Sept. 24, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



617 



half in the spring:, then had the fed half surpassed the other, 

 the evidence would have been worthy our consideration. 



Mr. Dadant quotes his foreman as saying- that there is 

 not another apiary in the vicinity with such a crop as his, 

 and leaves us to infer that it is entirely due to stimulation. 

 But that the excess over his neig-hbor's averages (which he 

 does not give, so we cannot tell the percent of his gain l was 

 due to such stimulation can not be granted without more 

 evidence than has yet been presented. The difference be- 

 tween his average and his neighbor's may have been 10 

 pounds or 200. The difference may have been due to feed- 

 ing, to manipulation, to fall condition of colonies, to win- 

 tering, to strain of bees, or to locality. 



Mr. Dadant has cited the difference fall condition pro- 

 duces, and we all know what manipulation may do, or undo ; 

 also the marked difference in various strains, and, as for 

 locality, it is so disturbing an element of calculations as to 

 be used as a general scapegoat. 



I know of two apiaries, just one mile apart, both in the 

 same river valley, both possessing apparently the same 

 chance for forage, both managed the same way, and both 

 in former years yielding closely similar averages. This 

 year one of these apiaries has not yielded one pound of sur- 

 plus, while the other will average, approximately, 40 pounds. 

 I think Mr. Dadant will see he is asking a good deal when 

 he expects us to concede that the evidence of his crop taken 

 alone, and without the support of comparative tests made 

 under the same conditions of locality, time, etc., is proof of 

 the value of stimulative feeding, particularly when he has 

 said repeated experiments in the past prove the fall plan the 

 most profitable, /. e., " such colonies produced the largest 

 crops." 



According to his own statement, the country covered 

 by his apiaries (and presumably by his neighbors'), varies 

 greatly in its yields in different parts in different years. 

 We consider this when he talks of his excess over his neigh- 

 bors being due to stimulation ; he seems to have forgotten 

 it. I would refer him to the "A B C of Bee-Culture," edi- 

 tion of 1901, page 239. 



I can not find that he has ever given the cost of food 

 and labor for stimulative feeding. He asserts that bees 

 must be fed only at certain times. He also says, "We do 

 not practice feeding every year, because it requires a great 

 deal of attention on the part of the apiarist, and I like to 

 look after this myself, and do not always have the time." 

 (My Italics.) From this I deduce that his apiarist, and the 

 rest of us ordinary bee-keepers, lack the skill to succeed 

 (I supposed he was advocating the practice for readers 

 of the Journal), and also that the precentage of increase in 

 the crop is not enough to pay him to take the necessary 

 time annually ; in other words, something else pays better. 



That is my point exactly — other things pay better. I 

 find the labor of preparing bees for successful wintering 

 will simultaneously prepare them to reach the next harvest 

 in prime shape. No extra labor at all, while spring stimula- 

 tion is all extra labor, and at a season when time is very 

 valuable. In other words, fall conservation is productive of 

 better results than spring stimulation, and without the lat- 

 ter's cost in time, labor and risk. For it is a risk to limit 

 the supply of food of big colonies, and it very decidedly 

 does not pay to winter any but big ones, or to fuss with any 

 small ones in the spring. In most localities the amount re- 

 ceived for the extra honey taken from the colonies in the 

 fall will not pay for the food and labor of giving it, neces- 

 sary the following spring. Besides all this, stimulation 

 does not always result very favorably ; the common people 

 can not always succeed, while the other way is always safe, 

 and repeated experiments have proved it profitable. 



Providence Co., R. I. 



Honey as a Health-Food is the name of a 16- 

 page leaflet {5}ix6 inches) which is designed to help in- 

 crease the demand and sale of honey. The first part is 

 devoted to a consideration of " Honey as Food," written 

 by Dr. C. C. Miller. The last part contains " Honey-Cook- 

 ing Recipes " and " Remedies Using Honey." It should be 

 widely circulated by every one who has honey for sale. It 

 is almost certain to make good customers for honey. We 

 know, for we are using it ourselves. 



