September, 191 1. 



Conducted h\- J. L. Byer. Mt. Joy. Ontario. 



Extreme Drouth and Poor Crops 



At this date (.\ug. 18), the drouth is 

 still unbroken in our locality. There 

 is quite a large acreage of buckwheat 

 around us, but with such extremely 

 dry weather, of course little nectar is 

 being secreted. Rain within a week 

 might still mean some honey, but just 

 now there are small prospects of rain. 

 It is needless to say the hee-keepers 

 are not the only sufferers, and, all 

 things considered, the crops are the 

 poorest in our section that we have 

 any record of. Xo matter how fertile 

 the soil, if Jupiter Pluvius withholds his 

 services vegetation can not grow. 



Some time ago I remember reading 

 how they keep grass away from hive- 

 entrances in some of the Western 

 States- simply keep away the water, 

 and the trick is done. Well, that is 

 what has happened here this year, and 

 for about 2 months it has not been 

 necessary to cut any grass around the 

 hives. Unfortunately, we have not the 

 means, though, that they have in the 

 States referred to — of ,i,ni'in,if water to 

 places not near the bees, and so, after 

 such an experience as we have had this 

 year, we prefer to have rain, even if it 

 does mean that grass will have to be 

 cut in front of the hives. 



" In Everything Give Thanks " 



Much obliged, Dr. Miller, for that 

 able sermonette given at a time when it 

 must appeal to a host of others who 

 " are in the same boat as yourself." The 

 August American Bee Journal came to 

 hand a few mornings ago. as I was on 

 my way to the city for that day. While 

 waiting at the depot for the train, I 

 read the item in question (on page 243) 

 to a few friends that happened to meet 

 with me there, and all pronounced it 

 as being capital advice to the ques- 

 tioner, and " just what you might ex- 

 pect from the Doctor." 



While I have no doubt that intimate 

 friends would give the writer of these 

 notes the credit of at least being a 

 "cheerful idiot," yet I must confess 

 that there are times when the thought 

 comes that flings are not going as I 

 would like them to, and at such times a 

 message like the one referred to, does 

 so much good. All day long, while 

 going about the city on business mat- 

 ters, the "thankful idea" remained 

 with me, and my! it is wonderful how 

 much we have to be thankful/b;-, when 

 we begin to compare our lot with that 

 of some others less fortunate than our- 

 selves. 



As one perchance goes through some 

 of the poorer quarters of a great city, 

 and sees the squalid misery to which 

 many are doomed all their life, how 

 thankful we are, or at least should be, 

 that our lots have been cast in so much 

 more pleasant places. As I passed 



through great factories, where men and 

 boys 2ir\A I' iris work 10 hours a day the 

 year around at work that appears so 

 monotonous to the onlooker, how 

 thankful I was that my life was being 

 spent in God's pure air and sunshine, 

 and that I was not doomed to act as a 

 " machine operating another machine " 

 — really, that is the way the matter ap- 

 peared to me as I watched operators 

 working in a noisy room, turning out 

 by " piece work " the same kind of 

 utensils, hour after hour. 



It is needless to say, as my mind 

 dwelt on these matters. I almost forgot 

 that the " crop was short," and my ad- 

 vice to those who may be subject to 

 the " blues," is always to try to see how 

 much better you are off than your more 

 unfortunate brother — it surely will 

 work a cure, every time. 



What a pleasant world this would be 

 if we could all exemplify the spirit of a 

 couplet that just now conies to my 

 mind — at present I can not recall the 

 name of the writer. It runs something 

 like this : 



"The inner side of every cloud is always 



briglit and shining; 

 I therefore turn my clouds about. 

 And always wear them inside out. 

 To show the lining." 



Reciprocity and the People 



Referring to the " reciprocity " dis- 

 cussion in the bee-papers, as mentioned 

 on page 22!l, I might say that every 

 paper picked up has the word showing 

 on every corner, so perhaps it is a 

 blessing that the bee-papers, at least, 

 are giving the subject a rest. Now that 

 the issue is being fought out in a gen- 

 eral election here in Canada, we cer- 

 tainly are getting lots of "education" 

 on the subject, as about every mail 

 brings literature franked through from 

 Ottawa, by both the op[iosition and the 

 Government members. Personally, I 

 feel that the right tribunal is being 

 consulted, and shall be content to ac- 

 cept the verdict, whatever it may be, 

 without any squealing, as the majority 

 must rule. 



