1889 



GLEANINGS m BEE CULTURE. 



45-5 



George Grimm, Jefferson. S. E. 5-«. 

 1 a. 90; h. 80; c, d. L.; f. very good. 



WYOMING TERRITORY. 



G. G. Mead, Ferris. S. 5-17. 



.i. 75; i>. no other bee-keepers here; e, d. L.; f, good 



A summarized averaged statement for the 

 entire United States, we find stands as fol- 

 lows: 



a. ( )f the bees owned by the special report- 

 ers, 91-i per cent have wintered. 



b. ( )f the bees in the localities of the re- 

 porters, 83^ per cent have wintered. 



c. 7") per cent of the localities reported are 

 using the L. frame exclusively, and the oth- 

 ers use odd sizes, no one frame in particular. 



d. The frame used by the reporters them- 

 selves is about the same as stated in c. 



e. Where honey has been coming in, a full 

 average has been secured up to date. 



/. The prospects throughout the United 

 States are universally good— never better. 



Now let us go back and see what the sta- 

 tistics mean. To question a we hud the 

 average of 91 per cent is considerably better 

 than the average for about the same date 

 for last year, the ratio standing 91 to 84; 

 but remember this rather has reference to 

 those who reported on their own bees. The 

 percentage of loss for the localities (bee- 

 keepers, good, bad, and indifferent), is also 

 much less this year— the ratio standing 17 

 to 33 in favor of 1889. Observe that the re- 

 porters (who are in most instances the best 

 and most successful bee-keepers we could 

 select for the localities) have had much bet- 

 ter success than the mediocre bee-keepers — 

 those who can not afford to own a good 

 text-book or take a good bee-journal. The 

 iirst-mentioned class lost only 9 per cent ; 

 the last mentioned lost 17 percent. This 

 point was clearly brought out in the statis- 

 tics for last year. The answers to question 

 c prove conclusively that the Langstroth 

 frame is the universal standard throughout 

 the length and breadth of our country. 

 There are three times as many L. frames, 

 according to the reports, as all the rest of the 

 frames put together, odd sizes included. If 

 we eliminate the frames used by only one or 

 at most two or three bee-keepers in certain 

 localities, there would be probably ten times 

 as many of the L. pattern as of any other. 

 We were a little surprised that not more of 

 the Gallup or the American frames are in 

 use. We were surprised, also, to see that 

 so few square frames are in use. The uni- 

 versal use of the L. frame, north as well as 

 south, proves, if it proves any thing, that, 

 all things considered, that is the best frame 

 for the masses. It proves, also, that bees 

 winter just as well in a shallow frame (like 

 the L., for instance) as in a deep or square 

 frame. If any one can see any better results 

 in wintering, from those who report using 

 the square or nearly square frame, we must 

 say we have been either awfully careless in 

 looking over the reports, or that our eye- 

 sight is pretty poor. If the square frame 

 will winter bees better, the reports ought to 

 show it; but they don't. 



Perhaps we should say, that although the 

 reports do not show it, yet many letters we 

 are receiving say that the yield "from fruit- 

 bloom lias been unusually large. 



ON THE BANK OF THE MISSOURI. 



SOME OF THE THINGS I MISSED DURING MY TRAV- 

 ELS. 



E can hardly express in words the pleasure 

 we have taken in reading' your travels in 

 California and the West. Our lather has 

 also been very much interested in said 

 part of Gleanings. He does not read the 

 part pertaining to bees, as he is not very much in- 

 terested in them. We consider your very plain 

 and interesting- description of your travels worth 

 many times the subscription price of Gleanings; 

 and the illustrations are simply grand. Why, to 

 read your writings and look at the illustrations 

 makes one feel almost as if he had been with you 

 and seen it all. We have also read with some 

 amusement the complaints brought against you for 

 passing by some of the bee keepers; but we did not 

 know that we bad any cause for complaint until 

 reading your concluding remarks, where you refer 

 to the Missouri River. We only then realized that 

 you had passed within sight of our home; that is, 

 we can see the cars in winter, as the Missouri Pa- 

 cific K. R. runs within two and a half miles of this 

 place, and we know that, if you had been looking 

 north across the river, just after passing- a small 

 place called Morrison, you would have admired the 

 beautiful bluffs within three-fourths of a mile east 

 of here, even if you had seen scenery more grand 

 during your travels. Your remarks about the Mis- 

 souri River are very interesting- to one acquainted 

 with that grand old stream. Sure enough, it is like 

 a meadow brook in the way of cutting away its 

 banks. It is not an uncommon occurrence for it to 

 cut in an eighty-acre farm, worth four or five 

 thousand dollars, in a very short length of time. 

 You are right, too, about the land being very fer- 

 tile; and the islands you refer to are, many of them, 

 or portions of them, cultivated, and produce fine 

 crops while they also furnish splendid pasturage 

 for cattle. Of course, they are overflowed some 

 years, and those farming them lose their labor; but 

 on an average it pays well to cultivate them. On 

 these islands near here is where our bees get most 

 of their early pollen, and this year we think they got 

 some honey from the willows. 



Now, friend Root, while we could hardly expect 

 you to spend your time in calling on such little 

 bee-keepers like ourselves (not big guns), we should 

 have enjoyed a visit from you very much; and had 

 we known when you passed here we should have 

 been pleased to meet you at some station where 

 your train stopped, even if only long enough to 

 take you by the hand and exchange a few words. 

 Now, when you start on your next trip, let your 

 friends know beforehand what route you are going 

 to take, so that they may be prepared to pick you 

 up when you do not know just where to look for 

 them. Bluffton is an inconvenient place to get to; 

 but please remember, if you ever get as near here 

 again as you have been, and think you can spare 

 the time to stop off, we shall try hard to make 

 things pleasant for you here, and assure you a 

 hearty welcome in our father's old log house on the 

 bank of the Missouri. 

 Bluffton, Mo., May 16, 1889. Miller Brothers. 

 Dear friends, it is not the big guns only I 

 love to visit. It is true, I like to see them, 

 for, as a matter of course, they have many 

 short cuts and improvements which you 



