MAY 1, lOlo 



llic land is low and wet, where on anotlier 

 t'ai-ni a mile oi- Iwo away on liiiili siround 

 that is (•oini)arativ('ly dry, there will be no 

 winter killinjz'. On the latter farm bees may 

 do well; on tiie former (here miiilil be almost 

 a failure of honey. 



The A B C of Composition 



Tnii editors of CtLEANrNGS have printed 

 a small folder for free distribution entitled 

 " Sug:gestions to Contributors." designed to 

 furnish contributors and would-be contribu- 

 tors a few hints on the composition and 

 general get-up of their articles. So much 

 ignorance seems to exist regarding the man- 

 ner in which a manuscript should be pre- 

 pared for the printer that these instructions 

 should be welcomed by the writers for 

 Gleanings. While the thought is the main 

 thing, it is true, nevertheless, that a well- 

 written article commands a higher price 

 than one that is carelessly prejjared. 



The college ])rofessor who reads in this 

 circular that all sentences 'Should begin with 

 a capital letter sliould not allow his feelings 

 to be hurt. The little instruction is given 

 in elementaries because elementary remind- 

 ei"S are just what a great many writers need. 



If the contributors follow these instruc- 

 tions the editoi"s will be happy, typesettei'S 

 will bless them, and tiiey themselves in the 

 end will be gratified at llie imj^rovement. 



The Massachusetts State Board of 

 Agriculture and its Advice to the 

 Fruit-growers on Spraying 



The ^fassachusetts State Board of Agri- 

 culture is sending out a large colored poster 

 in bold display type, containing a set of 

 instructions to the fruit-growers of Massa- 

 chusetts. At the very beginning is a bold 

 headline, " Are you spraying at the right 

 time, or are you spraying at all?" Another 

 line says, '' Are you killing the bees that 

 are setting the fruit for you?" Down be- 

 low this there are plain and specific instruc- 

 tions on when and what to spray with. It 

 mikes very emphatic tlie fact that the trees 

 should not be sprayed while in bloom, and 

 then adds, " If the nectar and ]iollen they 

 (the bees) are after are i)oisoned at the 

 wrong time (during blossoming) they are 

 liable to be poisoned, and l&ss fruit will be 

 set." Then in black letters appears the 

 following: " Xever allow your trees to be 

 sprayed while the large pink or white blos- 

 soms are still on them, for the job will not 

 be as well done. Less fruit will be set, and 



347 



many bees may bo killed." This is not fi-om 

 a hpi'kc'pcr. but IVo.u the Slaic X.;i-sery 

 Inspector, 11. T. Fernald. 



This poster is one of (he best things we 

 iiave .seen. It is brief and to the point, and 

 cainiot help being of great benefit to fruit- 

 growers and beekeepers alike. Other states 

 would do well to send for a coi)y and get 

 out one similar to it. 



There have been 

 many requests for a 

 department in Glean- 

 ings representing the 

 southeastern part of 

 tlie country. The bee- 

 keepers have felt so 

 "left out" that they 

 finally brought their 

 requests to a focus — 

 with the result that 

 "The Dixie Bee" starts 

 with this number, and 

 will appear in the first o ;a. . ali.kn 



number each month. 



Our readers who have been enjoying the 

 delightful poems by Grace Allen will be 

 glad to know that she has consented to edit 

 this new department. Mrs. Allen is hardly 

 a beginner, but she does not, wish to pose as 

 an expert — just yet. Her department will 

 be of special interest to the beekeepers in 

 the great Southeast, to the beginners in all 

 parts of the countr}-, and to all who love 

 good poetry. Besides being an enthusiastic 

 beekeeper herself, she is vice-president of 

 the Tenne^ssee Beekeepers' Association and 

 will be in close touch with a large number 

 of prominent honey-producers. 



Aster Stores in aiad 



and Elsewhere 



Ik this issue, page 352, J. L. Byer re- 

 ])orts good wintering on aster stores at one 

 of his yards. In this locality the colonies 

 that have had access to these kinds of stores 

 (or what seemed to be the same) showed up 

 dysenter}' and spring dwindling. Some 

 colonies died outright, and many are weak. 

 When the colonies had good stores, free 

 from aster, there was universally good win- 

 tei-ing. 



We hardly know how to account for the 

 difference in the asters of Canada and those 

 in the vicinity of Medina, unless there is 

 some other weed that grows in INIedina Co. 

 that does not grow in the vicinitv of the 



