform you that I am the owner of one single colony of bees j'ou will agree that my experience along the lines of bee- keeping will not add greatly to the knowledge of your readers; but that idea of heat in the hive being 232 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE one of the prime causes of swarming tallied so well with my experience of 1912 that I feel emboldened to wi-ite. This is the third year of my actual experience with owning and caring for bees. I started with a single hive which, on the advice of the party from whom I purchased, I located in the second story of my barn, a nan-ow slit cut through the siding allow- ing the entrance or landing board to project through this slit outdoors, while the hive was on the iioor of the second story close up to the inside of the siding. It wauS in the southwest corner of the building, and on a hot day this corner was a little hotter spot than any I ever hope to inhabit in the future. During the day my business calls me to the city (I am a suburbanite on four acres). During the season of 1911 I realized too late that my bees had swarmed, and that I had donated the swarm to a neighbor less tlian half a mile away. That fall I realized about 2.5 pounds of honey from my bees. The next year, 1912, when the hot days came I noticed that my bees would cluster around the entrance and hang in a bunch to the entrance-board until long after dark. I figured it out that the inside of the hive must be so hot that the poor bees simply followed the plan of poor human beings who live in the crowded and hot tenements of our cities — whenever possible, to sleep (or at least stay) out on the roofs during the nights of the heated term. And this is what I did to help out the situation. It was a very hot Sunday afternoon. The bees were flying in numbers around the entrance and hanging to the board in bunches. I took a big pail of cold water up into the barn, and, soaking some heavy burlap bags and strips of old carpet in this cold water, I laid the ends over the top of the hive, allowing the wet bags to hang down around the sides, and sprinkled what remained in the pail over the whole thing so that it was dripping. Then I went outside, and sat in the shade to watch results. In thirty minutes the bunches of bees had dwindled fully a half, and inside of an hour had disappeared. That fall I frot nearly 90 pounds from my single colony, and I did not hear any of my neighbors s-ay that Barlow had donated another swarm of bees to anybody. Grand Rapids, Mich. .1. B. Barlow. Getting a Colony from a Tree without Cutting it Down Some time ago I captured a colony of bees from a tree, followins the plan given in the A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture, introducing a queen to the bees that went into my hive. Five weeks I kept the bee-escape on the hole in the tree; then I smoked the tree well with sulphur. As the season was get- ting late and flowers scarce I left the tree open for the bees (now in the hive) to rob out. In three weeks I went out, closed the hive, and brought it to town in a boy's express wagon, walking the five miles. I have a fine colony of well-marked Italian bees, and they have eight brood-frames full of honey in their hive. I now have the two colonies up in the attic, east- ern exposure, where they get the morning sun, and by afternoon the whole roof is warm. They have a direct nutlet to the outside, so there are no bees in the room. There is a porch roof the whole width of the house for them to alight on, and then they can walk right into the hive. Cleveland, Ohio. A. Lyndox Hitchcock. Bees Transferred from the Wall of a House I had quite an experience in transferring two swarms of bees from the north side of a house in October. A part of one of the swarms I succeeded in getting in a hive where I had transferred several empty combs and some brood. Some of the bees stayed on the side of the hoiise, and I found the queen in this small cluster of bees a few days later. She had been away from the bees in the hive so long that I thought it best to smoke the bees and queen well. I then let her run into the hive, and the bees received her all right. I am not sure whether the queen went into the hive which I placed on a scaf- fold, for the bees were next to the roof in the second swarm. A small cluster of bees stayed under the hive, and next to the house several days, and then flew away. I am not sure that the queen is with the bees in the hive or with the few bees which flevr away. There was enough honey, which was somewhat dirty, being taken from between the siding and the plastering of the house, nine squirrel-nests being somewhat mixed in the honey. I placed this honey in a super above the bees. I suppose there was 20 lbs. on each hive. I laid the broken chunks of honey so the bees could come up into the super and get plenty of empty comb transferred to frames be- low. J. W. Stine, Iowa Deputy Bee Inspector. Salem, Iowa. Bees in a Stump in a Cornfield While gathering corn to-day, Nov. 8, in passing by an old stump my brother happened to put his hand on top of it when the heart, about the size of a saucer, fell in. Upon looking into the cavity he found a colony of bees with stores. The stump had rotted out from the ground up nearly to the top ; but the top had not given way. The bees entered the top of the stump through a small crevice. Here is the novelty of the thing: I got a saw, cut the stump off just above the ground, or about 18 inches from the top of the stump ; put it on a cloth, part of it on the wagon, brought it home, and put it near my other bees. The old stump is very much decayed: but I intend to keep it as a curiosity. I have found bees in trees and logs, but these are the first I have found in a stump in a field of corn. Kenton, Tenn. Fred T.\te The ["Advantage of Clipped Queens Late in the Spring By clipping the queens late in the spring when it is safe for the bees to rear another, in case any thing goes wrong, which not infrequently happens, and by giving plenty of room, I find that not more than one-third of the hives will swarm, even when run- ning for comb honey. The swarms are given another hive-body with foundation, and the old hive is set to one side for two or three hours, or until next day, if desired, or long enough to allow all of the workers to fly from it and return to the new swarm. It is then carefully set upon a weaker hive for extracting purposes, with an excluder between, and no attention paid to cells. Of course there are a lot of bees in this old body that it seems should be shaken with the swarm; but those left are mostly heavy nurse bees; and now the question is, would they train down and become field bees, or remain nurse bees to the end? In the latter case they may as well remain with the old hive-body, where there is something for them to do. Cincinnati, Ohio. John E. Roebling. Pollen and Honey from Grape Bloom You say editorially, Feb. 1, that there is some difference of opinion as to whether bees pollenize the blossoms of grapevines. I wish that you could be here in May and June, and take a stroll through the woods and hear the hum of the bees and smell the delicious perfume. It would make you feel good. Our wild grapes bloom one or two weeks later than our tame, and the bloom furnishes a large amount of ])ollen and honey. Concord, N. C, Feb. 9. W. D. York. MARCH 15, 1914 233 An Open Letter from the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Beekeepers' Association Dear Bro. Beekeepers : — I wish to call your at- tention to the fact that the beekeeping industry is coming more and more into the hands of specialists who give it all (or nearly so) of their time and energy. These specialists are demanding, and with good reason, that the National Association give the practical features of the business greater attention, and leave the theoretical and educational work to the bee-journals and the special advocates in wliich we are so fortunate in having so many able representa- tives, employed and liberally paid by the different Siates and the general Government. The time has now fully come for a practical, hus- tling, up-to-date business campaign, backed by en- e."gy and means, going in with the determination to stimulate the consumption, increase the demand, and stiffen the prices of honey, and cooperate in our purchases. This is my private view of the matter, and it is the attitude I shall assume as the Secretary of the National Association. Other associated industries, similar to ours, are getting splendid results along these lines by com- bined and persistent efforts, stiffening prices and standardizing their products, and we can do the same. We may not be able to command as much money to work out our plans as some of these can do; but we shall have a big advantage in having 50,000 or more enthusiastic " bee cranks " boosting together all over the country, giving us an advantage to start with that is worth more than any amount of mere money. We must have money, of course, and the more the better, to pay the printer, postage, and all those things, and we shall have to " dig " for it, and you will all be called on in due time to give your share. There is one little word, none too elegant, per- haps, but wonderfully expressive, that applies to the situation to a nicety. If each and every one of us would boost honey, individually and collectively, in season and out, and all the time, honey prices would soar. " Boost " it locally, and then lend a hand to the larger work that is ecessary also. It will be a pleasure for your Secretary to ex- change views with you, and assist in any possible waj to help matters along — act as a sort of clearing- house as it were, in the exchange of "boosting ideas." If you do not already belong to the Association, get in as quickly as you can. I receive letters every day asking, " What are the objects and benetits of the Association? " I am going to answer that ques- tion right here, and save lots of postage. The object of the Association, in one word, is to " boost " hon- ey and jiromote the business. The benefits are, a stimulated consumption and better demand for our products, and better buying facilities for our sup- plies. Are you with us in this? Yours for a " boosting " campaign, Kedkey, Ind. George W. William.s. not see as well unless there are large windows that you can take out entirely ; the bees fly out about the room when you are looking over the combs, for in- stance, and are thereby lost. If the windows are entirely open they finally find their way back into the hives. See reply to M. D. Fraser, p. 196, Mar. 1. — Ed.1 Starting with Bees in an Attic What is the best time in the year to start with bees? I have an exceptionally good attic. Would it be as well to keep them there the year round? It would certainly be warmer for them in winter. Would it be too liot in summer? Frank F. Kinney. Colonial Ridge, Port Chester, N. Y. [The spring is, perhaps, the best time to start with bees, taking every thing into consideration. It rarely pays for the beginner to start in the fall, for he may lose his colonies the first winter. There are a good many possibilities connected sive hives, and the bees are well protected in the winter. However, it is a little more inconvenient with beekeeping in an attic. You need less expen- to work with bees inside a closed room. You can Nutriment for Bees in Sawdust In your reply to Mr. Bohou, page 154, Feb. 15, you say that you do not know whether the bees are deceived by the sawdust, mistaking it for pollen. For my part I can not believe that the bees are deceived, for I have seen them going to a sawdust pile at a saw-mill close by, for the last three springs. They go by the thousands, not only for one day but for weeks at a time. I have actually caught bees on the dust pile and examined the pellets on their legs. It is of a dark-brown color ; and when I tasted it, it had a mealy flavor and was just a little sweet. My bees make a practice of carrying this fine saw- dust until the maple trees are about through yield- ing pollen, or until pollen is very plentiful. They do not begin on the sawdust, however, until their store of pollen in the combs is gone. We know that moth larvse can live on the wood of hives, frames, sections, etc., so it does not look unreasonable to me to suppose that bee larvre may also use the miniature grains of sawdust in like manner. Cushman, Ark. Geo, P. Gunthbr. [While not wishing to take the position that the bees are really deceived, and that there is nothing nutritious in the sawdust, we should like to say, nevertheless, that it is a fact that bees carry honey from their hives in their honey-sacs to use in moist- ening the pollen for the purpose of packing it in their pollen-baskets. The fact that this dust on their legs tasted sweet, therefore, would not necessarily indicate that the sawdust is nutritious to the young bees. Different animals subsist on different kinds of food. This is true also of different insects and dif- ferent larvie, so that the fact that moth larvae bur- row through wood would not prove that bee larvae can get nutriment from sawdust. However, we ad- mit that it is hardly likely the bees would work so long and so steadily on the sawdust if they did not find in it a nutritious substance to use in.stead of natural pollen. — Ed.] Pasting the Edge of the Label Only There has lately been some difficulty in pasting small labels on tin. I have had fair success with a label about four by five inches that I use on any size of can. I use an ordinary mucilage-brush, and spread the mucilage, or paste, around the edges of the label only, leaving the center dry. Then when the paste dries, the label does not shrink off. I did not use many labels at a time last season. I tried a small bottle of mucilage first. But as that dries up rapidly in Arizona I bought a tube of library paste at a di-ugstore. One of your contributors suggested the use of honey to mix with paste. I tried it with both the mucilage and the paste, and found it an improvement. I sup- pose it prevented the paper from drying and shrink- ing too quickly. Hayden, Arizona. W. H. McCormick. Ventilating by Raising the Brood-nest and also the Cover from the Super I have read with interest Mir. Vernon Burt's ex- perience, p. 593, Sept. 1, in raising the brood-nest from the bottom-board to give ventilation and over- come swarming, as I have practiced the same method for several years. I have never been able to get as 234 low a percentage of swarms, but do know that ven- tilating in this way goes a long ■wa.y toward over- coming that difficulty. I go him one better by rais- ing one end of the lid on the supers about Vz inch when the weather is very warm. Contrary to the usual belief, I have never had the slightest trouble in getting the bees to fill out the end or corner sec- tions when the lid was up, and many an evening and morning I have found the oees crowded out and hanging down the side of the supers. I had three colonies this summer having queens that were so vigorous that they went up into the supers and laid in the sections. The only way I could stop it was to raise the lower super V2 inch at one end. They were ten-frame hives too. I have never been troubled by the bees building spur comb down to the bottom-board when using the blocks- — not even with a hive where I put bricks under the brood-nest to give enough ventilation. Philipsburg, Pa., Sept. 13. "Willis N. Zeitler. An Easy Way to Hive a Swarm Clustered on a Fence In the Nov. 15th issue, page 790, the editor says, . . but in many cases they seemed to take a paxticular delight in settling on one of the posts of the wire fence where it was a slow and tedious operation to get them." I would rather remove two swarms from posts than one from a bush At the beginning of the swarming season, take some old pieces of rope and wind around the posts about three feet from the ground. Pour some melted bees- wax on this rope. (Old comb is better, but may spread disease). I use a light skeleton stand about 2 % feet high to set a hive on ; and when a swarm settles on a post I place an empty hive on the stand and carry it to the post. To be successful the bol tom-board must come in contact with the post. Scrape a handful of bees on to the bottom-bo?,rd, and the rest will soon follow. Or, give the post a sharp blow with an ax. A man may then return to his work, and in nine cases out of ten the swarm will enter the hive in a few minutes. It requires only two or three minutes to place the hive, and it saves time and stings. If I could have my choice in hiving swarms I would surely take the fence-post. Pinckney, Mich., Feb. 6. N. P. Mortenson. To Make Increase and Prevent Swarming The following I find a handy way to make in- crease, and also to prevent swarming, and get two strong colonies in place of one. In the swarming season, in the home or outyards I go to colonies that are strong, find the queen and place her and all of the combs with brood and eggs, but one, in an extra super. Then I take the one frame with brood and eggs, and place it in the old brood-nest ; fill it with combs, put in a queen-excluder, set the super with the queen and brood on top. Put in a honey-board; also some warm covering; cover, and let it alone for 12 to 14 days. Then I look for queen-cells ; cut them out, and put them into nursery cages, all but two, and then wait until I think they ought to be hatched out. If the two I left are hatched, or show signs of one being hatched and the other destroyed, I again put back the upper super and let it alone for about two weeks. Then I look for the old queen in the upper super; and if I find her all right I look for eggs and brood in the old brood-nest; and if I find them I set the old queen on to a new stand, and have two good colonies, and always get some surplus and no swarm- ing. If I do not care for increase I take a frame from my best queen and put it into the brood-nest, and then proceed as described, with the exception of GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE destroying the old queen and letting the super stay on the old brood-nest. Vernon, Ct. J. G. French. [Your plan is similar to the Alexander plan for making increase in that you conserve the heat of both lots of bees, and thus save all the brood. How- ever, Mr. Alexander gets the old queen in the new hive below on the old stand. — Ed.] 1913 Freeze Killed Half the Sage The indications are good for sage honey but for the freeze of last winter, leaving only half a stand of sage. What there is will probably be good. Redlands, Cal., Feb. 1. E. D. Bullock, Feeding Candy in the Ozarks We are having a warm winter after a very dry summer. Bees in this vicinity went into winter light in stores. I am wintering out of doors in eight-frame dovetailed hives, situated on southern slope, feeding hard candy. Bees are doing well. The prospect for clover is very poor at present. Morrisville, Mo., Feb. 18. H. Clay Day. Cellar Breeding Not Desired You call for reports in regard to supplying the bees with artificial pollen so they will breed up in the cellar. The scheme may be feasible, but I should not want to see my bees breed up to such an extent that they get the swarming fever while in their winter repositories. Mancelona, Mich., Feb. 23. S. D. Chapman. Aster Honey for Winter Stores all Right so Far I reported in the fall that my bees had nothing but aster honey to winter on this winter. They had a fine flight yesterday, the 22d, and I never saw a healthier lot of bees. There were but very few dead ones. We have another snowfall this morning — very cold. R. Thompson. Underwood, Ind., Feb. 23. Cottonseed Meal a Good Substitute for Pollen Replying to your editorial, page 121, Feb. 15, I have found cottonseed meal a fine substitute for pollen. If the weather is inclement I put it in an empty comb which I insert in the hive at one side of the brood-nest. If the bees can fly, I put it outside in some place where rain will not fall on it. I put it in a box and place a hive-cover over it, so ar- ranged that the bees can have free access to it. Mathis, Texas, Feb. 27. H. D. Murry. Sweet Clover Easily Grown in Florida We have continued planting sweet-clover seed (a few rows in our garden) and it never fails to grow. This is a small effort, yet under some conditions larger quantities could be grown. It grows well here upon saw-palmetto or flat-woods land. We have grown it from seed. We transplanted it, and at this writing it can be found growing spontaneous- ly. Taft, Fla., Jan. 30. T. A. Worley Variations in the Same Kind of Honey I have kept bees in two places. At the first the honey from persimmons was very light in color, with a peculiar flavor which was noticeable as soon as persimmons began to bloom. At the second location, not more than seven or eight miles distant in a bee- line, but in a very different soil, there is none of this honey, although the bees work freely on per- simmon. Areola, N. C. R. B. Hunter. March is, i&14 Our Homes A. I. Root And in the morning, rising up a great while be- fore (lay, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. — Mark 1:35. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy clos- et, and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which seeth in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. — Matt. 6:0. There are a good many strange people in this world. There are good people and bad people; and there are others, like you and me, who are good part of the time and bad part of tlie time; and may God grant, as we grow in years, that the bad times may grow less and less, and the good times grow more and more frequent. Well, there are selfish people in this world, and, thank God, there are unselfish people. Why, it is a positive fact tliat there are people who send out gosi^el literature day after day and year after year, and pay the postage and print- ing entirely out of their own pocket unless some good man or woman sends a postage stamp or may be a dollar bill. I have known of quite a few such.* In fact, thei^e have been one or two among our beekeepers who have spent a large amount of money, not to send out political literature, but to dis- seminate the pure gospel of Christ Jesus, and that, too, without money and without price. 1 think one of them is dead and gone.f But there is one who is still alive and doing business, and I rather think he is doing a lot of business too. Every little while he sends me some tracts. I glance over them hastily, and sometimes hand them to those who I think will value them. Just a few days ago, among these leailets was one entitled " In the Desert with God," which attracted my attention. This tract also contained a poem headed " Alone with God." I tried to find it afterward, but it had slipped away. But the thought kept coming into my mind and repeating itself — * If I mistake not, our departed friend and bee- keeper Oliver Poster was one of these quiet home missionaries. If you will refer to page 373, June 1, you will see that he was also one of the most suc- cessful beekeepers, years ago, when he and myself were in pretty close touch, not only with the bees, but when we were both interested in the furthering of God's kingdom. t Among other good friends who are doing so much to further the cause of righteousness I mist mention also the Gospel Tract Mission, of Woodburn, Oregon. They send out an elegant calendar with choice selections that face the reader for at least a month. This is a very practical way of combining the practical and spiritual. Besides this they send out large bunches of blotting-pads with Sicripture texts that remind us almost unconsciously of better things. Drop them a card. yes, in the night I would say, " Alone with God," and it recalls to me that, during my busy business life, times would come quite often when I felt as if I must be just a little while alone with God. Perplexities, misunderstandings, and disappointments must come in a great and growing business, and I can remember vividly that, when my feeble efforts seemed to fail, when some of the help got cross or " cranky," as we some- times term it, at such times I longed to get entirely away and be alone with God. I sometimes thought of having a private oflice where i could get off by myself and turn the key. But somehow that did not seem to be Christianlike. I do not know that I have ever yet refused to see or talk with any one. I have often, however, asked the friends after a time to excuse me ; but I do not think I ever locked myself in a room, even when I wanted to pray. After the busy throng had all gone home there were particular places or corners where I used to kneel down and feel that I was alone with God. I could tell him all my troubles, and a lot of deliverances — I think I may safely say miraculous deliverances — came after such times when I had been alone with God. 1 do not know how many of you there are who sometimes get stirred up so that it seems almost impossible to take your thoughts away from the thing that troubles you, and think of something else. I some- times, after a rebellious conflict in my soul, feel like an unmanageable horse. I remem- ber one such time when I was almost boil- ing over with resentment, and I could not get over it. I left my work and plunged into a field of growing corn. I went away out into the middle of the field and knelt down alone with God. I said in substance, '* Create in me a clean heart, 0 God, and renew a right spirit within me." I then went back to my work, as the good book expresses it, " clothed, and in my right mind." I was then enabled, by the grace of God, to look pleasantly and kindly on con- trary humanity. Now, such a spirit is catch- ing. No wonder my help forgot to be con- trary, and seemed to be transformed, like myself. This being alone with God had banished Satan, and Christ Jesus was lord and ruler once more. Well, this little tract reminds me that I have not been alone with God of late as much as I used to be. Let me stop right here. It is an excellent thing to be able to lead in prayer-meeting or other places when 236 you are called on. We should always be ready to " say grace," or give thanks, when- ever we are called on to do so, wherever we ha^jpen to be. Tliis praying in public is good and eommendable ; but I venture to say that every one of us, when so called on, considers what effect his words will have on his hearers as well as on the great Fa- ther above. In other words, I think most of us are tempted to pray to the people as well as to the great Father who hears and an- swers prayer. Now, here is the jDoint : If you get off by yourself (away otf in a cornfield), there is no listener hut God. The conference is between you and your Maker. A man would be silly indeed if he thought he could deceive the all-seeing Eye. If he is never honest and sincere anywhere else he surely must be (unless he is a fool) hon- est when he is alone with God. I told you I had lost that poem, so I de- cided to write for another. Inasmuch as our good friend had sent me one, and paid the postage, I decided I would send him a stamp. Then something said, "Two stamps;" but the Holy Spirit (I think it was the Holy Spirit) said I should send him a dollar to help pay the postage on some tracts to other people. The tract came right along, and a letter with it; but before I give you the letter I am going to give you the first para- graph of that tract that has taken such a hold of me, and the four stanzas of the poem. IN THE DESERT WITH GOD. In these days of hurry and bustle we find our- selves faice to face with a terrible danger ; and it is this — no time to be alone with God. The world in these last days is running fast; we live in what is called "the age of progress," and "you know we must keep pace with the times." So the world says. But this spirit of the world has not confined itself to the world. It is, alasl to be found among the saints of God. And what is the result? The result is — no time to be alone with God; and this is im- mediately followed by no inclination to be alone with God. And what next? Surely the question does not need an answer. Can there be any condition more deplorable than the condition of a child of God who has no inclination to be alone with his Father? ALONE WITH GOD. Alone with him, make him thy confidant ; Tell him each wish thou fain would'st have him grant : Oh! tell him every thing that's in thy heart. Give him the key to every secret part. Hast thou one thing thou would'st not have him see. Hidden from him who gave himself for thee? Hide it no longer, let it all come out Free in his presence then without a doubt. Trust him with every thing thy heart holds dear ; Trust him with every thing of value here ; Believe him; he will keep it safe and sound; He loves each lamb his tender grace has found. Alone with him he loves to have thee be, Whispering softly that he cares for thee ; Here in his presenjce dost thou love to dwell, Learning of him what he delights to tell? GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE I hope, dear friends, you are sufficiently impressed with the above to want to seiid for it; and I will tell you where to send by giving you the following letter containing another precious poem : My dear Brother Boot: — Your letter of the 18th, with one of the Lord's dollars, came safely to hand, for which we thank you. We sent at once the tract " Alone with God," which you desired. We are glad to have you use any of our tracts in your Home talks as you have in the past, and which has brought many calls for the same. X word from you goes a good way in this. I am quoting for you now some most precious verses for your spiritual meditation. Not now, but hereafter. — .John 13:7. Not now, but hereafter shall all things be known, And all of God's wonderful workings be shown; All mysteries will fade in the light of that land. All doubts will be settled, and we understand Why ill was permitted, why God's ways seem slow. And the path was so rough that our feet had to go. Not now, but hereafter all things will be plain. The sweet and the bitter, the loss and the gain; In the light of his presence we clearly will trace What now seems so wrong was but infinite grace; And how all things here were but working for good; God's beautiful plan but not now understood. Not now, but hereafter, when we are like him. And the scales have been taken from eyes now so dim ; When we view all our journey and scan all our way, With praise, adoration, and wonder we'll say, " I see and I know, and I thank him for all. My precious Redeemer at whose feet I fall." Swengel, Pa., Oct. 21. A. F. Cowles, In regard to the last poem, had I received it in time it would have been a most fitting closing-up for my Home paper for Nov. 1; and I hojDe my old schoolmate Coi^win may see it. AN OUT-OF-DOORS RELIGION. We clip the following from Guide to Nature : Christianity is an out-of-doors religion. From the birth in the grotto at Bethlehem (where Joseph and Mary took refuge because there was no room for them in the inn) to the crowning death on the hill of Calvary outside the city wall, all of its important events took place out-of-doors. Except the discourse in the upper chamber at Jerusalem, all of its great words, from the sermon on the mount to the last commission to tho disciples, were spoken in the open air. How shall we understand it unless we carry it under the free sky and interpret it in the compan- ionship of nature? — Henry Van Dyke, in " Out-of- Doors in the Holy Land." Not only is Christianity an outdoor re- ligion, but it is an out-into-the-open relig- ion, everywhere and every day in the year. The gospel of Jesus Christ has no secrets. It is all above board, and out in the sun- light. 1 was once invited to a seance where -they had a slate-writing in a tent. They said I would have to stay until midnight to see the modern miracle. I replied, "Why, MARCH 15, 1914 L37 my good friend, why not hang your slate right outside of the tent at noon, where the sun can shine on it? " They said it would not work(f) that way. Well, any thing that will not work and stand the full light of day is a good thing to avoid. The great Master said, " In secret have 1 done noth- ing." Poultry Department .\1V •• SE'ITING hen" STORY^ ETC. Iij our issue for Jan. 1 1 told you some- thing ahout ray flock of about 50 pullets, a cross between the Leghorn and Buttercups; and I have before mentioned that this cross gave us birds of all colors imaginable. Well, the colors are not all of it. There are two or three hens in the lot with feathers turned inside out — the curve being outward instead of inward, and, in fact, 1 don't need " leg- bands," for there are almost no two hens at all alike in the whole 50. And even this isn't all of the result of such a cross. Both Leghorns and Buttercups are non sitters; but when I got here, about Nov. 8, I found two hens that were just determined to sit. In order to get roosters big enough to sell in our market (they won't buy them here unless they are close to 3 lbs.), I decided to let both sit as soon as I could get eggs enough. How long did it lake to get 15 eggs? Just four days; so one hen was set Nov. 12, and before we could spare 15 for the other it was Nov. 17. I tell you this to let you see how my egg yield started in November with pullets, some of them nearlv a year old. The 30 eggs, when tested on the third day, were all fertile but one, and the two hens gave me 29 good strong chicks. At this date, Feb. 12, both have weaned their chicks — ^one 14 and the other 13. Just a word about this excellent fertility. I have had a notion that the male serves only the laying hens — that is, where there are plenty of hens. We have two young roosters with the 50, and one four-year-old full-blood Buttercup, male. I have searched poultry journals and books, but have never seen the matter treated of; but you have all doubtless noticed that, as soon as a hen r-oraes off the nest cackling, there is a rivalry among the males as to who will serve her first. Is this one reason for the cackling? If I am right, it is not at all strange that ray eggs in November were almost all fertile. Later I gave one of the Rhode Island Red h.ens 20 egg's, and she hatched 19 chicks. Let us now go back to the two sitting hens. Both of their ancestors were non-sit- ters; and Aviien they did occasionally act like sitting, taking away the nest eggs usu- ally cured them. Not so here. T have seen hens determined to sit before, but none like one of these. Another hen had been laying in tJie nest, so I made a pencil-mark around each egg, and planned to remove all eggs that might be laid in with them. She bit and scratched my hands so badly 1 bought a cheap pair of cotton gloves; but when my hands were covered she flew in my face and made me look as if / {A. I. Root) had been in a fight, so I dropped her in a box right under the nest and put my foot over it until I could see if all her eggs were pencil-mark- ed. This did all right for a few times, until, instead of going on the nest when released, she flew in my face again. To head her off, as soon as I removed my foot I slipped out of the nearby barn door and closed it after me. This worked all right fcr a few days; but she soon demonstrated that a determined young sitting hen is quicker on a run than her 74-year-old " boss." She would slip out of thodoor before I could get out and close it; and then chased me half way to the house* Was there some game blood in the ancestry of the Buttercup or Leghorn that cropped out when I crossed the two? She made a most excellent mother. No cat or dog even looked toward her chicks the sec- ond time. She and I became excellent friends when we " understood " each other. Let me mention just one m.ore " sport " of these cross-breds. Som.e of them have great drooping red combs hiding one eye. like the Spanish and Minorcas ; others have Buttercup comb, and still others no comb at all. There is one jet- black pullet, with no comb at all, that has a nest in a square can, " all her oAvn," that has laid almost every day since she com- menced in November, and she has the most fascinating musical cackle I ever heard. It gives me a, " thrill " every time I hear it. It says to me, " Rejoice and be glad," exactly as Pollyanna puts it. Tliis winter I haven't bouglit a pound of " chick feed." It costs too much, and there is always a lot of stuff in it the chicks won't eat. I give them " bread and milk " until they are old enough to eat wheat. There is no waste with bread and milk, and I think they groAv faster than on any other diet, and this reminds me I want to say a few words more about that divergent poultry ranch. .Just recall to mind the granary and feed- * She didn't go " on foot " when she chased me either — not much! GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE house is in the center. Four double houses sun'ound the granary, and every flock has a yard running out like the spokes of a "wheel. Now, four houses and yards are enough for 50 hens, so there are four more vacant until the chicks begin to hatch, then every hen with her brood has a house (really half a house) all to herself. No big chickens get at their bread and milk ; and as they gTow she can take them further and further every- day out among the palmettos and other un- derbrush. If a storm comes up she is pretty sure to make for the central shelter. All feeding and egg-gathering, as a I'ule, is in this central gr-ou^D of houses. After they had all got located (a rooster with his dozen hens to eat;h yard) I tried opening the gates and letting the adult fowls all run together on Stoddard's colony plan, and it works nicely. At night they all go to their own roosts, and each flock goes away off in its own yard except when they come home for feed and water, and to lay. It is true a few hens have stolen nests out in the undei'brush; but Wesley so far has " spotted " them very soon by their cackle, and brought in the eggs for home use. Well, when each hen with her brood has a big yard all to herself she finds quite a lot of bugs and worms, to say nothing of green stuff for her brood. If she knows where to get wheat and water every hour in the day she almost cares for herself and brood. Each hen and chicks has a big head of let- tuce every morning, and the grown-ups have a heaping bushel in the wire-cloth basket I have described. I told you that,' when we arrived here in November, I got only four or five eggs a day. Well, with all I could do the flock came up very gradually; but now we get close to three dozen every day. Until Feb. 1 we had 40 cts. a dozen; but all at once it seemed " everybody's hens " began to lay, and the price dropped to 25 cts. in about one week. THE INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS. Early in November we got one day 17 eggs from 24 ducks; but through December and January they didn't average a dozen, and one or two days only three or four eggs. This is so different from former winters I hardly know how to account for it unless it is true with ducks, as with hens, that small flocks always lay better than large numbers. Still, 25 should not be called a large flock.* I gave them mustard liberally from that barrel I told you about, but it does not seem * Later. — It is tiott March 3, and the ducks Iiavf been doinsc very well all this February : but duck eggs brought only 20 cts., while hens' eggs were 25 cts. to work with ducks (at least not this win- ter) as it does with hens. We feed ground bones and meat scraps two or tliree times a week to all, big and little. Next to this they all seem more fond of lettuce than any thing else, and we are now growing lettuce just for the fowls. It does finely on ground that has once been a " chicken yard," and I be- lieve the chickens' heads are " level " on lettuce. It is God's medicine and food, both together, and good for people as well as cliiekens. FLORIDA PESTS ; CASSAVA, ETC. T have been reading this journal for 21 years, and my sympathy is all with Mrs. Root in her efforts to curb your fervor in description of " discoveries " and in following you in your wayward career through life and into the wilds of the west coast of Florida, where I can easily believe the trials imposed by in- sect pests, if not warded off properly, will induce the same results as they do on this east coast: viz., profanity, disgust, and strong drink. However, if a person will consider the matter calmly, and study the ways of the pests, it is possible to beat them at their own game of torment. For sand flies and mos- quitoes, use a bee-smoker. Rotten heart pine is the best fuel. A rotten railroad tie is the stuff. For roaches (common palmetto roach) Palma tosilpha Floridiana, I make traps of tumblers baited with honey. Just grease the inside of the glass. A strip of paper is pasted to the outside from bottom to top, and then put in a dark place, and left alone until it needs to be cleaned and rebaited. Whitewash with common lime all dark places that are their harbors, and let spiders, lizards, chame- leons, and harmless snakes have the privilege of pur- suing their prey in and about the premises, and kill all you see. Poison is dangerous, and not necessary. I can draw on 27 years and 10 months of life spent in southern Florida for experience to prove my theories. I am 54 years of age, a native of New Jersey, and Jack at many trades. I am not much of a gardener, growing some things only for my own use and learn- ing the reason why they have failed in the past to produce any vegetables for home use, except by lucky accidental planting; however, it is not by lucky acci- dents that I can dig 20 and 30 lbs. of sweet potatoes from one hill and runners, or gather 150 to 250 pods of okra from a single plant. It is soil, season, and knowing how, supplemented by sub-irrigation that naturally is found in low lands bordering rivers and lakes. If you care to try out my variety of sweet potato I w^ill send you seed and cuttings at any time. As to the dasheen, I wish to compare it with the sweet potato in quality and quantity. About your cassava, you wiU find the roots under ten inches, when grated as horseradish is grated for use, and then made into pudding as rice is used, have something more than " chicken feed " in them. The Bahama negroes use it as a staple article of food. Grant, Fla., .Jan. 30. L. K. Smith. In regard to cassava there are many in- quiries as to where cuttings can be pro- cured, as I do not find them advertised anj^- where. If some Florida friends will under- take to furnish canes for planting, say by parcel post, I will give their names free of charge. We are now getting " rooted cut- tings " in a bed in the garden, to be put in the field later, so as to have a perfect stand. MARCH 15, 1914 239 High-pressure Gardening ANOTHER OF GOU'S GIFTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA — THE SESAME. Mr. A. I. Root: — As you say that you would like to try some of our sesame, as prepared by our na- tives, and which we use a good deal, I am sending a small sample of the same. We took some home when we went on furlough three years ago, and it kept all right except that it lost some of its flavor and fragrance, perhaps. I inclose a few of the seeds as they appear after the hulls have been rubbed off, but before they are crushed. The process as the natives prepare the seed is, first, to moisten the seed with water (preferably hot), then rub between the hands until the hull is removed. Then the seeds are slightly roasted in a pan or piece of broken pot. This is the most delicate part of the operation — not to burn them or roast them unevenly. Then they pound them in a wooden mortar to reduce them to meal. We use this meal on our porridge, oftentimes, with any other dressing, or alone, according to taste. I think it goes especially well with honey. Referring to our amadumbe as compared with the dasheen, it would seem to me that those who write concerning the dasheen emphasize the need of wet ground more than would seem necessary in case of the amadumbe. While they bear and need a fair amount of water they are often raised with success, and yield an abundant crop, on high ground, such as would be quite suitable for Irish potatoes. W. L. Thompson, M. D. Mount Silinda, Melsetter, S. Rhodesia, Dec. 6. The sample of sesame meal came to band ; and if Mrs. Root had not forbidden I should be very much inclined to say " It is the most delicate, delicious, and nourishing food 1 ever tasted." Peanut butter comes nearest to it; but there is a delightful " fragrance " about it, as friend T. intimates, that is unique. May God be praised for sesame as well as dasheen. I have carefully planted the seeds sent; and if they grow you may exjject another " stir " from these parts in regard to " the liigh cost of living." Oui' Department of Agriculture had better send our good friend Prof'. Young to look it up and have it tried at our Brooksville sub- station. SWEET CLOVER THE SOIL-MAKER. From The Ohio Farmer. It was springtime in the late nineties when a stranger rode along the winding highways of Ken- tucky. The blossoms had fallen from the fruit-trees, and the leaves on the forest giants were taking on the deeper green of approaching maturity. The sun- shine was soft and warm, and the very air seemed to breathe life and vigor. The stranger's companion — a native of that region — seemed to be the only thing out of harmony that wonderful April day. His face was sad and the wrinkles of care were not hard to discern. Sorrowfully he pointed to the barren gul- lied hillsides and said, " This was once a portion of the famous Blue Grass country; but the soil is get- ting poorer and poorer, for the rains are gradually washing the fertility into the valleys." For a mo- ment he paused ; and then, stretching his arm toward the green plants which lined either side of the road, he continued, " Aside from the trees, about the only thing that'll grow up here is this weed!" The strang- er looked intently at the growing plants ; then, spring- ing from the buggy, he grasped a bunch in his hand and exclaimed, "Man alive! this is not a weed, it's sweet clover ; and to these limestone hills sweet clover means a rebirth of virgin soil! " To-day those hills are no longer eroded and barren, for great fields of this legume are to be seen everywhere ; and, more- over, the blue grass is again being established in the wake of the sweet clover. When the plant is young it is difficult to distin- guish from alfalfa ; and, in fact, it is a sort of half- brother to alfalfa, for the bacteria on its roots are of the same species as found on the alfalfa roots, and they perform the same function of gathering nitrogen from the air to enrich the soil. Naturally the question is asked, " If this is true, why not grow alfalfa instead of sweet clover ? Alfal- fa makes better hay and pasture. It will last for a number of years, and its roots contain more nitrogen. What is the advantage of sweet clover over alfalfa?" The answer is apparent when it is stated that sweet clover will grow on poor worn-out soils on which it would be impossible to establish any other of the clover family. Its seeds thrive on soils of the hardest type where other plant seeds would fail to germinate. It will make a most wonderful growth on soils total- ly deficient in nitrogen if limestone, phosphorus, and inoculation are present. On a soil of this type, sweet clover will add an enormous supply of nitrogen, for it depends wholly on its supply of this element from the air. It is also an excellent crop when used to pave the way for alfalfa, because, as mentioned before, it carries the same bacteria on its roots. If one choose a field with a water-table too high for alfalfa or too poor to grow alfalfa, sweet clover is recommended. Although the roots of sweet clover do not grow to such a depth as alfalfa, yet they di-aw considerable plant food from the subsoil. When they decay they offer a source of drainage ; and the soil, when plowed, breaks up fine and friable. There are many thousand acres in the United States too poor to grow paying crops of corn and alfalfa, which could be profitably sown to sweet clover. While the process of soil restoration is in progress many pounds of honey, wool, mutton, and beef would come from the growing crop. Consider- able seed may be obtained from an acre, and it brings a price equal to alfalfa seed. But, above all, its greatest value is as a soil-builder. If turned under it will supply ^more organic matter, more nitro- gen, and at a minimum of cost, than any other known fertilizer or legume. The magical words " open sesame " swung wide the doors of the great treasure-vault for Ali Baba in one of those charming tales related in Arabian Nights. Surely in our modern times sweet clover is the " open sesame " of soil-building for the Ameri- can farmer. Champaign Co., Ohio. Trell W. Yocum. THE " BLACK HAND " DOWN IN JACKSON- VILLE, FLA. We clip the following from the Times- Union : Mi's. Collins found the following Black Hand let- ter pinned to the door one morning : " Deer Mis Collins — Onless you put a jar of jam, a hunk of chokolit cake, a apple pie an' a bag of candy down by the old well, we will steel vou little boy and keep him, onless you pay us a millyon dol- lars." It seems to me the above has the ear- marks, not only of the Black Hand, but of somebody who is black all over. 240 GLEANINGS. IN BEE CULTURE Health Notes "good health and a good bank account at one stroke." I have thought fit to copy the following iiom theYoungstown Telegram, contributed by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, because it hits so completely just what Terry and I have been ior years trying to drum into the minds of mankind. It not only hits squarely the high cost of living, but it also hits just as square- ly a method of avoiding expensive medi- cines and doctors' bills. ONE man's diet, and WHAT IT DID FOR HIM; SUCH A MENU CALLS FOR GREAT SELF-DENIAL ON THE PART OF MOST HUMAN BEINGS, BUT IT SAVED THIS MAN FROM THE GRAVE. In an exchange a man writes an account of how he keeps his family in health and with appetites sat- isfied on an incredibly small sum of money. Three people live on two dollars a week, and enjoy the best oi vigor. There has been no physician called in the last seven years, and the bank account has grown steadily. The diet prescribed by this man would call for great will power and continual self-denial on the part of most human beings. It is a curious fact that even those men and wom- en who believe themselves to be quite spiritual in tleir ideas of life, and who would Lo horrified to think any one regarded them as carnal or gross in their tastes, are yet unable to eliminate from their diet for any length of time the foods which they know to be injurious (or at least unnecessary to the sustaining of strength and health). A very charm- ing young woman, who is filled with high ideals of life, declared she would rather die and be done with it than force herself to give up her favorite foods and beverages (coffee in particular) in order to benefit her health. Nevertheless, when a man makes such positive statements regarding the benefits resulting from such a diet, benefits to body and purse, it is worth con- sidering. Let us listen to what he says: " Here's a well-balanced ration for one day. I eat only a little fruit for my breakfast. " Breakfast — One apple or banana. " Dinner — One dish of home-made corn flakes, one dish of boiled wheat cereal, one dish of vegetable salad, two or three slices of whole-wheat bread, one La nana. " Supper — One dish of home-made wheat flakes, one dish of home-made hulled hominy, one baked potato, one dish of fruit salad, whole wheat or gra- liam bread. ■' I suppose you will say that sounds monotonous, but I don't eat to gratify a discerning and whetted appetite. I eat to be strong and well, and to supply uiy body with the foods that it really needs. " Nine years ago I was a wreck — worse than that, tvo doctors gave me from two to four months to live. " The food elements needed by the body may be divided into seven classes — protein, starch, sugar, fats, salts, cellulose, and water — and these again into about fifteen different chemical elements, all of which are found in a sirgle kernel of wheat, in just about the correct proportions. " No other food in the world equals wheat in per- fection. I have lived on wheat in various forms with about 10 per cent of nuts, for weeks at a time'. " I am careful about buying my supplies, so that they will cost me the least money. I have a flakin"- machine. You can buy one, and make your own flakes at one cent a pound. I buy the corn and wheat for flakes by the bushel, and watch for op- portunities to buy the fruits and vegetables at lowest cost. The apples and bananas usually cost me about three cents a pound, and my bananas I always get dead ripe — just turning black, as thev are best then " I buy bread one or two days old at the rate ot five for ten cents, for nothing would induce me to ear, new bread. Cabbage and many other vegetables I eat raw. '■ If I sometimes feel that I am not getting enough protein I add raw peanuts when I am making, flakes and a little soaked di'ied fruit, such as figs, raisins, or dates, to make it a little more palatable. " And all I drink is water — but plenty of it — though never near meal time. " Now, that is my rule for health, and that is what I eat. "What do you say to it? If you could have seen me nine years ago and could see me now you would know that there is something in it, for I am about the healthiest person you ever saw." While the men and women who are enjoying good health may not feel interested in this menu, it should be clipped and saved, and tried by the many dyspep- tics who are paying useless money for patent medi- cines and feeing doctors with no results. Poor people who are trying to sustain life on cheap food badly cooked, and who find the food trusts an insurmountable obstacle to economy, could not do better than to give this diet a fair trial for a few months. Health and a good bank account may result — two great factors in happiness. This man has a fruit meal for breakfast instead of supper, as I do. The dinner is nbout like mine; and, of course, if he has a fruit breakfast he wants something differ- ent for supper. " No other food in the world can equal wheat." Terry and I have come lo that conclusion exactly. Can some one rell us about this flake-making machine? Biead two or three days old is what I al- Avays call for if I can get it. I also eat raw peanuts occasionally — parched, of course. When fresh fruits are scarce I "go for '' the dried or evaporated fruit as you may remember. Drinking water between meals is also a very important matter. I heartily agree with the writer where she says you had better clip out the above and paste it ujj where you can see it often. Now please note the concluding sentence — ■" killing two birds with one stone " with a vengeance — (jood health and a good bank account at one stroke. Are you not ready to exercise a little self-control as above? We submitted the above to friend Terry, and he replies as follows : The " flaking-machine " which Mr. A. I. Root re- fers to in a recent letter, and which is mentioned in inclosed proof, is made by The Dana Mfg. Co Cincinnati, Ohio. It is called " The Dana Food- chopper." I bought one several months ago, of the Chicago man referred to by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, for $1.25. It will " flake " into narrow stringy rib- bons wheat which has been soaked for four or five hours until soft clear through. I tried this " flaked wheat " faithfully, both raw and cooked. For cook- ing we much prefer wheat cracked finely, or granu- lated, in our hand mill, and it is much less trouble to prepare it. The Dana is a much better cutter than we have had before, and it is far easier to wash, as there are only two pieces, and they are easv to get at. Ours is No. 20, a small size. It is possible that this raw flaking-machine wheat is better food than our cooked cracked wheat, but I am doubtful about it, and we like the cracked wheat better. I think it well to be slow about accepting at tlicir face value all the statements in that ariicle Hudson, Ohio, Nov. 3. T. B. Terry APR 4- 1914 i^^ dlultur^ VOL. XLII. APR. 1,1914, NO. 7 ROOT S POWER EXTRACTORS for the LARBE PRODUCER for 1914 The late W. Z. Hutchinson, when asked as to what would combine best with beekeeping, said, " The best thing to go with bees is — more bees." If more bees is the slogan, then the best equipment should be installed. This would be an outfit that will handle ad- vantageously the product of 200 or more colonies with a minimum of time and labor. POWER EXTRACTING OUTFIT.— The value of this cannot be gauged entirely by the number of days it is used during the season. It should be remembered that it displaces a large amount of extra equipment in the way of extra supers and combs. The extracting must be done quick- ly in order to hold in check the swarming that is sure to follow unless room is given when needed. The amount thus saved, including reduc- tion of labor and time, will materially reduce cost of production. ENGINE. — This should not be selected without due examination. There are certain types of gasoline-engines that are not fitted for driving honey-extractors. Machines requiring to be started and stopped an endless number of times during the day require an engine of special construction, and the beekeeper will do well to investigate thoroughly these points before purchasing. Our new engines, the ' ' BUSY BEE, ' ' are selected for and are exactly adapted for just this kind of work. CAPPING-MELTER. — No extracting house is complete without one. We have a number of styles and sizes to select from. Illustrations of all these will be found in our large catalog. The smaller sizes are intended to be used with wax-presses, which also are shown. HONEY-KNIVES.— For rapid and easy work our new steam honey-knives can't be beat. Extra tub- ing is furnished when ordered. Send for our new 34-page book, ' ' Power Honey-extractors, ' ' describ- ing these fully. These equipments are supplied by various dealers throughout the country. Information as to nearest dealer on request. The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio Publislied by Tlie A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. K. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. Calvert, Business Manager. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class mutter. VOL. XLII. APRIL 1, 1914 NO. 7 Erditorial EDITION OF " THE HONEY-BEE " EXHAUiSTKO. We have just learned from Mr. W. D. Wrig'lit that the edition of six thousand copies of Bulletin 49, entitled " The Honey- bee," published by the New York State Department of Agriculture, is entirely ex- hausted, and can not be supplied hereafter. Mr. Wright adds, however, that some time in the future a new edition may be issued. If so, due notice will be given at that time. WINTERING REPORTS. On account of the late spring, it is still too early (March 23) to get reports on win- tering. It is certain that colonies in cellars are having an extra-long siege, very few having been taken out at this writing. With the warm weather delayed so long, colonies that were not strong in the fall, or that were not 'Supplied with an abundance of good stores,' are certain to suffer. Advance reports from New Jersey, Mich- igan, Massachusetts, Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa, and New York show but little loss. Considerable loss has been reported in certain parts of Kentucky where the weath- er has been extremely changeable. Further particulars will be given in our next issue. OUR COVER PICTURE. The bees shown on the cover of this issue were photographed last fall from life, or, rather, from death, for the bees were kept under water over night, then carefully dried, and brushed with camel's-hair brushes until they assumed as near as possible the ap- pearance of live bees. We realize that these pictures are far from perfect — for instance, the drone se- lected appears to be a trifle undersized in respect to length of abdomen. There are several other defects having to do with the arrangement of the legs, wings, etc., all of which we hope to rectify some time when we photogTaph bees again. The original queen was just three-quar- ters of an inch long from tip of abdomen to tip of head. The larger view on the cover is 2% inches in length, so that the amount of enlargement of the bees in the center of the page is in the proportion of three to eleven; or, in other words, the pictures are nearly four times life size. The side views shown below are of the same bees enlarged only a trifle over two timto. THE CHARACTER OP THE MATERIAL USED IN THIS SPECIAL NUMBER. Some, after reading the various articles by the queen-breeders in this special num- ber on breeding, may feel that certain articles savor of advertising. In justice to all we should like to explain that it would hardly be possible to publish a special num- ber of this kiiid without using the best ideas from some of our breeders. Some of these breeders, feeling that their remarks might be construed as an attemiDt at gettii'g some free advertising, have suggested that their names be not used, but that a nom (!<- plume be substituted. On reading over this array of splendid material, we have decided that the articles would lose considerable i:i interest if the names of the writers were not known, and we thought best to treat all alike, therefore, by jjublishing the names and addresses as usual. We are convinced that not one of the writers in this issue has tried to advertise his own particular queens, or tliose of anv other breeder. BEFORE YOU CONDEMN A QUEEN, BE SURE THAT THE QUEEN IS TO BLAME. Frequently colonies are so situated that the bees naturally drift to other hives near by, which are either more prominent or else there are more bees going in and out, which causes the bees of the hive in question to be naturally drawn toward the scene of greater excitement. During a brisk honey-flow, moreover, heavily laden bees falling in the grass are apt to crawl into the first hive they come to, where they are welcomed, of course, because of their load of honey. Un- der such conditions, especially when the hives are located in groups, one or more liives in the group may suffer by the deple- tion in bees because they are located on the side away from the main source of honey, or on the side awav from tlie natural line 242 of flight from the apiary. This causes such a poor showing that the queen is likely to be blamed, when in reality she may be doing as well as any queen could under the circumstances. Our Mr. George H. Rea tells of moving his weak colonies in the spring to the side of the apiary nearest the natural line of flight in order to get them strengthened by many returning bees which, coming back from the field (some of them at least), go into the nearest hive. Sometimes a hive is located in an unfor- tunate position through the winter which causes an unusual mortality of the workers. In the spring the queen works at a disad- vantage, having a much smaller colony to support her. It is not safe to condemn such a queen in the spring without giving her a chance to show what she can do under favorable conditions. LONGEVITY A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR. Several of the writers in this number touch on the subject of longevity of the workers. Our Mr. Geo. H. Rea, referring especially to Dr. Miller's Straw, p. 205, March 15, submits the following: It is generally agreed by beekeepers everywhere that colonies strong in bees at all seasons of the year are most desirable, and give best results in the honey-flows. In spite of this fact it is often observ- ed that some colonies very strong in bees do not produce nearly as much honey as other colonies in the same yard that are apparently not nearly as strong. Several conditions may enter into this, but it is not my purpose to discuss them, only in so far as the question of longevity enters into it. The subject may be divided into three proposi- tions: 1. A good queen may easily lay sufficient eggs to build up rapidly and keep a colony strong; but the bees produced may be a little below the average in length of life, and the working force may die off so rapidly that the surplus honey gathered falls far below the average. Strong in yoang bees but weak in field force will, I believe, explain the reason for such strong colonies that produce but a small sur- plus. Such colonies are usually great swarmers. 2. A colony of average strength may produce good results, because the bees live a little over the average, and such a colony will really be strong in working force while only fair in young bees. 3. A colony may be of average strength, and pro- duce an average crop of honey because the death rate may equal the rate of increase, thus striking a balance. Now, you scientifio queen-breeders, get your thinking-caps on. How about the very prolific queens that produce a long-lived working force ? It is my opinion that they are the ones that produce the big honey crops, and at the same time the swarming average is low. While this theory may be entirely wrong, yet the conditions exist just the same. I have made this a subject of careful ob- ■ servation for years in my own apiary as well as those of other beekeepers. My duties as inspector of apiaries for the State of Pennsylvania took me into several hundred apiaries last summer, and the remark was frecjuently made by the beekeeper that certain colonies, perhaps the strongest in the yard, seemed to do very little. Investigation of such cases GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE proved to my satisfaction tliat tiie force consisted largely of bees too young to work in' the field. Where was the older force? Only one answer, it seems to me. It is also a matter of observation that both our second and third propositions are true. If this theory is correct, then there are bees that excel in length of working days, while others die compara- tively young. But now some fellow will jump to his feet and try to spoil all this pretty theory by stating that a bee's life is only as long as its wings will last. Even so, may not the hardy bee with strong flight have wings that will outwear those of the less vig- orous ? This argument will only strengthen the theory of a longer fielding period. This may sound like foolishness to our scientific men ; but the conditions that I have mentioned stand, nevertheless, and I for one would like to know positively the reason for them. For a number of years I have been of the opinion that this matter of longevity is of prime importance ; in fact, I will have the temerity to state that I believe it to be the most important factor in beekeeping — more im- portant to the honey-producer than races of bees, color, or length of tongue. I am inclined to think that many beekeepers of this country believe in this same theory. Why not work it out? AN OPEN LETTER FROM E. R. R. IN THE FIELD ; CONDITIONS IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA. After spending three weeks on the West Coast in the vicinity of Bradentown I made my way to the East Coast, particularly the southern portion, which I had never visited. The West Coasters claim that they have the better side — better farming land and fewer mosquitos and sandflies ; that the East Coast has been overboomed by the real-estate agents. While I had previously visited the upper part of the east side I was curious to know if the indictment of the West Siders were true. After having visited both sides I am reminded of the kettle calling the pot black. In many respects there is no differ- ence. There are the same real-estate agents, good and bad ; the same kind of land, good and bad, and the same kind of mosquitos, sandflies, and bugs, all teetotally bad; but, fortunately, they are not bad all the time and in all places. If one buys land near swamps or stagnant water he must expect mosquitos in warm or hot weather; but even then their depredations can be very largely mitigated by screens; and during the mid- dle hours of the day they are not trouble- some outdoors in the cities and towns, either on the East or West Coast. After having visited practically the whole of Florida I have come to the conclusion that there is no county that has more good land capable of growing oranges and gar- den truck than Manatee Co., on the West Coast. I might make an exception in favor of the Everglades; but this section is as yet an unknown quantity. There are some long narrow stretches of good garden land along the canals and rivers on the southeast coast. Of these I shall speak later. APRIL 1, 1914 BEES AND GOOD LAND. But you say, " What has all this garden- truck land to do with beekeeping?" Very much. Bees will not thrive where the soil is poor. Mark that down strong. For ex- ample, the saw or scrub palmetto, one of the principal sources of nectar in the State, will not yield honey of any account on poor land. In order to make the keeping of bees profitable, the saw palmetto should be three, four, and (better) six feet high. Land that will gi'ow it as high as that will also grow the gallberry and the pennyroyal ; and in some sections near the streams the black mangrove, the ty-ty, and the tupelo. Loca- tions that will not show a vigorous and a heavy undergi'owth should be avoided. OUR CRUISER TRIP DOWN THE EAST COAST. Mr. W. A. Selser, who spends his winters at Stuart, Fla., engaged for our party a 40-foot gasoline-cruiser so that we might the better study beekeeping conditions from Stuart to Miami. I will not at this time go into details of the big fish we did or didn't catch ; of the places where I stopped and took notes and snapped the kodak, as these will be given in these columns later with the pictures. Mr. 0. 0. Poppleton, the most extensive and successful migratory beekeeper this country has ever known, was our guide for a part of the distance. What he doesn't know about this most southerly bee territory in the United States is not worth recording. I had an exceptional opportunity to interview him and others along the route, and, more important, stop our boat and see the territory under con- sideration. Another member of our party was Charlie Repp, of the famous Repp Bros., the great apple-growers of New Jersey. The Repp boys are authorities on the relation of bees to apple-growing from the standpoint of the fruit-gi'ower. Of course, I interviewed Charlie, and, as the newspaper man would say, he gave me some " good dope " that I shall give to our readers. I say " Cliarlie," for that exactly expresses the kind of genial good fellow that he is. Then we had Mr. Selser and wife and Mr. Gray and wife; and last, but not least, captain (the owner of the boat and a friend of Mr. Selser), Dr. F. S. Slifer,' of Philadelphia. He is not only a physician of standing, but someAvhat of a naturalist, although he might demur at the last-mentioned title. Mr. Gray and wife were old college mates, and Mr. Selser and wife, of course, need no introduction. To say that the trip was enjoyable is putting it mildly. As a preliminary statement to what I shall Pay later concerning this trip T may add that Southern Florida is not a paradise for bees. While a comfortable living can be made, it has come to be largely a matter of the survival of the fittest. Only the " stayers " are in the field now. Some think I hey would have made more money north with their bees; but they had to move South for the climate, which Florida surely has, whatever we may say about the land. OUR BEES IN APALACHICOLA, FLORIDA. The cold weather in the North, with the spells of frost and freezing in Florida, even as far south as Palm Beach and Miami, made me fear what might happen to the success of our experiment in making increase from our 300 colonies on the river. When I saw how the tomato-plants by the acre had been frosted down in Southern Florida, and read of the freezing weather in the northern part of the State, I began to wonder if the cold would not kill off the ty-ty and the willow, upon which we were depending for our pollen and nectar for early breeding. If breeding at this stage should be stopped it might practically put a quietus on the whole proposition. Late letters from our Mr. Marchant in charge showed that, while hopeful, he Avas not sure that he would escape trouble. It was with some trepidation that I took the train northward after leaving the cruiser. I scarcely dared ask Mr. Marchant, on arriving at Apalachicola, what he knew. Greatly to my relief he met me with a reassuring smile. " We are going to get there yet. The cold — yes, it has put us back; but the bees are busy on the willows, and have just begun on the black tupelo. The cold weather has held back the black tupelo so that it Avill come more gTadually." This will build up our colonies better than if the flow were faster. Mr. Marchant thinks, the black tupelo will last two or three Aveeks. This will be foUoAved soon by white tupelo, Avhich is the main source for honey here. Yesterday I visited the yard and found about 100 colonies Avith upper stories, and queens in both; and there are many more that will soon need upper sto- ries. All conditions so far, in spite of the previous bad Aveather, point to a good yield from both tupelos. It is not wise to count our chickens before they hatch; but we feel that the venture is going to be a success after all. There is one thing I did not count on ; and that was that a freeze in Northern Florida does not begin to do the damage that a frost does in the southern part of the State. It transpires, then, that, beyond the loss of time Avlien the Apalachicola bees could not fly io gather pollen or nectar, little damage Avas done. Apalachicola, March 17. E. R. Root. 244 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Stray Straws Dr. C. C. Millee, Marengo, 111. Speaking of the best time to cut bee- ti-ees, if the bees are what you are after, cu! in fruit-bloom; if you care only for the honey, cut in fall — the earlier the better after the flow is over. " There is no doubt that the Italian bee does not excel as a ' comb-honey ' bee," says L. S. Cranshaw, British Bee Journal, 79. They don't do so bad for me, L. S. One colony of three-banders last year gave me 390 sections — nice sections too. Gr. M. DooLiTTLE says, p. 167, it's better to bring bees out of the cellar a little before soft maples bloom. " In this locality " I never yet thought soft-maple bloom too late for bringing out bees; but once or more I have thought it too early. Still, I may be wrong. Ip you want to provide a watering-place for bees so as to keep them from being troublesome at pumps, watering-places for horses, etc., be sure to do it early, before any habit is formed. After they have once started at the wrong place it's almost im- possible to change them. Young fellow, let me hand you a piece of advice that will be worth dollars to you if you follow it. Lay your plans right now to keep close tab on every pound of honey each colony stores this season. Then you'll know which to breed from, and which queens to replace because poor. John E. Roebling, p. 232, pardon me, but I don't believe that your clipping queens in late spring has a thing to do with prevention of swarming. For many years I've clipped at that time all queens I could find with whole wings, and so far as I observed they swarmed as much as those clipped at other times. The question is asked, p. 232, Avhether '^ heavy nurse bees " in a removed colony would " train down and become field bees or remain nurse bees to the end." There is such a thing as bees continuing nurse bees beyond the usual time, but only where there is a scarcity of young bees. In the case in question, some of the nurses would become field bees in 24 hours, some in 2 days. :> days, and so on, until at the end of abont 16 days all would be fielders. C. S. Newsom, p. 181, says, " The bees that cluster on the outside of the hive are mostly young ones liardly able to fly." and ye editor says. " Tlie cluster outside may be composed of field bees largely." Those two views are a long way apart. Some of you wide-awake young chaps watch next sum- mer, and tell us which is right', or wheth"i' the truth lies between. [What we intended to imply was merely that the bees clustering out may be old bees or young bees, or bees of mixed ages. — Ed.] Hasn't " The Outlaw " struck on a rather original way of getting wax, p. 223? At any rate, it looks good. I know it's the case in my sujiers that, when a section is not entirely filled with worker foundation, the bees are about sure to fill the vacancy with drone-comb, and I'm likely to find that drone-comb held open for the queen to lay in. AlloAV no drone-comb in the brood- chamber, and use a queen-excluder, and there ought to be a fair chance for the finest virgin drone-comb. Replying to your question, p. 20ri, Mr. Editor, I mean that European foul brood is a blessing in the way of eliminating the careless, haphazard beekeeper. As to the other part, I don't care to say much, for 1 believe it to be to the interest of beekeep- ers in general to introduce best Italian blond to help fight European foul brood. Nevertheless, I must say that in my own ajnary I am not sure there is any distinction between darkest and lightest bees. My bees are now mostly Italians, but European foul brood has not made them so. i WISH George M. Huntington had given rs fuller particulars, p. 215. He says by time of alfalfa bloom strong colonies have the queen crowded for room in the brood- chamber; but he doesn't say whether supers ar-^ on or not. Unless his bees do different- ly from mine there will be no crowding of the brood-chamber with supers on. If no supers ai'e on at tliis early time, and tlie brood-chamber is clogged, then extracting will give the queen room. Later, when the full flow is on. I have given empty combs, only to have them promptly filled with honey. Wlien Alexander talks abovct ex- tracting in May or early June the sujiers ai'c not yet on. and then clogging witli honey is fatal to best results. Answering the question whether extracting two or three frames from tlie brood-chamber would stoy) work in the supers I would say tliat earhi it will interfere not at all; later, in the full flow, as I have said, the emptied combs will be filled with honey, and, of course, that would interfere with super-work, at least temporarily, for later it may be that the brood will crowd out the honey. At»RtL 1, 1914 245 Beekeeping in California p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. March 10 — no rain since Feb. 21 ; surface g'etting dry; weather very warm; oranges blooming, and sage in places showing nnicli bloom. * * * Never in all my experience have I seen so much pollen stored as now. Many of my colonies have two full combs at the present time. ^ # * Hived my first swarm to-day, which is the earliest I liave ever had the pleasure of capturing a stray. The colony from which it came must have been an exceptionally early breeder. * * * The recent heavy rains brought to most of us only joy ; but some of our beemen lost heavily of hives and fixtures. In the ag- gregate several hundred colonies were wash- ed away, and I should not be surprised if the entire loss would run into figures of more than a thousand, if all wei'e reported. M. H. Mendleson and J. D. Bixby were the heaviest losers of full colonies. Mr. Bixby lost 125, Mr. Mendleson something like 100. * * -* I wish to announce that I am no longer connected with the exhibit committee of the State Association. I am also informed that chairman M. H. Mendleson, of the commit- tee, has decided to withdraw. It is with much regret that I announce my resigna- tion ; but opposition to our plans, working privately, as well as through the Western Honey Bee, has forced me to the conclusion that with such opposition our efforts could not overcome the prejudice engendered. * * * There are some peculiar features in connection with our semi-desert plants. One of these in particular I noticed the past year. Much of the wild alfalfa was killed during our freeze in January, 1913. There was very little of it in this locality that ever showed a green leaf during the entire spring and summer of that year, though many of the stocks seemed to con- tain life. Our recent heavy rains and warm sunshine 'have caused fully half of it to revive with the most luxurious gi'owth I have ever se-en. * * * Mr. J. T. Bowen, page 152, takes another " stab " at my opinion on the color of alfal- fa honey. I wish to say to Mr. Bowen as well as to all others who have written re- garding the matter, that I am studying this (luestion of the color of honey; and while I may be wrong, it must be proven to me that I am. I know the tendency of the avei'age beekeeper to judge the soui'ce from which his honey-flow comes far too well to back down on this proposition simply be- cause I am opposed. We have the same contention about sage and other honeys in my locality that I consider as having been arrived at by immature observation. We are face to face with the earliest season for years. Our winter has been a most unusual one in many respects. We have seen very little trace of frost during the entire winter, our rains have fallen in great storrhs covering a period of a week to ten days with very heavy precipitation, after which the sky clears and the warm weather continues. The oranges are begin- ning to bloom abundantly, and within two weeks will be in full bloom if the warm weather continues. The sage is from four to five weeks earlier in this locality than usual. I have never seen bees build up so rapidly from a small start as has been the case this season. They have come by leaps and bounds; but for all their speed they are yet behind the season. I am informed that things are not cjuite so advanced near the coast. * * * GREAT LOSS OF BEES IN THE PAST YEAR. The loss of bees during the past twelve months has been quite heavy in many sec- tions, while other parts have fared better in this respect. The chief trouble in this sec- tion has been the lack of stores; in other places it has been black brood. In this connection I quote from a letter of F. C. Wiggins, of San Diego : The beemen that I know hereabout all report great losses of bees owing to some disease, the same as destroyed nearly all of my own in 1907 and '8, I think. The hives would be found empty of bees with plenty of honey. One of my neighbors has a bee-ranch at Dulsura, and he has only 41 colonies left out of 120 last summer. Another in the same section lost all but one out of 50 colonies. Mr. Q. P. Hedye, of Linda Vista, said he thought he would not save over ten or fifteen per cent of two apiaries 01 about 300 colonies. A few that I have at present all came through, and are getting honey from soma sources so fast that I put on comb supers yesterday. Conditions seem to be a great deal as they were in the spring of 1905, so far as the loss of bees is concerned; and if we should obtain a heavy yield the loss of bees would prevent a very great overproduction at best. 246 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Notes from Canada J. L. Byer, Mt. Joy, Ontario. Are you joking, Dr. Miller, when you say tjiat " on this side it is a raiity for bees to work on the second crop of red clover"? page 125. Nothing rare about it here in Ontario, as, on the conti'ary, it would be a rare thing indeed to find a field of second- crop red clover without some bees being on the blossoms. But it i.s a rare thing to find them doing enough to show any results in the supers. Only two or three times since I have been keeping bees has this happened. The March 1st issue is practically a '' city number"," and this leads me to remark that the average country beekeeper nas no iden of the number of colonies kept in some oi our large cities. Toronto, right near me, with a population of over half a million, has a great number of bees inside its limits, as I learned when doing inspection work a few years ago. From the standpoint of disease, our city brethren have more to contend with than we have, as there may be bees within a short distance, and yet they may know nothing about it. Tliis is not insinuating that the city beekeeper is nec- essarily not as well informed on the disease question as his country brother, for, on the contrary, I know many of them who are up to date, and hustlers in every sense of the word. But ove beekeeper exposing foul brood in the city may do much more harm than if he Avere in the country, for th*^ simple reason that very few may know that he has bees, and damage may be done to neighboring apiaries while the proprietors have no idea of the source of infection. Under date of Feb. 10 I wrote that winter here in this part of Ontario had been above the average in temperature. An old saying is that " it is never safe to whistle till you are out of the bush," and it holds good in the present instance. Since that date we have had a whole winteT''s cold in a month, as for three weeks in February the weather broke all records for our locality. At our home here in York Co. the thermometer said 30 below on two different occasions, and for two weeks at a stretch it was never above zero in the morning. At the yard 100 miles north of Toronto, wheie over 300 colonies are wintering outdoors, it was very much colder than here in York Co. Three days in sueeess'on it was 43, 37, and 33 below respectively ; and for the whole month of February only five mornings registered above zero. Results there will answer the many who live further north than I do. who,' the past fall, asked me if 1 considered wintering outdoors would be safe for them to practice. No report has come from this noitli yard for the past three weeks; but I am not worrying nuich about the bees, for all that ; for, notwithstanding the unusual cold, I jm not expecting a heavy loss. The bees up there had a partial flight Nov. 23. and as it is cold to-day (March 9) it looks as though they will have had a steady con- finement of four months at least before getting a chance to fly again. PAINTING PAYS. Regarding the matter of painting hives, as discussed by friend Doolittle on p. 842, Dec. 1, I might say that his claims as to economy of painting being a " myth " don't ajipeal to me a bit. I am not prepared to argue the cjuestion from the sanitary stand- point as applied to the health of the bees in painted or unijainted hives; but, honest- ly, 1 have no fear of the painted hives doing my bees any injury. But as to paint being a wood preservative, it seems absurd to me to try to prove otherwise. The oil in the paint is the main thing; and it takes little experi- menting to prove that oil-soaked wood will not soak up water like unpainted wood; and moisture in the material is the main cause of decay, as I understand the matter. Great corporations like our big railway companies, etc., certainly think that paint Tjays from an economic standpoint; and business interests of that nature seldom make mistakes of that kind. While I have a few hundred painted hives I also have a few hundred unpainted ones, so the above is written from an unbiased position. The unpainted hives always give me a feeling of reproach whenever 1 look at them, as I feel they are not a paying proposition, to say nothing of other disadvantages they may have. We have double-walled hives sheeted on the outside with half-inch stuff that were made over 30 years ago. They were well jiainted at that time by my grandfather, and are to-day in fair condition. Others, made about 1.5 years ago, and not painted, have the sheeting all curled up and split at the ends in many cases. Certainly painting would have paid in this case. APRIL 1, 1914 247 Beekeeping Among the Rockies Wksley Fcstkr. r> lulder, Col. r.OTH SIDES OF THE SPRAYING QUESTION. Yes, we have it in our Colorado law thai spraying- fruit-trees while in full bloom is a violation. It is this Avay : The clause deal- ing' with tlie subject is inserted in the law relating' to bee-diseases, otherwise known as our foul-brood law. A number of years ago a clause with the same substance was inserted in the horticultural law, and re- mained oil the statute-books for several years, and did a great deal of good. Then when the horticulturists wanted a new laAv they drew up a bill and thoughtlessly left out tlie clause regarding spraying. This is only natural, for the fruitmen could hardl\ he expected to have the bees in mind all of the time. Perhaps Ihe thoughtlessness Avas on the part of the beemen in allowing the subject to be passed over in that manner. Rut that is what happened, and the major- ity of Colorado beemen went blissfully on mu'sing the belief that they had protection from, spraying' in fruit-bloom. A fruit-grower who has a large orchai'd, to get over it all in time, has to begin the spraying at the earliest date so that results may be secured. Suppose he begins when the petals have just begun to fall — what will be the result? There §re many bees in the trees working on the blossoms. Suppose he does kill most of the fruit by his spraying that is not yet fertilized There is generally enough already fertilized to furnish a crop, and the work of thinning will not be so hard. This is an argument often made by intelligent fruit-groAvers — men who keep bees of their own, too; and some of them have knowingly poisoned their own bees, saying that it is better for them to buy bees every year and bring them in to be in turn poisoned than to delay the spraying. There aie so many belated blos- soms tliat some bees will be killed any way. Different spraying methods and materials are continually being tried, and new pests of the orcliards are appearing, so that the lot of the beeman is a hard one in a com- mercial-orchai'd district. My candid opin- ion is that the beeman had better keep out of the commercial-orchard districts. At Canon City tv/o years ago the leaf-roller threatened the orchards, and s]iraying was recommended and done throughout the blooming period. It killed bees in large quantities, and did no good to speak of in control of the rollers. But another metliod of control lias been found to be sure, so that the beeman need fear nothing from leaf- voUer spraying. The recommendations of horticultural authorities are generally to begin spraying for the codling moth when two-tliirds of the petals have fallen. If this is followed, will not a good many bees be killed? And then liow many fruit-growers can tell when any proportion of the petals have fallen? Anofher trouble from spraying comes when the later summer and fall sprayings are applied to kill the later hatches of the codling-moth worm. Cover cropping is now (juite generally done — alfalfa, sweet clover, alsike, and white and red clover being used. The bees working on the bloom under the apple-trees that have been sprayed sip the poisoned nectar from the blossoms, carry it home, and poison the brood and young liatched bees in the hive. New swarms hived in July have perished in two weeks, and many desert their hive jirecipitately. In some sections of the fruit-growing West the belief still is held by some promi- nent fi'uitmen that bees are at least partly responsible for the 'fepread of pear-blight. Some hold to the proposition that, if the bees were all moved out of a district, the s]iread of pear-blight could be controlled. The sentiment is strong enough in some places to attempt this if it were not for the difficulty of getting rid of the wild bees and also the difficulty of persuading the beemen of tlie truth of the proposition. I rather think that the fruitmen are not all of one mind on this question in any place. A law to control the spraying of fruit- trees during blooming time is a hard one to enforce. It is a potent factor in the more pronounced cases, and I am in favor of a law ; but a frank recognition of the diffi- culties, and a campaign of education by the beemen, will do much good in getting the fruitmen to follow the spirit of the law. Tlie beeman is safe enough if he is located in an orchard country where little spraying is done, as then the nectar from fruit-bloom will be a fine stimulant to the bees; but Avhen the arsenate of lead comes along with the blooming of the trees he must look out. He may have nine neighbors Avho will folloAv the rules closely enough so that they Avill do no damage; and one neighbor by sprav- ing a feAv days too soon Avill undo it all. And if the beeman is busy, be may never find out who that neighbor is. If he can find out in time, it can be stopped if there is a laAv in the State; but su])pose the one man can't be found till after the damage is done. The aA-erage man pockets his lo&s, and does nothing. 