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'PuBll6HCDBY(^l'r(00r' 



Vol. XXI. 



APR. 15, 1893. 



No. 8. 



STRAr Straws 



FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. 



Soft-maple bloom opened April 1. 



Pagk 360 leaves the impression that J. A. 

 Green is in favor of bicycles. 



If flouk of any kind is fed to bees, mix with 

 it chaff', sawdust, or something to give the bees 

 a foothold. 



In kepokting failure or success with sealed 

 covers, please say what covering, if any, was 

 over the sealed covers. 



The latest use for honey is to give a few 

 drops, warmed, to canaries or other singing 

 birds with drooping spirits. 



There is prospect that H. Reepen, one of 

 the German bee authorities, will be at the Chi- 

 cago convention in October. 



Don't report how well your bees have win- 

 tered till spring troubles are over. Springing is 

 the hardest part of wintering. 



Which is most enjoyable— the anticipation 

 of a big crop as the spring begins, or the 

 " round-up " at the close of harvest? 



Took BEES out of cellar April 4 and 5; 82.3 

 pec cent alive, against 94 per cent 4 weeks ear- 

 lier. A month later I can tell better how many 

 winter through. 



Market reports show that the demand for 

 best honey is beyond the supply, leaving the en- 

 couraging prospect that an empty market 

 awaits the new crop. 



Sugar syrup is considered in this country as 

 good as honey for spring feeding; but the best 

 German bee-keepers insist that nothing can 

 take the place of honey. 



The limit of wholesale price for honey seems 

 to be about 18 or 20 cents, as shown during the 

 past scarce year. Honey is still a luxury. Will 

 it ever become a staple? 



A COMMON thing, in other countries, is to 

 give with the name of a bee-keeper his occupa- 

 tion other than bee-keeping. Why not? It's 

 always pleasant to know about such things. 



Just let A. I. Root try selling me that song- 

 book for 25 cts. (see p. 26.5). I'd brace myself to 

 sing it all to him, and I'm sure he'd give me 

 more than a quarter to stop before I got half 

 through. 



Mrs. Jennie Atchley will be surprised some 

 day to find herself a rich woman. She is re- 

 ported in France as selling last season 2000 



queens. Nothing new in that; but the report 

 goes on to say that the price she got was fi'om $2 

 to %f> each I Was that increase of price grown in 

 France or America? 



Rev. W. F. Clarke says, in A. B. J., that the 

 flavor is given to honey by the formic acid in 

 the bees' poison. I always supposed that the 

 flavor of buckwheat honey came from buck- 

 wheat posies. 



The bicycle, according to an editorial on p. 

 274, is as necessary for an out-apiary as an over- 

 coat in winter. Now, honest Injun, would you 

 advise an old codger like me to sell my horse 

 and go to monkeying with a bike? 



Why is it that some people will use a second 

 time a postage-stamp that happens not to be 

 canceled, but would think it wrong to steal two 

 cents? Or where's the difference between steal- 

 ing a ride on a railroad and stealing the money 

 to pay for the ride ? 



Albinos in general are supposed to see bet- 

 ter at night than in day time; so it is proposed 

 by Reepen, that, in each apiary, half the bees 

 be albinos to work at night, and half of the 

 ordinary kind to work day time, thus doubling 

 the force. Who says there's no Yankee inven- 

 tion in Germany? 



Illustrierte Bienenzeitung occupies more 

 than two pages with a report of the Michigan 

 convention, in which Prof. Cook is reported as 

 supporting Heddon's adulteration views. Will 

 Bro. Graven horst please take notice that Prof. 

 Cook was entirely misunderstood? Prof. Cook 

 does not favor adulteration. 



Sealed covers. J. P. Smith reports in A. 

 B. J., that part of his hives had Hill's device 

 with 7 to 10 inch cushions, and part had sealed 

 covers with 4 or 5 inches of drv material over. 

 Result was about th" same. C. F. Muth insists 

 on the importance of having a dry and warm 

 cover over sealed covers. 



"Mr. C. H. Dibbern recommends placing 

 bees, that have not had a flight for two or three 

 months, in a room warmed up to a tempera- 

 ture of 50°. It will be sure death, Bro. D., to 

 all the bees so tveated.''~Apiculturist. I don't 

 know about a room, but it doesn't seem to hurt 

 mine to go up to 50° or 60° in a cellar. 



Crazy bees. C. Reynolds reports, in A. B. J., 

 an unusual occurrence. A wet horse-blanket 

 that had been used to wrap around ice was 

 hung about 12 feet from a colony of pure Ital- 

 ians, out of their line of flight. It was, in a 

 short time, covered with bees sticking fast by 

 their stings, while thousands more were trying 

 to get at it. 



