1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



893 



ably with that of friend France in many re- 

 spects. My experience \vith|]argecolonies|agrees 

 with the above. Tlie pow(M'ful ones got honey 

 when oi'dinary coloni(>s seem to he losing, and 

 yet I could never (pnte fully understand it 

 either. 



THE OUTER WINTER CASE. 



SOME OF ITS AI)VANTA(;i;.- 



I should like to give a few reasons why the 

 outside protecting case for th(> Dovetailed hive, 

 as jiroposed liy E. R. Moot, will be supejior to 

 the old chatl' hive. It will be cheapei' and less 

 complicated. Tlie shell can l)e lifted from the 

 hivt\ and tlu^n the hive manipulated as a sin- 

 gle-walled hive in summer. I say. in summer: 

 for should I take tiu'ui they would certainly be 

 retained for shading ijui'poses during the heat 

 of the summer. Of course, tlu^ cluitf hive an- 

 swers tlie same i)uri)Ose: but the difference is 

 in hauling bees, shipping, carrying into the 

 apiary, etc. There is a wide difference between 

 the two. In shipping, the shells (or cases) if 

 desired can be shipped aiiead by freight, and 

 the bees expressed. In hauling, the experienced 

 apiarist can take a full load of bees and send 

 an inexperienced man the following day with 

 the shells. In fact. I can not help thinking 

 that a more valuable thing has been designed 

 that we at tii'st have given credit for.' In sum- 

 mer we place this shell about the hive, say 

 propped up on four posts, so that the shell has 

 the same relative jjosition to the upper story 

 that it had during winter. With the body in 

 that way, we secure a current of air between 

 the hive and shell, and have the sun effectually 

 broken. 



PROPOI.IZED QUII.TS. 



I lately saw an excellent idea in regard to 

 propolis. Geo. Morris, Stony Point, scrapes the 

 propolis from the frames and quilts; and after 

 heating it he brushes it on the quilts he is 

 about to put on the hives. The result is, the 

 bees will not bring in nearly so much propolis, 

 and thinner material can be used for (luilts, as 

 the bees will not gnaw through them. I last 

 saw them Sept. 1. They were then not even 

 attached to the top-bars. How they are now. I 

 do not k-now. R. F. Hoi.termanx. 



Romney, Ont., Nov. 17. 



The outside winter case is an old idea: but 

 the mere fact of its being old may not alter its 

 value to the modified bee-keeping of to-day. 

 Yes, thei'e is quite a point for such protection; 

 viz., sending the outside cases to the apiary 

 with cheap help, either before or after the bees 

 in the small hives are moved. It is not feasible 

 to move bees in large chaff hives. Mr. Manum 

 does not do it. 



THE NORTH AMERICAN BEE-KEEPERS' AS- 

 SOCIATION. 



I)H. MII.I.EH TALKS TO fS AIJOFT IT. 



It isn't SO many yeai'S since the senioi' editor 

 ofGLEAXiX(;s not only stayed a\\ ay from bee- 

 keepers' meetings, but, I think, advised others 

 to do so. "A wise man seldom changes his 

 mind: a fool, never." Friend Root is not a fool. 

 so in this case he has changed his mind, and 

 now wants some on(^ to punch him up if he 

 should try to stay away from another m(>eting 

 of the North American. (!(jodI 



Some pretty sevei'e strictures upon the course 

 of that same North American moves me to ask 

 space in Gleanings to say some woi'ds about it. 

 An association of the kind is needed for the 

 best interests of bee-keepers: and until such 

 association is just what it ouglit to be, it is 

 right and projier that it be discussed. Now is 

 the time to l>egin such discussion, without 

 waiting to take up tinu^ at the convention at 

 Albany. So. friends, if you see something that 

 needs mending in the ways of the association, 

 let us have it in print, and have it soon, so that 

 any thing that needs it may be mended if pos- 

 sible before the next meeting. 



Oiie point that has come in for its full share 

 of criticism is the matter of obtaining i-cduced 

 i-ailroad rates to the convention at Keokuk. 

 To get the best attendance we need low rail- 

 road fares always: and this year especially, 

 when crops were so poor, w (^ slioidd have had 

 reduced rates to Keokuk. Some one may sug- 

 gest that, as I was a member of the Executive 

 Committee. I am condemning myself. I was 

 only ti-easurer, a sort of silent partner, and it 

 would have been out of place for me to put my- 

 self forward and attempt to do the work of the 

 president and secretary. Besides. I did urge the 

 matter. Really, it is the secretary who usually 

 attends to things of this sort: and the only 

 thing left to be done now. is to i)ass a vote of 

 severe censur(> ui)on Secretary C. P. Dadant for 

 culpable neglect of duty— a neglect for which 

 those who attended had to pay in dollars and 

 cents, and which prevented some from attend- 

 ing. 



Put. hold on — hold on! In stating what 

 <)\ight to be done, it is important, in many 

 cases, along with the what to give the how. 

 And before we call down too many anathemas 

 upon the devoted head of the poor secretary, it 

 may be well for some one to rise and tell how 

 he could have got reduced rates. If I am right- 

 ly informed, api)licatiou was made, at an early 

 date, to the railroads for reduced rates, to 

 which they replied that it was too early, and 

 that the matter could not even be considered by 

 them. After waiting months and using what 

 leverage could be brought to beai', the secretary 

 finally got an answer. The railroads would 

 grant no favors. I don't know what else the 

 secretary could have done. Do you? If you 

 do. tell it; and if you know any thing that will 

 heljj in the future, tell it; for that is of more 

 consequence than the past. 



At Keokuk it was urged that a place should 

 be selected to which we could get reduced rates 

 on account of something else than our meeting, 

 and that was the weighty argument in favor of 

 Albany. If the association becomes sufficiently 

 large, I believe we may be able to command 

 concessions from the railroads without any 

 begging. 



Now, friends, instead of standing off and 

 throwing stones, let us come together and talk 

 it over — in print. If there are wrongs, tell 

 what they are; and above all. tell lioir they are 

 to be lighted. Some think the association 

 should be efF(>ctive in bringing uj) the pi'ice of 

 honey to accord with its scarcity. Just the 

 thing to suit me — if it can do so. 



I am satisfied that good will come of discus- 

 sion. Some mistakes will tie shown and cor- 

 I'ected. Othei' things \\ill he shown impossible 

 of amcMidment: and knowing this we will en- 

 dure them the more patiently. 



One of the woi'st things about the association 

 has been the llinisy character of its organiza- 

 tion, as mentioned by Pi-es. Ta\loi-. Th(> 

 movement for its incorporation is a long step in 

 the right direction. Some of our editors are 

 making a push to secui'c funds from life-mem- 

 bei's. and us<' up the money. The secretary 