248 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Conversations v^ith Doolittle At Borodino, New York. A BIT OF HISTORY. " Do you practice line breeding, or do you breed by getting in new stock from other yards'? " A quarter of a century ago, instead of " line breeding " the term would be, " Do you breed all your queens from pure Italian stock?" a question which, in those years, was asked me scores of times. My answer invariably was, "No;" and then I had to explain that, according to my views, there is no such thing as a pure Italian bee or queen when viewed in the sense of a pure race, as the German or black bee is pure. At the best, I think the Italian bee is only a thoroughbred. Proof of my views is found in the fact that Italian bees vary from those coming from Italy which are so dark (a part of them) that they are hardly distin- guishable from the German bees, to those from some breeders whose abdomens look almost like a " lumji of gold " when sport- ing for the firet time in the noonday sun- slune. If the dark or leather-colored bees are pure, -with their three bands scarcely distinguishable, and then only when the bees are filled with honey, what shall we say of those^ Italians whose five segments are a solid golden color with only a dark tip on the sixth? We have, as a starting-point, a bee which, through hundreds of generations, penned in by the mountains of Italj', became establish ed as a variety which proved to be superior to any thing the world contained elsewhere, which bee was imported to the United States about the middle of the last century, father L. L. Langstroth being one of the first im- porters. Trom the progeny of this Lang- stroth importation, Mrs. Ellen S. Tupper advertised queens. We sent $20.00 for one of her best queens. This queen was of a light chestnut color, the whole length of her abdomen, and gave workers and a queen progeny above any thing previously coming into central New York. About 187.3 or '4 we sent $10.00 to H. A. King, Nevada, Ohio, for one of his best Italian queens. In this queen we had something bordering toward the orange, which gave bees with three bands that showed a chestnut-golden color, distinct enough so that all were to be .seen without their i)eing given honey to extend the abdomen, as was claimed neces- sary with imported stock to test their pur- ity; and in this King queen we had bees that gave an average yield of comb honey 10 per cent nhove any thing before known in this section. About that time, Mr. N. N. Betsinger said that he would rather have a certain colony of mine for honey production than any colony he ever looked at before. Later on I went to breeding from this queen. Her bees, and those from her daughters, readily outdistanced all tlie others in the yard for comb honey. About that time I exchanged queens witli Jos. M. Brooks, a noted beekeeper of Colum- bus, Ind., and through this exchange I not only added to the golden color of the bee;-' I had already, but gained a point as to honey production and white cappings. During the latter eighties I exchanged queens with Mr. L. L. Hearn, of Oakdale, W. Va., who was a noted breeder of " the best Italian bees " of those days, both of us claiming that, by this exchange, a gain would be made along all the lines necessarj for the best bees. Since then I have made several exchanges; but as none of these seemed to make any advance over Avhat was already in the home yard and at the out- apiary, they were discarded without mixing them with what I already had. In the mean time nearly all the bees in this section have been changed from the blacks and hybrids of the past to good Italian stock, very largely by furnishing, with ripe queen-cells, free of charge, those who would come to the yard. To further these Italian bees still more, drones from one of the choicest breeders have been kept till other drones were killed off, when queens from another best breeder were of the right age to mate with them, and in this way an improvement has been made. In a year or two, queens would be reared from the drone side, and young drones saved from the queen side. To get at the longevity part of the matter, as well as to prove some other points, also to prolong the life of the queen in question, an extra choice breeder would be taken from her colony in early June, and a queen giving different-colored workers put in her place. In this way it was easy to tell when the last of the breeders' bees passed away. Making a change in this way the first of August, bees from the breeder I was then using were found to quite a number on July 4 of the next year, but none the tenth, six days later. Now, I do not know whether this would be called " line breeding " or something else ; but I have given the bit of history telling the soui'ce, and way used, to bring our bees up from where they were in the early seventies. APRIL 1, 1914 249 General Correspondence WHAT IS A GOOD QUEEN? The Fact that Colonies Vary Proves that Improvement is Possible ; Choosing a Strain Adapted to the Locality BY E. S. MILES The quality of our bees is the foundation of our success. If one is to build a perma- nently successful business it is my belief I hat he must have a good strain of bees — one suited to his locality and methods; and (he better the bees, the more successful the business, other things being equal. The writer noticed, many years ago, that tliere is a great variation in bees; that they are no exception to the rule of variation thai the close observer sees in all the animal kingdom. If you want bad stingers you can find them; if you want those that swarm every favorable time — if you want those that sel- dom store much surplus, you can find them; and the wonder is that, under our present haphazard hit-or-miss, go-as-you-like way of breeding bees, they are not worse than they are. But, of course, the hit-or-miss way does hit part of the time; hence some good colo- nies among almost all strains. When I say good colonies I do not mean strong ones : but I mean good ones from the viewpoint of the honey-producer. If I were a nature student only, and interested in bees only as a study, I should be, perhaps, as much interested in a poor colony (from the honey-producer's stand- point) as in a good one. But I am speak- ing now solely on the utility of the bees for honey production. In bees we see then, I say, a great varia- tion in characteristics. Some have under- taken to deny this, but have simply adver- tised their own lack of jDowers of close observation or their lack of opportunity. This variation is the breeder's hope for better things. True, it will lead nowhere if not followed intelligently, and that is true of the hope of any thing better in any thing in the world. But first, we must know what we want in the bee — what traits to look for — before we start selection for any thing in particular; and I wish to go on record as claiming that one should have bees adapted to his own locality. A good strain developed in another and a different locality may be all right for yours, and then, again, it may not be. There is a gi-eat variation as to how they breed before, during, and after the flow; and the character of your location as to the number of flows, and when they come, de- termine when and how much you want them lo breed for best results. And here I wish to remark that, in my estimation, there are two popular beliefs that do more to hold back the improvement of the bee than all else put together unless we except the old sin of neglect. These are, the belief that the more ^Trolific the bess the better, and that queens reared under the natural- swarming impulse are the best. I do not wish to speak for other than a white-clover or basswood locality, having had no experience with any other, and I am not of those who teach from other men's experience ; but un.der that head I wish to state, as positively as I can make it, my dissent from these errors. Let us look at the bees as though their characteristics were habits. Let us say they have certain habits. One strain has a habit of swarming; an- other of not breeding strong in spring; another of not living through tlie winter; another of not swarming so long as they have a chance to store up honey; another of capping and building beautiful combs ; an- other of making " greasy " cappings, etc. All experienced beemen have seen bees with all these " habits " and many more. If we look carefully into these " habits " it will surprise us to find how many of them are linked together, or connected, one being a natural sequence of another, so that, if we avoid one, in some cases we also avoid an- other or more; and if we like one, and choose it, we may get another that is desir- able along with it. Mind, however, that I do not say, " If you get one good habit all others are good;" for sometimes two good habits are the result of one cause. Now, when we come down to selecting, the real difficulty begins; for what two men see alike? What two men would both choose the same colony for a breeder in any certain yard? Yet in every yard of bees there is a one best one for breeding purposes if we could know it ; and the man who does know, or comes nearest to knowing, every thing else being equal, will produce the finest strain of bees. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Right here, perhaj^s, some one will say, " Why, take that colony that gives the most honey, of course." Yes, that's one test, surely; but what of (as we have heard of eases) a famous queen whose daughters none of them come up to her? In that case, evidently, we are on the wrong track unless her daughters are above the average quality we can obtain from any other breeder. But there may be other colo- nies not nearly so large surplus producers that may produce daughters more uniformly good producers. This can be explained on the supposition that the queen of the large- surplus colony may be a grade or mongi-el in a very slight degree — so slight that it is noticeable in no way except through her progeny; or if not that, the mating is not the proper " nick," as stockmen say, to perpetuate all of the good qualities. Unless I am mistaken, it is not always the very finest and most perfect specimens among our domestic animals that j^roduce the prize- winners and sweepstake getters, but certain strains mated in a certain way. As I un- derstand it, the breeder is continually on the lookout for a sire or dam which will produce prize-winners, or specimens nearest to per- fection. What a howl of misunderstanding goes up when one mentions an " improved bee," a " non-swarming bee,'" or a " red-clover bee "! The wise one quickly says, " Let me take your non-swarmers, and I'll make 'em swarm the first good season." Why, bless your poor misunderstanding heart, I can take the finest thoroughbred cow and make her as worthless as any scrub in a year, and her progeny scrubs in four or five years or less. No one expects to reacli perfection in a few years, nor expects to hold it, if ever reached, without his best efforts. There is a vast difference, my brethren, between " going on toward perfection," whether we ever " attain " or not, and leaning back on the traces and saying, " No i\se, it can't be done." If you won't do any thing yourself, my brother, in Heaven's name don't try to hold back the ones who are trying. But to go back to our subject, I wished to call attention to a few of the habits that, according to my experience, appear to be related : Tlie trait, or habit, of prolificness, and the swarming habit, go together. In other words, if you want swarmers, select very prolific strains of bees; but I have not been able to get the honey-gathering habit very strong in these extra-prolific strains. I do not say it can not be done; but all those I have had have not l)een honey-gath- erers as compared wilh those with that habit. There are strains, however, of the Italian bee that breed fairly well until a heavy flow comes, when their strong "habit" of honey-gathering takes possession of them and they bend every energy to storing hon- ey, even to the point of almost stopping brood-rearing some of the best days. These are the bees to get our non-swarmers from, and I have yet to find a colony slow to swarm that was not a good honey-gatherer. The point to decide and establish is, " How strong do we want this honey-storing habit, and not have it overdone so our colonies will not keep up proper strength for later use? " If I were running for ex- tracted honey altogether, I should not fear overdoing the matter at all; but for section honey it would not do to have bees tliat fill the brood-combs too early in the season (the same bees that do this will not do it with plenty of built combs), as in extracting. My idea of a bee for this locality (white clover and basswood) is one that must be hardy, so as to winter, of course, and just prolific enough to fill the hive fairly full of brood by the clover harvest ; but they must have the honey-storing " habit " so strong that they fill every thing with honey before tliey swarm. Then I make it my business to see that they have plenty of room, so that they never reach that stage. Some one will say, " Yes, sometimes they will fill every thing, and then, again, they'll swarm witli lots of empty comb." True, my brother; true enough, if you are talking of bees bred " hit or miss," " promiscuous like," as most bees are; but that is not the kind I am i-eferring to. I say you can, by selection, breed bees that will do as I sug- gest, if you can select the right ones to breed from. Why, how many times have I had peo]ile ask, " Had any swarms yet? I had a fine swarm to-day," and I would say, " If I had a colony that would swarm at this time of year I'd pinch the queen's head off." The party would look at me as though I were a freak, and just delighted in odd saying's. Yes, if yoi; breed " hit or miss," as by natural swarming, you will have some freak colonies that will swarm, apparently, just to pass the time, and when they can not get enough to live on. It is possible to have a strain tliat will gather a good living right beside these worthless freaks, and be building up slowly and steadily, and be ready for the crop, without much attention, when the hit-or- miss kind will surely miss unless you watch closely and feed: and even then the chances are for sivarms later instead of honey. There is a laughable illustration of this in the bee world to-day. The Avriter urged breeding a bee more for honey-gathering APRIL 1, 1914 and less for swarming, some years ago, and gave a record showing a very small per- centage of swarming. A certain writer would no( hear to the idea that the bee could be improved, but claimed that a bee is a bee, always was, and always will be the same, and that it is only through the igno- rant imagination that unlearned men claim a better bee than those commonly found llu'ough the country; but now this man is announcing that he has lost about all his bees, owing to there not being enough nectar for brood-rearing, and that he has given up the production of section honey owing to the api)alling number of unfinished sections. Tlie writer kept bees for years within five miles of this man's location; is well ac- quainted all through his neighborhood, hav- ing grown to manhood there, and knows both from observation and personal experi- ence that the locality is practically the same as here ; yet we have produced, during these same seasons, good average crojis; have increased the number of our colonies each year, and have found the business profit- able right along, both of extracted and of section honey. If this is not an argument for ail improved bee, then pardon me for relating it, as that is my only purpose. Now a word about red-clover bees. I have never had bees from the advertised red- clover strains ; but, listen : Two seasons out of the past seven these " improved " or select-bred Italians have given me a nice surplus from red clover, one year storing clear white honey at the time that common hybrids right beside them stored dark hon- ey-dew. A little is also due to the old-fogy notion that natural-swarming queens are the best. Whoever contends thus has not tried both, or else he does not know how to rear queens outside of natural swarming. If there is 251 one thing I have learned, and am sure of, it is that I can have better queens by arti- ficial methods than by swarming — not only because I rear them from the stocks I like, so as to get the " habits " I want ; but I can not get as good queens from these same stocks if reared in swarming colonies. This is something I can not explain ; but 1 think the disposition of the colony nursing the young queens may possibly be imparted to the young queens to some extent. I am thoroughly convinced that, to improve and hold the improvement permanently, we must breed our queens in colonies that have no desire except for a queen, and possibly when their energy is devoted to honey-gathering, as in a good flow. I would not give a fig for all the improve- ment gained in 100 years by natural swarm- ing, however managed. Such a plan is out of date; it is a back number, and every progressive and wide-awake honey-produc- er can do better without it. He can handle more bees and raise more honey with the same labor without ; then why not get rid of it'? Breed it out! Breed it out! It isn't ^\\e. fellows who have tried who say it can not be done, but it's those who have not. If you don't want swarming, don't breed from swarming colonies nor use them for cell-building. And don't keep bees that tend to keep an extra-large amount of brood through the flow, as, one year with another, they will not pay as well in a clover or basswood location, and they will make more labor by swarming. This is so large a subject that it is diffi- cult to treat it in one or even two articles; but this is given in hopes of giving cause for thought and discussion. Dunlap, Iowa. THE LACK OF A STANDARD OF MARKINGS TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENT STRAINS OF ITALIANS BY ARTHUR WILLIAMS A number of years ago we began making jireparations for conducting a series of experiments with the different races and their crosses, by acquiring some isolated tracts where no bees existed, and wliere forage was sufficient to insure success. Right at the outset, however, we met with difficulty in determining the purity of any certain race, for there seems to be no fixed stand- ard— no uniformity of type. Every breed- er from Avhom we purchased queens testified to their purity, yet hardly any two would produce bees alike; and two queens from the same breeder would show different colors and characteristics. Last year I began trying the direct im- portation ; but the distance here is so great that, with the present mailing-cage, it is any thing but a success ; in fact, for all my dealings with queen-breeders I have very little to show but considerable expense and experience and a magnificent collection of queen-cages. I might add that, for inge- nuity ill inventing excuses, I believe that 252 queen-breeders outclass any other people I have ever seen. I received a certain breeder's card that was sent with an untested golden that 1 ordered after trying tested queens with un- satisfactory results. The queen accompany- ing the card was a very pretty golden, all right; but her progeny are any tiling but goldens— two bands are the best that any of them show. A number of years ago Mr. A. I. Root recommended gorging bees with honey and examining them by transmitted light. Those that showed only two bands were to be called hybrids. Well, these bees are hybrids all right. This is only one instance of many. The trouble seems to be that there is no well-defined standard to breed to; and as long as this chaotic condition exists, bveed- ei-s can dispose of mismated queens with impunity; and even with the most consci- entious there is bound to be so much varia- tion that misundei'standings and dissatis- faction are bound to occur. My suggestion is that a body composed of the best representative beekeepers in the country, with The A. I. Root Company and Dr. Phillips, form a standard as to what every known race should be in its purity; then The A. I. Root Company will publish a little book with colored plates and com- plete description. This should be accepted as authority, and every breeder conform as nearly as possible to the type therein set forth. Then, and not until then, will there be much progress made in developing the honey-bee. Arroyo Grande, Cal. [It is true there is no uniform scheme by which different strains of Italian bees may be distinguished. A golden Italian bee may be any thing from a bright-yellow three- banded to a yellow five-banded with an oc- casional specimen of bee yellow all over; but we have the proof now that there are very few five-banded and yellow-all-over bees. The so-called five-banded queens usu- ally do not show up any better than three- banded, four-banded, with occasional five- banded bees. There are those who have claimed to have all five-banded bees; but when we come to examine them very care- fully it appears that the larger percentage of the bees are four-banded, with an occa- sional five-banded bee. For that reason we have discouraged the advertising of five- banded bees, and have recommended the term " golden." This term is somewhat flexible, and means any thing from a bright three-banded Italian to a four-banded bee. As there is such a difference in marking of GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE the same queen it would be very difficult to make a uniform standard ; and about all one can do is to advertise golden bees and state such a queen will run such a percent- age of four-banded and such a percentage of five-banded; but one can not very well advertise to produce bees running nothing less than four-banded and the majority five- banded — at least we have not seen any stock of that kind. When it comes to pure Italians, it is generally accepted throughout that three yellow bands are the standard markings for ordinary Italian bees; but nevertheless it is a fact that bees direct from Italy will some- times show only two bands and two bands and a half; that is to say, the third band next to the thorax is so indistinct that it does not show unless the bees are filled with honey, as A. I. Root recommended years ago. Some of the finest and best workers we have ever had have been leather-colored bees; that is to say, they had two bands clear and a third band showing indistinctly, or what might be called a 2y2-banded bee, as George B. Howe would say. We don't like to discourage any effort toward securing a uniform standard, be- cause of the variation that appears in the golden Italians. In the stock that we sell of this kind, we do not guarantee any thing except bright yellow color; and as far as we ever go is to guarantee three 3'ellow bands of bright yellow and occasionally four yellow bands. Sometimes we are for- tunate enough to have stock that will run three-banded and largely four-banded, say 25 per cent three-banded and 70 per cent four-banded, and perhaps 5 per cent five- banded. Such stock we would call very bright golden, and about as good as any one could ever secure. Now, unfortunately, queens from such a queen would show bees three-banded and four-banded; possibly they would show only three bands; they might take after their father; and it is unfortu- nate, too, that some of these so-called golden breedei-s will have daughters that will show- bees of only two bands. For that reason we don't like to sell golden Italians; we prefer to sell the regular standard three- banded bees that will run fairly uniform. Bees that have been bred for color are very unstable in their markings. If any one can propose any scheme that will establish a uniform standard for all bees, we shall be glad to adopt it. Tenta- tively we might suggest for the leather- colored Italians, especially imported, that the standard be two, two and one-half to three bands for leather-colored and import- ed. For ordinary Italians, three-banded ; APRIL 1, 1914 253 Mr. Harvey's apiary at Montrose, Col., spring count 2(iO; fall count, 280. and 40 cases culls. Honey crop 850 cases comb honey for Goldeiis, three-banded and four-banded. When the standard calls for too much, the It would be a great deal better to make the stock itself will be liable to fall below it, standard a little under what the bees will and this will cause ill feeling and complaint, probably show than to make it too high. — Ed.] SOME BEEMEN I HAVE KNOWN M. W. Harvey, Montrose. BY WESLEY FOSTER Once in a while we meet a beekeeper whose careful, painstaking, methodical ways stand out in bold relief. Such a beekeeper, when found, will generally be quiet and un- assuming, and one who has to be drawn out by questioning. He will rarely speak at conventions, and, unless asked, will not tell of the methods used in his beekeeping pi*ac- tice. Such a man is M. W. Harvey, of Mont- rose, owner of 700 colonies of bees all in well-painted dovetailed hives located in api- aries of methodical arrangement with a well-built honey-house at each outyard. He drives a Ford touring-car, and has had the least expense for upkeep of any automobil- ist I have heard of. Mr. J. C. Matthews says that Mr. Harvey never drives faster than 10 miles an hour. I asked Mr. Harvey what he thought of the Ford, and he replied that it was the best-built car, regardless of price, and he spoke as though he meant every word. His words have a peculiar power of carrying conviction, probably be- cause, when he does speak, he speaks out of his experience. He will not give you his opinion on any thing. If he does not know he will tell you so — no " guess so " or " per- haps " about it. Mr. Hai'vey, contrary to the practice of most beekeejiers, does not keep any bees, fixtures, or appliances at home. If he does he had them all out of sight when I called. Every thing is kept in the houses at the outyards, and the home place does not be- tray his kind of business. From all appear- ances Mr. Harvey might be a retired farm- er, a business man. or a professional man with his office over town. The same order is evident about his neat home that is shown at his apiaries. His methods of honey pro- duction have been reduced to a system by which he has been able to obtain higher averages per colony, with a better quality of honey, than his fellow beekeepers. He told me that any beekeeper following the same system, and working as thoroughly as be does, can have the same results. There 254 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Closer view of Mr. Harvey's apiary, shovring the vcay western producers take off honey during a good flow. A few of the bees are unoked out, the super .iprked off. and then stood on end to allow the revst of the bees to come out at their leisure. This plan can be followed only during a honey flow. is no wizardry about his methods unless the careful, thoughtful, methodical worker is a wizard. Mr. and Mrs. Harvej' sjiend their winters in California, as do quite a number of other western beemen and families. Once a bee- man goes there for the winter he goes back year after vear if the crop warrants it. He told me he' had made from $3000 to $5000 per year from his bees regularly, although he has suffered very much from winter and spring losses and from poisoning of his bees by careless people spraying fruit-trees while in bloom. Would that we might have more beemen like l\'Lr. Harvey. He is help- ing to raise the standards of beekeeping, not by his preaching but by his practice. Boulder, Col. REARING GOOD QUEENS BY R. P. holtb;rmann From an address given hy Mr. Roy Eeet, Black River, N. Y., at a convention of the Jefferson and St. Lawrence County Beekeepers In Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties live some of the best beekeepers in New York ; and the past poor season in that pari of the State did not appear to dampen their beekeeping ardor in the least. Mr. Roy Keet, of Black River, N. Y., gave the following on reai'ing good queens: A good queen is, in my estimation, the most important factor of success in bee- keeping. One may be the fortunate owner of all modern equipment and still not have good queens. Good queens are as essential in the ajiiary as are good cows in the herd. Success depends on the quality of the queen. It may be well to explain here what I mean by a good queen. She must be of good stock; slie should be reared under the best possible conditions, which I shall name later on; she should be strong and proUIie; she should lay her eggs in a compact clus- ter, and not scatter them; her bees should be gentle; and in these days of brood dis- eases she must be purely mated. I will add further from my experience, I believe she should be a pure Italian. METHOD OF REARING. First, we must choose the colony for our work. This should not be a difficult mat- ter, for this colony need not be the strong- est in the yard. One having six combs of brood with plenty of bees to cover them will answer. Having selected the colony, we first remove the queen. If she is a valu- able one Ave retain her in a nucleus for fu- ture use. Fi-equently, under such circum- stances, 1 build up this nucleus into a full colony for winter. We next I'etnove as mucli of the unsealed brood as possible. In a ten- APRIL 1, 1914 Irame hive 1 crowd the bees down to five or six combs, and follow up with a two-inch chatt' dummy. Wc now liave the bees crowd- ed; and, in addition to being cjueenless, tiieir eggs and larva? will also have been taken away. So we close the hi\e, and leave them five days to their uni-leasant meditation. Unless honey is coming in steadily from natural sources we nmst feed every morning and night. For this i)urpose I prefer an entrance feeder, consisting of a quart Mason jar, having a perforated cap or cover. 1 close all the holes, but two, with wax. It takes the bees about twenty-four liouis to empty this jar of thin honey, and this means tliat it comes to them slowly like a natural ivoney-flow, and thus prevents robbing. On this account it is much better than feeding the whole amount at once. This feeding should be kept up until the queen-cells are sealed. We now proceed to our breeding colo'iy. and place a good clean worker comb in the very center of the brood-nest, where the breeding queen will be most likely to find it fiist. When she has laid a few hundred eggs this comb is taken out and placed in the center of our prepared queenless colony mentioned above. In three days they will liatch, and be abundantly fed. In twelve hours after they hatch they are ready to be transferred to the cell-cups. In this queenless colony the little larvae will be fairly swimming in jelly. If the directions have been followed closely, no extra royal jelly will be needed in the proc- ess of grafting. Lift from the cell the little larva, jelly and all, on the point of a flexible quill, and place in the prepared cell-cup. Graft fifteen of these cups in like manner, and take them back to the queen- less colony. Make sure that the bees have started no other cells in the meantime. If so, cut out every one. Arrange the combs so that the frame containing the prepared cell- cups be placed between two combs of hatch- ing brood. Close the hive, and do not dis- turb it for forty-eight hours. Every cell should be accepted, owing to the small num- ber grafted. The cells may be left till the twelfth day; then take them out and place them in a tiu'ee-frame nucleus to hatcii. Be very care- ful that the cells be not chilled, for a chilled cell will make a dark queen. Several things must be kept in mind. First, that the queen-rearing colony is free from unsealed brood, and that the bees are crowded down to fewer combs. Contract the entrance according to the temperatuie. and feed daily. Create in this way a pros- perous condition, and do not disturb t!ie bees unnecessarily. Queens reared in this manner are started from the egg. We do not guess at the age of the larva, for we ti'ansfer larva, jelly, and all at one time, so that tiie delicate larva itself is not touched. From the very stait the larva is fed as for a queen in jusi the way the bees do it wlien left to their own lesources. Under natural conditions bees do not feed a larva three days for a wdrkei', then change their minds and feed royal jelly for a queen. They feed royal jelly flora the rery start; so, in order to rear good queens, we must do the same. Let the bees work as near to nature as possible, and thus avoid many mistakes. Mr. George B. Howe, also of Black River, said he generally uses a strong colony for queen-rearing, and that he likes to find a colony supeiseding their queen, but that ex]iert beekeepers can rear good queens without colonies that are superseding. Mr. F. D. House, President of The New York State Beekeepers' Association, said that he prefers to crowd the bees even more than the amount mentioned by Mr. Keet above. That is, he crowds a ten-frame colony down on to three frames, taking away all brood, but leaving pollen, honey, and water. He said further that fifteen cells is a rather small number, but that such number is all right nevertheless. Mr. House feeds ten to fifteen days before queen-rear- ing time unless there is a natural honey- flow. This brings about swarming condi- tions. Mr. Howe said that in his locality he wants the capped brood, because the nights are cooler than they are in Mr. House's locality. Mr. Keet said he wants the cap- ped brood not only for warmth, but for providing plenty of nurse bees. A further statement was made to the effect that the reason these bees cut out the sides of the queen-cells and consume the royal jelly, even in July, is the condition of the honey-flow or absence of the flow being ad- verse to queen-rearing; also dead larvae, excitement, too much smoke, and black bees. Brantford, Ont. [An interesting point is raised above in the plan given by Mr. Keet — that is, wheth- er it would be better to have the larvae in- tended for queens to be transferred into the queen-cell cups with royal jelly at the very first. The whole question hinges upon this: Whether worker larvae are fed royal jelly the first three days or not. Some of our authorities have claimed that all worker larvEe are fed royal jelly the first three days, and that they are then fed a coarser food. 256 Tliose intended for queens, however, are fed the richer royal jelly right along. Whether this be the case we do not know, as it is a rather difficult matter to get any reliable GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE data on. If any of our readers have had any opportunity for making experiments one way or the other, we sliould be glad to hear from them. — En.] THE STRONGEST VIRGINS MATE THE EARLIEST AND BECOME THE BEST QUEENS BY P. A. HOOPER Why can not all the colonies in the same yard store alike? In an apiary of, say, 300 colonies, one will find that about one-third store on an average 8 imperial gallons of honey (112 pounds each) ; another luuidred will average about 4 gallons, and the re- mainder will average from three gallons to nothing. The first third we class as No. 1. These colonies, on the opening of the sea- son, have a large force of bees ready for the field; and on examining them, the combs will be found to have evenly sealed brood and plenty of stores. The next third we class as No. 2. These colonies, on the opening of the season, are not strong enough to take advantage of the first bloom, for they are deficient in brood, bees, and stores. The remaining third we class as No. 3. These, on the opening of the season, are so poor that they have to be supplied with combs of brood and stores to keep them alive until they gain sufficient strength to be able to gather nectar for themselves. These 300 colonies may have queens all reared from the same mother and under the same conditions, yet some are very much inferior to the others. Again, suppose we make up, say, 100 three-frame nuclei, each nucleus having the same amount of bees, brood, and stores, or as near as possible. The cells are distribut- ed the same day, and from five to twelve days all these virgin queens are mated. In eight weeks, and sometimes less, many of these nuclei will have built up to strong ten-frame colonies, while others will take from three to four months before they be- come established colonies. There are others, again, that will not build up, but dwindle and die out if left unaided. THE FAULT LIES WITH THE QUEEN. No one, by looking at a queen, can tell for a certainty that she is of good quality. I have had them as large as a queen should be, yet they were not wortli a pound of honey. On the other hand I have had queens with nothing very remarkable about them, yet their subjects stored twenty imperial gallons of honey in one season — that is, from December to the following June. From these queens I bred several, but none of their daughters proved of much value. For the sake of experiment I once bred some queens from very inferior stock, and yet of that lot there was a couple whose bees stored over 100 pounds of honey in a season. Is there no method left untried to get all our queens to give good results? We all know that virgin queens take from four to twelve days in mating. Those that get mated on the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth day generally turn out drone-layers, or start drone-laying before they commence to lay worker eggs. Note these queens carefully ; and before the following season opens they will have died out or absconded with their little swarm. In my opinion it is the strongest and most healthy virgins that get mated soon after hatching, and it is these queens we are in- debted to for large yields of honey. Four Paths, Clarendon, Jamaica, B. W. I. UNIFORMITY IN QUEENS AND RESULTS NOT IMPOSSIBLE BY G. M. DOOLITTLE Mr. Hooper, in the foregoing, tells us something of his experience with beekeeping on that sunny island Jamaica, where there are no frosts, to say nothing of the 20 to 30 degi-ees below zero which we here in York State have to contend with. It would seem that there should be no trouble in having every colony in such a warm climate brongiit to jierfection ready for any honey harvest when it comes. But instead of per- fection I find him telling of just about the same thing I used to have 25 to 40 years ago, namely, one-third of the colonies in good condition for the harvest; one-third scarcely fair, while the I'emaining third are " no good " so far as any surplus is con- cerned. And I note that he seems to think that the fault of the jDoorness of the last APKIT. 1. 1914 257 two thirus, ur of 200 out of the 300 colonies, lies will) the queen. Undoubtedly this is lari^ely Irue; but the stores to be used by the ditferent colonies while in a state of repose, tlie age and vitality of the bees, and the location of the colonies, all liave an important bearing in this matter. Some colonies get started to work to a greater or less extent on different bloom ; and where so started they will adhere to (|uite an extent on that bloom ; and when tliis bloom is a long distance from the liive the vitality of the bees is worn out faster than when it is nearer their home. Then colonies located in the shade, in low damp places, or with the entrance facing away from the sun, do not ripen their stores as perfectly as do those with conditions more favorable. We used to talk about colonies as '' near alike as two peas," with one doing good work and the other getting scarcely a living; but most of our j^ractical ajDiarists realize that, where every thing is consid- ered, two colonies which may appear per- fectly alike can, by one or more " cog- wheels " being out of mesh, be very dissim- ilar; and this dissimilarity may make all the difference between the good and the poor. But let us turn our attention to the part which the queen plays in this matter. Mr. Hooper says, " These 300 colonies may have queens all reared from the same mother and under the same conditions, yet some are very much inferior to others." Under nat- ural swarming this is possible; but under the guidance of an intelligent queen-breeder it is not probable. With natural swarming the rule is that, with the sealing of the first queen-cell, out comes the first or prime swarm ; and with this swarm go % to y% of all the bees the colony numbei'ed before swarming. The inmate of the first queen- cell sealed has had all the food and atten- tion lavished on it that the first one did to bring forth a queen superior in every respect; and all that is required from now on till she emerges from her cell is sufficient heat for her development. But as a rule there will be half a dozen queen larvse in other cells, all the way from those just hatched from the &^^ to those near to seal- ing over, and these can not have the atten- tion lavished on them that the first did; t herefore they, as Mr. Hooper says, " may he inferior," and that just in proportion to the lack of the best environment. Again, Mr. Hooper tells us, " We all know that virgin queens take from four to twelve days in mating." If by this he means that any queen ever mates in four days from maturity, I can not be classed with the "all;" for I never knew of such an occui'- ence. I do not say that such is not possible under the genial sunshine of Jamaica, but even that is doubtful. 1 once rushed into print with the report that I had a queen emerge from the cell on the first day of July, lead out a swarm on the second day, and commence to lay on the fourth day of the same month, and so I reasoned tliat all of the old records were broken. But the next year, during swarming time, we had a week of cool rainy weather, so disagreeable that not a swarm issued. On the eighth day the sun came out, and the air was balmy. Then, to my surprise, I found plenty of young queens running around in hives which had had swarms issue from them with the old or mother queen, from four to eight hours before. In this way my " brok- en records " showed that I was not familiar with tlie fact, often proven since then, that virgin queens are often held in their cells by the worker bees from one to eight days after maturity, in which case they go out to mate in accord with the length of time from their matwrity rather than from the time they emerged from the cell. During those earlier years of my bee- keeping life I was continually puzzling over the problem of part of my colonies giving good yields of honey while others did scarcely any thing; and it was not till I commenced rearing queens as given in "Sci- entific Queen-rearing " that I found any answer to that puzzle. Then, with the se- lection of larvae of proper age, from my best queen mothers, I began to obtain more nearly like results from all the colonies in the apiary. I now had matters under my own control to a great extent; and by tak- ing a frame of nicely cleaned and polished comb from a colony which was preparing the cells for the first eggs laid by a recently mated virgin queen, and putting this in with my best breeder for twelve hours, and then taking it out and giving it to a queenless colony. I learned just the size and looks of a larva twenty-four to thirty-six hours old, which were the ages when they could be turned into the best of queens to the best advantage by " broody " bees, with the rich- est chyle they had prepared for these larvae. Having these tilings learned I then had nineteen out of twenty of my virgin queens mated and laying on the eighth or ninth day after maturity, with not one out of fifty failing to have plenty of eggs in the combs of her colony or nucleus on the tenth day, during the summer months, which would give about such weather as Mr. Hooper has during two-thirds of the year. When Sep- tember and October come on, even the best of our queens take more time after their maturity for mating; and in October there are only occasional days when the Aveatbev is suitable for drones and queens to fly, in which case the time of their mating is wholly dependent on the weather. At the present time, after years of breed- ing from the best queens and along the lines given, if we put the standard for a good nectar season as 100 pounds, very few are the colonies which give less than 80 lbs., and efjually few are those which give more than 120 lbs., all colonies being given the same attention by the one who " leaves no stone GLEANINGS IN BKK CULTURE unturned" that success v. -.r: !e allained. With a year such as Dr. Millei' had in 191;;, these figures might be easily doubled, while in a very poor year 30 pounds might be the standard, with 20 lbs. for the i^oorest and 40 pounds for the best. In this striving, and in a measure attain- ing, has come a whole lot of pleasure, far ahead of gossip at a country store, which so many consider necessary as a " rest from their labors." Borodino. N. Y. THE LACK OF A STANDARD OF MARKINGS TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENT STRAINS OF ITALIANS BY H. G. QUIRIN There is no doubt in our estimation that the Italian bee has been improved to quite an extent; but we feel equally confident that there is still plenty of room for im- provement. The progress toward a better bee has been rather slow — the chief reason, in our estimation, being that nearly all queen-breeders ha\e a particular standard toward which they are Avorking. The qual- ities considered as most important by one breeder may not be considered as such by another. A bee best suited for a southern climate may not be the best for our north- ern States, and vice versa. Mr. Hooper makes a statement in the latter part of his article with which but few breeders in the United States will agree; at least we don't quite agree with him where he says that those virgins which mate on the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth daj^s gener- allv turn out to be drone-lavers, or start laying drone eggs before they commence to lay worker eggs. We know nothing about the weather conditions in Jamaica. Prob- ably the weather does not interfere with the natural inclination of the virgins to the same extent it does here; but in our own experience, where nice days are the rule, virgins will mate (the majority of them) in from six to nine days. A small per cent will mate both before and after that time. On the other hand, where weather condi- tions interfere, or where a virgin is other- wise prevented from taking her flight, she may be mated considerably after the twelfth day, and turn out to be as good and long- lived as any queen. However, circumstances alter cases. Where a virgin is kept in a cage till ten or twelve days old she may turn out to be a failure; while the same queen, if kept in a nucleus and j^revented from taking flight for two weeks merely by inclement weather, has a much better chance for becoming a good queen. An old beeman from whom we got our first pointers on bees many years ago (he was a doctor and a close student of nature) told us that he would a little rath- er have queens reared so late in the fall that t h e y o u n g queens would not be- gin laying till the next spring. When we asked him why he ]) r e f e r r e d such queens he claimed Mr. and Mrs. .Tohn Stevensen among their bees in Everton, Mo. thai they were hard- APRIL 1, 1914 259 ier. We can uol say whether he made suf- ficient experiments alonii' this line to know, or whether he simply held to this as a theory. In our experience we can not recall that we have ever noticed any difference. From a tlieoretical point of view a hardy, long-lived queen ought to produce long- lived bees. The longevity of a worker bee depends upon the disposition of the colony, to a great extent. The Avorkers of a ner- vously disposed colony are almost always shorter-lived. They may be out mornings somewhat earlier, and possibly out later evenings; yet ever_y touch of their hive brings them boiling out ; every ray of sun- light seems to bring them forth in Cjuest of stores. When it comes to wintering here in the North, such bees won't winter as Avell as the quieter bees, the main reason being that they won't cluster as closely. They have a sort of tendency to spread out over the combs more than the quiet bees. It is our candid opinion that the lack of longrevity in some bees is due to their foolish habits I'atli- er than to the lack of some inherited quality from the queen, such as i)hysical hardi- ness. Bellevue, Ohio. IMPROVEMENT BY SELECTION IN BREEDING IS GRADUAL BY B. M. SPENCER Many articles have been written on the subject of the best bees, the rearing of queens, etc., all of which lead up to the same point — the production of the most honey. We are all well aware that there are certain races of bees that cap their honey whiter — for example, the blacks ; oth- ers that swarm considerably — the Carnio- lans; a cross of the blacks Avith some other race like the Italians makes a better bee for the production of fancy comb honey, while the Carniolan is a better bee for in- crease on account of its tendency to swarm. If the producers were all running for ex- tracted honey there Avould be a far greater gain in the purity of the bees in the coun- try, owing to the fact that black stock Avould be almost eliminated. A race of bees tliat will gather more lioney is desired by the extracted-honey producer; and thus a terri- tory where extracted-honey production is the rule is the best for rearing pure queens. As Doolittle says in his department in the January 1st issue, there is no race that excels the dark Italians for honey-gathering qualities, and there is no question but that these bees are the ones for the extracted- honey producer. The question, then, is hoAV to produce mothers from these queens which the apiarist buys from the queen-breeder who is breeding from the best Italian stock. All honey-producers knoAV tliat there is a great difference in the production of honey from different colonies in the same yard bred from the same mother, and this differ- ence can not always be accounted for, even by the most experienced apiarist or queen- breeder. If it were possible to do so the poor queens could be superseded at once, and far more headway made, as in poultry- raising, for instance. This brings us down to the proposition of breeding from queens that produce workers that make a certain average in a yard. Years ago I had a certain colony that gathered seventeen ten-frame supers of nine frames each of extracted honey, which su- pers averaged about 30 pounds of honey each. The average yield in this yard was about 200 pounds per colony. Any breeder knows that, if I had reared 100 queens from the one queen whose bees made sucu a record, it would have been doubtful whether I could have secured one that would have equaled the original colony in honey- gathering. The most practical plan for the apiarist is to use any one of the well-tried methods of rearing queens, and select several queens to rear from, whose bees show better honey- gathering qualities than the average in the yard, and also drones from colonies show- ing better honey-gathering qualities, thus making a small gain each year. Too little attention is paid to the drones when breed- ing is considered. I expect to see the day Avhen drone brood or drones will be shipped by queen-breeders to apiarists for the pur- pose of providing superior drones for the mating of their queens. HOW TO PREVENT THE LOSS OP YOUNG QUEENS IN MATING. The mating of the queen after she is liatched has been one of the hardest prob- lems, for so many of the young queens are lost. It is usually supposed that the miss- ing queens are caught by birds, or that they enter the wrong hives and are killed. A year ago I made some careful experiments to see Avhat proportion of queens became laying when requeening by giving cells due to hatch within 48 hours after the old queens were remoA-ed. In each of 100 Im^esi J60 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE I gave the bees a cell as soon as the old queen was removed. Out of the entire lot, less than one-third became laying queens. After this exj^eriment I again selected 100 colonies and gave the bees a cell three days after the old queen was removed, cutting out all the first cells started by the bees. Out of this lot about half became laying queens. Once more I selected 100 colonies, but gave the cells eight days after the queens had been removed, cutting out all cells started by the bees as before. Out of this lot fully 75 became laying queens. In each test the queens hatched in over 95 per cent of the cells given, showing that the loss came after the queens emerged. After the bees once find out the loss of their queen, they start preparations to rear another. These preparations are hardly started within 48 hours when the young queen hatches if the cell was given at the same time the old queen was removed, thus causing an abnormal condition, bringing about the destruction of the virgin by the workers. When the cells built by the bees at the time tlie old queen was removed are left until they are nearly ready to hatch and then destroyed, and the new cell given, every thing is normal and the virgin (|ueen is accepted at once. Every apiarist knows that the loss of virgins when mating from parent colonies that have swarmed is not very large. Being an extracted-honey producer as well as a queen-breeder I will say tliat, judging from the experience I have had in this section, the pure Italian stock is the best, and I have made a gain in the average colony by breeding from this stock. These bees are more resistant to disease, and ijen- tler to handle. No mistake can be made by breeding from the best Italian stock obtain- able, and '' staying with it." Xordhoff, Cal. SOME INSTANCES OF STRIKING VARIATIONS IN QUEENS REARED UNDER LIKE CIRCUMSTANCES BY J. 15. CASE An article on queen-rearing, to be of value, must not be the mere opinion of the writer, but must be based on the experience of one or more persons. Some important inventions, methods, and plans have come through a mere hint that, ])erhaps, the giver did not profit by. So, while I may have nothing new, yet it is possible that some one may get a hint that may set some train of thought in motion that may result in some- thing valuable. When Gleanings was a quarterly I had two or three stands of bees in New Jersey. As they increased I found that some colonies gave much better results than others, al- though, so far as I could see, all had an equal chance. I had a buckwheat location ; but my management resulted in pure Itat^ ians giving more honey than blacks or hy- brids. In 1881 I paid an extra price for the colony that had made the most honey the previous year in a yard of some 60 Italian colonies. This colony was very strong, and the bees evidently knew that the queen was failing, as they built five cells and swarmed when apple-blossoms were open, the old queen being lost. As I was desirous of getting as many queens from the stock as possible I formed nuclei by breaking the colony up, and succeeded in getting five purely mated queens. The rest of the season was very poor, and these nuclei went into quarters weak in bees but with plenty of stores from buckwheat. They were packed in thin nucleus hives inside my large hives on four combs of nearly solid sealed stores with chaff all around. All wintered well; and as soon as they became crowded they were ]ilaced in large hives with chaff on both sides of the brood-nest. Combs were added as they became crowded: and when the weather got warm the brood was spread, and combs of honey with cappings broken were inserted, and those queens laid^some." There were in Long Idea hives. About the middle of June, No. 1 swarm- ed. The colony had 17 combs, with brood in 15 to the amount of 1100 square inches, actual measure. They were hived on eight of the best-filled combs of brood, and gave 80 lbs. of section honey from clover and 45 from buckwheat. The old colony gave 50 lbs. buckwheat lioney in sections. The other four did not swarm. No. 2 gave 140 lbs. (had 1000 square inches of brood) ; No. 3 gave 125 lbs.; No. 4, 110 lbs.; No. 5 gave the average of the whole yard — about 97 lbs. Here were five queens reared under apparently the same conditions, and, so far as I could see, given the same chance, yet . one gave a swarm and nearly doubled the honey that the other one gave. No. 1 gave excellent daughters. I moved to Florida in 1885 on account of my health. In 1890 1 liad a nice little apiai-y APRIL 1, 1914 261 with Italians I'roiii the old Xo. 1 stock. I concluded to rear queens for the market, and bought some good Italian queens for my poorer colonies; got a Doolittle breeder, and in 1891 offered queens for sale. In 1894 T bought a breeder from Elmer Hutchinson that was a dandy. 1 sold Harry Mitchel, Hawks Park, Fla., 17 queens. The next year was the " banner year " for this part of Florida for honey. Mr. Mitchel reported that all the queens were good, and helped greatly to give him his large yield — an average of 380 lbs., I believe — but one had, by actual weight, given over 600 lbs. These queens Avere I'eared as carefully as J knew how, and the bees were managed by one of the best beekeepers of that or prob- ably any other day. Why the difference? A few years ago I sent one of the most prominent beekeepers of Texas six queens — untested. The next year he wrote me that one of the queens he bought of me was one of the best he had ever owned, and was so valuable that she ought to be used for a !)ieeder; that she was extraordinarily pro- lific, and that her colony had made a sur- prising amount of honey. 1 arranged to have her sent to me. Slie was medium in size, but was the best all-around breeder I ever owned, as she transmitted her good qualities in a large measure to her daugh- ters. Were all her eggs capable of )>roduc- ing good queens'? The six queens mentioned above were all reared from the same mother, within a few days, and under the same conditions as nearly as 1 could give them. There was no complaint about the other five; but what accounts for this one being so far superior to the others? Queens reared fi'om the above queen, just before she died of old age, seemed to be just as good as those leared when she Avas in her prime. While an extra-good queen can not be told from her looks, vet the most satisfactory breed- ers I have had have been of good appear- ance, and medium to rather large. How- ever, one " fancy " breeder that I paid a high price for was one of the poorest breed- ers or queens that I ever owned; but she was a beauty to look at. A heavy honey-flow, when bees store honey around and on the cells, is not a good time to rear queens. Some of the poor- est queens I have reared were reared during a heavy flow of honey. Some very large queens are worthless, while some very small ones are prolific; therefore size does not mark a queen's value. From some cause some virgins — fine ones too — are very slow to mate when all condi- tions seem to be favorable. I think the slow ones account for most of the drone- layers. Perhaps poor drones are the cause frequently. Virgins delayed from mating on account of the weather are not so likely to be drone-layers as those that ai'e slow from no ap]iarent reason. Is the fault in the egg, feeding, or method ? r believe the following points are essen- tial in order to rear good queens : 1. Use the best breeder available. 2. Use the best cell-builders in the yard. 3. Make the conditions, just as nearly as possible, to conform to the natural condi- tions when bees are contented and prosper- ing, somewhere near the comb-building point, when bees are feeding their young lavishly, but not swamping them with hon- ey- 4. Never use a larva that has been starved at some time in her existence, or that has not had an abundance of food of the right consistency, and destroy all larvae not well fed, or that have had honey stored around the cell. Briefly, I consider these to be important points in rearing the best queens. I don't know it all. Who does? Port Orange, Fla. THE VALUE OF CAREFULLY KEPT RECORDS IN BREEDING BY C. F. BENDER I think that the breeding of bees is one of the most important matters connected with our pursuit. " Pick the best colony and raise all your queens from that" sounds very simple, yet I don't remember a season when T ever did just that — partly because I could never be sure which was the best colony, and partly because I feared the effect of in-breeding if T stuck too closely to one family. While it is not easy to choose the best colony, all things considered, it is not difficult, out of a hundred or Iavo hun- dred colonies, to select a dozen or more that are far above the average. It is quite a help to have a large numbei- to select from. When the bees are hauled to the outyards in the spring, all the best are left for the home apiary, as T expect to rear all my queens there; and those colonies that are not used for queens Avill furnish drones of the best quality. In selecting a queen mother the amount 262 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE of honey stored is the first item. The dozen or so showing the highest yields are graded according to that; then those having serious faults are marked out. By queen-rearing time the choice has usually narrowed down to three or four; and if all seem equally good I prefer to breed from all of tliem. In general, all faults except bad temper and propolizing will help to I'educe the yield of tlie colony, and so need not be specially noticed. For instance, swarming or bad wintering will usually put the colony beloAv the average in storing, and so rule it out. A system of records is a necessity if one is trying to build up a good strain of bees. A record must be kept of the age of each queen, the amount of honey produced, and the number of the colony from which the queen came. For example, my best queen the past season was marked on the record .■i2qll, meaning that the queen was reared in 1911, fi'om brood obtained fi^om colony No. 32. By looking over my records I find that a dozen or more sisters of this queen are still living, and that nearly all have produced excejitionally good colonies. Turn- ing to the 1911 record we find that the mother of these queens came in like manner from 29q08; and we can trace any queen back and discover all her relationships as far back as 1899, when my system of rec- ord-keeping was begun. If one is rearing queens to be used in comb-honey production it is necessary to keep track of the finish and filling of sec- tions as well as of the number. Some colonies Avill store a lot of honey, but will put so much propolis on the cappings that the honey m.ust he sold for No. 2. Some will make a start in every section, even in a light flow, and leave the majority of them unfinished or very light in weight. Others will start only a few sections at a time, and fill them full as they go. I had a weak colony the past season that gave 18 plump sections weighing a full pound each, 3 partly filled, and 7 with the foundation untouched. I regTet that such colonies are usually below the average in the amount of honey stored. Sometimes it is a strong temptation to use a queen whose bees are very gentle and beautiful,, and only moderate as to storing. In such cases I often raise just a few queens from her, in the hope of getting one of her daugliters whose bees have more energy. To some extent each one must value the differ- ent qualities for himself. I never saw a hive of bees that had all the good qualities, in perfection, with none of the bad. Per- {sonallv I dislike cross bees of all things, so a touch of bad temper cancels all merits for me. There is less wear on my nerves in working two colonies of gentle bees than one of cross ones, and it takes me quite a little longer to go through a cross colony. With some fear of raising a storm of juotest, I will venture to give my opinion of golden or yellow Italians. T have han- dled a great many so-called goldens. At one time. I had an entire apiary of them, with queens from all the leading breeders of yellow stock. It is a matter of regret to me that I can not afford to keep them Their beauty and quietness on the combb are very pleasant to see. They defend their hives better against moth and robbers than any other bees I have ever handled, and I think they do nicer work in finishing sec- tions than the common Italians. But as to quantity of honey stored they range from zero to moderate. I have had a few colonies that would hardly gather a living in a good season. Occasionally one finds so-called goldens that are good workers, but with a villainous temper, which I su])pose comes from Cyprian blood. I have always found goldens, even the gentlest, ver_y difficult to introduce queens to, the loss by actual count being three times as great as when introduc- ing to common stock. A queen can not usually be considered tested for honey production before she is two years old. I never like to give a queen credit for good work until all the bees in the hive are of her blood. This does not usually occur before the end of the first season. The second season is the real test of her worker progeny, and we begin to use her as a breeder about the beginning of her third laying season, or the end of her second year. I remember only one case where 1 was able to use a breeding queen at one year old, on the strength of an unusual record made on the fall flow. I have somt prejudice in favor of breeding from young- er queens if we had any way of deciding which ones to use. I like to buy a few queens each year for the sake of introducing new blood, but never use them or their descendants as breeders unless they prove superior to my original stock, which has not happened lately. I have bought no imported Italians for many years, as I have always found them inferior for comb honey. Of other races than Italians, I shall say nothing in this article except that I ■no longer keep them. I have said nothing of selection for hardiness or resistance to disease, because these things largely take care of themselves. If you want hardy bees, expose them to hard conditions, and only the hardy Avill sui*vive, of course. But I have never done APRIL 1, 1914 -B. M. C'ara-iva\''.s apiary of 175 colonies nil rea'ly for (lie lionpy-flow, Tlie iiiiiioi-iniiy shows the result of breeding. that, and (lon't think I ever shall, except where the hard conditions come naturally and can not be avoided. Some think that swarming, stinging, propolizing, etc., arfe merely signs of ener- gy, and that we must put up with such bad qualities if we are to get good workers. If 1 were going to buy a mule 1 would hardly pick a vicious kicker in tlie hope of getting a good work animal. Kicking and stinging are both manifestations of energ-y, to be sure ; but in both cases it is energy misap- plied, and our aim in breeding bees is to get the living force of them applied for our benefit. Newman, 111. WHAT I REQUIRE IN A BREEDING QUEEN BY D. M. CARAWAY At the outset I wish to say that I have l)ut more thought on breeding for improve- ment than on any other phase of beekeep- ing. Every thing centers around breeding, and around breeding centers the queen and her subjects. For one I believe we can improve bees and build them up to a higb.er degree of efficiency. To prove this I have been selecting my breeders for several years past with this in mind. I select the colonies that store the most surplus honey; and as I have over 400 colonies to select from I have an excellent chance to get the best. All that make a high record I mark, and from these record-makers I select the queens that come nearest my ideal. I want a breeding queen to be yellow, of good size, and slightly slender rather than with too thick an abdomen. The queen that is a trifle slender is, as a rule, the most prolific; and a queen to be a breeder must be prolific. Her bees must be evenly mark- ed, must show three yellow bands, must be uniform in size and color (I prefer them of medium size), and they must be gentle. I would not use a queen for a breeder if her bees were bad about stinging. I prefer to have the bees cap their honey with an air- space under the cappings, as this gives the honey a much finer a^jpearance. The final test comes after the bees from such a queen have graded well in all the above points; and that test is that the queen must be able to duplicate herself in cjueens — that is, the larger per cent of her daugh- ters must be jirolific, must have a slender abdomen, and be yellow. It does not matter whether they are yellow to the tip, but they must be mostly yellow. I select the mothers of the drones with the same care that I select the mothers of the queens. This is very important. Did you ever notice how much bees in the same hive vary in size? A queen that pro- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE duces bees of all sizes does not suit me for a breediui:; queen, for it could liaidly be expected that her queens would be all of the same size. It costs a queen-breeder no more to use a breeding queen that produces queens of regular size and color. However, no one must expect to get all good queens of regular size and color, even from the best breeder in the world, unless the cells are built in a colony that is full of young bees; and they must have a natural honey-flow or else one as near natural as possible, brought about by stimulative feeding. One colony should not have more than 18 cells to build at one time. The bees will build more than 18, but some of the young queens will probably be undersized or off color. Furthermore, unless the cell-build- ing colony is strong and composed of many young bees, even with 18 cells there may be some undersized virgins. This condition will be found more often in case of a cell-build- ing colony that has too many cells to build at a time. The bees can not care for all of the cells properly, and the outside ones suffer for warmth and food while the cells near the center have every advantage. Nearly always the small virgins come from these outside cells. Fig. 1, accompanying illustration, shows one of my apiaries — 175 colonies in all — and they were ready for the honey-flow. Every hive was full of bees from top to bottom, and from one side to the other, excepting a few containing nuclei that I had formed a short time before for increase. This proves that it is worth while to select a queen for better bees. I much prefer that all virgins should be mated and laying by the time they are ten days old, and not over twelve at the most. Virgins that are not mated before they are twplve days old make poor queens, as a rule, and are likely to be drone-layers, or Fig. 2. — A neglected colony in a neglected hive is not a good business proposition. Flii. .'..—The )iisuie of the liive slicnvn in Fig. 2. .V mere nucleus at the opening of the honey-flow is not in condition to do more than build up to full strength by fall. else will be superseded in a short time. This is not always true, but I believe it is the rule. In any apiary where the colonies are headed by queens that are reared from any queen that gives pretty bees regardless of other important qualities, the result will be about as follows : One-third of the colonies will get a good crop of honey, one-third will get about half a crop, and the other third will just barely live, and may have to be helped by the good colonies. I do not think such bees pay. In such a case I would I'ccommend the purchase of a good breeding queen from some queen-breeder that has good bees, and head all colonies with good vigorous queens reared from this one breed- ing queen. There will then be another story to tell the next season. Of course, the vir- gins must be mated to good drones. There may be a few queens in the last class men- tioned above that will prove to be very good queens the season following; but I do not advise placing much dependence on them. I would recoaiuie. .ipei scdii'g all such (|ueens. Fig's. 2 and 3 show how some people keep bees. Can any one expect such a little colo- ny to get any surplus during the next honey-flow? The bees will do well to build up to a full colony and get into condition to APRIL 1, 1914 g'o into winter (luarters the following fall. No matter how good the queen is, she could not possibly build up so small a nucleus to be ready for a honey-flow in the spring. These pictures also explain the great difference in the amount that some colonies store. All must be strong if one expects to get any surplus honey during the honey- flow. The colony that has plenty of good winter stores and some left over when the next honey-flow arrives is the one that will make the most surplus. Such a colony is in ideal condition to winter perfectly and be ready with the " tub right side up " when the next honey " rain " comes. This is the kind of colony that counts, and better breeding lielped to make it what it is. After breeding by selecting I find that tlie poorest of my colonies are ahead of the best of those belonging to beekeepers who have not paid any attention to the question of breeding. Yes, every once in a while some one says that we can not improve on the average strain of bees — that the bees will revert back to the starting-point, etc. I do not find that this is tlie case after ten years of careful selection from the best. When I first started 1 had little black bees. Later on I ordered several breeding queens from the most noted queen-breeders in America. I also got some imported queens, for I wanted the best that money could buy. Please understand that I am not trying to breed a better race, only a better strain of the old three-banded Italians. Mathis, Texas. SUCCESSFUL BREEDING OF QUEENS DEPENDS ON A GOOD MANY THINGS BY W. L). AOHORD A queen reared from the egg or from the young larva, in a full-sized cell, and sup- plied with more royal jelly than she will consume, I call a normal queen. Such queen, I contend, will give good results in honey, and she will live, perhaps, two or more years. She will also be large and strong. An egg or larva of the same age in a small cell supplied with more royal jelly than can be consumed will result in a small queen. Nevertheless her colony will give good re- sults in honey, and she will live, perhaps, two or more years. An old larva in a full- sized cell, supplied as above, will result in a full-sized queen, but her colony will be no good for honey, and she will live but a short time. An old larva in a small cell, and not well fed, will result in a queen not so large nor as good as the last one mentioned, and slie will soon be dead. What is worse, often- times the bees will fail to supersede her successfully. The last two queens mentioned will not commence to lay as early as the first one. These conditions often prevail when colonies are left to rear their own (jueens. In the foregoing I have ignored the stock or strain of bees. Do I believe there is a difference in the stock or strain? Yes, I believe that " blood will tell " in bees as surely as in people, horses, or hogs — if we can control the mating. There are a great many things for a queen-breeder to remem- ber when trying to produce nothing but good queens — the stock to select, the way the work is done, the locality, etc. Here I confess that I do not confine my ]3ractice to noticing all tlie minor details wlien se- lecting my queens to breed from. I have five outyards, 600 colonies in all, which I run for honey. On the hives I mark the age of the queen, the amount of honey taken, whether the colony tried to swarm, etc. This I have done for the last three years, and from these colonies I select the queens to use in my queen-yard at home for drone mothers as well as for queen mothers. In color I prefer the dark three-banded bees, and they must not be wanting to sting all the time, though I do not expect to rear a stingless strain. I find that, if bees do not have energy enough to resent an insult, they do not have energy to gather a big crop of honey. Cell-starters, finishers, and nursers must be two-story colonies, the hives being filled with bees from top to bottom and side to side. Not all colonies in the same yard ai'e the best cell-builders. On this account poor queens may be reared if one does not select the cell-builders. The larvae must be young, and supplied with more royal jelly than they can consume. Nectar must be coming in every day for best results. I much prefer natural nectar to artificial feeding. Some localities are good for honey but not for queen-rearing. Others are good for queen-rearing and honey, while still others are good for queen- rearing but not for honey. It is also true that some are good for neither (this is something that I have experienced as well as read about). A commercial queen-breed- er should have a good locality for his busi- ness or else quit the business. Fitzpatrick, Ala. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE J. P. Moore, Morgan, Ky., the well-known queen-breeder and honey-producer. J. P. MOORE AS HIS ASSISTANT SEES HIM DY J. E. JORDAN To the readers of Gleanings who have not had the pleasure of knowing Mr. J. P. Moore, the queen-breeder, I will try to give a correct idea of him. If anybody should come in at the Moore farm between the hours of sunrise and sunset, and want to talk to J. P. (as he is known) he would have to keep moving all the time. He is on the go constantly, and can keep at it longer than any other man I ever knew. He is 53 years young, and looks about 38 — hair slightly twinged with gray, and inclined to curl. I really lielieve the I'eason for his activity and youthful appearance is on account of his good care of his stomach. Fruits of all kinds, either conked or uncooked, come first in the morning and last at night. Wheat, cooked and uncooked, is also a favorite with him. Mr. Moore does not have much to say to any one; but when a visitor begins to talk bees he has hit a subject that he can talk on from morning till night. It is a hard matter to rutHe his temper. He is the best-natured beekeeper you ever saw. Why? Because he has the best-natured bees that you ever saw. The secret of his success is due to his ability to keep at it so long at a time. Cleanliness is another of his great traits; and every queen that goes out or every can of honey that is sold, may be depended on in that line. THE DANGER IN BREEDING EXCLUSIVELY FROM ONE STOCK BY W. A. H. (ilLSTRAP One of the first (juestions to puzzle the breeder of bees is a choice between breeding- one strain of bees or bringing breeders from distant breeders. Like the Irishman, I say, " Of all the exthrames, give me the middle' one." To " line breed " fixes certain character- istics as no promiscuo/s breeding Avill. By taking a few first-class colonies and keeping their increase from crossing with other bees one will in time produce a strain of bees with a type different from any he is likely to find. It is surprising how many distinct strains are built up this way. It might do to let the matter of selection st()|) at tliat if vitality could remain unim- APRIL 1, 1914 267 paired without introducing new blood ; but it is bound to cause trouble sooner or later. The' first defect of continuous breeding of one stock, so far as I can learn, is a prone- ness to paralysis. Why? The nerves are deranged, just as in some of the royal fam- ilies of Europe. Paralysis is a nervous disease. Some say in-breeding can not pro- duce bad results in bees ; but 1 am convinced it has seriously deteriorated one good strain of Italian bees. My experience with bees has been confined to stock from one or more breeders in each of eleven or more States and Italy. The only varieties tried are Carniolan, Cyprian, Syrian, blacks, and Italians. The Italian from Italy and the yellow descendants of the same, bred by many in the United States, are so little alike as to be in entirely different classes for practical results. Both dark and yellow Italians have good and bad strains; but the best strains of either class are not necessarily best adapted to every locality. It is possible that some localities may be found where some other bee is better than the Italian ; but such locations are scarce, in my opinion. Ordinarily my belief and practice are to ascertain by actual experi- ence which is most satisfactory — the light or dark Italians; then test individuals of promising stock before raising drones from them. Enough outside stock should be in- fused in the strain to keep up vigor; but radical changes should be avoided. While a breeder may be trying ever so hard to improve his bees he should remember that others are trying just as liard to improve the same general ijpe of bee. Modesto, Cal. IS THERE A TENDENCY ON THE PART OF BEES TO REVERT TO THE ANCESTRAL TYPE? BY L. W. CROVATT There was a case experienced in queen- breeding in my home yard last summer when eg'g's hatched in the hive domain of a golden queen, and grafted four days after- ward by my own hands, developed several queens of a color as dark as the average German strain, and I have been casting about without satisfactory results for the logical reason. Some may say that I got queens of black color from the German brood. This is not the case, though, for the cells were grafted. The colony from Avhich the larvae were taken was undoubtedly Italian of a very percep- tible marking; and to clinch the proposition I will state that the cell cups were all on a stick — of the artificial or wooden type — and there wasn't an egg from the former German queen tolerated until I could breed Italians in the hive. In fact, I had removed every comb excepting a few which had Avell- sealed brood in them. Now, what I want to know is this : Could tlie golden queen from which I was grafting have in any manner, through a previous generation, been by blood related to some German race? If so, would tliere have been such a sudden and violent reversion of type, and the young " mother bees " have so changed in color from the time of grafting to hatching as almost to be mistaken for a German ? Candidly, the thing has stuck in my mind, and I have often studied over the proposi- tion ; but it is seemingly no clearer to-day than it was when, in the mild mid-afternoon sun of the balmy summer day in Dixie, I removed my queen-nursery cage from the cell-building colony. The cells had been placed in the Titoff nursery cages on the eighth day to avoid loss, as T was busy with other matters and hardly expected to reach tlie rijie cells in time to prevent a youngster emerging and " wrecking " the remaining cells. Surely it looks like atavism beyond per- adventure; but who is qualified to say if this is correct °? Savannah, Ga., Feb. 11. [The above was referred to Dr. Miller. His reply follows. — Ed.] So far as I know, there is no reason why atavism should not occur among bees as well as among other living creatures. It might also be expected to occur more readily in your golden stock than among three- banders, since golden stock is something comparatively recent, and not so nearly a flxecl type as tlie three-banders. Moreover, it is more likely that in previous genera- tions some black blood had worked into the golden than into the three-band stock. You do not say positively; but from your saying "several queens" I take it that all the queens in that particular lot were dark. I hardly think atavism is likely to occur in such a wholesale way — more likely there would be a single one of the lot showing variation. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Uri Hammond, Vivian, Louisiana. Master Hammond has " kept bees " in two States. You speak of '' a sudden and violent reversion of type . . . changed in color from the time of grafting to hatching." I do not understand that a change occurs during that time from atavism, but rather that atavism dates back to the earliest time of the germ. And j^et it is quite possible tliat the change might have occurred in color during those few days; for cool weather, scant food, or some other circum- stance may sometimes make the royal prog- eny of a pure Italian queen quite dark in color, when her previous and subsequent progeny appears as yellow as herself. But that's not atavism. After all this has been said, it remains an open question whether there was any black blood at all in the case. There may or tliere may not have been. You do not say, for you say nothing about the worker- progeny of these dark queens. And that's the deciding factor. If the worker-progeny be mixed as to the matter of yellow bands, the queen can not claim to be pure, no mat- ter how yellow. If the workers are uni- formly tln-ee-banded, then the queen need not hesitate to claim purity, be she black as night. Some queens direct from Italy are as dark as queens of black blood, but their workers are all right as to color. You may have had a case of atavism ; but it is not at all proven, and is quite doubt- ful. C. C. Miller. Marengo, 111. FOUR HUNDRED QUEENS FROM ONE COLONY BY ARTHUR C. MILLER In a recent issue of Gleanings I spoke of one colony of bees producing about four hundred fine queen-cells in one season, and being- a rousing colony at the finish. The editor tells me that many of his readers want the particulars, and no wonder they do; for either I told a "whopper" or else have something' worth dollars to the frater- nity. Tt is worth dollars to all who will master it ; but I tell you at the start it is not for the careless man nor for the man who fails to do the right thing at the right time in the right way. On the other hand, it calls for less work, less care, and less attention by many times, than it does to produce the same number of cells by any other system. Not only is its cost in labor much less per cell, but its cost in colonies is very markedly smaller. According to commonly accepted belief, a coluiiv will not (or can not) construct m.ore than about one dozen good cells at a time, and should never be used to construct APRIL 1, 1914 another batch until it has been returned to its brood and allowed to remain thereon until well re-enforced by more young bees. Tliis is speaking of (he general custom — individual systems, mayhap, modifying it slightly. Jn other words, it lakes the work of about tliirty colonies to produce four hundred cells by commoidy accepted meth- ods; or using one colony six times during a season means that live colonies must be withdrawn from honey-producing, and be devoted to the, task of raising four hundred queens. The cost in dollars and cents you may figure for yourself. The improved system is any thing but new in most of its details; but it does have a few features peculiar to itself, and on these features its success to a considerable extent hinges. It is known hereabout as the " Fuller system," having been worked out and brought to success by Mr. 0. F. Fuller, of Blackstone, Mass. It is based on the old idea of having cells 6uilt in a colony with a laying queen, cells and queen being kept apart by queen-ex- cluding metal. Mr. Fuller's early efforts followed much the lines laid down by Mr. Sladen ; but he soon began to change and modify in his efforts to secure more uni- form results, and it is to some of these changes that his success is due. His mechanical appliances are few. He uses a double-walled chaff-packi'd hive wide enough to hold twelve frames, using this size for convenience in manipulation. The hive has a tight partition of queen-exclud- ing metal so placed as to make one com- partment ample for easy h.andling of four frames, and in this chamiv".' the queen is kept. Furtliennor" the i-ntrance to this part is protected by the same sort of ex- cluder metal. The entrance to the cell-con- taining part is not so protected, and in this feature his system is the opposite of all the others, and to it I ascribe much of his suc- cess. Reverse it and his success is no hf'tiL'r than by any of the older plans of a similar nature. His other appliances are the common wooden cell-cup holders, metal bars punch- ed with holes to cari-y the wooden cells, and frames in which these are swung, so ready insiaection and handling are secured. So much for the equipment. The procedure is as follows : The colony is made strong if not already so. It is strong in the fall, has a young queen, and is win- tered with the dividing partition out, so usually it is booming in the spring. If it is not, it is made so by the addition of brood or young bees or both. When about ready to begin cell-raising, the partition is 26fi init in, and the queen is shut into her com[)artment and given four combs, choos- ing those wliich will give her some chance to lay, but not much. On the other side are several combs of brood, honey, and pollen. At the start of the season Mr. Fuller some- times helps matters along by filling this compartment with combs of emerging brood by adding two or three from other colonies. At the end of a week all eggs in the " cell chamber " have hatched, all larvae are too old to be troublesome, and some queen-cells may have been started. The combs are carefully examined, and all such cells are destroyed. One comb is now removed, and a frame iiolding the cell cups put in its place. In it are two dozen or more of the wax cups. Now begins the impor';!iit part: and unless these details, which I will italicize, are carefully observed, failure will pretty surely follow. Put the cups at least one comb-space from the partition, and never fail to have a comb between c-lls and the partition. In a few hours, more oi less, a dozen to twenty of the cups u:^- grafted and returned ta their places, and every other day more cups are graflrd. As they reach maturity they are slipped into cages, hung in the same cliamber, and the cells are allowed to hatch tliere if no nuclei are ready. The presence of caged virgins has no effect on the cell- building. As the season advances and the number of cells increases more room is given in the cell-chamber, if needed, by removal of a comb or two. If additional frames of cell cups are used, be sure to have a comb of brood between it and the other cell-cup frame. As combs in the cell-chamber become empty of brood, they are exchanged for combs of sealed brood, either from the queen's compartment or from some other colony. Combs contaimng eggs or young larvae must never be put in the chamber with the cells. To make tliis easy, Mr. Fuller is accustomed to keep a few frames of brood in an upper chamber of some colony, and over an excluder, getting them from the queen's chamber or from some other colony. The manipulation of the queen's chamber is important. She must never have much room for laying. Mr. Fuller often had trouble in the colonies until this was learn- ed. In other words, the colony is always full of young nurse bees and short of babies to feed. Supersedure conditions ! To do this to the best advantage, it is necessary to draw some of the sealed brood from other colonies, so that, strictly speak- 270 Gleanings in bee culture ing', one colony does not alone and unaided do all the work. But a comb of brood now and then, taken from a nucleus, matured over an excluder and jiut into the cell-build- ing colony, is really turning waste material to profit, and it does not take many such during the season. Sometimes a colony refuses to " play the game," and has to be discarded for another. Why they behave so we do not know. If honey is coming freely the cell-build- ing colony will put up a suri^lus, and a heavy flow is really a nuisance, as it clogs the combs of the queen's part as Avell as the other. If the flow is very light or inter- mittent, feeding is necessary. Mr. Fuller ke'iis a candy- feeder on top of the cjueen's compartment, all tlie time, as a safeguard. In such hives he has raised line cells in April and as late as mid Octobei-. lie has had as high as eighty cells in such a colony at one time. The cell compartment is the very finesl place to keep drones. He had several hundred in one hive on the 21st of last De- cember. I'm of the opinion that the pres- ence of drones, and their liberty to fly, is a great help in his system, and I know that 1 like to have a dozen or more in each of my baby nuclei. Drones are more of a hel}) to us than we have supposed. Providence, R. I. THE CHIEF POINTS TO CONSIDER IN THE SELECTION OF A BREEDER BY J. F. AECHDEKIN I have made no new discoveries in the art of queen-rearing, having confined my efforts to orthodox methods. Of course, I have had my share of novel occurrences which call for special treatment; but I will pass to more important things. The first thing to consider is the breeder. Briefly, a first-class breeder is a heavy layer. Her colony winters well, the bees are gentle to handle, and are hustlers. These are the principal points to keep in mind. If these can be combined with some others, so much the better. The offspring of some queens cap whiter tlian otheis; these are to be favored. Some colonies propolize more than others. This trait is not to be favored. As to her personal appearance, the queen should be fairly large, and should have a thrifty look. While she should be active she should not display this agility by running over on the other side of the comb while you are looking at her. Unless unduly disturbed she should continue laying while you watch her. She should be well marked, and the abdomen an even color throughout its length. If one has a queen which conforms to the above qualifications he may be sure he has something very desirable. I have reference to the Italian bees, although the above is probably true of most of the other races. METHOD USED IN REARING. After trying various methods for building cells I have adopted the upper-story system. As it is necessary to have a strong colony to get large well-fed cells and vigorous queens, the above answers the requirements perfect- ly. A double-story colony is bound to be strong. I use a queenless colony for accept- ing the freshly grafted cells. The grafting is done in early morning or late afternoon. The morning grafts are transferred to the cell-building colony in late afternoon, and the afternoon grafts changed the first thing in the morning. By this means I have been enabled to get a larger number of cells accepted than by any other method except in colonies which are preparing to swarm. These latter are not available all the season. Should a cool spell of weather come early in the season the cells in the upper story will be safe, whereas they might be -lost in the ordinary one-story hive. It is impor- tant (at least comfortable to the operator) to use gentle colonies for cell-builders. I think this has some influence on the temper of the offspring of the embryo queens. QUEEN INJURED LESS IN THE MAILS IF NOT LAYING HEAVILY WHEN SOLD. For mating I use twin mating-boxes. The frames measure 5% x 7 inches, and each side takes three of them. This allows one to keep a fairly large number of bees in each nucleus; and if there is a good flow these little colonies will often become honey- bound. On the other hand, if many of the bees are lost through following the queen on her mating-trip the loss is not serious and is more readily replaced than with full- sized nuclei. I have found these latter very bothersome about swarming out. Of course, the plan has its drawbacks, but so have the others. To me it is a method of turning out a first-class product at a minimum cost. Queens mated in small nuclei will always ship well because they have never had an opportunity to become fully distended by heavy laying. Queens that are laying hea- vily are in grave danger of being injured in shipping if they are not slowed down by APRIL 1, 1914 271 some means before being' sent out. Then it is so much easier to find tlie queen in tliese little colonies that the time saved in caging amounts to considerable. It is very annoy- ing to have to search any length of time for the queen when one is in a hurry. Taking it all around, 1 like the plan very much. St. Joseph, Mo. QUEEN-REARING ON THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS BY M. G. DERVISIIIAN Until within a very few years I obtained my queens from natural swarms only, and I used to have a large percentage of swarms every year in April and May. The major- ity of these ciueens were small in size, and weak. The last two or three years, with the help of Gleanings, T have adopted up- to-date swarm-controlling methods, and during two seasons I have had only two or three natural swarms from between fifty and sixty colonies. This improvement has been profitable, both for the production of honey and for vigorous prolific young queens. Years ago the colonies which swarmed did not yield any honey, and those which yielded honey could- not produce any queens — that is, they could not do both together. Under the i^resent seientifie methods I make one or two of my weak colonies queenless, and commence feeding. The bees start queen-cells which I destroy before they are sealed. I give cell cups grafted from my best colonies having fine long queens. The next clay, or about thirty or forty hours afterward, I remove these cell cups into my breeding colony which I especially pirepare for that purpose as follows : Early in May I create a very strong queen-rearing colony, and I change the unsealed larvee from this Avith sealed brood from other colonies, so that in the lower story there remain two combs of honey and pollen, one on each side, two frames having full sheets of comb foundation, and six combs of hatching brood. I confine the queen of this queen- rearing colony to the lower story of ten combs Avith a queen-excluder. On top of this excluder I put another full-sized story which I fill with eight combs of hatching brood from other colonies. I commence feeding with thin syrup or (preferably) honey mixed with water. Two or three days afterward, when most of the brood has hatched, I insert in this upper story cell cups grafted from my best colonies having long year-old queens. (These cells were fii'st accepted by other queenless colonies, and then transferred to this queen-rearing colony). I continue feeding regularly every evening. The number of the cells given does not exceed twelve, as 1 have reason to believe that, the fewer the cells, the better the re- sults obtained. By accident last September I discovered that a moderate-sized cglony out of which I had taken a queen started a single queen-cell, and for an experiment I did not replace this cell with one raised under the fore-mentioned method. When the cell was sealed I found it was the largest I had ever seen, and tlie resulting young queen was correspondingly larger. I intend to keep her for the purpose of breeding. When this colony started the queen-cell in question the bees were fed every evening. Some of the queen-rearing colonies I divide into nuclei of three combs each, and give each lot of bees a queen-cell. I keep these nuclei about two feet away from each other, all in one place, and confine the bees in each nucleus for two or three days in order that they may not return to their old stands. On the third day after sunset, just before dark, I remove the wire screens from the entrances and put in front of each nucleus a board a foot square, slanting against the front in such a way that the bees when they come out may bump their lieads against the board. Each board is painted a diff^erent color — red, white, green, blue, black, etc., the object being to make the queen and her escorts mark well their new home. I keep these boards in place for eight days. Before adopting this plan my percentage of loss of queens was great, but noAv hardly a queen enters the wrong hive. I leave the queen of this breeding colony with three or four combs of her hive, and then refill the loAver story and the top story with hatching brood from other colonies so that, in a few days, this breeding-hive again becomes crowded with young bees. After this I again give cell cups started by other queenless colonies as described above. As soon as the cells become ripe in the queen - rearing colony I remove them into the nu- cleus Iiive described, from Avhich the queens are taken later on to be mailed. It is un- derstood that the nuclei as well as the large colonies are all fed regularly with a small quantity of thin syru]i every evening. T never sell queens from the nuclei until they have been laying for about twenty days, so GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE that they will have laid a large number of eggs and I have had the opportunity of observing the sealed brood. HOW I PICK UP QUEENS. Formerly I used to pick up queens with my fingers as I was taught by Mr. Frank Benton when he visited this island many times in the 80's. For about nine years, however, I have been using a pair of watch- maker's tweezers, about three inches long, M. G. Dervishian's method of catchin? queens, for caging- or clipping their wings, by means of a jewel- er's tweezers. for taking up the queens by the wing, and for putting in cages or clipping. I have found the use of these tweezers more prac- tical than the old method of catching queens with the fingers. Besides being more con- venient, there is then no contamination by reason of any taint or odor to the queen; and consequently a queen that is clipped, for instance, runs less risk of being balled by the bees. The catching and clipping of the wings of a queen can be accomplished in three or four seconds. The queen, being seized by one of the wings, is held about an inch above the comb; then with the other hand the wing is clipped by the use of a pair of small scissors, and the queen falls back where she belongs. I have taught my sons to handle queens with their fingers, but they prefer the tweezers, as it takes less time and is easier. The bees do not get frightened as they sometimes do when one picks them up with the fingers. DRONE-REARING. The selection of the best drones in a scientific queen-rearing apiary is of great importance. I have adopted a plan similar to that explained in " Scientific Queen-rear- ing," by G. M. Doolittle. I have a drone- cell comb-foundation machine with which I manufacture enough comb foundation to supply all my colonies with a full sheet. This I insert in the middle of the brood- nest; and these drone combs, when built, are filled with drone eggs from which I get fine large drones from April to September inclusive. I take great jmins to destroy all drone brood reared in worker cells or any from unfertilized queens that may have been laying. I also take the necessary steps to prevent laying workei'S. Drones of small size, if any exist by acci- dent, are at once trapped and destroyed. Such drones result on account of the ab- sence of sufficient drone comb in the hive. Nicosia, Island of Cyprus. DOES A QUEEN MEET A DRONE FAR FROM THE APIARY? BY G. W. HAINES My son and I, with a little help, are running six apiaries. It has always been my practice to keep a fine strain of bees that are good honey-producers, and to work for the extra ton of honey, letting the other fellow raise and sell tlie queens. We often hear of a beekeeper who is looking for an out-of-the-way place to raise queens — some island or some forsaken spot where neither man nor bees are found. To my way of thinking, a queen on her flight never gets out of the lot where the bees are kept. At my home apiary T have kept from 200 to 220 colonies for a number of years. Here I raise a few queens for my own use at home and for the out-apiaries. I have tried all ways, and have spent a lot of time and money in small mating hives and boxes, but I am now using a regular eight-frame Langstroth hive with a division- board in the center, and three Langstroth frames on each side. The bees on one side use the entrance in front, and those on the other the entrance in the back. At any time honey or brood can be given either nucleus from any other hive, and in the fall the two nuclei can be united. Of late I have had about fifty nuclei for queen-reai'ing; but my son, who has had an unusual attack of (he bee fever, thinks we ought to have 75 next season and keep more bees. My home apiary, with our 200 colonies, is at the bottom of a large hill that slopes to the north. By standing at the south side of the yard, and looking north against the hill when the sun is just right at my back, APRIL 1, 1914 273 it is a surprise to see the g'reat cloud of bees as well as of drones in the air. On several occasions, when queens were about to mate, 1 have watched them in tliis way- Last summer J called my son to watch a queen, and soon tliree came in sight at one time with their tlocks of drones. It remind- ed me of a flock of fifteen or twenty black- birds flying around the lot. The queen in each case was ahead, and the drones all fly- ing very close after her at a far greater speed than that attained by the workers. They would fly back and forth around the yard ; and whenever they circled higii enougli to get above the hill we could not see them against the bright sky. I wish that some of the queen-breeders would give this matter a little time if they have a yard located just south of some big liill or woods. A building or a few trees do not afford enough of a background, as the bees are soon out of sight. If- a queen-breeder takes the necessary care in the selection of his drones as well as his queens I will venture that a queen will seldom get out of an ordinary field where bees are kept, if there is a crowd of drones flying every fine clay. Mayfield, N. Y. [If there is a cloud of drones flying near the apiary we would gxant that a queen would seldom go very far away from the apiary to mate; but suppose there are a good many other colonies within a mile, say, of the apiary in question. Can you be sure that the cloud of drones in the yard is made up entirely of your vigorous stock selected? As we have reported before, we have observed drones collecting in "schools," and if there is very much of an uproar when these noisy fellows get together it is quite possible that other drones from hives located within a mile or half a mile may be attracted thereby. In a breeding-yard com- posed, say, of Italian stock exclusively, but located in a territory where there are nu- merous black colonies in small apiaries near by, the proportion of purely mated Italian queens is much lower than in the case of a yard that is more isolated. — Ed.1 ARE THE BEES OF AN EXTREMELY PROLIFIC QUEEN AS HARDY AS THEY SHOULD BE? BY DAVID ROBERTS Can a queen be too prolific? It is evident that a colony must be strong if it is to do well, especially in the super. But what is strength? Is it always mere numbers? In my experience I often find my most popu- lous colonies surpassed as to surplus by smaller colonies. As a matter of fact, "there is no gain without a loss;" and is it not possible that this surplus of numbers in the brood-nest may become a deficiency of en- ergy in tlie super? Indeed, it will unless the apiarist interferes; and it is question- able whetlier, even after these bees have been distributed to the best advantage, they are of much value, as their energy has been greatly " diluted." It is true that "in union there is strength ;" but the strength of that union depends on that of its components. In the inevitable struggle for existence of all creatures does not an increase in the reproduction of the species indicate a decrease in the vitality of the individual? and can one not read in this extra egg in question a prophecy of earlier death to its occupant? What causes this prolificness in the queen? One factor, and not the least, is in-breeding. It is a biological fact that mating individuals of distinctly dissimilar characteristics jiroduces a pi-ogeny less prone to prolific reproduction. Would not, then, a cross between two strains of differ- ent characteristics produce the desired liard- ihood and longevity? It is true that pro- lificness would be retarded, and, possibly, beauty be lost; but what of it? Are these the vital factors which reimburse the bee- keeper for his labor? Such a cross has been favored by the lights of beedom in the past, and is still advocated by many of no mean standing. However, as the first cross pro- duces the salutary effect, the continued hy- bridizing is to be deplored, for it causes too great a reaction — that is to say, it tends too much toward sterility. Instead of trying to eliminate this dissi- pation by the continued hybridizing of colonies already crossed, it would be better to select those from which to breed that do not show this riotous tendency at all — colonies that have established their worth as honey-gatherers; colonies that one knows fairly well, and that will respond to some general system of manipulation. Mr. Doo- little, p. 144, March 1, 1913, gives valuable hints on how to select such colonies, and I heartily agree with him. Knox, Ind. 274 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Heads of Grain from Different Fields Few Goldens Found True to Name, but Those Few were Good Workers It is to be regretted that there has been so much deprecation of golden bees in the columns of the bee- journals. First of all, I want to say that I am not a golden "bug." Always I want yields; and where my bees do not give yields they are discarded. Mainly the cause of the feelings against goldens is the breeders who persist in breeding for color to supply the demand for yellow queens and leave yields to take second place in the qualities of their queens. Some of the greatest beemen in the country prefer very yellow bees. Last year Dr. Miller's yellowest bees gave the best yields. However, that may not be the leading attribute in his bees, and I don't know that he advances any such theory. Last year I spent about $100 buying golden queens of various breeders in the United States, mainly to see how yellow their product was, and to try them out for yields. I never bought less Hian six at once, and gave them a thorough trial. Of course, I did not try out all the goldens in the country, by any means. However, out of sixteen breeders I found just three whose queens would really pass for decent goldens, and all three of these strains proved good yielders. To me this proves too much breeding for color alone. Can any thing more surely kill the golden demand? In querying advertisements, and writing for prices to these breeders and other beekeepers, I found a most lamentable lack of even common business de- cency in the answers. In one case I waited 22 days in the height of the season for prices of queens. The In-eeder lived 22 hours from me by mail, I found by investigation. Many dealers have told me that bee- keepers are often very unbusinesslike in answering queries for them. Seemingly these men, particularly queen-breeders, are afraid to figure a little service cost against the gross profit made on their queens. ( Several breeders "\^TOte me letters containing mis- spelled words and mistakes — some on the typewriter that would have made me weep if one in any other business went after my patronage in such a manner.) For my location, goldens are best. Three-banders are nearly as good. I have never tried other races of bees. However, it is lamentable that some breed- ers s.end out " goldens " which are hardly more than quite yellow three-banders. Goldens should be yel- low all but the very tip. I never received goldens from reliable breeders which weren't so marked. Many times I know golden breeders are asked if there is Cyprian blood in their bees to give the color. There may be in some; but the breeder who can't breed up a yellow strain without Cyprian blood had better go out of business. Certainly he is selling a fake if he uses it. Common sense will enable one to breed yellow bees by selection. However, they must be where purity of mating is insured. To my notion the yellowest queens should go for queen mothers, while the high- est yielders among the yellowest should go for drone motiiers. But never a breeder for either purpose should be chosen unless they are well above the average in yield. Patrons will pass up your "dark" • queens sold for goldens when they are business-get- ters in yields. Drone mothers should be the highest yielders, for to my notion, as with chickens, the male line carries the quality of yield better than the mothers. -Some breeders keep too many colonies in their mating-yards. There shouldn't be any more than are actually needed in the yard. There is too much likelihood of letting colonies go where there are too many, and where some breed undesirable drones. Every breeder owes that much to his patrons. Fakirs exist because the buyers don't investigate their claims. The time is rapidly coming in bee- keeping when the man who doesn't deliver the goods must get out. It is so in yields. It will be true in breeders. Fair business methods deserve patronage, and nobody knows it better than the fellow who once gets stung. Plainfleld, III Kexxeth Hawkins. An Extraordinarily Good Colony I had the best honey crop last year that I have ever seen in this locality. The bees just rolled in the honey in June and July. I had one eight-frame colony of red-clover Italians that would fill a 28- seetion super in four days when the white-clover yield was at its best. My crop for the year was 675 pounds from seven colonies, spring count. This one eight-frame colony made 17 shallow extracting-combs of honey and 168 4x5 sections, most of them fancy. I think that this queen is worth a lot to me. The same colony made seven supers of honey in 1912. The queen was four years old last fall, and the colony has swarmed but once, which was during the first year after I got her. On that occasion, for some reason the queen • could not fly, and my son picked her up on the ground and put her in a cage until I came home. I took from the hive a couple of cells that I wanted, and destroyed the rest and put the queen back and she is there yet. She is not clipped, for she has good wings so far as I can see. She is the largest queen I have ever had. During the four years that I have handled this colony I have been stung but once, and that was when I pinched one pf the bees. When the frames are taken out of the hives the bees stick closely to the combs and do not fly around my face. They can be handled without veil or smoke. Tliere have never been any queen-cells in the hive except that one time mentioned above. All that I do to prevent swarming is to remove the % strip at the back of the bottom-board and put a piece of wire screen in its place during hot weather. Elizabeth, Pa. Amos E. Meyers. Breeding for Honey Instead of Color While I am not an extensive beekeeper I breed for honey rather than for color. About the first of June I go through my yard watching the fronts of the hives until I find the one I want. Then I look inside tOi see whether the bees of this particular queen are gentle and evenly marked, also whether the combs are well filled with brood from top to bottom. Then I find the queen to see whether she is leather-colored with a bit of black at the tip. If so, all right. If not, I look further for one having those markings. I prefer to have the workers go out of the hive like a bullet, and when they return drop on the alighting-board and hurry inside. Furthermore, I want a queen whose bees enter the super readily, whether producing comb or extracted hone\ . Referring to the record of the colony in question I make sure that her bees winter well, and that they do not daub the sections with propolis badly. It is just as important to have the mother of the drone show these good qualities also. Cattaraugus, N. Y. Harold W. Scott. CoJony Fed Artificial Pollen Ahead of the Others Rye graham flour may be used as a substitute for natural pollen. In the spring of 1913 I fed a colony of bees rye graham flour. This colony swarm- ed out May 26, while all the other colonies did not swarm until after June 10. Adolph C. Rosenquist. Parker's Prairie, Minn., Feb. 27. AfRIL 1, 1914 ^75 Our Homes A. I. Root I pray that they may all be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may also be one in us, that the world may believe thou hast sent me. John 17:21. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. — John 10:10. DOUBLING UP THE COUNTRY CHURCHES, ETC. Perhaps we could leave out the word " country " and consider for a moment dou- bling up churches in general — city churches and all. Read the following: Mr. Root : — We like your Home talks. We wish to ask you a few questions. Is the church of Christ celestial only, or is it a part of the world? The Comforter is to guide us into all truth. How, then, can Christians differ? Are not divisions carnal, and classed with the fruits of the flesh ? Do you justify the existence of sects ? Rev. W. L. Beers, of Topeka, Kan., it is said, killed his wife because she was a Catholic. Can you not pray to God for some light on this subject, and give us a sermon on unity ? Guilford, Kan., July 7. T. & H. Shoet. My good friends, I presume you have read what we gave on the subject on page 059, Sept. 15. While I am hoping and praying that there may be a " doubling-up " instead of having a few more churches started every little while, I think I realize somewhat the diftieulty of rushing things in this direction too fast. There are, all over the world, people who are, comparatively speaking, good and earnest Christians who probably will not be persuaded to go into this doubling business. I am inclined to think it is the old and gTay-headed people, mainly, who stick so tenaciously to their own particular denomination. Some years ago in Northern Michigan my good friend Rev. A. T. Reed and I visited the homes round about Bingham, Mich., in the endea- i'or to collect the scattered Chi'istians and revive the church in that community thai seemed to have gone to pieces. The greater part of them absolutely refused to drop theological differences and unite in Chris- tian fellowship. Almost the only hope was among the younger members of the Sunday- school who have never got hold of doctrinal points. With childlike innocence — that is, innocence of the things that our fathers and mothers had quarreled over — they came with enthusiasm, and in a little time the community that had open saloons and baseball on Sunday was made over. I told you that, during my recent visit, the saloon had died out for want of patronage, and a very good congregation met in that little Bingham church. Now, my good brothers, let us be careful about huri-ying matters to such an extent that we stir up again old disputed points. As thing's are now, 1 am inclined to think it better that there should be different de- nominations. You probably know how often good people differ in regard not only to theology but questionable amusements, etc. Some are loose in their ideas, and others are too strict, and quite a good many will tenaciously stick to unimportant matters. While this is true, is it not well, at least to a certain degree, for people who think alike to get together and hire a minister who believes and thinks as they do, but who are willing, notwithstanding, to leave minor differences, and go to work unitedly for temperance, for sanitary measures, for good roads, and for good government, etc. Our good friend E. E. Hasty, one of our old shining lights in bee culture, will be remem- bered by our older readers. He went so far as to insist that sects be done away with entirely, and let every man worship God according to his own notion. Let us accept the fact that there are almost no two people exactly alike. God, in his gi'eat wisdom and love, has probably thought best to make us different; and what would the world be — how could there be such a diversity of work now going on as there is, were it not for tliese differences? As it is, there are a mul- titude of different things for us to study up and work out. We can, each one of us, have a different hobby ; and it is really a delight to me to see one man or woman take u]) one thing and another something else, and push it to its fullest development. For several years good people laughed at me, and were almost afraid to trust me because I was crazy on bee culture ; and yet God has permitted me to live long enough to see our institution buy and sell honey to an extent tliat I would not have believed possible then. In spite of the high cost of living, and other difficulties that block our way, there is room enough for all, and peace and plenty for all, if we are only willing to reach out and accept it from the hand of the loving and gracious Father. EMPTY PEWS IN OUR CHURCHES; A SUGGES- TION AS TO THE CAUSE. Dear Mr. Root: — I am enclosing a clipping from one of the New Brunswick papers which I thought might interest you. It shows that all of our preach- ers are not so busy reading ancient history or study- ing Greek that they forget that they are living in an age that has problems of its own. I wonder if the reason for the empty pew is not to be found in the fact that m-any of our ministers are so busy search- 276 ing the literature of the ancients for brilliant illus- trations and high-sounding phrases that they do not recognize the needs of the present day. I beliove that, if our ministers would burn half their books, study the newspapers, and stick their noses out of their studies occasionally, they would begin to preach sermons that would hold the multitudes. At any rate, St. James church here was packed so that there was hardly standing room last night, simply because Rev. Mr. Yard had announced that he would reveal his discoveries, and the discoveries were those that con- cerned the people. Mj-. Root, I believe that, if we had more such preachers — men who can fit religion into politics and everyday life, the world would grow better many times faster than at present. Harris T. Kille. New Brunswick, N. J., Oct. 27. My good friend, I have for a long time been " hungering and thirsting," if that expression is not too extravagant, to hear our ministers touch on things of the present (lay a little more. Just now, however, here in our Ohio home, as you may judge from the two sermons I have given in these Home papers, my wish has been gratified. Per- haps I should explain to our readers that the quotation alluded to by Mr. Kille comes from the New Brunswick, N. J., Times. The pastor mentioned, Rev. George W. Yard, said in his sermon, " A howl went up to the ceiling when I asked the ministers at a con- vention they held, to help me in this fight, so I started out single-handed." On Sunday and Sunday night he visited 80 saloons. Only 6 out of the 80 were closed up accord- ing to law. He tells in his sermon where lie went, what was going on, and mentioned names. No wonder that St. James church was " packed so there was hardly standing room." Thou Shalt not kill. — Exodus 20:13. We clip the following from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: THE PENALTY FOR MURDER. Twelve years ago a young tramp was found guilty of a most revolting crime. He had drifted from the east, a worthless derelict. An old and crippled watch- man took pity on the tramp and repeatedly befriend ed him, sharing his meager lunches with him, and giving him shelter. In return for this kindness the youth deliberately planned the murder of his benefactor. He waited till pay day, and then beat the old man to death with a ( oupling-pin, stole his money, and tied. He was ap- prehended, and charged with murder in the first degree. The verdict of the jury was an utterly unjustifi- able compromise — murder in the second degree. If the defendant was guilty of any crime it was first- degree murder; but the jury could not be brought to send him to death. The death penalty, as estab- lished by Ohio law. was responsible for a verdict which was wholly at variance with the facts. And yesterday, after having served a dozen years, the prisoner was released from the penitentiary, paroled by order of the Board of Pardons. When I first saw 1 he above I could hardly keej) still. It comes right on the heels of the report of another murderer who has GLEANINGS IN BEfe CULtURfc been pardoned. You may recall a temper- ance detective (Etherington) who was cru- elly strung up by a drunken mob at New- ark, Ohio. The leader of that mob lias been " pardoned out " after serving only three years in the penitentiary. Has this young tramp, who seemed to have no scruples about murdering his benefactor, and a poor crippled man at that, been pardoned out, as we must look at it, to go and do the same thing again"? The only excuse we have for such pardoning is that he had a good record for behavior during the dozen years. Now, if the daily paper had stated that he was truly penitent for his crime, had expressed sorrow and regret, and had started to lead a Christian life, giving reasonable evidence that he was truly born again, perhaps it might be well to pardon him out; but even then there is the record standing before the world as a precedent, and other men (and boys) seeing him get off so easily would be more likely to be tempted to do likewise. The paper does not tell us that his crime was committed under the influence of drink. We only read that he had been in the habit of going to that good old soul when he was hungry; and that was the reward the good man got for having had pity on the poor tramp. And, by the way, how does it come that this young vagabond had no money to pay for food? He was in the prime of life; and, so far as we know, was well and strong. In the great city of Cleveland there is all the time an unfilled demand for help - -any kind of help. Just at the present moment, wlule I dictate these words, we are paying skilled masons who came down from Cleveland almost a dollar an hour; and the mason's helpers that came along get half as much. Yet able men are going about beg- ging for " cold victuals," etc. " THOU SHALT NOT KILL.-^' Somewhat more than a month ago a mob of citi- zens of Spartanburg, S. C, dynamited the outer gate of the jail and demanded of Sheriff White that he yield to them the person of a negro prisoner. Sheriff White stood before them, supported by a single dep- uty. There was a revolver in Sheriff White's hand. "Gentlemen," he said, "I hate to do it; but, so help me God, I'll kill the first man who comes past that gate." Perhaps the members of that mob knew Sheriff White well enough to understand that he meant pre- cisely what he said. Perhaps they were influenced by mere cowardice. But, at any rate, the mob evap- orated. The negro who was the object of the mob's efforts has now been tried by a jury of white men, and has been found not guilty. There was, it appears, never any thing but ilimsy suspicion against him. Mere suspicion had been sufificient inspiration for the Spar- tanburg disciples of .Judge Lynch. The above, which I clip from the Cleve- land Leader, vividly illustrates several im- APRIL 1, 1914 277 portant points — first, tlie foolisli, senseless fasiiion that some crazy people have got into their heads of taking- the law into their own liands. Second, that, notwithstanding the command, " thou shalt not kill," there is a time when it is right to kill in order that we save the lives of the innocent; and may God be praised that we have men like Sheriff White who dare stand before a crazy mob and say, " So help me God. 1 will kill the first man who comes past tliat gate." I hope, if the time of trial sliould come, God will give me grace and courage to stand by this man. No wonder the mob " evaporated." The above clipping does not say whether that crowd was drunken or not ; but judging from what I know of such things, the mob was probably fired up with beer or whisky. That is why it is getting to be the fashion of closing the saloons when- ever any violent outbreak occurs. After it was all over, it turned out that the poor colored man was entirely innocent. In our peaceful town of Bradentown, Fla., a poor fellow was dragged out of jail and hung up by just such a crowd. The sheiiff excused himself by saying that " it was not i:>ossible to stop them." The color- ed man who worked for me informed me aftenvard that the poor fellow who was strung up was not right-witted, and prob- ably was innocent of any deliberate wrong. Of course the mob did not know about this, and I fear some of them would not have cared if they had known. The authorities of Bradentown have recently broken up several " speakeasies " in the colored part of the town. GARDENING AND GODLINESS. Years ago I did a nice little business growing and selling horseradish. We had a grater run by the machinery in our factory, and our women employees ground the roots and put in our 1-lb. honey-bottles, and these were carried fresh every day on our market- wagon. As the bottles were returned next trip, we sold a 1-lb. jar full for 10 cts. Counting every expense as far as I could, the gTated radish cost only about 4 cts., but T tell you it took some " bossing " to secure smooth running all the way from " pi'oducer to consumer." With the above preface, let us consider another successful ( ?) horse- radish " son of toil." See below from first page of Cleveland Plain Dealer of Dec. 26 : At the point of a revolver two masked burglars early yesterday morning compelled Samuel Hirt, 2216 E. 40th St., horseradish manufacturer, to march downstairs in his night clothes to a first-floor room of his home, where they forced him to unlock a safe containing $739, the receipts of his Christmas mar- keting trade. Police last night still were searching for the rob- l)ers, who fled fi'om the house in haste as soon as they had snatcliod the rolls of bills and bags of currency that the safe held. Aroused from sleep by noises in the rooms below, Hirt left his bed and went to the top of a staircase, where lie pressed a Ijuttou that lighted the lower hall. He saw a masked man standing at the foot of the stairs with a revolver pointed up at him. " Turn that light out and be quick about it," the Inirglar commanded hoarsely, giving a flourish of his revolver to emphasize the order. Hirt didn't lu>sitate. With his hand still on the button he gave a push that darkened the hall below liim. Almost at the same instant a pocket lamp In the hand of the burglar sent a stream of light up the staircase. "Samuel — Samuel, what is the matter?" Mrs. Hirt called to her husband from the bedroom " Don't say a word," commanded the burglar. " Now, come on down the stairs." As Hirt walked slowly down with his hands in the air the burglar at the foot of the steps called to a companion in another room. "Come on in, .Jim; it's easy now," he said. A moment later a second masked man walked into the hall. Indicating that they were familiar with the loca- tion of the rooms of the house, the burglars compelled Hirt to go to the room containing the safe. " Unlock it," one of the robbers ordered crisply. With trembling hands the market man figured the dial to solve the combination. In his nervousnesvs he was unable to open the doors quickly enough to satisfy the robbers. " Remember, no bluffing goes," one of the burglars warned. " Open it in a hurry or we'll send a bullet into you." Again Hirt turned the dial and this time the large handle on the door turned when he tried it. A mo- ment later the door swung open. The electric flash lamp lit up the interior and showed the treasure the robbers were seeking. Hastily stuffing the money into their pockets the robbers turned to Hirt with a parting warning. " Don't call for help until we get out of the house," they said. The light flashed out and the robbers headed for a rear door. A few moments later Hirt rushed into the street and called for aid. A group of excited neighbors gathered and a call was sent in to police of the third precinct. No trace of the burglars was found. Hirt conducts two horseradish stands in the down- town market district. One of his shops is at Huron Road and E. 4th St., the other at Bolivar Road S. E. and E. 4th St. The amount in the safe, $739, represented his receipts for the three days preceding Christmas. .V half-dozen other liurglaries on Christmas eve were reported to police yesterday. Hold-up men also plied their trade actively according to reports from victims. Do you ask what the above has to do with godliness, or what it has to do with us? Listen : Friend Hirt is an honest, hard- working man. Through days of toil he had reaped his final harvest, and was sleeping tlie sleep of the just. His money, taken in late at night, was deposited in a good safe. He was a prudent man; but what did his " safe " or any safe amount to? A fiend in human form coveted his hard-earned savings made from growing and selling horseradish. We are sometimes tempted to ask, " Is thete really a God above? " If so, why does hc^ 278 GLEAJSINGS IN BEE CULTURB permit such things? Joshua asked the ques- tion, you may remember, and Jehovah told him it was because there was an " Achan " in their midst. There is an Achan in the big city of Cleveland, and all the increased force of policemen will never restrain the " carnival of crime " {Plain Dealer again) until that Achan is disposed of. You and I are sut¥ering because of him; we are all suffering ; and God will permit things to go on from worse to worse until we wake up and " do something." A thousand or more saloons have just been " licensed." In God's name, why not license these masked men we have been reading about, to go on with their " industry " ? Yes, and then let them buy and sell these licenses. The same daily tells us three schoolboys, excited by the way " hold ups " succeed, got a pistol and made a man give up his money. Several times, when there is labor or other troubles in large cities the saloons have all been closed. Is it not nearing the time when the mayor and chief of the police decide, as a last resort, to destroy this Achan, as Kansas, Maine, and other States have done? SOWING GOOD SEED, ETC. 1 think I have explained before, that, when we are down in Florida, Mrs. Root and I attend the Presbyterian Church. In fact, I should like to say we are a part of the Presbyterian Church — that is, if the good pastor and the good people there will not object. Well, of late my heart has been warming more and more toward our Pres- byterian people; and here is a letter from a good Presbyterian brother that I hope will warm the hearts of all readers of Glean- ING.S, no matter what denomination they belong to: Mr. A. I. Root:—l am largely indebted to you for the contents of the " sticker " which I enclose. I am a Presbyterian minister. I have been on the road for a number of years in the interest of our church papers. After I had been traveling for some time I noticed that " drummers " often had " stickers," and it occurred to me that I might have one with which to " drum up " the Lord's business. But I was much at a loss as to the form. While in this dilemma I read one of your articles, in which an expression very much like the first of my "sticker" occurred. I took it, changed it somewhat, and had a thousand of them printed. My intention was to create a more devotional reading of the Bible. "When I would hand them to some one I would say, " Stick that in your Bible. It is a good little prayer to offer before you read your Bible, or when you come to a good pas- sage, or a hundred times a day when things don't go right." At first I did not have my name on them. I gave one to a drummer. He said, " That's all right, but it hasn't any name on it." I said, " I do not believe that people are interested in my name." He put his hand in his pocket, and, taking out a dollar, he said, " Here is a dollar. Have a dollar's worth of those printed at my expense, and put your name on them." So I have been putting my name on them ever since. I thought you would be interested in this, and thought it nothing more than right that you should know the good your article was doing. If any of your readers would like to have some for their own use, or for distribution, I will take pleasure in sending them free of charge if they will send a stamped self-addressed envelope, and say how many they want. Hulbert, Okla., Sept. 22. E. P. Keach. The sticker he alludes to is a sort of gummed label, or card, and below is what we read on it : Teach me, O Lord, just the lessons you want me to learn, and make me willing to do what you want me to do that I may be thy child indeed. E. P. Keach, Temple, Texas 1913 Dear friends, I hope you will read that over and over. And now let me ask you the question, does it seem possible that any man or woman who reads and endorses that lit- tle prayer (for indeed it is only an enlarge- ment of my little prayer, "Lord, help"), can be selfish or tricky or deceitful? God forbid. SEVENTY-THREE YEARS OLD, AND — ''THESE ARE THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE." Bear Brother Root: — Several months ago you made mention in your Homes article of a new dis- covery you made. As I read it I was reminded of an experience of my own more than forty years ago. One day my hired man said to me, " On next Sat- urday evening there will be a preparatory service at the Lutheran church. There will be communion ser- vices on Sunday." I did not say any thing to the Lutheran brother, but I wondered what kind of ser- vice that might be. I had never heard of such a meeting. However, I decided to go. But before I left I went into my bedroom and got down on my knees and asked God to keep me from going as a critic, but that I might get something good. They had an after-service, and the pastor began to ask his member.? questions about their daily life ; and as he asked, and they gave their answers, I would mental- ly ask myself the question, and give the answer. I can remember only two questions. One was, " Do you have family worship in your families every day?" I, of course, could say " Yes." The next was, " Do you read God's word in your families every day? " To that question I had to say " No." The spirit of God had been talking to me about that very duty, but I did not take heed to it. We had a custom of singing a hymn, then have our prayer service. But there that Saturday eve, in that Lutheran church, I promised God I would read his word to my family every day, and I believe I have kept my promise up to this time. The children then were in their teens and under. Now they are all grown to manhood and womanhood, and I will ever praise God for the de- termination lie put in my heart to live for him. I am now in my 73d year, and these are the best days of my life, although the half of my family, which means my wife and six children, have passed over, and I am here with six children and twenty APRIL 1, 1914 279 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. My chil- dren were all converted, and some of the grand- children. I expect to meet tliem some day. But, most of all, and first of all, I want to see my Savior. Abilene, Kan., Oct. 13. N. G. Hershey. Dear friends, the above is the record of one of our good veterans who, by a chance word of a good faithful pastor forty years before, took up Bible-reading while sup- porting a family of twelve children. I do not know, and perhaps nobody but God knows, the influence and effect of reading the Bible every day for forty years. It had its influence, too, you may be sure on the grandchildren as well, and perhaps on the great grandehildren. And, besides all that, he is enabled to stand up before us in this little " class meeting " — for that is really what it is — and "testify" that, even though he is past threescore and ten, " tiiese are the best days of my life." High-pressure Gardening ANOTHER " GREAT INVENTION " IN THE LINE OP " CHICKENS " AND " GARDEN SASS.-" Before we can grasp the " magnitude " of my discovery in full, I shall have to take up some other lines leading up to it. In making garden in years past I have bought many loads of stable manure; for until I came to Florida I had got to thinking if it is true that it is " money that makes the mai'e go " it is about as true that it is " manure that makes the garden grow." Well, one drawback on the manure, espe- cially if bought at the livery barns, is the weed seeds that come with it. Besides the weed seeds are the seeds of oats that seem to pass the digestive organs with vitality enough to grow " right smart " of ttimes, when they must be pulled out by hand. I remember mulching some choice strawber- ries with stable manui'e, and the oats came up so thickly we had almost a green lawn. Really, tliere is need that Terry and Fletch- er give the iiorses lectures on chewing their food more thoroughly. Grinding the oats would certainly prevent germination; but, if I am correct, our experiment stations have not reported any very great advantage in ground feed. There is certainly a big waste in feeding oats along in this line; but I really don't know the best remedy. I believe it is generally agreed that poultry have a " mill " that God gave them that pretty well cuts off all chance of germina- tion. Below is a clipping from the IHC Almanac tliat may have it about right : It is a pretty generally accepted fact among farm- ers that, to get the greatest feeding value from grain, it should be ground. Investigation has demonstrated that in some instances as high as 35 per cent of grain can be saved by feeding it ground. The aver- age saving, however, wnll probably be about 12 per cent. For several years past we have kept dry sand under the roosts in all our poultry- houses, and Wesley has swept up the drop- pings the first thing every morning. They are kept in tin cans until wanted in the garden. Since we have done tliis we have had little or no trouble from vermin. An- other reason is that almost every day we have visitors who take Gleanings — oft- times ladies; and when I "show them around " it is worth a good deal to me to find no droppings visible in any of the poultry-houses. Now you are about ready to take in my " discovery." Mr. Rood, in looking over and admiring my garden a few days ago, said he believed some stable manure, even if it did cost $3.0U a load, would be a profitable investment on some of my new ground. I put a heavy dressing on about 100 square feet where I sowed alfalfa and sweet clover. I also put on half a jjailful of air-slacked lime. The seeds came up finely ; but there was also an excellent stand of oats as usual. After spreading two big loads on the garden where it seemed to be needed, there was about two wheelbarrow loads left. I told Wesley to jjut it under the poultry-roosts. There were probably oats in this like the rest ; but there were very few when night came, and no poultry manure visible; and Wesley says fine dry stable manure is very much less work to handle than heavy, useless sand, Terry, in all his writings, has been very emphatic about having stable manure work- ed up fine before putting it on the land. Do you know of any " machine " that will fine uj:) manure as will a hen and chickens? When I saw how it worked 1 got a whole load and put the manure six inches deep under the roosts of all our eight houses. When we used sand, and esjaeeially when we fed much lettuce, the droppings were often so moist they went on the garden in lumps or chunks; and often in hoeing I spent quite a little time in breaking these up and mixing Vv^ith the soil. The hens now do all tiiis, and we have the floors all look- ing tidy if we leave them to the care of the hens a week or more. Can you imagine any better way of keep- 280 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ing and liaDdling the droppings and apply- ing them to the land, than mixing and composing them with stable manure? In conclusion I suppose I shall have to own up, as with many of my other discover- ies, that it is not exactly neiv. In fact, it is just the way I kept chickens when a lad of ten or twelve, more than 60 years ago. My chicken-house was a " lean-to " back of the horse-stables. I tixed a door under the sill of the barn so manure could be shoveled into the care of my fowls easier than to lift and throw it out at the little door. The chickens dug it over and over, even in zero weather, and I had eggs to sell when no one else did ; and when it cam.e summer time, " our garden " (mother's and mine) was ahead of the whole neighborhood because of our supply of fine, di'y, pulverized poul- try and stable-manure compost. Health Notes " IP EVERY ONE DID AS TERRY DOES." V. W. Clough, Brewster, Wash., writes to Glean- ings IN Bee Culture, heartily endorsing The Prac- tical Farmer's health book. And tlien he adds that, " If we all lived as Terry does, eveiy tiling in the eating line would be a drug on the market, with the possible exception of fruit ; it would mean the bank- ruptcy of our nation." You can leave out the "possi- ble." The fruit would all be eaten, and much more called for. We see no reason why the demand for vegetables would not be about the same as at pres- ent. There would be less grain products eaten, be- cause we would get more good from a smaller amount, on account of more thorough chewing. So there would be far more grain to ship to England, which would be good for the nation, and would in no way injure the producers. White beans are a leading article of food in New England, but they are not as much used as they should be in many other sections. If every one lived as Terry does, the mar- ket price of the legumes would be higher than at present, unless many more were raised. Terry bought 3 % gallons of extracted honey last winter. If every- body used as much, the price of honey would go soaring. He bought three gallons of pure olive oil, and will soon have to get another. Growers could not begin to supply the demand if every one ate as much. His wife and he eat from 1 V2 to 2 pounds of lest creamery butter per week. The price would go higher than it is now if every one used it as free- ly. If all let meat alone, as Terry does, because he can do better, there would be vastly more to ship to Europe, where it is wanted. The nation would actu- ally gain by it. If Terry's simple, wholesome way of living were followed by all it might make a tempo- rary trouble for egg-producers, but soon they would find a way to can or evaporate their products and ship them to countries not so well posted. This would not bankrupt our nation, although it might be considered as not loving our neighbors as well as ourselves. As to adulterated, poisoned, and injurious articles, they ought to be " a di-ug on the market." If every one shunned liquor as Terry does, there would be enough more grain to sell to pay soon the huge national debt. And there would be hundi-eds of millions more money in the hands of the people for comforts and real luxm-ies. Terry has never used tobacco. If every one did the same, the saving in money and the greater efficiency of our young men would soon boom business away out of sight of what it is in any other country on earth. The above comes from the Practical Farmer. If Terry means that he and his wife use perhaps 31/2 gallons of honey a year it certainly would send the price of honey soaring if every one used as much. If the necessaries of life, especially butter, eggs, and milk, should get to be a " drug on tlie market," it would be a gi'eat boon to the hard-working people who are at pres- ent complaining of the " high cost of liv- ing." When eggs get down to 20 cts. a dozen, instead of 30 and 40, in my Florida home, I always feel happy, because it is such a blessing to poor people, even if it does come a little hard on the " chicken man." May God speed our good friend Terry and his hosts of followers. CASSAVA — SOMETHING MORE ABOUT IT. We clip as follows from the Florida Grower: In Jamaica a new industry has recently sprung up in the line of making cassava wafers which are now exported to the United Kingdom and the United States. These wafers are made in several forms from the huge coarse " bammies," consisting of the grated root with a little of the starch pressed out, made into thin sheets and toasted or roasted or fried, to the delicate " tea wafers " which for some time have been used at fashionable luncheons and after- noon tea parties, especially in Boston. Nowhere is there any thing else in the bread line quite so good, in my opinion, a-s hot-buttered " bammies " fresh from the fire. Not only the wafers, cookies, and cakes, but also the new breakfast foods, tapioca, flour, etc., made from the grated root treated in different ways, are bound to be popular. GETTING RID OF ROACHES, ETC. Some years ago I saw an article in a newspaper saying that roaches could be destroyed by placing in their reach a mixture of flour, sugar, and plaster of Paris, all finely pulverized. The mixture is to be put in a dry place. I don't remember the proportions of the different ingredients; but the readers of Glean ING.S in Florida might try equal parts of each. Portland, Ore., Aug. 25. C. Wanty, The above would certainly be preferable to poison of any kind; because if you poi- son the roaches, and the chickens afterward gobble them up, you kill the chickens also — at least so they tell me down in Florida. In the above it is the plaster of Paris that does the business, and chickens do not mind plaster of Paris. The same thing has been frequently recommended for rats and mice. After they take a drink, the plaster sets. ¥-J •ill iJI ' 'l-^. .•1"1 »%. * f m «»" '•,ft# - J''^ \- \ ^;# i**''< ■*^,^r^>. ^OUXLIIw APB:';1S, 191 4 ,»■ "'*'■ ,' ^ -^ ' ^ ,• i 4 . ..'4^' ' ''^ * r *■ ^.» \ ^"< ~; ' * * % '■.: ^ ' '» ' ., » » *^4K:„ 1, ANSWERS TO 150 QUESTIONS By the Editor of GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE The first fifty or sixty questions are those commonly asked by beginners. The remainder are queries that nat- urally arise in the minds of more experienced beekeepers. The last hundred questions have been asked by Glean- ings subscribers, and are put in permanent form in this way because they cover those points which so often per- l)lex beekeepers. The index enables one to find at once answers which will help him to solve many of the puzzles connected with the care of bees. The five questions given below have been taken at random from the book. How can I tell a queen-cell from all the rest ? What is the best way to introduce a valuable queen? What must be planted for bees to work upon ? I have an engagement to give a live-bee exhibit at our county fair this fall. This will be my first experience. Is it advisable to feed the bees while the}' are confined ? In comparison, all points considered, for comb hon- ey, what advantage if any has the 4/^x4/4^x1^ o\er the 4x.tx13^ section? Send for the book as premium when you renew your subscription to GLEANINGS, and read the answers to these questions and the other 145. A copy of "Answers to 150] Both Questions" and "Gleanings > for in Bee Culture" one year J $1.00 Canadian postage, 30 cts. extra; Foreign postage, 60 cts. extra. The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio Jeaimmgs aim Bee Celltimre Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager I. Root, Editor Home Uepartmeiit. J. T. Calvkrt, Business Mgr. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter. VOL. XLII. APRIL 15, 1914 NO. 7 EDITOEIAL, Latesll; Reporte froim ttlie Apaladaico- Honey is, ooming in from blacii tupeio with a rush — so much so that it is crowding our queens and delaying brood-rearing. See page 306. As we are running almost en- tirely for increase we should prefer a more moderate flow. Prospects for white tupeio are excellent, and this is the main source of honey for that district. In spite of the backward weather in February and March, conditions are very good for making the expected increase. Perhaps the question may be asked, '' What is the ' expected in- crease ' 1 " Well — er, we'll tell later after we get it. Later. — Black tupeio stopped on the 6tb with white tupeio about ten days off. According to a clipping from the Los Angeles Times, reprinted in the Western Honey-bee, H. J. Mercer, lawyer, beekeep- er, supply manufacturer, and supjoh^ dealer at Los Angeles, has been given a sentence of nine years in Sing Sing prison for forg- ing a mortgage of $250 on an aged woman. We are also informed that he was wanted in Los Angeles " on a felony complaint charging him with hypothecating fraudulent notes alleged to be worth $2000." It is further alleged that detectives who have been on his trail assert that he got away with at least $75,000 from other sources in the past year or two. We are very sorry to hear this — more so because Mr. Mercer was a bright keen young man, capable of earning an honest living as a lawyer, as a bee-supply dealer, or as a beekeeper. History repeats itself. The young man started out as thousands of others have done with a good bringing-up and with an honest heart. As nearly as we can learn, he was trying to do things on too large a scale. He incurred obligations which he could not meet, and then sometlung happened — temp- tation, flight from justice, and finally prison walls. The reader should not get H. J. Mercer confused with L. E. Mercer, a prominent beekeeper of California who enjoys an hon- orable record. While in many places bees in the South can work every day in the year, that simply means that the bees that go into late fall or winter will not see spring. The old bees will constantly die oft', and the young bees will take their jdaces. This means that brood-rearing will continue with interrup- tions all winter. If 10 to 15 lbs. would take care of a colony of bees for six or seven months in a good cellar in the North, it would probably take four or five times as much to carry the same colony through for the same period in many parts of the South. Said Mr. 0. 0. Poppleton, "My problem is not so much to encourage brood- rearing as to keep it down. Constant breed- ing compels the bees to fly for water, pol- len, and nectar, wearing themselves out. If a colony in southern Florida can gathei- a surplus of 50 lbs. average, when the sea- son is at its best, those same bees will prob- ably gather, during the entire season, four or flve times as much honey as a similar force of bees would in the North. If it were not for the constant renewing of bee blood our Southern beekeepers would have a great bonanza of honey production. The OM Original BcDok, " Langg The reprint of the old original edition of '' Langstroth on the Hive and the Honey- bee," dated 1853, and containing over 400 pages, in cloth, is now ready for distribu- tion. Our older readers will remember that 282 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE this old volume, about the time father Langstroth brouglit out his hive and system, was one of the most charmingly Avritten and entertaining books that was ever published. Indeed it so stirred A. I. Root that he wrote in his A B C of Bee Culture : What a gold-mine that book seemed to me I * * * Never was romance so enticing — not even Robinson Crusoe ; and, best of all, right at my own home I could live out and verify all the wonderful things told therein. There have been repeated calls for a re- production of this famous work, so much so that The A. I. Root Co. finally decided last fall to make a reprint of it. It has now been reproduced in paper and binding with all the original cuts just as it appeared in 1853, without any change whatever save an introduction by C. P. Dadant. Some of our younger readers might feel that perhajjs this work would be out of date. While this is true, of course, to a certain extent, the fact is, that father Langstroth was 60 years ahead of his time — so much so that he revolutionized beekeeping through- out the world. The old original book that helped do this is well worth reading — espe- cially so as it contains many tricks of the trade that are being heralded to-day as something new. From a historical point of view it is invaluable. No bee library can be complete without it. We are able to furnish this old edition, just as it came from the hands of father Langstroth, the father of American bee- keeping, in 1853, for $1.00 postpaid; or in connection with Gleanings at the very low combination rate of $1.50, or clubbed with the A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture, a $2.00 volume, for $2.50; or with Dadant's Langstroth Revised, $1.85. Wintering, and thie Prospects for a Late reports show general good winter- ing throughout the country, with the excej)- tion of one or two areas where the late cold weather seems to have put the bees in a weakened condition. One district is in and around Philadelphia, and other districts are in the middle-southern States. However, we do not remember the time when the bees seemed to have been in better condition for harvest than this spring. The prospects for a honey crop are from fair to good. Conditions were itnfavorable in California, but late rains have improved the situation. Northern Florida is showing up well, and the southern part will do bet- ter than usual. WMle the clovers do not show up quite as well as they did a year ago, there is every reason to suppose there will be a fair crop from that source. A good deal will depend on whether there is a drouth from now till the time the clovers begin to mature. Spring is opening up favorably and rather early everywhere. Later. — We are having regular blizzards of snow and rain. It in Y. We are in receipt of a program announc- ing a course in practical beekeeping to be given in the Y. M. C. A. schools of Louis- ville, Ky., on Thursdays from March 26 to May 28 inclusive. We regret that it arrived too late for our April 1st issue. OUTLINE OF COURSE. J. O. DUNKIN, INSTRUCTOR IN CHARGE. Thursday, March 26, " Possibilities in bee culture — How to begin." (Illustrated with moving pictures.) Richard Priest Dietzman. Thursday, April 2, "Inhab- itants and industries of the hive," J. O. Dunkin. Thursday, April 9, " Equipment — location and ar- rangement of apiary," J. P. Martine. Thursday, April 16, " The hive and how to handle it," Walter C. Furnas. Thursday, April 23, "Swarming of bees — transferring," Ernest W. Brown. Thursday, April 30, "Enemies and diseases of bees — remedies," Otto F. Recktenwald. Thursday, May 7, "How to produce comb honey," Richard Priest Dietzman. Thursday, May 14, " How to produce extracted honey," J. P. Martine, Otto F. Recktenwald. Thursday, May 21, " Interrelation of bees and plants — Robbing in the apiary — Details about honey and beeswax," J. O. Dunkin. Thursday, May 28, " Feeding and winter- ing bees," Walter C. Furnas, Ernest W. Brown. For full particulars write Y. M. C. A. School, W. H. Lippold, Director, Third and Broadway, Louisville, Ky. This is a step in the right direction, and deserves the encouragement and financial support of every beekeeper. Educational work of this kind is strictly in keeping with the purpose of such schools. Beekeeping has been, unfortunately, left out of our school work of the past ; but it is coming now more and more to be recognized, not only in our public schools, but in our agri- cultural colleges. The two most prominent at the present time are those of Amherst, Mass., and Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The tide is rising, and coming generations will feel the impetus and benefit of college-bred beekeepers in the same measure and in com- mon with other agricultural pursuits. Natural Pollen Far Superior to Arti- At our Apalachicola yard we have been furnishing our bees with artificial pollen substitutes, when natural sources were lack- ing. While we succeeded in starting up brood-rearing by giving bees common wheat APRIL 15, 1914 283 flour such as we make bread of, yet it was easy to see that the natural product was far superior. Said Mr. A. B. Marehant, whom we regard as one of the best authorities on bees in the United States, "I believe, Mr. Root, the reason why natural pollen is so much more effective is because the bees get a small amount of nectar at the same time. If we can furnish nectar or sweetened water along with our artificial pollen, we may be able to gpt practically the same result. But some- how we do not know yet how to make the combination." Mr. A. B. Marehant discovered that com- mon white wheat flour would be taken by bees about as readily as any other artiftcial substitute. He spread some old combs out in a sheltered location, and then sprinkled common flour over them. The smell of the combs attracted the bees, and both he and his son Ernest have discovered that the bees will take the flour from these old combs far more readily than they will from pans or trays. Mind you, the combs are not put in any hives, but placed outdoors where all the bees of the apiary can have access to them. Mr. Ernest Marehant, at our suggestion, tried the experiment of mixing flour and thin sugar syrup ; but he soon discovered that the bees would daub themselves up with the sticky paste. Notwithstanding he was feeding thin sugar syrup in Boardman feeders at the entrance of the hives, the pollen substitute on the combs did not yield the results of the real article. Mr. A. B. Marehant's idea is that thin nectar should be fed to the bees in such a way that they will get a supply of nectar and flour both at the same trip. We know that bees require saliva or nectar to mix up pollen and stick it in their pollen-baskets. Now, who is there who is going to solve the problem of making an artificial combination of the two that will yield the same results as natural pollen? vs. Wagon or Auitomoljile Trucks. During our recent trip to Florida we had an opportunity to compare the two methods of transportation between yards of bees. In Florida, especially yards near rivers. bays, and lakes, a gasoline-launch is the prevailing means of going to and from yards, carrying stuff back and forth, and it is a very nice way. It is free from dust and dirt, bad roads or mud, scaring horses, and punctured tires. There is nothing more imdgorating or delightful than to go tuppy, tuppy from yard to yai'd in a gasoline- launch; and, conversely, there is nothing more aggTavaling than a boat out in mid- bay or river that will not go. If out in a lai'ge body of water, the wind and waves rising, there is no particular delight in monkeying with a motor that positively re- fuses to mote. Some of these two-cycle motors are an aggravation in this respect; but as a general thing an experienced boat- man will overcome all of these difficulties. One disadvantage of the boat is slowness of travel. Unless one owns a high-power boat, wliich would be too expensive, the speed will not be much over six or eight miles an hour, while an automobile would double or treble that rate of travel. But one of the gi'eat advantages of the boat for outyard work is the smoothness of running. There is no jar or jolt, no puncturing of tires, no slipping or sticking in the mud, no delay or stoppage on account of rain, but an abundance of fresh air, so necessary in moving bees up and down the river or bay. Still again, a motor boat that wiF carry forty or fifty colonies will not cost over $200 to $300, and a second-hand boat can be obtained for half these figures, while an automobile would cost four or five times these amounts. The only possible trouble from the boat may be leakage and motor trouble; while in an automobile truck there are a hundred and one things that may go wrong, any one of which may stop the machine on the road. Unfortunately, how- ever, most of the good locations are remote from rivers, bays, and lakes, and the great majority of beekeei^ers wiU have to submit to the cost and inconvenience of wagons and motor trucks. More and, more the value of bees is be- coming recognized in the agricultural papers of all kinds. The progi-essive fruit-jour- nals, most of them at least, have given the bees their rightful credit while the farm papers voluntarily run editorials telling of the value of bees for pollenizing blossoms. It indicates the beginning of the end of this wholesale spraying of blossoms. The Connecticut Farmer and New Eng- land Farm in their issue for January 31 have a splendid editorial that is right to the point. We quote here a few sentences at random : We have long been blinded to the beneficent offices of these little creatures. V\'ithout them horticulture in all its departments would perish. * * * Strange to say, there are any number of fruit-growers who make all sorts of wild claims that bees puncture the skin of fruit. There is no evidence on record suffi- cient to convict the bees of any such depredations. * * * In one of Mr. VanPelt's addresses at the 284 State Board of Agriculture meeting he told of the efforts made by westeru farmers to rid the country of sweet clover, as they considered it a noxious weed of the worst character. They even went to the extent of proposing that beekeepers be driven out of the country, because bees help to spread sweet clover; but of late these same farmers have come to realize that the much-despised sweet clover is a forage crop, second in importance only to alfalfa. When fruit- growers argue that bees destroy fruit they are taking the same stand taken by western farmers in their misguided crusade against sweet clover. ***** Every fruit-grower ought to realize the positive ne- cessity of delaying spraying operations until the blossoms are so far gone that the bees have ceased to work upon them. To spray trees in bloom, thus poisoning the bees, is a case parallel to that of the miser who killed the goose that laid the golden egg. We have always felt that articles in a bee-journal along this line are not very convincing to fruit-growers, for they natu- rally think that the bee-journal is prejudic- ed. However, after our special numbers on bees and fruit we have noted with a con- siderable degree of satisfaction that the beekeepers make use of the material thus furnished in stirring up an interest in their local papers and in the farm magazines, ^peed the day when the truth may become nv'dely known! GraHiam, who, it i For some months past we have been receiving complaints regai'ding Mr. C. I. Graham, formerly of Oroville, Cal., but now of Reno, Nevada. It is alleged that he has been moving diseased bees from place to place, scattering foul brood wherever he has been. It is also claimed that his dealings with several persons have been unsatisfac- tory; that he buys or rents bees, alleging that he is going to form a big stock com- pany. Other parties go on to say that his methods are slovenly and careless; that if he had foul brood every beekeeper in range would get it, that he somehow gets control of a lot of bees and moves them into a new territory, and that it apparently makes no difference to him (Graham) whether the bees are diseased or not; that when he is through extracting he scatters his scraps and leavings of combs out to be cleaned out by rohbers; and, of course, the bees of his neighbors, if there is disease in such combs, would be infected. Among these complain- ants are several men of standing. In the American Bee Journal for Novem- ber, page 368, a clipping was published to the effect that this Mr. Graham was arrested and found guilty of exposing diseased brood-combs, to the injury of the bees in GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE the vicinity. We were also informed that another case against him was pending. Just what the outcome of this was we have not been advised. ^ Believing it is always fair to give the accused a chance to defend himself we ^vrote to Mr. Graham, explaining the nature of the complaints, and under date of Feb 21, at Reno, Nevada, he writes a very good letter, from, which we quote the following: I have no desire to attack any one; and the at- tacks made upon me are unjustified and unjustifiable. I have been made the subject of bitter persecution here in order to drive me out of this field as a com- petitor. The article in the American Bee Journal, to which you refer, was furnished by Inspector Guthrie, of this county, for that purpo.se, and was \ tlie result of malice and ill will — a feeling that I do not reciprocate. It is true that I was arrested, and tried in a justice's court here last fall for exposing diseased bee-combs. My apiary was visited by the inspector when he knew I was absent, and he took with him two men who were my avowed enemies; and while they did not produce any diseased bee- combs, as they would have done if they had found any, I could not, with these three hostile witnesses against me, escape conviction. ... I am here, and here I am going to stay; and as I am not guilty of any wrong-doing I have no fear of what my ene mies can do to me. I have been taught from child- hood to return good for evil, and I shall do so in this unfortunate controversy. "When the opportunity ar- rives that, with my 23 years of experience as a bee- keeper, I can do Inspector Guthrie and the other beekeepers of this community where I live a good turn, I shall be on the spot to do it. We can not think there was any malice or ill will on the part of Inspector Guthrie. As inspector of foul brood he had a duty to perform. Wliile we do not believe that Mr. Graham is malicious, yet the testimony in the form of various letters before us would indicate that he is slovenly, careless, and neglectful in his methods — so much so that his bees would readily get foul brood if it Avere anywhere around. It would appear, also, that if he got the disease he would not be greatly concerned about it. When such a man practices migratory beekeeping, mov- ing bees from place to place by the carload, he would make trouble for beekeepei-s in any territory where he might go. Either Mr. Graham (if the above charges are true) should mend his methods, or his bees should not be admitted into localities protected by law. Assuming that lie means just what he says, he should at once clean up his bees and keep them clean (if he has not done so already), or go out of the business. His neighbors have moral as well as legal rights that should be respected. It is surely up to Mr. Graham if he has been scattering foul brood unintentionally or otherwise to do his neighbor beekeepers " a good turn." Will lie do it? We are going to take him at his word that he will. APRIT. 15. 