52 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 28, 1904. 



all complete, " carry to where the bees have clustered, by putting an 

 empty box or step-ladder under them you can raise the hive until the 

 frames touch the cluster, then brush them onto frames." "This 

 method," says he, "will answer for all early swarms, because old 

 queens always settle near enough to the ground to get the hive up to 

 the cluster." 



The question is: Do prime swarms on this side the globe, when 

 they have opportunities for settling on higher places, always cluster 

 so low that they may be reached from a box or step-ladder? Do 

 they generally ? 



The Veterans Read the Bee-Papers. 



Tho.se who have already achieved success at bee-keeping are the 

 very ones who take the most bee-papers and do the most reading. 

 The time never comes when one has finished learning all there is to 

 be learned about bee-keeping. The beginner who gives the most dili- 

 gent study to the pursuit upon first entering it, is likely to be the one 

 farthest on when he becomes a veteran. 





Miscellaneous Items 





Mr. Geo. Li. Seward's Bee-Shed Apiary is shown on the 

 first page. He says it is " the best protection for hives in this locality. 

 The shed is 45 feet long, 7 feet wide, and gives room enough to stand 

 erect, or run a wheelbarrow behind the hives." 



The Apiary of Mr. Highbarger is pictured on the first 

 page this week. It contained 60 colonies the past season, and pro- 

 duced 3000 pounds of comb honey. Mr. Highbarger is one of the 

 older bee-keepers, and has been a constant reader of the American Bee 

 Journal tor many years. 



An Apiarian "Conuinberfuni."— We found the following 

 in one of our exchanges last week : 



Why is a bee-hive like a bad potato? Ans.— A bee-hive is a bee 

 holder; a beholder is a spectator; and a specked 'tater is a bad Hater. 



We might have sent the question to Dr. Miller, and then after- 

 ward compared his answer with the one given above. But we knew 

 pretty well what his answer would be. Simply, " I don't know," 



Split Sections are what Mr. A. Coppin used in his exhibit at 

 the Illinois State Fair, as mentioned on page 20. There was an error 

 in the size. His sections are 4I4X5 instead of 4x5, as stated. He has 

 the comb foundation made 5x17 inches, and puts the full sheet be- 

 tween the halves of a row of 4 sections all at one time ; then by wedg- 

 ing up the sections the foundation is held firmly in place, and also a 

 full sheet of foundation is thus in each section. There is no falling 

 down of full sheets or starters in this way. Mr. J. C. Wheeler and 

 others follow the same plan, and like it. 



The Chicago-Northwestern Convention Report is lie- 

 gun in this issue. The whole of the report is twice as long as that of 

 the National held at Los Angeles. It was an enthusiastic gathering 

 here in Chicago early last December. They did business all the time. 

 Any one who fails to attend an annual meeting of the Chicago-North- 

 western misses a good, profitable time. Every bee-keeper within -.iOO 

 or 300 miles of Chicago ought to make a desperate effort to be present. 

 There Is no good reason why Chicago should not have the largest an- 

 nual meeting of bee-keepers held anywhere in the United States. 



The Onondaga County Bee-Keepers' Association met in 

 Syracuse, N. Y., Thursday Jan. 14, 1904. Fres. S. D. House occupied 

 the chair. Owing to blockades of snow the attendance was rather 

 small, but those present were naturally the most enthusiastic mem- 

 bers. Mr. Irving Kenjon gave an address on improved methods of 

 producing comb honey, in which were many good points, and Mr. W. 

 J. Morgan gave his experience in carbonizing comb honey to destroy 

 wax-worms. A lively discussion followed. 



At the afternoon session, N. E. France spoke on the work of the 



National Bee-Keepers' Association, and W. Z. Hutchinson conducted 

 a question-drawer. 



In the evening. Prof. Thwing, of Syracuse University, spoke on 

 questions connected with location ; R. F. Holtermann on the preven- 

 tion of swarming, and N. N. Betsinger, Moderator, in his report urged 

 the production of a better class of honey. Oflicers the same as last 

 year were elected, except that the Moderator is Mr. Kenyon. 



