938 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1 



DR. C. C. MILLER. 

 The Smile that Won't Come Off." 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



Most of the time I write under the editorial 

 ■-ue, for, although nearly all the matter signed 

 " Ed." is by me, I often reflect the opinions of 

 my associates on the staff; but in this case I pre- 

 fer to adopt the first personal pronoun, for I do 

 not know how I could speak of a very good 

 friend and valued correspondent disguised under 

 the editorial cloak. 



I am very glad to introduce Dr. C. C. Miller 

 just as he looks at bee conventions, for most of 

 the time he has a half-smile on his face, for that 

 seems to betoken the geniality that rims all 

 through the man. 



Some years ago — yes, nearly twenty — I said to 

 Dr. Miller, "You have a peculiar talent for 

 making bright comments in convention, throw- 

 ing in a few sentences and then sitting down. 

 These comments always enliven the proceedings. 

 Now, can you not edit a department for Glean- 

 ings made up of short items of running com- 

 ment, something after the style of your conven- 

 tion work .?" 



Turning to me he said, his wonted smile van- 

 ishing for the moment into a serious expression, 

 "Ernest, I doubt my ability to carry out your 

 ideas, but i have confidence in your opinion. 

 1 will try it. If you do not like the ^tuff, throw 

 it into the waste basket." 



There, now you have the origin of Stray 

 Straws. We had a department running, as we 

 do now, called "Heads of Grain," and I sug- 

 gested " Kernels of Wheat " as an appropriate 

 heading; but Dr. Miller very modestly preferred 

 Stray Straws, as he was not sure that he would 

 be able to glean very much nuheat. As to the 

 general character of the Straws, and whether 

 they are worth binding along with the other 

 gleanings from many fields, I don't need to 

 say. Our readers have long since settled that 

 by the eager way they grab at the Straw-stack in 

 Marengo. 



Dr. C. C. Miller is probably one of the best- 

 known apicultural writers in the world. He 

 reads both the American and European ex- 

 changes, and his articles and comments on both 

 sides of the Atlantic have brought him into 

 prominence throughout all beedom. 



His writings are further enhanced by a ripe ex- 

 perience of many years, for he is now in his 78th 

 year, having been for forty years a bee-keeper, 

 and a good one, especially in the production of 

 comb honey; and, if I mistake not, his crops are 

 sold before they are off the hive. This speaks 

 volumes, not only for his method of manage- 

 ment but for his careful honest grading, which 

 is all done by the members of his family. The 

 buyers know in advance just exactly what Dr. 

 Miller's honey is going to be, and they are usu- 

 ally willing to pay above the market because 

 they know beyond any question that there will 

 be no after-quibble over the grading, quantity, 

 or quality. There is no reason why many oth- 

 ers can not sell their crop in the same way. 



You may wonder why I have felt inclined to 

 put in a picture of our correspondent at this par- 



ticular time. Well, I have had intimations that 

 our good doctor was not going to be able to 

 keep up the fast pace which he has maintained 

 all his life; and the thought came to me that 

 possibly we might, not very many years hence, 

 miss some of those writings which are so gener- 

 ally labeled with smiles. 



Too often we pay tribute after our friends are 

 gone, and just as often regret that we did not be- 

 stow some mead of praise while they were with 

 us, especially if they are of the kind that can't 

 be spoiled. For that reason I felt inclined to 

 present the "smiling picture " which his family 

 and all of us know is so natural — not because we 

 see a smile, but because we know there is some- 

 thing ivithin that makes a "smile that won't 

 come off. " What a happy world this would be 

 if we all had that smile! 



Dr. C. C Miller has long since ceased to think 

 of the dollars. All he seems to care for is enough 

 to provide for himself and family. For many 

 years his sole thought has seemed to be, " How- 

 can I help to make the world happier and bet- 

 ter.?" He is an active worker in the church and 

 Sunday-school; but of late he has been admon- 

 ished by his physician to let some of those out- 

 side things go. He is beginning to husband his 

 energies; but, as any one can see who follows 

 his writings, he makes a constant effort to bring 

 the name of his Master before the world. 



When I sat down to write this sketch I did 

 not have in mind the writing of a biography or 

 an obituary. I intended to dictate only a brief 

 note expressing what I believe to be the real sen- 

 timent of our readers, if I may judge of what I 

 see in the writings of our correspondents. 



We sincerely hope that the doctor will have 

 strength enough to attend the National conven- 

 tion at Detroit, for I doubt not there are many 

 who would like to see a real "smile that won't 

 come off," and many others who would like to 

 get hold of his hand and shake it, and tell the 

 owner of it how much they love him. 



BOTTOM STARTERS. 



Do Bees Build on Them First ? 



BY R. L. HALE. 



You wonder, Mr. Editor, whether it is not un- 

 usual for bees to build on the bottom starter 

 first, when such is used, page 643, May 15. 

 Last season we used on half of our colonies a 

 %-inch bottom starter, and over half of them 

 were built at the bottom first, some not at the 

 top at all. Of course, we had no honey-flow. 

 But I find it the case always in the fall at the 

 close of the honey-flow. 



In the repeated discussion as to whether or not 

 it pays to use a bottom starter, I will give the 

 plan which I have used with half of my bees for 

 four years, and altogether this season. I use a 

 three-inch starter at the top. At the bottom I 

 take a top starter and fasten it with a hot plate, 

 and then hold it firmly in place and cut it off 

 with the wax-plate, thus leaving a starter of 

 about /s inch. 1 never have a crooked section 

 from the fault of the starter. 



Laplata, New Mexico, May 24. 