1914 285 CCo STEAY lareogo. I'm suri)rised at the general belief in breeding for improvement among writers in April 1st Gleanings. Not one, I think, opposes it. If thin super foundation is worked less readily by the bees than medium brood, as shown, p. 139, extra-thin super must be still worse. I've no use for extra-thin, anyhow. No JOKE, friend Byer, about rai-ity of bees here, on second-crop red clover. In Ontario you say some bees work on it, but in England all hive bees can work it, while here rarely any. My first thought on seeing those bees on cover of Gleanings, April 1: " Those pic- tures are faulty; but they're 'the real thing.' " I don't see how you got dead bees to look so life-like. 0. Bromfield, I use five splints to hold medium brood foundation in frame. Don't know whether four might answer. I boil splints in wax till it stops frothing, then put in when wax has cooled to be just liquid; no special tool for imbedding — just the edge of a little board soaked in water. G. M. DooLiTTLE says, p. 209 : Any beekeeper who has a spark of love for his pets is all awake for the season when the first song of the bluebird breaks forth on the air, and the musical croak or peeping of the frog in the pond is heard once more. That's not written in rhyme, but it's poetry of the right sort. The man who isn't thrilled with such sounds is not a true beekeeper at heart, and thrills of that sort are beyond the purchase of money. A. I. Root, you seem just a bit inclined, p. 275, to think we might as well sit com- placently with folded hands and continue a lot of denominations of churches with the difference between tweedle-dum and tweedle- dee. Now look here; you old fellows may as well make up your minds to get out of the way for us younger ones, because the uniting of the sects is coming, believe me. In Canada a movement is on foot to unite Methodists, Congi-egationalists, and Pres- byterians; in this country some denomina- tions have already united, and it's in the air all over the land. When Billy Sunday was in Marengo all the churches worked together as one. The idea that they could do better work together then and better work apart afterward ! Get out ! E, G. Finnup, Finney Co., Kan., the world's champion sweet-clover grower, also an extensive stockman, has 1500 acres de- voted to " the weed." From a 100-acre field he harvested 900 bushels of seed, bringing $13,000. He considers sweet clover the equal of alfalfa; makes earlier pasture; will not bloat cattle; stands dry and freez- ing weather better; grows on land where alfalfa will not; yields with him a greater tonnage of hay; and grasshoppers don't bother it, but are very fond of alfalfa. — Country Gentleman, 657. [The farmers of Kansas seem more generally to recognize the value of sweet clover as a forage-plant than the farmers in some other parts of our country. In. Kansas they have demonstrated that land that is too poor to grow any thing but prairie grass will grow sweet clover, and sweet clover is making that land come up- in value in a way it never did before. It is very strange that some apparently up- to-date farmers, and even some scientific agriculturists in the East, regard sweet clo- ver as a mere weed. Years ago they so regarded alfalfa. History repeats itself. — —Ed.] I THINK I was the first to publish that I had had a queen reared over a colony with a laying queen. That was accidental. T think I have never since succeeded inten- tionally. Last summer I tried it over ten colonies — dead failure; but in two or three cases where I had no thought of rearing a queen, where there happened to be brood in an upper story I was surprised to find a nice brood-nest with a young laying queen. Who knows the secret of success? [When Doolittle first brought out his book on queen-rearing, there did not seem to be any thing so very difficult about raising queens in an upper story with a laying queen be- low; but it will be remembered he used perforated zinc between the upper and low- er stories; but later on he found that the upiDer-story proposition was not a success except during a general honey-flow when brood-rearing would be stimulated at its best. While we do not believe that the mating of queens in upper stories is a general success, we never regarded it as a difficult thing to accomplish when there were suitable conditions. Queen-breeders have for years raised cells in upper stories, and do it yet, as the simplest and most successful plan for securing well-fed baby queens. It is only a step further to get tliese young ladies married. Well, if you will turn to the last edition of the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture you will find some of the requisites for cell-building in upper stories. — Ed.] 286 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE J. Eo Crane IFTING J. L. Byer tells us, page 145, all about bis method of spring feeding and manage- ment, and be is sound to tbe center on tbis important subject. * * * Wbat is tbe matter witb your bees, Dr. Miller, tbat tbey do not work on second crop of red clover at Marengo ? Tbey work on it readily here in old New England. See page 125. * * » The Feb. 1st number of Gleanings, with its beautiful pictures of fruits and loaded fruit-trees, and advice about spraying, made it look almost like a horticultural journal. Wbat a satisfaction to know that our bees are often of as much value to our neighbors as ourselves ! * * « A truckman told me to-day that his horse would grow poor as fast standing in tbe cold as at work. Of course ; for it requires fuel as surely to produce beat as power; and if bees have to endure long-continued cold it will just as surely reduce their vital- ity as work, and so shorten their lives. Mr. Mayo's experience with bees in an orchard and grove, page 42, corresponds witb my own. A little shade is good; but dense shade is bad. We have one yard partly in dense shade, and part but little shaded ; and we find those having but little shade have done tbe best for a number of years. * -* » Dr. Miller says, page 125, that a Swiss hotel and sanatorium advertise for honey, and remarks that " our hotels haven't got up to that yet." Well, perhaps not exactly ; but we have supi^lied a sanatorium for some time, and I put up a lot to go to a hotel in one of our larger cities this very forenoon : and it is not the first hotel to buy of us either. * * «■ "Incomparable observer" is wbat Darwin called Henry Fabre, the celebrated French entomologist. Some of bis works have been translated into English, and are full of interest to any lover of insect life. " The Social Life of Insects," " Tbe Spiders," " The Life of a Fly," and " Tbe Loves of Insects," are written in a simple, delightful style, and ought to be in every public library. A. I. Root's temperance column reminds one of an old law enacted three or four thousand years ago : " If an ox gore a man or a woman to death, tbe ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. But if the ox was wont to gore in times past, and it hath been testified to its owner, and be hath not kept it in, but it bath killed a man or Avoman, tbe ox shall be stoned, and its owner shall be put to death." Alas! who shall count the number of men and women that a modern beast has gored? Shame on our boasted civilization that allows both the beast and the owner their liberty ! * * * A good deal has been said of tbe value of parcel post in Gleanings, for beekeepers. We have used it for shipping small lots of honey, but lately we shipped a box of two dozen small bottles of honey to New York, which, on arriving at destination, was found to have bad nine of tbe bottles taken out without regard to the command " Thou sbalt not steal." On inquiring at the local postoffice we were informed tbat tbey were not responsible, as we bad not bad the package insured. At tbe express office we found the package could have been sent for even less by express than by mail. Perhaps we shall have to conclude tbat the most valuable service of tbe parcel jDost is in compelling the express companies to reduce their rates to a reasonable sum. [In many cases express is cheaper than parcel po;.t. —Ed.] Arthur C. Miller tells us, page 131, tbat stimulative feeding " should always be done in tbe fall. Give them all you think tbey will need, then double it, and then add half as much again for good measure." Now, that is generous, and it always makes us feel good to be generous ; and it never pays to be stingy witb our bees; but let us ex- amine tbis statement a little. I find many colonies the 1st of October that I think need at least 35 lbs. of heavy syrup. Suppose I double it. That would be 70 pounds; then lialf as much again would make 87^/2 pounds — more than tbe colony could store in an eight or even a ten frame hive. I tried feeding very heavily once, many years ago. How I enjoyed seeing the bees lie out in October! Next spring they didn't lie out, but a good many of them were laid out. .No, Miss or Mr. Beginner; feed enough and then stop. Mr. Miller is a good fellow and a gTeat thinker, and I enjoyed bis notes immensely; but some of them need to be discounted a little. APRIL 15, 1914 BEEECEEPMG EN CALEEOENEA In the March 1st issue, under High-pres- sure Gardening, A. I. Root speaks of the potato industry and the great sale of seed for southern markets by E. E. Harington. I never see the subject of the potato busi- ness mentioned but that I am at once inter- ested. I followed the potato-growing busi- ness for a good many years in the Kaw River Valley, in eastern Kansas. At that time nearly the entire valley from Kansas City to Topeka was one vast area of pota- to-fields. AVe discovered early in the history of the industry there that northern-gi-own seed is far superior to any we could pre- serve; for that, indeed, was the secret of the greater success with the northern grown. We secured nearly all of our seed from the Red River Valley of the North, and used nothing but the early Ohios. The secret is, the fact that the potato dug (of neces- sity) as soon as matured, holds all of its vitality. In the South we were obliged to keep our native seed for at least eight months after maturity, and its vitality was very much exhausted by planting time. 1 am the originator of the White Early Ohio l^otato. I discovered two white tubers, evidently sprouts, when following the pota- to-plow in a field of the Red variety. I placed them in the cellar side by side. Un- fortunately one of them froze; but, very fortunately, the other did not. I planted it in the spring. About half of its crop went back to the red stock. Only the white ones were replanted, and so on until the fourth season, when they came pure white. I had them gi-own in the Red River Valley of the North for two seasons, then sold the entire lot to the C. J. Vaughn Seed Co., of Chica- go. They were introduced by this firm. * * * No rain has fallen since February 21. The entire period from that date until March 21 was a jDeriod of cloudless skies March 16 a desert wind began blowing — one of those dry electric winds known as a " norther " that drives our moisture away faster tlian any other weather condition. On the 18th the record for high tempera- ture came nearly being broken, it having' reached the highest point for 39 years. These conditions, together with the warm winter, have forced the spring forAvard till the flora now blooming is a full month or more ahead of its season. Last year the first orange flower I saw open was on the 7th day of April. This year the bloom will be almost entirely gone by that date. The sage has been blooming more or less for the past month, and is now almost at its best, more than a full month ahead of its season ; for as a rule Ave figure on little surplus from the sage before May 1. Some of the most peculiar conditions have come with the season I have ever seen ; and while the bees have improved every mom.ent, building up from very small colo- nies to full-fledged honey-gatherei-s, yet they are behind the season. February 23 I discovered that I had about forty colonies very short of stores and long on brood. Fearing they would have to face a Aveek of bad Aveather at any time, I decided to feed them at once; for such conditions would have forced them to starvation.. I fed 17 colonies a gallon each of sugar syrup. My son returned to the apiary in a feAV days to feed the rest. My anticipated bad Aveather did not come, but I Avas not able to return to the apiary for a period of tAvo Aveeks. AVhen I did return I not only found some of my syrup still in the feeders, but all had an abundant supply of honey gathered from the sage, and many colonies storing surplus. The sage has been yielding freely until the 21st, Avhen the Aveather became cooler and the clouds overcast the sky. So far I have not seen a trace of our old enemy the sage weevil. We shall doubtless harvest at least a fair crop from the sage. The condition of the bees in the sage belt is not gratifying. The average loss Avill reach .50 per cent at least, according to reports received. Re- ports from San Diego Co. indicate that the loss there has been very heavy. I am in- formed by Inspector Meeker that in my own county (San Bernardino) the loss has been fully a half, some apiaries having lost as high as 80 per cent. I ahvays figure myself in San Bernardino County; but in leality my bees are in RiA'erside except those at my home. On account of the heavy loss of bees, together Avith the slowness of many colonies in reaching the supers, we can not expect an excessive heavy crop from the sage, especially if we should not have more rain during the spring, which looks probable. Later. — Since Avriting the above, liglit rains have fallen, which improves the i^ros- pects to a great extent. The button sage Avill develop to its fullest capacity, and is assured of moisture to sustain it until na- ture bids it cease blooming. The white sage, Avild buckAvheat, etc., now seem as- sured of their needed moisture. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Conversations with Doolittle At Borodino, New York, BEES AND APPLE-BLOSSOMS. " I see that Doolittle lays considerable stress on the pollen and nectar which come from the early bloom, and especially that from the willows and hard maple. How about the ai^ple-blossoms ? Are they not of equal help to tlie bees with those of an earlier blossoming'? I had supposed that the nectar the bees gather from apple-bloom is the greatest factor of all the year in stimulation of brood-rearing in time for an army of bees for the white-honey harvest." 1 consider your supposition as regards the " greatest factor " correct, providing the bees have gotten well under headway with their brood when the bloom from the apple appears. But to have this bloom of the greatest value, brood should be started so that 8000 to 12,000 bees are nearing maturity when the apple-bloom begins to open. I consider the great value of nectar from apple-bloom to lie in its stimulating quality, toward plentiful brood-rearing, and in producing stores to tide over the period of scarcity which immediately follows this bloom for a time approximating twenty to twenty-five days. More than half a century ago our beloved M. Quinby penned these words : " In good weather, a gain of 20 pounds is sometimes added to the liives during the period of apple-blossoms. But we are seldom fortu- nate enough to have continuous good weath- er, as it is often rainy, cloudy, cool, or windy, all of which are very detrimental. A frost will sometimes destroy all, and the gain of our bees is reversed ; that is, their stores are lighter at the end than at the beginning of this season of flowers. Yet this season often decides the prosperity of the bees for the summer. If there is good weather now, we expect our first swarms the fore part of June; if not, no subse- quent yield of honey will make up the deficiency." And no truer words were ever uttered, as applied to central New York: and what applies to this locality will apply quite generally to the Northern States. From this we see that the apple-tree bears no mean relation to the person inter- ested in apiculture, outside of the fruit it yields. Apple-blossom honey is somewhat rank and strong when first gathered ; but after staying on the hive till thoroughly ripened, it assumes a nice spicy flavor, though when at its best it can hardly be said to equal that from clover or basswood. I believe that, if we could have the same number of bees in the hive in ap2)le-blossom that we do in basswood, and if the weather could be equally good, the yield from this source would be nearly or quite as good while the bloom lasts; but the trouble is, the bloom comes so early in the season that we do not have the bees; and, still worse, the weather is usuajly such that the bees do not have an opportunity every year to work more than enough to encourage brood-rear- ing, and sometimes not even that. For this reason I have found that it does not pay to try to work the colonies up to an unu- sual strength with the hope of securing a surplus in comb honey from this source. It is quite amazing what a good colony which has wintered well will do where there is continuous good weather when the apple- trees are in bloom. In 1877 we had a good yield from this source — so much so that many colonies stored, capped, and finished from five to twenty pounds of surplus in the section supers, besides storing in every available cell below not occupied with brood or pollen; and the result from tlie apiary that year was the highest ever obtained by the writer, which was an average of 166 2-3 ])ounds from each old colony in the spring. Another year, when we had continuous good weather throughout the whole bloom, a hive on the scales made a gain of 31 pounds during the bloom. 1 well remember trying a guessing exper- iment that year. I counted the bees as they came in at the entrance loaded with nectar. Tliey were well at work at about seven in the morning, and the first count showed 42 loaded bees coming in during one minute: the next minute, 46; the third, 41; the fourth, 44. At about ten o'clock I counted again, and the average at this time was 49 to the minute on five counts, while at one o'clock the average was 51 per minute, and at five o'clock the number of loaded bees entenng the hive proved to be nearly the same as the first count in the morning. I figured that each bee carried a drop of nectar; then estimated the number of drops it would take for a pound, calling nine pounds as the weight of a gallon of this nectar as it came from the fields. Then I " struck an average " to get the number of bees per minute for the whole day, and multiplied this number by the number of minutes worked, and decided that the result of that day's work would be 71/2 pounds. T had weighed the hive in the morning. l)efore any bees went to work, and the Continued on next page. APRIL 15, 1914 289 KEEPING IN THE SOUTHWEST Loinis Ho Scholl, New Brauinifelg, Texas. Texas and California, both with a I'epu- tation as leaders from an apieultural stand- l)oint, seem to have an even start this yeai' as concerns the prospects for a good honey season. With an unusual amount of rain- fall through the winter months, and rains last fall and this spring, indications are for a large crop of honey in each of these two States. Strange it is, though, that, while both of these States are leading honey-pro- ducers, Texas does not affect the northern and eastern honey market, while California does. Instead, Texas consumes almost all of her own honey, assisted by Oklahoma, where a g'reat deal of Texas honey finds a good market. The more 1 study the matter of unpainted hives vs. painted ones, the more convinced I am that painting them is the only sensible thing to do. These observations, of covirse. are for this part of the country where the sum.mer sun is perhaps somewhat more se- vere. The more unjoainted hives T see in ray travels around, the more I detest them on account of their unsightly weathered appearance and the gaping corners and split sides or ends. Some of the wise ones claim that the latter trouble is all due to the way the hives are nailed ; but I am here to tell you that there is not so much in this argument. Of course, there is a difference between good and poor nailing of hives: but I want to say that there is also a great difference between well-nailed painted hives and the best-nailed unpainted ones. The paint should be put on just the same. Locality does not have so much effect on some things as has been claimed, it seems. For instance, I remember a good many times when our bees were just as cross toward the end of a good honey-flow, and mth honey still coming in " at a good clip,'' as Dr. Miller quotes Dr. Ludden, p. 163. It seems that, when the hives have been stored full of the golden stores, the bees are the more determined to protect them against any possible intruder that may come along and deprive them of these after the long hard toil of storing. It has often seemed to me that a colony of bees that has its hive exceedingly well filled with honey is more difficult to handle at that particular stage than under ordinaiy conditions. This has come to my notice several times with colo- nies that ordinarily behaved very nicely and did not seem to repel our manipulations as wlien we approached the hives to take away the surplus honey toward the end of the honey-flow. Keeping bees within the city limits has been defended by the writer in a number of instances, and our own number of colo- nies has ranged from a few to forty and more colonies right in the heart of this city of some four thousand inhabitants. While we have had no trouble on account of their presence from neighbors and others, we have decided to move them all away to a safe distance to prevent them coming back and loitering about the honey-house as they now do. In this respect they have annoyed us a great deal — so much so that we moved all of them away once before. But the fact that various colonies and nuclei can be picked up here and there at different times. and can be more conveniently cared for at liome, this number has again increased to a dozen or so. The annoyance about the honey-house and the honey-wagons, and every thing else, is so great that we prefer not to have them about. It is true that " the other fellow's " bees may come just the same; but with ours out of the way the number will be decreased appreciably. Continued from preceding page. evening weight showed a gain of 8 pounds and 2 ounces in excess of that in the morn- ing, so I had guessed within ten ounces of what had really come in that day. But I think I liear our questioner asking " What has this guessing-bee to do with practical apiculture?" Well, it had a lot to do with me, for it brought to me the joy and fun that was to be found with the " trade " called " apiculture." Very few indeed have made a practical success in life wliere they entered any trade or calling with nothing in view but the money there was in it. When toiling for the dollar, every thing is drudgery. But when a person love^ his calling so that he is eager for the next day's fun, every night as he lies down to sleep, he not only gets the joy and fun. but money as well. GENERAL GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 'PONDENCE OPERATIVE COSTS; THE FREQUENT WASTE OF TIME AND LABOR BY ARTHUR C. MILLER Arthur C. Miller In the Jan. 15th issue, page 50, 1 tried hard to bring home to the readers some of the economics of bee culture, using the new method of queen introduction as the ^■ehicle to convey my ideas. I rather flat- lered myself that I did very well, and thought I said things in such a manner as would set some of the beekeepers to think- ing, and to considering the cost of some of tlieir methods. In fact, I felt quite sure that I had so carefully expressed myself that there would be no missing the message T wished to give. The editor gave it a kind notice in his department; but as he seems to have been so interested in the percentage of queens lost that he quite missed the matter of dollars and cents, I fear that I was not as clear as I thought. The editor also slipped up in his percentage figiires, as I think I can show. He says the loss by the cage method in his yards is 10 per cent, and that by two of the most expert queen-handlers in the country. Then he says that of 100 queens sent to a customer, the latter lost 10 per cent; and it was right there, I fear, his arithmetic gave out. He lost 10 per cent, tlie customer lost 10 per cent of the same lot of queens, and ten plus ten makes twen- ty. But of all the queens he produced he had only 90 per cent left to sell; so, to be really accurate, his customer lost but 10 per cent of 90 per cent, or 9 per cent — total, 19 per cent. But that isn't correct, though it may appear to be; for if his loss was 1!) per cent, then he must have lost one of the extra ten he bought; so the real shrinkage on the original lot of queens was 20 per cent. Now that, mind you, was by experts When I said the loss by the cage method was about 40 per cent, I based my state- ment on answers to queries, on testimony jiicked up when inspecting and by personal experience. If you choose to pull in the poor beginner by the scruff^ of his neck you will find his loss will average nearer sixty than forty per cent. Whatever t' e editor does with my figures, he must double his own. He based his on exiaerts, while I based mine on all classes, which, from the lesson I was trying to teach, was the proper basis. Accepting the loss of twenty per cent by experts as the correct one for the commer- cial beekeepers, and leaving the novice and amateur out of the question, we still have a startling money loss by the cage method of queen introduction. If memory serves me aright, the editor's output of queens is about 5000 annually. Tor the sake of easy figuring, we will use the retail j^rice of un- tested queens as the unit price, to wit, $1.00. That means $5000 worth of queens. Of this he confesses to losing 10 per cent by the cage method of handling, or $500. His customers lose an equal amount — a rather serious loss on a $5000 business, eh? Xow figure the loss to all the beekeepers of the country, and set it over as one of the overlooked costs of honey production. But two other items he has quite over- looked— the labor {time used by the bee- keeper in the cage plan of introducing and subsequent inspection, etc.), and time colo- nies are without a laying queen, and the conseonent upset and indirect loss. To be sure, the thoughtful man does his requeen- ing when this latter is trifling; but it must be reckoned, be it large or small. If the method of requeening without dequeening proves successful, we may save the time of hunting up the old queens, and another \ery large cost item. Avill be removed. In other words, beekeepers are more Avasteful of time and labor than they have the slightest conception. By some of the most popular and most widely taught meth- ods of bee culture it costs as high as $5.00 and even $6.00 per year merely to handle each colony of bees. It costs the best of us, when using our brains all the year to save us labor during " the season," approximate- ly $2.00 a year to " handle " our bees. Un- der exceptionally favorable conditions the cost has been lowered to $1.00 per year : but I believe $2.00 to be much below the average, and am supported in this view by some careful investigators. In the term " handle " I include all the expense of keeping and operating a colony of bees, such as interest, taxes, depreciation, insurance, and labor. Supplies, such as sections, super foundation, hives for swarms, etc., are no part of operative cost. APRIL 15, 1914 291 A man with sufificient ability to operate a commercial apiary successfully and prof- itably market the crop, should be able to earn at least $5.00 per day at any one of several other lines of business, so I used that figure on a ten-hour day, or 50 ets. per hour as time value in apiary work. If some of the advocates of thorough spring overhauling, of stimulative feeding, of building up weak colonies, and of the hundred and one other needless and worse than needless operations, will just keep account of the actual time used in the api- ary for one season, they will be staggered at the total. It will not take much thinking to estimate the hours given to each colony in a year. You can figure it by taking the total of days the owner and his helpers spent at it and dividing it by the number of colonies; or if the beekeeping is a side line, and attend- ed to at odd moments, it is not difficult to determine how long each operation takes. Hunting up the old queen and getting in a new one takes perhaps as much time for the average beekeeper as any part of the work, and for that reason I used it to illus- trate what I had to say on economics. If beekeepers had devoted to operative costs a small part of the time and though! they have given to supi^ly costs they would have profited immeasurably. It is well to keep cost of equipment as small as possible, that interest charges and depreciation may be less; but in trying to force supply costs down, there is danger of getting such poor goods, etc., as to result in ultimate serious loss. Within certain limits it is wise to put quite a sum into the equipment provided the annual operative cost is thereby reduced. If the increase in prices of supplies serves to turn the beekeeper's thoughts to the eco- nomics of his business, it will be worth much to them. I would go even further, and say that I think the rising i^rice oi supijlies a blessing, for it will deter m.any persons, who are not financially able to enter the beekeeping business, from under- taking it; and it will gradually crowd out those who are poor managers, always short of cash, and always hurting the honey market by sacrificing their crojjs. Devote your thoughts to the expenses of operation, and let cost of supplies alone for awhile. Providence, R. I. [Ti-y as hard as we may, it is not always easy to make the other fellow understand just what we mean. If we missed the point that our correspondent was making, it is apparent to us, at least, that he did not entirely get our point of view as to the actual loss by introducing on the cage plan. If we introduced 5000 queens in our apiaiy, and the loss from the cage plan were 10 per cent, then if the other fellow who bought them of us should lose 10 per cent in inti'oducing, it would be jDroper to add the two i:)ercentages together, and thus make the 20 per cent loss. Mr. Miller is correct when he says we reared 5000 queens. We actually did better than that. But there was only a very small percentage of fertile queens that were introduced into our yards — l^robably not one per cent of the number reared. On tliis basis there would be 99 per cent that would have only one introduction instead of two; therefore the percentage of loss on the part of the expert would be, as we figure it, not liigher than 10 per cent. But possibly our correspondent was figur- ing on the loss in introducing virgins. If he figirred that way, then we shall have to confess that the loss by introducing on the cage plan would go away beyond 20 per cent. Mr. Miller says that a man with sufifieient ability to operate a commercial apiary suc- cessfully and profitably, and market the crop, should be able to earn at least $5.00 a day at any one of several lines of busi- ness. He then figures on a ten-hour day, and operating expenses 50 cents an hour for apiary work. As a general thing, one good man can furnish the brains for half a dozen or a dozen men or boys with an abun- dance of muscle and a little exi^erience. Said an old and successful beekeeper the other day, " I can hire all the men I need, and some pretty good ones, at $1.50 a day: but, mind you, I furnish the brains. They do the work." Ordinarily we would say that 15 cents per hour is a low figure; but 20 to 25 cents will usually buy a pretty good man in the capacity of operator to work on general plans supplied by the boss. Mr. R. F. Holfei'mann goes one better. He hires student help every year, pays them so much a month and board, and a percentage on what the season develops. His labor item probably would not exceed 15 cents an hour ; but his own time is probably worth 50 cents or more per hour. If we sujipose that the average man who operates 1000 colonies is cajiable of bossing five or six other men, the relative cost per hour would be reduced in proportion. Tor example, five men at an average price of $2.00 per day would earn $10.00 per day. The bee- man himself would make this $15.00, fur- nishing the brains and doing some of the labor. The operating expense of the six men then would be $2.50 a day, or 25 cents an hour. Perhaps this is what Mr. Miller has in mind. — Ed.] GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE MEQUEENING WITHOUT DEQUEENING BY J. E. HAND On p, 851, 1913, J. B. Merwiii outlines a method of requeening without removing the reigning- queen. This article introduces a subject that has been discussed pro and con in the journals with the unanimous verdict that, wliile bees will tolerate a plurality of laying queens or queen-cells, acting on the principle that " to the victor belong the spoils," they will not, as a rule, tolerate a virgin queen at mating age in the same colony with a laying queen of any age, unless she is actually failing, even though separated by a queen-excluder. There are exceiDtions to all rules, however, and un- doubtedly friend Merwin's case is the ex- cei^tion and not the rule. Some 20 years ago Mr. Doolittle became quite enthusiastic about rearing queens in a hive having a laying queen, the bees having access to both compartments, but was compelled to aban- don the project because a large majority of the virgins were either killed or driven from the hives by constant nagging and worrying by the bees as the queens arrived at mating age. Viewing it thus, it is safe to assume that friend Merwin's success was due to one of two conditions — either the laying queens were actually failing or weak, or else an un- usual honey-tlow had a soothing etfeet upon the disi>osition of the bees temporarily; for many manipulations can be performed witli bees at such times that would result in disaster during a dearth of nectar. It is generally conceded that a plurality of lay- ing queens are safe in any hive until they hapi^en to meet when both are in fighting trim, which may not take place for several days, or even weeks. This gave rise to the false theory that any number of queens would co-operate peacefully in the same liive if the bees would accept them. The late E. W. Alexander became very enthu- siastic about it ; but nature asserted her l)ower, and the queens fought in mortal combat until but one remained, and the theory was exploded. It strikes me that the method of requeen- ing without dequeening, as outlined by A. C. Miller, page 850, gives promise of ulti- mate success when operated in conjunction with the smoke method, for the reason that a queen on arrival by mail is slim and active, while the reigning queen is sluggish and corpulent ; hence if they meet after the bees have become reconciled to the new queen the chances are all in favor of the new queen. But the chances are even that they will meet Avhile the bees are still viewing the new queen with suspicion, in which case the bees would undoubtedly decide the con- test in favor of their recognized monarch. This contingency could be easily provided against by using a division-board between them for two or three days. Hirminaham. Ohio. KEQUEENING WITHOUT DEQUEENING IN NEW ZEALAND A Duel Between Two Queens BY N. SMKDLEY. In the December 1st issue, 1913, page 851, is an article on requeening, by J. B. Merwin. This is a step in the right direc- tion, and will prove a cheap and safe meth- od of requeening. I have just tried it with 100 hives. In some cases where cells were already started, I grafted these without cag- ing the queen, and they were accepted and drawn out to fine cells. This copy of Gleanings came at the right time, as I was thinking over this requeening problem. I was killing the old queens and gi-af ting what cells I found already formed. Any found queenless would receive a laying queen from another hive, and the hive the queen was taken from would be grafted. The queen's wings are clipped. Killing these queens in the middle of January (in my locality), I consider is no loss; for by the time the last of the eggs are hatched out the lioney-fiow is about done. I have also tried the smoke plan of intro- ducing virgins; but the virgins were not successful in ridding the hive of the old queen, but they were accepted in every ([ueenless hive. I had a one-frame observa- tory hive with a laying queen. Toward evening I ran in a virgin queen. She pass- ed the guards, and I watched her climb up the frame. The bees took no notice of her. She went among them quietly and seemed at home; but presently she came to the queen of the hive, and they fought immediately, rolling down the frame locked together, on to the bottom-board. Now, here is the point : As soon as these queens started to fight. APRIL 15, 1914 llie workers ruslied down upon them and separated them and killed the virgin. SWARMS ENTERING HIVES OCCUPIED BY OTHER BEES. I should like to know if you have ever known the following to happen : 1 was working in an outyard of 55 colonies at swarming time. A swarm issued from a three-story hive at one end of the yard. I hived it in a box and set it to one side, as I wanted to finish with the hive I was work- ing at. About five minutes later a second swarm came out lower down the same row of hives. This was a good after-swarm. At this time I had finished my work at the hive mentioned, and stood waiting for this swarm to settle. To my surprise it went into the hive that had just swarmed, the swarm being still in the box. I went to this hive and watched them going in. Presently a virgin queen alighted on the front board. I caught her and killed her. I destroyed all queen-cells but one in this hive, and the bees went to work a week later in another out- yard. In working through this yard I came to a hive ready to swarm. The queen's wings were clipped and the cells cut out, but I found afterward I missed one. Half an hour later this hive swarmed. I picked up the queen and caged her, and was pre- paring to receive the swarm in a prepared hive when I noticed them entering two hives about twelve yards away. One hive stood in front of the other. One of these hives had swarmed earlier that day. The other was a division from a strong hive ear- lier in the season. There were no bees re- turning from the swarm to their hives, or at least not enough to be noticed. Te Awamutu, N. Z., Jan. 31. [The occurrence of swarms going into other hives that have just swarmed, while not common, have been reported from time to time. We do not know how to explain them, unless there are a few stragglers from the swarm that are returning to their old home. These attract the bees of any other swarms that may be in the air with the result that such bees go in the hive just vacated. If cells are destroyed there is no reason why the two households can not unite as one family. Your account of how the bees took a hand in the queen fight is interesting. It shows that they do sometimes interfere in behalf of one of the queens. There is evidence that at other times they do not meddle in the row. We should be glad to get any other facts that have actually been seen. —Ed.] 50IL FERTILITY AND HONEY PRODUCT Paper presented by Prof. H. A. Surface, of Harrisburg, Pa., at the convention of the Naiional Beekeepers' Association in St. Louis. It is generally agreed that we can not afford to plant for nectar or honey produc- tion alone. In other words,' to sow a field to any kind of crop, merely for the sake of the honey it might produce, is scarcely profitable. If, however, the field crop can be made a successful primary feature, the factor of honey production as a. secondary feature may be entirely clear gain, as most profits come from comparatively small things. We note, for example, tliat the packing-houses of Chicago utilize absolute- ly every part and by-product of the hog excepting the squeal, and it is now proposed that they utilize that in making phono- graphic records to aid the old-style noisy beekeepers in making more noise to help hive their bees. In this day of keen agricultural competi- tion every factor possible should aid the husbandman. Natural conditions are against success from continued ci'opping or from the old-style farm methods. It becomes necessary to keep up Avith the times by adopting such new methods as the scientific experts show are beneficial. It is impossi- ble for any husbandman to succeed without considering as an entire unit all the factors that enter into modern agriculture. I mean to say he may be up to date in many things ; but if not in all, he may fail. For example, he may select seed in accordance with the methods of Holden or Hunt; he may fer- tilize in accordance with the latest direc- tions from Hopkins or Thorne, and may cultivate according to Hilgarde, and spray according to Gillette, Forbes, or to Howard; but when the crop returns are to be sought he must see the " handwriting on the wall " or hear the saddening statement that was heard by the rich young man who went to Christ, '" One thing thou lackest." This is organic matter with soil fertility. We can not afford to buy enough commercial fertil- izer to depend upon it entii'ely, year after year, as a sole source of plant fertility. It will eventually make a rich man poor. We do not have enough barnyard m^vnure tg 294 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE "We have been favored by a visit from Mr. C. P. Dadant, as well as the Viscount Triaca, of the Apicol- tore; Mr. Herrod, the Secretary of the British Beekeepers' Association, and Prof. Cotini, Director of the Italian Federation of Beekeepers. We have taken some photographs, vehich we are sendinsc you, together with one of our apiary and of our Director, who is also instructor at the Royal Agricultural School at Imola. Castel San Pietre, Bologna, Italy, Dec. 5. Gaetano Piana. meet the needs of our extensive agricultur- ists or horticulturists. How, then, can a poor man increase his yield by economical means? This is a question of such far- reaching importance as to justify our at- tention for a few minutes, even though at first it may be beyond any thing pertaining to beekeeping", and appai'ently inappropri- ate before this assembly. Let us remember that the greatest element of plant food is that which is commonly called " nitrogen." It is by all means the most expensive element in our commercial fertilizers, and the most difficult to get into the soil by artificial means. At the same time, it is the most abundant element in the atmosphere. Practically eleven jiounds of this material rests upon each square inch of the earth's surface. Why is it not directly utilized? It is because it must be made over or transformed into the kind of com- pound that can be taken up by plants. An illustration is to be seen in the lowly field bean. In its raw state it will scarcely sus- tain human life; but let it be properly cooked, and there is no more nourishing article of food for mankind. Thus, wlien the nitrogen in the atmosphere is trans- formed it becomes at once tlie most stimu- lating or invigorating element in the food of plants. How is this transformation effected? Here is the important point of our story. This is done in nature's laboratory by myr- iads of organisms known as bacteria that live in a mutually beneficial relationship, known as symbosis, upon the roots of the legiime plants. These are the members of the jDulse or pea and bean family, botani- cally known as Leguminosae. Upon the roots of all members of this family these beneficial bacteria, gathering and trans- forming nitrogen, live in great numbers, forming little lumps or nodules. Upon practically each kind there is a different species of bacterium, as is shown by the fact that the nodules taken from the roots of different kinds of legume plants differ in size, shape, color, and general appearance These nodules, or lumps, are large enougli to be seen readily by the unaided eye. Take up, for example, the roots of the common white clover, sweet white clover, the red clovex", crimson clover, alfalfa, the locust- tree and the redbud-tree, keeping the sur- rounding earth wi'.li them until they are APRIL 15, 1914 295 A more iliN of one of (lie apiaries of Gaetano Piana, Ca 'tro, Bologna, Italy. placed in watei' and very gently washed to avoid breaking off their most minute fibers. Note the small white, pinkish or brownish lumps that are there to be seen. These are the nodules which are homes of myriads of bacteria which are plainly seen when any lump is crushed under a compound micro- scope of high power. Not only are sue)] lumps the homes of bacteria, but they are composed almost entirely of available nitro- gen, transformed from the unavailable ni- trogen of the atmosphere by the vital action of these microscopical organisms, and thus rendered fit for immediate use by the plants upon which they gTow, as well as by other plants that may be grown in the same soil. Therefore, it can be seen that, the more of such legume plants are grown in any soil, the more fertile will the soil become from the standpoint of increase of nitrogen and organic material therefrom. As the plants mature they draw upon the nitrogen stored in the nodules on their rootlets, using part of it in the formation of tissue, especially seeds. A bulletin just at hand. No. 145, from the Agricultural Experiment Station at Brookings, S. D., says, "Every ton of clover hay takes 40 pounds of nitrogen from the air, and every ton of alfalfa takes 50 pounds from the air through the roots of these plants." Hence by gi'owing these crops, or other legume crops, and returning them to the soil, either directly or after they have been transformed into manure, a sup- ply of nitrogen in the soil may be main- tained, provided, of course, that sufficient amount of legumes are grown. So much for the primary story of in- creasing soil fertility, which is really more important than increasing the size of the farm. Now, there is a secondary point for consideration, which, for us as beekeep- ers, is of no small importance. This is the fact that, among the very best honey-pro- ducing plants of the world, are the legumes. In connection with crimson clover and lo- cust-blossoms in the spring Ave have a close succession of alsike, white clover, sweet yellow clover, alfalfa, and sweet white clover, all of which the honey-bees work on to a very remarkable extent. Every one of these legumes here mentioned is of great benefit as a soil renewer, and at the same time they are recognized as being the chief honey-producing plants of America, with but few exceptions. Another important j^oint of the story is that, in addition to being soil-renewers and neetar-yielders, they are our greatest forage- plants. No plants contain as much protein, or are as beneficial as feed for live stock. 296 GLEAmNGS IN BEE CULTURE Tlie eiiertiy of the workhorse and (lie yield of milk from dairy cattle, increase whei) liicse [lanls are used either as pasture or hay. The growth of pork is greater when these plants supplement the grain feeds. The pioduclion of eggs is increased by their proper use in the poullry-yard, and, in fact, there is a report of a banquet of Western growers in which one of these plants (alfal- fa) furnished not only bread and vegetable food, but also a food used as breakfast cereal. To get the benefits of such plant growth for the beekeepers it is necessary that they bloom, and that the bees have opportunity to visit the blossoms. This means they should grow at least until the blossoms are commencing to fade or wither. It is known that the heaviest nectar secretion is just at the time of the opening of the bloom. After a flower has been visited by a bee. and fertilized, the secretion of nectar stops and the blossom fades and drops. Here again, good agricul- tural practice is in ac- cordance with apicul- tural profits. It so happens that the best results for hay 3r stock food are obtain- ed by cutting just be- fore the seeds form, which is just after the blossoms have passed tl'.eir stage of perfec- tion and are withering: also, when these crops are to be turned down for soiling crops the best results are ob- tained b y plowing them down when they reach this same stage of perfection of devel- opment. To plow (h)wn a great crop be- fore blooming- means to put into the ground too much water in the form of thin sap, and it is supposed there is special danger of souring- the soil then. The juice in a jdanl commences to become thick and sticky after it has passed the im- portant vital period of full bloom. That is when it can be turned down with safety, and is also the time when it has done its greatest work in transform- ing and fixing nitrogen; but let it be re- membered that the fertility is not lost by using the plant as stock food. If the manure, liquid and solid, is saved and returned to the field it will have as gieat fertilizing- value as though it had been ] lowed down, and the grower will have the increased benefit of its feeding \alue for his live stock. From the further standpoint of tlie greatest fertility from the nitrogenous nod- ules it must be remembered that their best stage of perfection is reached when the plant is at its highest point of development, or just at the end of blossoming and the beginning of the ripening of the seed. Thus whether the plant be plowed down, or cut for the silo, or dried as hay, the best results for honey production, for soil fertility, and for animal food, are to be obtained by let- ting them reach a fair stage of development or perfection rather than cutting, as is the Dadant, British with Viscount Triaca, of L' Apicoltore ; Mr. Herrod, of the Bie Journal, and I'lof. I'otini. of the Italian Federation of Beekeepers, at the Piana apiary. APRIL 15, 1914 297 15ies of D. M. Bryant, Ethelfelts, Va., working on rye chop as a substitute for pollen. fault of SO many husbandmen, before the blossoms open. It becomes important, therefore, for every one interested in the tilling of the soil to see that a definite effort is made to plant legume crops at every opportunity. They can be used as filler crops at the time of year when nothing else is grown, as, for example, by sowing crimson clover just before the last time the cultivator is run through the cornfield, and growing a sod until the next spring. Last year the writer sowed three quarts of crimson-clover seed and half a pint of cowhorn-turnip seed to the acre in a cornfield; and after the corn was harvested he removed tons of the best turnips for cow food and table use, and at the present time has a good clover sod on what would be otherwise only barren and stubble. The time has come when it must be regarded as slothful for a man to leave his soil without a clover crop as we former- ly regarded it for a careless person to leave his implements exposed in the field during the winter. From this crimson-clover sod, next May will spring a wealth of scarlet bloom, looking like a field covered with ripening strawberries, and humming with the busy bees as in the swarming season. It must be remembered that the legumes are averse to thriving in acid soils. The soil wherein they are to grow should be sweetened by the use of at least one ton of lime or one or two tons of finely ground limestone per acre, before seeding. In the case of the corn, this can be done by spreading the lime broadcast just before planting in the spring. Soil inoculation is one other important point in order to be sure of an abundant growth of the soil bacteria and nitrifying nodules, and, consequently, the legume growth. This can be effected best by sowing broadcast two or three hundred pounds per acre of soil taken from a field which has previously grown the legume crop that is to be planted. Another means of inoculation is to sow the crop and let it reach fair maturity, or even go to sod again on the same soil. Then turn it down and seed again. After two or three repeated efforts on soil where lime has been used to prevent acidity, there will be an inoculation which will result in a good growth in the future. A third proposed means of inoculation is through commercial cultures prepared by different commercial concerns, and sent by mail. This is the most expensive and least satisfactory means of inoculation. As a rule, we do not recom- mend it. The best means of inoculation is by sowing soil from the field that has grown 298 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE the crop desired. Apply it in the evening or on a cloudy day, just before sowing seed, and harrow in both soil and seed. While as a rule each legume has its owd kind of bacterium, yet there are exceptions, as, for example, in growing sweet white clover to produce the inoculation for alfal- fa, as in tins case the bacterium is the same. It is to be further remembered that the legumes have their own proper or best respective seasons for seeding, and the one to plant at any time of year depends upon the time of year when the ground is avail- able for said planting. For exam^^le, we sow red clover and alsike in our grain-fields in February, when the ground is honey- combed with frost. Just as early as the soil can be worked in the spring we sow Canada field peas, with or without oats. A few years ago in our own fields we drilled Canada field peas, oats, red clover, and al- sike, and had a good stand of the three legumes on tlie soil, so that, as the peas and oats were cut, the clovei--field remained. Later in the spring, and just after corn- planting, is the proper time for planting cow peas, soy beans, and field beans or soup beans. In midsummer is the best time for sowing crim.son clover, and in the early part of August is the proper period for seeding Avith alfalfa. Later in August, or early in September, we sow hairy or winter vetch, either with or without rye, but prefer one peck of vetch and two or three pecks of rye to the acre to give one of the best crops that can be used for a winter-cover crop for re- newing soil fertility, and also keeping the bees busily and profitably engaged. In conclusion let me say that the man who learns how to use one or more legaime crops in each ci'op rotation, and keeps the legume always on his ground as a cover crop, will have honey in his hives and money in his bank. ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY COLONIES IN A VILLAGE BY L. V. HOWDKX Our apiary is located in the village of Fillmore, and contains at present 190 colo- nies. We have had very good luck with our bees, having produced as much as five tons of comb honey in a season, the average usu- ally being 50 to 60 lbs. per colonj'. We are using double-walled hives, and will transfer the 40 colonies on the other side of the fence this spring, as we have had several failures with single-walled hives. We have not lost a colony in our double- walled hives so far this winter. The bees have been located two years as shown in the picture. They were formerly kept on our farm three miles from Fillmore. The instances are very rare when they have stung people, and I haven't heard of a single complaint. No one ever tried to make out that they are a nuisance. The picture was taken from the Pennsyl- L. F. Howden's apiary of 190 colonies in the village of Fillmore, N. Y. Photographed by C. A. Blastein. APRITi 15, 1914 vania Railroad bridge, located about four rods from our apiary. Our priucipal sources of honey are alsike, clover, white clovei-, and sweet clover; also fruit-bloom, bass- wood, and buckwheat. Fillmore. N. Y. [Is tiiere another apiai'y of this size 299 located within the corjjoiate limits of a village? An apiary of nearly 200 colonies "in town" is quite rare, although appar- ently in this case the bees are just outside the main part of the village. We expected to use this article in our March 1st issue, but it reached us loo late. — Ed.] DO BEES SPREAD PEAM AND OTMEE KINDS OF BLIGHT ON FRUIT TREES ? If So, ig ihe Damage More ItliHiini Offselt hj the Good They do ' nV CHARLES B. PIPER^ M. D. I am enclosing' a communication received from Mr. Jackson, of the Experiment Sta- tion, Oregon Agricultural College. I had written to him about the i^ossibility of the dissemination of blight by bees, and place before you what he has to say on the sub- ject. I have also perused Circular Bulletin No. 7. Crop Pest Series No. 1, " Fire-blight of Pear and Apple," by Prof. Jackson. The strongest statement in this publication is found on page 9. The statement is, " The fire-blight germs are naturally disseminated chiefly by insects at blossoming time. As noted above, active hold-over cankers exude a sticky ooze, attractive to insects, in which the bacteria are present in enormous num- bers, and any insects visiting such cankers will become covered with the germs. If, after becoming infected in this way, they visit the blossoms for nectar, they inoculate the flowers, whereupon the germs find an easy access to the inner tissues of the blos- soms through the nectaries." Leaving this publication for a minute T would quote from Circular Bulletin No. 20, from the same Experiment Station. " Tlie Pollination Question." On page 5 I read. "Probably 99 per cent or more of the trans- fer of pollen is done by insects. Prime among these may be mentioned the honey- bee. Bumble-bees, ants, flies, and short- tongued bees play an important part. How- ever, there is no doubt that the common honey-bee is by far the best of all, and it will pay every orchardist to have a feAV stands among his trees." Realizing as I do the great menace to oni' orchards of fire-blight, it is naturally some- what disquieting to think that honey-bees among my fruit-t]'ees would be instrumental in disseminating blight. At the same time, Ave are all convinced of the value of bees as ]iollenizing agents, and it is a problem to determine at this time whether we shall do without the bees as pollenizers, and in a measure protect our trees from this dreaded blight. I am endeavoring to collect all the information possible, a)id have thought that you might possibly have some opinions gleaned from wide reading. I have an orchard of twenty acres in the Bitter Root Valley, Montana, in which I have hoped ultimately to keep possibly 40 or 50 colonies of bees. At the present time I am undecided as to whether it might be a good procedure. That western country is undeveloped; the apiarists are usually un- skilled and not up to date in their methods, and I believe that a good field i^resents itself to a person of intelligence and in- dustry. However, I wish to be absolutely assured of the wisdom of any move before making it. Milwaukee, Wis. [The letter from Mr. Jackson is as fol- lows : ] Our Crop Pest and Horticultural Report, dealing with many other important subjects than the one you mention, and our circular bulletin No. 7 on fire- blight, have been sent you. I would say that there i.s absolutely no doubt but that bees carry fire-blight, as all authorities who have worked on this disease apee. It is partially this that makes the disease so difficult to handle, since cross-pollination is so neces sary, and we can not use any methods which would prevent pollination. Corvallis, Ore., Feb. 2. H. S. Jackson. [You need not fear fire-blight, pear- blight, or twig-blight to any great extent. There are certain seasons when all phases of the blight are worse some years than others. A few years ago pear-blight was giving a great deal of trouble on the Pacific Coast. The pear-growers demanded that all the bees be removed from the immediate vicinity, and it looked as if there were go- ing to be a war between the fruit-growers and the beekeepers. At that time I was President of the National Association, and as such I went into the territory to study the matter. T knew that bees were very necessary for the iiroper pollination of the pear-blossoms, and I felt very sure that, if GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE APRIL 15. 1914 Part of A. J. McClanahan's 240-colony apiary near Payette, Idaho halt of the yard. the cover of this issue. the bees were removed, the pear-growers themselves would be the first to have them come back. I accordingly recommended that the beekeepers remove their bees from the vicinity of . the pear-trees. This was done. But the very next year, and the year following, and from that time ou, the pear- growers have asked the beekeepers to place their bees as near their pear-orchards as possible. While we have to admit that bees can carry a blight of any kind, as they cari-y pollen from blossom to blossom, "yet the good they do more than counterbalances the damages they do at certain seasons. To remove the bees because there was twig- blight, pear-blight, and flre-blight, would not help matters very much, because there would be wild bees and common ordinary insects that would scatter the blight just the same as it did in California after the tame honey-bees were removed. The only tlung to be done is to get as many bees around the pear-orchard as possible because bees are almost indispensable for the proper pollination of a good many varieties of apples, pears, peaches, and certain stone fruit. Prof. M. D. Waite, of the Department of Agriculture, went into this matter very ex- haustively some years ago, and his decision was most emphatically in favor of the bees in spite of the damage they might do in certain years in carrying- blight. You doubtless would be interested in the last report of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association of 1914 that was held at Springfield, Mass. If you have not seen this I think you would do well to send for a copy. I refer you to Harold L. Frost, of Arlington, Mass., or to F. Howard Brown, Secretary and Treasurer, at Marlboro, Mass. Wliile this does not have much to say concerning the blight question, it docf have some very important testimony on the value of bees as pollinators of fruit-blos- soms. I am also sending you our booklet, " Bees and Fruit." You will find farther infornia tion under the subject of "Apple-blossonis" in our A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture A coui)le of weeks ago I talked with M''- Charles Repp, of the famous Repp Brol ti- ers, of New Jer.sey, the largest apple-grow- ers, probably, in" the United States. M'- Repp told me that the more bees they coiihl have the better, and tliat (he question of blight didn't cut very much figure with them because they knew they must have the bees, and the matter of blight was a small item. You, as a practical fruit-grower, know, of course, that the first thing to do when a blight shows itself is to cut it off. Of course, if ordinary apple-twig blight shows up you can not very well do this; but this will last but the one season, and next year it will disappear probably. — E. R. Root.] A 240.COLONY APIARY IN IDAHO BY A. J. il'CLANAHAN The photogra])h of the 240-colony apiary shown herewith is one of my out-yard 27 miles from my home at Payette, Idaho, ll is located near the Owyhee River in Oregon, ' V2 miles from Nyssa. I run my bees altogether for comb honey. I am not genius enough to be an inventor, ^o I take all of the best bee-journals aiul keep myself posted on the very latest meth- "ds of proL'edure. 1 try in a small way whatever I think would be an improvement. H it proves better than my old way 1 use ']'■ if not, I discard it. In this way, there- '^"le. I lose no time in trying to invent new ■ipldian'-es. . I use a super that measures 17 1-1 (i "K'hes, inside measure, and use loose section- sliils without end-pieces, which make slats easy to clean and store away in winter. 1 use only the 4I/4 by iV^ beeway sections. I still stay by the old bottom-board as made years ago, with %-inch openjng, and not reversible. I find our climate too changeable for very wide entrances in comb- lioney production. Our surplus-honey yields are not as good as they were a few years back, on account of so many colonies ship- ped in from (^olorado the last few years. Some have not been as careful as thev should have been about the rights of those wlio were here before them. Ada (^anyon and Washington Co., in Idaho; Malheur Co.. in Oregon, all locations for apiaries, are taken up; but if one wants to come here and locate he can easily find apiaries for sale already located: and beekee])ers 302 GLEAJJINGS IN BEE CULTURE liere would make them welcome. I shipped tlie first car of honey that was ever sent from Payette Valley, 12 years ago, to Spokane, Wash. Now we ship from 10 to 17 cars of comb and extracted honey per year. Our average is from $2.00 to $6.00 i:er colony, spring count. Payette, Idaho. THE ACT OF AN OUTLAW ; HOW BEES MAY BE A NUISANCE BY THE OUTLAW Cuidinued from the March 15th issue, paOe 222. With apologies to the Bard of Avon— the question was, to do or not to do; would it be better for the soul to submit to the humiliations and indignities of an outrag- eous city ordinance, or take up arms against such adverse legislation and attempt to overthrow it? or, as an alternative to both the foregoing lines of procedure, to con- tinue to violate surreptitiously the orders and mandates of the city Solons — in effect, avoid all issues and follow the example of tlie natives of Kentucky and produce moon- shine honey. Well, the Kentucky method was decided upon; and the result was that one bright morning the bees found them- selves in a secluded niche on the roof, and there they are to-day. To those who are unacquainted with conditions where there are ordinances pro- hibiting the keeping of bees within certain jurisdictions, it might be well to state that in certain parts of the country it is custom- ary to find that there is a city ordinance proliibiting the keeping of bees within the limits of the town or city. Especially is this true of California cities. The reason for such ordinances, and there is a reason and a valid one, is the fruit industry. While the bees are very necessary to the l)ollination of fruit, they are also capable of making themselves considerable of a nui- sance during the packing and drying of the fruit. To illustrate the manner in which bees are a nuisance, I will tell a story as it was told to me by an extensive pi'oducer of honey. He lives in a small town in the San Gnorgonio Pass. The town is situated in the center of several thousand acres of fruit, consisting of prunes, pears, peaches. ajDricots, etc. The surrounding desert and mountains are his bee territor^^ The pas- turage consists of sage, catclaw", alfllaree, and what is commonly known as wild buck- wheat. His story is as follows : '' It was in the 90's, the time we had the three bad years. The third season T was in nie Outlaw's bees permaueutly established in a niche of the roof. APRIL 15, 1914 303 l,eu(_;il.i plus regular ; about as bad sbape fi- nancially as tlie bees. Well, 1 did not see how I could buy sugar to carry them through another season. Still 1 did not want to see them starve, so I de- cided to bring the re- mains of my three api- aries to town and give them the advantage of the fruit-bloom. This I did. During the bloom the bees did well, making a living and a little more; but in the fall, when the fruit - drying season commenced, it brought trouble. The first inti- mation I had was when I was summoned to the place of one of the fruit-dryers. This diyer had about half an acre covered witli trays of drying fruit; and when I arrived I found that the trays were literally covered with bees. Not only did the bees visit the fruit on the trays, but they also took an interest in the fruit that was being prepared for the trays, and two or three of the girls got stung on the hands, causing the work- ing force to become demoralized. The re- sult was that, within a few days after the commencement of the fruit-drying season, I decided that the best thing to do was to move my bees out of town. But the matter did not end with the removing of my bees, as the fruit-dryer claimed that, with every drop of juice that the bees removed from the drying fruit, they took a certain amount of sugar; and every thing that the bees got that was of use to them was to the direct loss of the fruit ; that where the bees ob- tained a pound of sugar, the fruit was in consequence a pound short in weight, and this I am inclined to believe was true, and I later agreed to recompense him for the probable loss." There is another matter to be observed in the keeping of bees in cities; and that is, to see that they are not situated in such a position that people who are unacquainted with bees are apt to run afoul of them and be perhaps seriously stung. For the benefit of those who contemplate city beekeeping it might be well to state two instances that occurred during the time my bees were situ- ated in the garden. The first instance was when a young lady in a nearby house wan- dered out one bright sunny morning to dry ). 1 lie t«u Irees to llie riyiit iii ihe foregiuuiui are ;-iiins; the one to the left is a Ijliie gum.- her hair and sat down in the grass directly in front of the hive, and about two feet from the entrance. She knew nothing of bees, and might have been seriously stung had she not been warned. The other in- stance was when a child of some four years wandered into the garden, and, when dis- covered, was trying his best to remove the cover from the hive. So it behooves him who contemjilates keeping a colony or so of bees within town or city to see that they are placed in such a position that it is im- possible for some innocent person to be stung by them. THE QUESTION OF PASTURAGE. As pasturage has played an important part in my outlaw operations, a short dis- cussion of the subject would perhaps not be out of place. As every practical honey- producer knows, the first essential to suc- cessful beekeeping, be it either city or country, is pasturage. My own observa- tions here led me to the conclusion that, for the man with just a few colonies of bees, and who keeps them only as a hobby, the average city affords better pasturage than the country. While cities seldom have flora that produces heavy flows of honey, as in the sage regions for instance, yet they do have a larger variety of flora that produces honey for a greater number of days ; so while it does not yield a profusion of hon- ey, there is a longer and steadier flow. Then, too, the flora of the cities is not as a rule atfected by drouth, as any natural lack of Avater is supplied by artificial means. California cities, as a rule, are peculiarly 304 A blue-gum tree (eucalyptus) in bloom. favored in all that goes to make ideal con- ditions for the business man who desires to keep just a few colonies, there being large parks; and throughout the I'esidence dis- tricts many of the houses are surrounded by a veritable riot of vegetation. Then tlie streets are lined with trees, principally pepper and eucalyptus. And here a word about the eucalyptus, commonly called gum- tree. There are many varieties of these trees, all couiing from Australia. They all keep their foliage throughout the year, and are as apt to be found in bloom on Christ- mas as on the Fourth of July. The most common is the blue gum, the red gum being next, these being the most hardy varieties, although throughout the principal cities will also be found large numbers of lem- on gum, sugar gum, vate gum, and iron- bark g-um. From my own ob- servations, the sugar gum is the most pro- fuse yielder of nectar. The first time T saw a sugar gum in bloom it brought to my mind the instance of my first acquaintance with pamarosa of the West GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Indies, there being two reasons — first, the blossoms being similar, each consisting of a hollow cup in tlie center, surrounded by a mass of white hair-like petals; second, (here being a number of bees around each blossom, each bee waiting as it were for its turn to obtain a load of nectar. The sugar- gum blossom, however, goes the pamarosa one better in that it has more odor, the odor being not unlike that of a ripe canta- loupe, and so strong that it conveys to one the idea that the blossom itself is fruit. As an item of general information if might be stated that the eucalyptus is very apt to play an important part in honey production in California. The scarcity of lumber has resulted in a number of com- panies being formed for the pui-pose of planting eucalyptus, and there are to-day thousands of acres of trees that have been planted recently. So I think it safe to predict that, a few years hence, eucalyptus honey will be a staple the same as honey from clover, basswood, sage, etc. And now a word of explanation : There will be many, no doubt, among the readers of this journal who will not approve of ray attitude of mind, the procedure 1 have followed, or of the story T have written. To them I have no excuse to offer, no apol- ogies to make. As to what I intend to do in the future, I can only say that I have no definite plans, other than that I will con- tinue to keep my bees, and that I am think- ing of working more for increase than for honey during the coming season. San Diego, Cal. [The eucalyptus is said to be "a wonder- ful producer of water-white honey, and as many as three bees at one time have been observed to sip up from a single blossom as much nectar " as they could carry. — Ed.1 A drive through the park. The trees are acacias and the shrubs myrtle. APRIL 15, 1914 305 AN IMPEOVEMENT ON THE ALEXANDEK BEE^VEIl, r.V J. 11. PKTERSOK I think (lie Alexander veil is supei'ior to all otiieis for general use; but the one 1 use is a modification of the standard Alexander veil as sold on the mar- ket. I purchased one of those, but east it aside. It did not furnish enough shade, and it did not stay fixed on the head as I want it to. However, 1 have im- proved it so that I think it is about perfect. As I make it, it fur- nishes plenty of shade, being 12 inches in diam- eter. In the top edge I put a stiff wire, whieli assists materially in holding it in shape. My most important im- jjrovement, however, it^ tlw arrangement for Iiolding it in place on (lieliead. Without some- thing of this kind it will fall around from side to side in a way that is a great nuisance. I sew a piece of tape about four inches long, and looped at both ends, across the top of the veil inside, about two inches in front of the center. I then tie a piece of hat elastic into these loops, and long enough to go around back of the head and fit snug. Sometimes, if the elastic is weak, I double it. This holds the veil in place, and is not at all uncomfortable. T also sew a piece of cloth about 8 or 10 inches wide inside at the back to protect the back of the neck from the sun when work- ing stooped over. As thus made the Alexander veil becomes cool, light, and comfortable; and it can be worn without a iiat, with entire satisfaction. Ogden, Utah. Peterson's improvement on the Alexander veil. [We have tested this plan, and found it to be excellent. Indeed, it is the best suggestion that has been made yet, to hold the Alexan- der veil at such a point that the wire cloth can not touch the head at any point. There are many who like the Alexander principle : and any one having one of these protectors can easily put the idea into practical effect. —Ed.] THE APALACHICOLA ED LAST FEBMUAMY T MVEM, FLORIPA: HOW IT Catching Two Crops of Honey in a Season from the Same Eeeg BY E. R. ROOT The kodak views taken by our boys give; a general idea of our apiary at Randlett's Landing, about 16 miles above Apalachicola. Fig. 1 shows the height of the platforms or scaffolding. When Mr. R. L. Tucker put up these elevated sidewalks in this place he j^laced them two feet above the highest water-mark ever known on the river; and duiing tlie years that have elapsed, high water has never touched the bees. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Pig. 1. — A gtiifial \icw of the Koot apiary on the Ai)ala< hicnla Hiver, t'loiida. The 300 colonies are placed upon raised platforms or scaffolding, some five or six feet high, or above high-water mark. While these platforms are somewhat expensive, they are vei-j' convenient in affording easy access to all the colonies. There is no uneven ground, no shrubbery or weeds to interfere with the work or the flight of the bees, and a wheel-barrow has good wheeling to every hive. One would naturally inquire, " Why not seek out land that will always be above high water, and thus save the expense of these high runways'? There are only a very few locations of that kind, and they are all taken up. Mr. R. L. Tucker sought out this point because of the abundance of black and white tupelo and willow for fur- nishing early pollen; and he located well, as the subsequent history of the place has shown. Mr. Tucker finally sold out to Mr. A. B. Marchant and went north ; but he has since conae back, and located another scaf- fold apiary about four miles down the river. Mr. Marchant, the first year after he bought this scaffold yard, secured enough honey to pay the cost of the investment — bees, plat- forms, three buildings, and a launch, as seen in Fig. 3; but as he had more locations than he had bees to stock them he sold this one to us, and it is now in charge of his son Ernest Marchant. As has been already explained editorially, the cold and cool weather of February and March gave us a little setback; but our Mr. Marchant believes that he will make his increase just the same. I told him I did not believe he could do it ; but when I saw the honey coming in from black tupelo on the 17th of March I changed my mind. The bees dropped down at the entrances just as they would when working on basswood; and when a comb was pulled out of a hive the neciar would fall out like rain. But black tupelo is not considered a heavy source for honey. It comes in just right to build up the colonies for the main flow later from white tupelo, Avhich is a heavy yielder of nectar. It will be seen from Figs. 2, 3, 4 that the hives are free from weeds, shi'ubbery, and uneven ground. This is a big advantage. While the ground •itself just beneath the platforms is uneven, high and low in spots, the platforms are level from end to end. Our men, therefore, have nice clean board walks to every liive in the yard. It will be noticed that these long elevated sidewalks, so to speak, radiate in different directions from the workshops, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. This renders it possible to have tools and api^liances, and every thing need- ed, within convenient reach. On the 17th day of March 100 supers, consisting of full-depth bodies, were placed on the hives; and Mr. Marchant was ex- pecting to put on as many more the next good fly day. These supers contained frames of foundation. When a colony becomes strong enough, two or three frames of foundation from the upper story are put in the lower one, and an equal number of combs and bees are placed in the upper story, with frames of foundation between. This is spreading brood with a vengeance, and ordinarily in the North such practice APRIL 15, 1914 301 would be inadvisable; but Mr. Marchant as- sured me that in this climate it could be done in safety. In one case in particular I looked into a single- si ory hive, with about six frames, where a frame of foundation had been given. Twen- ty-four hours later it was fully drawn out, notwithstanding it had been raining all day, and a queen was be- ginning to occupy it. Mr. Marchant is un- undertaking the prob- lem of getting 6000 frames of foundation drawn out before he ships the bees to Me- dina. His plan is to build the colonies up to one, two, and three stories high, and then, just before coming back to the Xorth. and after catching the main honey-flow, split them up into single-story colonies, giving each a queen. If every thing* works out according to program we shall make a big increase, secure an early honey crop, move north, and then catch a clover crop. We have done it once. It remains to be seen whether we shall do it again. At this writing, April 1, it would not be wise to say how many bees we can bring back; but if we have any kind of season Mr. Marchant will put in Medina more bees then we ever had before. In the mean time our managing editor, Mr. H. H. Root, has gone south to Braden- town, Fla. About tlie 10th of April he hopes to go to Apalachicola and help the boys extract with some new power-driven machinery that he has devised. He is equip- FlG. Fig. 2. — Tlie other platform next to tlie river frontage of the Root ap'.ary in Florida. ped with a camera, and probably will come back with a lot of material to present to our readers. For further references to this Apalachi- cola apiary, see the editorial department. BEARS AND SNAKES AT OUR APALACHICOLA APIARY. There are bears and snakes at our camp. Just after our boat reached camp one day, Joe asked us if we saw that black bear swimming the river. We said " Nu. Why didn't you shoot him? " " Didn't have any rifle, and hadn't seen him soon enough, or I would have roped him and brought him to our camp." '' Sure it was a bear? " " Yes," said Joe. " I could not have been mistaken. As he reached the other shoie he stood out in plain sight, shook himself, and disap]ieared in the woods." Now " Joe " is no weakling, and not in the habit of telling things he can't do. He is six feet six tall and well developed and a giant in strength. He has been known to pick a 50-gallon barrel of boney from the gTound, and set it in a wagon. If any man could tackle a bear in the water and bring him ashore alive he could. I told Joe if the bear came back- while I was there he could have the " job '' of roping, and I would look on — with an op- era glass. It seems that a bear had been prowling out on to the river from the Root apiary. Our launcli , a -d t\t„^ is shown tied to the dock. around the A, J3. Mar- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fig. 4. chant apiai'y six miles above. He had pawed things over generally. This same bear was evi- dently making for our bees; but seeing and hearing our boat come up the river he took for the opposite shore, and probably will not ap- pear again. Speaking about bears and their fondness for honey, Mr. A. B. Mar- chant told of the expe- I'ience of a friend of his who watched a bear climb a bee-tree. His bearship ascended to the bees and then began biting and tearing away to make the flight hole larger. The bees attacked him so fiercely that he rubbed his eyes and nose with both paws. Down he fell pellmell, crashing through the limbs till he reached the ground. Nothing daunt- ed he started up again and renewed his attack. Finally the bear got his paw into the combs of honey and began forthwith to smear his face, eyes, and nose with the sticky stuff. There was evidently method in his madness. With this extemporized bee- \eil he began and finished his repast on the combs of honey. This same eye-witness had seen other bears in the same act. A bear will always, he says, smear his face with honey as soon ;!s possible, the evident purpose being to prevent the bees from stinging. How far it would prevent them from using their little weapons is difficult to say. But we do not suppose any of our readers would care to liives in readiness for (he increase at the Root Florida apiary. rely on this exjiedient in the absence of a veil or smoker. If they do will they please tell us how it feels — the honey or the stings. Speaking of snakes, there were several large ones in the cam^j, and the boys feed and play with them. They are the so-called gopher snakes, useful in exterminating rats, gophers, and other small vermin. They are so tame that Ernest Marchant caught one and put it around Thompson's neck, and then took a photo; but the negative was poor, or we would produce it. Camp life at our landing is not altogether uninviting. The boys buy their groceries by the wholesale, and then divide up the expense between them. Ernest Marchant is the cook, and a good one he is. The fishing is good, and squin-el-shooting fine. The camp is 16 miles from Apalachicola, and is seen from the river on the right side as one goes up. More anon. REPORT OF THE LONDON, TAMEO, DISTRICT BEEKEEPERS' CON- BY R. F. HOLTERMANN The recent meeting of beekeepers from the vicinity of London was pretty well attended, and there was no lack of interest throughout the meeting. Mr. H. Gibson occupied the chair. " Spring Management " was a subject vetT^' ably handled by John A. Lunn, Fin- gal. He claimed that the foundation for spring should be laid the year before. First, there should be a young Cjueen, for with such there is a better chance to bring the colony through the sjjring. The old queen might be good ; but there are rarely as many young bees to go into winter quarters when an old queen is present. The requeening should be done the pi'evious August. Pro- tection is a good thing; but Mr. Lunn had seen colonies in box and other hives brought through the winter without protection. The bees should be packed on their summer stands. Each colony should have an abun- dance of stores; they should not be allowed to run short, as scant stores means less brood-rearing and a poorer colony. When spring comes in his locality (Middlesex County, Ontario), the colonies should be examined, if possible, in March for winter stores. If no honey can be seen between the APRIL 15, 1914 309 combs, the bees should be given combs of lioney, or fed. The colony at that time should not be examined for queens. Probably two weeks later would be better, or as soon as pollen is brought in. At such a time the queen is almost sure to be laying. Then every comb in the hive should be looked over, and any drone comb removed. Or, if such comb is full of honey, it should be placed at the outside of the brood-chamber. The bees should have jilenty of pollen. If they are short, a substitute should be provided. During the spring of 1913, in Mr. Lunn's section the soft-maple buds had been destroyed b}' frost. He then put out a chop composed of oats, barley, and wheat. The bees gatliered what they could out of it during the day. and he feci the rest to the pigs at night. Some colonies are found weak. If any ai'e queenless Mr. Lunn unites such with the weak colonies. Prom that time on. the colonies should be examined every ten days or two weeks. As soon as the danger of chilling brood has passed he begins to equal- ize the stocks so as to have them all in equal condition for the honey-flow. When the hive is fairly well filled he puts on another supei- with comb. He likes to get a colony in such condition that the brood-chamber and supei' of a ten-frame liive will be well filled with bees, brood, and honey before the start of the surplus-honey flow. Care should be taken not to let a colony get short of honey. If short, Mr. Lunn likes to give them a comb of honey; or, failing in that, 5 lbs. of granulated honey; or if he can not give that, then a thick syrup. BEE-ESCAPES. Some discussion took place about bee- escapes. Mr. John McEwen claimed that the best bee-escape board he had been able to find is one with an escape in the center, and then an opening through the front strip of the escape-board. The bees, as soon as they find the\- are separated from the brood- chamber and queen, pile out through the opening in the side, and in an unbroken procession pass down to the entrance of the hive. Mr. John Newton advocat- ed having the escapes near the edge of the board. The bees naturally run down the sides and edges of the hives, and for that reason pass out of the supers more readily. Drone-laying queen taken from a ball of bees. The worker shown has hold of the queen's wing. Both were dead when found. R. F. Holtermann stated that he was getting out 250 bee-escape boards with the wire cloth in the board for ventilation, and to allow the heat from the bees to keep the honey warm. QUEEN-REARING. Mr. Wm. Elliott, in giving an address upon the above subject, advocated selecting ten of the very best colonies in the apiary the previous season, clioosing on the follow- ing merits: 1. Color. The queen must be purely mated. His experience was that, among the best working colonies, there will be tliose with the best color. 2. A colony wliich starts brood-rearing' early in the season, and one which has a large proportion of brood. H. The workers should have strong, well- developed wing's. The strong-winged bees can carry the heaviest loads. There is a marked difference in the build of individual bees. The colony having the above characteris- tics to the fullest extent should be kept, from wliieh to obtain larvae for young' queens. From the rest, take four or five of the next best colonies and insert in tlie center of the brood-chamber three or foui- combs with drone-cells. In the rest of the apiary try to prevent drone-rearing. Queen- rearing should begin from about June 5 to 10. (This applies to southwestern (Ontario.) Graft queen-cells in a couple of bars, and put these in a frame in the' upper stoiy of a strong colony with a card of brood on each side of the queen-oell cups. The object of this is to get royal jelly for jiriming the future cell cups. Next remove the queen in a good colony, saving her if she is young. Combs with only capped brood can be left in the now queenless hive, any other being removed. Give the colony a reasonable amount of pollen and honey, and be sure there is a plenti- ful supply of young hatched bees. Leave three places in the contracted brood-chamber for frames of grafted cells, the object being to make room for the colony. The cell cups used are the Swarthmore. The royal jelly is to be taken from the cells in the super previously men- tioned. The best time to graft is when the sun is nearing the western horizon. Stand at a west window, and turn your back to the sun so the light will shine into the cells. Take SIO Gleanings in bee culture 16 prepared cell-cups and put a piece the size ot a grain of wheat into each cup, jar- ring the royal jelly into the bottom; then with a proper instrument (Mr. Elliott lias one that he made for himself), put upon the jelly till' very smallest larva. Suspend the cell cups in the holes in the top-bar when readj', and insert them in one of the three spaces in the queenless colony. . Do likewise with the second and third frames. Leave the cells uiitii next day in the fox'enoon. Use but little smoke when examining. It will be found that the bees have accej^ted two cells out of three. Remove those not used. Now, this colony has cost too much for one batch of queen-cells; therefore remove these cell cups and place them in the upper story of a strong colony, making sure that there is some other brood above, and also provide a comb of larvae. Give the cell cups to a colony with lots of young bees. The queenless colony can start a batch of cells three times. The argument that queens from cells reared for swarming are better is, in Mr. Elliott's estimation, faulty. The queen-cells almost invariably come from colonies which, on the face of it, can not be as carefully selected, and there is always the swarming impulse in connection therewith. Mr. Morley Pettit, 0. A. C, Guelph, gave an address upon the subject of marketmg honey. He advocated the development of the home market, a good article, and fair margins for the retailer. There was a pretty strong feeling mani- fested in the meeting that Ontario is pro- ducing about all the honey the Canadian market can talce undex present conditions. Brantford, Ont. THE INTRODUCTION OF MODERN METHODS IN SPAIN BY OTTO HOLLANDER According to the Gaceta Apicola de Es- paria of January, 1914, the Beekeepers' Association of Spain at its last annual meeting resolved to give a course of lectures in the various agricultural colleges and experimental stations of Spain, and to so- licit the aid of the Government and of the various counties with this end in view. This society has been doing excellent Avork for a number of years in that country, which is so well adapted to beekeeping by virtue of its mild climate and the variety of its flora; and through its organ, the aforementioned Gaceta Apicola de Espana, it is working very hard to convince the majority of the beekeepers of Spain of the advantages of the modern movable-frame hive over tlie old-style fixed-frame hive. The average American beekeeper can hardly understand why it should be neces- sary that any society or paper should have to extol the virtues of the movable-frame liive; but it seems that there are as yet a good many farmers, and beekeepers as well, in some of the European countries Avho are slow to accept new ideas, and who still cling tenaciously to the old box hive of their forefathers. In looking through these Spanish bee- papers one is rather amused to iind that " honey produced in movable-frame hives " should be specially advertised, and. in fact, quoted separately, bringing, of course, a much higher price than the other. The fol- lowing quotations ai'e taken from the last number of the bee-paper mentioned: Honey from movable-frame hives (miel movilista), 1st class, 100 to 110 pesetas per 100 kilos. Honey from movable-frame hives (miel movilista), 2d class, 70 to 85 pesetas per 100 kilos. Honey from fixed-frame hives (mielfijis-. ta), 50 to 60 pesetas per 100 kilos. The prices thus range from $6.10 to $9.60 per 100 pounds for the former, and from $4..'