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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Oct. 1 



Notes from Canada 



By R. F. HOLTERMANN 



ON THE WING. 



A few Canadians had a flying visit from 

 Mr. E. R. Root the first days in September. 

 One of the places visited was Brantford. I 

 am sure Mr. Root would be welcome for a 

 much greater length of time during the 

 honey harvest. If you should be spared un- 

 til another year, Ernest, just try us. 



THE NATIONAL CONVENTION. 



The National to be held at Albany, Oct. 

 12 and 13, should be well attended. The 

 officers have made up an inviting program. 

 Our well-known Ontario friend, J. L. Byer, 

 in dealing with the subject "Extracted 

 Honey from Nectar to Market," will, no 

 doubt, do credit to Ontario and Canada. 

 Mr. Byer, with either voice or pen, can al- 

 ways interest. In my estimation it has al- 

 ways seemed to me unwise to say, "Come 

 to the convention, and when you get there 

 we will show you what the bill of fare is." 

 The individual wants to be his own judge 

 of what may be worth while to see and 

 hear. 



QUEENS ENTEKING THEIR SECOND WINTER. 



Referring to Dr. Miller's note, page 404, I 

 am quite sure that in Canada not one bee- 

 keeper in a hundred can be found who does 

 not allow a queen to enter into her second 

 winter. In my estimation such a system of 

 having only young queens might be advan- 

 tageous, but is it practical? Queens cost 

 money or its equivalent. I make note of 

 every colony that attempts to build queen- 

 cells — especially those that do not appear to 

 have sufficient provocation. The queens in 

 these colonies are changed, and as many 

 others as seems to me wise, and that I can 

 readily provide queens for. Beyond this I 

 have not gone. There may, however, be a 

 better way. 



PERCOLATOR FEEDERS. 



In Samuel Simmins' article, p. 550, Sept. 

 1, it will be wise to note the following: 

 "The lumjD sugar is raised or suspended in 

 a perforated chamber, so that it can not 

 clog nor settle in a mass on the main base 

 of the feeder;" and, again, "Syrup-cans, as 

 well as large cisterns, were adapted to the 

 same principle; but where used as cisterns 

 for reducing large quantities it is found an 

 advantage to place the sugar in a bag with- 

 in the metal strainer." 



I tried the percolating method, using a 

 tank with a capacity for 500 lbs. of honey. 

 The sugar would settle in a mass on the 

 bottom of the tank, i:)reventing the liquid 



from passing through the perforated bottom, 

 and I gave it up. There are few so situated 

 that they can not readily make syrup with 

 hot water, and I doubt if I shall ever go 

 back to the cold-water system. Besides, I 

 want to use tartaric acid, and this necessi- 

 tates bringing the syrup to a boil. 



WEEDING IN. 



When we bear in mind that those who de- 

 stroy the poor and worthless, and retain and 

 care for the good and useful in breeding are 

 said to be weeding out, the term "weeding 

 in " will be readily understood. This, then, 

 is the season of the bee-keeper's year when 

 many are laying the foundation for destroy- 

 ing their best colonies and retaining the in- 

 ferior. Colonies which have been headed 

 by prolific queens which have kept the 

 brood-chamber well filled with maturing 

 bees, and in which there is consequently 

 comparatively little honey, are, of course, 

 much more likely to die of starv'ation, un- 

 less specially fed, than those which have 

 had less brood and more honey. Is such a 

 l)olicy wise? Some bee-keepers ought to 

 have the society for the prevention of cruel- 

 ty to animals after them. What is the dif- 

 ference between tying a cow in a stall until 

 she starves to death, and keeping bees until 

 they starve to death in the hive? For the 

 one we have prosecutions; for the other, so 

 far as I know, we have no punishment. 

 Perhaps the members- of the society men- 

 tioned are afraid to meddle with a bee-hive. 



EXPERIENCE. 



Here in Ontario, this year, the older bee- 

 keepers are again hearing a good deal about 

 how much money there is in bee-keeping, 

 and how little capital and time bee-keeping 

 takes. I say the older bee-keepers, for the 

 younger generation have heard this now for 

 the first time. In the earlier days these 

 statements were combated vigorously at 

 conventions and in the press, and probably 

 the same will take place again. For my 

 own part the truth will do no one an injus- 

 tice. That honey in Canada will remain at 

 the price it has for some years, I doubt; and 

 if a bee-keeper is going to manage bees at 

 the expense of but little time it can only be 

 after he has put in a lot of time to gain the 

 experience necessary to size up the situation 

 as to the condition of the colony, the reason- 

 able expectation from the honey-flow, etc. 

 There have been in Ontario a great many 

 disappointed embryo would-be bee-keepers 

 who have nothing to show for their attempt 

 but a depleted pocketbook, and perhaps a 

 pile of empty hives. Put people on their 

 guard; let them be shown the difficulties in 

 bee-keeping; let them understand that it is 

 a profession, and to succeed in it requires 

 experience, thought, and time, and in the 

 long run there will be more gained to the 

 province, and the Department of Agricul- 

 ture will not be discredited. 



