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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 5. 190 ■. 



had not attended one since Lincoln, which I surely en- 

 joyed much more than I did this last." 



In a letter to the Custer Co., Beacon, Mrs. Amos gives 

 her impressions of the Los Angeles convention, and among 

 other things says : 



" Certainly, it seemed to me, that there was more wrath 

 than was desirable— in fact, the quibbling over trifles was 

 not altogether creditable to the intelligence and forbearance 

 of the craft, and suggested the idea that some of the irasci- 

 bility of the Cyprian or the black bees, and the hybrids, 

 with which some of the veterans are familiar, had, in some 

 subtle way, communicated itself to them." 



But, with the spirit of a philosopher, she concludes with 

 the following wise words : 



•■Those of us who went to the convention, imbued 

 with that spirit which carries ' malice toward none and 

 charity for all,' and a mind receptive to learn, will forget 

 anything that might better be forgotten, and treasure only 

 the wisdom of experience which was freely given ; and will 

 trust that ' the spirit that heals differences,' may descend 

 upon some of the excited brethren, and bring them peace." 



Mrs. L. Harrison Afflicted. 



I shall go to the hospital next Monday, to have an 

 operation upon my eyes for cataract. I hope you will be 

 able to read what I have written in dim light, the last I will 

 be able to write for some time. My very busy life of three 

 score and ten years are telling upon me. 



Peoria Co., 111., Oct. 22. Mks. L. Harrison. 



I am sure that Mrs. Harrison has the hearty sympathy 

 of all the sisters in her affliction. We shall all be anxiously 

 watching for the outcome, and earnestly hope that it may 

 be successful. 



Mrs. Harrison has been so long and favorably known 

 among the bee-keepers that she may well be styled one of 

 the veterans. 



Wants to Begin Bee-Keeping. 



I have no bees yet, but I take the American Bee Journal 

 in club with the Nebraska Farmer. One of my friends has 

 some bees— Mrs. Hutflus— and she is going to send for an 

 outfit. She does not know much about bees. I would like 

 to go into the bee-business. I have a 40-acre farm, and I 

 think she will let me have some ; then I will tell you how 

 we get along. I have plenty of flowers, catnip and clover. 

 The trees are very large, and have plenty of fruit. I have 

 had my homestead 23 years. I live alone, and have to work 

 so hard. I have a good garden that I made myself. I do 

 not think I can do so much work any more, but will have a 

 different way for the future. I will have some bees if lean, 

 and if the farmers do not attend to the crops they will have 

 to leave them. Rachei, Hunter. 



Pierce Co., Nebr., July 24. 



Here is a woman that is up to date. She takes the Bee 

 Journal before she has any bees. That is a good deal bet- 

 ter than getting your bees a good while before you get the 

 Journal. 



Have Your Bees Ready for Winter. 



CE 



Nasty's Afterthoughts 



' Old Reliable " seen through Kew and Unreliable Glasses. 

 Bj' E. E. Hasty, Sla. B Rural, Toledo. Ohio. 



Are you sure that your bees have plenty of stores for 

 the long winter? Not just enough, remember, but abun- 

 dant stores. No harm to give them too much— they won't 

 waste it. 



Do you winter your bees out-of-doors? Then see to it 

 that they are snugly packed for their long winter nap be- 

 fore it is too late. 



If you winter them in the cellar, get your bees all ready 

 to pick up and carry in whenever the weather gets cold 

 enough. Don't put these things off until the last possible 

 minute, for in that case they are apt to be done hurriedly, 

 and so not very well done. 



These delightful October days are likely to fool us into 

 believing that there is plenty of time, but snapping cold 

 weather may come with a jerk, and catch us napping. 



The Premiums offered this week are well worth working 

 for. Look at them. 



GETTING BOTH HONEY AND INCREASE. 



To get both honey and increase in one season choose 

 an exceptionally swarmy season (like the last), goad them 

 on and see them get to swarming feverishly; then 

 catch as catch can for all the honey you can get. J. L. 

 Johnson's plan, page 600, doesn't differ very widely from 

 this But he went it "powerful strong," it must be con- 

 fessed Fifty colonies from 12, with 1400 pounds sure, and 

 1000 more heaving in sight, and the back county of Smart- 

 weed still to hear from— well, we don't blame him for brag- 



^^"^'All queens seem to be prolific in a good season." 

 How's that for good aphorism to Mr. Johnson's credit . 



There'sanother kind of season that favors both honey ^ 

 and increase-not quite surplus at all till very late, and then 

 a good flow. Four colonies made out of one may, in such 

 conditions, be expected to give more surplus than one would 

 have done. Alack, comrade J., we are both teaching the 

 children to play with fire ! The safe road to surplus is to 

 repress increase and keep all colonies as strong as possible. 

 Not possible for us to know about the season s peculiari- 

 ties before they arrive. 



SWARMS CLUSTERING OVER NIGHT. 



I think Dr. Miller is right, on page 60'2. In good 

 weather, if a swarm stays in a cluster longer than overnight, 

 it is with the intention to stay permanently. But, being 

 nearly all womenfolk, they may change their minds. We 

 are not to be particularly astonished, therefore, if some one 

 should report a cluster hanging four or five days, and then 

 flying to parts unknown, in the usual style. 



A " GRANDMOTHER SISTER "—BEE-PROTECTION. 



To say that our grandmother (or pronounce it grand- 

 mother) is a Sister, hardly sounds right. Apiculture for o., 

 years seems to entitle Mrs. Harrison to some other title. 

 Her style of bee-protection is somewhat unusual. I should 

 call it a good style-only some of the younger sisters might 

 whisper, "How do I look? " . . . ., . 



I'm inclined to think it has not often been in print that 

 bees take stiftly starched linen as a board or something, and 

 don't try to sting through it. Guess that's perfectly correct 

 I can imagine that valuable use might be made of the fact 

 sometimes. Page 603. 



IS IT A SURE THING IN TEXAS ? 



Mr. O. P. Hyde, of Texas, is putting it pretty strong 



^^^° Gentlemen, the bee-man never has a failure, never 

 knows any want." . .. ,_ t -.- 



I thought at first it was comicalities he was at, but ne 

 seems to be in earnest. Page 615. 



THE QUEEN-BEE AND OTHER BEES. 



Mr Arthur C. Miller— after we have sufficiently rubbed 

 him down with cobs and sharp currycombs, we shall prob- 

 bablv in the end come to thank him. Probably nearly all 

 of us were crediting the bee's ligula with much more service 

 than it actually performed ; and it is desirable, very desir- 

 able that the bee should stand right in our minds. btiU, 

 as for me, I am in no haste to say that the bee /i^-^-r does- 

 well anything it can do. Barely possible, perhaps, that by 

 some queer arrangement it may be impossible to disgorge 



'''°Hfse'emf richer too anxious to reduce the queen to the 

 ranks-don't appear to have the " judicial turn of mind 

 toward her-but no ultimate harm is likely to come of let- 

 ting him trot out his theory of the queen's actions and his 

 theory of the actions of the workers toward her. Only he 

 must not let his dander rise if we should say :" This is 

 theory, brother, and we also have our theory.' So, when- 

 ever the queen is fed something better than honey, the bees 

 turn to like little boys and flourish a " Gimme some ! It s 

 a valuable observation that the queen is seen to ask bee 

 after bee and get nothing; also, that a delay or parley of 

 some sort precedes actual feeding sometimes. Others must 