?0 to $5.25 per 100 pounds for the latter. Mr. Joaquin Layret is at the present time the President of the Spanisli Beekeepei's' Association, ably assisted by the Secretarv, Mr. Santiago Baldo, and one can not but hope that their intelligent propaganda may be crowned with success. [Gleanings is heartily in sympathy with the efforts of this association, as well as those of its Spanish colleague Gaceta Api- cola de Esparia, and we wish our brethren across the sea the best of success in spread- ing the " gospel of modern beekeeping." — Ed.] Smoke Method of Introducing Used 30 Years Ago About thirty years ago I practiced the smoke method of introducing with this variation: I would smoke the bees and then take a frame from the center, with adhering bees, and shake them in front of the hive and drop the queen down among them; and after they had run in I smoked them again. My idea was to make it appear to the bees as if a swarm were returning with a queen, and I found it very successful ; but as I have generally bought my queens I followed the plan given for introduction, and have nearly always had good success. Hoopeston, 111., Jan. 14. G. T. WiLHS. APRIL 15, 1914 311 Heads of Graiiri frcoim Differeet FieMi Questions Regarding Dr. Miller's Honey Crop 1. Would not Dr. C. C. Miller's honey oroi) be an interesting subject for discussion on the relative merits of the eight or ten frame hives for section honey 'I 2. How about " shaking energy " into the bees by Dr. Miller tearing the brood-nest to pieces every veek or ten days to destroy queen-cells? 3. With this method to prevent svi^arniing, and not wishing any increase, how does he get his young (luei ns ? 4. How many supers did he have at one time on tliaf colony that made 384 lbs.? •5. How many swarms did come out on him in spite of destroying the queen-cells every eight or ten days? (i. About when did the honey-fiow begin, and when did it cease ? Predericktown, Mo., Feb. 20. JA.S. Bachler. 1. Yes, that's a very interesting subject; but I l:?,rdly know how we can compare two things if we have only one of them to compare. There were no ten-frame hives in the apiary. It is true, however, that up to the time of putting on supers there was no chance for the queen to be crowded in perhaps any of the hives. When any queen had no longer room in one story, she either had two stories, or empty combs were exchanged for full ones, the latter being put where they would do most good. Neither \i, it certain that there was any crowding after su- pers were put on, for abundance of super-room was given, and I think that gives more room in the brood-chamber. All things considered, however, my guess would be that if any one has not on hand a supply of eight-frame hives he would do as well or better to use ten-framers. 2. I've had no very indubitable proof that any energy was added by the shaking. Certainly I did no shaking in any case where I thought it would do nut to shake. If any one enjoys shaking I don't believe it does any great harm, although it's possible the bees might do just a shade better without it. Then, again, may be they wouldn't. I don't know. 3. Raise 'em in nuclei from best stock only, and then stick 'em in wherever needed. Besides, there was the superseding. Please get it into your head that there is no need of swarming to have young queens, for in the natural course of events every queen is superseded, and, of course, superseded by a young queen. 4. I don't know. Eight was the highest number on any hive at one time, and such hives were very sc&rce. I wonder why you ask about 384. Three colonies did better than that, one of them yielding 402. 5. I don't know. I've just looked over the first 20 numbers, and 7 of them actually swarmed. Pos- sibly the general average was more than this, for it was about the worst year for swarming I ever knew. But, of course, no swarm was hived as a swarm. 6. Began about June 6, and closed somewhere about Sept. 20. Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller. Painting; Is it Done Chiefly for Looks? If one takes the attitude that painting hives or buildings is done chiefly for looks it seems to me that he has to stand alone against almost the whole world. Our great railroad companies not only paint the wooden but even the iron bridges; in fact, every thing is painted regularly. If this is all being done for the looks only, it is time that we should find it out. I have hives that have been painted for twenty jears, and they are all in good condition. I'he cor- ners have not opened up a particle. An unpainted liive will open up at the corners, and become badly warped, in three to five years in this climate. I think Mr. Doolittle's story of the unpainted house tliat lasted so long is like the man who used tobacco all the time and yet lived to a good old age. That •nan does not know how much longer he might have lived if he had not used tobacco. MOVING AinARIES SOUTH. Moving bees south in the winter seems to me a great scheme. In my locality, in September, when the honey-flow is over, the colonies are in the best of condition to keep right at storing honey ; but the flow stops with the hives full of bees, mostly young bees too, and I have to leave from forty to fifty pcunds of honey for them to live on through the v'inter and spring. Now, if I move south, ten pounds or so would be enough, probably, and I could extract perhaps thirty pounds per colony more, which, at 8 cts. a pound, would amount to $2.40. This would probably pay for moving the bees south and back again in May, and then the honey secured ill the south would be all gain. The trouble would be to find suitable locations. Brush, Col. Daniel Danielson. [In your figures regarding moving bees south and back again you do not take into consideration the risk of accident on the way, or of having bad sea- sons in the South when the bees get little or no honey, but have to be fed considerably. When these possible losses are all figured in as overhead ex- pense, so to speak, the profits one year with another are less. But, at the same time, there are great possibilities in the plan. Of this we shall have more to say later on. — Ed.] Don't be in a Hurry to Condemn Your Own Lo- cality On page 895, Dec. 15, 1913, H. F. Wilson speaks of Central Oregon as being a good bee country. Now, for the benefit of such people as are in a fairly good place, and are making a little each year from their bees, I want to say, be slow about condemning your own countrj' ; don't sell out and move to a new field before making a thorough investigation, and don't forget that any country will have its dis- advantages as well as its advantages. I have kept bees in Indiana and Washington, besides in Central Oregon, and I am sure either place is as good as this. We have no foul brood, neither sweet clover nor white clover. Sage furnishes nectar once in about four years. Whenever it rains on alfalfa after it" blooms there is no honey from the blossoms that get wet. Redmond, Ore. C. H. Miller. Camera Tripod to Support the Hive Close to Clus- tered Swarm I have had swarms settle on all kinds of places, such as on the top of rail fences, the trunk of a ti'ee, top of a fencepost, etc. I do a little in photog- raphy, so have a fairly heavy camera tripod on hand which I have constructed into an artificial swarming device. I first bored a hole in the center of a spare bot- tom-board; then a small bolt fixed it solid on top of the tripod. I then get the hive for the swarm on top again, and adjust it to height by the thumb screws in the legs; put the entrance in contact with the cluster, and — there you are. I find it the easi- est, surest, and most satisfactory method of catching a swarm I have seen or heard of. Arthur T. Harper. Minnedosa, Manitoba, Can., Sept. 3, 312 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Widening the End-bars of Danzenbaker Extracting- frames to Permit the Use of Eight Combs in a Super I wish to tell of a change I have been making in our Danzenbaker extraeting-supers that has added 20 per pent to their efficiency, and much more than that to their value in harvesting a crop of honey. Frames spaced as they are, ten in a hive, while just right for the brood-nest, make too much handling and uncapping for the amount of honey harvested. How to remedy this condition of affairs, and still preserve the good feature of removing the case as a whole, has been my study for some time. The prob- lem has solved itself in this way: Rip out of %- inch lumber, pieces scant % inch in thickness, and tack these on to one side of both end-pieces of the frames. With this attachment eight pieces of comb will fill a ten-frame super, giving combs for twenty per cent more hives, and giving the bees an equal amount of storage room while the beekeeper handles twenty per cent less of frames. A large saving of time is thus effected just when time is of its greatest value. The device delighted us with results last year. TROUBLK WITH SMOKK MKTHOD OF INTRODUCING As to the new way of introducing queens by smok- ing them in, while successful in the early part of the season, during a good honey-flow, later in the season I lost two tine queens. Unless a good honey-flow is on I still prefer the cage system — feeding the colony about a pint of thin syrup for about three nights, during and after the release of the queen by the bees; and, I might add, and not opening the hive for a week. This rarely fails us at any time of the year. \ " BEE-LINE." Does not the word " bee-line " refer to the straight course an absconding swarm takes en route to their new home rather than to the course taken by bees while in quest of or returning with their loads of nectar. Allow me to draw special attention to that very valuable recipe for soft candy given on p. 158, May 1, 1913. It is so simple and inexpensive, with sugar at 4% cts. per lb., that all can afford to treat any doubtful colonies, whether indoors or out, to a cake of it. Toronto. Ont. F. P. Clare. readily convinced of her safety by the way the bees back away from her to make room as she crawls about the comb. Hang the frame back in its place, and the work is done. This is not a new method, l)Ut I find it satisfactory for a small beekeeper. Jamestown, N. Y. Rev. J. W. Wilson. Securing Empty Combs for Bait I have never learned how to get bees to build comb in sections or in the super, when there is no flow of honey, vrithout liberal feeding. They will often occupy the supers in hot weather; and if no honey is coming in they may mutilate the foundation; but build they will not until they have honey to store. My only way of securing empty comb in sections is by letting the bees clean out all partly filled sections as soon as the honey harvest is over. These may be safely and profitably used the next season. My method of using bait sections is to put one in each corner of the super, for these corners are more likely to be left poorly filled. With a bait section in each corner the super will generally be filled solid. A .SAFE WAY OF INTRODUCING BY THE CAGE PLAN. I have not demonstrated the smoke method for introducing, and I have not observed to what ex- tent it is necessary to smoke bees to make them good- natured so that the queen may be run in; but the method that has met my needs best is as follows : When the new queen arrives, remove the one to be superseded, by putting her in an introducing-cage made of wire cloth ; and after she has been in the cage about 30 minutes, take her out and allow the new Italian, with all her escorts, to enter. Put them at once down l>etween the frames; close up the hive, and the next day lift the cage and a frame of brood, and let two or three workers crawl out among the other bees. If there is no fight you may be sure that you can next release the queen ; and you will be Burning Out a Smoker to Get Rid of the Creosote My way of getting rid of the creosote in a smoker is to put a little coal oil in the fire-cup and some more in the cap. A large quantity is not necessarj-. but there should be enough to soak the creosote well Let it stand a few minutes, then put a plug of wet paper or hard wood in the draft-hole at the bottom of the fire-cup, and light the oil with a match, letting it burn by laying the smoker down on its side with the cap open. When it has burned long enough, or if it gets to burning too fast, close the cap, and the fire will go out. The wet plug is to keep the fire from coming out at the bottom and charring the bellows-board. xVfter burning out, scrape with a putty-knife or screwdriver. Georgetown, Del. Georgk W. Louder My Method of Folding Sections I use a table high enough so I can stand up. I take fifty sections, lay them in front of me with a cup of water handy. I slip a section off the pile with the groove down, and place my fore finger in the water, then over the grooves, till the pile is done. Then I turn the pile over and fold them. They are strong and square. Oak, Neb. A. M. Devitt. [We have tried a modification of this plan to some extent. We spread a long row of sections on the floor or table, groove side down, and all grooves in line. With a soft marking-brush we wet the lacks by drawing the brush along the whole row, one groove at a time. — Ed.] Newspapers to Keep Down Grass and Weeds in Front of the Hives I have just been reading the way to kill weeds with acid, p. 821, Nov. 15. I have a method which I have been practicing for several years, for keeping weeds from growing in front oi the hives. I use old newspapers — many of the big dailies are not good for much else. Early in the spring, before the grass and weeds start, I raise the front end of the hive- stand and insert the end of a newspaper ; then smooth out in front, and lay small stones or earth c n the corners to keep the wind from blowing them away. This will smother the grass and weeds. Last spring I located an apiary in an old orchard seeded to alfalfa, and I found the paper very effec- tual in keeping the alfalfa from growing. There should be six or more layers of paper. Denver, Col., Dec. 17. W. L. Porter. Hives Used 34 Years On page 26, Jan. 1, I read what was said about old hives retaining their value. I have some hives in use in my bee-yard, called "Simplicity Improved." They were made in 1879. They are made of white pine, and were painted two coats. Two years before I commenced to keep bees I sold the hives for one Dan Royce, and transferred bees into them. I helped to make the hives, so I know what I am talking about. I made hives long ago without paint, of the same kind of material; but they are decayed and gone. I am using the dovetailed for all of my new ones, but I paint them. I have only 76 colonies now. I have taken Gleanings ever since 1882, and be- lieve I have every number up to this. I expect to take it as long as I live. Cowden, 111., Jan. 9. A. W. Spracklbn. APRIL 13, 1914 313 Uniting in Spring; Rearing Early Drones I have a colony of bees which has lost its queen within the last few days. On one frame they have a few scattered cells of brood, which is all capped, but no eggs nor uncapped brood. They have started several queen-cells, none of which have brood or eggs. I should like to know if I can unite this queenless colony with another late swarm of last season, which has a young queen. Both have plenty of honey, and the young queen has a nice lot of brood now. Can I do this successfully at this time of the year? What is the proper way to handle one frame of drone comb to each hive? I now have the drone comb at the side of the hive. When would you move it to the center? Most of them are full of honey. Ghent, O., March 30. R, E. McKissON [We think it would be advisable for you to unite this weak colony with one of your stronger ones. To do this, remove tlie cover from the strong colony and place upon it a sheet of newspaper. Over this set the weak one after having removed the bottom-board. .Vfter a few days you will find that the bees will have eaten away the paper and united peaceably. It is best to do this in the evening after the bees have quit flying, in order that you may have all of these in the weak colony. If it is extra-early drones that you are after, you can accomplish this by moving the drone comb to the center of the brood-nest at almost any time now; and in order to stimulate the bees to the rearing of drones, and to get the queen to lay in the comb, it would be a good plan to mutilate the cappings of the sealed honey. However, we doubt the advisability of tr\ing to produce drones ahead of the time when queen-rearing can be successfully carried on. It would be better to wait until about fruit-bloom time before making such a manipulation. — Ed.] Swarm Control and Increase I have five hives of bees, and am in business so that I cannot be at home e.xcept Sundays. I should like to do something to keep them from swarming. and at the same time increase them. They are in frame hives, but the combs are not straight enough to remove without damage. My idea is to put a body with full sheets of foundation under each colony. with - a queen-excluder between the two bodies to keep the queen in the upper body. When the bees start work below, remove the upper body with the queen to a new stand and either introduce a queen to the colony on the old stand or put in a one-frame nucleus with queen. Then the field bees from the old hive will return to the new one in the old loca tion. The brood hatching in the old hive will keep it sufficiently strong. Is my theory all right? T. H. Mettler East Millstone, N. J., March 30. [Your plan for swarm control, and at the t;uue time making increase, is very good, excepting that we think you would have better results by leaving out the queen-excluder, and allowing your old queen simply to go down into the frames of foundation in the lower story and start a brood-nest. Then when you remove the upper story to a new stand you will have brood already there for your new start; and when the division is made you can supply the queen less colony with a queen. — Ed.] getting the bees covered with it. They work it as readily and as greedily as they would natural pollen or even honey; and I never use honey or any thing to get them started; but when natural pollen is ob tninable, and weather such that they can gather it, they desert the artificial. A number of years ago, when living in the village of Hillsboro. there was a handle factory only about ■10 rods from my home yard, where they used noth ing but green hard-maple timber. All handles were run through a sandpapering machine, and the dust from this was as fine as flour, and was blown with sawdust into a heap outside. In early spring that dust pile would be alive with bees, gathering it the same as pollen, and carrying great loads of it into their hives day after day. Of course it was slightly sweet, and they utilized it in same manner as they do pollen. They brought in lots of it ; but when natural pollen opened up they quit the sawdust. Union Center, Wis., March 5. Elias Pox Sawdust as a Food for Bees .Vfter reading the articles and editorial comments with reference to bees working on sawdust, pages 154 and 233, the writer feels that some further evidence might convince the editor that perhaps there may be some nutriment (for bees) in sawdust. I will, therefore, make bold to offer a few facts rela- tive thereto. In connection with our planing-mill we have been operating a small log sawmill, on occasional days, since 1905, so that there is some sawdust lying around at all times. Every spring — yes, upon sue cessive warm days any time after New Year, the lees appear in great numbers. We cannot operate this mill on warm days during the months of Feb ruary and March, or until natural pollen comes in. without killing thousands of them. From the sawdust of some kinds of timber, notably hickory and maple, the bees carry large loads in their pollen-baskets, and regardless as to whether or not they have pollen in their hives. We know that bees may not for a long time work (in rye chop set out in the open, and perhaps not at all, unless there is some sweet added to get them started; but they will readily find a pile of freshly cut sawdust. However, once started, they will take r,\ e meal in preference. Littlestown, Pa., March 28. C. F. Bucher. Fresh Sawdust from Green IVIaple for Pollen Replying to an article relative to artificial pollen. Feb. 15, 1 will say I have fed flour for 25 years with apparently good results, though I would never put it in the hives. I place it in the yard in shallow boxes — rye, graham, shorts, and bran thoroughly mixed. The coarser particles prevent snjothering or Sawdust as a Substitute for Pollen On page 154, Feb. 15, I notice an item regarding the use of sawdust by the bees as a substitute for pollen. My bees have obtained their first pollen from a nearby sawdust pile for a number of years The sawdust is freshly sawed, and they seem to seek the fine particles. If a substitute is provided, such as rye flonr, they soon leave the sawdust. In looking over my bees yesterday I found one colony which was afflicted with paralysis. Having used sulphur before in similar cases I used it this time, sprinkling it over the bees and at the entrance. In a short time bees were seen loading their pollen-baskets with the sulphur, and entering a hive near by. They did the same to-day. I think they will find themselves " stung " when they try converting sulphur into bees. Barkhamsted, Ct., March 17. Delo-s O. Hart [This is an interesting report, in that it shows that bees may be deceived. Now, then, if bees were deceived by the sulphur may they not be deceived in like manner and carry in a good deal of trash? One beekeeper wrote us that his bees liked ginger! They were carrying in great loads of ground ginger-roof that happened to be exposed. — Ed.] GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE APRIL 15, 1914 MIGM^P OUR FLORIDA GARDEN, ETC., MARCH 2, 1914, 1 am glad to give you some glimpses of the best garden we have ever had in Florida, and, in some respects, the best garden we ever had anywhere; and I have always had a garden of some kind since my good moth- er (bless her memory) taught me to love gardens seventy years ago. I have only recently learned that here in sandy Florida we need not only tile drains but surface drains also ; and in pictures 1 and 2 yon will notice between every four or five rows of stuff there are deep wide paths that not only serve as walks, but that carry off the water when it rains so there is a surplus Now, tliis isn't all. At the lower right-hand corner of No. 2 you see a bed of potatoes. Well, Wesley has been gradually " learning' the trade" of turning under large amounts of green stuff"; and Avhen the bed was made, there was a swamp of gallberry, grapevines, hlackbeny, Bermuda grass, etc., about as high as one's head; and when I asked if he could get it all under he replied : "Yes, sir; if you say so, under it goes;'' and in due time it was all out of sight, and 315 AKDENING the mellow soil raked over smooth, rounding up higher in the middle of the bed. Perhaps 1 should add this " thicket " had been a favorite spot for the chickens for several years, especially when the sun was hot, as it was cool and shady, and no hawk could follow them into this shady retreat. I con- fess that when the potatoes were planted it was with some misgivings ; but when they came up so promptly and were "knee high," in about four weeks it was one of my " happy surprises." On the left uj^per cor- ner of cut No. 3 you will see some potatoes at about six weeks from planting. They are the Red Triumphs, and there are al- ready potatoes as big as a goose egg, burst- ing up under those gi'eat perfect leaves as large as one's hand. This winter, the fact we have had all the rain one could ask for. is perhaps one reason why burying so much green trash has been such a success.* Let me digress right here to announce another of my " big discoveries." We get * After Ernest took the three hills of potatoes, I dug one of the best hills and got 16 fair-sized pota- toes, some quite large, and the hill was green and still growing. Fig. 2. — A glimpse of our Florida garden taken from the east. A. I. R. was anxious to get this picture looking toward the west because it shows his dasheen and his potato-vines a little better. He is seen with the hoe among his dasheen on the left. The potatoes are shown on the right. Speaking about the "hoe," A. I, would rather "play" with that than any gun, camera, fishing-rod, or ball-bat or any thing else in the world. He is never happier than when in his garden " playing " with his plants. — E. R. R. 316 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE ^ .' e^. is. ■■■ Pig 3. — How the potatoes grow down in Florida, where Colorado bugs, flea beetles, etc., are (as yet) unknown. our new potatoes by " gTabbling " them wherever we see the ground puffed up ; and in this soil they are smooth, round, and perfect in shape. Now, in preparing new potatoes (that are not perfectly ripe) for the table they are usually scraped instead of being pared; and when I saw Mrs. Root scraping a panful I bethought me of the stiff palmetto brushes with which we brush the dasheen tubers before they go into the oven, and, sure enough, the brush removed the potato skins in a twinkling. As we have so much dasheen brushing to get them ready for the mail, I bought a variety of brushes; and a big stiff brush made for cleaning horses proved the best implement. Now. when Mrs. Root asks for potatoes for din- ner I get the potatoes and Wesley waslies and brushes them, and you can't imagine how handsome they look when they are ready for Mrs. Root. I get them out of the ground first, because T love to do it, and because I think I can find them and disturb the still growing vine less than any one else. Why, it's like catch- ing big fish to catch my finger under a whopper and turn him out, so handsome, and l^erfect in shape. Cut No. 3 shows a spot whei'e I get them. Cut No. 4 shows a hill of dasheens that came from a single small tuber planted in Jan- uary, 1913. The chick- ens got at it last sum- mer; and when I got here it had made very little growth. It has now " stooled out," as you see, so there must be, I think, toward a peck of tubers. I gave it in December about a pint of fertilizer and cotton-seed meal, and it soon responded to the treatment. Besides the tubers there are enough green stalks and leaves to make several delicious meals. Cut No. 5 shows what Ernest calls our "waterfall." The water above is fresh, while that below the fall is salt; and as this rises and falls with the tide, the waterfall — or rath- er, perhaijs, the " rapids " — varies in depth from perhaps three feet to nothing at all, as the tide sometimes goes so high as to cover and obliterate the fall entirely. There is, however, almost always enough fall to make it what / call our " babbling brook," and I always enjoy its music. It is a favorite spot for the ducks; and if I don't get aroused promptly at 8 :30 a.m. to let them out of their yard they get up a concert of protest that is louder than many " waterfalls." The alligator cave is in the rocks just above the fall, and visitors almost always inquire about it, and I have to tell the story over again about the alligator and the ducks. He has never come back since Wesley made him give up his unequal and unfair fight with the courageous hen that was the mother of the ducks. The transparent water above and below the fall is very prettily embellished with pearly-wliite shells, and sometimes a duck's egg adds to the beauty of the bed of the nppling stream. It just now occurs to me that we ought to have a book where the APRIL 15, 1914 317 readers of Gleanings who uiake us a call can put down their names, residence, etc. It will need a fair-sized book, for they come not only from all over the United States, but I might almost say from Eu- rope, Asia, and Africa. MOTH-BALT^ AND CREOSOTE FOR SQUASH-BUGS AND MITES. I tried the moth-ball remedy for cucumbers and squashes, and it worked to a certain extent; but I did not get to try it till the vines were pretty badly mutilated and squashes were full of worms, some of them. Tlie worms hatch inside of the squashes, melons, and cucumbers in this locality, different from what they do in Illinois and Iowa, where I formerly lived. I had some summer squashes, and quite a good many cucumbers that did better than my neigh- bors' in that line this summer. In Your poultry talks I have never known you to mention creosote (a by-product of coal, I think it is) as a good thing to get rid of mites. I generally have to apply it about twice through the summer to keep pretty well rid of them. I use two or three gallons with a brush, and go over roosts, nest-boxes, and walls about as high as I can reach, and gener- ally spill it around on the ground under the roosts, and it answers for some time to come. Care should be taken about using it in very close houses, as it might smother young chicks, especially if the weather is very warm. I lost several young chicks at one time by creosoting a rather tight barrel. They went into it at night, and several of them smothered from the gas thrown off by creosote. It can be bought here by the barrel at 15 cts. per gallon, and perhaps a little higher in smaller quantities. The Semet Solvay Co., of Ensley, Ala., manufac- tures it, and will ship by the barrel or in less quan- tities, I think. Guy N. Vedder. Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 15. " HELIANTl/-^ THE NEW " WONDERPLANT." Almost 70 years ago my mother wanted a flower-bed, and father fixed one up witli some very rich dirt, and seeds were planted. In due time a very thrifty plant appeared ; The potatoes that grew in six weeks, and the brush that brushed the skins off, instead of paring or scraping. They are the Red Triumph, and one potato is shown only partly " peeled." Fig. 4. — A clump or hill of dasheen where a rough small tuber was planted over a year ago. A. I. Root admiring his dasheens. and while father declared it was a weed, mother insisted it was one of her new ac- quisitions. Along in the fall it did become a wonderful mass of bloom, and this bloom looked exactly like lit- tle sunflowers. Father still kept joking about her great weed until near frost time, when somebody asked why the ground was heav- ing up about the plant as if it concealed a great hill of potatoes or some similar tubei-; and then there was a big laugh all around about mother's choice " posey.' ' It was an art i c It o k e that did wonders under the stimulus of very rich soil and anxious care. What brings the mat- ter up now? Why, i\ GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fig. 5. — A ^'limpsu of thij drainage canal where the dueks play, at the foot of our garden. circular with a picture that recalled to memory mothers' flower, and with the pic- ture one of an exaggerated hill of arti- chokes. Here is some of the reading matter : BIG MONEY GROWING HELIANTI. Helianti, the new " Wonder Plant," the great combination vegetable. As a money-maker it's a wonder. Unlike ginseng, you don't have to wait five years for a crop. A very showy flower and a new summer and winter vegetable of phenomenal merit. This new plant produces showy golden-yellow flowers like cosmos blossoms, in endless profusion, and im- mense quantities of fleshy tubers, somewhat after the style of sweet potatoes, that are splendid eating fall, winter, and spring. It stands both heat and cold, and will thrive anywhere in any soil or climate. What would you think of hay, potatoes, asparagus, cauli- flower, oyster-plant, mushrooms, squash, and beauti- ful flowers, all on one plant? The Postoffice Department and the De- partment of Agriculture should get after Burgess Seed and Plant Co., Allegan, Mich.. for advertising an old plant under a new name, as something new. The artichoke is really one of the sitnflower (Heliantlius) family. " COCOE," THE DASHEEN OF JAMAICA. Dear Mr. Root : — I have been very much interest- ed in your articles in Gleanings about the dasheen. Ever since you first mentioned it I have been won- dering if it is the cocoe we get here. It is grown largely here, and the tuber is one of the principal foods. The " head," or " corms," a.s you call them, are given to pigs, and are used for planting cut up in bits. The young shoots or " buds," as we call them, are used along with " callalue " (a kind of spinach), and piimpkin "buds," in making a soup called "pepper pot." Of course, there is a lot of pepper put in, and other things. There are six different kinds of cocoes grown here. These are black and white Commander ; black and white Burban ; Minty and Baddo. The tubers of the first five are eaten, and the first two are the best. The last named, the " head," or corm, is also eaten; but, say, I like it. The general way of planting here is, after the land is cleared of bush, holes are dug about one foot by IV^, and 6 inches deep, and one "bit" (cut from the "head") put in and covered. They are generally planted on the side of a hill, and thrive best in gravelly soil. They mature at a year from planting, but can be eaten before, anywhere from eight months. The leaves of the dasheen in the pic- tures in Gleanings are just like the cocoe leaves. The cocoe grows to a good height, according to the soil. No manure is given here, but the land is mulched before planting. After it is planted it is just kept free of weeds — that's all. I am sending you a tuber of the Black Command- er under separate cover, as a sample. I hope it will arrive in good order, and that you will like it. This is only a medium-sized tuber. Some are twice this size. We are having cool weather here at present, which I think is keeping back the bees from going into the supers and building up generally. Of course I am speaking for this locality only. Herbert A. Kolle Alma, Brown's Town, Jamaica, B. W. I., Feb. 28. My good friend, we are exceedingly obliged to you for the above, and for the cocoe tuber. I cut otf the lower half and baked it as we do the dasheen ; and, al- though it has a slightly different flavor, it is, I judge, fully as good. The top part with the bud, I have planted near tlie Soutli African " Amadumbe," and if this contin- ues I shall soon have dasheen from all over the world. APRIL 15, 1914 319 HEALTH NOTE overeating; rheumatism, sore throat, ETC. We clip the following from Terry's Health Hints in The Practical Farmer of March 14: From Victor, N. Y. : "I have rheumatism, swelled and painful finger joints. They are getting worse. Doctors say they can not cure me. Please advise diet." No drugs or medicines will cure your fin- gers. But there is every probability that nature can relieve you, so you can get along nicely, if you will live rightly in every way. Life will be a burden soon if you don't. Nothing else is so important as to cure yourself right now. Best foods are fruits, un- bolted grains, butter, vegetables, and a small amount of properly baked beans or nuts when craved. Don't forget baked potatoes, and to di-ink two or three quarts of pure rain water per day. HIGH CO.ST OF LIVING CUT DOWN TWO-THIRDS. How would you like to live where it gets 50 de- grees or more below zero? How would you like to iive where the first freight in the spring gets in about July 4th, by boat, and the last one in the fall early in October — nine months without the possibil- ity of getting any thing by freight, and perhaps only letters to be had by mail. This is the condition re- ported by one of our readers, Isaac Dutton, Fair- banks, Alaska. He says: " When 1 was in town last 4th of July I got 21 copies of The Practical Farmer at once, which had come in by boat the night be- fore." Tliink of what it must be during the long, cold winters not to be sure of having any papers or magazines from the outside world to read, unless they are laid in during July, August, and Septem- ber. It requires close figuring to order things ahead for the year so as not to run out during the nine months when they are shut in by themselves. Per- haps friend Dutton will be getting this paper to read next July. We have a valuable report about cost of his living from this reader. He says : " I have bought seven of your health books for myself and neighbors. I am gradually getting around to your simple way of living. In the past I used to lay in nearly $400 worth of food supplies for the winter. Two years ago I laid in $350 worth. One year ago I reduced the amount to $250 worth. This last fall I put up a little less than $100 worth of food sup- plies, and I have an abundance; am feeling finely. I am 55, but actually feel better than I did when I was 35. Am growing young 1 have made up my mind that it is foolish to grow old. I am eating only the simplest foods which bring the most perfect health." Think of such a progressive letter froui far-off cold Alaska. Verily, Americans lead the world. There you have it, friends, with a ven- geance. "The high cost of living" is not only a great waste of money (in fact, that is only a trilling part of it, comparatively), but our pains ancl aches, sickness, and death are the mrect result of indulging in food needlessly mgh-priced, and too much of it. This good man away off in the frigid North tinds out by actual experiment that $100 worth of food actually gives better health than the $400 he had been spending. For some time I have been working (and praying) to find out how much an excess of food has to do with health, colds, grip, neuralgia, etc., for instance. Well, I have not had a bit of "cold" all winter (although Florida has had th':' nicst cold days on record), and I have been boasting I have not had " sore throat and earache " for several years. Along in March some friends from the North came ; and, naturally, we had more of a variety to let our friends see the nice things to be had here; and, sure enough, the old sore throat came back. My health was so good, however, I soon rallied, and in about ten days was mostly over it. One day I was ravenously hungry. It seemed as if I could not " get satisfied," and, somewhat as an experiment, I ate " all I wanted." I felt a little uneasy after dinner, and decided T must get right at some hard work, and soon forgot all about the matter. In the evening I said, " Sue, my throat is stinging and swelling awfully. It really seems as if I must have this thing all over again. I have been careful to wear my overshoes when on damp ground, and I do not see what I could have done to bring it back." I went to bed with a hot soapstone at my feet and well bundled up, and this morning I am pretty near over it ; but I am satisfied the " big dinner " caused it all. Suppose I had also eaten a " big supi^er," as the most of you do, and I almost always (after eating my two apples and half of a grapefi'uit) feel hungry enough for a " good supper;" where would my sore throat and earache have been ? It takes self-control, / know, as well as you do ; but elderly people who have given up hard toil mostly must learn self- control or take the consequences. Just try not eating any thing at all after 4:30 or 5 p. M., and see if Terry is not exactly right. THE MODERN SKIRTS) WOMEN'S DRESS, ETC. We have had no end of criticism through the press about the way women, and espe- cially young women, see fit to clothe them- selves in these latter days. I have once or twice suggested that the new fashion favors health, because it admits air and light, and is less burdensome on the wearer than the fashion heretofore has been. Of course I would not for a moment favor any thing that restricts rapid walking or young girls from running. At the same time, I would not for a moment encourage any thing tending toward indecent exposure. It seems so good an authority as the Youth's Com- panion has seen fit to enumerate some of its advantages. See the following: Is there not perhaps something to be said in de- fense of the light, close-fitting modern skirt? Why view it with hostile eyes merely because it is " some- 320 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE thing different " ? Why judge it by the form it takes in its most indiscreet and extreme inanit'eslations ? Compare it with the slcirts of earlier fashions — the hoop-skirt — the elaborate draperies that accom- panied the bustle, the full skirt that was stiffened into enormous size by crinoline and horsehair lin- ings, the plaited skirt with yards and yards of excess material, the trailing skirt that gathered dust and filth from the street. In any such comparison the modern skirt is a triumph of common sense, comfort, simplicity, neatness, and health. By " the modern skirt " The Companion does not mean the dangerous and ridiculous " hobble " skirt, or the skirt that has to be slit at the side to enable the wearer to walk; but the skirt that clears the ground by two or three inches, and contains only a half or a third as much material as its predecessors. The new fashion does not distort the figure. For the first time in many years, women wear no absurd hump in any part of their toilet — no bustle, no puff- ed sleeves, no ruff, no pompadour. With the lighter skirt has come also the one-piece dress, which allows the weight to fall from the shoulders. That is a great gam. The whole tendency of the change is away from the distorted and the artificial, toward the freedom, simplicity, and beauty of the Greek costume — a ten- dency not imitative but adaptive. As such, the change has much to commend it. It is in the abuse of the new fashions, not in the use of them, that immodes- ty lies. The above reminds me that nearly all my life I have been protesting against the absurd and silly fashions for women's dress. When I was in my teens I sometimes quar- reled with my sisters, and with girls with whom I was intimately acquainted, because of tight lacing simply because it was " the fashion." Then when bustles came in vogue, where they could not afford a manufactured bustle some of the girls wore folded news- papers. Then when hoop-skirts came in, I scolded more, especially when they were so large that a woman could not get through an ordinary doorway without tilting them up. The fashion of " tight lacing " I have objected to all my life; and I had almost forgotten it until the Youth's Companion mentioned it, that tight lacing seemed to be finally out of fashion. God grant that it has gone for ever. I believe the best au- thorities in regard to the care of these bod- ies of ours say that nothing should be tight enough to impede free circulation ; and right along this line for the best development of health there must be abundant ventilation. I have had considerable to say recently in regard to ventilating the feet. Whenever your feet get hot and sweaty, it is nature's "protest, and a demand for more air; and so with other parts of the body. Now, if the modern style of women's dress is going to give them something sensible in that di- rection, and is going to give the mothers of our land better bodies, and enable them to give the world healthier children, shall we not thank God and be a little slower about criticising and finding fault? Last, but by no means least, the modern skirts are a saving in cloth, and in that way it is a saving in expense. 1 think Mrs. Root said that some of the former fashions required three times the amount of cloth that is used now. And besides the money saved, there is less weight to be carried about. Not very long ago I spoke of get- ting rid, not only of every j^ound but of every ounce that can be readily spared in going about your work, especially in mild or hot weather. Old people especially will find their strength will hold out ever so much better or longer when they get rid of useless clothing or useless weight in the clothing. Select something' that protects from the weather, and which weighs just as little as possible. In fact, I would not mind jDaying a pretty good price for some- thing that gives protection with the least possible avoirdupois weight to be carried about. Notice how farmers get rid of sur- l)lus garments when working in the harvest- field. Of course, we do not all work in the field in that way. But all of us should have some muscular exercise every day of our lives, and all useless clothing should be laid aside, and, so far as possible, let us have tliis exercise out in the sun and open air, with just as little clothing as comfort and a reasonable degree of decency will admit. "Running a Bill." It seems economical, but really it is not. You feel that because you are not parting with cash at the moment, you are temporarily saving money; and you are usually sure that when the bill comes in you will be better off financially than you are at the moment. Of course this idea is delusive ; you find on the first of the next month that the bills are larger and the accumulated fund less than you had expected. Running a bill is subtly demoralizing. When you open a new account, you are scrupulous to pay the bill very soon after it is rendered; you wish to im- press your creditor with the fact that you are an uncommonly desirable patron. After a while you feel that he has learned this fact, and you let him wait for his check while you impress a new set of creditors with your punctuality — and solvency. So you keep putting off and putting off the creditors who are " old friends " until finally it becomes a scramble to prevent their sending in an account headed by that discouraging item, " Bill rendered." When you sink into the "bill rendered" class, you have entered the second stage of indebtedness. The third is marked by the receipt of dunning letters, the fourth by personal visits from collectors, the fiftli by menacing communications from lawyers. It is difficult for men and women who have the habit of " charging" every thing to put aside money for investment. They have adopted a costly way of living. The ability to purchase what you will, al- tliough your pockets are empty, is an expensive lux- ury. The shops that permit charge accounts are the shops that ask high prices; a charge account usually means that you pay from five to ten per cent more for a thing than its cash value. If you adopt the pay-as-you-go principle, you will considerably reduce your own high cost of living. — The Youth's Companion. i' ■ I. P i Announcing the New Typewriter Oliver Number 7 We announce an amazing model — the OLIVER NUMBER 7 — a typewriter of super-excellence, with automatic devices and refinements that mark the zenith of typewriter progress. A marvel of beauty, speed, and easy action. Typewriting effi- ciency raised to the «th power. The OLIVER No. 7 embodies all previous Oliver innovations and new self-acting devices never before seen on any typewriter. A leap in advance which places the Oliver ten years ahead of its time. So smooth in action, so light to the touch, so easy to run, that experts are amazed. A model that means to the typist delightful ease of operation A model that means a higher standard of typewriting, longer and better service. The NUMBER 7 ''is now on exhibit and sale at all Oliver Branches and Agencies throughout the United States. T^pcWri-tfer |Mo. m The Standard Visible Typewriter The new model has more improve- ments, refinements and new uses than we can even enumerate here. The "cushioned keyboard" with "an- chor keys" and the new automatic fea- tures mean less work for the hands, less strain on the eyes, less manual and mental effort. With all of these masterly mechani- cal improvements we have made the machine more beautiful and symmet- rical. From every standpoint the OLIVER NUMBER 7 attains super- lative excellence. Nothing you could wish for has been omitted. The new devices, refinements, improvements and conveniences found on the NUMBER 7 repre- sent an enormous outlay and vastly increase its value — the price has not been advanced one penny. We shall even continue in force our popular 17-Cents-a-Day purchase plan, the same as on previous Oliver Models. The OLIVER No. 7, equipped with the fa- mous Printype, if desired, without extra charge. You owe it to yourself to see the new machine before you buy any typewriter at any price. Note its beauty, speed and easy action, its wonderful automatic devices. Try it on any work that is ever done on typewriters Try it on many kinds of work that no other typewriter will do. It is a significant fact that the typewriter that intro- duced such epoch-making innovations as visible writing, visible reading, Printype, etc., should be the first to in- troduce.automatic methods of operation. Oliver Book DeLuxe We are just issuing a richly illustrated catalog de- scribing the Oliver No. 7. A copy is yours for the ask- ing. There are still openings for more Local Agents in many localities. This is a good time to investigate these money-making opportunities. The Oliver Typewriter Co. 368 Pine Street, San Francisco, Calif. leaeiitigs in Bee CeltmiF' Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. .J. T. Calvert, Buh,iness Mgr. Entered at the PostoliSce, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter. VOL. XLII. MAY 1, 1914 NO. 8 EDITORIAL We wish to call particular attention to the article by R. F. Holtermann, on the importance of drawn combs in practical beekeeping. Our old' friend Prof. E. G. Baldwin, of Deland, Fla., is now one of the associate editors of the Beekeepers' Review. We congTatulate both. By the way, the last issue of our esteemed contemporary is full of good matter;, and, what is more, it is a true Association organ devoted to Associa- tion matter. Mr. Townsend, the editor-in- chief, is an experienced beekeeper; and that is of supreme importance in the matter of selecting material for publication. In the 29 years that we have had editorial charge of this journal, we do not remember a single spring when the reports showed such universally good wintering. This means, of course, that bees throughout the country will be stronger and in better con- dition for the harvest. There has been a large amount of rain and snow during the past winter, and this is all very favorable for the growth of clover and other honey-plants; but the precipitation has been so excessive that we fear a drouth may set in along in May or June. The United States Weather Bureau says that one extreme is likely to be follow- ed by the other. We can only hope that history will not repeat itself this coming summer. The latest reports from Mr. Marchant go to show that we have been having at our Apalachicola apiary a heavy flow from black tupelo — so much so that it has been crowding the queens, interfering with breed- ing and with the drawing-out of the frames of foundation. The boys were expecting to extract, beginning with the week of the 13th, to give the queens room to lay. Our Mr. Marchant is m,aking a desperate effort to make his big increase; but the cool weather in February and March, and the heavy flow from black tupelo, have been interfering with his plans. He begs, there- fore, that he be given a little more time; but the early spring in the North is shoving out the fruit buds ahead of time, and we may have to move one car of bees ahead of our schedule. Mr. Marchant doesn't like this a little bit. laicrease in the Cellar We reserved about 125 colonies at Medi- na, and the rest, 300, were sent to Apalach- icola, as before explained. The Medina bees were left outdoors in double-walled hives until in December when snow was on the ground. They were then brought in on sleds and wagons and put in our two cellais — one under the macliine-shop and one at the warehouse which is made entirely of concrete and brick. The walls are so mas- sive in the latter place that a nearly uniform temperature is maintained, and the bees there were practically undisturbed all win- ter. Soine of the colonies under the ma- chine-shop were fed hard candy. The pur- pose of giving them candy was to stimulate brood-rearing, and it did. Our Mr. Pritch- ard, who has just taken the bees out, reports that many of them are much stronger now than when they went into the cellar last December, for breeding continued more or less all winter; and even the bees in the warehouse did not lose in strength, but rather gained. There was no loss in either cellar except among four or five that had been robbed of queens and bees for observa- toi"y hives in show windows. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Me Do in? We announce the arrival of a copy of the report of the State Apiary Inspector to the Governor of the State of Arizona, from which we make the following clipping. Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 31. Hon. Geo. W. P. Hunt, Governor of the State of Arizona. I have the honor of submitting my report as your State Apiary Inspector for the year 1913. I was svsrorn in on tlie 14th of July, and entered upon my duties as Inspector of Apiaries. I ll»ve inspected 26,838 colonies of bees; 19,858 colonies in Maricopa County; 3630 colonies in Yuma County; 2553 colonies in Graham County; 790 colo- nies in Pinal County, and 7 colonies in Pima Coun- ty. I found 115 colonies diseased with foul brood in Yuma County. I put all yards under quarantine where I found disease, and instructed the owners to destroy the diseased colonies by burning them. I have appointed one Deputy Inspector for Yuma County, and I think we shall be able to rid the county of the disease. I have collected from the five-cent inspection fee per colony, $966.30 to date. J. P. Ivy, State Apiary Inspector. We have submitted this report to Geo. H. Rea, inspector for Pennsylvania, who has had considerable experience, and who offers the following query: Arizona Inspector of Apiaries appointed and en- tered upon his duties the 14th day of July, 1913; closed up his work and made his report to the Governor on Dec. 31, 1913; 147 working days be- tween these dates, inclusive. Inspected 26,838 colonies of bees. I wonder how he did it. I worked hard last summer, and managed to inspect an average of sixty-five colonies per day, while the Arizona report shows nearly three times that many. Since it is necessary for the inspector to spend practically one-half of his working hours in traveling and in conversation with beekeepers it would seem impossible that so much could be accom- plished unless he skipped or skimmed over many hives. Or this might be true: The Arizona apiaries are large, and comparatively close together ; but even then the figiires, to an Easterner, seem large. I do not raise the question in a spirit of criticism, but desire to learn how my Arizona brother manages to accomplish so much. imating Whole Apiairies More and more we are getting complaints of wholesale poisoning of colonies of bees — in fact, whole apiaries — as the result of ignorant spraying of fruit-trees while in bloom, or the ordinary spraying of shade- trees in New England to stay the ravages of the gipsy moth. It is getting to be a very serious problem in some parts of Massachu- setts, where some beeyards have been liter- ally wiped out. It is evident that there has been a widespread call for the article in our Feb. 1st issue, page 91, by a Now England Veteran on the subject of " Wholesale Spraying of Blossoms Causing Wide Dis- aster." So gi'eat indeed has been the de- mand that the issue containing that article was entirely exhausted before we knew it. There are other good things in that partic- ular number, but this spraying danger looms up so large tliat evidently hundreds of our readers have been asking for copies to lend to their neighbors who practice spraying in season and out of season. On the other hand, it is probable that there are times when spraying in bloom causes no damage. But we have too many reports of how bees have been poisoned to death — whole colo- nies and whole apiaries killed out — to make the practice safe. N. B. — Perhaps there are some who would be will- ing to spare their Feb. 1st issue. If so, send them in .so that we can mail them to others, and thus spread the truth where it can do more good. '■' The Masi wlio Never Loses aey Bees In 1882 and '83 A. I. Root had a good deal to say in these colmns about " the man who never loses his bees." It was during that winter that the heaviest mortality oc- curred that was ever known ; and yet this man, Mr. H. R. Boardman, then of East ToAvnsend, Ohio (now renamed Collins), wintered his bees that year without loss, the same as he had been doing for years before. During the long interval he has been doing the same thing winter after winter; and three years ago, when there was such a heavy mortality, he did it again. A few days ago we received a letter from Mr. Boardman, saying he had again win- tered without loss. We wi'ote asking if it was in that same beehouse, and whether he had been doing it right along. His reply is worth publishing: Mr. Root : — Yes, I have wintered again without loss, and have been doing so in the old beehouse of 35 years ago, and am still the man who winters without loss unless I yield to the temptation to do too much experimenting in my wintering methods. I need not tell you that three years ago wa^, a disastrous winter for the bees ; but I wintered with- out loss and sold off the increase from my stock for $150 (for orchard pollination), and got a fair crop of honey. My success in wintering is worth all there is in the business now. One hundred colonies is all I care to keep. Collins, Ohio. H. R. Boardman. Mr. Boardman will be remembered as the man who held the secret for many years of how to keep liquid honej^ from granulating without the use of artificial heat. When we ])ublished Mr. E. B. Rood's method of put- ting the bottles in a solar wax-extractor, our old friend very generously came forward, saying that that was the method he had used ; and in view of the fact that the " se- cret was out," he would tell tlie jmblic of it. MAY 1, 1914 328 Mr. Boardman is a man of unusual in- telligence, a nature-study man, and a bee- keeper who has just passed his 80tli birth- day, and this fall we plan to give his method of wintering in an upground beehouse that he has pursued with such success these thirty-five years or more. A full descrip- tion was given by the writer, with a cut of his beehouse, in these columns, April 15, 1889, page 319. Is AsKieg to: It is remarkable how the orchardists of the country are waking up to the impor- tance of having bees in the orchard. Tlie facts presented in another column, by one of the best pomologists of the country, are well worlli reading. In this connection it will be interesting to note that a big demand for bees is springing uj) all over the coun- try from fruit-gTowers — not because they have the bee-fever or wish to produce hon- ey, but because they have learned that they can produce more and better fruit by having bees on their places. By the time this journal will have reached our subscribers, many of our beemen will be locating outyards. Do not forget to help your neighbor the fruit-grower, and help yourself by spreading the truth about bees and orchards. Tell how the bees are actually breaking down the branches; of the loads of fruit they help to make possible on the trees. By spreading this knowledge it will be easier to secure fine locations, either at no cost to yourself, or at an insignificant rental price. Up-to-date fruit-growers are often willing to pay you for jDutting bees on their places instead of you paying them for the privilege. But the policy of the beekeepers should be to give and take on equal terms — put the bees on the place without charge either way. In locating beeyards do not forget to fence them. Woven-wire fencing is recom- mended by Wesley Foster in his department in this issue; and it is about as good and serviceable as any thing we know of. T! In Mr. Byer's department in this issue, page 337, he says he cannot understand why the cold February and March we had in the Northern States should cause us to have a comfortable feeling that our bees at Medina were in cellars, in a climate as " mild " as that in Ohio. " Mild " climate in Ohio ! It makes us fellows south of the lakes smile a little. Yes, it is milder — but we have changeable damp weather. It may be down below zero for a few days, and then the next week the temperature may be 50 above. Breeding will get nicely started when another cold snap will come, killing both brood and bees trying to hover it. A long steady spell of cold weather, the hives well protected with banks of snow, is not nearly so hard on bees as extremes of cold and warm, with little or no snow. With these conditions of climate in Febi'uai-y and March we could not help having a "comfort- able feeling " that our Medina bees were in our big cellars where the temperature does not vary more than five or six degrees, and where there is plenty of fresh air. If we had a cellar under the house, that was not frost-proof, small and damp, and had 150 colonies to winter, we should be decidedly more comfortable if those 150 colonies were housed in double hives out- doors. As the majority of people do not have an ideal cellar for wintering, the majority of beekeepers in Ohio do better with bees outdoors, providing, of course, there are suitable windbreaks and warm dry packing around the brood-nest. '■^ Slightly Exaggerated " — Oer Quteeii Biugiiniegs iim Sotatlieriffi Florida When the newspapers announced that Mark Twain Avas dead, he said the report was " slightly exaggerated." This is some- what the situation in regard to a newspaper report which inadvertently crept into our columns, appearing on page 5 of our April 15th advertising section. The report went on to say that " E. R. Root, son of A. I. Root, millionaire honey-producer, and king of the bee business," etc., had " practically decided " on establishing in Pompano, 18 miles north of Miami, " a colony for raising queen-bees." Evidently the reporter thought that "colony" was not big enough; for later on he says that we were going to establish a " queenery that would mean several hun- dred more bee colonies." The interview is indirectly attributed to Mr. 0. 0. Popple- ton; but with his usual accuracy of speech we are sure he did not authorize any such statement, much less any reference to A. I. Root as a "millionaire honey-producer," for tliis, of course, is .very greatly " exagger- ated." A. I. Root himself will be amused if not disgusted, as were we. The facts are these: We were making a tour of Florida, investigating, but have come to no conclusion as yet. We have made tentative arrangements to raise queens at Pompano providing no other place can ^ T -) GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE be sepured. The objections to Pompano are the exorbitant freight and express rates on bees as a distributing point; and dragon- flies in April, that kill practically 90 per cent of the queens that are out to mate; and the month of April is the one month in all the year when we could least afford such a loss. The i^oint in favor of Pompano is that bees and queens can be bred every month in the year. We might say in this connection that there are several other exaggerated news- paper reports concerning our trip into Florida. The Florida newspapers are pro- verbially inclined to boom their own town; and if they can get a scintilla of truth they frequently exaggerate it beyond all sem- blance of fact. A typewritten copy of the foregoing was submitted to A. I. R., who adds: T am not a millionaire — never was, never expect to be, and don't vi^ant to be. I am sure God did not intend I should. I am not built that way. Slkowiiiii Report of the Twentieth Annual Convention of the Massachusetts Fruit-growers' Association Held at Springfield, Mass. A STENOGRAPHIC report of the twentieth annual convention of the Massachusetts Fruit-growers' Association lies before u.^. A careful perusal of this will convince the most skeptical of the value of bees in the making of more and better fruit from the standpoint of the fruit-grower. It contains several addresses of more than ordinary value — among them one from Dr. Burton N. Gates, Professor of Bee Culture at the Amherst Agricultural College, on the sub- ject " Bees Indispensable to Modern Horti- culture." This is followed by a paper by Wilbur M. Purrington, entitled " The Value of Orchards to the Beekeeper." This, again, is followed, after some discussion, by a paper from Earl M. Nichols, of Lj^onsville, on the subject " Beginning with Bees, and How to Secure Stock." So far the evidenc-e is from the standpoint of the beekeeper; but Prof. W. W. Chenoweth, the Assistant Pomologist at the Massachusetts Agricul- tural College, Amherst, next follows by a paper on the subject " Importance of Bees in the Cross-fertilization of Fruit " from the standpoint of the orchardist, and for I hat reason will have more weight with the fruit-grower. Our space is too limited at this time to permit us to give this address in full; but we take pleasure in presenting Prof. Chenoweth's summary, which will be read with unusual interest : A thoughtful consideration of all the evidence be- fore us, it seems to me, fully warrants the following general conclusions : 1. All tests, wherever made, and all general ob- servations, agree that many varieties of apples, peaches, pears, plums, sweet cherries, and grapes are unable to set a crop of fruit when limited to their own pollen. 2. Some varieties of the above-named fruits are partially self-fertile, and a few are apparently wholly self-fertile, though the degree of fertility varies be- tween rather wide limits, depending upon location, season, vigor of trees, etc. 3. All investigators agree that, as a general rule, the fruit resulting from crossing, even in self-fertile varieties, is larger and better developed than self- fertilized fruit. This is explained by saying that foreign pollen furnishes a greater stimulus to growth because it is more acceptable to the pistil, and not because it transmits size character of the variety from which it came. 4. All evidence at hand contradicts the theory that the wind renders any dependable assistance in bring- ing about cross-pollination among the above-named orchard fruits, while it does emphasize the impor- tance of the honeybee as an agent in rendering this great service to the fruit-grower. 5. It has been shown beyond dispute that spray- ing open blossoms with arsenical poisons is injurious to bees. The orchardists who persist in this prac- tice secure little if any benefit which would not re- sult from either an earlier or a later application. Also he runs the risk of injury to the unfertilized open flowers, in addition to leaving thousands of poisonous cups which kill the goose which lays him golden eggs. 6. The character of the weather at blooming time is the final determining factor of the fruit crop. Cool, cloudy, or rainy weather at this season not only affects the development of the pollen, the growth of the pistil, and consequent development of ovules, but the action of insects is also reduced to the min- imum, thereby lessening the chance for cross-pollina- tion. It has been shown that excessively cool weath- er at blooming time often renders self-fertile vari- eties incapable of self-fertilization, though they still retain the ability to be cross-fertilized. In conclusion it seems safe to say that the fruit- grower cannot afford to make very extensive plant- ings of any of the orchard fruits under discussion without making provision for abundant cross-pollin- ation. This is most easily and practically done by choosing commercial or standard sorts that will bloom at approximately the same time, setting these varieties in small blocks of only a few rows each, and by establishing a few colonies of honeybees near or in his fruit plantation. We do not suppose that this report as a whole is available to any except members of the Massachusetts Fruit-gTowers' Asso- ciation, of which Mr. F. Howard Brown, of Marlboro, is Secretary and Treasurer, and Harold L. Frost, of Arlington, President. Those interested might possibly secure a copy by applying to either of these gentle- men. A copy of this valuable report ought to be in the hands of every fruit-grower, as we consider it one of the most valuable that was ever published — valuable because of the data presented showing the intimate rela- tionship that should exist between the bee- keeper and the fruit-grower. Some very full information is given on the subject of pruning and spraying, and is the more valuable because it is clear up to date. MAY 1, 1914 ^r. C. C. Miller ITMAY Bees came out of cellar, April 13, " in apparently good condition;" white clover looks promising, and dandelion blossoms ai-e just opening. Glad I'm a beekeeper ! Hello, Gleanings ! I suppose you feel (|uite smart in your new dress. You do look rather nice. When all the women are com- ing out with their new Easter bonnets it's only fair you sliould have new liead-gear. The Chicago Record-Herald, one of the leading dailies of Chicago, if not the leading daily, lias come out Avith the announcement lliat it will accept no more liquor advertise- ments; also two Pittsburg dailies. That means a Avhole lot. Mention of workers taking a hand in a ({ueen-tight reminds me that years ago I had several cases in which, after the introdue- (ion of a queen, 1 found a good many dead workers freshly thrown out. I took it that there were two factions, one for and one against the queen, resulting in a battle. My bees were fed as soon as placed on summer stands. A solid frame of sealed honey was shoved into the entrance under the bottom-bars (that's only one of the advantages of that two-inch space under bottom-bars). Then a little board was tack- ed in front, leaving an entrance about %^ inch square. Arthur C. Miller catches it, page 286. That's right, Bro. Crane; he's always mak- ing trouble, and you never know where he'll start up next. After all, aren't you drawing it a bit strong to make " at least .35 lbs. of heavy syrup " the amount thought needed to be fed October 1? It may be true in some cases, but I think they are very ex- ceptional. I doubt if I ever thought one of my colonies needed to be fed more than 25. Please remember that for every one like you there are 20 who will gaiess that a colony will get along with a good deal less than it really needs. Here's the way it's likdly to be : "I guess that colony will squeeze through with 10 pounds;" and then when he doubles that and adds half as much more, like enough he'll have it about right. I TOOK a well-filled section that weighed 14 oz., carefully cut out the comb, melted it, and rinsed the resulting cake of wax. The wood (of course slightly daubed) weighed 31.6 grams (1.115 oz.) ; the wax, 13.27 grams (.468 oz.). Deduct weight of wood and wax from 14 oz., and we have left 12.417 oz. as the weight of the clear honey. The consumer who buys such a sec- tion at 25 cents pays at the rate of 32.21 cents a pound for his honey, since the wood and wax are of no value to him. If he can buy extracted honey at 15 cents a pound he is paying 17 cents for the looks and possi- bly better quality of comb honey. Yes, I know I'm a comb-honey producer, but the truth's the truth. [If you will turn to the last edition of the A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture, page 698, and the former edition under the heading of Wax, you will find that your figures approximate very closely those made by ourselves. For instance, we state that a 16-ounee section of honey con- sists approximately of 14% ounces of hon- ey, a little over ^/^ ounce of wax, and about an ounce of wood. When we take into consideration the • fact that your section weighed only 14 ounces to start on, your figures are very close to ours. But look here, doctor; don't you remember that hon- ey in the comb, if well ripened, has a flavor and bouquet that the same honey out of the comb does not have? We never tasted any extracted honey quite the equal of a cor- respondingly tine article of comb honey from the same source. Wax itself has an arom.a all its own. Separate that wax from the honey, and a part of the delicate flavor is gone. The process of extracting, expos- ure to the air, and the process of heating to prevent granulation, robs virgin honey of a slight amount of its original flavor. The original flavors in honey are very volatile, and are easily driven off: by exi>osure to air or heat or both. While the ordinary con- sumer, perhaps, may not notice the differ- ence, the connoisseur will; and any consum- er, if he has a chunk of comb honey and a small amount of extracted honey from the same comb, will detect a slight difference in favor of the article in the comb, providing the liquid article has been extracted several days. Pardon us for quoting our ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture again ; but you will recall that we have made a strong point of this under the head of Comb Honey, and again under Extracted Honey. We sent these articles to a number of honey con- noisseurs, and they all agreed that our judgTnent of the relative merits of the two kinds of honey were correct. Yes, sir, 'e; the writer believes that we ought to empha- size the fact that honey in the comb well sealed is a little superior to the same honey out of the comb equally ripened. If this were not true, the general public would not be willing jear after year to pay more than twice the price for comb honey.— *Ed.] 326 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE J„ L„ Ejer, )TE§ FROM Canada ^^^^^y^^^^- LATE COLD SPRING. As intimated in the third paragraph be- low, we are having a very late cold spring. Bees had a fine flight March 17, for which we should be thankful indeed ; for since that date we have had nearly a month without a day for bees to fly ; but as the bees are held back, so is vegetation of all kinds, so per- haps the late spring mav not be so bad after all. * # * CLOVER PROSPECTS. What little clover went into winter quar- ters appears to have wintered well so far. although the cold drying winds of April that we are having are not helping matters much. But the frost is about all out of the ground; and with no frost present, we rare- ly have the " heaving " of the clover as is tlie case when we have thawing by day and freezing by night, when the subsoil is still frozen hard from the winter's cold. DID THE COLD SNAP OP THE NORTH GO INTO THE SOUTH? Wlule we have to report a late cool spring, friends in North Carolina and other southern-central States report to me that their season is unusually early. But these reports came a few weeks ago, and I have been wondering if our cold snaj^ might not be extending into the sunny South and freezing some of the extra-early vegetation down there. I sincerely hope such has not been the case, but shall watch with interest for future reports from various regions. WINTERING IN CANADA AND OHIO. Commenting on the unusually cold weath- er during Tebruaiy and March of this year, our editor expi'esses himself as not being sorry that their bees are for the most part in Florida, and the rest in cellars in Me- dina. (April 1, editorial.) I can understand the matter in regard to the Florida outfit, for I believe they expect to do more than double the stock sent down there before bringing north again in the spring; but why such thankfulness about having the bees in the cellar in a climate as mild as that in Ohio? I have been in api- aries tills spring where the temperature went below 40 two or thi-ee times in Feb- ruaiy, and the bees had no flight between Nov. 23 and March 17; and since the latter date they have been shut in steady till date of writing (April 13). During February only four or five mornings recorded higher than zero ; and yet for all that the bees have not wintered badly by any means. As I have often stated, I cannot understand these differences in regard to outdoor wintering; and ijerhaps at this time the editor will more fully explain to some of ns wondering mortals up here in the " cold belt." [We have much more to fear in a frequent changeable climate such as we have in Ohio than you have with your colder steady cold. For that reason, good cellars such as we have, where the temperature can be main- tained, is better for our bees than the un- certain Aveather outside. We shall have more to say on this point in our editorial department. — Ed.] * * * WILL SPECIALIST BEEKEEPERS EVER AGAIN SUFFER SEVERE WINTER LOSSES'? This difference in conditions should be a factor in making calculations for the fu- ture; for we are quite safe in assuming that winter losses among specialists will never be as heavy as was the case among the gi-eaf number of small beekeepers a few years ago. Some few have presented the argu- ment to me when professing to have no fear of overproduction, saying that a bad winter or two would soon even up matters again; but as already intimated, I don't believe that there is apt to be any veiy general knock- out very often, owing to the business being more in the hands of specialists who natu- rally give the bees better care than do those running a few on the farm simply as a side issue. * * * THE TEMPORARY SLUMP IN HONEY PRICES AND THE CRAZE TO GO INTO BEEKEEPING. Although there has been undoubtedly a slump in honey prices in Ontario (only temporary I hope), this fact has in no way affected the craze for people to go into beekeeping; and as a result the demand foi bees for spring delivery is very keen. Ow- ing to heavy increase during the past few years in many places with uniformly good wintering, I believe that the heavy losses of some years ago are more than made up, and that to-day Ontario has the most bees in its history. Of course there may not be as many men keeping bees as formerlj^, for the farmers that were wiped out during the bad years have for the most part never attempt- ed to get bees again — at least that is the case in our vicinity. But the increased number of specialists, with their largei' holdings, more than make up for these ex- ceptions. MAY 1, 1914 Beekeeping Among the Kocme: Wesley Fostler, Bomkler, Colorado. STOCK IN BKE-YARDS MAKING THE BEES ILL- NATURED. Last fall one-half of one of my out-api- aries was moved into Boulder close to the foothills. The colonies left at the outyard are in a pasture where horses run during the winter and early spring. There is no fence around the hives, and the horses have walked around among the hives more or less, but not enough to cause any trouble except that the bees are veiy cross. The bees at the home yard that came from this outyard are as gentle as need be. The horses have apparently irritated the bees and spoiled their tempers. tion, fastening in with a wax-dropper on the four sides. I expect also to put up several thousand sections with light brood foundation in full sheets waxed in on all four sides. Several thousand sections will be used with 2y2-inch top starter, and about a half-inch bottom starter. Then a number with one-inch top starters will be used, and a half-inch at the bottom. A full sheet fastened at the top only, and coming as close to the bottom as possible, will also be used. Perhai>s what 1 find out will not be valuable to any one but myself, [We should be glad to get your report of this at the close of the season. — Ed.] AVOVEN-WIRE FENCE FOR OUT-APIARIES. For an out-apiaiy fence that can be quickly built and as quickly taken down nothing can surpass a woven-Avire one, four feet to five feet high. If a barbed wire is run around the top it will prevent hoi-ses reaching over and perhaps breaking down the fence. Posts made from old iron pipe 2 to 21/2 inches in diameter sharpened at one end, and driven into the ground two feet or more are good. Holes are drilled through the pipe, and the fence fastened to the iDosts with wire. A good strong woven- wire stock fence is reasonable in cost, and. if five feet high, will keep out stock and also be a protection from molestation by thieves or mischievous boys. * * * FULL SHEETS VS. STARTERS IN SECTIONS. With a rapid uninteiTupted flow from alfalfa and sweet clover, or, for that matter, from any honey-plant, the advantages of section honey-boxes filled with full starters over a small starter are not gxeat. With such a honey-flow an inch starter the full width of the section across the top, and a five-eighths starter the full width of the bottom, will give as fine a filling as a S^/^- inch top starter and a half-inch bottom starter. There seems to be an advantage in the bees drawing out the comb in one clus- ter and then filling in around the edges later. They will leave scarcely any more pop-holes at the edges than they Avill make by gnawing out in a full sheet. There is an advantage in the full starter because it does away with the uneven effect of the store comb often built; also the filling of the sections is better in a slow or intermittent flow. This season I am ti'jdng out the plan of putting in full sheets of extra-thin founda- PROSPECTS FOR COLORADO EXCELLENT. Prospects still continue favorable. Alfal- fa is in excellent condition, and sweet clover will not be outdone. Weather conditions have been ideal so far. The precipitation is more than an inch above normal so far for 1914, and the ground was saturated from the big snow of December, 1913. We have very favorable prospects for a good flow from dandelion, fruit-bloom, and other spring flowers, so that those Avho make in- crease early should be able to build all colo- nies and increase up ready for the surplus flow from alfalfa and sweet clover in July and August. Some farmers are predicting a dry May and June on account of the abundance of spring moisture; but there will be plenty of water for irrigation dur- ing May and June ; and with hot weather in July and August, and a few good rains, Ave should get honey. Cold rains ahvays hurt us if they come in the summer; and if Ave get a cold rain the middle or latter part of August, our flow so far as surplus storage goes is off for the comb-honey man. My estimate Avould be that there are 25 to 35 per cent more colonies in Colorado than in 1913, and bigger and stronger colonies could hardly be desired. Six frames of brood the 15th of March is considerable for a colony ; but I had them, and they went through a cold spell of 10 above zero with- out the loss of any sealed brood that could be found. The colony that can do that is a strong one, to my notion. This seems to be a year Avhen we can easily fill all our empty combs Avith bees and get a honey crop too ; but there is many a slip, as we' fully realize. A hailstorm, grass- hoppers, cold rains, or excessively dry weather may each or all discount our pros- pects. 