With such a momentous question at 

 issue, I rather feel that Canada is tak- 

 ing a better course in the matter by 

 consulting the people, for after the 

 fight is over the defeated party, which- 

 ever it may be, will have the assurance 

 that it is in the minority, and will likely 

 take defeat with better grace than 

 would have been the case if the thing 

 had passed without first appealing to 

 the people. 



Bee-Papers and Whiskey Advertising 



The "American Prohibition Year 

 Book for 1!)1 1 " has an " honor roll " of 

 the dififerent magazines and newspapers 

 that refuse to accept whiskey advertise- 

 ments, and in some way the names of 

 the bee-papers have been omitted from 



this roll. The eagle eye of the editor 

 of the American Bee Journal happened 

 to notice this, and wrote the National 

 Chairman, calling his attention to the 

 omission. In the issue of the "Ameri- 

 can ./Advance " for July 29, Editor 

 York's letter is gracefully acknowl- 

 edged, and the editor of the " Advance " 

 concludes as follows: 



" Mr. York ha;; long been known as one of 

 the stanchest Prohibitionists of Chicago, 

 and the ' Advance ' is very glad indeed lo 

 accord this credit to the leading journals of 

 this prosperous and happiness-bringing in- 

 dustry." 



Mr. York called attention to the fact 

 that for over 2.j years, to his personal 

 knowledge, not a single bee-paper in 

 the country had accepted a liquor ad- 

 vertisement, "and none of them would 

 tliink of doing so." 



.Aside from the moral aspect of the 

 case, it appears to me that bee-keepers 

 owe Editor York a debt of gratitude, 

 from the fact that incidentally the 

 " Advance " gives a very nice write-up 

 for the bee-keeping industry. In proof 

 of this let me quote the first few para- 

 graphs of the article in question, 

 wherein the paper acknowledges Mr. 

 York's letter: 



"There is all the difference in the world 

 between honey and whiskey. 



"In the lirst place, whiskey carries its 

 sting wherever it goes, while honey leaves it 

 behind in the hive from which it originally 

 came. 



" In the next place, scientific investigation 

 has proved the value of honey as a nutritious 

 food, while science and medicine alike are 

 uniting to expose the falsity of the food 

 claim for any alcoholic beverage." 



[Since the "American Advance" 

 published that the bee-papers do not 

 print whiskey advertising, a Kansas 

 City. Mo., whiskey firm sent us an ad- 

 vertisement. Upon our "firing" it 

 back at once, and advising them to 

 " get into some honest business quick," 

 they were terribly offended, and almost 

 threatened to wipe us off the face of 

 the earth! We repeated that we think 

 the whiskey business a dishonest busi- 

 ness, and thought our advice good — 

 that they ought to follow it, and get 

 out of a bail business that ruins so 

 many of their fellowmen. 



You know, the Devil doesn't like to 

 hear the truth, and so one Whiskey 

 Devil squirmed a little. But some (Jay, 

 bee-keepers and a lot of other good 

 people will unite in helping lots of folks 

 to get out of the bad business, and 

 force them to look up an honest busi- 

 ness. May be some of them will keep 

 bees, and then sell honey instead of 

 whiskey! Who knows ? — G. W. Y.] 



Coal-Oil and 



Carbolic Acid 

 Robbing 



to Prevent 



Much is being said at the present in 

 the different bee-papers relative to the 

 value of carbolic acid in the apiary as 

 a prevention of robbing. While I have 

 never had any experience with the 

 acid, I can readily believe it would be 

 effective, as I have often used coal-oil, 

 and know it to be of great value. If a 

 a hive is being robbed, pile a bit of 

 hay around the entrance, dampen it 

 with water, and then also add some 

 coal-oil, and robbing will stop instantly. 

 ICven a queenless colony can be saved 

 this way, and I would readily believe 



