26 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



Quirin's famous improved Italian queens ready in April; nu- 

 clei and colonies about May 1. My stock is northern bred, and 

 hardy. Five yards wintered on summer stands without a single 

 loss in 1908; 22 years a breeder. For prices see large ad. in this 



issue. QUIRIN-THE-QUEEN-BREEDER, Bellevue, O. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Office of the Secretary, Washington, D. C, 



May 14, 1909. 

 The Bureau ol Entomology ol this Department desires to ob- 

 tain samples of bee diseases from all parts of tne United States 

 for bacteriological examination. The result of such examina- 

 tions will be forwarded to the persons sending the samples as 

 soon as possible. Send dry samples with no honey. A frank will 

 be sent on request so that no postage will be necessary. A list 

 of available publications of the Bureau of Entomology on apicul- 

 ture will be sent on request. James Wilson, Sec'y. 



Continued from page 3S4- 

 for a year's subscription. We are getting to be more particular 

 all the time about what and whom we advertise. I will not 

 knowingly be a party to a swindle, nor will I allow any thing 

 anywhere in a publication 1 edit which will be out of place in 

 the hands of any man, woman, boy, or girl. I insist on abso- 

 lute purity in what goes into my magazines — not because 1 am 

 so much better than other people, but because 1 have a rather 

 high notion of the responsibilities an editor assumes when he se- 

 lects reading-matter lor all kinds and ages of people. 



Peotone, Ills., May 10. Miller Purvis. 



I wish to say amen to the concluding sentence 

 of the above letter. 



NAMES SHOULD BE WRITTEN PLAINLY. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, editor of the Bee-ieepers' Review, has often 

 said that, if one simple rule were followed in writing, there 

 would never be the least confusion in regard to any word. His 

 rule is that every letter in a word should be written so plainly 

 that, if taken out of the word and placed by itself, it could not 

 possibly be taken for any letter other than the one it was intend- 

 ed to represent. If this rule could be followed a vast amount of 

 annoyance would be saved those who write and those who re- 

 ceive the message. In regular sentences, of course, there is not 

 so much chance for a misunderstanding; for if any single letter 

 is not plain the word may be understood, in most instances, by 

 the context. But when it comes to names and addresses it is 

 very important that every letter be made very plain. 



Our subscribers sometimes complain of irregularities in con- 

 nection with their subscriptions, and in a large number of these 

 instances the trouble can be traced directly to indistinct letters in 

 either the name or address. Sometimes an e taken for an r 

 makes a great deal of difference. 



The reason why we are prompted to repeat this word of cau- 

 tion is that we received a letter recently, requiring an answer; 

 and, although the body of the letter was written legibly, the 

 name was a mere scrawl, and we were unable to make any thing 

 out of it. It has come to be the fashion of late to sign the name 

 in such a way that no one can have the least idea of whjt that 

 name is. Without exaggerating in the least, we have come 

 across signatures written so poorly that, although we knew the 

 name intended, we were unable to see the faintest signs that 

 would lead us to suspect the name if we bad not known it in 

 the first place- These instances are not common, but yet in a 

 great many cases the name and address are written the most care- 

 lessly of any words in the letter. The most businesslike way is 

 to have a rubber stamp giving both the name and address, and 

 then learn to use it freely; or, better still, invest a trifle more 

 and have printed stationery which any local printer can supply. 

 One dollar expended in this way will often save many dollars' 

 worth of time and annoyance later. 



SPECIAL NOTICES BY A. I. ROOT. 



POULTRY MANAGEMENT AT THE MAINE AGRICULTURAL 

 EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The above is the title of Farmers' Bulletin, No. 357. It con- 

 tains 39 pages of exceedingly valuable matter for the poultry- 

 keeper, and winds up with a description of a very cheap and 

 simple trap nest that can be made by anybody at a small cost. 

 The experiments made at this station, to settle some disputed 

 points, have been carried on for a number of years, and are not 

 only valuable but exceedingly interesting, especially as the 

 management had no end in view but to help the average poul- 

 try-keeper to be successful wlih the least expenditure of money 

 and labor. 



CANNING VEGETABLES IN THE HOME. 



