76 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



" holy horror " at the idea of such an at- 

 tempt. We are so largely creatures of ed- 

 ucation, that when any one brings up some- 

 thing contrary to our established views and 

 methods we are shocked. In the dark ages 

 men and women were tortured and burned 

 at the stake because they were heretics. 

 The very ideas that were then heresy are now 

 ijopular. This may be a strong illustration, 

 but I think it a fair one. The time may 

 come (mind, I don't say that it ivill) when 

 sugar-honey will be an article of commerce. 

 I am willing to admit that the world is not 

 yet ready for it, but the time may come. 



Right in a line with this matter, allow me to 

 call attention to the time when it was pro- 

 posed to use comb foundation in surplus 

 honey. There was a hue and cry similar to 

 the one now raised, dififering only in degree. 

 I have been reading some of those old ti- 

 rades. They were given in glowing colors. 

 "Some people are not clean in their methods 

 of wax rendering. The old combs are al- 

 lowed to stand until they are inhabited with 

 disgusting worms and fouled with the ex- 

 crement of the inhabitants. The whole 

 mass is then stewed up together and the wax 

 squeezed out. Who wants to eat the stuff? 

 U-u-g-h-!" That is the kind of opposition 

 that the users of foundation had to encounter. 

 Then there was the talk about its being arti- 

 ficial. It was not the natural work of the 

 bees: it filled the consumer's mouth with wax 

 and would ruin the honey market. 



MORAL. 



The Review rather prides itself upon being 

 filled with ideas; and I would much rather 

 it should occasionally suffer from giving 

 birth to an unpopular view than that it should 

 die of stagnation. But I have said enough, 

 and will close by quoting a paragraph fpom 

 a letter recently received from Mr. Hasty. 

 I wish I might give the letter entire, but he 

 says it is for "my private ear," so I must re- 

 spect his wishes. In closing he says: — 



" But all this is not to stir up more argu- 

 ment. Let it subside as soon as it will de- 

 cently. You may say for me that I have had 

 my say, and am willing to be quiet for the 

 present, without any rejoinder to my critics. 

 I am aware that my course looks to many like 

 scattering sparks around a powder magazine, 

 and toward that view I do not wish to show 

 either resentment or contempt." 



I did think that I would let the quotation 

 from Mr. Hasty 's letter close this subject, 

 but, since the foregoing was put in type, the 



following communication came to hand ; 

 and, with the writer's permission to give it 

 publicity, the temptation is too great to be 



BoBODiNO, N. Y., Feb. 22, 1892. 

 Here's my l^ Mr. Editor. I am glad 

 that you had the backbone and strength to 

 stand straight and square on your feet in 

 the Hasty-sugar-honey matter. This dispo- 

 sition of yours to stand square has much to 

 do with the way in which the Review is 

 so rapidly climbing towards the top of the 

 ladder. If, for this reason, Mr. Smith with- 

 holds his :S1.00 for the Review, ten more 

 will step in to fill the gap. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



TWILIGHT MUSINGS. 



This pargraph can claim only remote kin- 

 ship to bee keeping. It is given simply to 

 show how delightfully I pass one half hour 

 of the day. It is after supper when I am 

 sitting in the big rocking chair before 

 the glowing coal fire in the sitting room. 

 From the distant kitchen comes the subdued 

 clatter of "dishes " and the chatter of voices 

 as Mrs. H. and the "girls" "do up "the 

 evening's work. During the day my mind 

 is "in the harness," so to speak ; I drive it 

 hither and thither and compel it to perform 

 this task and that one; now the harness is hung 

 on a peg, and, like a horse that has finished 

 his day's work and been turned out to pas- 

 ture, so my mind " lies down and rolls and 

 kicks up its heels." As twilight comes on 

 apace and the shadows deepen in the corners, 

 I do just enjoy myself — the mind is allowed 

 to roam at its own sweet will — and oh ! the 

 pictures that come trooping through mem- 

 ory's hall— some sad, some glowing with 

 happiness— over some hangs the mistiness 

 of years, while others stand out with a vivid- 

 ness approaching reality ; and, althoug I am 

 not at ivork, yet it seems as though my 

 brightest thoughts come to me at this 

 " 'witching hour 'twixt dark and daylight." 

 Presently Mrs. H. comes in with the lamp, 

 and takes up some work of " mending" or 

 "making;" the girls come in and gather 

 about tne light, studying their lessons, and 

 bright, beautiful realities chase away the 



THE SHIPPING OF BEES 



The shipping of queens has been almost 

 reduced to a science. I can well remember 

 when the queens that had to be replaced, 

 from their having died in transit, was a 

 great drawback to the queen trade. Now 



