December, 1908. 



American Hee Journal 



"Bee - Keepind i 



K Sisters < ■^^' 



Conducted by EMMA M. WILSON. Marengo. 111. 



lions by putting a pinch of salt into the 

 cavity made by cutting the crowns of 

 the plant," in order to plant something 

 else for the bees that at the same time 

 would be pleasing to the eye. 



In Marengo we value dandelions very 

 liighly. Any thing else that we could 

 put in their place would not be one- 

 tenth of the value to the bees that the 

 ilandelions arc, and they come at a 

 time when they are most needed to help 

 build up for the harvest. And, really, 

 there is nothing unsightly about them ; 

 a dandelion in full bloom is a thing of 

 beauty. 



September Swarms. 



"Mrs. Walker and Miss Bateman," 

 says the Irish Bee Journal, "both of 

 South Devon, had swarms from two 

 colonies on Sept. 30th.'' Now does that 

 -mean that our Irish sisters are behind 

 their brethren in getting this year's 

 swarms finished up, or are they so much 

 ahead that they have started in on 

 swarming for next year ? 



Beeswa.\ Wood-Polish. 



Gleanings having recommended bees- 

 wax and turpentine in a thin paste, the 

 Irish Bee Journal thinks its own recipe 

 better for furniture polish, viz ; — 4 oz. 

 each beeswax, whitewax. and Castile 

 soap. Cut very fine and dissolve in 3 

 pints of boiling water. Then add Ij4 

 pints of best turpentine. Rub on with 

 one cloth ; rub off with another ; polish 

 with a_ third. If found himp.v, stand the 

 jar of polish in boiling water before 

 using it. 



Honey as Food and Medicine. 



Do the bee-keeping sisters that have 

 children place anything like the value 

 they should upon honey as a food and 

 medicine for them? No less an author- 

 ity than the editor of the British Bee 

 Journal, speaking of honey-tea as in-' 

 valuable for dyspepsia, bronchitis, con- 

 sumption, and other afflictions, says : 



"A man in our employ had a dying child, 

 the case having been given up by the doctor 

 as hopeless. We gave the mother some honey, 

 with _ instructions to give a small quantity of 

 it diluted with water at frequent intervals. 

 The child not only recovered, but got so 

 fond of honjey that this became its principal 

 article of food, and it grew up to be strong 

 and healthv." 



Bee-Gloves and Clean Hands. 



The probability is that a much greater 

 proportion of the sisters than of the 

 brothers wear gloves when working 

 with bees. This will no doubt suggest 

 the thought that the sisters are more 

 afraid of stings than the lords of crea- 

 tion. But gloves are not worn by the 

 sisters entirely as a protection from 

 stings. At least some of them care 

 more for gloves as a protection against 

 propolis than as a protection against 

 -stings. .\ woman probably becomes im- 

 mune to stings as quickly as a man. 

 But she does not so quickly become im- 

 mune, if she ever does, to the unpleas- 

 ant feeling of having soiled or rough 

 hands, and to many the feeling of hands 

 soiled with propolis is extremely dis- 

 agreeable. 



Some of the brethren mav sav. "But 



nowadays there a|-e soaps that easily 

 remove the last vestige of bee-glue." 

 My much-respected brother, any soap 

 strong enough to take off propolis eas- 

 ily is strong enough to leave a woman's 

 hands not in the very softest condi- 

 tion. .\nd the daugliters of Eve are 

 not entirely unconcerned as to the ap- 

 pearance of their hands. Neither is it 

 entirely a matter of looks. Let a wom- 

 an undertake to sew upon some fine 

 fabric, as silk, and the discomfort and 

 hindrance of roughened fingers will ap- 

 peal to her. even if she could stand the 

 matter of looks. 



Value of Dandelion Bloom. 



Mrs. Mary Spencer advises in the 

 British Bee Journal to "kill the dande- 



A Sister An Extensive Bee-Keeper. 



The Canadian Bee Journal contains 

 a very interesting account of Miss Inez 

 Cooley, whose musical education was 

 cut short by the death of her parents, 

 and she succeeded her father in the 

 charge of the bees, which she has now 

 managed for something like 12 years, 

 having at the present time between 500 

 and 600 colonies. It certainly seems 

 strange that we have not heard more 

 of a sister keeping bees on so large a 

 scale. She says : 



"As to the yield of a colony, it is hard 

 to make any definite statement. I believe for 

 a summer's product a colony may be counted 

 on to produce between 75 and 100 pounds of 

 honey. In such a climate as we have there 

 are many instances where a single Italian col- 



The Bee-Line Home. 



BY THERON BROWN. 



I suck the dews of May and June 



When blossom-time is young; 

 .-Ml summer long you hear, my tune 



In spicy gardens sung; 

 September days I swim amid 



The buckwheat's milky foam. 

 But — never lost and never hid — 



I know the bee-line home. 



Sometimes where plum or peach begins 



To blush I love to stay. 

 Or pasture-mint or thistle wins 



My flight a mile away. 

 A thousand circles I describe. 



Yet never where I roam 

 Forget my master and my tribe. 



Nor miss the bee-line home. 



Praise pinks and milkweeds to the bee. 



Wild rose and goldcnrod. 

 Or call the fragrant basswood-tree 



The honey-maker's god. 



But banks of bloom could ne'er delay 



The call that bids me come, 

 Xor tempt the hive-born heart astray 



That knows the bee-line home. 



There brim the crystal nectar-cups. 



The pollen cakes are clean, • 

 There, soothed with tender music, sups 



'The brown-eyed castle queen. 

 What wonder that I longing seek 



My walls of flowery comb 

 And quit the balmiest posy's cheek 



To wing the bee-line home? 



Ye bees that walk on human .feet. 



You hurry everywhere. 

 But straight for you a shining street 



Leads homeward through the air. 

 To find it in your evening flight, 



Unlost amid the gloam. 

 Have you the light that burns at night, 



.And shows the bee-line home? 



— Christian Endeavor World. 



