648 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



than I ever did before; and I Ti7wiv it was be- 

 cause tliey grew too fast." 



What the old man said to the boy actually 

 happened to the grapes — "If you don't stop 

 growing so fast you'll bust your skin." 



This seems to me not only an easy but a prac- 

 tical explanation; and 1 do remember now that 

 some of the slits on the sides of the grapes ap- 

 pear not to have been touched by any thing — 

 just simply a mere burst. This remarkable 

 growing year has made Nature do some things 

 that she .ioes not do ordinarily. 



If this explanation is correct — and I believe 

 it is— it removes at least part of the blame from 

 the bees. If the grapes had not grown so fast, 

 the bees would let them alone. 



Perhaps some of our readers may think it 

 bad policy to admit that bees may even work 

 on grapes that have been punctured or opened 

 by some cause. It is surely folly to try to 

 maintain that they are always innocent; that 

 they have never been known to go near grapes. 

 While I do not believe the evidence, or facts, 

 when carefully sifted, show that bees actually 

 puncture grapes or any fruit, in fact, we must 

 admit that they will work on damaged, decay- 

 ed, or broken fruit. 



B. TAYLOR- BEE-KEEPP:R, WRITER, AND IN- 

 VENTOR. 



Little did I think, when we chronicled the 

 death of Allen Pringle, in our last issue, that 

 another bee-keeper and writer, equally promi- 

 nent, would pass from among us. B. Taylor, 

 of Forestville, Minn., after a long illness, passed 

 peacefully away Sunday morning, Aug. 9th. 

 He was one of the oldest bee-keepers in the 

 ranks; and. although he worked and experi- 

 mented with bees when those who are middle- 

 aged were in their cradles, he worked quietly 

 by himself. 



The first that was known of him by the bee- 

 keeping world was in 1890, at the Madison, 

 Wisconsin, bee-keepers' convention, held in 

 February of that year, where he told of his 

 experience in handling and using divisible 

 brood-chambers as early as 186.5 (see Gleanings, 

 page 168 for 1890). He subsequently wrote an 

 article for Gleanings, telling of this hive (see 

 page 324, 1890). Later he figured quite promi- 

 nently at the North American convention at 

 Keokuk, la. Shortly after, the editor of the 

 Review, recognizing his real ability as a bee- 

 beeper and writer, engaged him to write a series 

 of articles for his journal. About this time, 

 also, he began to write for several of the bee- 

 papers, and B. Taylor sprang into prominence 

 as one of the leaders of the country in apicul- 

 tural progress. He was an inventor and an ex- 

 pert mechanic; and from him came several in- 

 genious contrivances for managing and han- 

 dling his pets, all or nearly all of which were of 

 real worth. Among these T recall to mind par- 



ticularly his comb-leveler— something the real 

 value of which comb-honey producers are just 

 beginning to learn. That it can be and has been 

 the means of increasing the comb- honey crop, 

 as Mr. Taylor first claimed for it, very few will 

 deny. 



Among his other other inventions were a 

 swarm-catcher, sevf ral styles of brood-frames, 

 and hives. 



He had a beautiful home, an ideal location, 

 and a finely equipped workshop. He was, 

 therefore, in a position to put into exfcution 

 whatever his fancy painted. 



THE HONEY SEASON FOR THE UNITED STATES. 



The responses to the call in our last issue, for 

 reports up to this time, have not been very 

 heavy; but so far they go to show that the sea- 

 son is not as good as expected from the first 

 reports. In Illinois Dr. Miller is the only one 

 who reports a good season. All the rest give 

 from poor to fair. Indiana seems to be univer- 

 sally poor. In Michigan there is only one who 

 reports good, and all the rest show from fair to 

 poor. This is a surprise, as we have had gen- 

 eral reports of good seasons from that State. 

 This can be accounted for only by the fact that 

 those who order goods have a fair season, and 

 so report; and those who do not order do not 

 need the goods, and so of course do not write 

 us. However, taking every thing into consid- 

 eration, the season over the country has been 

 better than the one of 189.5. As to prices on 

 comb honey, 12 cts. seems to be about a fair 

 average. I shall be very glad to have our 

 readers send in their reports, especially from 

 those States that are so conspicuous by their 

 entire absence, or have at most only one or two 

 responses. In our next issue we shall then be 

 enabled to give a fuller and more correct report. 

 The fuller and more accurate these reports for 

 the various States, the better we can gauge the 

 price of honey; and so I hope that, between 

 now and next issue, the postals will pour in by 

 the scores. 



The questions that are answered below are as 

 follows: 



CANADA. 



1. Good; 3. Comb. 10 to 12; extracted, 6 to 7. 

 South Cayuga, Ont, Can. Israel Overholt. 



FLORIDA. 



1. ludiffeieDt: 2. Comb, 10 to 12; extracted, 5. 

 Port Orange, Fla., Aug. 24. J. B. Case. 



1. Good; 3. Comb, 10: extracted, 5. These prices 

 are net. L. K. Smith. 



Grant, Fla , Aug. 24. 



ILLINOIS. 



1. Poor— that is, tlie spring flow has been. It bids 

 fair for a good flow from the yellow or fall bloom; 

 3. Do not know. C M. Thornton. 



Osage, 111., Aug. 24. 



1. Fair: 2. Comb, 12 to 14; extracted. 6 to 8. 



Pittsfleld, 111., Aug. 24. F. M. Ruse. 



1. Indifl'prent Mrs. L. Harrison. 



Peoria, 111., Aug. 21. 



1 Very light; 2. Comb, 15; extracted, 9 to 10. 



Piano, 111., Aug. 19. J.C.Wheeler. 



