432 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



I'eputation of being very vicious, but some 

 hybrids are as gentle as any pure Italians. 

 Our cover for this issue is the picture 

 sent us by Dr. Bigelow which is referred to 

 above. Dr. Bigelow writes that neither of 

 the young people had ever handled bees be- 

 fore, and llieir experience on this occasion 

 was thei'efore quite a revelation. 



A Good Tool for the Apiary 



It is not often that we give an editorial 

 boost to any article advertised in our adver- 

 tising columns; and when we do, it is be- 

 cause it has extraordinary merit. In this case 

 we refer to the German scythe advertised 

 by the Marugg Co., Tracy City, Tenn. The 

 editor sent and got one of these, and found 

 it so far superior to the old-style regulation 

 style of scythe usually sold on the market, 

 and so much better for mowing around 

 beehives on account of its sharp point, that 

 we believe we are doing our readers real 

 service by mentioning it. It is very light, 

 and seems to have a " swing " about it that 

 makes mowing a real pleasure. The blade 

 is almost as thin as paper, and for that 

 reason it is easy to keep sharp. We have 

 several of the old-style scythes about Root- 

 ville; but this German blade is preferred by 

 all, on account of its splendid " execution." 



Spreading Brood, Once More 



In this issue, in Stray Straws, page 435, 

 Dr. Miller and the editor have a little 

 further discussion on this subject. The 

 sage of Marengo believes that the practice 

 should always be discouraged — at least he 

 does not know of any time when he can do 

 it to advantage. On the other hand, in tbis 

 issue, page 436, Wesley Foster, in his de- 

 partment, says " spreading brood need not 

 be done till the middle of May." But he 

 adds, " It must be done with care." There 

 is an admission on the part of Mr. Foster 

 that it can be practiced to advantage even 

 in Colorado. We in our first editorial, 

 page 345, said there might be times when 

 it would do no harm. Evidently locality has 

 a bearing on the question; and it is evident, 

 too, that the editor has been taking a middle 

 ground between the views and i^raetices of 

 two of our leading beekeepers. 



Clover Prospects 



Thk recent and continuous rains all over 

 the clover belt have started up the clovers 

 everywhere. In some localities these rains 

 have come a little late; in others, in just 



the nick of time; in others they will insure 

 a bumper crop — more particularly in north- 

 ern localities. In all localities, owing to 

 recent cool weather, clover will be from two 

 to three weeks late. The winter-killing in 

 some places, and the hot April drouth in 

 others, gave the clovers a setback. What 

 these recent rains will yet do it is impossi- 

 ble just now to give any accurate forecast ; 

 but there will be a crop of clover honey in 

 some localities at least, and some clover 

 honey in nearly- all localities. 



Referring to this, our manager at Los 

 Angeles writes: 



The beekeepers of California have had very bad 

 v/eather for a month, with the exception of some 

 very helpful rains. Nearly everything else has gone 

 wrong — strong winds, fog, cold, and even light frosts 

 have offurred. Sage is not so far advanced but 

 that, with warm weather, a very good crop of sage 

 honey will be produced. . . . The orange-honey crop 

 will he veo' light indeed. 



iog the Governmentt to Guess 



Data upon which to base an estimate of 

 the summer's honey crop, and the prices 

 which will result, are being collected by the 

 Bureau of Crop Estimates of the U. S. 

 Department of Agi'iculture. The second 

 annual spring inquiry was placed in the 

 hands of beekeepers known to the Bureau 

 in April, and should have been mailed May 

 1. 



The queries concern not only the condi- 

 tion of the beekeepers' own apiary, but his 

 estimate of the number of bees in the local- 

 ity, and their fate during the winter. From 

 the returns on the question as to what caus- 

 ed the death of colonies during the winter, 

 much material ought to be secured of value 

 in preparing for next winter. 



That no beekeeper should neglect filling 

 out such questionairres as these goes with- 

 out saying. Upon the accuracy of these 

 returns depends the value of the July esti- 

 mate of probable production, and upon the 

 crop estimate beekeepers will rely to some 

 extent for their marketing plans. By co- 

 operating to his best ability the beekeeper 

 can easiest sei've his own interest. 



Poisonieg Bees by the Use of Arse- 

 nates ; Another Angle to the Dis- 

 cnssion 



In this issue, page 436, Wesley Foster 

 refers to our editorial on page 390, wherein 

 Professor Woodworth, Horticultural Com- 

 missioner at Pejario Valley, California, 

 gave it as his opinion that the bees are not 

 poisoned by spraying-liquids. It will be 

 remembered that a colony of bees was plac- 



