724 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 12 1903. 



feet to accommodate 200 colonies. In this Mr. Taylor omits an impor- 

 tant factor, the height of the cellar. A cellar 20x20 would need to be 

 only 5 feet high to allow 10 cubic feet for each colony. That would 

 be a very low cellar, although 6 feet is not an uncommon height. An 

 additional foot or two in height would, of course, add much to the 

 capacity of the cellar. Mr. Taylor very properly adds : 



But it must not be overlooked that colonies are variable quanti- 

 ties. Two hundred colonies at the end of a favorable season might 

 , easily equal, in heat-evolving capacity, 400 colonies at the end of a 

 very unfavorable season. The 200 colonies, in such a case, would be 

 likely to overheat a cellar of the size suggested in the absence of extra 

 care. 



Still further it should be added that the low temperature of the 

 cellar, and the consequent necessity for keeping it tightly closed, has 

 a bearing on the number of colonies that may be accommodated in a 

 given space. If conditions are such that for days at a time the cellar 

 must be kept tightly closed for fear of its being too cold, then it may 

 be that a larger allowance than 10 cubic feet for each colony would 

 be advisable. On the contrary, toward the southern edge of the re- 

 gion for advisable wintering, or in severer climates, where the celUr 

 is unusually warm by means of a furnace or for other reason, so 

 that a door or window may be kept open generally, there might be no 

 suffering with colonies packed so closely that each one would have 

 considerably less than 10 cubic feet. 



"The Dairy Show." 



In London, England, this is the annual occasion of the meeting 

 of bee-men in October, for the purpose of witnessing or participating 

 in the competition for prizes offered on honey and beeswax. Just 

 why honey should appear at a dairy show may not appear on the sur- 

 face, although butter and honey combine in a very friendly manner 

 on bread, and " milk and honey " is a phrase frequently found in use, 

 dating back to the time when the Israelites were in bondage in Kgypt. 

 Later on, the combination of " butter and honey " may be found in 

 the Bible, where it is said, " Butter and honey shall he eat, when he 

 knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good." Isaiah ":15. 



An Argument for Bulk Honey. 



This is given by W. W. McXeal, in the American Bee-Keeper, 

 based on the fact, or supposed fact, that section honey is so nice that 

 the public doubts its genuineness. He says: 



Chunk honey appeals to the people in general, because it is on a 

 par with their education in things agricultural. It excites both the 

 admiration and the appetite of the lover of honey, and when he has 

 sampled it he is willing to concede the fact that it is " real bees' " 

 honey. If wrapped in a good quality of butter paper the honey is 

 very presentable indeed, and will readily sell in any market. 



Migratory Bee=Keeping. 



M. F. Reeve says, in the American Bee-Keeper, that this is practiced 

 by bee-keepers of Philadelphia, Pa. In the fall they move their bees 

 to the open country along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and 

 some seasons reap quite a harvest from the acres of goldenrod, asters, 

 heartsease, and smartweed. 



Big Combs. 



H. C. Sears, according to his report in Gleanings in Bee-Culture, 

 accompanied by a half-tone illustration, seems to have bees that com- 

 pete very successfully with Apis dorsata in the matter of building 

 large combs. Two of the combs shown are 23 inches wide and 60 

 inches long ! They were in the siding of a building. 



Wax-fflotbs. 



Beginners should be reminded that wax-moths can do no injury in 

 severe cold, and if unused combs are left out where they will freeze 

 during the winter, both larvse and eggs will be destroyed. 



But look out for the depredations of mice. 



Why Not Help a Little— both your neighbor bee-keep- 

 ers and the old American Bee Journal — by sending to us the 

 names and addresses of such as you may know do not now 

 get this journal ? We will be glad to send them sample 

 copies, so that they may become acquainted with the paper, 

 and subscribe for it, thus putting themselves in the line of 

 success with bees. Perhaps you can get them to subscribe, 

 send in their dollars, and secure for your trouble some of 

 the premiums we are constantly offering as rewards for 

 such effort. 



( 



Miscellaneous Items 





The Chicago-Northwestern Convention on Dec. 2 and 3. 

