Bee. IS, 1904. 



THE AMEmCAN BEE JOURNAL. 



841 



paraffin paper, then newspapers packed over, and then the 

 honey-board with the winter-case on top of all. It keeps 

 the boxes very clean wheu the bees do not eat away the 

 paper. I have heard that he now discards the paper. Per- 

 haps the bees work to better advantage without the paper 

 packing. 



I have seen in the American Bee Journal that one per- 

 son recommends the honey-board only, and a bee-space over 

 the sections. 



I enjoy the sisters' corner in the Bee Journal very much. 



Dutchess Co., N. Y., Nov. 10. S. E. Wiley. 



Try having nothing but the cover with ;+-inch space 

 over the sections. You will probably like this as well as 

 anything. 



A Canyon Picture and Apiary. 



I send herewith a picture of the beautiful canyon in | 

 which we have had our apiary for the last three years. A 

 late forest fire has destroyed the surrounding bee-pasture, 

 and necessitated a removal of our bees. I am sure that you 

 will think the photograph very beautiful. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. Mary L. Smalk. 



It is indeed a beautiful picture, and makes me wish I 

 could be there ; it also brings back forcibly to my mind our 



APIARY OF E. J. SMALE i CO., LOS ANGELES CO., CALIF. 



delightful Denver trip, when the National met there. How 

 I did enjoy it. The beautiful mountains, canyons, and 

 the magnificent scenery, is something I shall enjoy in 

 memory as long as I live. 



The " Old Reliable " seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. By E. E. Hasty, Sta. B Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



CTICUMBBR HONEY (?). 



If Dr. Miller's bees have ranged 200 acres of cucumbers 

 several years and still he is unfamiliar with the quality, 

 color, yield, etc., it can not be that the yield is exactly over- 

 whelming. If 200 acres of basswood trees could be put down 

 where there were none before it would compel bee-folks to 

 know something about the new kind of honey. Page 746. 



EXTRACTING SUPERS ON HIVES IN WINTER. 



The question whether extracting supers might be left 

 on the hive over winter is up on page 746. One of the rea- 

 sons for having them taken oif is not often mentioned, but 

 is really quite an important reason. A colony will often 

 start into the winter with two different clusters, one above 

 and one below. A minor cluster upstairs that way is not 

 likely to break up and come down till it has suffered heav- 

 ily. As a rule, I think, the bees all perish up there ; and 

 the colony as a whole is just that much weakened and dam- 

 aged unnecessarily. I am speaking of the Gallup frame 

 used in supers ; shallower ones would be less conducive to 

 this kind of mischief. 



SOWING SWEET CLOVER. 



On page 750 we read : " Sow sweet clover. Keep still 

 about it ; and let the kickers kick ". How, then, about the 

 doctrine of this American continent, that the majority 

 should rule ? How would it do for the man in Holland to 

 say : " Make a hole in the dyke. Keep still about it ; and 

 let the kickers kick "? You see the re3t of the folks in Hol- 

 land might be cranks. He, the only wise man, might be 

 aware that there was more profit in raising carp than in 

 raising cabbages. May he rightfully compel them (to their 

 own profit) to engage in fish culture ? 



I want also to put this thing in another shape. A good 

 many of us are trying to live honestly in the sight of our 

 non-beekeeping fellowmen, concealing nothing from them, 

 and making them no unnecessary trouble. Has this man, 

 and a few others like him, any right to cut the dykes and 

 let the waters of public indignation rush upon us? The 

 public are quite too willing to think evil as it is ; and if 

 their attention is once called to such sentences as those 

 which I have quoted, we'uns, the Poor Trays, are likely to 

 get more of the punishm nt than our " bad company " does. 

 It may happen any day ! iit some paper of the largest cir- 

 culation will quote such ' sentiment as the above, and make 

 a few indignant comme: -; on it. 



SMOKING BEES — HOLDING THE BEESMOKER. 



A novice might think from the answers to Ques. 17, 

 that it was wicked to smoke bees, or, at least, in very bad 

 form — a thing to be apologized for. I would say to the be- 

 ginner : Don't take exactly that view of it. If bees need 

 smoking, as they usually do, smoke 'em the first thing. 

 You have at least the same clear right to do it that the 

 farmer had to shear his swine. The legitimate cause which 

 stands behind all the seeming delicacy is the danger of get- 

 ting the bees to running about like a flock of sheep. That 

 is a troublesome matter in which a little ounce of preven- 

 tion is worth several pounds of attempted cure. Keep the 

 bees on their combs, and at work at their usual vocations if 

 possible ; but also make them recognize that you are the 

 boss — in fact, we musi have this last, come what may in 

 other respects. Hutchinson, on page 766, has just the right 

 of it. 



As to how to grab the smoker, 14 say with fingers next 

 the fire, and 4 say thumbs next the fire — and 7 dodge the 

 question. 'Spects the facts are about like this : Some 

 smokers are so made that fingers next the fire is the most 

 convenient and natural way. Some smokers are so made 

 that thumbs next the fire is the most convenient and nat- 

 ural way. And some smokers are so made that either way 

 goes very well. It then depends upon habit and the mere 

 chance of how the operator unthinkingly got started. 



Honey as a Health-Food.— This is a 16-page honey- 

 pamphlet intended to help increase the demand for honey. 

 The first part of it contains a short article on " Honey as 

 Food ", written by Dr. C. C. Miller. It tells where to keep 

 honey, how to liquefy it, etc. The last part is devoted to 

 " Honey-Cooking Recipes " and " Remedies Using Honey ". 

 It should be widely circulated by those selling honey. The 

 more the people are educated on the value and uses of honey 

 the more honey they will buy. 



Prices, prepaid — Sample copy for a two-cent stamp ; SO 

 copies for 70 cts.; 100 for S1.2S : 250 for $2.2S ; SOO for $4.00); 

 or 1000 for $7.50. Your business card printed free at the 

 bottom of the front page on all orders for 100 or more copies. 

 Send all orders to the ofiSce of the American Bee Journal. 



