133 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15 



A SEEDSMAN in Kent, E^ngland, as reported in 

 B. B. J., banished bees from his neighjaorhood 

 because of crossing his s^eds; but when he 

 found the seeds were insufficiently fertilized he 

 was glad to get the bees back. [It is the same 

 old story over again, and yet some won't be 

 convinced. Keep such stories, as long as they 

 are true, afloat.— Ed. J 



'■ We strongly advise the use of combs for 

 storing purposes which have never been con- 

 taminated by brood-rearing. That honey stor- 

 ed in old brood-combs will be deteriorated in 

 quality, we have no doubt whatever."— Britis/i 

 Bee Journal. [This point has been urged in 

 this country and others. Piohahiy there is 

 some truth in it.— Ed.] 



A German bee-keepers' society has adopted 

 the rule that a fine of 12)2 cents must be paid 

 by each member who fails to bring in a ques- 

 tion for discussion. Since the adoption of the 

 rule there has been no lack of material for live- 

 ly discussion. [There was no lack of material 

 at the last Chicago convention, which was giv- 

 en over exclusively to the question-box, and yet 

 no fine was imposed. — Ed.] 



Sixteen days is the orthodox age for bees to 

 begin field work; but H. R. Boardman says (p. 

 53) ten to fourteen. Unless he can verify that 

 statement he should be arraigned for heresy. 

 [Outside of the knowledge we get from the bee- 

 booiss. I wonder how msmy of us actually know 

 frcun extierience and observation. T suspect 

 Mr. Hoardnian went to the book of Nature. It 

 would be just like him.— Ed.] 



M. Legkos. according to a report in jL'.Ijj),- 

 culteiir, has increased the size of his bees, con- 

 sequently the length of their tongues, by using 

 worker-cells of increased size. He makes se- 

 lections by means of his improved glossometer. 

 |I don't believe increasing size of cells would 

 increase the size of hoes. It has been tried, and 

 failed, I think. But I do believe something can 

 be done by selection.— Ed] 



"In ALL the OLDER and well-settled States, 

 the woodman's ax and our modern farm ma- 

 chinery have so reduced the pasturage as to 

 render specialized bee culture very pecarjous." 

 —E. Secor, in Revieii\ Time that chestnut 

 WHS "roasted." Eugene. The failure of honey 

 crops came long after the ax. ef at., had done 

 their work. And by that same token crops 

 may again be as they were 30 years ago. [Yes; 

 and on the other hand, Secor's statement is a 

 good deal true, in many sections at least. — Ed.] 



I protest against that sort of tyranny that 

 says I must use spacers I don't like at all for 

 comb honey just because they suit extractors. 

 And I tried to say so in last Straws: but the 

 fiendish types reversed my meaning after this 

 fashion: "I protest against that sort of tyran- 

 ny that says I must use spacers. I don't like 

 them at all for comb honey." etc. Think of 



making me say that, after T have been pleading 

 with tears for good spacers! [The statement as 

 it came from your typewrite,- was all right. I 

 read your copy as you intended your meaning, 

 and made my answer accordingly : but our 

 proof-reader. I see. put the word " them " in the 

 sentence, and a full stop after " spacers." thus 

 changing your meaning. If I read the proof 

 afterward I did not notice the change. The 

 omission of the relative "that" or "which," 

 after " spacers." he says, besides the wide sepa- 

 ration between "spacers" and the next word, 

 ditched his train (of thought) and gave him a 

 misapprehension of what you meant. We'll be 

 more careful after this.— Ed] 



The Review is the latest to succumb to the 

 pressure of the importance of some other topic 

 than bees, and has nearly five paees on hygiene, 

 written by Allen Pringle. As might be expect- 

 ed, some good things in it; among other things 

 a strong plea for the use of flour that hasn't all 

 its best pnrts sift<d out. But it's so hard to get 

 whole wheal flour, people will continue foolish- 

 ly to eat the pale n'mains. [The article is good, 

 and I indorse it all through, except where the 

 use of meat should ho avoided, or at least eaten 

 sparingly. I grant that meat, when taken with 

 a great lot of oih-r food, often does more harm 

 than good by overloading, as it is a strong food; 

 but when tak n by thp Salislury plan -'« lean 

 meat (hei'f and mutton) ami ':, other food, it 

 does great snod, T ?i?io7(> this hy actual test up- 

 on myself, upon my boy, and dozens of other 

 cases under my observation. When taken in 

 this proportion the meat is very easily digested. 

 The system. In ord'r to become acciimstomed 

 to it. must commence with small rations at first 

 — three or four ounces. — Ed.] 



ON the WAR-PATH. 



In a very kind notice of 

 Skylark {Review, d. 248) 

 friend Hasty criticises the 

 first issue of these papers. 

 He says in regard to the 

 adulteration of honey: 



The only sample of Califor- 

 nia lioney I ever sent for was 

 dark in I'olor, and too queer 

 in flavor and other character- 

 istics to sell at all. Perhaps 

 mixing- in afiuequality of glucose would make it sell. 

 At any rate, it tlie adulteration is aetually done it is 

 of small moment to" we-uns " iclineitis done. Once 

 again, prove 10 the railway magnates that your 

 freight can tiat stand tlie cliarge, and a special 

 reduction is not untlilnkable. How about glucose 

 at I'e cents with freight reduced to half a cent, and 

 a salable product made of a previously unsalable 

 one? When plausible argument collides well- 

 authenticated fact, the argument has to give way. 

 It is quite imaginable that friend Dayton had such 



