M.\RCH 15, 1915 



235 



The result »i ngglect. The bees died because disease was allowed lo get a start. 



lioii wliicli tlie trees afforded from the 

 prevailiiiji' southwestei'ii winds; to avoid 

 either flying over those high trees, vvhich 

 was necessary if they went direct ; or lifting 

 straight up that high bank if they flew west 

 a little to the opening. But then, talk about 

 " as straight as a bee-line." Say ! I have 

 lined my bees at home among the Pennsyl- 

 vania hills for a distance of seven miles, and 



descried many a crooked path thereby; but 

 this is the most notable case that has come 

 under my personal observation. It is con- 

 clusive proof that bees do take advantage of 

 the contour of the country, and natural 

 objects, such as ti-ees, buildings, fences, etc., 

 in order to follow the lines of least resis- 

 tance to wind and gravity. 

 Medina, Ohio. 



REFLECTIONS OF A BEGINNER 



BY C. M. MYERS 



A thorougli knowledge of beekeeping at 

 the start is not essential to the eventual 

 success of the layman ; but judging from 

 mv experience a thorough study of .the 

 advanced ABC and X y'^Z of Bee Culture 

 will save many brain-storms and heartaches 

 for the average beginner. 



All one winter I studied the ABC daily, 

 and each day some new phase of the work 

 became more apparent. When spring came, 

 following a hard winter. T was anxious to 

 get started early; but because of the heavy 

 winter losses among the beekeepers all over 

 the country I was unable to find any bees 

 for sale until the first of June. At that time 

 I purchased two strong colonies with half- 

 filled supers. I brought these to my home 

 in town, and placed them in the back lot. 

 This was baiTen of trees of any kind, and 

 ♦be only shade the bees had came in the late 

 afternoon from a board fence. 



My venture seemed crowned with success 

 when two full supers had been removed 

 and new ones substituted; but my enthu- 

 siasm was taken down a notch or two a few 

 weeks afterward, when, in searching for 

 queen-cells to head off any inclination at 

 swarming, I found that both my hives were 

 infected with American foul brood in the 

 most maligiiant form. The McEvoy treat- 

 ment was given them at once, and they were 

 in fine order by fall. That winter, however, 

 they went out just after a continued warm 

 spell in February. Upon examination I 

 found my error in judgment regarding the 

 amount of stores needed, as all the stores 

 were exhausted. 



Hardly before the time when bees are 

 safe from spring dwindling, two more hives 

 were bought at a sale held by an expert 

 beeman. These were placed on the empty 

 stands. This second year proved a failure 



