244 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



April 18, 1901. 



that any time before the calyx closes will answer, when the little cup 

 may be filled with the poisoned water ready to give the worm an in- 

 hospitable welcome to its first meal. 



Still more recent investigations show that it is not only not lu'ces- 

 sarj' to spray for the codling-worm when the trees are in blossom, Imt 

 that it is a positive detriment to the fruit to spray at such a lime. At 

 the late meeting of the Western New York Horticultural Society, Prof. 

 S. A. Beach, of the New York State Experiment Station at Geneva, 

 detailed some experiments he had made in spraying apple-trees, when 

 in bloom, with Paris green. He experimented in two orchards in 

 Ontario County, and two in Niagara County. Had sprayed some trees 

 in all of the orchards and left others contiguous without spraying. All 

 the trees were full of blossoms. On the trees sprayed, but few apples 

 set, a very large proportion of the blossoms falling, apparently, before 

 the fruit set in, while on those not spraj'ed a very large crop of fruit 

 grew. To make the test still more conclusive, he selected trees very 

 full of blossoms alike on both sides, and sprayed one side of each tree, 

 leaving the other side unsprayed. The result was, on those sides 

 sprayed, the fruit set very sparsely, while on the opposite side, not 

 sprayed, a heavy burden of fruit grew. Prof. Beach came to the con- 

 clusion that where you fairly hit an apple, blossom with Paris green 

 strong enough to kill insects, you will pretty certainly kill the blos- 

 som. The organs of reproduction in fruit-blossoms, when fully ex- 

 posed, are very tender and easily killed. A slight frost, or a long, 

 cold rain, will often leave an orchard covered with blossoms, with 

 little or no fruit. If these experiments shall be confirmed we shall 

 confess that the Legislature " builded better than it knew;" that 

 while protecting the lives of the bees it prevented fruit-growers from 

 destroying their fruit. 



The foregoing would seem to annihilate the dangerous advice 

 given by a certain manufacturer of spraying outfits who advises — yes, 

 urges — fruit-growers to spray while their trees are in full bloom. The 

 fruit-growers and bee-keepers should in some way unite in order to 

 prevent the spreading of such harmful instructions as to the spraying 

 of fruit-trees, and do all in their power to have the quoted paragraphs 

 from Green's Fruit-Grower given a wide reading. It is not only in 

 the interest ot bee-keepers, but as much for the benefit of the fruit- 

 growers themselves. There should be unity of effort between these 

 two classes of people in order that each may win the best results. 



Beginning Bee-Keeping. — We have lately received quite a 

 number of letters from people who are contemplating embarking in 

 the bee-business. And the questions they are asking are simply be- 

 wildering to a busy man. 



Now, we don't object to being helpful along the line of furnishing 

 all the information we possibly can to all enquirers, but we must be 

 allowed to object when it comes to expecting us to sit down and copy 

 out several times a day all that is found in the " A B C of Bee-Cul- 

 ture," "Langstroth on the Honey-Bee," and "The Bee-Keepers' 

 Guide." The best we can do is to advise the purchase of one or all of 

 those three books, in connection with a year's subscription to the 

 American Bee Journal, and then let " the other fellow " sit down and 

 " drink in " all he wants. 



Every one who intends keeping bees should first get a good supply 

 of the best bee-literature to be had, and thus be able to answer many 

 of his own questions. Self-help is the best help. Each should by his 

 own efforts inform himself as far as possible, then when he has e.x- 

 hausted his own resources, call upon others. First get and read a 

 good bee-book thoroly, then get the bees. Then read your book again. 

 Then you will be ready for a good bee-paper, and, very likely — more 

 bees. 



Finding Queens is frequently a very difficult and annoying 

 procedure. Mr. D. H. Coggshall's method is thus described in the 

 Bee-Keepers' Review: 



"Fill a hive with empty combs, set it upon the stand of the colony 

 containing the queen that is to be found, setting the colony to one 

 side. Put a queen-excluding honey-board upon the top of that. Now 

 take the combs, one at a time, from the colony, and shake the bees 

 into the empty hive. The bees will at once run down upon the empty 

 combs below, and the queen is easily found upon the top of the queen- 

 excluding honey-board." 



