Gleaeiimgs ie Bee Celtere 



Pnblislicd by Tlie A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



A. I. Root, Editor Home Depurtiuent J. T. Calvkrt, Business Manager 



H. H. Root, Managing Editor E. R. Root, Editor A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. 



Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter 



VOL. XLIII. 



APRIL 15, 1915 



NO. 8 



EDITORIAL, 



n 



Our Dismal Swamp Apiaries 

 Since our last report, page 258, condi- 

 tions at our Dismal Swamp apiaries have 

 improved materially. Tlie bad weather did 

 not hurt us after all. Indeed, we begin to 

 feel that we shall secure nearly tlie inereasL' 

 we set out to make in the first place. Our 

 Mr. Pritchard reports that the bees are 

 boomiua;. More anon. 



Wintering in Medina 



Ikdicatioxs in Ohio show that the winter 

 is not going to be as serious as we once 

 feared it might be. The loss will be some- 

 where about 30 per cent, and that mainly 

 in the colonies that had aster stores from 

 the swamji. The bees, however, in big 

 quadruple winter cases, no matter what the 

 stores were, seem to be coming through in 

 excellent condition. 



Wintering over the United States 



So far it has been a late, chilly, cold 

 spring in the South as well as in the North. 

 In many localities the season is estimated 

 at from three weeks to a month late. There 

 is danger that there may be some heavy 

 winter losses of bees this year. If the cold 

 spring continues, spring dwindling will 

 doubtless get in its work. Please send in 

 postal-card reports of how bees are wintei-- 

 ing, and we will publish a summary in our 

 next issue. 



Later. — Weather has moderated all over 

 the country. It is to be hoped that we may 

 have ffood weather from now on. 



A Strain of Caucasians that do Not 

 Run to Swarming 



Mr. Hkrmax Rauciifuss. of Denver. 

 Colorado, has a strain of Caucasian bees 

 which he secured in the Caucasus ranges 

 some years ago, and which, he .says, are fine 

 workers, very gentle, and do not run to 

 sicarming like those we had. He is not in 



the queen business, but has been keeping 

 this strain from year to year because they 

 have been doing remai'kably good woi'k for 

 him in honey production. They breed uj) 

 early, and will go to the fields earlier and 

 later than the ordinary Italian strains. 



Back Home Again 



E. R. Root has finished his western trip. 

 Since being away he has covered over ten 

 tliousand miles, going from the eastern coast 

 to the western coast, with stops here and 

 there. It has been a whirlwind of a trip. 

 Except for two or three days at the Dismal 

 Swamp, Virginia, ten days at home, two 

 days at Salem, Idaho, four or five in San 

 Francisco, two days in San Diego, Cal., he 

 has not slept twice in the same bed nor even 

 eaten two meals at the same place. There 

 are many of our friends whom he had to 

 miss seeing, particularly in and about San 

 Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. 



For a few weeks the editorial depai'tment 

 will have something of a western flavor. 

 Indeed, it began to take on that complexion 

 in our issue for March 1. 



" One of the Boys " 



We had a most delightful interview with 

 P. C. Chadwick, in his California home. In 

 this issue, page 309, he refers to his "boss," 

 as he calls him, as "such a warm, open- 

 hearted man ! just one of the boys." We 

 apjireciate the compliment. To be one of 

 the " boj'S " and nothing more is enough. 

 Incidentally we might remark that Mr. 

 Chadwick is another one of the "boys" 

 whose home life is delightful. He has a 

 family of which any man may be proud. 



He is one of Fncle Sam's mail-carriers; 

 but he is operating two outyards of bees, 

 and one of the prettiest gardens that one 

 can find in the United States. A. I. Root, 

 if he could see that garden, would be one 

 of the " boys " for a little while, sure. He 

 would sav " Mv stars! " at everv turn. We 