328 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE BEEKEEPING EN CAUEOENEA K C, C On page 137, Feb. 15, the words " lumber pines " should read limber pines. I make this eon-eetion because the pines at that elevation are not fit for lumber, being of a very scrubby growth. « « « GOLDENS SHOWING UP WELL. The golden queen that was at the head of my best producing colony last year is still doing fairly well at the middle of her third season. As a breeder she is worth much, and will be used for that purpose. I have goldens and leather-colored, but am decid- edly partial to the goldens, not alone be- cause they are bright, but because they are producing results, and are attractive besides. * * * IMPORTANCE OF PLENTY OF COMBS. There is nothing that increases the yield like plenty of combs to catch the raw nec- tar. A colony that has to wait for a super of combs to be finished ready for extracting, to give it more room, is losing valuable time. A friend, whom I consider one of the best beekeepers in the South), said to me the other day, " If I had plenty of empty combs I could get from a third to a lialf more honey during the season." This gen- tleman has not lost a colony in two years. [See article by R. F. Holtermann, and foot- note on page 331, this issue, that supports your position. — -Ed.] FEEDING IN THE SPRING. Arthur C. Miller, page 131, says, " Stim- ulative feeding for spring should always be done in the fall," which reminds me of a time in my boyhood days when my mother instructed me how to feed the pigs corn. She said, " Give them ten ears for supper and ten for breakfast." I gave them twenty ears for supper so they would need none for breakfast. Mother thought I had a wrong idea of the matter, and so I think of Mr. Miller. [To make your illustration entirely parallel, should you not compare the feeding of bees in the fall to the putting of corn in the corn-crib? The bees do not eat all of that syrup in the fall; they put it in the combs and keep it for future use. —Ed.] « « « TOO MUCH FREE ADVERTISING. I entered an agreement with a western fruit and farm journal to furnish an article for each month's issue. The first month I wrote on "The Relation of Bees to the Fruit Industry." For the second issue I submitted some of my ideas on hives, frames, etc. My copy was returned with the following letter : " Purely from the advertising standpoint, don't you think the ijublicity given the Langstroth hive and the Hoffman frame is a little too great for a free notice? I do and would ask you not to mention the names, or else give me another article." I felt faint when I received the letter, but recovered in time to write the editor that it would be impossible for me to furnish more copy if I could not be permitted the use of common terms. This man is doubtless a success as an editor; but when it comes to bee lore he does not know even common terms. » * * HONEY-CROP PROSPECTS. My last report spoke of weather condi- tions not being favorable for honey-gath- ering at that date, April S. Cloudy condi- tions i^revailed more or less until April 10, since which time the weather has been ideal for gathering honey. The orange bloom is now about gone, with the yield far below expectations, due to the fact that the season for orange " beat the bees to it," but would not have been so bad had the weather con- tinued warm instead of the many cloudy weeks we had. But " what is one man's gain to another man's loss? " With the cloudy days came rain which gaye new life to all vegetation, and undoubtedly extended the blooming period of the button sage. At the time tlie button-sage bloom was being held in check by the cool weather, there were millions of bees hatching to add to the gathering force as soon as the weather cleared. Those depending on the orange alone ''lost out" with the weather; but where sage was the main source a benefit has been the result. The button sage is yielding heavily, and colonies that are ready for the harvest are doing a land-office business. I believe we shall get at least four more weeks of flow from it. which will add greatly to our out- put. Then if the white sage should yield well, which now seems probable, it should add two or three more weeks to our heavy flow. Oh for the bees! but an enormous crop of sage honey will be impossible this season for lack of bees in condition to gath- er it. Some apiaries will liarvest a large crop, while otliers a few miles distant will return but little. MAY 1, 1914 CONVEESATIONS WITH DOOLITTLE PREVENTING SWARMING BY REMOVING BROOD. " I wish to prevent swarming by the removal of brood, as an old beekeeper tells me this is Ihe best way. But I read some- where that in removing brood only the sealed should be taken, as swarming was caused by any colony not having enough unsealed brood for the nurse bees to care for. In other words, when the unsealed brood in any colony is not sufficient to con- sume all the chyle prepared by the nurse bees, swarming is sure to be the result. Is this right?" It is possible that there may be something in this theory. If I am right, those basing their claim on this lack in consumption of the chyle prepared believe that the disten- sion of the chyle-stomacli is what causes un- easiness in the nurse bees, and that this un- easiness is conveyed to the whole colony — so much so that the majority of the bees with the mother sally forth for a new home. But I have never been able to see the log- ic in any such reasoning; for with the issu- ing of any swarm, and the finding of a home (when not interfered with by man), these nurse bees do not have even a few larvaa to which to feed their loads of prepared chyle. Without the apiarist to provide a home for any SAvarm, often days and sometimes weeks elapse before any home is found at all. The scouts will search for an old vacated hive, a hollow tree, or a cleft in some rocks ; and if none is found, the swarm will move on some few or many miles, when the cluster will be formed again. Scouts are sent out again, and so on till a place for a home is f oun d ; and when such is found, comb must be built and supi^lied with eggs by the queen, and three days elapse before these eggs hatch into larvae. So it has always seemed to me that, if this accumulation of chyle theory had any foundation in fact, the bees were fools almost beyond measure, and their instinct not equal to an emergency. " Again, I have read that the main cause of the bees swarming was a lack of cells in which eggs could be deposited by the queen ; and in removing brood the unsealed brood should be taken, in which case the queen could find proper employment for her powers, not only in the cells of the combs given to replace those taken with unsealed brood, but in the cells vacated by the emerging brood. Is this right? " Now candidly, do you think it right to try to tangle any one who has never ad- vanced either of these theories in tiiis way? I am well aware, that, with a hive large enough to contain all the empty cells which any queen can occupy with her eggs during the whole season, little if any swarming will be the rule. Our beloved Moses Quinby told us, more than half a century ago, that with a box filled with comb large enough to pro- vide cells for holding all the brood, honey, and pollen that all the bees produced by any queen could care for and bring in, such a colony would never swarm, and no one has proved Quinby incorrect. But such a box is not calculated for the wants of any beekeeper who wishes to produce gilt-edge honey to put upon the market, so is not to be considered by the one who is working for honey in the most marketable shape. I have tried taking away from two to four combs of brood from colonies that had got- ten strong enough in numbers to swarm two weeks or less before the harvest of white honey commenced; and after compar- ing results in taking away both unsealed and emerging brood, I could see no differ- ence in favor of either. If practiced in just the right time before the harvest, and be- fore the bees begin jDreparations for swarm- ing, fairly good results may be obtained. "When removing brood to prevent swarm- ing, where should the two to four empty combs (to replace the combs of brood re- moved) be placed in the brood-chamber so the queen will be most likely to occupy them, instead of their being filled with honey?" I have tried putting all of them together in the center of the hive, placing any combs of honey the colony might have at each side next the hive, then the remaining combs of brood between these combs of honey and the empty combs set in; and where the bees are not storing much more than is used daily, this seems to put big-business ideas in the queen, and brings us as good results as are obtainable in using this removal-of-brood plan. Then I have tried alternating these empty combs with the combs of brood left with the colony, where nectar was coming in sufficiently so that the colony was at work in the supers of sections, and found that this brought forth better results than did the massing of the empty combs togeth- er. But I must record many failures witl) this plan of removing combs of brood to prevent swarming — not only in its failin^r to prevent, but in its being successful i'l putting much honey in the sections. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE GENEMAL PONDENCE BEES ENTERING COMB-HONEY SUPERS Tlie Great Advantage of Drawn Commbs Over Full S BY R. P. HOLTERMANN On page 903, December 15, 1913, Mr. McMurray refers to the natural like or dis- like of bees to working in section-honey supers on account of their subdivided and crowded condition. I have not had the experience he describes, that bees, when given passages of communication, will close them up with wax or propolis. It may be due to locality; but I have found that bees gnaw comb foundation and stop openings when the supers are put on before a sur- plus-honey flow or after the sections and liive are crowded. They may also do it possibly between periods of flow when there is quite a length of time with no nectar coming in. Then, again, when a swarm issues, the bees are ready with a lot of wax scales — material which they can use for comb-building in their new home. If the swarm returns, owing to modern meth- ods of manipulation, that wax may have to be deposited somewhere about the hive. In corroboration of this statement I might say that I have been able to detect the colony that swarmed in my absence by observing the wax deposited by the bees oh the front of the hive. They were simply in a condi- tion where they had secreted and were se- creting wax scales for the comb they ex- pected to build after first alighting to see that the queen was with them, and then, when next clustering, building comb. This second alighting proved to be on the hive, owing to my having previously clipped the queen's wings, and a portion of the wax was deposited by the bees on the front of the hive, and more would be taken care of in the hive. THE ADVANTAGE OF DRAVS^N COMBS. Bees do not care to go into supers con- taining only comb foundation. This is true whether the foundation is the size of a Langstroth frame, or of the ordinary sec- tion. I do not hesitate to say that if the extracted-honey producer has no drawn surplus combs lie will have much more trouble with the swarming impulse; and tlio surplus-honey crop, particularly if measured bv the amount in the supers, will be materially reduced. Drawn comb invites the bees into the supers in a way that foundation entirely fails to do. The criti- cal time in the prevention of swarming is when the brood-chamber is near the point of being crowded ; and unless the bees' energies can be successfully diverted to the accejitance of the super as a part of the hive, they are likely to swarm. The differ- ence between drawn comb and foundation in the majority of instances is just enough to turn the scale in favor of swarming. When the bees have to draw out founda- tion, they store honey in the brood-chamber which would otherwise have been put in the super, thus depriving the queen of room to lay, with the result already mentioned. At the same time, the worker force is decreased if the flow is prolonged, so that there is a corresponding decrease in the surplus-honej'^ crop. After a careful observation of colonies to which foundation was given in the supers, side by side with colonies having drawn comb, I would estimate that, if the former Avould give 75 lbs. of honey in the supers, the latter would as easily give 100 lbs. The first year that I began beekeeping afresh, and started with the twelve-frame Langstroth hive, it was a bad (perhaps I should say a good) year for swarming. Some of my help, perhaps myself as well, were not very skillful at detecting queen- c^lls in recesses of comb. I had no drawn comb, and I remember that on one Sunday fifteen swarms issued and clustered togeth- er, and this is an apiary that we were trying to run on the non-swai'ming plan. One going into the production of extract- ed honey could well afford to pay 30 or even 35 cts. each, or perhaps more, for enough perfect combs to supply half of each ex- tracting-super with such comb. I do not like to put more than two or three sheets of foundation into a twelve-frame super at one time. I am aware that there is a differ- ence in the way in which individual colonies will take such treatment. The honey-flow also makes a difference. I almost believe that, if the hive is on a loose bottom-board, the new super, if it contains only comb foundation, should be put for twenty-four or forty-eight hours under the brood-cham- ber with a queen-excluder between. Local- ities may vary much in this respect ; but MAY 1, 1914 331 aiiiing thirty years or more I have kept bees in quite a variety of localities, have had varied season and honey-tiows, four or live varieties of bees and their crosses, and this is the conclusion that I feel justified in coming" to. In conclusion let me say that I am not ignorant of the method of putting some of the brood into the super. This undoubted- ly helps in a measure, but only in a meas- ure, and also has its disadvantages. Biantford, Ont., Canada. [We wish to indorse, as emphatically as we can, Mr. Holtermann's argument in favor of drawn combs in preference to full sheets of foundation. While the beekeeping- fraternity at large will acknowledge of course that the former are superior, they have not yet begun to appreciate how much mure superior they are. Last summer some colonies refused to enter extracting-supers with foundation, but they would enter su- pers with drawn combs without the least hesitation. Another thing Mi*. Holtermann brings out that will bear emphasizing is the value of drawn combs for preventing swarming. If we could, we would shout this on the housetop of every extracted-honey produc- er, because it will prevent the loss of a good many swarms, and the loss of a good deal of nectar that might othei-wise be secured. iSo important do we regard drawn combs that we sent down to our Florida apiary last winter 6000 frames of foundation ; and one of the " problems " that our Mr. Mar- chant has had to tackle is to force the bees to draw these out and make increase at the same time. If he had had drawn combs he would have had 25 to 50 per cent more in- crease. Many and many a time we see beekeepers who are careless about storing tlieir combs. The worms get into them, and in other cases hundreds and thousands of them are stacked up in all kinds of heaps on the honey-house floor, where they get bruised and broken, and sometimes we find them in the back yard where the sun melts them down. The owners say they will pick them up " some other time;" but they don't. The facts are, these drawn combs, next to the bees them- selves, are the best capital the extracted- honey producer can have. If a full sheet of wired foundation is worth, say, 16 cents, a frame of drawn comb ought to be worth 35. In a good year they might be worth even 50 cents. The problem with many beekeepers should be to get their frames of foundation drawn out before the honey season. This can be done by placing a full sheet between two frames of brood, Avhen the sioreading of brood can be practiced with safety. If possible, get the combs drawn out in the fall, during buckwheat or soon after; and when once drawn, stack them up carefully in the honey-house, where they can be fumi- gated, ready for next season's use. — Ed.] SHALL APICULTUMAL EDUCATION BE ENCOURAGED? BY OREL L. HERSHISER Beekeepers may be divided into two general classes, more or less sharply de- fined, one believing in offering the best of apieultural advantages and encouragement to any and all who may wish to learn the science; the other, including all who do not believe in so broadly offering such advan- tages and encouragement. In the former class may be included the educators engaged in apieultural instruction in schools and colleges; bee-inspectors and government apiarists; authors of books on apiculture; editors and publishers of api- eultural periodicals, and most of the writ- ers, correspondents, and contributors to them ; and most of the members of beekeep- ers' associations, especially those who read papers and make addresses, and otherwise give instruction. Inasmuch as nearly all apiarists who produce honey to sell avail themselves of every opportunity to hear if not to engage in the instruction and proceedings of bee- keepers' conventions, it would seem that nearly or quite all the entire membership of the craft would be included in the former class. However, paradoxical as it may seem, it is well known that some apiarists who are leaders in convention proceedings, and otheiTvise prominently engaged in api- eultural educational work, are also opposed to offering educational encouragement to students desiring to qualify themselves a? beekeepers. It api^ears that the two classes of beekeepers overlap each other, some in- dividuals being not only on the fence but on both sides of it at the same time. Opponents of the scheme of education and encouragement evidently fear that any considerable accession to the ranks of bee- keepers will result in an overproduction of honey and consequent decline in prices to a point where beekeeping will cease to be a remunerative occupation. It should be re- GLEANINGS IN BEE Ct'LTURE membered tliat only those having the natural adaptability for apiculture will ever be extensively engaged in it ; and what would be more natural than that the ednratioii of all apiarists to a better knowledge of the business would be mutually beneficial? If all beekeepers were taught how to obtain honey as good as the bees can make, the average cjuality would be better, more de- pendable, and more desirable than that which is produced in ignorance of best methods. Beekeepers well schooled in their occupation know more of markets, and are better advertisers and salesmen than those of lesser knowledge. Unschooled, untutored, and ignorant owners of bees are the real menace ; and it is this class of beekeepers who harbor infectious bee diseases, and are instrumental in spreading them, and who demoralize markets. Not a large percentage of those educated at agricultural colleges engage in agricul- tural pursuits as a life occupation. The sam.e is true, to a greater or less extent, of other lines of technical training. After ac- quiring his education for a certain purpose the individual finds he lacks the adaptabil- ity, or, for one reason or another, abandons his first choice of a calling and engages in some other lifework. It may be reasonably inferred that only a small percentage of those who make a scientific study of apicul- ture, either at college or elsewhere, will ever become honey-producers in the true com- mercial sense. There is really no danger of too many well-qualified beekeepers. Phenomenal crops of honey are likely to occur at long intervals; but overproduction in the average season is not likely ever to occur. Beekeeping has been carried on in some state of advancement ever since the dawn of history ; but extensive commercial apiaries seem to be one of the developments of the last century. In our own time we have noticed localities where from one to a few hives of bees could be seen near many farmhouses, change to the extent that one could travel for a day or two without seeing evidences of bees kept by farmers. Yet in some such localities, many times, more bees are kept, honey produced, and profit real- ized than when there were so many indi- viduals who had only a few bees. The natural protection of forests and fences disappeared ; brood diseases came in ; the bees, without a real master, perished, and in their place an apiarist establishes an apiary, and, with a thorough knowledge of. the business, operates it as a profitable bus- iness proposition. Beekeepers who operated out-apiaries thirty years ago were few and far between. Scarcely more than half a dozen in the Tnited States, and one or two in Canada, are all within my recollection, and most of these with an operator in each apiary dur- ing the swarming season. Of late years, however, while the numerous small bunches of colonies owned by farmers are gradually disappearing, we have not only many more apiarists who run out-apiaries and make apiculture an occupation, but also manv more operating bees as a side line on a smaller scale in a commercial way, as may be judged by the attendance and enthusi- asm at beekeepers' conventions. During recent times the amount of honey produced annually has greatly increased, and the consumption has kept pace with the production. Honey, having a high food value and an agreeable flavor, should com- mand a higher price, and we think prices have not risen in proportion to the com- parati\e values of some other leading food products; yet it must be admitted that hon- ey sells for far better prices than when there was less produced. This tends to prove that a greater number of expert api- arists, and steadily increasing production, have not, thus far, operated to the detriment of apiculture as an occupation. When we consider that the beekeepers of many of the States and some of the prov- inces have long since maintained State and provincial beekeepers' associations, includ- ing many local, branch, and affiliated soci- eties, some of them receiving governmental financial support ; that several colleges have for many years been offering apicultural instruction ; that several States and prov- inces make liberal appropriations for the maintenance of numerous bee-inspectors, a part of whose duties is to instruct in the proper care of bees; that the United States Government, some State governments, and the Ontario Government, each maintains a department from which helpful pamphlets and bulletins on apicultural subjects are issued free, and that the science of apicul- ture is enriched by numerous books and periodicals of high class, we can not avoid the logical conclusion that the unanimity of these several educational agencies indicates beneficial results that amply justify a con- tinuancce of the educational scheme. As the result of a bumper crop of wheat, corn, hay, etc., was there ever an advocacy of cessation of education and encourage- ment to engage in agi'iculture? No; but. on the contrary, the slogan is, " Back to the farm," or " Keep the boys and girls on the farm," as the means of keeping the State and nation truly prosperous. As the result of a ruinous bumper crop of fruit, has dissuasion from embarking in horticulture been advocated? No; but the States and MAY 1, 1914 333 provinces are deeply interested in the plant- ing of new fruit areas, and " top working " the worn-out orchards to make them pro- ductive ; for time has proven that bumper crops are exceptional. How much less, then, should we fear ill effects from a bumper crop of honey which time has proven may be expected at very widely separated pe- riods, and especially as extracted honey is not perishable, but is as good several years hence as at present, if properly handled! Governments establish departments of agriculture, including the various branches of rural husbandry, for the purpose of bettering the conditions of the rural popu- lation in every way, and of increasing the wealth of the State or nation. Governments realize that the i^rosperity of the people, especially those engaged in rural husban- dry, is the prosperity of the Government. As an aid to this end, agricultui-al colleges are established and maintained. It can hardly be possible that apiculture should be an exception, and fail to respond advan- tageously to governmental encouragement. Conservation of natural resources — of water for irrigation and power; of forests and re-forestration, or reclamation, etc., has engaged the attention of many eminent sci- entists of late years. In fact, no line of research could be of gi-eater benefit in main- taining and increasing the wealth of a state or nation than to conserve and increase the materials naturally within its boundaries that add to the welfare and happiness of its people. Honey is a natural resource. If not gathered by bees it is loSt. To conserve it, bees and beekeepers are indispensable. Perhaps much more than is gathered goes to waste. Is it not true that the state would add to its wealth in proportion to the addi- lional amount of lionev saved from waste? And whatever inures to the benefit of the state benefits the people in the same ratio. Let us, then, continue to offer encourage- ment and instruction to any and all who believe they can aid in the conservation of tlie ungathered nectar, to the end that the myriads of flowers of the fields may not bloom and secrete their sweetness in vain. Kenmore, N. Y. [We believe Mr. Hershiser is correct in what he says, all through. Education along apicultural lines will do more good to elim- inate foul brood than any thing else. The beekeeper who makes the real trouble and annoyance is not the one who has had api- cultural training at some school, but, rather, the man wiio has not read up, does not take any bee-paper, and never goes to conven- tions. The more we can have of apicultural schools, and foul-brood inspectors who can give apicultural instruction along general lines, the better. There is plenty of unoccu- pied bee territory in the country for all, and the apicultural student has it pounded into liim, as we happen to know, that he can not make any money keeping bees if he locates his yard within half a mile of another bee- owner. No, he is not the man to crowd territory or to overstock it. The few who stick to the business will go into territory where they can have all the nectar for the simple reason there is no one else to get it. Those who are casting reflections on the possible value of our apicultural schools will do well to read Mr. Hershiser's article carefully. Frankly, is there any argaiment against apicultural schools but a narrow short-sighted selfishness that would elimi- nate all competition? Is it not true that they will stimulate a demand for honey? —Ed.] MORE DRASTIC MEASURES NEEDED FOR CURING FOUL BROOD BY W. N. RANDOLPH The only way to stamp foul brood out of our country effectually is to use more radical measures. Nearly all the schemes I have read about look to saving every thing — bees. hives, frames, and, worst of all, honey. I think that a man should not be permitted to sell honey from a diseased hive, nor even from a diseased yard; much less do I be- lieve that he should be allowed to rear queens in a yard infected with foul brood and send them out all over the country. Boiling the honey to mix in the Good candy sent with the queens does no good, because to those of us who liave read the text-books on the law of evidence it is a badge of fraud. It makes the honest and careful queen-breeder say in effect, " I may have foul brood in my yard," and the careless or dishonest one who knows, or ought to know, " Oh, well ! I will warm up my honey a little, and let it go at that. Who is to know the difference? " If every beekeeper in the country would resolve to use more drastic measures at once, it would help to solve the problem of foul brood. He should, on the first discov- ery of the disease (and all ought to be on guard now) destroy the bees after night- fall; and unless he has a steam-boiler and large tank he should destroy, by burning, GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Tlie Akahoshi apiary, Itozu, Kokura, Buzen, Japan. all the fitting's of the hive — frames, combs, and followers. As for the hives, bottom- boards, and covers, a thick coat of white lead and oil applied on evei'y surface, inside and out, will bury beyond resurrection every foul-brood germ, and will add to the lasting quality of the hive : or burning over with the gasoline-torch will do. Painting, however, is more quickly and cheaply done. Cleaning up and starting anew a large yard at this place, I both scorched and painted the hives and outfit (of course de- stroying all the combs and frames) and raked off and cleaned the yard and bee- house. For two seasons there has been no further sign of the disease. I have enlisted all of the out beekeepers in our fight. The initial cost of our plan was gi-eater, may be; but we feel well repaid because we are done with that question. The owners of this yard — bright, enter- prising young men — had built up a splen- didly equipped apiary, with all the latest improvements, and had run it only three years, when they sent to a queen-breeder for a lot of queens with nuclei. These had foul brood, and, not knowing any thing about the disease, the first notice the owners had was that their yard was rotten with it. Now this thing ought to be stopped. It can be stopped if the bee journals get busy. No man ought to be permitted to send bees or queens any distance, without a certifi- cate from some competent authority, stating that the apiary is free from foul brood. We argue, theorize, and experiment too much, and the system has spread the mal- ady nearly all over the country, when it should be a simple matter of destroying and quarantine. By being watchful the approach may be discovered, and one may have to destroy only a hive or two. More attention should be given to rearing of queens whose progeny are more nearly im- mune to the disease. Letohatchie, Ala. [Some beekeepers may take issue with our coiTespondent. The man who has no foul brood, and never expects to get it, will probably argue that the other chap who has the disease should not sell his honey. But the latter would probably take the other view, on the ground that the honey itself would be harmless for human consumption. The only danger from such honey is from empty cans thrown out back of the grocery or in the back yard of the consumer, and herein lies a big danger. Boiling honey to make Good candy does a gi'eat deal of good. We know most of the queen-breeders of the country personally, and we are satisfied that they are doing bus- iness on the golden-rule feature to the lett-er. However,, there is a better way yet. The May 1, 1911 335 The gate entrance to Akahoshi apiary, Itozu, Kokura, Buzen, Japan. Miller smoke method of introduction will ultimately supplant the cage method every- where. If so, this will eliminate all possible danger from the candy, providing the queen-cages are burned. We quite agree with our coiTespondent that we cannot be too careful ; but we think he errs in thinking that paint inside of the hives will be sufficient to disinfect it. Some paints will flake otf, leaving the wood clear, just as it was before painting. Better use a torch to scorch out the inside of the hive and other appurtenances. Neither do we recommend burning hives, bees, and all unless the disease is confined to one or two colonies. If it once gets started in an apiary, wholesale burning is too ex- pensive, and quit« unnecessary, as practic- ally all foul-brood inspectors have agreed. —Ed.] A JAPANESE APIARY BY K. NOMMA Assuming that you may be interested in learning how bee culture is enlarging even as far as the Orient, I take gi-eat pleasure in sending you three Japanese post cards. They represent a small apiary situated in the suburbs of Kokura, Japan, which is owned and managed by my sister and her husband. Despite the fact that it is still in a primitive state, and established only three years ago, they are showing the most favor- able signs of prosperity. Inasmuch as each succeeding year is bringing more net profit, my sister and her husband have just completed a plan to start a new apiary in another part of the country. Port Henry, N. Y., Dec. 17. THE TIME REQUIRED FOR BEES TO MATURE FROM THE EGG BY T. J. LANDRUM I am much interested in Dr. Miller's Straw, page 125, Feb. 15, in regard to bees hatcliing out in less than 20 days. I am quite sure Dr. M. has made some mistake in liis test. I have tested this thing thne and again in recent years, and I have al- ways found a few cells of unhatchedhrood after 21 days — that is, the bees didn't all ■i^e GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE A distant view of tlie Akiilioslii apiary in Jap;ni liatc'h in 21 days, but a few would still be iHihatched ou the '22d day from the time the queen was taken away. I had occasion to test this in transferring bees from box hives. When breaking up tlie box after 21 days, or on the 22d day. 1 have always found some unhatehed bees (brood). Dr. Miller does not say that he looked at this frame ("XIX") once be- tween August 5 and August 25. Now, Mr. Editor, I know by experience that eggs don't always get a chance to hatch. When taken from home, and put into a strange colony, the bees sometimes take offense at this strange batch of eggs and destroy evei'y one of them. I wish Dr. Miller would please tell us if he looked at this particular "XIX" frame at any time between August 5 and 25, and if he is sure the eggs in this frame ever reached the larval state. I am frank to say that I don't believe bees will hatch in 19 days 18 hours nnd 50 minutes from the time the egg is laid; and T believe if Dr. Miller had taken a peep at that frame any time between Aug. 8 and Aug. 25 he would have found e\ ery cell in said frame empty. 1 expect to test this matter thoroughly tliis coming season, and will let you know what I find. Atwood, Col. Dr. Miller replies : It's a g'^od thing there are sharii eyes upon us, for there are many chances foi' slips in conducting any experiments with bees. I know that bees will sometimes destroy every egg in the hive, but that did not occur to me when I reported the case in that Straw, p. 125. All that I reported was that the last egg was laid just before 5 :05 P.M., Aug. 5, and that the cells were empty 11 :55 a. m., Aug. 25. With no more data than that, there is the possibility of destruction of the eggs, and I am thankful to friend Landrum for taking up the matter. At the start, there was no thought of learning any thing about worker-brood. It was an experiment relating to queen-rear- ing. I will now give the case more in detail. The comb was taken from No. 28 at 5:15 P.M., Aug. 5 (the only comb in the hive), and put into No. 91, a strong queenless nu- cleus kept as a sort of storehouse. Aug. 8, it was put into No. 69, a sti'ong queenless colony, with the express purpose of having queen-cells built. I made no minute of whetlier eggs were present at this time or not, and have no recollection about it, but I think it doubtful that I should have put into a hive a comb for cell-build- ing without noticing that the eggs had been removed. Still it is possible. The record shows that Aug. 12, at 3 p. m.. no queen-cells were vet sealed. T can hardly imagine the possibility of my examining the queen-cells at this time without noticing that the woi'ker-cells were empty, if such MAT 1, 1914 had been the ease, since it was a week since I he eggs were laid. Still, it is not utterly impossible. Aug. 19 I cut out the cells, and have a distinct recollection of seeing the worker- brood in compact form; and when I had cut the cells I jDut the comb into the upper story of No. 1 fo)- the express purpose of allowing the worker-brood to liatcli out. It was put into that upper story with no thought of noting the time of hatching; but "some time after Aug. 19 it occurred to me that here was a good chance to learn just liow long it was from the laying of the egg to the emergence of the young worker. Aug. 25 I thought I would begin periodic examinations, so as to be able to say be- tween what two houi"s the brood had emerg- ed, and 1 supposed I was looking while it was yet certain that no young workers could have emerged. Finding every cell vacant was one of the surprises of my life. Now, here are the thing's that I know. I know that no eggs were in that comb Aug. 5, 3:05 P.M., and that the eggs in it were laid between 3 :05 p. m. and 5 :05 P. m. It is practically certain that the queen would continue to lay in that comb, since it was the only comb in the hive, until its removal at 5:05 P.M. It is positively certain that all eggs were laid in it after 3:05 p.m. I 337 know that sealed worker-brood in appar- ently good condition was present Aug. 19. I know that not a cell of brood was present at 11 :55 a. m., Aug. 25., So I know that the time from the laying of the egg till the emergence of the perfect insect could not have been longer than from 3:05 p. M., Aug. 5, to 11:55 a. m., Aug. 25 (less tlian 20 daj's), unless the bees destroy- ed the brood some time after Aug. 19. Bees when in a starving condition do tear out brood, sucking out the juices and throwing away the skins; but did you ever hear of their tearing out normal worker-brood 14 days after the laying of the Qggi Besides, this could not possibly be a ease of starvation. It was in the midst of the heaviest flow I ever knew. There were four stories of extraeting-eombs, and not a drop of honey had been taken away from the time the tlow began. Is it possible that the bees tore out a single cell of that brood after Aug. 19? I now submit the case to the jury, asking the foreman, T. J. Landrum, to consider \yhether there is a reasonable doubt that the time of development in this case was witlun 19 days 18 hours 50 minutes, and whetlier there is a possibility that a single cell took more than 19 days 20 hours 50 minutes. . Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller. THE CONTROL OF 5WAEMING AT OUT-APIAMIES RUN FOR EX- TRACTED BY J. L. BYER As stated in the Feb. 15tli issue, many have written me asking questions about different phases of out-apiary work. In that issue I talked of early-spring manage- ment, leaving off operations at the opening of fruit-bloom. At this time I shall tell some of the plans I use to control swarming at out-apiaries; and right here let me ask you to notice that I use the word " control " instead of prevention; for, notwithstanding the bulk of those who have written me ask for means of prevention of swarming, I frankly confess that I have yet to learn a satisfactory plan that will work in all kinds of seasons, with all kinds of hives, and with all kinds of bees. As many are already aware, I have bought nearly all the bees we have in our different apiaries; and Avhile I regret it, yet the fact is we have a number of different kinds of hives in use. In one apiary there are over 100 eight-frame L hives; in another the hives are all ten-frame Jumbo', while in another there are over 200 f'olonies on frames similar to the Jones, only somewhat shallower. In so far as the eight-frame Langstrotb apiary is concerned, it is needless to say that this is the one that gives us the most trouble in the matter of controlling swarm- ing; and when one has a lot of bees in a hive of that dimension, certainly drastic measures have to be taken to prevent whole- sale swarming, if the colonies are all strong at the opening of the clover flow and if the yield of nectar is good and lasts any time at all. To make the matter short, we have found that the only thing to do in such cases is to take away the major part of the brood before the swarming fever shows, substituting full sheets of" foundation in place of combs removed. If the colony is strong I recommend taking all but one comb of brood away; and if there are no signs of swarming at the time of operation, these brood-combs can be placed above the excluder in the super. If the flow is on, as it should be when doing work of this kind. T place a super of comlj next to the exelud er, and then another story with the brood in on top of that. With this l)rood so far GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE away from the old brood-nest, queen-cells will be stai'ted in the majority of eases; but tliey can be cared for easily later on. T have had queens hatch in this upper story, and yet there would be no swarming; but some have reported otherwise, so it does no harm to look through these combs eight or ten days afterAvard. One great objection to this plan is that, if there is any honey of inferior quality in these brood-combs, it will spoil the quality of No. 1 clover honey when the extracting is done. This is a question that every bee- keeper will have to decide for himself, as locality and management of colonies pre- vious to doing this work have a great deal to do in determining results. The advantages of the plan are that it nearly always prevents swarming for the season; you keep all the bees in the one hive, and at the same time get a lot of new combs drawn out each year. More than any thing else, it means a crop of honey if there is any to be bad, as no other plan that I have any knowledge of will give a greatei' surplus. This plan is old, and was first given by a southern beekeeper whose name I can not recall. With four or five apiaries with the large Jumbo hives, many might think we should have no swarming when running for ex- tracted honey; but unless due precautions are taken, these same hives will give us lot? of trouble as past experience has shown conclusively. One of the main points to be considered in heading off the swarming desire is to give lots of room early enough in the season so that the bees will have supers to enter just as soon as they are at all crowded in the brood-nest. Our greatest trouble with swarming during the past five years has not been with the very strong colonies, but, rather, with those not strong enough to super at fruit-bloom. They are left till the opening of clover, and perhaps by that time they are a bit crowded, and. instead of going into supers when given at that time, they make preparations for swarming. When I find colonies in that condition I generally raise one or two frames of brood into the super, over a queen-excluder. Now and then we may get caught with a bit of chilled brood if the weather turns cool suddenly; but, all things considered, I would sooner take a little risk that way, and be sure that the colony is not going to get the swarming fever so early in the season, and probably knock out all chances of a crop of honey, particularly if the season is very short. Colonies that have entered the supers during fruit-bloom, rarely give any trouble at the opening of clover, so the idea should be to get all in that condition as soon as possible. Sometimes we get caught in fruit- bloom, and find extra-strong colonies pre- paring to swarm at the time we are clipping queens. There are many plans of dealing with such colonies at this date ; and if brood has to be taken away to stop the notion of swarming, one can always at that time find many places to put it. I certainly break U13 the swarming fever at that time in some way, as one has no time to be tinkering' with a few colonies at that busy season. Last spring I movjed two carloads of bees ; and during my absence the clover started to yield. One apiary was unusually strong with bees for so' early in the season, and, before leaving home, I had clipped the queens during fruit-bloom, and given a full- depth Juiubo super. When I came home and got to this yard I found three-fourths of the colonies with the sujier full of fruit- bloom and early clover honey, and about all with queen-cells started. The bees were nearly all of Carniolan blood, and I realized that my absence had put tilings in pretty bad shape at that place. I hastily decided on a plan ; and whether it was on account of certain conditions of honey-flow, or from other causes, I knocked out about all the swarming for the time being, and in the end got a very large crop of honey. I hunted out all the queens, and caged each in a wire-cloth cage about % inch in diameter and 6 inches long. The cage was placed between the brood-combs beneath the ex- cluder, two combs being spread apart to allow the cage to go between. Each comb was taken out and examined thoroughly for cells, the bees being shaken in front of the hive to make sure that no cells were missed. Abundance of room was given above, and they were left alone for eight days, when the same process was gone over and all cells cut out again. The old queen was liberated, and, much to my surprise, the swarming fever was done for, in spite of the fact that the bees were Carniolans. I always think that bees having a caged queen never work so well as those in normal condition ; but in this instance, for some reason, it seemed to make little difference. The flow was very heav}', and that may explain the mattet-. Of course, this plan meant a lot of work ; but it was a desperate case; and if I had not been away on this moving trip, supers would have been given and the trouble avoided. After colonies are all storing in supers, if abundance of storage room is given thei'e should be no swarming, particularly if the bees are Italians and the hives at least as large as the ten-fi*ame L. In my own case I prefer the ten-frame Jumbo, believing that MAY 1, 1914 High trees that swarms did not alight on, and why. better i-esults can be obtained with less work than with a smaller hive, in so far as extracted honey is concerned. During the season, if you suspect swarming in any col- onies the only way to be sure of the matter is to pull off the supers and examine the brood-nests. Of course, when there are two or tlu'ee full-depth supers on each colo- ny, tliis woirk is easier described than done. However, I find that many are like myself on this question ; for during the height of the season, when one is jumping around about 16 hours of the day, such a thing as ■going through a whole apiary looking for queen-cells is out of the question. One soon gets to know from external conditions, by the progress being made in supers, and in various other ways, how to diagnose pretty well without tearing into the center of the brood-nest at every visit. We lose very few swarms each season — possibly not more than two or three at each yard; and this, if nothing else, leads me to be more than ever in favor of using large hives for out-apiary work. Mount Joy, Ont., Can. HIVES SO LOCATED THAT THE SWARMS ALMOST INVARIABLY BY RUTH C. GIFFORD In the spring of 1912 I moved my bees to a new location along the north side of the front yard, and dii-ectly south of the garden. Since then I have had the pleasure of seeing evei*>' swarm except one (which sailed to the limb of a fine tree) settle on the blackberry -vines in the garden. In the summer of 1912 I watched my bees closely, and found that, with the exception of the swarm above mentioned, they all settled on the berry-vines. This summer T again watched them closely. The result was the same, for they again settled on tlie ben-y- vines. The position of the bees in relation to shade and the distance from the blackberry- vines must be the cause of their settling ou the vines. Before T moved them to this location I always had to climb trees for the swarms, and several times even had to use a forty-foot extension ladder. Tlie lower half of one row of blackberry- vines is 66 feet from the backs of the liives. There are also some trees near by. Unfortunately the pictures do not give a clear idea of the amount of shade, because they could not be taken until the last of October. Some of the hives stand in dense shade, but not all the time. After half-past eight there is a dense shade in front of them all day, and they don't get much sunlight between half-past eight and half-past ten: but after that they are shaded by the side branches of only one tree. During the swarming season I went through the colonies carefully evei-y ten days. I cut out queen-cells twice from colonies which had them, gave extra venti- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE lation, and emply combs where necessaiy. When I found queen-cells tlie third time J noted it in the hive-records, closed those luves, and left them alone until they sAvarra- ed. I have found that, if colonies persist in trying to swarm, after the queen-cells have been cut out twice, and they have been given extra room, they do far better woik if allowed to swarm in the natural way. However, I watched the above-mentioned colonies closely, and was rewarded by see- ing a swarm come out of every one of them, and settle on the blackberry-vines. After T hived the swarms I foUoAved the usual meth- od of placing them on the old stands, and moving the parent colony to one side. Of course the weaker colonies were sloAver in building cells and attempting to swarm than the stronger ones. I don't know whether the bees would settle on a row of small trees as readily as they do on the beiTy-vines or not. Their liking for the latter is at times almost un- canny. One day this summer I saw three swarms come out about twenty minutes apart and quietly fly over and settle on the blackberry- vines. I usually find the swarms clustering around the post and clinging to all the canes. This gives them more " standing room " than the limb of a tree, and does not compel so many bees to cling to a few. T also notice they usually cluster in such a way that the vines shield them from the direct rays of the sun. I expect to examine each colony twice next summer for queen-cells. Both times T mil give empty combs where they are needed. Then I am going to keep them suppli d with plenty of super room and leave tliem alone. The colonies that are determined to swarm will swarm anyhow, or else sulk ; and I can hive a swarm from a blackberry-vine in less time as well as with more satisfactory results than I can manipulate a colony to prevent swarming. North East, Md. [In locating an apiary there are several considerations to be taken into account. Fiist of all, the bees should be placed as far as possible from a line fence or a general highway. In either case, the streams of bees in going to and from the fields in the height of the season are liable to encounter teams of horses and men, and sometimes this causes trouble. Another important consideration is shade — not too much of it, but just enough to screen the bees during the hottest part of the day. In the securing of that shade, as our correspondent points out, it is very desirable to place hives near low shrubbery to catch the swarms. If there is no such shrubbery, and tall trees are close at hand, there will be some unpleasant experiences in trying to get swarms down from high places ; in fact, some of them will be entirely inac- cessible, and will be lost. It is a fact that low shrubbery, if near the hives, will attract a large percentage of the swarms; and when a swarm has once alighted on a bush or limb, that bush or limb will probably, on account of the odor, attract other swarms. This we have proven out time and time again in the case of our grapevines, that catch practically 99 per cent of our swarms, the remaining one per cent going up on our I all evergreens. — Ed.] THAT APRIL 1ST COVEE PICTURE; LUCK IN BEEKEEPING BY F. GREINER I want to congratulate you on the fine cuts exhibited on the title page of the April 1st number. We have at different times in the past been searching for good representa- tions of honeybees, but have always turned away in digust from any thing that was offei'ed us. In the line of a queen-bee Ave found there were seven abdominal rings in the best cut we could find. It would seem as if an artist ( "?) putting out work like that would hide his head. Representations of bees and drones found in our text-books are so faulty that it requires an expert to find features resembling the real thing. In vieAv of all this it does me a lot of good to feast my eyes upon the title page of the April 1st number of Gleanings. It is true that there is not present in these pictures that sym- metry found in engravings and Avoodcuts of former efforts; but that only increases the interest in them, and enhances their value. The only defect seems to be in the drone, the abdomen being too short, as you have point- ed out in your editorial; and I hope that in subsequent ti'ials you Avill succeed in elim- inating this defect by selecting a specimen Avith a fuller abdomen. QUEEN NOT ALWAYS TO BLAME; SOME QUES- TIONS RAISED. The idea that the queen is not ahvays to blame Avhen the colony is not coming up to the mark is one I have entertained for n great many years. I had at one time quite MAY 1, 1911 341 A tight board fence tluit is too iinu-li ot » good thing; a section of a bee-tree in the foreground. a little controversy with our lamented friend Hutchinson on this question, and he finally made the concession that there was quite a little in this worth ferreting out. Whatever we may think and say about luck in our enterprise, nevertheless there is such a thing as luck. There is not one among us who can control all and every condition that' has an influence on the net result. Even if we were smart enough to bring each colony up to that point of gi'eatest populousness just at a certain time, then we might fail in judging when that time would be the most appropriate and advantageous, for seasons are not always the same. Who can be held responsible for the drifting of bees from one hive to another? Who is wise enough to start his bees in a certain direction, so that they will find cer- tain honey-secreting blossoms? Many other questions suggest themselves here. We have had certain colonies do as good as nothing one season, and the next season they did wonders. Three little dwindled-out colonies were united early in June, and outdid any thing else in the yard that season. We are a long way from having solved all the prob- lems in beedom. Naples, N. Y. A DOSE OF FEVEM ; SOME DISCOURAGING EXPERIENCES, BUT STILL HOPEFUL BY W. H. DREYER I send you a photo of a section of an elm- tree containing a swarm of bees hauled to my home June 3d. It was cut on the W. S. Blakesley farm, about three miles Avest of here, and was some job before it was safely landed as you see it in the picture, with a Langstroth body over the top cavity, leav- ing the knot-hole for an entrance. I have kept bees for about ten years, and have had enough ups and downs in the business to take the wind out of almost any one ; but beekeeping has something about it that continues throwing fuel on the fire, even if it consumes some of our time and carntal. When I started beekeeping T bought my first ten colonies in box hives of the man on whose farm this bee-tree was cut. My first loss was almost entirely from robbing. I wanted to taste some of their honey, and n|ake a bad spill of it, getting all my bees excited, and inviting many othei's. But this was only an incentive toward getting hold of bee-books and journals. After reading the many possibilities on the subject my enthusiasm grew instead of dy- ing. Langstroth hives were bought, then came 4x5 sections and fences, and all the up-to-date things that go to make beekeep- ing a pleasure. After laying in a good supply of these things, enough to manage GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 50 stands for comb honey, along came those bad clover years, idle supplies, hard winters, moth-eaten combs, and the like; but to top matters oft, I was completely cleaned out in the winter of 1911. There I was, beeless, but not hiveless (I had the hives right). In the jDhoto you will notice that $75.00 fence for protection. The winds got over it somehow all the same; and those chaff hives, about 40 in all, were of no avail — certainly ti';^'ing. The fall of 1912 I again bought 25 colo- nies; and after tucking them away in their winter quarters as carefully as I knew how r Avas again ready for a new start. How did I spend the winter of 1912 while those bees were sleeping? Let me assure you I did some tall thinking and also some reading that often carried me into the wee Iiours of the night. I already had requeened my bees with young queens, for that is a settled matter with me — the first step toward success, all things considered. The next matter I settled on was single- walled hives to be set in winter cases for protection in winter. My bees never breed up fast in chaff hives, but always show up well in single-walled. No Alexander feeder could be attached to them as to the single-walled, and many other manipulations are all out of the ques- tion with double-walled hives; and, before I forget it, let me state that the bees tucked away in winter cases with five inches of packing all around were as dry as a chijD when I peeped into them April 1. AFTER REMOVIKG THE CASES. About this time in spring I equalize stores, tack over each hive a sheet of heavy building-paper, which holds every bit of heat in the hives. An Alexander feeder is placed underneath, and left alone until about May 1. Then I equalize brood, to be repeated about May 18 or 20. Last spring my bees wei'e in splendid condition managed on this system.. In closing allow me to say that the out- look last spring was great. Anywhere one looked the ground was white with clover; but I did not see a single bee on the blos- soms. Basswood was not touched by bees so far as I know ; and had it not been for sweet clover I should not have a pound of honey. This yielded about 900 lbs. on 18 colonies. I have increased my yard to 60 colonies, and hope to have an outyard next year if things are promising. Findlay, Ohio. [The winter when you lost so heavily was severe all over the United States. Even if your bees had been in winter cases your loss probably would have been about the same. Outdoor bees suffered everywhere, no mat- ter Avhere they were kept. One lesson we learned during that event- ful winter was that a tight board fence is not as g'ood a windbreak as trees or shrubbery. The objection to a solid fenc-e is that the wind strikes it, glances upward, then dives downward, hitting some of the hives; it starts counter-currents and whirl- ing eddies. A picket fence is better; and better still would be two or three picket fences, one in front of the other, and about four or five yards apart ; but as this would be expensive, shrubbei-y answers as an ex- cellent substitute. A screen consisting of farm buildings, barns, houses, etc., if high enough so the winds will skip clear over the hives, are excellent. Behind such a screen, bees in. single-walled hives will often winter nieelv. — Ed.1 BEEKEEPING IN THE RED HILLS BY J. J. WILDER Seemingly, if there is any section in our oreat country where beekeeping would be a failure or a total impossibility it is in the great Red Hill belt ; but no ; it is profitable there, and is progressing; yet the amount of honey-plants there is very small and widely scattered. Such is the case in middle Georgia, where some of our most progres- sive beekeepers are located, such as Mr. J. R. Durden and W. L. Wilder, of Macon, Ga., and John W. Cash, Bogart, Ga.; the latter operating over 20 apiaries. The forest in this great belt consists mostly of second-growth pines. The land, lying very rolling, was worn out and broken up in gullies many years ago, and this growth of pines came up on it; but along these larger gullies and branches and creeks are a good many scrubby poplar-trees, some sourwoods and wild plum scattered here and there ; and along larger streams are some tupelo gum; but there is not much of this. On the teiTaces and around the patches that are in cultivation, and the old fields that are lying out, there are considerable goldenrods and asters growing which yield MAY 1, 1914 Apiary of J. R. Durden, Macon, Ga.. and his scheme of roofina;-paper to take the place of shade-boards. some nectar in the fall. Also, in some local- ities the cotton-plant yields some honey, all of which go to make up a little. As a rule the beekeepers do not keep many colonies in an apiary or one location, and scatter them cut well over the country. These beekeepers are doing just as well as those who are seemingly in far better sec- tions or where the honey-plants seem to be abundant. The point is this : After all, there is not much difference in our country, up one side and down the other, when it comes to our industry and the possibilities of it; and the more I know of beekeeping from experience and observation, and tkrough correspondence, the more I am convinced of this fact ; and if all beekeepers could realize this there would be many more contented ones in our ranks, and there would not be so many disappointments caused by pulling up and moving here and yonder in search of better locations, and resulting in failure, etc. As a rule we are a nervous, restless set, always on the alert for the good spot which is always just ahead. This ought not to be, for we ought to settle down and be contented so far as the better section is concerned, and spread our bee business out over the country around us, and progress and be happy; for there is but very little difference and not enough to pull up and go after. AN APIAEY AND ITS OWNER. The photo here shown presents to our vision an ideal apiary on the side of a red hill owned by Mr, J. R. Durden, of Macon, Ga., whose form also appears. This apiary is located out in the open, surrounded by waste land that is lying out, which has a good gi'owth of goldenrod and asters on it, and also some shrubbery. It will be seen that no artificial shade is used to be in the way of the apiarist, but a number of differ- ent kinds of covets are used which can be easily seen, and I believe almost every kind sent out with hives. He says the cheapest cover sent out, or a very cheaply construct- ed one, is the best if it is covered with a good grade of paper roofing, and hives set in the open will not need shade-boards, etc., if put on in the manner he has put it on, which can be easily seen. It is cut a little wider and longer than the cover, and is tacked well at the ends, and one tack put on either side, so as to hold it down. Caps are used with the nails so as to keep the heads of the tacks or small nails from working or lulling through the roofing. These bees are located on an old apiaiy site. Perhaps the first modern out-apiary for hundreds of miles around was located on this site. Swinson and Boardman have kept bees here for many years, and so did Mr. Judson Heard; also Mr. S. S. Alder- man ; and Mr. Durden has had bees on it for a number of years. THE CAUCASIAN BEES. As this race of bees has come into our midst to stay, and so far has proven a gi-eat blessing to our industry in nearly eveiy GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE section or locality these bees have been imported, and as there is no reason why they should not be carried into sections where they are not known, and at least given a fair test, it may be that they will prove a great blessing to our industry everywhere. When they first came about, there Avere some rejDorts from those who had given them only a very limited trial that were not in their favor; but such re- ports have long since discontinued, and nearly all if not all are in their favor of late years, since they have been sufficiently tested; and I believe such will be the case in nearly every place they are tried. So if I were the only beekeeper who has given them a thorough test and found in them a great superiority over any of the other races of bees, I would be the last man to pen another line in their favor; but hun- dreds of beekeepers from almost all parts of the country report the same thing after testing them. Now, I feel safe in recom- mending them to those who are not satis- fied, or who do not obtain good results from the bees they have at jDresent. I obtained three of the first Caucasian queens the government imported; and the second year I had them I had seen enough in their favor to head all the colonies in my home or main yard with queens reared from them; and from time to time I have estab- lished from this yard many other yards, and have done no little requeening with this stock, with the result that it has revo- lutionized beekeeping with me; and adopt- ing this stock has enabled me not only to operate several hundred colonies, but even several thousand colonies. So I can not say too much in their favor from my own experience as well as that of others; and if I am a success as a beekeeper it is due to our government for sending me the founda- tion stock of this variety of bees; for I had already reached the climax — yes, and went a little beyond if possible — with the Italian and other varieties of bees. I will not as- sume the responsibility of saying that these bees are just the thing for every beekeeper in all parts of the United States; but while reports from some beekeepers in nearly every section have been made, all have been in their favor. If it were left to the writer to be the judge he would quickly and frankly say that the Caucasian bees rank higher than any others that have ever been imported into our borders for commercial use. It is said that almost any kind of hive will suit almost any kind of beekeeper; and the same might be said in reference to bees. But the highly ambitious beekeeper who wants to make the most of his bee business, and a mark in our ranks, and number his colonies by the thousands, could not even think of adopting any other stock, because they have greater merits or qualities. THEIR GOOD OR BAD QUALITIES. Tlieir good or bad qualities, as the writer has found after some years of experience with them from two colonies to two thou- sand colonies, are these : First, there has been but one very bad quality brought out against this bee, and that was that it pro- polizes the interior parts of the hive body; but this was not (^uite so bad as tlie wads or balls of brownish glue -found about in the hive which almost put an end to man- ipulating the interior parts of the hive. \\"ell, this, of course, was a very serious objection, and hence came the cry against them. Another slight fault found with them was that they build too much burr and brace comb. But what about these bad qualities in this bee to-day? They have been almost eliminated, and most of it done naturally, too — that is, they have nearly cleared them- selves of this objection, or to such an extent that it is no longer an objection. I have done but little if any toward breeding this bad quality out of them; but I learned that if I would give them plenty of ventilation about the bottom of the hive, and plenty of storing room, that colonies most inclined would make only a small deposit of this; and then, too, about the entrance, where it could be removed easily, or would not in- terfere with frame manipulation if left. But briefly, what about the good qualities of this beef Well, I would say this: They embrace every thing that could be expected of any bee — yes, and far more, which are : They are gentler, and far less furious at all times; gather more honey, and give it a much better body, especially if it is inclined to have a thin body, which is common among different kinds of honeys. They will also give it a much better finish in caj^iDing. This feature alone is a redeeming one in favor of this bee, for I get 2 cts. per lb. more for the honey they finish in one- pound sections. The capping is beautifully white, and in most cases has a very fine silk-like finish, and in many cases white veins running through the cappings from one side of the sections to the other, run- ning through it like veins in a human body. Then they are less inclined to swarm; build up earlier in spring; queens more prolific throughout the season; requeen themselves more often; in oilier words, they do not tolerate their old queens as do o*I,er races MAY 1, 1914 A. B. Munliaiu's scheme of truiisfei ri iiu so limt iln- Ijees do practically all tlie work. ('aucasians, aiul it is also true of (.'arnio- lans — tliey will breed up early, and they will breed when Italians cannot be coaxed. This very quality might make them desir- able for Mr. Wilder in the spring. But we should like to know hoAV he han- dles them in the swarming season. If our experience means any thing there would have to be a man at every yard, and' that would be exi^ensive. We operate with an automobile Avhich carries our crew with foreman from yard to yard. If an occa- sional swarm comes out, and is discovered by the farmer or his family, a telephone call will bring one of the boys on a motor cycle, to take care of them. But we have comparatively few swarms, because we use Italians. With our system of management, which, as we figure it, is more economical than to have a man at each yard all the lime, we cannot tolerate Caucasians nor Carniolans; and as a general thing Ave have no difficulty in getting Italians to breed as fast as they ought. A colony that runs to excess in brood-rearing is likely to have chilled brood in the spring. — Ed.] of bees, and it is more liaidy — that is, it will live longer under the greatest strain of its -life. Lastly and naturally, an apiarist can care for more bees with less expense, so far as labor is concerned, and at a much greater l)i'ofit if he has this bee. Cordele, Gra. [The reports that have come in to our office regarding the Caucasian bees do not agree with those that have come to Mr. Wilder — that is to say, those who have tried them to any extent in the North do not seem to be favorably impressed with them. We tested them quite thoroughly, as we thought, at Medina, and were compelled to get rid of them. They are the worst bees we ever had for out-apiary work, as they swarm in sea- son and out of season. In fact, they are much like the Carniolans in this respect, with the further disadvantage that they are bad propolizers, and excessive builders of brace combs.. We were very glad to get them out of our yard. But there is one Ihinii' in favor of the A NEW SCHEME FOM TMANSFEMMNG IINATES ALL THE [ BOX HIVES THAT PRAC- CONNECTED WITH IT Charlie Repp, of Itliie Eamoiuis Repp Broftliers, Fruiilt-grcDwerg off New Jersey BY E. R. ROOT ■ . When I visited the boys at our Appalach- icola apiary in March, our foreman, ]\Ir. Ernest Marchant, in the course of our conversation relating to the various metho(^s for making increase, remarked : • " Say, Mr. Root, you ought to see father's method of transferiTing from box hives into modern ten-frame dovetailed hives. It is the slickest scheme I ever saw. You must be sure to see dad and let him explain it; and do not forget to take along the camera." The next day we met the senior Mr. Marchant, and with a launch proceeded up to his Sumatra apiary, where the j^lan is in successful operation. Fig. 1 shows a row of hives in process of treatment ; and Fig. 2 is a still closer view of the same. thing. You mav sav at first glance, that this 346 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Pig. 2. — Marchant's scheme of transferrins. An empty sujier of drawn comb is placed over an auger- hole in the box hive; after bees and queen go above, a piece of perforated zinc is placed over the hole. is precisely the same tiling that J. J. Wilder described in the Beekeepers' Review for March. It certainly looks like it ; but, as a matter of fact, it is very dill'erent. While I was adjusting my camera ]\Ir. Marchant went on to ex^jlain that he had bought up a lot of old box hives, as he found himself short of bees, paying from one to two dollars for the same. To trans- fer in the old-fashioned way, and fit the combs into frames, was out of the question. Even the Heddon short method described in our A B C and X Y Z of Bee Culture in- volved too much work. " When I get ready to transfer," said Mr. Marchant, " I prepare as many eight-fram.e supers with empty combs as I have bought hives to transfer. I now approach one of these, lay it on its side, and blow a little smoke in at the bottom. I determine, as exactly as I can, how far down the brood oomes. I saw off the hive, combs and all. as close to the brood as I can, and tack a board up against the sawn-off end. I next bore an inch auger-hole in the side or what is now the top, and then place over it one of my regular supers of combs and the job is done for the time being. " But," said I, " how are you going to force the bees, and, more important than all, the queen, into the empty super? " '' They will go up all right when black tupelo is coming on, and providing I con- tract the hive capacity of the old gum by sawing it off as I explained." " Yes," I said doubtfully ; " and if tiie bees go up how are you going to catch the queen ? " " That is easy," said Mr. Marchant. " With a contracted brood-nest and a lack of room, and honey coming in, the bees are bound to go above through that hole, for we know that when honey is coming in bees will occupy empty combs at once." " But the queen? " I interposed. " Oh ! she will follow the bees." " But supi^ose she does," I asked ; " will slie not go back again into the old combs'? " " No, sir. A few days after placing the dovetailed liive on the old box I make an examination. As soon as I find egg's and brood in the upper part I put a piece of zinc over the hole. In 21 days all the good brood below will be hatched. I now remove the old hive and add another super to the transferred colony, and place the old gum near the transferred hive, and let the bees rob it out. When that is done I melt up the old combs and convert the box hive into kindling-wood." In proof that such a scheme was working well, Mr. Marchant showed super after super where queens and bees had gone up into the upper hive. ■• " But," I said, " Mr. Marchant, will this work this way every time? " " Yes, if the empty comb below, the brood in the box hive is cut off, and providing, also, that honey is coming in from some minor sources." MAY 1, 1914 347 The fact that box hives with black bees can be bought in many places in the South for one to two dollars a gaxm, makes this method particularly attractive and simple, where one has a preliminaiy source of honey coming in so as to force the bees above. The Wilder method of transfen-ing ap- peal's to ge a good deal like the one describ- ed by Mr. E. D. Townsend some years ago in Gleanings. CHARLEY REPP, THE APPLE-GROWER^ AS A TEMPERANCE MAN; BEES AS POLLINATORS. In our issue for April 1, page 243, I spoke of my interview with the genial Charley Repp, of the famous Repp Broth- ers, the apple-growers of New Jersey ; and in our issue for Aug. 15, 1913, I gave quite a complete description of the fruit-growing operations of these three brothers. It will be remembered that Albert Repp is the grower of the apples and other fruit. Charles Repp is the one who oj^erates the 10,000-barrel storage-plant and ice-making plant ; and Joseph Repp is the merchant in Philadelphia who sells their product when Pig. 3. -Charlie Repp, of the Repp Brothers, the famous apple-grower; sej'. " Now fire away with your questions." the market is ready. The Repp Brother? liave given some very strong testimony showing that they must have bees in their orchards ; and they have some orchards, for they have 450 acres in Gloucester Co., N. J., that are devoted to the raising of fruit. Some of the strongest testimony that has ever been published showing the value of bees as jTollinators has come from Albert Repp, page 562, Aug. 15, 1913; also the Country Gentleman for May 24, 1913. It seems that the Repp Brothers have extended their field of operations in that tliey now have a cucumber farm at Delray, on the southeast coast of Florida, and a great success it is. When the boys bought land down in that part of the country they wei-e told that it would not be possible to grow cucumbers there, on account of the insect pests; but Albert Repi? remarked, " Why not kill them off with insecticides in the form of sprays'? " and they did. On the Repp Brothere' Florida faiTo there are acres of cucumbers that are being grown successfully, and the probabilities now are that, as they have blazed the way in showing what can be done, winter cucum- bers will be grown in Florida at a price consid- erably below w h a t the n 0 r t li e r n green house growers can produce them The Repp Brothers are already doing it. T merely mention t h e incident here to show that the boys, like their father before them, are in the habit of do- ing what oth- er people said " couldn't be done." That's what makes genius; that's w h a t makes success. Mr. Selser Av r 0 t e me while I was i n Braden- town, saying of New .Ter- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE that \vlieiie\er 1 went over to the east coast on any of my travels 1 should be sure to see CU:arley Repp, who was looking after tlieir cucumber farm at Delray. He Avould ar- range, if possible, to have Mr. RejDiJ accom- pany us on our trip south, as he felt sure I would be glad l(j get some notes on the value of bees as pollinators. To make a long story short, our cruiser and party arrived in due time at Delray, and Charley Repp was at the dock, and soon jiiloted us to his cucumber farm of Avhieh I have al- ready spoken. "Bees? Oh, yes!" he said; "couldn't raise cucumbers without bees. There is a colony or two, over there, and tliere are a lot more of them about half a mile away.'' "You are positive that bees are necessary for cucumbers'? " " Yes, I am sure of it," he replied. As we walked down to the dock I said, " Mr. Repp, I am greatly interested, as you may surmise, in this matter of bees as pol- linators, and ever since I read that Avrite-up of you boys in the May 24th issue of the Country Gentleman, where you gave such testimony for the bees, I have been wanting to see one of you and ask questions." On arrival at the boat we took some camp- chairs and sat on the upper deck, and then began our interview. After Charlie had seated liimself in the camp-chair that shows in Fig. 3 he said, " Now fire away with your questions." " Say, Charley" (for I had become well enough acquainted with him by this time to address him thus familiarly), "how many bees or colonies does it take to pollinate an acre of apple-trees'? " " Oh ! ask me something easy," he repli^^d. with a merry twinkle. " I can't answer that. as so much depends on the size of the trees and the kind of season." " Well, about how many'? " I asked. "I don't know; but I will tell you this much : We can't have too many. The more bees we can have, the better." "Why?" I asked. "Because," he answered, "in some seasons the flights of bees are limited. Bees can't pollinate during wet or bad weather; and during the few good houi's of flying weath- pr, of course we need a lai'ge number of bees." " But I have heard it said that there are certain varieties of apples that are self- pollinating — for instance, the Baldwin, and that the bees are not needed on them." " Possibly," be replied. " We can gi-ow self-pollinating apples: but the varieties are very limited. Bees are necessary to increase the varieties. Tn order to make apple-grow- ing a success, we must grow the variety that is best adapted to the climate and soil. Those we grow require the agency of the bees. We can't grow the Baldwins, but we can grow the Winesap, and the latter needs bees." " How about the value of bees on peaches and cherries ? " " I do not think they are quite as neces- sary on these blossoms; but apples must have them." " Well, now, Charley, I have felt that the spraying of trees is a necessity, and that pruning is also a necessity, but that bees are only secondarily important." " But why are not bees a necessity? " he replied. " We simply can't gi'ow apples without bees — that is, some varieties at least. We can't dispense with spraying or prun- ing, nor can we with bees." HOW THE LIQUOR PEOPLE WERE GOING TO " GET " THE REPP BROTHERS. " To change the subject, Selser tells me that you boys are strong temperance men; that you have been active in the fight against saloons — so much so that you have incurred the wrath of the liquor people, and that they have threatened to get you. Is that so?" " Yes," he said, " we have no use for the liquor business, and fight it every chance we get." " I understand that one of the liquor agents threatened to put you boys out of business." " Yes, but they did not scare us very much." " What were they going to do? " " The liquor agent said that they were going to put out mammoth orchards next to us and undersell us. ' We will get you," they said. ' for you can't interfere with our business without getting into trouble.' " "What did you say'?" " I told them I would rather they would I'aise apples than to raise hell. Then they told me they Avere going to put up a mam- moth ice-plant and make ice cheaper than we could. I told them I would rather see them make ice than to make bums. Then they said they were going to put up a large cold-storage plant and store apples, and then undei-sell us. I told them I would rather see them fill a cold-storage plant than a jail." " Did they try to ' get ' you in any other wav?" " ^'es, they went after our bankers and Iried to get them to pinch us. But our bankers were our friends." " Did they start their apple-orchards and cold-storaee plant? " " Naw ! " MAY 1, 191 ity Leekteper blanding Ijfsiile liis Luiuier hive. IE BEEMEN I HAVE KNOWN; A SUCCESSFUL " RIGHT EN THE CITY BY WESLEY FOSTER I submit lieie two pictures that show Mr. J. F. Lyman, of Boulder, Colo., among his bees. The source of his honey-flow is en- tirely from mountain flowers and sweet clover. The mountain flowers furnish nec- tar early in May and June, and the sweet clover in July and August. Mr. Lyman is a city beekeeper. He lives right in the city of Boulder, and his little apiary of a dozen colonies is about half a mile from the foot- hills. The sweet-clover bloom upon which his bees work grows along the roadsides and vacant property in the city of Boulder. Mr. Lyman sold over one hundred dollars' worth of honey from his nine colonies (spi'ing count), the past season. He is the baggage- transfer man for the Boulderado Hotel, and sells the hotel a large part if not all of his surplus cvop. His crops have been remarkable to me because of the lack of suitable bee-range. Last season nearly 500 colonies of bees were located within the city limits of Boulder. In some seasons it seems a location can hardly be overstocked, while other years it is very easy. Mr. Lyman is shown beside his banner hive. He is using this photo postcard to send to his friends and honey customers. It sliould stimulate consumption, for it is an example of stimulated honey production. Some comb honey produced by a back lotter right in a city where there were 500 colonies in the city limits. 350 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Hake's octagonal hive dissected. The picture combines the complete outfit, consisting of brood-chamber, super, super-cover, bottom-board, and hive-cover, painted with deck paint, which gets hard and water-proof like hard enamel. Of coui-se Mr. Lyman is an enthusiast, but does not contemplate becoming a specialist right away, at least. He knows from ex- perience that all seasons are not as favor- able as the last. Boulder, Col. AN OMNAMENTAL OCTAGON HIVE FOR LAWN PURPOSES BY CHARLES Y. HAKE Hake's ornamental octagon hive for lawn display. I present here several pictures of a home- made hive of octagon shape. This hive is used for forming nuclei for increase in the early part of the season. It is always in use. I have a strong colony wintering in it. The small open corners are used for feed- ing. It contains a super with five regular shallow extraeting-frames, and six small frames one-half the size shown in photo. The brood-chamber takes regular half- sized Hoffman frames. Full capacity would would be nine regular frames. In this way the nuclei never go to waste, and are always returned to the hive when not in use. This peculiar-shaped hive makes an at- tractive ornament for my front yard. I have several real old-style earthen hives, one shaped somewhat like the old straw eke, and another circular one in two parts, a brood-chamber and a super, bell-shaped, witli a large handle that lifts off. York, Pa. MAY 1, 1914 351 THE HONEY=EXTlRACTOR A§ A NECESSITY Td PMODUCEM THE COMB = HONEY Some Timely Himtts on Spreadliig Brood BY THE OUTLAW One of my first impressions in comb- honey production was that the extractor was unnecessary; that extractors were only for those who make a business of producing extracted honey. That idea is sometliing, liowever, I have since disproved. In every locality with which I am fa- miliar, and for the benefit of the skeptic, I will state that I am somewhat familiar with comb-honey production from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the northern to the southern boundaries of the United States; that I consider that all the comb-honey pro- ducers should own and m.ake use of an extractor; for there are times in almost every sea- son in every locality when an extractor is necessary to get the best results from an api- ary. The matter that brought this subject to mind was when I overhauled my colonies of bees on the roof. They had received no attention since about November 1, at which time I removed the super, thereby reducing them one story. On examining them about March 1st I discov- ered that they had filled every cell possible with honey, and that the brood space Avas confined to four frames, each of which was about half brood. I immediately added the super, took out all the frames of honey, and iDlaced empty frames in the brood- nest, thereby giving the queen an oi^portu- nity to lay, of which opportunity she imme- diately took advantage. The empty combs Inside of the super. Tlie scheme of frames in tlie Hake octagon liive. that were j^laced above, and part of the frames placed below, were immediately filled with honey, so again I found myself in need of empty combs. As these I did not have, and having an extractor, I proceeded to place emjity frames in the brood-nest, one at a time, wait- ing until each frame had been filled with comb before giving another one. Following this procedure, in three weeks' time my colony, in place of four frames of brood, had seven — something that would have been impossible had the brood-nest l)een left in the condition in which I found it on March 1. Two of these combs of new brood were new comb built in the empty frames. The clogging of the brood- nest with honey is something which very seldom occurs in the spring in the central States ; but it does occur later in the season, especially with colonies G[>EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE that have cast a swarm. Tliis applies with double force to those colonies that are allowed to cast an after-swarm. Per- haps here I can best illustrate my point by telling some actual occurrences. The first was in an out-apiary in one of the central States. The apiary had an attack of the swarming fever, with the result that every strong colonj^ had cast at least one swarm. Along the latter end of July I went over the brood-nests of some 40 colonies that had swarmed. From those 40 brood- nests, if I remember correctly, I removed 30 gallons of honey. This was the salvation of those colonies. Had the brood-nests been left in the condition in which I found them, the queens would never have been able to build up the colonies in shape to go into winter quarters properly. It is just as es- sential to proper wintering that there be plenty of young bees as that there be plen- ty of stores. Another instance occurred in one of the Eocky Mountain States. There a yard which contained some 40. colonies, spring count, was run only for increase, the idea being only to make as many colo- nies as possible. This yard was extracted twice during the summer, the extracting be- ing done out of doors. The two extractings totaled 150 gallons. This, of course, was not all taken immediately from the brood- nests, for the reason that, as there was a sufficiency of empty combs, whenever a frame became filled with honey it was re- moved and placed in a super and an empty frame j^laced down in the brood-nest. Here honey was only incidental. The idea never was to produce honey, only increase ; but in spite of that fact the bees stored 150 gal- lons of surplus. In connection Avitli this there is another thing that it ofttimes pays to practice in a small way, which, while it is known to most of the old-timers, may be new to some of the younger generation. That is, to take the frame of honey and uncap it, or at least mash the cajipings with the hive-tool, and place this uncapped frame in the center of the brood-nest, with the result that the bees will, under the right conditions, take a good proportion of this uncapped honey and store it above, and then utilize the comb for brood. Another matter that goes with extracting brood-nests is that of spreading brood. Whenever conditions are such that the bees store the honey in the brood-nest, when the apiarist desires brood the spreading of brood should be practiced. In spreading brood, the great danger is in spreading it too much. A colony of bees is something like a sitting hen, as each can cover only a certain amount of brood, and with either it is very easy to give them too much to cover. In spreading brood tliere is one hard-and- fast rule — that is, never separate one frame, of brood otf by itself. Always work them in pairs. For example, if there are but four frames of brood in a brood-nest, separate them in pairs, and place the empty comb between the pairs. If there are six frames and plenty of bees, the six can be separated into three pairs, and two empty combs be Ijlaced between them. This matter of ex- tracting the brood-nest and spreading brood is a matter Avhich beekeepers in each local- ity will have to work out for themselves. There is no hard-and-fast rule that will apply everywhei'e. It is necessary to under- stand thoroughly the season as well as the bees, and to consider what the future con- tains, and then act accordingly. San Diego, Cal. [If a comb-honey producer does not have a surplus of empty combs that he can draw on when the queen becomes honey-bound, he surely ought to have an extractor; and there are some seasoriS that are too poor to pro- duce comb honey. The same may be said of some colonies in good seasons. A com- paratively light colony will produce con- siderable extracted honey when it cannot be made to produce comb. In the same way a good colony in a poor season will i^roduce some extracted but no comb. A comb-honey producer, however, does not need a large four, six, or eight frame extractor. A small two-frame machine will sui^ply his needs. In the matter of spreading brood, there is a good deal of science to it. An expe- rienced man can very often build iip his colonies just as our correspondent points out, and thus be better able to catch a flow of honey later on. Many and many a be- ginner, and some expert beekeepers who are short of help will allow their queens to" be- come " honey-bound " at just that season of the year when they can ill afford it. An early fruit-bloom in some localities will sometimes absolutely shut out a queen. If three-fourths of the egg-laying room, is occupied with honey there will be little like- lihood that there will be a sufficient force of bees to gather a clover crop later on. The " Outlaw," so called, is an old corres- pondent who has written for Gleanings for years, and from different parts of the country. While he is now a practicing attorney we are glad to note he has not lost his interest in bees. The very qualities that made him a student of law will also make him a better beekeeper. His article above may, therefore, be read with unusual caie l^ecause it relates to some very imporfa't considerations for this time of tlie year. — Ed.I MAY 1, 1914 Heads of Graini fF€)iniii Differeett Fields Painting Entrances with Creaso Dip to Stop Rob- bing About two years ago I was called by Mr. R. C. King, of Wharton, Texas, to see what was the matter with his bees, for they were dying by the thousands We opened only two or three hives, when it was plain that they were starving. Some colonies were so nearly gone that the bees had eaten all the iin sealed brood. I told him what was the matter, and we got busy with sugar and water. It was about April 15 or 20, with warm days and cool nights. When the bees began on the feed they commenced to try to get into the hives we had opened. I a.?ked Mr. K. if he liad any carbolic acid. He said no, but that he had some stuff that smelled a good deal like it, so when he got it, it was creaso dip. We mixed it with water, about half and half, and rubbed it on the hive where the bees were trying to get in. They stopped just as if one had caught them and carried them off. In five minutes they were as quiet as could be. This fall we had a very good honey-flow that came in October; and when we wore taking it off the weather was cool and cloudy, and, of course, we had hardly started before the robbers wanted to help. I had a little bottle of creaso dip; and when I had finished taking the honey out and had put the top on the hive I put a little of the dip around the hive under the edge of the top, and worked right along with as good results as if it had been fine warm iveather with a good honey-flow on. With the smoke plan of introducing queens, and %-inch blocks to prevent swarming, and creaso dip 10 stop robbing, what else do wc need except a good honey-flow for ten months in the year to make a success of the bee business? Lane City, Tex., Nov. 10. W. H. Mosks Swarming without Increase Last season, in hiving swarms we did not wish increase, so we put them into a hive as iisual. That same afternoon we removed the parent hive a few feet away, and put the swarm on the old stand Next morning we took brood, bees, and all from the parent colony, and gave them to the swarm, watch- ing the frame* to see that we did not get the queen in : and then we shook the bees remaining in the hive on the ground in front of the new colony. We could not take the time to find the old queen in the .swarm. This plan worked finely last season. Colo nies so treated worked with more vim and energj-. and made more honey, than other colonies, and we could not see that they started queen-cells any sooner than if not given brood and bees from the old colony. Since the old queen is left in the colony, what trou hie, if any, shall we get into by keeping up this liractice ? We can not follow directions given in the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture, because we use the Langstroth improved Simplicity hive. On account of the rim we can not use one over the other. We wish to use some shallow extracting-supers, keeping them on long enough to induce the bees to «'ork above them, and put on section supers. Can we use them without queen-excluders? Whiting, Kan., March 23. JosiE Geay [There is an old saying that "nothing succeeds like success;" and if the method of swarm control which you are using works well with you, then, most undoubtedly, that is the method to use. However, it is not new, but has been tried out by many beekeep ers, and abandoned because it too often fails to give the desired results. In many cases the bees, after having been hived back on the old combs, would swarm out the very next day, or would loaf until another batch of queen-cells was well under way, and then swarm again. In beekeeping it often hap- pen.s that a plan which will work well one season will be a failure the next, and we would advise you not to count too much on this method until you have tried it out at least another season. If you follow up this practice it would be well to see that your old queens are replaced with young ones at least every two or three years, or you will finally have a lot of weak colonies on your hands. This will be due, of course, to the natural failing of the old queens. \''our plan of using shallow extracting-supers to induce the bees to work above before putting on the section supers is a good one. However, unless you use a queen-excluder you run the risk of your queen laying eggs in them. In that case the brood can be used to strengthen weak colonies. — Ed. ] Death of Aaron Snyder, a Noted Beekeeper of New York State Mr. Aaron Snyder, of Kingston, died March 3. 