41st YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL., MARCH 14, 1901, 



No, 11, 



I ^ Editorial Comments. ^^ | 



The Home Circle. — We begin this week a new department of 



the American Bee Journal, called The Home Circle. As will be 

 noticed, it is in charjje of Prof. A. J. Cook — a man of excellent ability, 

 wide experience, and a most helpful writer. We trust that thru this 

 feature of the old Bee Journal every member of the family may be 

 greatly benefited. 



It would be a nice practice to gather all the family around the 

 fireside, and have some member read aloud the whole of this new 

 department each week. As each paragraph is read it could be dis- 

 cust or commented upon very helpfully by father or mother, or the 

 older members of the family, and thus pass a most entertaining hour 

 or evening. 



We hope, also, that many will avail themselves of the invitation 

 which Prof. Cook extends to all who can do so, to aid by sending to 

 him such items of general interest and helpfulness as may be thought 

 to be suitable. Of course, all such may not be deemed available, but 

 doubtless a goodly proportion would be approved. 



It is not our intention to allow " The Home Circle " to trespass 

 upon the space usually devoted to bee-keeping, but we shaU likely run 

 fewer of our own advertisements, and devote the space thus occupied 

 to matter that shall be of real value to every member of the family, 

 whether interested in bees or not. We feel that in so doing we will be 

 advancing the good of all, and thus be extending the influence of the 

 " Old Reliable '' in a way that will be commended by every one who 

 desires to see it fulfill its highest mission. 



We bespeak for both Prof. Cook and " The Home Circle "' a cordial 

 reception by every family into which the old American Bee Journal 

 has already won its way. 



Home-Apiary of Mr. K. J. Ba.xter. — On page 171 will be 

 found a picture of the home-apiary of Mr. E. J. Baxter, of Hancock 

 Co., 111. Mr. Baxter is a native of Newark. N. J., but he has lived 

 nearly all his lite in Hancock Co.. 111. He is a son-in-law of Mr. Chas. 

 Dadant, and for the past 23 or 24 years has kept bees on a large scale, 

 having from two to four apiaries most of the time. He uses large 

 liives. and extracts the greater part of his honey. In reply to en- 

 (luiries as to his success in the production of honey, he says: 



•' The book containing my honey-crop etatistics previous to 189B 

 is mislaid, but I can give you my exact returns for honey sold since 

 that time, and some approximation of previous crops. The past five 

 years have yielded me as follows : 1896, S523.40; 1S97, «1, 192.92; 1S9S. 

 ^)7.70; 1899,8534.98; 1900, S42.:!0. The average number of colonies 

 i have kept during this time has been 225. The past five years have 

 Ijeen about the poorest, the last tieing the very worst of all. 



■• My best years were 1882, 18S3, and 1880. In 1882 the bees aver- 

 aged me over !?10 per colony net, but I don't remember the exact 

 amount. 



•' In 1883 an apiary that I establisht at Powellton, of 41 colonies, 

 yielded a liltk- better than 23 barrels of honey, one colony yielding WO 

 pounds I believe that the total for that .year was in the neighborhood 

 of 2:^,IK«) ipdinids from 123 colonies, spring count. 



"In 1889 1 harvetsted something over 33,000 pounds for my own 

 share, besides the one-fifth that I gave to the persons on whose 

 grounds the out-apiaries were located. AH but five barrels was clover 

 honey, and netted me about S2..5O0. 



" Our crop is clover, heartsease, and S|)anish-needle. 



" As to the strain of bees, 1 havu blacks, Cyijriansand Italians. The 

 Italians have always done the bt-st. in pcjor seasons usually hav- 

 ing plenty of stores to winter on if no surplus, while the blacks are on 

 the verge of starvation. 



■' I have used Langstroth, Simplicity, and Dadant-Ciuinby hives, and 



the latter having given me the best results I have now no other kind. 

 Until the past year I have done nearly all the work in the several api- 

 aries except during extracting time, when I have the usual crew of 

 four besides myself, if the crop is good. I now have two out-apiaries 

 besides the home-apiary shown in the picture." 



Mr. Baxter is also a large fruit-grower. He is one of the firm of 

 Baxter Bros., who own several large vineyards and extensive straw- 

 berry-beds. Their shipments of strawberries, raspberries, grapes, etc., 

 amount each year to over a hundred car-loads; but E. J. Baxter says 

 that his bees have brought him more profit, for the time involved in 

 their care and the capital engaged, than any other enterprise in which 

 he has ever been. 



Making an Observatory Hive. — One of our subscribers in 

 the State of Washington asks us to give plans or directions for liuild- 

 ing an observatory hive. Also the best location to place it for 

 observation ; and he wishes to know whether such can be purchast 

 from bee-supply manufacturers. 



Of course, anything in the bee-line can be gotten from the bee- 

 supply manufacturers, if they are told just what is wanted. 



Almost any one who is handy with ordinary carpenter's tools can 

 make an observatory hive, something after the style of an ordinary 

 hive, only with glass sides. Perhaps the most successful would be 

 made for only two brood-frames, tho they are often made for one 

 frame. Then the frame or frames can be lifted from the hive with 

 the bees, queen, etc., and put into the observatory 'hive. 



If we were going to keep bees in an observatory hive we think we 

 would have it at the window of one of the living-rooms of our house, 

 having it so placed that the bees could work in and out just the .same 

 as if they were outdoors, but have it so arranged that they could not 

 get outside of their hive into the living-room. 



Apiculture at the Pan-American. — As we have announced 

 before, Mr. 0. L. Hershiser is the live superintendent of the apiarian 

 exhibits at the Pan-American Exposition, which opens in Buffalo, 

 May 1, 1901, to continue six months thereafter. Here is what he has 

 to say in tJleanings in Bee-Culture regarding the proposed exhibit in 

 the interest and representative of bee-keeping: 



Judging from present indications the apiariau exhibit will not be 

 least among the many novel and instructive attractions. It promises 

 to eclipse everything in this line ever attempted, and this, notwith- 

 standing the general shortage in honey-production in many localities 

 within the United States and Canada during the past two years. 



This exhibit will be a veritable wonderland, not only for apiarists, 

 but for that larger class of users and consumers of honey. It is de- 

 signed to make this exhibit educational as well as entertaining, to the 

 end that the fallacies affecting the pursuit of apiculture may be, as far 

 as possible, rectified. 



A model apiary will be in operation to show, in a practical way, 

 just how both comb and extracted honey are produced. Exhibits, 

 showing the relation of bees to horticulture, will be a prominent fea- 

 ture, and the mistake of spraying fruit-trees when in bloom will be 

 demonstrated, as well as the absolute necessity of the presence of bees 

 during the season of bloom in order to make horticulture, in any sense, 

 a paying pursuit. 



Vasl (luantities of both comb and extracted honey, prepared in the 

 most attractive and appropriate forms for market, will be shown. It 

 is safe to say that this most interesting feature of the exhibit will in- 

 clude the nectareous products of all vahialilc honey-|ilants to tic found 

 within the Americas and the island possessions of the Uiiiti-d States. 



There will be a complete and exhaustive display of manufactures 

 therefrom. 



A distinctive exhibit of honey-plants, as a part of the general out- 

 door-growjng horticultural and floral exhibits, is contemplated. 



There will be several large and attractive exhibits of ai)iarian sup- 

 plies, comprising specimens of all approved hives and every tool. 

 device, and preparation needed in the imrsuit of apicidture. 



Several State and Provincial exhibits are already a.ssured, and 

 others are under aclvisement. It may also be stated that individuals, 

 no matter where situated within the Americas, have an opportunity t*) 