Prices, prepaid — Sample copy free ; 10 for 20 cts. ; 25 

 for 40 cts.; SO for 70 cts.; 100 for $1.25; 250 for $2.25; 500 

 for $4.00 ; 1000 for $7.50. Your business card printed free 

 at the bottom of the front page, on all orders for 100 or 

 more copies. Send all orders to the Bee Journal oflfice. 



The Premiums offered this week are well worth working 

 for. Look at them. 



[ Our Bee-Keeping Sisters | 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



Bee-Keeping- Lessons By Mail. 



A sister correspondent, who has a text-book on bee-cul- 

 ture, but evidently takes no bee-journal, writes thus : 



"I am so anxious to learn I only wish I had some one 

 to ask questions, who understands bees thoroughly. Would 

 it be possible to give a few lessons by mail, for which I 

 would be glad to pay ?" 



"Our Bee-Keeping Sisters" department, also "Dr. 

 Miller's Answers," in the American Bee Journal, are in- 

 tended to meet this very want, and the dollar a year paid 

 for the Bee Journal would be much less than you could pos- 

 sibly get such information by private correspondence. Any 

 question asked pertaining to bees will be cheerfully an- 

 swered in these departments, free of all expense, as far as 

 there is ability to answer. 



A Sister Wishes to Beg-in With Bees. 



We have a hive near the house that has not been worked 

 with or cared for, in four years, that I know of, and how 

 much longer I do not know ; but the parties said they never 

 realized any good from them, and little wonder. I have 

 made up my mind to give them some attention, which will 

 not be much, and I don't know the first thing about them ; 

 still I sit and watch them work, and find it very interesting. 



1. The bees are inclined to stay on the front part of the 

 hive. What is the cause, and what shall I do ? 



2. Would I better put part of them into another hive, as 

 there seems to be so many ? or can such a thing be done ? 

 If so, how ? and when is the best time ? 



3. Is it best to put in the one-pound boxes with the cells 

 in or out ? 



4. What is the best kind of a hive to use ? 



Lillian M. Morgan. 

 Washington Co., Nebr., Sept. 3. 



1. It may be that they need more room. It may be that 

 the hive is too close, and they need ventilation. Give them 

 sufficient surplus room, and raise up the hive for ventila- 

 tion. It is now so late in the season that you will probably 

 not need to do it this year. 



2. Don't think of dividing them now. 



3. It is best to use comb foundation in sections, as that 

 is probably what you mean by " cells." 



4. A movable-frame hive, the dovetailed hive being one 

 of the most popular. 



Report from a Blind Sister. 



I wrote early in the spring of 1902, saying that my bees 

 were all dead, and ofi'ering the hives for sale. From some- 

 thing I wrote some of my bee-keeping friends inferred that 

 I was in needy circumstances. I had queries and offers of 

 help from several dear people. I wish to thank them, and 

 tell them how much I appreciate the kindly thoughts ; but I 

 wish to say that I have a good home and good children to 

 care for their parents and the property. My object in sell- 

 ing the hives was to help some one else, as well as to keep 

 good property from going to waste. I had several inquiries 

 about the hives, but I discouraged their being sent for from 

 distant points, thinking the freight would be greatly against 

 the purchaser. 



As the spring days grew warm I began to work with 

 the empty hives. It was something I could do out-of-doors. 

 I had been looking for some out-door work that I could do 

 ever since blindness had come upon me. So day after day, 

 as my feeble strength permitted, I felt my way about for 

 the hives, cleaning them, sorting frames, and sorting those 

 that needed an extra nail. I daily gained in strength. The 

 walnut trees under which I worked began to throw a shade 

 as their new leaves opened. When I had cleaned all except 

 the 15 just taken from the cellar, I began on those. I had 

 noticed a few bees flying about, and supposed they came 

 from a colony half a mile away, belonging to a neighbor. 

 But late in May, when the last hives were reached, I found 