Sowing Cleome Seed. — We have had several enquiries as to 

 the sowing and growing of cleome, or Rocky Mountain bee-plant. 

 Will some one of our readers who has had experience with this plant, 

 kindly furnish the information askt for, especially giving the time of 

 sowing, the preparation of the ground, etc. ? Does it grow on dry on 

 wet land, and in what part of the season does it bloom ? Does frost 

 kill it when it is young ? We shall be pleased to publish an article 

 covering all the points in connection with this subject. 



The Premiums offered this week are well worth work- 

 ing for. Look at them. 



I * The Weekly Budget. « | 



Mr. J. C. Wallenmeter has been engaged to conduct the api- 

 arian department of the Poultry, Bee and Fruit Journal. 



Mr. U. p. Dadant was in attendance at the meeting of the Chi. 

 cago Bee-Keepers' Association, held April 4th. It was one of the 

 most successful meetings, both in numbers and interest, that the 

 Association has yet had. And very much was due to the presence of 

 Mr. Dadant. All united in the hope that he will come again. 



Prof. J. C. York, principal of the high school at Girard, Ohio, 

 writing us March 36th, said : 



" I want to congratulate you upon the skill and taste you have 

 displayed in adding improvement to improvement in the American Bee 

 Journal. Really, it seems to me as much superior to the Journal of 

 1893 as the new Deering self-binders are superior to the old low-down 

 that were in use about 18 years ago. I enjoy " The Home Circle." 



Stenoo is accustomed to begin his department of " Pickings 

 from Our Neighbors' Fields " in Gleanings in Bee-Culture with an 

 original rhythmical stanza. Lately he had this : 



" Don't kill the pretty bumble-bee.s 

 That hum around the harn ; 

 They'll bring the price of clover down. 

 But ne'er a person /lar/n." 



Stenog certainly must have been sleeping in the barn on a cold 

 night and suffered much harm from it, or he wouldn't be guilty of 

 trying to make "barn" and "harm'' rhyme. Now, if he'd had 

 the bees humming around the farm it would have been all right — his 

 stanza would have been less harmed. 



We used to try to compose poetry, but it usually turned out to be 

 such decomposed stuff that we long since have discontinired our 

 efforts in that line. Shouldn't wonder if Stenog would soon follow 

 our good example, unless he reforms, and treats the King's English 

 more kindly than in the sample quoted above. 



Mr. M. B. Holmes, of Ontario, Canada, is presented on our first 

 page this week. Those of our readers who were present at the 

 Buffalo convention in August. 1897, will recognize it as the picture of 

 the eminent Canadian who contributed the valuable paper at that 

 gathering, on "The Progress of Bee-Keeping in Canada." 



Mr. Holmes, for many years, has been connected with the Ontario 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, and that he enjoys the confidence and re- 

 spect of the members of that great organization is proven by the fact 

 that he has at times held the highest positions of honor within the 

 gift ot the Association. He takes a deep interest in all matters per- 

 taining to bee-keepers, and readily responds to the demand of any 

 project which will forward the interest of our industry. 



The Ontario Bee-Keepers' Association made an exhibit of 40 tons 

 of honey at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London, England, 

 in 1886, Mr. Holmes' contribution to this exhibit being one and one- 

 fourth tons. 



Until a few years ago Mr. Holmes resided on his fine farm, but 

 finding it not to be a very good place for a constitution not always the 

 best, he rented his beautiful country home, and purchast a commo- 

 dious brick residence in the beautiful and thriving village where he 

 now resides, and has plenty of leisure time. He commenced bee-keep- 

 ing in 1881. 



It is always a pleasure to us to present to our readers portraits of 

 the prominent bee-keepers among our Canadian " cousins." They 

 have some of the very best representatives of our pursuit over there. 

 We shall never forget attending the National Convention held at 

 Toronto, in 189.5, where it was our good fortune to meet many of their 

 number, such as J. B. Hall, Wm. McEvoy, R. McKnight, F. A. Gem- 

 mill, etc. They are all wide awake, and take a great interest in every- 

 thing pertaining to the apicultural business. 



On .another page of this issue will be found the paper read by Mr. 

 Holmes at the last meeting of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Association. 



