41st YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL,, MARCH 28, 1901, 



No, 13, 



^ Editorial Comments. ^ ^ 



Prof. Cook's Review of the " A B C." — When publishing 

 Prof. Cooli"s first article of the review of the " A B C of Bee-Culture," 

 we should have stated that his criticisms referred to the edition of 

 1899-1900, and not to the latest, or 1901 edition. As the criticisms 

 read, one would naturally infer that they relate to the new edition, 

 and not to the previous one. With perhaps two exceptions, all the 

 matter which Prof. Cook criticised in his first article has either been 

 stricken out or materially modified in statement. Only about half of 

 the edition of 1S99 could be revised, owing to the limited time at the 

 disposal of the revisers, but when the latest edition (the one for 1901) 

 was under consideration, that matter which had not been changed 

 was either rewritten or revised. So, as it happened. Prof. Cook is 

 calling attention to certain errors and other points that needed modifi- 

 cation, but which are not in the book now offered fur aale. This is well, 

 as only a very few, comparatively, have a copy of the 1901 edition, the 

 great majority having former editions, which contain the criticised 

 matter. 



Prof. Cook quotes E. R. Root as saying that "digestion is the 

 separation of the nutrient part of the food from the non-nutrient, and 

 the conversion of the nutrient into a liquid fit to mingle with the 

 blood." This is not Mr. Root's statement, but a direct quotation from 

 Mr. Thos. Wni. Cowan^ and, with all deference to Prof. Cook, Mr. 

 Root writes us that he should not know whether to accept Mr. Cowan's 

 or Prof. Cook's definition even yet. When doctors disagree, who shall 

 decide '. 



Regarding the statement of the poor quality of honey from apple- 

 blossoms, so much proof was furnisht Mr. Root to the effect that such 

 honey was of the very finest quality in color, body, and Havor, that 

 the 1901 edition contains a statement praising that kind of honey in 

 the highest terms. 



Regarding the other points referred to in Prof. Cook's review of 

 the " A B C of Bee-Culture," the 1901 edition either does not contain 

 the statements which are called in question, or else said statements 

 are modified to conform to the knowledge of the present time. 



Mr. Root has sent Prof. Cook a new book bearing the date of 

 1901, in which he will see that his suggestions and corrections have 

 been generally adopted; for, be it said, a copy of the 1899 edition was 

 sent to Prof. Cook, requesting him to point out its errors or its mis- 

 leading statements, which he did. 



Bee-Keeping for Women. — When the statement is made that 

 bee-keeping is just the thing tor invalids and women, a quiet smile is 

 likely to be seen on the face of the bee-keeper who works hard at 

 his business from " dawn to dewy eve," and who lies down at night 

 more worn out than the average farmer. He knows that bee-keeping 

 takes work — hard work — and a lot of it. He knows that he is no in- 

 valid, and yet the business requires all the strength he has. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, when bee-keeping is spoken of as a business into which 

 invalids and women can enter and rapidly make a fortune, the realm of 

 nonsense is entered. 



And yet, taken in the right sense, it is not so far out of the way to 

 say that bee-keeping is jusr the tiling for an invalid woman. Not per- 

 haps for every one, but for every one who has taste and adaptability 

 in that direction. Indeed, there are not wanting those who testify 

 hat with poor health and too I it He strength for ilmost any physical 



exertion, when the time comes for the merry hum of the bees in the 

 spring, they can go to work at their pets, using up their strength to 

 its limit every day, but every day finding that strength on the increase. 



There are two reasons for this. One is that they are kept out in 

 the open air, that of itself being enough to make a vast difference in 

 most cases. The other reason is the intense interest that bee-keeping 

 begets. Many a bee-keeper will readily recall the time when he had 

 not more than five or six colonies, and when at the close of a hard 

 day's work in some other direction he has workt an hour at his bees, 

 and when everything was done that he could find any reasonable ex- 

 cuse (or doing, he would reluctantly stop, with regret that there was 

 nothing more to do. If the occupation had been almost anything else, 

 he would have found himself so tired that he would have been glad to 

 have shortened up the task. 



The woman w'ho enters bee-keeping with no knowledge of the 

 business, and with no love for it, but only with the thought that she 

 may make a fortune at it. will be badly worsted in the outcome; but 

 if she has some taste in that direction, and goes at the matter reason- 

 ably and intelligently, she may find a delightful recreation, and with 

 gradual increase of colonies she may add to her pin money a sum not 

 to be despised. 



The attention needed by the bees can be given at a convenient 

 time so as not to interfere with other duties, supposing that the num- 

 ber of colonies is not large, and when the number becomes sufficiently 

 large, help at other duties can be obtained. In any ease, it will not be 

 hard to get help from " the lords of creation " in anj* part of the 

 work that requires much physical strength. 



Mrs. Axtell's article on this subject iu this week's number will be 

 read with interest, particularly by the women of the bee-keeper's 

 family. 



Ininiune to Bee-Poison. — One of the tTcrman bee-papers 

 reports that "Dr. J. Langer investigated 164 bee-keepers, and found 

 11 of them immune to bee-poison from the start ; 126 became immune 

 after a time; and 37 remained as sensitive as ever Some lost their 

 immunity, and sometimes suddenly thru sickness." So says a Stray 

 Straw in Gleanings in Bee-Culture. 



Editor Root says that he has never yet met a person who is im- 

 mune to bee-poison from the start — that is, one on whom there would 

 be no swelling at the first sting. Of course, there are persons who 

 never can keep bees, owing to the fearful effect of the poison 

 caused from stinging. The result of the investigation made by Dr. 

 Langer shows quite conclusively that after a time the great majority 

 become almost completely immune to bee-poison. 



When we first began to keep bees we suffered greatly from the 

 effect of the bee-poison. We remember very distinctly being stung 

 above the eye, on one occasion, and the next morning we could 

 scarcely see anything with that eye. After keeping bees a few years, 

 and being stung more or less, we noticed that the pain became less 

 after stinging, and that there was scarcely any swelling at all. Now, 

 when being stung, we scarcely realize it half an hour afterward, unless 

 it is a very severe case. 



"Practical Lessons for Begiuners in Bee-Culture," by 



Rev. .J. D. Gehring, of Douglas Co.. Ivans., are begun in this number. 

 There will be several of the lessons, forming a scries, which we trust 

 will be read with interest and profit, especially by those who are inex- 

 perienced, and have so many kinks to learn in connection with bees 

 and bee-keeping. 



It may be true that '' anybody can keep bees." but it is certainly 

 true that anybody can not keep them profitably or successfully with- 

 out making a careful study of the business. While everything can 

 not be told in the bee books or pajicrs, yet there is very much that can 