We hope soon to publish a report of this convention. 



An Inspector's Association for mutual help and exchange 

 of ideas was organized at Syracuse, N. Y., recently, by Messrs. France, 

 Hutchinson, Stewart, Stevens, West, and Wright, inspectors of bee- 

 diseases. It will probably be made national. Such an organization 

 should be able to help secure laws against bee-diseases in those States 

 where no such laws exist. We wish great success to the new organi- 

 zation. May it never iieeil inspection ! 



Mr. N. Staininger, of Cedar Co., Iowa, was so unfortunate 

 as to have had two daughters in the awful Iroquois Theatre fire, which 

 occurred here in Chicago, Dec. 30. They were badly burned, and 

 were not able to leave the hospital for two or three weeks after the 

 fire. As most of our readers know, there were about 600 people burned 

 to death, and several hundred others burned and injured so that they 

 will likely be disfigured or maimed for life. Aside from the fire dan- 

 ger, we think the great majority of theatrical performances are pretty 

 good things to stay away from'. We attended our last just 20 years 

 ago next April, in company with Mr. Thomas G. Newman. We have 

 never had any desire to go again. 



Mr. Howard Miller, editor of The Inglenook Magazine, some 

 time ago visited the home and apiary of Mr. J. E. Thompson, Sr., in 

 Kane Co., III. As a result, a very readable article on bees and honey 

 appeared in The Inglenook for Aug. 25. It is always a good thing for 

 bee-keepers to invite the editors of local newspapers or magazines to 

 inspect their apiaries. It almost invariably results in the publication 

 of an article on the use of honey, which will help increase its demand. 

 All such things help the bee-keepers. Also, the information about the 

 keeping of bees and the production of honey is a good thing to have 

 scattered among the people. Don't forget to invite your local editor 

 to spend a half day in your apiary next season. Then see to it that he 

 takes home with him a nice little memento that will keep him and his 

 family sweet for a week or two. 



The New York State Association of Bee-Keepers' Socie- 

 ties met in Syracuse Friday, Jan. 15, 1904, Fres. W. F. Marks occupy- 

 ing the chair. Among those present were General Manager N. E. 

 France, W. Z. Hutchinson, Chas. Stewart, Mortimer Stevens, N. D. 

 West, and W. D. Wright, foul brood inspector in New York State, and 

 R. F. Holtermann and Morley Fettit, of Canada. 



In his opening address Fres. Marks laid particular stress on the 

 enforcement of the pure honey law. Other addresses were given by 

 N. E. France on diseases of bees, N. D. West on foul and black brood, 

 R. F. Holtermann on marketing honey, and O. L. Hershiser on crop 

 reports. 



The staff of officers were all re-elected. 



We expect to publish a report of this convention later. 



Mr. A. T. Cook, of Hyde Fark, N. Y., is in the seed business. 

 His catalog is unique. He is also interested in the crop of boys and 

 girls that are being brought up in this country. That being the case, 

 he has scattered all through his seed catalog some good advice for 

 young people, as well as for older folks, too. Here are a couple 

 samples: 



TO MT FRIENDS — THE BOYS. 



Please do not use tobacco. It will enslave your mind, defile your 

 body, and waste your money. If you h<ur begun — take my advice and 

 stop at once, and you will be grateful all the days of your lite. 



Be temperate. Shun the deadly, soul destroying saloons. Let 

 your motto be, " Touch not. Taste not. Handle not the Intoxicating 

 Cup." Be brave enough to be above temptation, and dare to do the 

 right. Your friend, A. T. Cook. 



We can never be too careful what the seed our hands shall sow; 

 Love from love is sure to ripen, hate from hate is sure to grow. 

 Seed of good or ill we scatter heedlessly aloug our way. 

 But a glad or grievous fruitage waits us at the harvest day. 



