159 



American Hee Journal 



casians easier than 200 Italians? As I 

 have probably been guilty of doing 

 likewise sometimes, Mr. Wilder will 

 not think I am offensively personal in 

 making this query. I have a few Cau- 

 casians and like them very well, but 

 have seen nothing so magical as to 

 warrant such a sweeping claim as he 

 makes. 



First Pollen Noticed on April 8 



The first pollen was noticed here in 

 York county on April 8. At the yard 

 just under discussion, it will likely be a 

 week later, as snow was in the bush on 

 the 8th and 9th. What little clover we 

 have here looks well, and a much 

 larger acreage at the north yard is also 

 in good condition. 



Large Hives vs. Small 



Mr. J. E. Crane is, I believe, an advo- 

 cate of hives larger than the standard 

 8frame Langstroth. and this being the 

 case he is to be commended for the 

 liberal view given on page 92, when he 

 points out where the small hive may be 

 better than the larger ones. 



Personally, I am very much in favor 

 of larger hives than the 8-frame Lang- 

 stroth. but, like friend Crane, I can see 

 that under certain conditions the small 

 hive may score over the larger one. 

 But for extracted honey production 

 there is only one reason worth con- 

 sidering in my estimation in favor of 

 the smaller hives. This is a question 

 of winter stores. Large hives always 

 have more honey in the brood-nests 

 in the fall while the small hives will be 

 light and the bees will have to be fed. 

 About once in seven or eight years, 

 the honey will not be of the best for 

 wintering, and heavy losses will occur 

 in such colonies. Colonies in the small 

 hives that must of necessity be fed in 

 the fall, will always winter provided 

 other things are normal in matter of 

 queens, etc. 



An Advocate of " Natural Foods " 



I hardly think it wise to answer such 

 an able article from such an able 

 writer as that on page 11(5, directed 

 mainly at your humble servant. One 

 thing I kno-u; Doctor, is this: Bees fed 

 heavily on good sugar syrup here will 

 winter every time. Bees left with nat- 

 ural stores will not winter well every 

 time, and quite frequently heavy losses 

 occur. While we "subpoenaed" only 

 one when mentioning this matter in 

 March .'\nierican Bee Journal, the ma- 

 jority of the extensive beekeepers in 

 Ontario will stand behind the claims 

 I have made. 



I cannot prove that the friend I men- 

 tion might not have gotten 10 percent 

 more honey if no feeding had been 

 done, yet I am quite sure that he would 

 have gotten a much higher percentage 

 than 10 percent less, if that course had 

 been followed, for at least two winters 

 in the time mentioned have been dis- 

 astrous when natural stores were in 

 the hive, and in each case the friend 

 mentioned had no loss whatever, and 

 secured a crop when others had little 

 because they had few bees. 



After saying all this, I want to as- 



sure the Doctor that I am an advocate 

 of " natural foods," and only regret 

 that actual practice seems to demon- 

 strate that our conditions in Ontario 

 seem to demand that feeding be done, 

 especially in a year like last season 

 when little if any honey was gathered. 

 For spring I have no use for sugar 

 syrup. At that time it needs no scien- 

 tist to prove that honey is better. But 

 it may be that the very factors that 

 make honey better for spring use, by 



their very absence in sugar syrup may 

 be all the better for the bees when lit- 

 tle brood rearing is going on and the 

 bees are confined for five months with 

 no flight . 



If it was a matter of sentiment alone 

 I would not feed any sugar at all, if 

 possible to avoid it, but as it resolves 

 itself into a question of dollars and 

 cents to feed the " kiddies," we shall 

 continue the practice no matter how 

 much we may dislike doing so. 



Conducted by Wesley Fosteb. Boulder. Colo. 



An Apiarist's Clearing House 



It has been noticed for some time 

 that beekeepers have considerable 

 trouble in securing competent help for 

 the apiary. Those who have advertised 

 for help find it necessary where help is 

 offered from a distance, to require in- 

 formation on the following points: 

 height, weight, age, experience, habits, 

 wages desired, etc. 



If a sort of civil service school in 

 beekeeping could be established so 

 that applicants for positions could be 

 given a thorough examination, and 

 then if found competent granted a cer- 

 tificate, it would make it easier for bee- 

 keepers to get competent help. 



An examination for apicultural assis- 

 tants should be given, also one for 

 managing beekeepers. It might be 

 be well for the National Beekeepers' 

 Association to prepare to give such 

 examinations, charging a small fee to 

 cover expenses, and when an applicant 

 for the examination had passed he 

 would be given a certificate from the 

 National Beekeepers' Association e.x- 

 amining board. Such a certificate 

 would be valued by the holder, and the 

 best kind of a recommendation to the 

 beekeeper needing assistance. 



If the plan worked, examinations 

 could be given for bee inspectors, 

 queen breeders and agricultural college 

 instructors in beekeeping. A certificate 

 showing efficiency in these lines would 

 be valuable to all concerned. Certifi- 

 cates of proficiency are granted in 

 Great Britain, and it would be well if 

 we could do something of the kind 

 here. 



Packing Bees Too Snugly 



An example of too close and snug 

 packing of bees for wintering has 

 come to my attention. One or more 

 thicknesses of burlap or canvas was 

 laid over the top-bars, then a honey- 

 board was pressed down on top of 

 these quilts and a metal roofed cover 

 put on over all. The entrances were 

 contracted to about js by 2 inches. 

 The corners of the hives and combs 

 were all damp and wet, and some of the 

 top-bars were moldy. These colonies 

 were in nearly all cases weaker in bees 

 and had less brood than colonies with 

 full entrances and covers equipped 



with inner covers that give a chance 

 for moisture to evaporate. 



Bees winter best in the mild districts 

 of the Rocky Mountain region, w here 

 ample upward ventilation is given. 

 Bees suffer more from dampness than 

 from cold. It is a mistake to tuck bees 

 up too snugly for winter. 



Honey Publicity 



There is little doubt but that the use 

 of honey is uoingto be greatly ex- 

 tended. The low price will be more 

 effective than the publicity given by 

 the beekeepers. Competition is very 

 keen at the present time, as any one 

 can find out by going on the road and 

 selling honey to the grocers. 



We could extend the use of honey by 

 putting up "cooking honey " so labeled, 

 in pails, and selling it for about the 

 price of sugar. At the present time it 

 would be possible to buy a good grade 

 of cooking honey by the carload and 

 sell it out at a good profit at the same 

 price as sugar. 



One of the defects to be remedied 

 before we attempt advertising on a 

 national scale is to have honey adver- 

 tising on all our honey shipping-cases, 

 cans, sections, cartons, etc. There is 

 much good white space wasted that 

 could add to honey publicity. 



The use of cartons for section honey 

 will grow, and every carton should be 

 attractively labeled and should show 

 the surface of part of the comb. Bee- 

 keepers can greatly improve the ap- 

 pearance of their honey labels, and if 

 we could have a National board of cen- 

 sorship to forbid the use oi some of 

 the crude labels put on perfectly good 

 honey, the trade would be benefitted. 



Leasing Bees 



The terms upon which bees are 

 leased in the West vary. A share of 

 half and half is probably the most com- 

 mon method, in which case the owner 

 furnishes all equipment except horse 

 and wagon (or automobile) and shop. 

 There are some cases where owner 

 furnishes the shop, although the renter 

 usually does this. Location, rents and 

 taxes are generally paid by owner. 

 The hives are kept painted by the 



