1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



597 



Although honey is coming very slowly, as 

 intimated elsewhere, from sweet clover, we are 

 compelled to use a tent while working with our 

 queen-rearing colonies. 



FoK the first time in several years we have 

 been enabled to fill almost all our orders for 

 queens, from our own apiary. Our trade has 

 not been less: but now that we have gone back 

 to the good old-fashioned method of raising 

 queens, it is an actual fact that we can raise 

 more queens than we could by fussing with the 

 new-fangled plans. 



Bee-keepers are now generally recognizing 

 the value of the bee-escape. Here is one point 

 in their favor, which I believe has not been 

 mentioned before. Mr. O. R. Coe, an extensive 

 bee-keeper in the Catskill Mountains, at Wind- 

 ham, N. Y., says this of them: 



One of the most important uses of the bee-escape, 

 and one that I have never seen in print, is tlie use 

 of it in keeping out fresh thin nectar the day we 

 extract, by putting on a Ijee-escape early in the 

 morning, and never at night, as usually told to do; 

 then if there is any uncapped honey it will have 

 been evaporated (or boiled down) by the bees dur- 

 ing the night. 



There is every indication that the meeting 

 of the next North American at Toronto will be 

 an unusually large one: indeed, we always 

 have good conventions over in Canada. It is 

 thought there will be 300 or over in attendance, 

 and half this is a fairly good number for the 

 North American. Let the attendance, enthusi- 

 asm, and goodwill be big— yes, very big. There 

 will be reduced rates on the railways, and un- 

 usually low hotel fare. See full particulars 

 elsewhere in this issue, just after Stray Straws. 



A COUNT shows that we have, all told, 30.5 

 colonies and nuclei, the larger portion being 

 of the latter. The former will give us quite a 

 little crop of extracted honey, but just how 

 much we do not know. A little honey is com- 

 ing in every day; and as the only thing the 

 bees are working on is sweet clover, the honey 

 will be largely of that kind. Sweet clover is 

 beginning more and more to come in after the 

 regular flow: and even if it does nothing more, 

 it enables the bees to fill out the combs, espe- 

 cially sections nearly filled from clover and 

 basswood. 



CRIMSON CLOVER. 



Wanted, information regarding the adapta- 

 bility of crimson clover for bees. We already 

 had an article in the Gardening Department as 

 to when to sow. So much is being said of it 

 in agricultural papers that we should like two 

 or three articles from bee-keepers who have 



tested it, and are in position to speak of its 

 merits as a honey-plant. I am at a loss to 

 know just whom to write to; but I am sure 

 that, among our large family of readers, there 

 are some who can stand up and speak. Hello! 

 it seems the request has in part been anticipat- 

 ed. Here is what a bee-keeper has to say of it 

 already: 



I noticed the little clipping about crimson clover, 

 in Gleanings. It's a great bee-plant, and comes so 

 early it gets ahead of drouth. Every farmer and 

 bee-keeper should buy it. It stands several degrees 

 below zero here with no protection; in fact, we 

 think, with Prof. Mossey, it is hardier than red; will 

 will also grow on poorer land, but land can be too 

 poor for It. It should be sown early to insure its 

 wintering; north, not later than last of August. 

 Home-grown seed is much hardier. A. F. Ames. 



Claremont, Va., July 18. 



We want more reports from a large number, 

 so that we can have a comprehensive sympo- 

 sium on crimson clover. And, while we about 

 it, can some one send us a good photo of the 

 clover ? We have many artists in our ranks. 



honey -CROP FOR 1895. 



I WOULD call attention to Reports Encourag- 

 ing and Reports Discouraging, in this issue. 

 On account of the late frosts, and the drouths 

 throughout the North especially, the honey 

 crop, I am afraid from present indications, will 

 not be even as good as last year; yet, as Is 

 always the case during poor seasons, some bee- 

 keepers harvest good crops. I call to mind the 

 case of H. R. Boardman, of East Townsend, O., 

 whose bees. I understand, are fairly rolling in 

 the honey. Neighbor Vernon Burt, a few miles 

 north of us. has done well also. Neighbors 

 Chase and Prince, while they have not had 

 entire failure, have secured light crops. Our 

 bees have done fairly. I am afraid the aver- 

 age, all told, however, from clover (comb hon- 

 ey), throughout the United States, will hardly 

 approximate 15 lbs. per colony. Heartsease 

 and sweet clover and crimson clover, in the 

 North and East, will yield fairly well; and in 

 California, especially in the southern part of 

 the State, while their crop has not been as 

 large as in some other years, it is considered 

 good. 



the amalgamation of the north AMERICAN 



bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION AND THE 



bee-keepers' UNION. 



On page 489 we referred editorially to some 

 excellent ideas put forth by the editor of the 

 Bee-keepers' Review, and the matter is now 

 being discussed in the leading bee-journals. 

 There seems to be little or no opposition to the 

 scheme, except from the General Manager of 

 the Union himself; and his opposition is rather 

 big, because he is a mighty man of valor. In 

 the Beekeepers' Review for July be has this to 

 say: 



I have carefully read the editorial in the last Re- 

 view on the above subject; and while I fully agree 

 with it as to the object to be attained, viz., organ- 