This is another government bulletin, and ought to be read and 

 studied by every housewife. It not only tells how to can all 

 garden vegetables and fruit succesfully, but it gives the reason, 

 and describes the latest and best kinds of jars for putting up 

 canned fruit in the home. While we can not think it necessary 

 to heat up the canned fiuit a second or third time (as they rec- 

 ommend) on two or three succeeding days, it may be all right 

 for corn and some other things that are not always successful 

 with the ordinary methods of canning. 



SPECIAL LOW-RATE TRIP TO FLORIDA BY THE SEABOARD 

 AIR LINE. 



We are just informed that the Seaboard Air Line Railway peo- 

 ple (see their advertisement on page 24, April 1) have instituted 

 a special homeseekers' rate, to take effect on the first and third 

 Tuesday in each month. May to December inclusive. For in- 

 stance, the rates from Cincinnati to Manatee, Florida (where 

 our home is), is only $25.00 for the round trip, good lor 25 days. 

 They also make a similar rate, or a lower one, from other points 

 in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. I am calling attention to 

 the above reduced rates because I have had so many inquiries 

 about Florida, especially the southwest part of it; and let me say 

 again that 1 would not advise anybody to go down there to lo- 

 cate until he has first made a personal examination as to the 

 conveniences and inconveniences of a southern winter home. A 

 rate of $25.00 for the round trip is certainly very reasonable. 



YELLOW SWEET CLOVER WITH THE HULLS REMOVED. 



As many of you may know, there has been a big demand for 

 several years for yellow sweet clover, and we have, for several 

 years past, been compelled to write to applicants, "sold out." 

 Just now, however, we have succeeded in getting a ton ol seed 

 from California. Now, there is always an advantage in buying 

 hulled seed, especially if it goes by mail or express, because of 

 the saving of express charges; and, besides, you get ever so many 

 more seeds in an ounce or pound. See prices on next page. 

 Now is the time to sow sweet-clover seed if you wish to nave it 

 bloom this season. By the way, it is refreshing to note how the 

 agritultuTal papers of the north, south, east, and west are giving 

 favorable reports of sweet clover instead of calling it a " noxious 

 weed." 



ANOTHER VICTORY IN A CITY OF 21,000. 



Delaware Co., in which the city of Muncie is situated, with 

 nearly 100 saloons, voted dry yesterday, April 27, by 2954 ma- 

 jority. Even the city gave a dry majority of 209. 



Winchester, Ind., April 28. C. O. Yost. 



AND still another VICTORY, IN A CITY OF 41,000! 



Let me tell you, as a note of interest, that Lincoln has gone 

 dry. Last Tuesday our voters voiced, with their ballots, their 

 disgust for the liquor traffic in Lincoln. Next Monday evening 

 the 25 saloons now operating in our city must close. We hope 

 for a better Lincoln after that. 



Lincoln, Neb., May 8. Elmer Frey. 



Convention Notices. 



FIELD MEETING OF NSW JERSEY BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIA- 

 TION. 



The New Jersey Bee-keepers' Association will hold a field 

 meeting in Mr. Harold Hornor's apiary, near Mt. Holly, Burling- 

 ton Co., on Saturday, June 26. Mt. Holly is on the Pennsyl- 

 vania railroad, and can be reached from all points on that line, 

 and those that connect with it. It can be reached by electric 

 line from Philadelphia, Pa., and Camden, N. >'. 



The program is not completed, but there will be demonstrations 

 as follows: "Treatment for foul brood, and securing a honey crop 

 at the same time, by Pres. W. W. Case. Mr. Arthur C. Miller's 

 decapper will be demonstrated by himself as representative; 

 transferring from box hives to frame hives; queen-rearing; Pratt's 

 swarm-box for starting queen-cells; queen-hunting contest; bees 

 in observation hives, etc. Further announcements will be made 

 later. 



Bee-keepers are requested to bring samples of 1909 comb and 

 extracted honey. Perhaps prizes will be offered. 



Bring along samples of common and rare honey-plants, wheth- 

 er names are known or not, for identification and classification. 

 Bring complete samples where possible — root, stem, and flower. 

 We expect one or more expert botanists. 



The Philadelphia Bee-keepers' Association will meet with 

 us the same day. 



All bee-keepers in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Dela- 

 ware, Southern New York, and Connecticut, are invited to attend. 



We should like to have all bee-keepers who ^expect to attend 

 to drop us a postal. We shall then know better what arrange- 

 ments to make for lunch. Albert G. Hann, Sec. 



