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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec. 29, 1904. 



hand a stock of shallow combs to be used for no other pur- 

 pose than extracted honey. 



It is claimed that honey of lighter color can be obtained 

 if the combs have never been bred in, and that the labor of 

 uncapping is less with shallow than with deep combs ; but 

 some do not admit these claims. Other advantages can 

 hardly be denied. Bees will begin work more readily in 

 shallow frames ; there is not so deep a space to be kept 

 warm when the first super is given, and less break when an 

 additional super is added beneath. One point upon which 

 stress may well be laid, is that in shallow frames the ripen- 

 ing will be more even, while in deep frames too often there 

 will be unripe honey in the lower part of the comb when 

 the upper portion is sealed. When the supers are to be re- 

 moved for extracting, smoke will drive the bees mostly out 

 of the shallow supers, while with deep frames the bees will 

 be merely driven to the lower part of the combs. It is also 

 claimed that the queen is less likely to go up into shallow 



supers. Combs are less likely to break in shallow frames, 

 and there is less need of wiring. 



Bicycles for Out°Apiarles. 



Bee-keepers who do not own bicycles have lately taken 

 comfort in assurances that after all a bicycle was not such 

 a very desirable thing ; but J. A. Green, in Gleanings in 

 Bee Culture, strikes a vigorous blow in their defense, as 

 follows : 



The statement quoted in the Review, that the man who 

 uses a bicycle to go to an out-apiary has done a day's work 

 before he gets there, makes an old century rider smile. 

 Although I keep one or more horses all the while, I prefer 

 to use a bicycle whenever possible. I am bee-inspector for 

 Mesa County, and have made all my inspecting trips on the 

 wheel. Sometimes for a couple of weeks together I have 

 ridden from 15 to 30 miles nearly every day, inspecting 

 from 75 to 100 colonies of bees at a trip, and the least tire- 

 some part of the day's work has been that spent on the 

 wheel. I enjoy it more, probably keep in better health for 

 it, and get more work done at less expense for the taxpayers 

 who foot the bills, than if I used a horse. 



We Wish "A Happy New Year "to every reader of 

 the American Bee Journal, and may it be the best year you 

 have lived. 



Genepal Manager N. E. France will speak on bees 

 and bee-diseases for ten days in New York State in January, 

 as per the convention notices on another page. He may 

 also attend the Michigan convention the latter part of Jan- 

 uary. Mr. France truly is " as busy as a bee ". 



Why Not get a bee-keeping neighbor to let you send 

 his subscription to the American Bee Journal for 19P5 with 

 your renewal ? You know the value of this journal to its 

 regular readers, so you can best tell its merits to other bee- 

 keepers who should be reading it regularly. 



By the waj', a year's subscription to the old American 

 Bee Journal would be a fine Chistmas or holiday gift to your 

 beekeeping relative or friend. 



Texas Bee-Keepers are requested to read and heed the 

 following notice and suggestions : 



We now have before the Legislature a Pure Honey Law 

 and a petition for a liberal appropriation to carry out the 

 Foul Brood Law that we already have. 



We want you all to write two letters, one to your Repre- 



sentative and one to your Senator, endorsing both meas 

 ures and asking their support for both. 



Then write me a ringing letter in a few words endors- 

 ing the laws ; these letters will be presented to the Legis- 

 lature with our petition for what we want. 



Remember that it requires only a few minutes in which 

 to write your Senator and Representative and a few words 

 to me, and if all will do this it will help wonderfully. F. L. 

 Aten, Round Rock, Tex., is chairman of a committee to 

 raise funds to defray the expenses of the Legislative Com- 

 mittee appointed by the State Association, and any contri- 

 butions sent him will be thankfully received. Let us be up 

 and doing, and every one do his duty. H. H. Hyde, 



Assistant Secretary and Chairman of Statistics, 



Texas Bee-Keepers' Association. 



San Antonio, Tex. 



The Ontario Convention was held in Toronto, Nov. 

 IS, 16 and 17. It was, as usual, a successful meeting. We 

 expect to publish a report of it later. The following were 

 elected officers and directors for the ensuing year : 



President, H. G. Sibbald ; 1st vice-president, R. H. 

 Smith ; 2d vice-president, F. J. Miller ; treasurer, Martin 

 Emigh ; secretary, W. Couse, Streetsville. Directors : W. 

 J. Brown, J. K. Darling, M. B. Holmes, B. Lowey, J. W. 

 Sparling, H. G. Sibbald, J. Alpaugh, Jas. Armstrong, R. 

 H. Smith, G. A. Deadman, F. J. Miller, and Denis Nolan. 

 Representatives: Ontario Agricultural College, Prof. F. C. 

 Harrison; Canadian National Exhibition, E. Grainger; 

 Western Fair, F. J. Miller ; and Ottawa B air, J. K. Darling. 



Contributcb Sv>^cia\ Clrticlcs 



Smoking Bees— How and How Much. 



BY C. P. DADANT. 



This question, answered on page 757, was undoubtedly 

 asked by a beginner. But the answers must surely have be- 

 wildered him. "Do you use smoke before removing the 

 cover?" "Yes, no, very little, not often, sometinus, not al- 

 ways." 



The trouble is that the men who answer are all practical 

 and are so accustomed to handling bees that they each have 

 a successful method although no two do exactly alike. Had 

 the question been, "Should a beginner use smoke before re- 

 moving the cover," the answer, I will vouch, would have been 

 "yes" in every case. 



The practical bee-keeper who handles hives every day 

 can tell before he goes to work whether the bees will need 