1914, in his 71st year. He was born in Albany County, N. Y., in 1843, and was a beekeeper from the time he was 16 years old. In 1889 he moved tc Kingston. Here he ran from four to five apiaries, one being at his home bee-farm ,iust in the edge of the city, and the others within driving distance, from two to six miles away. Mr. Snyder leaves a wife and four children, all of Avhom are married, and live close to the old home They have helped him in his business to such an extent that he has his letter-heads, and all of his hrney-labels headed with his own photo, followed with the words. " The Snyder Bee and Honey Co.'' Mr. Snyder was a practical apiarist. He had an inventive mind and made many changes, and used many kinds of hives. He produced mostly comb honey until the last few years, when he produced extracted honey. His choice of hive was a nine or ten frame, 18 inches long and 12 inches deep, with extracting supers half the depth of the hive, holding Hoffman frames. He believed in selling his own honey, and could not produce all of the honey that he could sell, as he kept agents on the road as salesmen. He bought honey by the barrel, in addition to what he produced himself to supply his customers. He put up his honey in one-pound bottles, and some in five pound pails, being careful to use good honey. His agents would take back any honey that can- died, and exchange it for liquid honey. This candied honey was then heated in his shop, and new label? put on the packages for the market. In politics Mr. Snyder was a Prohibitionist. He was a hearty good fellow to meet at his home or elsewhere. He will be missed at our bee conven- tions, and by all who knew him. He had a jovia! way. When in good health he used to stretch him self up by my side, then give me a couple of slaps with his hand, and say, " We are about the same height, and weigh in the same notch (212 lbs.), twin lirothers." I should like to say more about his kind and happy family, but space forbids. A Friend Increasing by the Nucleus Plan After reading the editorial on page 83, Feb. 1, I thought I would give my experience in making in- crease without materially weakening the old colony. In the spring of 1912 I had 60 colonies of bees, and I wanted to increase to 100 ; but I did not want to let them swarm, nor divide them, as I wanted to secure a large crop of honey. So I decided to in crease by the nucleus plan. I set to work to rear my own queens, so I could give the nuclei laying queens as soon as I started them. I started almost all of 354 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE the nuclei on the first of July with one bis; frame of sealed brood or two small frames, with all adhering bees, and gave each one a laying queen and drawn comb. Nearly all of them built up to good strong colonies by August 10, about the time the fall honey- flow commences, and they gave me an average of 30 pounds each of surplus honey, besides their winter stores. Brook Park, Minn., Feb. 9. Harry Bell Increase the Consumption, Stimulate the Market, and Stiffen the Mariiet of Honey Are you reading the series of articles running in the Saturday Evening Post, by Forrest Crissey ? They are a revelation to those who are not familiar with the "Association way " of doing things. He has made a thorough study of associations, and in these articles he compares the old, narrow, " cut- throat " ways with the association methods now successfully in use in many vocations. He tells us how competitors who a few years ago were fighting one another, each trying to build up his own busi- ness by tearing down that of the other fellow, steal- ing trade secrets, processes, customers, and even skilled workmen, are now sitting side by side at the association meetings, " swapping " information, im- proved methods, and co-operating in every way for the uplift of the vocation, using the energy formerly required in tearing each other down to boost the trade generally. In this way each is benefited finan- cially, morally, and (I trust) spiritually by the asso- ciation of effort. Almost all vocations are now taking up publicity for their products in the association way. Some of of them pay their professional " boosters " a prince- ly salarj'. I can name half a hundred associations that are advertising their products, not as individ- uals, but for all as an association. These progressive associations are forging ahead, while the few that cling tO' the old traditions and stay in the narrow rut are not getting on. When we comjiare the real food value of honey, and the prices we are getting for it, with some of the well-advertised products, we find that they are getting more money for less value, and selling more goods ; and about in the ratio of the publicity given them, these other goods are in advance of our product. We have only ourselves to blame for this condi- tion. We have increased our production, depend- ing on the good qualities of our product to sell it- self. But business is not done that way now. It used to be ; and when it was, honey was at the head of the list of all the good things. Nowadays we all eat just what shrewd publicity men can convince us is necessary, sometimes against our better judgment. At the same time we are offering a delicious, whole- some product with a high food value, admirably fit- ted to take the place of meat on the laborer's table, or to grace the most exclusive banquet as the most dainty of delicacies. In spite of its manifold virtues, we find thousands of tables where it does not appear at all, and I have known grown-up persons who never tasted it in their lives. There is nothing surer than the fact that honey will respond to proper publicity and pushing. We have a case in point up around Chicago, where some enterprising young men are " boosting " extracted honey, and a medium amber at that, and they sell tons and tons of it at a good round price, and do it year in and year out. Honey advertising, local or general, will give results as very few other products can, as it has value, real value as a delicacy, and as a health and strength giving staple. We are likely to have a bumper crop this year, as the conditions are favorable everywhere, and we have the remnants of the last year's crop to clean up. But with proper united effort we can handle this big crop and stiffen the prices also. We have 20,000 beekeepers brimful of enthusiasm, ready to attempt any thing that promises to advance the in- terest of the industry. We have manufacturers of supplies whose business would be doubled if we double the production. We have big-hearted editors of bee-papers who will help us every way they can ; and all these, and the others who will be benefited by the uplift, must work, individually and as an as- sociation, to increase the consumption, stimulate the market, and stiffen the price of honey. Alone, each of us can do a little ; but all together, like a well- drilled army, we can do wonders in this direction. Do you belong to the association? If you do, get Ijusy and boost. If you do not belong, get busy and join so you can help boost. If you have only 200 lbs. of honey for the market it is a good invest- ment, and the association wants you. Geo. W. Williams, Secretary National Beekeepers' Assn. Redkev, Ind. How to Prepare a Car of Bees for Shipment I am going to ship a car of bees to my place in a few days ; and as I have never done any of this work T don't know much about it. They will be shipped only about 150 miles. You people have had con- siderable experience, and any thing you suggest will be gratefully received. I shall have to change roads on the way. How can I get the car transferred most quickly ? St. Joseph, Mo., April 7. J. F. Archdekin. [In shipping a car of bees from one point to an- other, especially where they have to be transferred. it is very important that arrangements be made well in advance before the car is started. To that end ask your agent to have the matter looked up so the transfer can be made promptly at the transfer point. Tlie hives should be very securely braced in the car to prevent any jarring or shaking one way or [he other. The hives should be loaded so that the frames will be parallel with the rails. If you have as many a.s two or three hundred colonies it will be necessary to make a very strong and rigid framework to hold the hives in tiers one above the other. The frames should be fastened if not of the self-spacing type, and dur- ing hot weather there should be a wire screen at the top and bottom of the hives. In addition it is im- portant to have water along so that the bees can be sprayed if they get too warm or get to roaring too much in the hives. Of course, it is important to have a man go- with them, and he must be prepared to stay up with them almost night and day until arrival at destination. It is desirable to get the car as far forward in the train as possible to avoid the smoke from the loco motive; and, besides, at that point there is a little less jerk when the train is started and stopped. We cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of having very strong framework, for the concussion of the train is something terrific at times, and it will knock down almost any ordinary light framework unless the whole thing is made rigid and strong. — Ed.] Combs Melting Down As a bee country this upper Sacramento Valley is nothing to brag of. During a long warm or hot season the heat is sometimes excessive. The past summer combs and foundation melted to a consid- erable extent, and shade and ventilation did not pre- vent it. With hives ventilated both below and above, and top and sides shaded, I had much loss from melting combs. The strong colonies suffered less than the weaker ones. A neighbor beekeeper had his comb honey melted in the upper story of his house, which was well ventilated. The air seemed to be actually hotter outside the hives than in them Orland, Cal., Jan. 25. P. P. Martin. MAY 1. 1914 555 OUM HOME Editoir At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of hea- ven ? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be con- verted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. — Matt. 18:1, 2, 3. Just recently, in the city of Cleveland a new society has been started, called, if 1 am correct, the " Safety First Society." It came into existence because of the increas- ing- number of children maimed or killed by electric cars, automobiles, motor trucks, etc. Its object is to educate the children, parents, teachers, and everybody else, for that mat- ter, how best to avoid the deplorable and j)reventable catastrophes chronicled in every daily paper. Proper teachers are to warn the children in regard to playing- with matches, drinking or eating stuft' out of bot- tles, running before automobiles or street cars, etc. Children and others are also taught what to do when their clothing is on tire ; remedies for poisons, danger of going in swimming when very warm; reviving a drowned person, etc. 1 think these matters are to be not only brought up in our schools, but " taught up " as well. God speed the undertaking, and may it speedily bear good fruit. The whole matter was brought to my mind by an incident of less than a week ago. We had just been having a heavy rain, and the ground was just in trim for setting out plants. By mere accident, as it seemed, 1 went down to the lower i^art of our garden (where it adjoins the " swimming-hole " in the canal), and commenced transplanting cassava " rooted cuttings." Looking over the wire fence I noticed two boys, perhaps a dozen years old, preparing to go in bath- ing. As I overheard their frolic as they chattered and splashed in the water I got to thinking what a fine thing it was in many ways to have a safe place where children could be happy in the water. After a little time I heard sounds that did not seem ex- actly like " play." I found one boy stand- ing on my side in the water, and the other on the far side, aj^parently diving again and again. While I was wondering that a boy of his age could remain so long under water, it suddenly occurred to me he was exhausted, and I yelled to the one near me : " The boy is drowning! don't you see?" " Yes, I know he is." " Well, hustle over there quick and pull him out ! " He only shook his head and didn't move. " Hurry up, or he may never come up again. \ on must not lose a minute ! " Although his comrade and playmate was fast losing strength, and not a dozen feet from shore, and in comparatively shallow water, I could not get him to budge an inch. A responsibility rested on my shoulders I scarcely ever felt before. While I meditated climbing the high barbed-wire fence and plunging into the chilly water, old as I am, 1 caught sight of Wesley at work a few rods away. I yelled, " Come quick! boy drown- ing! " After some delay in getting Wesley over the fence he plunged into the water, T all the time hurrying him up. I did not know it then, but Wesley cannot swim. After he had waded until the water was up to his chin, and the boy still beyond his reach, he hesitated. Let me say here that never before have I known Wesley to hesi- tate an instant when I told him what to do. The boy lay on the bottom, and had ceased to move, and I was in mental agony for fear he Avould get down into the deep water. I said, " Wesley, you mitst push on and get the bo3' before it is too late," and then, oh how I did pray that the next step might find liigher footing, and the prayer was answer- ed. Wesley dragged the apparently lifeless body to shore, and after I had directed him to put his liead down hill so the water could run out of his lungs I alarmed the neighbors, then I rushed back and called to Wesley : " Any sign of life? " I thought of the prophet Elisha and Ge- hazi, and then called back, as I was off quite a distance. " Now put his head up hill, and roll and rub him! " Then I got to a telephone and called a town doctor, and also got Dr. Morgan (one of our family of beekeepers), who is old like myself, and many years out of practice. I prayed again as I ran back; and when in sight, as I heard the welcome news, " Boy is all right," I changed my " prayers to prais- es." Wesley says there was no sign of life until the boy coughed and sneezed, and ex- pelled great cjuantities of water from his mouth. When I talked about getting him home, he laughed and said, " Ho ! I am all right," and the two started off as merry as if nothing had happened ; and although he }3romised me to tell his father all about it I am really afraid that, child fashion, he will forget to say anything about it. The doctor felt his pulse, and said he guessed his nar- row escape had done him no harm. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Just a few days ago a beautiful bright little girl was shot and killed by her brotlier, in our neighboring city of Akron. Her father, as former sheriff of this county, had a revolver; but as he always removed the shells when putting it away it was a mys- tei-y for some time as to how it could have been loaded. Finally it was discovered that a young brother found where the shells were kept, and put one in the revolver as he had s?en his father do. Shall we all not be more careful of these murderous firearms? If they 7nust be handled, shall we not avoid letting the children get even a sight of them? Year in and year out, our papers are telling the old, old story, " Didn't know it was loaded." TEMPERANCE " god's kingdom coming." We clip the folowing from the Cleveland Plain Dealer for April 6 : DANIELS PUTS END TO LIQUOR IN NAVV; ORDER CON- STITUTES NOTABLE VICTORY FOE PROHIBITION FORCES; GOES IN EFFECT JULY 1; EDICT WILL PREVENT USE OF INTOXICANTS ON ALL SHIPS AND LAND STATIONS. Secretary Daniels to-uight made public an order which not only will abolish the traditional " wine mess " of officers, Lut will bar all alcoholic liquor? from every ship and shore station. This order, one of the most notable victories ever won by prohibition forces, was issued on recommen- dation of Surgeon General Braisted. It reads: " The use or introduction for drinking -purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly prohibit- ed, and commanding officers will be held directly re- sponsible for the enforcement of this order." In a statement issued to-night Secretary Daniels said : " I am in hearty agreement with the views ex- pressed by the surgeon general in his paper accom- panying the recommendation. There should not be on shipboard, with reference to intoxicants, one rule for officers and another and a diilferent rule for the enlisted personnel. The saddest hour in my official life is when an officer or enlisted man must be pun- ished for intoxication. " During the past week it has been my painful duty to approve a courtmartial for dismissal from the service of an officer for intoxication. He told me that he had never tasted intoxicating drink until he did so in the wine mess on his cruises. Others, who have been disciplined for drinking to excess, liave made similar statements to me. " Officers are now commissioned at the early age of 22 years. Has the government a right to permit this temptation which too often destroys the highest usefulness of young officers ? I think not. If there is one profession more than any other that calls for a clear head and a steady hand it is the naval pro- fe.ssion. Experience has shown the wisdom of li&v- ing no intoxicants on our ships for the young men who enlist." Some time ago I read the Chicago Record- Herald with much interest ; but its liquor advertisements were so offensive I protest- ed. As it seemed to do no good I dropped it. See the following from the American Issue : RECORD-HERALD CUTS UVT LIQUOR ADVERTISE JIENTS. The Chicago Record-Herald, one of the great daily newspapers of the United States, in its edition of last Sunday, gave notice that it has decided to elim- inate liquor advertising from its columns. It will fulfill its existing contracts to print this class of ad- vertising, and having dune that it will accept no more. In a statement of its position the Record- Ilfrald says : " The Record-Herald goes into many thousand homes. In virtually all of these homes there is an abiding .sense of the need of protection against the use of the liquor traffic, especially for the young. In constantly increasing degree there is abstention from the use of liquor for the sake of the young. There is the haunting fear, that from the first indul- gence the young and unformed character may uncon- sciously drift into an uncontrolled and destructive habit of excess. Liquor advertising does not dis- criminate between use and abuse. It commends without reserve what the best social sense of the day more and more disapproves as dangerous." This places one more of the great newspapers of the country in the rapidly filling column of those who refuse to be longer known as barkers for saloons for the sake of the dollar. VOTING WET, LICENSING SALOONS, ETC. The following was sent us by Dr. A. F. Bonney, Buck Grove, la., and it seems to me it sums it up pretty fairly. I am the mightiest king that ever lived. Other monarchs have yielded to me as a child to its sire. I have in every land laughed at their gods, from Osiris to .Jehovah. With my breath have I wiped whole nations from the face of the earth. For me men discard honor, and women virtue. I destroy ambition, shame priests, debauch nuns, ruin statesmen, and — ^still they love me. I fill the insane-asylums and the prisons. I house my subjects in hovels and feed them on husks. Still they love rac. Fathers give me their sons, mothers their daugh- ters, maidens their lovers, and — beg me to stay. With one touch have I ruined great industries. Judges yield to my power, and advocates forget under my .'^pell to plead. I burnt Rome. With one touch have I sunk navies and destroyed great armies. I never sleep. I turn gold into dross, health into misery, beauty into caricature, and pride to shame. Yet the more I hurt the more I am sought. I by turns raise a man to highest heaven and sink him to deepest hell. I am Satan's right-hand man. I do his work free- ly, cheerfully, and without pay ; yet the father of lies is ashamed of me. My name is Rum. Have you ever heard of me ? Just now I am a little pressed, and I ask that you _sign my next petition of consent, for only I can turn men to brutes and women to worse, and have them still seek me, and continue to until I am driven out. Help me. Give me your son, your daughter, your lover. Give me your honor, wealth, and life. Just now I need the help of honest men. MAY 1, 1914 375 358 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE POULTMY DEPAETMENT THE CONVERGENT POULTRY- YARDS UP TO DATE ; SEE CUT ON PREVIOUS PAGE. In Gleanings for July 1, 1912, I gave you some diagTams, etc., of the above poul- ti-y-yards. These pictures were at the time largely theoiy. I now take much pleasure in giving a real picture of the place where I spend many happy hours. Ernest secured the excellent view of it all by mounting a long ladder (with his kodak) leaned up against one of the pines, such as you get a glimpse of in the i^icture. Suppose I go Fig. 2. — A view of the other side of the nest-boxes shown in Fig. 1. over it with you all, something as I take visitors through it and " explain things," as I do more or less almost every day. The central building is the gi'anary where all the feed is stored, and where we have a bone-mill for gi-inding bones and scraps of meat from the butcher's, about twice a week. On the north of this building you will notice two boxes, one containing ground oyster-shells and the other mica crystal grit. The whole crowd of about 100, big and lit- tle, visit these boxes almost constantly ; and just a few days ago, when the gate was left open, I noticed the Indian Runner ducks (18 in all) greedily gobbling up the crushed shells. As they run in the canal every r^ n n.^ ■ J . . . -L Fig. 3. — The wire day (see picture or mustard, cabbage, beet ''waterfall") I supposed that they found plenty of shells on its pebbly bottom. However, as we are now getting from 12 to 15 duck egg's every day I concluded to give them all the shells they wanted. The ducks have a yard where they stay nights, at the upper left-hand corner. There is a very small structure where they can get out of the hard rain in their yard; and the lane where they get down to the canal is just beyond this small covered shanty. If I don't get around promptly to open this gate at 8 :30 a.m. there is a chorus of 18 V ices in protest. On the north, south, east, and west of this granary, and at equal distances from it, are four similar buildings. Each one is divided in the middle with a wire partition, thus making eight separate houses, and each of the eight has a separate yard, the division fences running out like the spokes of a wheel. These fences go out off in the woods as far as the chickens care to travel. You can see one fence in the foreground. It is looped up to a stout wire. When this fence reaches the " inner court," as we call it, you see a group of eight covered nest-boxes. As I am an old man, it is something of a task for me netting basket used when I fet'd tlif llocli lettuce, -tops, etc. MAY 1. 1914 359 The 'i\. I. Red hen that had 20 eggs and hatched 19 chicks. I tried to call them up with a head of lettuce, but they were rather shy of the kodak, and skulked off among the palmettos. to stoop over in gathering the eggs daily, and so I have the nests at a convenient height. The roof on the opposite side is hinged (see picture No. 2), and v?hen thrown up and back I can get the eggs, handle sitting hens, etc., quite easily. The bottoms of the nests are inch netting, so all the tine stuff rattles through. I think this plan favors keeping out vermin. At inter- vals fresh dry grass is supplied. Each one of the eight apartments contains a galvan- ized tub fastened on top of a post about 18 inches high, and these tubs always con- tain wheat and corn. Even the small chicks soon learn to fly up into these tubs; but a Florida rat, never. Where each diagonal yard strikes the inner court, there is a i^an of water; and this water is always clean and fresh, for the windmill keeps water dropping into the pan day and night. One of these pans is just visible nearly undei- the nest boxes, each pan supplying two yards, as you will notice. I will explain right here that the original idea was to have all gates closed, and no fowls allowed in the inner court. Well, this is all right on the start; but I soon learned each flock will stick to its own house and yard pretty well after it has been kept shut up for a few days. It saves lots of work to leave the gates all open except the ones that confine them safe from in- truders in the night time. It is my pleasant task to shut all the doors as soon as all are on the roost at night, and to open again as soon as it is light enough for them to want to go out in the morning. I have told you elsewhere how we now care for the droppings; and it is a pleasant task to sweep out the inner court with a broom so it looks neat and tidy when visit- ore come around. I confess, however, when we have such abundant and frequent hard rains as we have had this winter, it some- times is a little " sloppy " until the water soaks into the sandy soil, and to further this, Wesley and I have just been putting in tiles beside the surface drain around each building. A hundred fowls give about a dozen to each of the eight apartments, and if there are many more than this on one roost, there is more " nagging " by some of the older and more important " biddies." Each hen with her brood of chicks has a house and yard to herself, and I tell you this is a great convenience. I like to give the youngsters bread and milk; but when you do this you don't want any " grown- ups nosing around." Oats are buried in the soft mellow soil 360 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE (with a cultivator) in every yard, abcut twice a week; and although the ducks don't scratch, they are as fond of digging out the soaked oats as are the chickens. When the young roosters get big enough to annoy the pullets they, too, need a yard all by them- selves. In order to get a vacant yard, we often double up temporarily; and as each house and yard is a duplicate of the others, the moved fowls always know where to get food, drink, etc. Much has been said about dispensing with males; but a good rooster will keep his flock together, and will take them away off down by the canal and into new forage where they may get a large part of their food better than a flock of hens. In cut No. 3 they were a little backward about crowding up around the " gi'eens," because Ernest was a stranger. One hen, however, it seems, was immodest enough to hop into the basket and give us all a " back- ward " view in another sense of the word. Notice the different colors that crop out by my ci'oss of Buttercups and Leghorns. Just now (March 10) we are getting from 35 to 40 eggs a day from 50 layers, and two days we had 44 eggs. At 30 cts. a dozen tliis, with the ducks, pays very well. A visitor remarked a few days ago, " Why, Mr. Root, with your fine outfit it almost looks as if you had nothing to do but "gather the eggs;" but I tell you such a ranch needs pretty close watching several times a day to do its best. Sitting hens should be spotted and taken away just as soon as a symptom is visible; and quite often something goes wrong that needs righting at once. CASSAVA FOB CHICKENS, ETC. Mr. A. I. Root : — Cuttings are about four inches long, cut ready to plant ; are planted about 4x4 feet ; or 4 X 5 on good well-drained land will make from ten to twenty pounds of roots per hill ; does well on the high sand hills. It makes good feed for cows and pigs, horses and chickens, also for table use, grated and made up like sweet-potato pudding. Four pounds is equal to one pound of corn as feed. It will stand shipping by freight. I have grown it in this section for the past 25 years. Loughman, Fla., Mar. 14. R. Addison. HIGH THE TWO DASHEEN TUBERS SENT OUR SUB- SCRIBERS, ETC. Since my brief notice that the tubers were ready to mail I have addressed more pack- ages than I have for years past ; but the kind words that came in almost every letter or on every postal card made the task a vei-y happy one. I presume they are most- ly planted by this time, either indoors or out; and you may be glad of some sugges- tions as they begin to show their snow-white shoots and unfold their pretty green leaves. Old decomposed stable manure will likely be the best " feed " for their tiny rootlets; then give them water as fast as they seem to need it. As they need much sun and heat give them a place sheltered from the cold winds. Although they are a sort of water-plant there must be good drainage. If they can get their white roots down into damp loose soil, that will suit them. Years ago I had a good deal to say about " Father Cole's " " New Agriculture." The plan was to gather and bury the rocks and cobble stones on the farm, in a pit. On top of the rocks was brush, old straw, and coarse sta- ble manure, and then the soil. The roots of the growing crops would go down into the water between the stones and trash, and be immune to drouth. We have been clear- ing our wild land by burying weeds and .E GAMDENMG bushes in the same way, and this suits the dasheen to a dot. Ours are at present mak- ing a most astonishing growth. Now here comes in another most wonder- ful thing about this plant. After it has grown a foot high or more you will notice tiny suckers shooting out around the parent stem. This is the way in which it multiplies. So far as I know it never blossoms or bears seed. Well, these suckers, if left, will each make a tuber springing out from the cen- tral parent tuber, or " corm ;" but if you want rapid increase take them off at any stage of gTowth, and plant them out. Our finest bed was made by taking up our old plants and separating them until each made a dozen or more, and not one of the lot even wilted a leaf. Some of our oldest "clumps" will now give us 20 or 30 good plants for a new plantation. Of course, this latter is possible only where the plant can gi'ow every day in the year, because we have no frost. Let me repeat: Every bit of the plant is always edible every day in the year — the tuber under ground, the leaf-stalk, both under and above gi'ound, and the green leaves on top of the stalk. It is not only edible, but delicious and nourishing food. Huber and his wife are here with us in our southern home, and they too seem never to tire of what we call " dasheen asparagus " and dasheen " spinach." LJHKAKV ot 1! MAY 21 1914 A^pnoultnrcJi mmnxn0 Wt (Mtutt IAY15,1914, NO.10. POLLYANNA THE GLAD BOOK By ELEANOR H. PORTER, author of '^Miss Billy" and **Miss Billy's Decision;" illustrated, cloth -bound, $1.40 postpaid. * 'Enter Pollyanna. She is the most irresistible maid you have met in all your journeyings through Bookland. She is so real that you forget that she is a story girl. After the first introduc- tion you will feel that the inner circle of your friends has admitted a new member. A brave, winsome, modern American girl, Pollyanna walks into print to take her place in the hearts of all members of the family. " Twelfth Printing Read some of the press comments: " Pollyanna is the ' gladdest ' book that was ever written. It is of more real value than any thousand sermons to which I have ever listened." — Passaic Daily News. " It is a book that charms at once by its style, and delights by its charac- ter-drawing and the interest developed by the story." — The Boston Journal. " Pollyanna is a delightful character, and the book refreshingly natural." — Cedar Rapids Record. A Copy of Pollyanna as Premium Send us two new yearly subscriptions to Gleanings IN Bee Culture with remittance of $2.00, or your own renewal for one year and a new subscription for one year with remittance of $2.00, and we will send you postpaid as premium a copy of "Pollyanna." The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio Canadian postage 3()c extra per year; Foreign postage (>0c extra per year. leamimigs in Bee (GMlttuure Published by The A. J. Root Co., Medina, Oliio. H. IT. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. A. I. KooT, Editoi- Home Department. J. T. Calvert, Business Mgr. Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, O., as Second-class matter. VOL. XLII. MAY 15, 1914 NO. 9 EDITOKIAL The American Bee Journal thinks Dr. Miller is a half century younger than he says he is, viz., 38 instead of 83. If any man is young in spite of his years, Dr. Miller is that man. We stop the press to-day, May 13, to an- nounce the successful arri\-al of the first ( arload of 300 colonies of bees from Apa- lachicola, having been en route (thanks to the railroad companies) only five days. Ev- ery colony, thanks also to our good friend M. J. Deyell, who came with the bees, is, so far as investigated, in good order. Further particulars in our next issue. The Natiomal Ne1t=Weig]hilt Law The reader's attention is directed to the article on national and State laws regarding fhe net weight on honey, on page 385 of this issue. Every one who has honey for sale (and that, of course, means most beekeep- ers) should read this very carefully. We are pleased to announce to our read- ers that we have engaged one of the best cartoonists in the United States — Donahey, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer — to make a set of pictures for Gleanings. Mr. Dona- hey is a back-lot beekeeper*. He has kept bees long enough to acquire a good working knowledge of the business, especially back- lot beekeeping. We have already received a series of his cartoons; and to say they are rich is putting it mildly. They will begin in our next issue. It requires somewhat of a stretch of the imagination to think of flowers and bees in Alaska; but the flowers and bees are tliere nevertheless. We give herewitli a clipping from the Neiv York World of October 20, sent us by IMr. A. T. Cook. Fairbanks, Alaska, Oct. 18. — Two hives loaded with bees have arrived here, the first ever shipped to the interior of Alaska. They are for Mrs. Ed Wiek- ersham and Mrs. M. M. Truxtun, who will experi- ment in bee culture. The fields and gardens in the Tanana Valley abound in flowers from the middle of May until the early part of September, and it is be- lieved bee culture will be a success here. Two different copies of Gleanings have been going to Alaska regularly, and it is to be hoped that the nucleus started by the two colonies mentioned in the clipping above may be increased as time goes on. Who can give us further particulars in re-, gard to possibilities in Alaska? lom ; In our April 15th issue, p. 282, editorial department, we stated that the bees had wintered quite Avell all over the country except in the vicinity around Philadelphia. Mr. F. Hahman, of that city, Secretary of the Philadelpliia Beekeepers' Association, says that the bees never wintered better, and wondered Avhere we secured our infor- mation. We saw a couple of letters from parties in the vicinity of Philadelphia early in the season, stating that they were fearful there would be a severe loss in and about tlie city, owing to the cold weather, and it looked like it at the time. 'Mlg Ml Brasilianische Bienenpplege, publish- ed in the German language at Porto Alegre, Brazil, publishes an account of our experi- ment with shipping bees to Florida, in its February number, and has the following to say : It is quite a distance from Medina to Florida, but thus far the experiment seems to have been success- ful, and it seems to us that our German beekeepers might well consider this matter of migratory bee- keeping, which could be practiced to a considerable extent in this country as well. It may interest some of our readers to know that, Avhile the Portuguese language is the official lang-uage of Brazil, the German language is spoken almost exclusively in the southern part of that countiy, where there are extensive German settlements, and, inci- dentally, a large number of German bee- keepers. 362 GLEAJSIINGS IN BEE CULTURE The fact that beekeeping pays in Brazil, and that the industry has developed to a considerable extent, would seem to be prov- en by the existence of a number of bee- papers, the one mentioned above being in its 16th year, and also by a number of bee- keepers' associations. Brasilianische Bie- nenpflege is the organ of the " Syndicato Apieola Rio Grandense," and is edited by Profesor Emil Sehenk, who also has charge of the apicultural section of the Brazilian Department of Agriculture. He has done a great deal to develop modem beekeeping in that wonderful country. 5ome we may judge from a liberal sample sent us, is some of the finest orange we ever tasted ; in fact, we should call it pure orange honey. Prof. Baldwin will have no trouble in dis- posing of it. Lljgo by One Man Mr. Emilio Hernandez, of Cienfuegos. Cuba, has on hand a crop of 850 barrels of honey, or, moi"e exactly, 45,000 gallons. At 12 lbs. per gallon this would make 540,000 .lbs. or 270 tons. Perhaps Mr. Hernandez will be willing to tell us something about his extensive opei-ations in Cuba. We do not know whether he produced these 850 barrels in one season or not; but we infer that he did. Apparently his problem is not so much to produce a crop as to sell it. Perhaps we ought not to stir ujd a hor- net's nest; but just suppose there were a few hundred beekeepers in the tropics like Mr. Hernandez, and that we had free trade. Free trade or protection, we do not imagine, we have any need to fear very greatly, be- cause we have nearly free trade as it is on honey, and, moreover, we do not, and prob- ably will never have a few hundred or even a dozen beekeepers who will produce 850 barrels in a season. Prospects for this Season With one or two exceptions the re^Dorts of wintering have been most excellent throughout the country. The spring has been favorable, and rains have been fre- quent enough to keep the soil for clovers sufficiently moist. But it is only fair to say that in our locality, at least, the clovers are not as promising as they were a year ago ; that is to say, they are not as abundant, but there may be enough to take care of the bee season later on. There is no reason, how- ever, to suppose there will not be a fair crop of clover. Some of the heaviest honey years have been when clover appeared to be very scarce; but there have been other years when clover was everywhere, and yet not much honey. Some very fine crops of orange honey have been secured in Florida. One crop, by Prof. E. G. Baldwin, of Deland, Fla., if The first few numbers of El Apicultor, the organ of the Porto Rico Beekeepers' Association, have just been received, the first number of which publishes a letter written by Dr. E. F. Phillips, dated Decem- ber 11, 1913, at Washington, D. C, in which he promises to assist the said association in any way that he possibly can. Dr. Phillips expresses the opinion that the island of Porto Rico offers a v\'onderful opportunity for the beekeeper, and that the formation of the society will undoubtedly help to pro- mote the industry. Mr. J. W. Van Leenhoff is the editor of the above-mentioned paper, and the said gentleman is likewise the President of the Porto Rico Beekeepers' Association, which has been incorporated as a branch of the National Beekeepers' Association of this country. Beekeeping has developed in Porto Rico in a most wonderful manner within the last ten years, and we have no doubt that the formation of this association and the publi- cation of El Apicultor will help very mate- lially to further the interests of the Porto Rico beekeepers. Marchant^s Sclieme of Transferring On Images 345 and 346 of our issue for May 1 we illustrated and described the A. B. Marchant scheme of transferring bees from box hives into movable-frame hives on a plan that involved but little labor on the part of the beekeeper. This scheme at first worked out all right for Mr. Marchant ; but later on it failed so many times that he cannot now recommend it without at least some modification, and has so advised us. Our readers will, therefore, take notice and be governed accordingly. We were somewhat skeptical, but as the scheme had worked out all right up to that time we thought it worth giving to the pub- lic. The difficulty seems to be that the queen will not go above in all cases. Her failure to do this, of course, would make the scheme a failure. If more of our correspondents would be frank enough to admit that some of their new schemes, after being tried out on a larger scale, are not a success, it would be better for the beekeeping public. Perhaps MAY 15, 1914 363 tlie more critical ones will say that it would be better if the editor would go slower be- fore giving them to tlie world; and to a cer- tain extent that would be correct. But very often a discussion of these new and some- times not thoroughly tried-out schemes de- velops a i3lan that finally proves to be a suc- cess. In this particular ease Mr. Marchant has modified the plan, and later on will de- scribe it. With the second annual report on in- spection in Iowa, the State Inspector, Mr. Frank C. Pellett, has incorporated the pam- pers read at the second annual convention held in Des Moines, December 10, 11, and 12. The report as a whole is a great credit to Mr. Pellett, and will do an immense amount of good throughout the whole State. Mr. Pellett makes the point that, accord- ing to the census report, more than one farmer out of every eight in Iowa keeps bees, but that the average value per farm was only $17.88 in 1910. However, most of the extensive beekeepers of the State do not reside on farms, and were, therefore, not enumerated. Referring to the inspection, 311 apiaries were visited, and disease was found in 140. The total number of colonies inspected .was 6973; total number diseased, 483. A con- siderable portion of those found diseased have been treated by the owner. In this connection Mr. Pellett strongly emphasizes the value of educational work. A good description of the various dis- eases is given, including the disease sac- brood. There has been some inquiry from our readers of late in regard to this disease, and there seems to be some misunderstand- ing. We are, therefore, copying here the symptoms of sacbrood given by Dr. G. F. White, of the United States Department of Agriculture, as published on page 15 of the report. The strength of a colony in which sacbrood is present is frequently not noticeably diminished. When the brood is badly infected, however, the colo- ny naturally becomes appreciably weakened thereby. The brood dies after the time of capping. The dead larvw are, therefore, always found extended length- wise in the cell, and lying with the dorsal side against the lower wall. It is not usual to find many larvse dead of this disease in uncapped cells. Such brood, however, had been uncapped by the bees after it died. In this disease the cappings are frequently punctured by the bees. Occasionally a capping has a hole through it, indicating that the capping had never been completed. A larva dead of this disease loses its normal color and assumes at first a slightly yellowish tint. " Brown " is the most characteristic appearance assumed by the larva during its decay. Various shades are observed. The term " gray " might sometimes appropriately be used to designate it. The form of the larva dead of this disease changes much less than it does in foul brood. The liody wall is not easily broken as a rule. On this account, often the entire larva can be removed from the cell intact. The content of this sac-like larva is more or less watery. The head end is usually turned markedly upward. The dried larva or scale is easily removed from the lower side wall. There is practi- cally no odor to the brood-combs. Along the line of treatment the shaking method is given fo)- American foul brood, with some modifications. For European foul brood, requeening with pure Italian stock is recommended, and the shaking plan is also given, being recommended by Dr. E. F. Phillips. Four from One Sent Down The last reports from our men in the field at Apalachicola, Fla., go to show that we shall certainly make an increase of three carloads of bees from the one sent down last November, and a strong probability of an additional ear, or four cars in all. The first car starts May 8 by way of the river, Bainbridge, Ga., and "^Cincinnati. If it makes schedule time it will arrive at Medina on the 13th. Tlie next two or three carloads will start May 20 or 22. One man will ac- company the first car and tAvo men the next two or three. Unfortunately the backward season in Apalacliicola rendered it impossi- ble to move the first car in time to get much of the fruit-bloom in and about Medina; so we have had to scratch around to find bees locally to take care of orchards in tliis vicin- ity- Our boys have been able to secure a fair crop of honey, possibly enough to pay the freight on the bees back. But of this we shall speak more i>ositively later. The question may be asked whether our scheme of moving bees south for increase and honey, fo Apalachicola, has been a suc- cess. As yet we are unable to give a definite answer. If we bring back four carloads of bees and twenty barrels of honey, the bees arriving in good condition, the venture will pay out well, without question ; but There's many a slip 'Twixt cup and lip. There are 6000 new combs just drawn from full sheets of foundation. While they have all been wired they will not stand a trip of this kind of some 1200 miles like old combs. If the weather should prove to be extremely warm while the bees are on the way, and if there should be poor connec- tions, we might lose a considerable number of bees on account of these new combs melt- ing down. All of them, however, will be 364 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE exiiacled so as to leave but very little honey in them — barely enough to carry the bees through to Medina. To keep the bees cool there is nothing like having plenty of water at hand. There will be a barrel of water in each car, and these barrels will be replenished as often as they become empty. Past experience has shown that a carload of bees will use up a large amount of water — four or five barrels, per- haps, to the trip. If we can keep the bees cool by spraying or " wet blanketing " them, and if w^e can make good connections all along the route, it is safe to conclude the bees will get thi'ough in good order. In the mean time we are getting in connection with all the railroad people along the route to see that there is no delay. While the cars are moving there is no trouble to keep the bees cool; but when they stop for a few hours in midday the man in charge is kept busy in watering the bees. The cars are to be hooked on as close to the locomotive as possible so as to avoid some of the bumping and to keep the bees out of the sulphurous smoke as much as possible when going through tunnels. It is not expected that the men en roule with the bees will have a Pullman-car trip. They will have to be up with the bees almost night and day to repair staging when an oc- casional bump jars it loose, and to fix the screens and give the bees water Avhenever they get hot. All kinds of weather, cinders, locomotive smoke, rain and shine, hot and chilly weather, cold lunches — all this is hard on the men, and of course it means extra time allowances. Taking it all in all, there are some heavy expenses in connection with a proposition of this kind; and the average beekeeper should go slow about making- such a venture unless he can, from a finan- cial point of view, stand a loss. If he moves all his bees south and then loses 50 per cent of them in moving back, even though he does make a good increase, he would lose out. In our ease we have one more bridge to cross, and that is to get the bees north in good condition. We shall be wiser and per- haps sadder by our next issue. It is proper to say in this connection that the average northern man, even thougli he has had a large amount of experience in keeping bees will probably fail the first year after going south, for the reason that con- ditions are so very different. In our case we ]nit a man in charge, Mr. J. E. Marehant, who was born and had been reared in Apa- lachicola, and who, under his father, A. B., had a very large experience in managing beeyards on th? Apalachicola River before he went north. It takes a man of exiieri- ence, both in the North and South, to make a scheme of this kind woik out. If we make a success of the plan this year, we ought to be able to do as well or better another year, because conditions this winter have been unfavorable. The cool months of February and March gave Mr. Marehant the blues. He had set his stakes for three carloads of bees and twenty bar- rels of honey; but when the whole of Feb- ruary' turned out to be so cold, and the fore part of March being but little better, he be- gan to be discouraged. But he made up his mind that the plan would have to succeed. So he has been crowding the queens by every means possible during the good weather we did have.* Had it not been for the unfavorable February and March we should iDrobably have had all the bees up here in time to catch the apple-bloom. As it was, Mr. Marehant thought it best to catch the two tupelo flows and then move north. The boys have been busy during the bad weather in making up hives and frames, and putting in foundation. No one knows, except the one who has tried it, that the nailing together and i^utting sheets of foundation in some 6000 metal-spaced Hoff- man frames is no small job. No one man can do it in a month. In fact, it took an average of three men to do all the nailing and painting when they could not work the bees, between tAvo and three months. They nailed and painted 500 hives with covers and bottoms, and 500 tln-ee-frame nuclei. Each colonv' and nucleus will be supplied with a queen — not of our own rearing, but of the rearing of Mr. A. B. Marehant, the father of the junior Marehant managing our bees. It will be seen, then, that we must charge up against the Apalachicola proposition queens, sugar for feeding, gasoline, launch rental, and a considerable amount of labor as well as freight ; but as it would have cost us nearly as much to put the stuff together and paint it at our Medina factory ,_we will credit up this cost when the bees arrive in Medina. There is one more item of expense, and that is platforms to hold the hives, and buildings to house the men during tlie bad weather; interest and depreciation. No one should get the idea that there is big money in mo\dng bees south for increase and honey. There are some big risks as well as expenses, * He has been crowdiiiE; his queens so hard in brood-rearina: that many of them are failing, and the bees are supcrs^edin'^. When we con'iider the fact that the bees have increased fro'ii 275 folonies, not overly strong, to 800 fair '•olonies. and 500 three- frame nuclei, we can readily riidei'sfand why the queens are beginning to fail and the bees to super- sede them. MAY 15, 1914 Ir. C. C. 365 STEAY STMAW: Smith gets 50 pounds of lioney per colo- ny; Jones gets 60 pounds. What per cent greater success has one than the other? I venture the guess that there isn't a man connected with The A. I. Root Co. who can give the correct answer in less than ten words. Nor a woman either. [The answer seems easy enough. What is the '' catch '"'? We do not catch on. — Ed.] Terry and wife use 31/2 gallons of honey a year, p. 280. That's 1% gallons each. T use 31/4 gallons a year for my morning- drink alone. All the same, you're right that it would give honey a boom if all would use as much as the Terrys. It would take for the United States about 2,000,000,000 lbs. My only reason for using honey instead of sugar in my drink is that it is better for health, and I'm fairly long on health. D. M. MacDonald, British Bee Journal, 72, questions calling worker-bee " fellows," I suspect because they are females. The Standard dictionary gives as the first defi- nition of fellow: "A person or individual: a term of familiarity applied to almost any IDerson of the male sex, and occasionally to a woman." That ought to let in worker- bees, especially where " votes for women " have given women equal fellowship with men. But when our Scotch friend, speaking of the Americanisms of an author, says, " His roof is a ' lid,' his flightboard an ' apron,' and he speaks of the ' Porter ' ' escaping" bees,' " I'd like to have him name the author. A roof is always called a " cov- er " here, and I've never seen either of the three terms he quotes in American writing, although I have seen " lid " in British writ- ing. " Bees can carry a blight of any kind," p. 300. I wonder. "Active hold-over cankers exude a sticky ooze, attractive to insects, .... and any insects visiting such can- kers will become covered with the germs," p. 299. Now, did you ever see bees visiting such cankers'? Don't they go straight for the blossoms and alight nowhere else? You know well that bees are strongly inclined to stick to the same flower or other source of sweets. Now, suppose a bee should visit a canker; wouldn't it keep on visiting can- kers? so Where's the chance of carrying in- fection to trees with no canker? [You are taking our language too literally. Bees will have little occasion to visit a sticky ooze, even though it might be veiy attractive to other insects. What we meant to say was that bees might carry blight if it were where they would be likely to come in contact with it. We will admit we are not well informed on the subject of blight; but twig blight and pear blight could be, and are, carried by bees, and in a form that might find lodg- ment in blossoms. — Ed.] " The occurrence of swarms going into other hives that have just swarmed " is men- tioned, p. 293, as " not common." With me it was painfully common when a number of swarms issued on the same day with clipped queens. The bees not being allowed to go off with their queen, likely preferred to return to some other hive than their own, and the swarmy noise at other hives attract- ed them. One day I had a case of that kind. I moved the hive to a new place, and the bees soon found it. Then I put it on a wheelbarrow and trundled it about. As long as I kept on the go it was all right, but whenever I stopped the bees found it again. [The reason it was " painfully common " was doubtless because when it did come, it came in a painfully inconvenient time. We have had for years something like 500 colo- nies in and near Medina, and the occurrence of swarming bees going into other hives is not common with us. As we do not clip queens, because many of our customers prefer them unclipiDed, it may be that this explains the difference. — Ed.] On page 283 there seems a desire to discover some artificial pollen that will work out just the same as natural pollen. May be that would be no real gain. 0. 0. Pop- pleton says, p. 281, " My problem is not so much to encourage brood-rearing as to keep it down," and in Germany " late-breeders " are in general preferred to " early-breed- ers." If we could get a colony a month in advance of others in brood-rearing, it is just possible it might fall below the others in its season's storing. [Perhaps with the North- ern beekeeper there would be no real gain by artificial stimulation ; but in the case to which we were refeiTing, inciting bees to breed by artificial means in Northern Flor- ida to secure increase would be a decided gain. If an artificial substitute for natural pollen can be found that will cause bees to breed up as readily as on natural pollen it will mean a great deal to many Southern beekeepers who desire increase, but who sometimes find there is no natural pollen, notwitstanding general weather conditions are favorable. There is seldom a scarcity of natural jDollen in the North except very early in the spring; but it is often lacking in parts of the South. — Ed.] A66 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE J. E. Crane IFTING If Mr. F. A. Conner's jumbo hives are as great a success in producing honey as they are neat in appearance in the picture, page 183, they are a success, sure. I have examined several yards of bees this spring, and those wintered out of doors appear to be in much the better condition in spite of the severe winter. * * * After reading Mr. Van Wye's experience in court, page 190, one can not help won- dering if the old-fashioned rule of loving your neighbor as yourself is not, after all, the best way. * * * Wesley Foster says, page 166, that he has " made mistakes and always shall." Just so "me too;" but it is more than half the battle to acknowledge our mistakes. Give me your hand, my brother. * * * On page 163 Dr. Miller quotes from a German bee-journal the statement that hon- ey from some soils contains 75 per cent more iron than that from other soils. This may have a bearing on the color of honey from different soils. » * « That house apiary of Mr. Newsome's, page 181, is certainly attractive. Such api- aries have some advantages. I run across tliem now and then in inspection work; but I find they have some disadvantages as well. They are, however, a complete protection against petty theft. Do we beekeepers realize how fast the larvae of bees grow? If a chicken were to grow as fast it would in a week weigh about 125 lbs. ; and if a wee pink human baby were to grow as fast as these baby bees, it would weigh in the course of a week not far from four tons, and be as large as a good-sized elephant. These are, of course, estimates, and, like the weights on freight bills, subject to correction. * » * I will say in regard to that four-foot board referred to, page 85, by Dr. Miller, that one is enough for a yard. We give just one line across the board to a hive, and use shorthand thus. 27. S.6-20-X7-4 0. Let me read it : " No. 27 has a queen two years old ; wing clipped ; is strong in spring, and on June 20 found eggs in queen-cells. The queen was removed July 4th, and in seven or eight days a virgin queen was given, which in due time was found to be fertile." Having eight yards to look after, we haven't much time for bookkeeping, and a few signs seem to answer our purpose. * * * HOW THE MUCH-DESPISED SWEET CLOVER IS WINNING ITS WAY INTO FAVOR. F. W. Lessor says, page 230, that sweet clover is a great crop, and he is going to sow nine acres of it this spring. Dr. Miller says, p. 205, that in his county the farmers have bought twenty bushels of the seed. A man in Kentucky writes me that he has sold a carload of sweet-clover seed ; and our State Commissioner of Agriculture told me not long ago of a man in Kansas who had plowed up 4000 acres of alfalfa to sow to this despised sweet clover — not that alfalfa was not good, but that sweet clover was better, in that (for pasture) there was no danger of bloat in cattle. Let the good work go on. * » * REQUEENING WITH VIRGINS WITHOUT DEQUEENING. On page 126, Feb. 15, I inquired how far young virgin queens could be introduced into hives having a laying queen, and have them become fertile, and take the place of the old queen without the trouble of looking her up. Ml". Adrian Getaz, of Knoxville, Tenn., writes me queens tlu'ee or four years old will be destroyed invariably. Those two years old, not always. Those of the previous year's rearing will often succeed in destroy- ing the virgins — how often, I don't know — perhaps in one-third of the cases — ^^often enough to make the scheme unprofitable. I wish he would tell us how he introduces his virgin queens. * * * THE FELLOW WHO DOESN^T READ A BEE-PAPER. An old gentleman offered me his entire lot of twenty colonies of bees in all sorts of hives, three years ago, for $60. I called to see him a few days ago. He was not at home, but his family informed me that the bees had increased to thirty-five colonies, and he was fixing them so as to put on sections, and had made 250 sections for use this season. I didn't smile — at least till I got away from the house. It wouldn't have been polite; but I couldn't help thinking that, if he read Gleanings or some other good journal, he would have wanted 2500 sections and 20 pounds of light foundation to go with it. How much it has saved him to go without a bee-paper or bee-book both in time and expense! MAY 15, 1914 367- EEKEEPING IN THE SOUTHWEST Louis H. Sclioll, New Braunifels, Texas. A TOO COMMON MISTAKE. In Gleanings, April 15, are shown excel- lent photographs of various extensive api- aries, both of this country and from across the water. It will be noticed that the hives are in long rows, spaced the same distance apart in each row, and the hives entii-ely alike in almost every instance. In my own experience I found years ago that this was not the best way to place the hives, and I have called attention to the matter before. The danger of not only bees but queens mistaking the neighboring hives for their own is the main objection against such an arrangement. It caused me much trouble as long as I had the hives spaced in such sys- tematic order on account of the many queens that were lost by going to the wrong hive. And this did not stop until I moved every other hive closer to its next neighbor so that the hives, while still in long rows, were aiTanged in pairs. Thus placed there is little if any danger of the above-mentioned trouble. I have wondered if other beekeep- ers who have their hives arranged in such regular order do not have these troubles. My information from a number whom I have asked is that they experienced a large number of missing queens, but they had not given the real cause of this any thought. After mentioning the matter as outlined above there was a general opinion that " there is something in it." What do others say? VP^HAT TO DO V^ITH DARK HONEY. The following letter has been forwarded to me for an answer : Louis H. Scholl's objections to selling oflf-grade honey have prompted me to write for information. I agree -with him in regard to the evil effect of selling the " stuff," as he terms it ; but the question is, "What shall we do with it?" In my immediate locality we have honey-dew in almost unlimited quan- tities in the summer, just after the main honey har- vest, and this is often mixed by the bees with more or less good honey. It is never mixed enough to make it any thing like a good grade of honey ; but we are often compelled to extract quantities of it in order to make room for the queen to deposit her eggs; and as we don't need it for feeding purposes there is nothing to do with it but either to sell it, give it away, or dump it in the river. There is no market for it that I have ever been able to find. The biscuit companies refuse it, as they say they are not permitted to use it in their goods. If you can suggest some way to use it, or some profitable way of disposing of it, it will be appreciated. Would the name " honey-dew honey " on the labels of this grade of honey conform to the pure-food laws, or would the word "honey" have to be left off entirely? Jonesboro, Tex., March 27. T. B. Cantbell. My claim is that we should not put any inferior gi'ades of honey on the market as a good many beekeepers have done and are still doing from year to year. The result is that it has a material bearing on the price good honey ought to bring, and therefore should be avoided. In our own case we have a good deal of quite dark honey at times, and sometimes we get very light-colored honey. Now, instead of selling the very light honey alone, we use it with darker honey to make a light-amber blend that we have been selling for years. Long ago we found that this is by far the best method of procedure in a locality where honeys of different colors are hai'vested. We find it difficult to get enough more for our very light honey over a good light-amber grade to waiTant us in selling it separately, and then, perhaps, run the risk of not being able to dispose of our darker grades. A good light-amber gi-ade of honey always finds a ready market at a good average price. Be- sides this we now avoid the occasion for sending a customer some very light honey at one time and then filling his next order with dark honey or vice versa. Either may cause reason for complaint. My advice about the handling of the honey crop in your locality would be to harvest your main crop just before you get any honey-dew mixed with it. The honey- dew honey can then be left on the hives for winter stores here in the South, as we have not found that any evil results follow its use as it might do in the North and East. In my own apiaries I would provide the queen laying room in. some other way and leave the honey-dew in the combs for feed- ing stores in the spring. The result of this extra amount of food material during the heavy breeding season in the spring would mean rousing colonies for the honey-flows later. I am sure that it could be used to great advantage for this purpose. Instead of putting it on the market in the form of "honey," especially if of dark color, I would turn this product into increase of bees and then sell the extra bees. Such an exchange would prove profitable. It would be far better to use it up in tliis way than to put it on the market at a low price. This always has a tendency to bring the j^rice of better honey down. [Honey containing honey- dew can be sold under the name of " honey- dew honey." This complies with a ruling under the national pure-food law. — Ed.] 368 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE CONVEMSATIONS WITH DOOLITTLE BEES MOVING HONEY ; A HONEY-BOUND BROOD- NEST. A con'espondent writes tlins : '' I should like to have you take up the subject of bees moving' honey in your Conversation depart- ment in Gleanings. You advocate such in your " Management of Out-apiaries," where you speak of shaldng a colony on to its own combs of honey that had been placed above a queen-excluder in an upper hive till the white clover begins to yield honey in suf- ficient quantities for work in the sections. You say that, when this upper hive is placed on the stand the parent colony has occupied, and the bees shaken from their combs of brood into it, they will carry the honey from these combs intO' the sections so as to give place to the eggs and brood the queen will fill them with. Now, I have never been able to get one colony to do such a thing. I note that Editor Root speaks of colonies getting honey-bound, and I have had many such cases myself, and that with i^lenty of room in the sections above. The past sum- mer I placed heavy combs of honey right in the middle of the brood-nest to see Avhat they would do with this honey. They shifted the nest and let the honey alone. If there is room, bees will move the brood-nest. If there is no room, they are " honey-bound " I have no reason to doubt what our cor- respondent states. I have passed through just such experiences several times myself. But I found the removal of honey from the brood-combs to the sections in the supers depended on conditions, such as whether the bees wished to swarm, whether the queens were poor, or whether they were anxious for the queen to lay eggs, and feeding her for that vei-j' purpose. If the first two, then apparently nothing would cause them to remove honey. If the latter, notliing would hinder them from removing it from the combs in the brood-chamber, except no place to put it. I well remember one colony which had commenced to work in sections nicely, when all at once they stopped and commenced to store more in the brood-chamber than in the sections. As this was a " pet " colony, and one I had made my " brags " on, I opened the hive to see what the trouble was. I found nine queen-cups started, and eggs in every one of them. I knew that swarming Avould blast all my hopes, so I determined on vigorous treatment. I cut out all the cell cups I could find, whether having eggs or not; put the frames having the most brood at the outside next either side of the hive, and those having honey in the center, be- lieving I had things my own way. Right here allow me to say that I have never had any success in stopping swarm- ing through the cutting of queen-cells after the queen had laid in them and the "broody" fever had taken possession of the colony. After nearly half a century of this work I now consider such only a waste of time. To return : Two days later I found "noth- ing doing " in the sections — opened the hive, found some twenty or more cell cups with eggs in, and the honey in the center combs untouched. I became desperate, cut out the cells again, and uncapped every cell of hon- ey the brood-chamber contained, cutting the combs down even with the wood to the frames. Did they carry the honey to the sections'? Not at all. It ran out at the en- trance ; and had it not been a time of a good flow of nectar I should have had a fine case of robbing on at the apiary. To clean up the " muss," they stored evei-y available cell in the brood-combs with honey, started more cell-cups, and swarmed the next day with over forty cups with eggs in them. I now took out all the combs they had in the brood- chamber, filled the same with empty combs, hived the swarm back in their old hive, shook all the bees off their combs with the swarm, put the sections back on, and closed things for two days. I then looked in, found three combs cleaned for eggs, witli eggs to the amount of perhaps a thousand in these combs. T next took out the other seven combs, and replaced them with seven combs containing solid sealed honey. Three days later the bees were making the combs in the sections gi'ow like magic, and two weeks later I took off two sujjers of 44 sections each, and left another super of 44 sections well under way, while an examina- tion of the brood-chamber found evei'y cell filled with brood except those containing from five to seven pounds of honey and those necessary for pollen. From this it will be readily seen that, when any colony is in a condition that makes them desirous of brood, they will feed the queen for the purpose of having her lay ; and when they thus feed her they ai'e sure to prepare the cells for those eggs if there is room in the supers for the storing of removed honey. Now, if you will read " Management of Out-apiaries " carefully you will see that each colony, as far as possible, is brought Continued on page 392 MAY 15, 1914 369 GENERAL .PONDENCE 5TS IN BEEKEEPING ; A VALUABLE AMTECLE FROM ONE m^HO KNOWS BY R. F. HOLTERMANN The article of Arthur C. Miller, followed by your editorial on pages 290, 291, inter- ests me. I believe the estimate of 10 per cent loss in the introduction of queens is not far from correct, although with me it gen- erally runs somewhat less. I doubt if the beginner has a much heavier loss in intro- duction, as the rules for this Avork are pret- ty well known, and, if followed out at all, are likely to give just as good results with a beginner as with any one else. In introducing queens, especially in the fall of the year, I feel sure that a matter that is overlooked is that, at such time, there are often two queens in the hive — mother and daughter. We found a large number of colonies in that condition last fall when introducing several hundred young queens. STUDENTS. In the footnote attached to the same arti- cle you are kind enough to value my time at 50 cts. an hour. The bee season lasts in all about six months, or close to 150 days. That would give me a wage of just about $750 per year. Would that not be a pretty hand- some salary for a man who has been en- gaged for over thirty years in a business? I am afraid that, in counting the cost of honey production, there are a large number who do not consider that there are many days for a beekee^Der when his time is worth little or nothing, and that he must " make hay when the sun shines." Then as to students, you overstate Avbat I pay tliem. I consider that it has cost me considerable to learn what I have by ex- perience. Moreover, I have spent a good deal of money in going to conventions and privately visiting beekeepers. T am run- ning something like 800 colonies; and who- ever comes with me for a season should get the benefit of pretty long and wide experi- ence. If a person goes to school, college, or university, it costs money, and I do not — need not — teach a young man his business and pay him besides. 1 have taken two more young men than usual this year, and could easily get as many more, to say noth- ing about several young ladies. I want men of clean habits. I do not call tobacco-smoking a clean habit; for, even if smoking is not indulged in at work, or going back and forward to work with others, one using tobacco always smells of it, which is vei'y unpleasant for those not using it. Then, if I judge from correspondence I have with those who are likely to be suit- able, they come understanding they Avork as they learn, and get their board. That is all that is definitely promised them. Their Avashing is not promised them, but Ave have done that for them with the exception of fine shirts and collars. Then if I do Avell (Avliich I fix as getting 50 lbs. of surplus per colony, spring count), and they do well, I promise them $35.00 at the close of the honey season, and the promise to stay for the season, April 15 to Oct. 1 (about). I have no trouble in getting all the help I Avant, and I have generally succeeded in picking desirable and intelligent men. Mr. H. H. Boot Avill not hesitate in saying I made a good selection last year. What I expect from students is an inter- est in the work. The terms they come on Avould indicate that; but there is a great difference in men. Some are thorough in all they do, Avhile others are the opposite. Some have their mind on Avhat they do, and some have their minds on almost any thing except Avhat they do. Others appear to have no mind at all. I have found, in the majority of cases, a well-brought-up farmer's son a good man. A shirker is a nuisance, and, as a rule, between us he manages to get his share of the load before the season is up. Let me say here there is no trouble in sizing up people. It is only the selfishness of a person that prevents him from seeing that every one can read him as readily as he can an open book. What I Avill not tolerate is a two-faced person — one Avho can do things well Avhen some one is around, and any Avay but Avell Avhen no one is around. I expect students to make mistakes sometimes. That is part of their tuition ; but I do not expect them to make the same mistake over and over again. I do not expect them to make mis- takes A'ery often that a little foresight Avould have prevented. If they do it counts against them. I have much symjDathy for a person not naturally very alert so long as T can see he is doing the best he can, par- ticularly if he is frank. I have had quite a lot of young men do Avell under my tuition and management. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Some, but not many, are fit to run 100 colonies after a season's practical experi- ence. Others would be better off to take another season and work for pay with some one else, or to begin with half the number of colonies. Others have such careless ways, such a lack of thoroughness, that they had l)etter not keep bees at all. I do not believe any one should make his first aim in life to earn his bread and butter. He should, rath- er, live for God ; and what God gives him to do he will do well. Brantford, Can. [Our correspondent is one of the best beekeepers in North America — yes, one of the best in the world. The fact that he has b;^en making money with his bees, and in- creasing year after year, shows that he is a business man as well as a beekeeper. Most business men have to pay dearly for their experience, and Mr. Holtermann is entirely right in contending that students that come to him to acquire i^ractical experience should not expect ordinary wages. In former years, in England an apprentice had to spend seven years in learning his trade ; and it was only during the last year or two of lliat period that he received any compensa- tion whatever. If one desires to become a competent beekeeper he should be willing in some cases to work for nothing and board himself. In fact, we have two lady students who are coming to us tliis season, expecting to follow our experts around for what they can learn. Their labor will just about off- set the inconvenience of showing them. The time may come, perhaps, when Mr. Holter- mann will find that he can get all the help he needs from students who will be willing to pay for board and lodging, and in addi- tion furnish their labor for what they can learn. Perhaps we put Mr. Holtermann's hourly wage too low ; but we figure it this way : The average expert beekeeper in most local- ities will consider that he is doing well if he earns 50 cents an hour; and in some cases at least the skill that will enable one to earn that wage during the bee season will enable him to make an equal compensation at something else during the other part of the year. Mr. Holtermann says that he considers 50 lbs. average is doing well. He evidently considers this as a minimum figure on which to base his extra compensation, although during the season of 1913 his average would be, of course, beyond that. If we take a IDeriod of ten years, good and bad alike, the average might not come up to 50 lbs. Let us take a pencil and tablet and see how the figures run. Mr. Holtermann has 800 colonies, and he thinks his minimum " does well " if it is 50 lbs. average. This would make him 40,000 lbs., which, at 8 ets. per lb., would amount to $3200. The board and lodging of his students, including washing, would run up to about $5.00 per week, or $125 per season for one student. Six stu- dents would make this nearly $800. Depre- ciation on his equipment, and winter losses, on the basis of 10 per cent, would make another $800, or $1600 all told. This would leave him a net profit of $1600 for his labor, or what would be a little more than $5.00 for one year of 300 days or twice that for 150 days. His time then ought to be figured at nearly $11.00 a day on the minimum " do Avell." If he had only 400 colonies his earn- ing capacity would be considerably reduced, and most beekeepers do not go bevond the 300 mark. But the late W. Z. Hutchinson advocated keeping " more bees." Let's see how tliis works out. Four hundred colonies would make his gross income only $1600 ; but as his over- head expense would be higher in proportion his net income would be $800 or a little less than $5.00 for 150 days, or $2.50 for 300 days. If his knowledge and experience can enable him to handle twice the number of colonies, and make $11.00 per dav, why shouldn't he keep 800, or, better, 1200 or 1500? That brings in new elements — more bee range which he may not be able to get, and longer distance to travel, and a greater cost of transportation. The " more bees " slogan can't be worked too hard. — Ed.] GOOD COMBS; THEM IMPORTANCE, AND HOW TO PRODUCE THEM BY ARTHUR C. MILLER One does not have to serve long as an inspector, nor do much visiting among beekeepers, to become impressed with the vast number of poor combs in use. But one is surprised that so many beekeepers have not the slightest idea of the great loss in using such combs. Not only are there many poor combs, but many are so placed in the hives that half of their surface is not available for brood. MAY 15, 1914 Part of this is due to faulty hives and part to careless spacing, though the self -spacing- frames have largely overcome the latter. But it is of the quality of the combs that I am more particularly to write. The standard L. frame of commerce has an area within bars of approximately 132 square inches, which, if filled wth worker cells, would contain approximately 6600 cells on the two surfaces. If we accept as a working hypothesis the figure of 3000 eggs in 24 hours as a queen's capacity, then one such comb will take two days' egg's, and 10 such combs (66,000 cells) will just do her for the 20 days and a fraction necessary for one cycle of brood. But relatively very few " L " combs con- tain any such brood-cell area, either worker or drone, and very many contain a waste- fully high per cent of drone. To illustrate these points I append photographs showing perfect, good, medium, and poor combs. In speaking of areas in what follows, I shall refer to one surface only. The good comb shown in No. 1 is nearly perfect. Inciden- tally I will say that I have hundreds as good or better. It not only costs no more to produce such combs, but it actually costs one less to produce them than it does other beekeepers to obtain poorer ones. Com.b No. 2 will be classed by most bee- keepers as perfect, as almost the best they can ask for. It is a good comb, but it is not well fastened in, and there are nearly 30 square inches of waste space within the frame. Part of such is in the unfilled space next to the bottom and end bars, and part is in the shortened cells comprising the rounded edges of the comb. Under right conditions the space at the ends will be built in. Comb No. 3 will pass for good by many. It is straight, firmly attached, fills the frame better than No. 2, but has about 20 square inches of stretched cells and drone comb, besides the short cells at the bottom edge, and the space next to the bottom-bar. All together it has only about 86 square inches of surface available for worker brood. Ten such combs are equal to little more than six like No. 1. Comb No. 4 will be called poor by almost any one, yet the inspector finds- many such, and many even worse, as he goes his rounds. It would take forty combs like that to equal No. 1 for worker-brood production. Combs No. 1 and 2 are profitable to use; and if it were not easy to have combs like No. 1 then No. 2 would be almost good enough. But you may ask, " Why aren't they, any way? " Well, I never throw such away, you may be sure, but I am taking pains to get No. 1 type now. Ten combs like No. 1 and 2, with a good queen and proper conditions, will furnish a beekeeper with a rousing colony. Ten combs like No. 3 and 4 will not. At best they have many per cent less available worker-brood area; and not only that, they contain an excess of drone comb, besides having stretch- ed cells near the top-bar which will be filled with honey which should be in the supers. You hear of men advocating twelve-frame hives, two eight-frame or two ten-frame bodies for one brood-chamber. Exanaine their hives and you will, in most cases, find their combs are many per cent below what they should be. In other words, they are using double equipment in bodies, frames, and comb, or buying wide or deep hives at special prices, merely to get what they should and could have by proper attention to the production of their combs at the start. Invested capital is too often lost sight of in the efforts to get results by manipulation of one kind or another. Do you hear the man who is talking two bodies for a brood- chamber mention that one body with combs represents a flat cost (without labor) of about $1.60, and that to get his desired results he proposes to invest $3.20 for each colony? He does not figure it that way. Those figures are based on his using full sheets of foundation in the ordinary way; and if his combs are of the average from full sheets, his two chambers will give more room than is needed. If he chances to have tried to economize by using startere or half-sheets his double story may give him plenty of workers, but it will also give him a horde of costly drones. I know one extensive beekeeper who, to economize, makes his own foundation, say- ing he cannot afford to sell his wax for 30 cents and buy foundation at 60 cents. He makes six L. sheets of foundation from a pound of wax, and then economizes( ?) still further by using but half a sheet in a frame. His combs are only about 60 per cent effi- cient on a worker-producing basis. His foundation costs him five cents a sheet for wax; labor, he says, is nothing, for other- wise he would be idle in the winter. I buy foundation from the manufacturer at five cents a sheet, and have no labor in making, and get a better product than the man re- ferred to. Who is the better off? I use full sheets in nine of each ten frames, and a half-depth sheet in the tenth. I get the combs shown in No. 1 in nine frames, while the tenth is half drone. Why 372 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 1, perfect; 2, good; 3, medium; 4, poor combs. MAY 15, 1914 373 do I do tliatf Because the bees insist on having" some drone comb, and 1 prefer to have it all in one j^lace, and have that place where it serves me best, which is at the back of the hive. My hives are all with the combs side to the entrance instead of end to the entrance. Why "1 Because I can work more easily with such arrangement ; because I can remove most of the combs witliout disturb- ing entrance conditions — usually a small matter, but not always; because I can keep a small colony across the whole entrance where it can better defend itself, for I sel- dom fuss with reduced entrances except in extreme cases, and because my special drone comb is at the back, where it is not used until evei-y tiling else is full. The bees' con- venience, or theory of warmth or cold, enters not at all into the arrangement. I use it because it suits me and serves my ends best. The top-bar of that frame with the half- comb of drone is painted white — a practice I followed and advocated many years ago. So designated, it does not get put into other parts of the brood-chamber unless I pur- posely put it there for getting drones early or out of season, or from a special queen. But the instant the tops of the frames are \asible, the location of such a comb is known. I think I may properly call my ten combs so handled the perfection of comb efficiency and economy. My results (operations and colony conditions) are all that any beekeep- er could desire, and T know that I do less handling and overhauling than most bee- keepers. There "s one other item in my use of combs which has much to do with the results I obtain. My hives have half an inch more width inside than the standard, and the combs are offset from front and back walls rather more than two full bee-spaces. Why 1 See the solid sheets of brood in the outside surfaces of the outside combs and you will understand why. Does it pay? Go and examine the two outer combs in a standard ten-frame hive and you will see. The outer surfaces rarely have any brood, and the inner surfaces are not usually well filled. I cannot afford to lose the brood-containing use of one comb out of every ten; so, after I have obtained ten combs of the liighest possible efficiency, I so place them as to have every inch available. I think that the available worker-cell area in the run of ten-frame hives as the inspect- ors find them is equivalent to but six or seven combs of the No. 1 and No. 2 type. If beekeeiDei-s would study their combs more closely they might discover the reason for some of the great differences reported from use of hives of different sizes, propor- tions, and protection. Poor combs are a serious loss to beekeepers in more ways than one, and it is the more grievous in that it is easily preventable. I have said that it costs me less to pro- duce my combs than it does the average beekeeper to produce less perfect ones, and in some future papers I will tell you how I do it. I use old and well-known methods, correcting a few errors, adding one or two things which I have found superior, all of wluch will be described and pictured, so that you can do the same if you will take the same pains. In the meantime, ponder on the quality of combs, and the profit and losses arising from the use of the diff(jrent kinds. Providence, R, I. I§ THE SUPPLY OF MONEY LKELY TO EXCEED THE DEMAND ? BY RAY MITTOWER Dr. C. C. Miller: — I am writing to ask you for a little advice. I am a man in my twenty-first year, and it is time I made up my mind what my occupation will be. I am a farmer's boy, and I have kept a few bees for the last eight or nine years. I take great interest in them, and have been suc- cessful, as this is a good location. I have always thought that I would make beekeep- ing my business. This part of the country is favorable for the production of comb honey. Here is where I should like to have your opinion. Is the supply of honey likely to become greater than the demand? Will honey be so plentiful that it will be a drug on the market, and the prices be so low that beekeeping would not be a paying propo- sition? You will find a little article on this subject in the Feb. 1st issue of Gleanings, page 89. by Wesley Foster. West Lodi, Ohio, March 2. [Dr. Miller replies as follows:] All that Wesley Foster says is, unfortu- nately, only too true, and he is doing good service in trying to get beekeepers to face the situation. Your question is an impor- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE tant one, " Is the supply of honey likely to become gi-eater than the demand?" A search for the answer involves two other questions. 