Gleanings In Bee Culture 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



H. H. ROOT, Assistant Editor. 



A. 1. ROOT, Editor Home Department 



E. R. ROOT, Editor. 

 Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as Second-class Matter. 



A. L. BOYDEN, Advertising Manager. 

 J. T. CALVERT, Business Manager. 



VOL. XXXVII 



FEBRUARY 1, 1909 



NO. 3 



Editorial 



By E. R. Root. 



ENCOURAGING RAINS IN CALIFORNIA. 



During the latter pr;rtof the season, conditions 

 were any thing but favorable for honey in Cali- 

 fornia. There has been unprecedentedly cold 

 weather and drouths. While the former, perhaps, 

 would not have made very much difference with 

 the yield from the sages, the latter would. We 

 just received word from Mr. M. H. Mendleson, 

 at N'entura, dated Jan. 11, to the effect that con- 

 ditions in his vicinity have greatly improved on 

 acconnt of splendid rains, and these rains had 

 continued clear up to the time of his writing. 

 Already it has done, he says, a lot of good, and 

 bees are breeding up fast. 



UE LOVE HIM FOR THE ENEMIES HE HAS MADE." 



The big corporate interests are still after Dr. 

 Wiley's scalp. The fact is, that gentleman can 

 not be coerced, scared, nor bought. For years 

 he has been a thorn in the flesh of some of those 

 food concerns that have been putting out cheap 

 whiskies, and adulterations, or poisonous pre- 

 servatives in foods to keep them from spoiling. 

 This servant of the people, according to their 

 program, must be disgraced and put out of of- 

 fice. Tiie crowd that has been using benzoate 

 of soda, a poison which they use to preserve cer- 

 tain foods that are not up to the standard, are 

 particularly bitter in their attack. If Wiley 

 wins out it will mean the loss of thousands of 

 dollars to them, but a probable saving of the 

 lives of thousands of innocent children as well as 

 some adults. Every one should write to the 

 Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, 

 and to the President of the United States, asking 

 that Dr. Wiley be retained. While we have no 

 idea that he will lose his position or standing 

 with the powers that be, it is proper that the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture and the President should 

 know that the best people of this country are 

 back of him — and of them too, for that matter. 



Dr. Wiley's opposition appears to be backed 

 by organization and millions of capital, and, as 

 a matter of course, they are leaving no stone un- 

 turned to accomplish his undoing. Fortunately, 

 we have some of the great journals like The 

 American Grocer, The I.outsiana Planter and Su- 

 i^ar Manufacturer, and The Ne-xv York Times 

 stand ng up for him; but the people should make 

 thfmsel-i.es heard also. 



We note with pleasure that the New York 

 State Wholesale Grocers' Association, that met 

 on the 12th of last month in New York city. 



adopted some ringing resglutions indorsing him 

 as a " man of unassailable honesty," and " one of 

 the chief champions of pure food." 



OUTDOOR-WINTERED COLONIES UNDER SEALED 



GLASS COVERS; SEALED COVERS VS. 



ABSORBENTS. 



We are again making a series of observations 

 relative to the condition of colonies in chaff 

 hives, said hives having a large sheet of glass set 

 in putty over the tops of the frames, thus making 

 an hermetic sealing. It will be remembered we 

 made some observations of this kind about ten 

 years ago when sealed covers were up. 



The arrangement makes it very easy to note 

 the position, size, and condition of the cluster of 

 bees on different days by simply removing the 

 telescope cap, together with the tray containing 

 packing material which rests down on the glass. 



The colonies under glass are doing nicely, and 

 the clusters are healthy so far as can be seen. 

 As heretofore, we find the clusters mainly near 

 the front of the hive over the entrance. Nine 

 times out of ten this will be the position of the 

 bees during the fore part of winter, and they re- 

 main there until the stores are consumed, neces- 

 sitating a change to the center or rear of the hive. 



The glass covers show just how the moisture 

 is disposed. Near the outside edges and around 

 the corners moisture in the form of sweat will be 

 found; and as it collects in the form of drops it 

 trickles down the sides of the hive; and as all 

 hives slant toward the front, the water will run 

 out at the entrance. When we have absorbing 

 cushions this same moisture goes up into them 

 making them damp. In this condition during 

 extremely cold weather the cushions freeze. A 

 damp cushion or one frozen is a bad thing next 

 to and on top of the bees. 



PROGNOSTICATING A HONEY FLOW. 



The article by Mr. Virgil Weaver, in this is- 

 sue, on how to prognosticate a flow of honey 

 from white clover, contains much food for 

 thought. We shall be glad to have our readers 

 go over it carefully, and see if the theory put 

 forth by our correspondent tallies with the facts 

 in their localities. If Mr. Weaver is right* it 

 may be necessary for some bee-keepers next sum- 

 mer to adopt migratory bee-keeping — that is, find 

 pastures new. Some of our most successful bee- 

 men have done that and are still doing it. For 

 example, Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson, of the Bee- 

 keepers' Revieav, finds that not all the raspberry 

 bushes in Northern Michigan have been burned. 



* It will be noted that Mr. G. M. Doolittle, who is known as 

 a close and accurate observer, in his article in this issue appar- 

 ently does not agree with Mr. Weaver. 