 Don't forget that. Try to be here. It will be held in the club-room 

 of the Revere House, southeast corner of North Clark and Michigan 

 Streets, Chicago. Rates for room and meals reasonable. 



Remember the time — Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 2 and 3. 



Mr. J. L. Strong, of Page Co., Iowa, oneof our advertisers dur- 

 ing the queen-rearing season, recently sent several queens on an order 

 from New Zealand, received on account of his advertising in the 

 American Bee Journal. The local paper gave quite a write-up of 

 the event, and also Mr. Strong's growing prominence as a queen- 

 breeder. 



Dr. J. P. H. Brown, of Richmond Co., Ga., wrote us as follows 



Nov. 2: 



" I am still holding the fort. Enjoy good health. Sleep soundly 

 at night. Relish my plain (nearly vegetarian) 'grub.' Mrs. B. is the 

 only complainer — she frequently has attacks of rheumatism. 



" Bees have done moderately well this season. The woodman's 

 ax and the farmer's plowshare are gradually curtailing the area of bee- 

 forage. Bees, in our section, are dependent upon the natural flow, 

 and this is being destroyed." 



Mr. Bingham, the Bee-Smoker Man, recently sent us one 

 of his latest smokers. It is the "Conqueror " size, but it is more than 

 a conqueror. We used it when preparing our bees for winter, and 

 such a deluge of smoke 1 Why, we were almost ashamed to turn such 

 a tremendous volume of smoke on the bees. The movable nozzle fits 

 into a sort of cup at the end of the tire-barrel instead of slipping over 

 it, as is the usual form. This new smoker is exceedingly light in 

 weight, and has a wonderfully strong blast. We should call it 

 '• Bingham's Best." It beats anything we have tried in bee-smokers. 



3Ir. Geo. W. Brotlbeck, of Los Angeles Co., Calif., writing 

 us Oct. 2r, said : 



" One of ray out-apiaries at Santa Monica had a narrow escape 

 from lire several days ago, but the precaution I had taken in having 

 1he brush removed from the near surroundings saved the apiary. As 

 it was, it burned all around it, destroying 200 tons of hay just adjoin- 

 ing. Several reyiorts have come in recently of loss of apiaries by these 

 mountain fires, which often prevail during the dry season." 



Mr. Brodbeck was very fortunate in his escape. A mountain fire, 

 in such a dry time as they have out there, would be a pretty wild and 

 direful affair. 



General Manager Prance is a busy man now. He is get- 

 ting out an elaborate report relative to the work of the Association 

 during the past year. The large increase of membership (500) since 

 he took hold of it is substantial encouragement and a splendid in- 

 dorsement. Mr. France has several cases of adulteration on hand, 

 and it certainly will not be his fault if he does not strike consternation 

 in some (luarters. The Association is doing splendidly, but it can do 

 a great deal better if it has the moral support and dollars of more men 

 who are interested in its welfare. Bee-suits of various kinds are be- 

 coming more frequent again ; and if those of you who read this are 

 not members tier'ure an action is begun against you, you can expect no 

 aid by joining the Association after you get into trouble. The Asso- 

 ciation is a sort of life insurance, and the small fee or premium of 

 $1.00 entitles you to protection for a whole year, to say nothing of the 

 other benefits you will get. — Gleanings in Bee-Culture. 



Once Late in 20 Years. — A Stray Straw in Gleanings in 

 Bee-Culture for Nov. 1, reads thus: 



" The American Bee Journal for Oct. 15 was mailed two days be- 

 hind time, the first time that paper was late for 20 years ! A printers' 

 strike made the delay. The * Old Reliable ' has been so regular that 

 you could tell the day of the week by its arrival. George W. doesn't 

 intend to have it late for another 20 years." 



Editor Root then added this comment: 



" The record up to the lime of the strike was remarkable. Mr. 

 York and his predecessor during the time are to be congratulated. 

 May the ' Old Reliable ' continue to break the record for another 20 

 years.'' 



Our thanks are due, and hereby tendered, for the kind words and 

 wishes expressed in the foregoing. We hope it will indeed be 20 years 

 before the old American Bee Journal need be late again. 