1. Is the supply of honey likely to become greater than the amount that can and ought to be consumed for the best interests of the public in general? The annual consump- tion of sugar in the United States is some- thing more than 80 pounds for every man, woman, and child. I think the general con- sensus of opinion among the medical pro- fession is that this is detrimental to the general health. There is probably little doubt that it would be greatly for the public good if three-fourths of this amount should be replaced by honey. Let us, how- ever, be modest in our demands, and say that one-fourth of that amount should be replaced by honey. Let us be even more modest than that, and say that enough should be added to the amount of honey now used to total one-fourth of the number of pounds of sugar now used. That would make 20 pounds per capita. To supply such a demand would require a vastly in- creased production, such as is very unlikely to be reached in your lifetime. So we are pretty safe in replying to our first question that theie is little danger that more honey will be produced than can be consumed, and that ought to be consumed for the best good of the nation. We now come to our second question : Is it likely that the people will — not can, but linll- — be so awakened to their own interests as to demand and consume the amount of honey that they should consume for their best good? Replying to this question, I must frankly say I don't know. It lies in the hands of two parties. It lies in the hands of those public ofificials who are look- ing out for the public health, as the first party. The tendency is now in the direction of increased care for the health of the peo- ple ; and if that tendency continues we may yet find government doing as much for the health of folks as it has been doing for the health of hogs. When that time comes, one of the things it may do is to urge the eon- sumption of less sugar and more honey. The other party to whom we must look to make known the virtues of honey is the brotherhood of beekeepers themselves. If they were all as wideawake to the necessi- ties of the case as Wesley Foster, the ease would be hopeful. Alas that they are not I Whether they ever will be to the extent of taking concerted action is one of the things ill the realms of the unknown. There remains, however, the possibility of individual action. There are individual beekeepers who have done much to educate the public in their immediate vicinity, and this offers an inviting field to any young man who contemplates adopting beekeeping as a permanent calling. Suppose you are located in or near a city of 2000, or in a rural community of that ':ize. and that you have the field to yourself It ought not to be an impossibility for you, by a continuous persistent effort, to educate your clientele so that they would consume the 20 pounds per capita already mention- ed. That would call for 2000 times 20 pounds, or 40,000 pounds of honey. That looks as if there would be no trouble about the demand, but that you might have trou- ble about securing the supply. I am not a prophet ; but if I might be allowed to make a guess, I should say that the prospect for the right man is just as good now as it ever was, if not better. Marengo, 111. ^§ OF A Bee=tree ; the Meeiarkable Career of a Beekeeper, Mis- sionary, and Explorer in Africa BY EEV. J. M. LEWIS I have read with unsual interest the writ- ings of A. I. Root, especially those on health and how to live long, and his fre- quent references to Terrj'. In looking at their pictures, which have at various times appeared in Gleanings, and having noted their gray hair and other marks of ad- vanced age, I have wondered if. with their careful diet and rigid mode of living, they were more robust and energetic than the average, or had retained their youthful ap- ]^earance above the average mau of seventy, I am sending you a photograph taken on my 70th birthday. I think I can claim the honor of being a veteran beekeeper, having been born among the bees and keeping them at various times all my life. At the present time I have twelve colonies, and am doing nearly all the work on a small farm where I have three cows, a horse, and a hundred fowls. I have scarcely a gray hair ; my teeth are exceptionally good, so that I crack nuts and bite off a twdne string witli the greatest ease, I have lived a very active life, and MAY 15, 1914 A beekeeper who, in spite of an eventful and active life, is 70 years youns. much of the time a laborious and trying one. For several years I was employed in the manufacture of furniture and children's carriages, often making long trips, going over a large part of the South and West, buying stock and soliciting trade. During those years I was interested in Sunday-school and evangelistic work. In 1887 I was called to go to Africa, and in March of that year 1 started for the " Dark Continent," and enter- ed the mouth of the Congo River two weeks behind Henry M. Stanley when in search of Emin Pasha. I traveled a thousand miles into the interior a n d went where a white man had never been, going several months without seeing the face of a white man. I encountered many dangei-s, and some narrow escapes from death, and en- dured hardships try- ing in the extreme. After five years of mission arv work in the hottest part of the world I returned to my native land with health impaired, but with courage and a good consiitution, and took up pastoral work. My longest pasl or- ate was seven years, and the shortest two years, with one of three and one of four years. I concluded that, by long service, 1 was entitled to a less strenuous life. THE LARGEST BEE-TREE IN THE WORLD. I retired to the farm where I could keej) bees, which have been one of my hobbies, and one I can ride with a great deal of " sweetness " and very few stings. I not only have the honor of being a veteran bee- keeper, but of discovering the largest bee- tree in the world, a jihotogTaph of which I send you (see Fig. 1), with some otl:ers taken while in Africa. I also claim the lionor of making the first and finest collec- tion of photogi'aphs of that country e\'er brought to America. The tree is the baobab (Adansonia diga- tata). It measured sixty-five feet in circum- ference. The bees entered the body of the tree near the first branches. Some of your readers may ask if I cut the tree down to get the honey. Not much. Too hot. Fig. 2 is the trunk of the same tree with four boys standing several feet apart to show ils enormous size. No. 3 shows the blossoms of the tree, any one of which would nearly fill a peck ba.sket. The fragrance is delightful, and can be de- tected a long distance. Fig. 4 is the oil palm showing how the natives climb the trees. They gather the fruit, which they use for food, and also the sap, which they drink. This is procured l)v Fig. 1. — The largest bee-tree in the world — 65 feet in circumference. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fig. 2. — A closer view of the largest bee-tree in the world. The native cliildien in the foreground give an idea of its size. cutting- a gash at the base of the leaves. The blossoms of the tree attract the bees, which procure honey from them. Fig. 5 is an African jungle where the hum of the bee and other insects is heard by the thousands, and where also is the home of the elephant and leopard besides many reptiles. Fig. 6 is one of my latest productions by way of a fancy hive. It is made in three sections, and is double-walled. The inside is a regular ten-frame Danzenbaker with tAvo supers. The foundation on which the hive stands is of stone laid in cement. The stones were gathered from Maine to Cali- fornia, some from all the New England States, and some from foreign lands. One of them a friend brought from the shores of Galilee, wheie Christ spent so much time with his followers. In closing this rambling article I want to say that I believe it is not so much what we cat tVp.t gives us a long and vigorous life as / ow we live. I have eaten nearly every kind of food that ever found its way into a human stomach, and food cooked by nearly every race of people. I have lived among cannibals; but while among them I ate no meat — for m.y own special reason. I have sailed on English, French, Spanish, Portu- guese, and Dutch steamers, and ate what was set before me, and asked no questions. I have a good constitution, inherited from the old New England stock, many living fourscore years and more. As a cliild I was considered frail, but have wept at the graves of many of my associates and friends whose prosjDeets for a long life were far better than mine. I have always been strictly temperate, using no intoxicants nor tobacco in any form. Unlike Bro. Root and Terry I do not care to live to the century mark. ]n tracing my ancestry back for more than four hundred years I find some of them nearly reached that age. The oldest record- ed was over 97. I am not so much interested in what Die next thirty years will accomplish by way of great achievements as I am in the great un- known and the Father's house where are many mansions, and the location of that city which is to be my future habitation. I would rather leave tliis world with an active brain and a mind unimpaired by the feeble- ness of old age than to reach the century mark with mind gone and body weak and tottering, and a burden to those around me. North Westport, Mass. MAY 15, 19M Fig. 3. — Flowers from the biggest bee-tree, any one of which w iil nearly till a peck basket. THE GOLD m THE BEE COLONY ; ONE FOR ALL, ALL FOI E BY DR. BRUENNICH The deeper we penetrate into the myste- rious life of the bees, the more we find feelings and passions kindred to our own — love and hatred, delight and devotion, jeal- ousy and wrath — yes, even kindness and avarice, and also fright, terror, and bravery. If we investigate more closely the character of the little creatures we shall conceive of the colony with its thousands of individuals as a harmonious unit. We begin to under- stand therein the totality of the workers, the queen, the drones (for as long a time as they exist), and the Avax edifice with its dormant brood containing its treasures of 13ollen, and its fluid gold — the honey. Such a colony may reach an old age, perhaps thirty years ; but its workers and drones are renewed every year, and the mother queen is replaced every three or four years by a daughter. From time to time a new colony is brought into existence by the act of swarming, when the old mother moves out, as a rule, leaving behind her a number of queen-cells in which are sleeping the future young queens. From another point of view one may be justified in introducing a new entity — -that is, the bee-state from one spring to the other, especially since all individuals except the queen are renewed and replaced by new ones from year to year. In February, when the sun begins to draw larger circles, the quiescent bee slowly awakes to new life, and softly stirs around in the contracted cluster, in the warm center of which (the temperature curiously enough corresponding to our own blood tempera- ture) the queen is nursed and cherished. The queen soon begins laying eggs in the cells, increasing the number of them from day to day with the growing warmth. At first the brood circles are small in diameter ; but soon they increase to considerable di- mensions. Three weeks after the commence- ment of egg-laying, the first young bees begin emerging from the colls, and, corres- 378 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fi^. 4. — The oil palm that funii.shes food and drink, also honey. ponding- to the swelling brood surfaces, they augment the number of little citizens. They are kindly accepted b}' their elder sisters, who clean them and give them food. This, then, is the youth of our bee-state — the time of immolating love. All effort is aimed toward warming and nourishing the Little helpless babies. And those tiny larvae, so recently from the egg's, really need a great deal of maternal care. However, their growth is extraordinary; and after nine days they build their own cocoons for sleeping during their metamorphosis, which requires twelve days. At intervals of a few hours the young nurse bees give these larvse exquisite food which they secrete from their milk-glands situated around the cerebrum. Only by a strict admirable arrangement is made possible the enormous growth, from about 15,000 inliabitants to 70,000 and sometimes 90,000. For the preparation of the milk (jelly) a great deal of albu- men-furnishing pollen is needed, besides wa- ter and some honey. The oldest bees un- dertake the dangerous task of gathering the water. This water can not be stored directly, but indirectly; a great deal of the water is de- posited in the honey near the brood - nest, and last, but not least, in the very blood of the bee. If, after a long period of rainy or snowy cold weather, all the store of water is consumed, t h o u - sands of valiant work- ers fly out if the wea- t h e r permits, a n d many remain on the battlefield of work, and never return to the well - loved home. Some become chilled, and otheis are thrown by the rough wind into the water which they are ti-ying so vainly to take. Other bees bring pollen from the wil- lows, alders, and othei plants, for the trea- sures of pollen in the combs stored by the sisters, long since dead, begin to diminish rapidly, and the bees do not like to live from hand to mouth. In our country, toward the end of April the love of the worker bees has a new attractive object — that is, the care of the male habitants of the hive — the drones — which are nursed with peculiar attention. As the first drone youths are hatching in their manly vigor and beauty, it is a joy for the young sisters to cherish and nourish the chivalrous knights; for at this time it is beneath the drone to seek food in the comb. Booted and spurred they stride proudly across the rows of their devoted sisters ; and when they fly in search of a bride one can easily distingiiish their loud bombarding tones. This is the flowering time — the prime of life of the bees — and at such a time it is a pleasure to deal with them, for they know nothing of vigilance, hatred, jealousy, or MAY 15, 1914 revenge. The greed for gold is still slumbering. The more of the liquid gold that the bees store, the more does love re- cede — exactly as with men. The covetous ones begin to listen to sug- gestions of Malthusian ideas. The brood is re- strained more and more, and the number of births diminishes fear- fully; and when only a little of the gold is com- ing in a great change takes place. The drones, once the charm of the sisters' hearts, have grown old, and the bees recognize that they are practically parasites at present, and it is no longer worth while to feed them.. Almost in a night the bees have be- come niggardly and selfish, and their sole object in life seems to be to hold together their riches. Cruelly the lit- tle amazons push out the defenseless ones through the entrance, or they place them in the background of the hive, thus inducing starvation. Soon thousands of drone corpses cover the ground before the hive. At such a time it is not pleasant to deal with the resentful bees. They watch the entrance suspiciously, and woe to the strange bee which they surprise on the alighting-board. Two or three rush upon it, dragging it by tlm wings and legs, and try to kill it. A bee which has stung an- other bee seldom loses its weapon, as the barbs are not caught in the smooth edges of the wound made in the stiff chitinous har- ness. In this country, in July the honey-flow may again reappear with a consequent re- vival of enthusiasm on the part of the colony getting old. For a short time the bees nurse the brood with more love than before; but all the brightness of youth has disappeared, and there remains only the suspicion and the greed for moi'e gold. In the last days of summer the bees pi'epare them.selves for another winter's sleep by pitching all the cracks of their home with propolis. They have filled their storerooms An African jungle, the home of bees, elephants, and reptiles. with gold, and occasionally a bee is seen flying out to get more pollen from a retard- ed flower. Finally the bees again go to sleep, sometimes for months, and the life in the hive pulses but faintly. Quietly the bees cluster around their queen, taking as little of their stored treasure as possible, and distributing it to their sisters. The food is thus transformed into the necessary warmth to preserve the inhabitants from chilling. The honey is more valuable to the bees than gold is to mankind, for the honey not only heats the bee-home by its slow combustion in winter and spring, but it gives vigor to the muscles, and enables those active little pets to do their stupendous work in and out of the hive. The honey is an important component of the food of the young generation, and the very wax palace in which the bees live is nothing but trans- formed honey — transformed in the body of the bee by certain glands. It is, therefore, no wonder that the bees set a high value upon their treasures of gold, and watch them svispiciously. There are a few Door creatures that, for one reason or another, GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Fig. 6. — Mr. Lewis' ornamental hive. The foun- dation stones came from all over the world. have almost no stores. Perhaps their mother queen was old, and unable to perform her duties as she should have done, and the bees failed to replace her at the right time. Or on the other hand, perhaps the colony was a strong breeder, and all available cells were filled with brood, so that most of the surplus honey was consumed for the pur- pose of feeding this brood. Or, again, perhaps the bees Avere short-lived or not diligent, etc. Then there are great capitalists among the bees whose storerooms are filled with plenty of honey. Each cell is earefuUv closed with a cover of wax, and only a small number remain open for daily use. These bees go with only the greatest reluctance to ojien their trunks of gold — like the miser wlio turns the dollar in his hand, taking sorrowful leave of it when it goes. But pitiless man demands of these devoted workers a part of their treasure, for well he knows, too, the noble virtues of the fluid gold of the hive. How much the love of gold, especially in la.ri summer, domineers the character of the bees, and even misguides them, is shown by the following: If we disturb a hive by opening it or by knocking on the side of it, the bees whose honey-sacs are empty hasten to the open cells for filling these honey-sacs, for these latter are the purses of the bees. The bees do not know what the trouble is; but in any event a full purse is a good thing, for if by some unfortunate chance a bee loses its home, and is obliged to go begging a place in another hive, it succeeds by the help of its full purse. The first guard it meets asks its tribute of a minute drop, and this satisfies the rough officer. The bees, when preparing themselves for swarming, never fail to fill their pockets with the gold of the hives. If one drops a little honey on the alighting-board the vig- ilant insects gather around, greedily taking it up, and they forget to hear or to see. In this condition they do not resent an intru- sion in front of the hive, as they might under normal circumstances. Under these conditions the curse of the gold appears in an ugly form in what are called robber bees. As a rule these are old bees from a neighboring hive, Avhich had discovered that gold obtained by stealing- is more convenient and more quickly se- cured than by honest work in the field. Well aware of their shameful trade they fly cautiously and cunningly around the entrance of the hive they intend to rob. Watching carefully while they keep coming neai'er, they fly back in an instant if a guard in a menacing manner demands the Ijassword. Immediately it comes back again, searching for an unguarded place. If it ventures to enter it may be grasped by one of the giiards; but as soon as it escapes it begins anew its shameless game. After some more fruitless attempts the robber may try another hive in the same manner. If the guards here do not watch carefully it suc- ceeds in gaining a sly entrance, and then proceeds to the first open cell and fills its honey-sac to overflowing. More than half its own weight such a robber may take away. In this connection it has been inter- esting to me to observe that, the shorter the distance the robber has to fly to its own hive, the more honey it will carry. If it comes from a distant hive it may take only half a load. The escape from the hive is generally easy because the guards pay more attention to bees that are entering than they do to those that are going away. There- fore, as quickly as the heavy burden allows, the robber goes to its own hive, where it discharges its stolen load. If one bee succeeds in its attempt at robbing, others of the same hive are excited to the point of taking a similar risk, and at MAY 15, 1914 once go k) the hive which is not guarded as carefully as it should be. More and more of the insolent bees come around the en- trance. The longer Ihey keep at it the bolder they become, and soon it is impossi- ble for the guards to make any resistance. Here and there, it is true, we may obsei've an isolated duel on the alighting-board, but soon complete demoralization ensues among both robber and robbed bees. The first spare nothing. In their fury they demolish even the wax cells, and tear the brood out of the cells, and sometimes kill the queen. The robbed bees have lost their senses, and in a kind of stupor they fill themselves with honey and look on, perfectly helpless, in the wild jumble. Almost more perfidious are the highway- men which may be seen occasionally when the honey-flow is poor. The honey-loaded workers come Avearily homeward, many be- ing obliged to rest on the wall of the hive or on the alighting-board, for their last force is spent because of the long distance they have had to fly. At such a time one of these watchful brigands throws itself on the worn-out bee, settling itself on the back or the side of the tired bee, for, to come honestly in front, the rascal does not ven- ture. There it helps itself sumptuously to the gold; and the poor exhausted gatherer, knowing nothing better to do, gives of its honey. Like diligent worker bees flying from flower to flower, these highwaymen rush from one to another of these resting bees, sometimes four or five assaulting a single worker. This profession seems to be profitable, for these robbers quickly obtain purses well filled with gold. The bee-state is certainly an ideal com- munity. The maxim, " One for all, all for one," is carried through to the end. Each member acts for the welfare of the whole, whatever that may be, without reflecting on its own individual sacrifice, especially if it sees the colony in danger. At first sight one might say that the bees are without vices, but we have shown that there is a big vice, the greed for gold, which is able to corrupt the good — yes, even lead them to crime — exactly as the same vice does in the case of mankind. Zug, Switzerland. A NOTE FROM OKLAHOI BY N. FRED GARDINER The photograph submitted with this arti- cle is that of the honey and wax exhibit of B. F. Bartholomew and famil^^ at the 1913 State Fair. This is one of the five individ- ual exhibits made at this fair, the premiums being closely divided between this one and Garee & Garee. W. H. Hobson and J. H. Buirage had creditable displays. As the product of this disj^lay of Mr. Bartholomew was all " home grown," and only a continuation of Avhat he has done for years, it indicates what may be done rej^eat- edly in good locations in Oklahoma by one who knows how. Mr. Bartholomew has such a location, and can be depended on to be on hand with an attractive display of honey each season. His wife puts on the finish with the decorations in wax. On the extreme right of the i^hoto can be seen the model in beeswax of a locomo- tive protected by a glass case. This Avas the clever work of Master Earl Bartholomew. Plans Iiave been started to provide a special department for the boys and girls for an- other season. We have in this State, under the Agi'icultural and Mechanical College, what is known as the " Extension Depart- ment." In this department the boys and girls are organized for club work, and some wonderful results have already been obtain- ed by the boys in growing corn, cotton, kaffir, and other crops, and by the girls in canning and preserving fruits and vegeta- bles. Upon the suggestion of Prof. C. E. San- born, the entomologist and beekeeper at the college, the idea, of including beekeeping in the Avork of this Extension Department is being developed. It is hoped that, by the time of the next fair, a special de]:»artment will be provided in the apiary building for the boys and girls to display the results of their work and study with bees. Suitable prizes will be offered, and the young folks should begin to plan early to enter the con- test. Announcements will be made latei as the plans are perfected, through the col- lege press, Gleanings, and the farm jiapers of the State. On one evening during the fair a meeting of beekeepers is always held. The fair managers have always been liberal in pro- viding seats and lights, and the meeting is held in the building Avhere these exhibits are displayed, Avhich helps to proAnde in- spiration. If in the future we can have a 382 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Bartholomew's honey exhibit at the 1913 Oklahoma State Fair. good attendance of these boys and girls it will be doubly interesting. The annual meeting is held each January at the A. and M. College, Stillwater, Okla'., during the " Farmers' Short Course." The authorities of this college are recog- nizing the importance of beekeeping, and are lending much encouragement to its ex- tension. Those interested in beekeeping in Oklahoma should make it a point to attend one of these meetings of the Oklahoma Bee- keepers' Association, and both of them if possible. They owe this much to those who are keeping up the work of the Association and to the new methods they may learn. Geary, Okla. [Prof. Sanborn and Mr. Gardiner, as we happen to know, are live wires. They are doing much to advance the cause of bee- keeping in Oklahoma, not only to make better beekeepers, but to eliminate bee dis- ease. The beekeepers of the State should make an effort to attend the State beekeep- ers' convention, especially if they wish to keep disease out of the State. — Ed.] BY H. C. KLINGER, SEC. The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers held their tenth annual meeting in the State Capitol, Harrisburg, Feb. 20, 21. It was a very lively meeting, and, from the point of enthusiasm, perhaps the best ever held. Dr. H. A. Surface, State Zoologist, who is the President, was in charge of the meet- ing. The address of welcome was given by Hon. N. B. Critchfield, Secretary of Agri- culture of Pennsylvania. The subject of comb and extracted honev in the same apiary was discussed by H. P. Faucett. He runs his yard for both kinds of honey, and says that colonies that some- times can not be coaxexd into section supers will work in extract ing-frames. F. G. Fox spoke on 500 per cent increase and a crop of honey. He demonstrated how it is possible, with natural swarming, to take the parent colony after the swarm has issued, and divide it into nuclei and build these up into full colonies. The foul-brood inspectors, Geo. H. Rea and J. 0. Buseman. made their reports on inspection. These were quite interesting in facts, and exceedingly amusing in the ex- periences the inspectors had with the differ- ent kinds of people they met in their rounds. Inspection is doing a great work for bee- keeping interests, simply by the contact of the inspector and the education that is spread over the State in this way, Bees are MAY 15, 1914 383 yet kept in all sorts of ways — logs, bee gums, straw skeps, soap-boxes, and some have even been found in beer-kegs. The Coons hive and comb honey was a demonstration made by R. L. and A. N. Coons, of Coudersport. This is a shallow- chamber hive of their own make with which they have been very successful. This year's crop was 28,000 pounds of section honey from 400 colonies. These beekeepers (fath- er and son) are the largest producers in the State. Dr. E. F. Phillips, of the University of Philadelphia, who was on his way back from the National convention at St. Loms, and who was the delegate of Pennslyvania to the convention, gave an address on two essentials in honey production. He laid emphasis on having the bees go into winter quarters strong and with plenty of stores so as to have plenty of bees early enough to get the honey-flow when it comes. A large number of us have plenty of bees when the main flow is over and when the bees are not needed. F. J. Stritmatter spoke on house apia- ries. This subject aroused considerable in- terest, as it is quite novel to Pennsylvania people. One of his buildings is three-stoi'y, 20 X 30 ft. This contains 86 colonies in hives built solid to the floor of the room. His experience tells him that he has solved, to a great extent, the wintering and the swarming problems by means of the house apiary. " Soil Fertility and Honey Production " was the subject of the president's annual address. Dr. Surface told the beekeepers to increase the fertility of their soil by sowing the legumes — clover, alfalfa, vetches, etc., and by so doing reap another crop, that of the sweet nectar which these secrete. Dr. H. A. Surface, Harrisburg, was re- elected President ; H. C. Klinger, Liverpool, Secretary; Hon. E. A. Weimer, Lebanon, First Vice-president; Mrs. Dr. L. M. Wea- ver, Philadelphia, Second Vice-president; R. L. Coons, Coudersport, Third Vice-pres- ident. Liverpool, Pa. ENEMIES OF BEES IN CYPRUS ; A CL THEM BY M. Y. DERVISHIAN The principal enemy of the honey-bee in this island is a large red and yellow banded hornet. These hornets increase in August, Sep- tember, and October. They weaken strong colonies of bees to a great extent and extin- guish weak stocks by capturing a large num- ber of bees from the en- trances. They hover about the entrances; and if they do not find guardian bees there they go into the hives and destroy the bees and carry the honey to their nests. To prevent this, about a thousand or two thousand bees guard the entrances and often as- sault and ball the hor- nets. The damage done to the bees, grapes, figs, and other sweet fruits is considerable. Their nests are found in the ground in the fields and in the ci'acks and hollows of walls. These hornets prosper in this country because it does not rain from April to Sep- A device for hornets tliat kill Ijees. 384 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE lember. and in some years it rains very little, perliaps once or twice scantily. When rain commences in October the hornets disap- pear, as rain destroys them. They do not keep stores in their nests, and in rainy weather they cannot lly. For ten years I have been using the trap shown in the illustration. The top "A" is iilas? in a wooden frame. The lower part is made entirely of galvanized sheet We fill this with soapsuds about % The frame of the top fits over the lower part. Underneath the square opening marked " C " a piece of liver, meat, or any thing similar is used as a bait over a board resting on four legs. Under the legs of this board are jout small vessels containing about V2 inch of water. This water prevents ants from going to the baits. This device is important, because if ants go to the food Pi" ii'on. inch. (lie hornets will not venture' near it. Each trap catches about one thousand hornets a day. Honey makes the best bait. A sheet of queen-excluder or wire netting of about Vi-inch mesh should take the place of the top glass in order to let the bees out. When a number of hornets are caught in the trap, honey-bees will not visit it. This trap has done excellent work. In three or four days all hornets were trapped and live bees saved. They enter from the bottom and rise xip into the trap and fall into the soapsuds. This affects their eyes so that they can not rise up again, and in an hour's time they are drowned. Vinegar will do as well as soapsuds. Many beekeepers have copied my glass trap as a substitute for their bottle trap. Nicosia, Island of Cyprus. lOTT'S OFFICE AND QUEEN=BREEDMG YAMD BY E. E. MOTT Fi^. 1 shows a partial view of the home apiary of 275 colonies. The honey-extract- ing room is the first building at the right. The second building at the right is the office, and the third at the right is the storekeeiD- ei"s dwelling. One long building at tlie left is the warehouse and cellar that safely Avin- ters 300 colonies of bees. Fig. 2 shows the office at north end. The bay Avindow gives a sight of east, west, and north, while at the desk. Glenwood, Mich. Fig. 1. -Mott's home apiary o^ 275 colonies and matiiig-yard ; extractiug-liouse and offioe in the Tlie ;ht back- ground. 18 mating-hives are shown scattered between tlie huge hives. MAY 15, 1914 Pig. 2. — Mott's office at north end of the apiary, affording through the bay window a view of the whole yard. NATIONAL AKD STATE L^ REGARDING NET WEIGHT ON HONEY BY C. A. KINSEY In a conversation with the Deputy Sealer of Weights and Measures to-day I find that Ite is of the opinion that the law apj)lies to honey in sections as well as other articles of merchandise. This law will certainly give the old-fashioned 4^4 x 4^/4 sections the best of it over the 4x5 plain sections. So far as has been my experience, the 4^x4^ sections always weigh more than the 4x5 plain, commonly used in the Danzenbaker supers. The 4x5 sections will seldom Aveigh full 16 oz.. while the 4^4 x 4i/4 usu- ally will weigh full IC) oz., and generally more. ( ". A. Kinsey. Belgrade, Mont., Feb. 11. [The above was referred to the proper authority at Washington, whose reply fol- lows.— Ed.] The A. I. Root Co.: — Your letter of February 20, addressed to Dr. E. P. Phillips, Pliiladelphia, has been referred to this committee for reply. For your information I enclose Circular 21, which contains the text of the Pood and Drugs Act as amended. The weight and volume amendment of March 3, 1913, will be found on page 20, section 8, " in the case of food," paragraph third, together with footnote. The regulations contemplated for the enforcement of this amendment have not as yet been approved, and when they are issued you will be sent a copy. It would appear from the Act that all package.s or food products, whether in bottles, jars, or other wrapped or closed containers, will be considered foods in package form, and required to be marked with a statement of the quantity of the contents. The law requires that this statement shall be plain and conspicuous, and also provides that tolerancejs and exemptions for small packages shall be estab lished by regulation. These will undoubtedly allow for such necessary variation as occurs in weighing or measure under careful commercial conditions, A. S. Mitchell, Sec. to Com, Washington, D. C, March 3. [The weight and volume amendment, par- agraph 3, with footnote, is as follows:] Third. If in package form, the quantity of the contents be not plainly and conspicuously marked on the outside of the package in terms of weight, meas- ure, or numerical count: Provided, however. That reasonable variations shall be permitted, and toler- ances and also exemptions as to small packages shall be established by rules and regulations made in ac- cordance with the provisions of section three of this Act. The Act of March 3, 1913, provides that no pen- alty of fine, imprisonment, or confiscation shall be enforced for any violation of its provisions as to domestic products prepared or foreign products im ported prior to eighteen months after its passage, [In addition to what Secretary Mitc^"ll. of the Committee, says, we may add that 386 sections of honey are nndoubtedly included under this net-weight and volume law. When a shipping-case of sections is sold the net weight of the sections of honey in the crate should show. When the sections are sold individually by carton, a close approx- imate weight of the section must show. In the proviso, paragraph 3 as quoted above, " reasonable variations " are permitted ; but care must be exercised not to take too wide a " variation " or there will be trouble. We are allowed a variation, as we understand it, of one ounce on the weight of a section — ■ that is to say, there must not be more than one ounce below the marked weight, al- though it may be any thing above. In pack- ing our carton honey it is our practice to run from one to two ounces above, as honey that has been stored in a dry room for two or three months at a temperature of 70 or 80 degrees to prevent gi'anulation will lose slightly in weight. Another thing, it is well to understand that there are State laws as well as the national. Some of the former, with reference to net weight, have been in effect for some time back; and if one does not know where his honey is to go he should GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE be on the safe side, and that means, do not depend too much on the national law that allows of a "reasonable variation" in the weight of an individual section. Our correspondent is mistaken in think- ing that the 4^ x 4^/4 section has the ad- vantage over the 4x5 because it weighs more. If the law provided that all sections should weigh a pound, then the 4^/4 would have a slight advantage; but a statement in ounces of the weight complies equally with the law the same as when the net weight is stated in pounds or fractions thereof. It will be apparent that all packages containing foods must be marked with their net weight within 18 months after March 3, 1913, which will be Sept. 3, 1914 ; but the wise producer or packer of food stuffs should begin (if he has not already done so months ago) marking his packages ahead of that time; and practically all of the packers in the country began marking their goods immediately after March 3, 1913. The purpose of the law was to give the sellers an opportunity to clean up and dispose of all unmarked goods before the law went into effect. — Ed.] WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO MEQUEEN? BY F. GREINER The above topic has been discussed a great many times in conventions and in the press; but the case has not yet been settled to the entire satisfaction of all. It seems to me that the question is not so much whcrt we shall requeen as it is, when can we rear the best queens? Nature has selected the early summer, when the trees are blooming, and flows are yielding pollen and honey profusely, and has practiced the rearing of queens at this time for untold centuries. Could nature have made a mistake? I doubt it. The first symptom of a colony's brood- iness is the rearing of drones, and this ante- dates the rearing of queens by several weeks at the least. We can hardly hope, therefore, to bring a colony into a condition, a frame of mind, by a few feeds to do its best at queen-rearing. The slow and long-contin- ued spring honey-flow and pollen yield can not be equaled by artificial feeding. Most noted authorities of Switzerland and Ger- many are of this opinion, and advise rear- ing queens during the time when bees usu- ally swarm. It may be more cheaply done at the close of the season, and some of our American beekeepers have practiced it more or less extensively at such a season without apparent detrimental result to the vitality and utility of the stock of bees. We must not forget, however, that our bees are thor- oughbred by many thousands of years' breeding by nature's methods ; and the mis- takes that we may make are not at once noticeable. It is with the bee as it is with man — his nature is strong enough to endure all sorts of mistakes and abuses. If it were not so, the human race would have long since died out ; and the bee would have degenerated under the often irrational treat- ment. Fortunate for us that the honey-bee is constituted as it is ! Undoubtedly we have blundered along many a time, and we are still continuing. We are transferring lar- vae. We think it is all right. We are de- priving a colony of all its brood in order that the bees may more lavishly feed the royal larvae. We try to have young queens mated from baby nuclei, and we do other things out of the regular order of things. Is tliere any evidence that we are rearing better queens than formerly? any evidence that the race has degenerated? What do we know about it? MAY 15, 1914 387 Our friend House advocates requeening in September or even later. I don't mean to quarrel with Mr. H., and 1 have no objec- tions to any one requeening at any time when good queens may be had, and when it is proper to open hives. Personally I don't care to tear hives open in the late season. And, by the way, I have hunted out queens without removing a frame from the hives. When it may be done in this way requeen- ing is quite practicable, even in the winter. But, generally speaking, during the summer season is the best time to handle bees; and beginners particularly will do well to bear this in mind. Objections have been raised to early- raised queens. By " early raised queens " we understand such as have been raised during the early honey-flow from fruit- bloom. A certain per cent of our colonies will, some seasons, make preparation for swarming, and often do swarm, unless we intercede. With us this may happen about the middle of May or thereabouts. I hold that queens reared under these perfectly natural conditions are as good as any. Our friend House objects to the queens reared at this season because he has lost the ma- jority of them while mating or attempting to, the weather usually being unfavorable — - cool and rainy. I have to consider such an occurrence as very unusual. Before I had discovered that our bees, particularly those in the outyards, had to be looked after during this early period in order to avoid losses by swarming, I not unfrequently found colonies in each outyard at the close of fruit-bloom, which had cast swarms con- trary to my expectations. It was usually discovered, before any queen-cells had hatched out, and my practice at such times had been to divide the parent colonies into three, four, or five nuclei. I do not remem- ber ever missing or losing any of the young queens. On the contrary, I was enabled to build up these nuclei into prosperous colo- nies with the brood-combs accumulating from shaking swarm-ripe colonies, etc. 1 can not agree with Mr. H. that it should not be a good time in May, when there is an abundance of bloom all around, to rear good queens. I should much prefer them to those reared in August or September, after all the bloom is over and stimulating by artificial methods has to be resorted to. In buckwheat sections the swarming fever sometimes breaks out anew in the month of August. This is an indication that good queens may be reared at this time in that l^articular locality. How the conditions are in southern climes, in countries where our early queens are reared, I do not know ; but I guess that their March and April may correspond with our May and June, and I have suspected tliat the queei^s we purchase from the South for May delivery were reared under such natural favorable conditions as outlined at the beginning of my article. There is at present a great call fur May queens here among the honey-producers of the North. We find it a profitable invest- ment, though the queens may cost a little more then than they will later. Even if we had requeened every last colony during the month of September and October, we would still want the queens in May, possibly even more of them on that account. It pays us to divide the extra-strong colonies, such as might be expected to cast swarms during apple-bloom, and provide each queenless half with a southern early-reared young Italian queen. Thus, instead of having one colony ready for the harvest, we may have two, and avoid natural swarming by the procedure. Southern queen-breeders ought to realize that it is a great disappointment to us when the queens ordered from them for May do not reach us till June. Naples, N. Y. BEES AND BULK COMB HONEY AT THE KENTUCKY STATE FAIK BY J. P. MARTINE Our display of bees, supplies, and honey at the Kentucky State Fair, held Sept. 15- 20, 1913, attracted considerable attention. It seems as though almost every one is in- terested in bees. The queens in the observation hives, and the handling of the bees in the demonstra- tion cage, were the centers of attraction. In the demonstration cage we explained fully the manner in which the bees gathered and stored honey; how honey is taken from the bees by means of bee-escapes; how the cap- pings are removed, and the njanner in which the honey is extracted. We also, while in the cage, gave talks on the subject of bees, explaining the part that the queen, drones, baby, and worker bees take in carrying on the different functions of the hive. During these talks and demonstrations we never failed to have a large and appre- ciative crowd. We did not make a large honey display, 388 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE J. P. Martine's exhibit at the Kentuckj' State Fair Si'ptemljer 15-20, 1913. as our object was to advertise the manner in which we put up our comb honey — that is, we cut the comb from the frames in strips about one inch in width and tive inches in length, placing the same in wide-mouth white-glass jars having perpendicular sides so the cajDpings are shown to advantage, and filling in the space with extracted hon- ey. This was favorably commented upon by a great many, and we sold quite a num- ber of jars at To cts. each. We have been putting up our comb honey in this shape for the last three years, and have never failed to dispose of all we could produce at 75 cts. a jar. We have been offered 65 cents per jar by the gross. Louisville, Ky. THE SMOKE iETHOB OF INTMODUCMG SUCCE^ THIRTY YEARS BY MAJOR SHALLARD. Please credit the discovery of smoke intro- duction of queens to me, Mr. Editor, unless some one has a claim prior to 1885. I started to introduce queens by the smoke method at that date, and have continued ever since. My method has been to remove the old queen, and to give the new one at once, to close the hive, and then use smoke. I can hardly recall a failure. I have removed an old queen, and have given a virgin at once. 1 have even removed an old queen, and giv- en a cell immediately, without any protect- or. In fact, one can do almost any thing witli bees if they become demoralized and all have the same smoke odor. My wife took over my queen-rearing bus- iness for one season, 24 years ago, because I had too many irons in the fire, and some were getting burnt. She also ran the home farm of 250 colonies for honey. I may mention that she is an expert beekeeper. She introduced all the queens that year wjtb smoke. She introduced virgins into the nu- clei, and had very few if any failures. She took nine tons of honey that year with the help of two girls, and her experience with swarms was somewhat unique. The season was a great swarming one. One morning a swarm came out and settled on the trunk of a tree. Almost immediate- May 15, 1914 389 ly another one came out and started for the same phiee ; and before she had the liive ready to jnit them in, the second swarm started to settle with the others. She did not know what to do, and she eould see another swarm issuing down among the hives. Suddenly it occurred to her to cover them up ; so she put a sheet around the bees and tied it on the tree above them. The new lot settled on the sheet. The next swarm came along, so she covered up the second swarm with a chaff bag split open, and the third swarm settled on the bag. Then four more swarms issued almost at once, and they all made for the same tree. She divided the swarms as well as possible with the shee.te, table-cloths, etc., and when the swarms stopped issuing she had nine on that tree, and all separate. Soon they were all hived satisfactorily. On another occasion she had 15 swarms out during one morning, and seven of these in the air at once; but she managed to keep the latter apart with the spray pump. Some time ago I wrote that a good queen would not go into the top box, and the 'ge- nial Dr. C. C. Miller reckoned ?!] queens would do so if pressed for room, to which I say amen ; and some other gentlem.an said they would go up, but " of course I would use queen -excluders." That is just the jjoint T was making. I want queens that do not need excluders to keep them down. ■ The old-fashioned leather-colored Ligurian queen would stay down in the bottom box and have a nice compact brood-nest, although the hive was a four-story one, and all the top stories empty; but a badly bred queen, although she may bs pure, will not do this. In times of dearth she will go upstairs and transfer her brood-nest from the bottom to the top story. So. Woodburn, N. S. W., Australia. THE §HAKEN=SWAMM PLAN AFTER MANY YEAES^ TEST BY M. A. GILL In that masterful work of Moses Quinby he tells how he drove swarms from old box hives for the purpose of transferring, just at the time they were preparing to swarm. The splendid results he obtained, according to liis book, written over sixty years ago, induced me during my early beekeej^ing to try the same method; and after securing the same splendid results lie describes I was led to ask, if a swarm would do so well driven from an old box just before a swarm issued, why wouldn't it do as well if shaken from a frame hive just before it was to cast a natural swarm? After trying the plan until the results proved I was doing it cor- rectly, I have never abandoned it, nor do T think that L. Stachelhausen ever did Avhile he lived. I can't tell Avhcn a colony is going to swarm without some kind of examination. Of course, an experienced eye can cruise a whole apiary and give a good estimate of how many colonies are about to cast o swarm; but a thorough examination will reveal the fact; and this is quite necessary. or else the work would be as unsatisfactory as putting a boy or man to watch for swarms at an out-apiary who would allow half of them to go off while he enjoyed a nap under some inviting shade-tree. So if in doubt, an examination of from three to five combs for queen-cells is absolutely nec- essary if one intends to prevent natural swarming. Modern medicine advises prevention rath- er than cure, and thus all the little kinks should be and can be used during the swarming season to prevent it. But after a colony shows a second inclination after being once thwarted, it is wise to shake it, for any further meddling will result in loaf- ing or the raising of a new queen. The idea that the season's results from a shaken swarm are not as good as from a natural one is erroneous; for when the brood is carried to a new stand, as it always should be, the new colony receives all the flying bees, and in many cases the combs are shaken clean, as the brood is needed for weaker colonies. I can not imagine why any apiarist should prefer to wait a few hours, or perl;aps a few days, to allow a colony to cast a natural swarm that might cluster where he has to shin up a tree, when lie can make just as good a swarm in from five to fifteen minutes, and the work is a l^leasure. Three people can liandle from one thou- sand to twelve hundred colonies in out- apiaries. Of course, it is needless to say that this can not be done without a month of almost slavish work. But three can not attend to that many comb-honey colonies scattered over the territory they would require if allowed to swarm naturally. 390 The whole fraternity has been seeking for years for a race of bees, or a particular hix^e or some system of management, that will eliminate swarming when working for comb honey, and about so often some few declare themselves " progressives," and will fly to the journals that they have " the hive " or " the race," and that the time has come when all progressive apiarists should handle hives instead of combs; and then the first season something out of the ordinary hap- pens, and all their hopes are shattered. In my opinion the way to do is to reduce swarming to the minimum by all the known methods, and then handle the minimum by the shaken-swarm plan when working out- apiaries for comb honey. It seems to me that so much has been Gleanings in bee culture! written upon the mode of procedure during the past ten years that the details are un- necessary. Some complain of absconding. Tliis will often happen if the operator fails to give a frame of brood or shakes the swarm into a hot hive and then leaves the hive out in the hot sun. Temporary shade, at least, should be provided at such times. During the past season we shook 300 swarms, and I do not recall that a single one absconded. Any one who thinks this system will propagate a swarming race can replace the swarm-cells with cells raised from their non-swarming colonies. From four to five visits every seven days will practically cover the swarming season. Hyrum, Utah. THE LET = ALONE HIVE? THE '^ LONG4DE A '' AGAIN Produciaig Wax and Honey BY A. W. YATES It is quite natural to assume that out- apiaries are those operated by persons who are in the business for the dollars and cents there are in it, or who take as much from their bees as they can with as little outlay as possible. One motto of the late E. L. Pratt was, " Make your bees pay their way and a little more." Beekeeping as a hobby and beekeeping as a business are two differ- ent propositions. If we are in it for busi- ness we must make them pay their way and a little more or we shall soon go under. The great drawback in the maintenance of outyards is the disposition of the bees to swarm. If this could be done away with, and the mass of bees held together, all other difficulties could be overcome. The modern hive as it is constructed to-day was never built with this thought in view ; and if such hives are used for this purpose they require constant attention, and at times are the source of a good deal of annoyance. If at the same time some one bobs up with some- tliing new in a hive our manufacturers are skeptical, and very apt to look aghast at it unless it presents something very striking in its favor. It has been said that " Bees, when given plenty of room, will spend less of their energy in swarming and more to the pro- duction of honey." A few years ago I constructed several large hives holding 25 frames each. These hives came so near filling the bill that I made more, and am using one of similar construction altogether at present. It will be seen by a glance at the illustra- tion that this is a double-walled hive; and, being covered with a good quality of roofing paper, it is both warm and dry, and at the same requires no paint nor even lumber of first quality in its construction. Living near a city I am usually able to obtain shipping- cases at the hat-stores for about ten cents each, one of which contains nearly enough lumber to build the body of a hive. The hive 1 shall describe is intended for the "L" frame; but it can be used with other styles of frames. The side boards are 39 x 9V2 inches, four for each liive, nailed together in pairs, as in A in diagram. The inside board of the j'ront end is 181/4 x 9^/^ inches, while the outside board is six inches longer, and nailed together, as in B, so as to lap by and form the corner, as in C. The opposite end of the hive, being used only in summer, is of single thickness, as is also the bottom of the surplus comj^artment. When the hive is nailed together the walls are packed with planer shavings or chaff. A naiTow board, E, is nailed on the upper wall edge to hold the shavings in place. The eight-inch telescope cover gives plenty of room for a chaff tray for winter, or two supers side by side in summer. This hive, when so constructed, will hold 25 frames, ten of which answer for the brood-chamber, and are separated from the others by a perforated division-board, D, reaching within half an inch of the bottom of the hive. A. narrow strip of tin bent at an angle of about 45 degrees is fastened to the bottom edge of it, and this is placed in MAY 15, 1914 the hive with the bent tin turned toward the brood-chamber. The object of tMs is to allow the bees free access from the entrance direct to rear of the hive beneath the di- vision-board; but in case the queen should come in contact with it she will walk down until she comes to the tin, which will turn her back to the combs. This division-board, although not design- ed'by me, I consider an important feature of the hive. Sometimes, as in case of a virgin queen i-eturning from her wedding- flight, or by the excessive use of smoke over the brood-chamber, a queen will find her way to the rear of the hive ; but care should be taken to provide a young laying queen. The bottom and alighting-board are re- movable, and the summer entrance, yg x 14, or the full width of the ten frames, is closed for winter with a block, E, through which wire nails are driven % inch apart as pro- tection from mice. Some points in favor of this hive are simplicity and cheapness of constrnction ; easily built by any one at all familiar with tools; no paint; provides plenty of room so that three or four visits during the season are all that is required; and the protection it affords for wintering. It has always been an opinion of mine that bees produce wax at all times when producing honey, and that this wax, unless they have a place to use it, must necessarily go to waste; that they will produce both much faster when alloAved to hang in their natural clusters. Taking advantage of this fact, only narrow starters are used in the 15 frames for surplus honey; and as these frames are all in one lower story they are accepted one at a time, and for that I'eason will be finished much quicker than if the bees had to go above. These fifteen frames, holding, when com- pleted, about 90 pounds with 64 sections in the two supers above, give the hive a capac- ity of about 150 pounds, or sufficient, usu- ally, for the season in this section. The season's work is commenced during April. The chaff trays are removed, the chaff division-boards that are used during C^ArrU^, w, GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE winter are exchang'ed for the perforated zinc ones, and, after examining the colonies for queens, etc., the frames and supers are l)ut in place and need not be looked at again during the season, although I try to see them two or three times. When the honey is harvested, large cov- ered cans are taken to the outyards, the surplus frames are removed from the hives, and held toward the light to see where the light and dark honey lie; the light honey is cut out into one can, and the dark into another. In this way we are able to grade it — something we are unable to do in ex- tracting. It is taken home to be separated from the comb, which is accomplished by means of strainers. A table is used for this purpose having a top made of galvanized- wire screen, three mesh to the inch. A clieese-cloth strainer is made to hang below to catch the particles that pass through the wire screen. An uncapping-can may be used for small quantities. When every thing is in readiness the cluinks of honey in the cans are all maslied fine and poured on top of the Avire-top table to drain. The table should be elevated above the storage tank so that the honey will flow into it without extra handling. It will be noticed by the foregoing that no extractor or expensive extracting oufit is required. The crop can be handled leisure- ly, and at a time when the weather is more agreeable .than it is sometimes Aviien ex- tracting. Results can be obtained with much less labor, time, and expense. Colonies are less stirred up and excited from giving up tlieir stores. We are able to produce fnllv as much choice honey, I think, as by any other method, and a good many pounds of the very finest virgin wax, which of itself is no small item. Hartford, Ct. [A number of beekeepers in New Eng- land, particularly Mr. Allan Latham, Nor- wichtown, Ct., and Mr. Yates, have been working on this let-alone principle of keep- ing bees — that is to say, they have been ex- perimenting with lai'ge hives (or Long Idea hives) — so large, indeed, that they have sufficient capacity to cairy a whole season's crop with little or no manipulation on the part of the beekeeper. A year ago last summer, when attending a convention of beekeepers at Amiierst, Mass., we listened to an address by Mr. Yates which he deliv- ered on this subject before the convention. At that time we requested him to prepare an article, with illustrations, showing his system of management, and the foregoing is the result. Mr. 0. 0. Poi)pleton, of Stuart, Fla., has long advocated the use of a 24-frame or Long Idea hive having a capacity similiar to the one here shown. Many years ago he used a 24-frame double-walled hive in Iowa. He liked it so well that when he went south he continued to use the same hive, but, of course, without the double walls. We will have an illustrated article showing Popple- ton's entire system, which he was using till within a year ago. That there are advan- tages in the system caimot be denied. Wheth- er the disadvantages for the average bee- keeper will outweigh the advantages we will not attempt to say; but it is a system that the average reader can afford to look into with an open mind. A little later on we shall show another system somewhat simi- lar, and yet very different, by J. E. Hand. This is a 16-frame hive capable of vertical expansion. More anon. — Ed.] Continued from page 369 up to a condition where no desire to swarm has becoine manifest; and those that have become "broody " are allowed no comb of brood, but several thousand empty cells at the time of shaking. In the mean time the sujDer of sections right above the combs they are shaken on has from four to tAvelve sec- tions full of drawn comb left over from the previous season. In this way the colony Avhich has not become broody at time of shaking keeps right on with feeding the queen, removes the honey in the brood- combs to the sections, and the queen depos- its eggs Avithout interruption. On the other hand, the bees and queen from a broody colony find their " house all SAvept and gar- nished," with no incentive but to go right to Avork as any good swarm should when com- ing in possession of a neAv home. The condition and tendency in both eases is to rear brood in the brood-chamber and store honey in the supers to the best possible advantage. Spacing Danzenbaker Frames Wider Apart in Ex- tracting Supers I have found the most effective method for spacing Danzenbaker frames for extracting to be to remove tliR siipporting rivets and replace them about tvpo inches nearer the top-bar. This can be done without mutilating the comb badly. The end-cleats of the liive must then be raised to a corresponding level, ;uid the frame will hang perpendicular by its own ^\cight, .I'ust as do the shallow Danzenbaker extract- inc-frames. As one seldom wants to reverse the frames, this position for the rivet is as good as the center. Stouffville, Ont, F. L. PoIjXock, MAY 15, 1914 Meads of Gram frdDim Differeett Fields Too Much Honey in the Brood-nest for Satisfactory Breeding We have a yard of 108 colonies in which the beoi-' are very strong for this time of the year, having at this ^^Titing an average of four frames of l.rood: in fact, they have ahnost every empty cell filled with brood, The other four combs are solid v^'ith honey to the bottom-bars. There is, of course, some honey in the frames having brood. In this locality the fruit bloom is on about May 5 to 10, to be followed im mediately by locust, then clover and sumac, with practically no playspell between. Now, in your .iudgment which would be the best — to extract about two combs or put on supers early and have them carry up the honey in order to give the queen room for laying? We run this yard for comb honey. Do you think the queen shoiild have six combs for brood two weeks before fruit-bloom ? Last fall these bees- had every frame solid with honey to bottom-bars with an exception in most cases of a small nest ex tending about three inches from the Ijottora-bar in two combs. They wintered finely. Conneaut Lake, Pa., April 8. R. A. Nusbaum. [We are a little in doubt as to what kind of answer to give. As a general proposition, plenty of honey in the brood-nest, where there are at least six frames of brood is a pretty good asset. In the two weeks intervening, considerable of this extra honey will be consumed in brocwl-rearing providing there i? no source of nectar at the time. That being the case, we would not advise disturbing the brood-nest You have an almost ideal condition. You might try taking away two comljs of stores from a few colonies, but we would not extract, be cause you may desire to give them back to the bees later on, and there is nothing like combs of honey for brood-rearing. Of course, the two combs removed should be replaced by empty combs in which the queens could lay. It is Tery doubtful if the bees would carry the honey up into the supers, although they might do so — Ed.] Plan for Requeening Referring to the article, page 234, in the March 15th issue, " To make increase and prevent swarm- ing," I should like to inquire how it would do to place the old queen above with a queen-excluder between the brood-chambers, with only one frame of eggs below. The excluder would prevent the old queen from coming out with a swarm. When the young queen below would begin laying, the old queen could be destroyed. Would not this be a good way to requeen each year and prevent swarming? Gardner B. Willis Providence, R. I., March 20. [We can see no good reason why you should not be able to requeen your bees successfully by the method which you describe, providing the colony is very strong and honey is coming in every day Without these conditions the lower story might not start cells. However, in case the honey-flow should be cut short before the young queens hatch, you might awake some morning to find them all de- stroyed.— Ed.1 A Swarm that Stored More Honey than old Colonies I have some strong colonie.s that make Ijut little honey. Last year we caught a swarm on May 1 as it came over our farm. It filled its hive and two full supers and part of another. My old colonies. apparently as strong, filled only one super with hon ey, and two did not make any surplus, though sirong. These were very cross. In the fall we could detect a sour smell about the hive. Can you tell me what to do? Do I need new queens? Roxbury, Ohio, April 7. G. E. MORRIS [For some reason a swarm, as a rule, works with a vim not known to the colony which does not swarm. This will partly account for the fact that your newly hived swarm produced more honey than your old colonies. They should have produced some hioney ; and since some of them did not, it would appear that there must be something wrong. Some colonies of bees, although strong, never do much in the supers, and in such cases it is wise to requeen. It may be that the queens are old ; and while your colonies were apparently strong, yet the failure of the queens to keep the brood-nest filled with eggs and voung brood would allow the bees to store the lionet there instead of in the supers. Requeening would be the remedy for that also. Since you detected a sour odor in the fall we would advise you to look sharp for European foul brood, although this odor may have come from a honey-flow from fall astei's or goldenrod. — En. ] More about that Peculiar Disease The editor asked for information, pages 547, 548. Aug. 1, 191?!, regarding a peculiar disease appear ing in Colorado and California. We have the same trouble around here. It starts about the last of .Tunc or first of July, and lasts six or seven weeks. I fi"st noticed it three years ago. I thought the bees were robbing. The front of the hive would be covered with bees, and the ground alive with crawling bees toe weak to fly. Each hive seemed to be killing its own bees. They kept at it till all or almost all the old bees were killed. The combs were well filled with brood of all ages. There was no honey coming in at the time, and the strongest would rob out some of the weakest. Napa, Cab, Feb. 19. W. E. Griffin. Satisfactory Experience with Light Brood Founda tion in Sections Referring to Geo. T. Whitten's article, Feb. 15 page 139, I have had three years' experience with light-brood foundation in sections. My bees work this more readily, and have very much increased mj honey crop since using this foundation. I can also do a faster and better job by putting it in the sec tions. I have tested the honey by cutting out the partly filled sections, and I find the midrib at the top slightly heavier than in sections. Where I used super foundation, especially next tO' the wood, when cut Vs inch below, I can tell no difference. I have asked my customers if they have any complaint about the midrib, but none have had any so far. Ceres, Va., Feb. 25. F. A. Crabtree. A Note of Appreciation from a Back-yarder I have, for several years, been a subscriber to your paper, and have always read it with consider- able interest, but never before have I felt it my duty to make any special comment on it. However, I feel quite confident that the last issue, that of April 1, is by all odds the most valuable and interesting to bee- keepers of any periodical I have ever read on the subject of beekeping. I enjoy very much the expe- riences of those old tried beekeepers, and their ex- planations are of such a character that almost any person, though quite young in the beekeeping game, could surely understand them. I am what is commonly called by the big men in the game one of those back-yarders ; that is, I have what I think is the nicest little apiary of its size, from every standpoint, located in Nebraska. I have seventy colonies of bees, all in up-to-date ten-frame 394 hives, placed in pairs on cement foundations, and all the necessary apparatus for working them. I have been in the business nine years, and have made a success of it every summer. I made one bad winter failure when I commenced cellar wintering. The tirst season I prepared my cellar in accordance with the instructions of several men who had practiced cellar wintering. I put in thirty colonies of bees, and took out seven living in the spring. Since that time I have used some methods of my own for forced ventilation, and have never lost a colony of bees that could have endured one month of cold weather out of doors. Last season I commenced with forty-two colonies ; increased to seventy, and netted myself $900. I have noticed in Gleanings quite a number of arguments from beekeepers for and against cellar wintering. I am quite confident that in this locality cellar wintering is by all odds the better. The saving in honey would amply pay for the construction of the cellar. I wintered my bees in 1912 on an aver- age of 8 lbs. and 2 ounces of honey per colony, weighing them in and out. Omaha, Neb., April 14. H. C. CoOK. Some Interesting Questions 1. Where " shook " swarming is practiced, how soon can the two colonies be united without danger of swarming? 2. Will queen-cells in an upper story with wire cloth between the two stories have a tendency to induce swarming? 3. How much space can I leave between the bot- tom-bar of frames and the hive floor without danger of combs being built between ? 4. How much space can I leave between dummies, and have no comb built between ? 5. What should I do with combs that become moldy ? 6. Will the steam-heated uncappingknife work satisfactorily on combs of cold honey ? Coffeyville, Kan., April 16. Bird Hart. [1. Your question implies that you wish to practice " shook " swarming as a method of swarm control and not for increase. The intervening time between shaking and uniting again without danger of swarm- ing would depend considerably on the honey-flow. If uniting were done near the close of the honey-flow there would be little danger of their swarming for the rest of the season ; but if honey-flows should come on later the bees would be likely to swarm. 2. In our experience we have not found that queen-cells in an pper story with wire cloth between two stories have any tendency to make the bees swarm. 3. It is generally regarded that if more than one inch of space is left between bottom-bars of frames and floor boards there is danger of combs being built in the space. However, some beekeepers report leav- ing much more space than that, without that trouble. 4. That depends on how much the bees are crowd- ed during a honey-flow. Three-eighths to one-half inch is about right. 5. A hive containing moldy combs may be set under a very strong colony where the combs will be cared for and cleaned up ; or one or two moldy combs may be placed at a time in the brood-nest of a strong colony. 6. On combs containing cold honey is just the place where the steam-heated uncapping-knife will do the most satisfactory work. It is hard to keep an unheated knife from gumming on such combs. — Ed.] GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE I started in three years ago with Gleanings and me A B C of bee Culture, knowing practica.ly nothing about bees. I took them out of buildings and cavities in the rocks, and used good queens. I had 21 swarms a year ago, and increased them to 43 last season and got 2300 lbs. of surplius honey from them — half fancy comb, half extracted, and captured 27 more swarms, so I am starting this season with 70. So you see bees "go some" in Nevada, even if it is classed as a desert, in the East. Mason, Nev., March 20. A. J. Tedder A Queen-excluding Honey-board Under the Hive to Prevent Swarming I have 14 stands of bees in Danzenbaker hives. I am a day laborer, and do not want many more bees. How would it do to put a queen-excluding honey- board on the bottom-board under the hive at swarm- ing time, SO' that the queen cannot get out? Flora, Ind., April 6. S. W. High. [Our opinion is that your plan would be a failure, because the queen-excluder would soon become clog- ged with the bodies of dead drones ; and, besides that, it would be a serious hindrance to the loaded bees passing through. A better plan would be to use an Alley queen-and-drone trap on the front of the hive. — Ed. ] Feeding and tlie Kind of Sugar to Use How do you prepare sugar for feeding bees? Is there any profit in feeding? What kind of sugar is used ? Oakland City, Ind., Mar. 27. Albert Jordan. [ Sugar is prepared for feeding by dissolving it in water, thus making a syrup of a consistency varying with the time of year in which it is to be fed. For fall feeding it should be about half and half. For spring feeding within the hive it should be about three of water to one of sugar ; and for outdoor feeding about nine water to one sugar. Generally speaking, stimulative feeding in the spring is a very good thing for the beginner to let alone. Granulated sugar only should be used. — Ed.] Ground Ants Bothering Bees My bees are bothered by the ordinary garden or ground ant in the summer. Do they hurt any thing ? Tell me how to get rid of the pests. Gilbert, Pa., March 30. Elmer E. Hinton. [You can get rid of the ants by finding their nests, and with a crowbar or some similar instrument punch a hole down about two feet into the ground in the middle of their hill. Drop in about a table- spoonful of carbon bisulphide, and cover it up. This ought 10 get rid of all the ants. If they should bother you again from the same nest, give them a little heavier dose. — Ed.] Value of Bees in a Cucumber Greenhouse A neighbor (a market gardener) has four colonies of bees to fertilize his hothouse cucumbers. I take care of them, and get the honey. From them and two in our back yard last season I obtained 1007 lbs. of extracted honey, which we sold at 12% cts. per lb. The second week of picking, the owner of the four colonies picked 200 dozen cucumbers per day, and received an average of 80 cts. per dozen. Elmira, N. Y., March 18. P. F. Conklin, Getting Wild Bees out of Caves in the Rocks in Nevada, etc. I am very busy at present, nailing up and getting ready for increase of my bees. They have been building up fast since the 8th on buckbrush. Preventing Bees from Flying when it is Too Cold The best method I have found to check spring dwindling is to place the front of the hive to the north and put a shade-board on the south side, When it gets warm enough so the bees can fly they can nearly always get back to the hive. Elsie, ilich., March 22. C. K. Cabtee. May 15, 1914 395 Ao L M®€)tt OUE HOME Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.- — Matt. 10:28. MORE ABOUT THE BOY WHO WAS DROWNED AND AFTERWARD RESTORED TO LIFE. The matter for Our Homes in our issue for May 1 was prepared hurriedly, so as to be ill time for that issue. Later 1 found out where the boy lived, and visited his home. A little inquiry elicited the fact that the two boys mentioned were truants from school. The teacher imposed some penalty — I think staying after school, or something of that sort ; but, like many another thought- less boy, he sought to outwit his good teach- er by running away from school and going in swimming. I wonder if a guilty con- science did not have something to do with his getting " rattled " while in the water, so that he could not swim. I suggest this because of some experiences of my own when I was about his age. This boy's name is Vaughn Tharpe, and he lives in the out- skirts of Bradentown. Let me digi-ess a little. When 1 saw that boy repeatedly going doAvn into the water, and was evidently nearing his death, a terrible load of respon- sibility rested on my shoulders. I recalled vividly a recent story in one of the dailies of a boy about his age who was run over and killed by an electric car. When the poor mother saw his mangled and lifeless body she became a raving maniac. It took several strong men to hold her, and her screams of mental agony were heart-rending. I thought of this boy's mother. Suppose she saw me standing apparently heli^less while her boy was going down to death. If the readers of Gleanings could have seen me run as I rushed to the house to tell Mrs. Root to alarm the neighbors and to get a doctor, they would have scarcely believed I was close to 75 years of age. Luckily I was very lightly attired; for in spite of Mrs. Root's protests I work in the garden with just as little clothing as possible. When we get to be past threescore years and ten, most of us get along with our work better by disposing not only of every pound but of every ounce of useless apparel. I think I can run for a short distance about as fast as I ever could. A sacred responsibility rested on me to spare no effort, physical or otherwise, to restore that boy to animation ; and, by the way, every man, woman, and child should be taught by competent authority what to do in case of drowning. I knew the water must be first gotten out of the boy's lungs, for I had an experience of my own of that kind years ago, when I, too, nearly lost my life. I had sense enough to lie down on my face with my head downhill; and it was a feeling of relief I shall not soon forget when 1 found I could breathe again. I supposed the boy would revive in a like manner; but he showed no signs of life until Wesley turned him with his head up hill and began to roll and rub him. I was not present when he revived ; but Wesley tells me the boy finally coughed and sneez- ed, and then expelled another great lot of water from his mouth and nostrils. When I reached the place, just after calling the (own doctor, the boy was able to sit up and talk. Several days afterward, when he and liis mother called at our place to thank Wesley and myself, I questioned him about playing truant, and he replied, " Mr. Root, you may be sure I will never run away from school again as long as I live." Let us now consider our text for a mo- ment. Yon may wonder what it has to do with what I have been telling you. Let us look at it this way : In answer to my prayers — mental pray- ers, perhaps, although I think I spoke out loud when the boy sank for the last time — God heard me; and when the water threat- ened to be over Wesley's head,* so that he feared he could go no further, I prayed for footing for the next step, a little higher up, tluit prayer was answered; and the third time, when Wesley said all his efforts were unavailing, I prayed again as I hastened off for (he doctor. The prayers were answered, and the boy is now alive and well. But, my friend, what does it all amount to, providing this boy should grow up to be a drunkard, or, what is more likely, a cigarette fiend? This "Safety First Soci- ety " that promises to do a mighty work in saving the lives of our children is a grand undertaking. Every man, woman, and child should join it and work for it. The mothers * I tell you, friends, that was a serious and criti- cal time when I took the responsibility of telling Wesley, a man who could not swim, to push ahead when he had to raise his chin to keep his mouth out of the water. I came very near indeed having not only a drowned boy on my hands and conscience, but a drowned man also. Some of you may think that one who cannot swim could push ahead a few feet under water. Not so. In a second more the water would have taken him off his feet, and then he would have been as bad off as the boy. There was no one near except the other boy, standing still and shivering on the opposite bank. I could not get him even to run for help ; and there was a tangled thicket along both shores of the stream, and it was quite a distance to any house. If there was ever a time when one needed to pray for God's help with all the faith and energy he possessed, that was the time. 396 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE especially will do this; but what does it amount to if we simply prolong life and do iiotliing' for the immortal soul"? Lucy Page Gaston (may God bless and sustain the woman) informs us through the Union Signal that last year there were man- ufactured in the United States iliree billion eifjlit hundred million cigarettes. She says that new factories are constantly springing uj) to make cigarettes for the boys. Many of tlie older factories are working night and day, the demand is so great. If you take a little pains you will discover that children are learning to use cigarettes on the sly almost if not quite all over the land. They are hired by the manufacturers to distribute cigarettes and heli) cultivate an appetite for them. Many a parent does not know his boy has ever touched a cigaiette until the child is pretty well along in the habit.* The government of the United States some lime ago started a. crusade against "habit- forming drugs," and later still a movement against " baneful drugs." Now, wouldn't you think these two organ- izations would hit cigarettes'? So far as T can learn, they overlook or ignore cigarettes because of the great American Tobacco Co. The liquor business has shown itself to be bigger than Uncle Sam; but just now Uncle Sam is waking up and rolling up his sleeves. The Anti-saloon League has sometimes suggested that we should not undertake too many jobs at once. I think that at one great temperance convention they thought best that Lucy Page Gaston should not talk about cigarettes, as it might divert atten- tion, just at a crisis in enacting laws against the liquor-traffic. May be that is wisdom; but, oh dear me! can we neglect our boys? Once more: A kind Providence permitted me to save that boy's life. Is that all? Shall I now drop him and let him drift aAvay out of my sight among the multi- tudes? God forbid. The poor mother said he had not been going to Sunday-school since they moved into Bradentown because he could not dress as well as the other chil- dren. But I talked with the mother and with the boy, and I also talked with Mr. Rood, the superintendent of our Sunday- school, and he will look after the boy. Fur- * The city of Tampa is about sixty miles north of Bradentown; and besides a raihvay there are two steamers that ma!