GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



break the force of the wind. When a solid 

 board fence is used, the wind glances up- 

 ward, is caught by the onward current, 

 bounds downward, hitting one or more rows 

 of hives, with the result that such row will 

 suffer a much greater mortality than the 

 others. 



CARELESSNESS IN GRADING. 



A SHORT time ago we received a letter 

 from a prominent dealer in New York han- 

 dling honey, butter, cheese, eggs, etc., com- 

 plaining in regard to the way in which 

 most producers grade their honej'. We give 

 herewith a part of the letter refeiTing to 

 this matter: 



There are very few producers of honey in New 

 York State who grade their honey honestly. It is to 

 he regretted, but it remains a fact just the same ; 

 and we are unable to make any impressison on the 

 graders and producers by any thing that we can 

 write them. Most graders seem to thiuk it is the 

 proper thing to work off a certain percentage in 

 their No. 2 honey in their No. 1 grade, and they do 

 not stop to realize that, by packing their honey in 

 that way, they lose money by doing it. 



We doubt whether the producers should 

 be called dishonest, for we think it is more 

 often carelessness or ignorance that ac- 

 counts for the improper gxading. It is, of 

 course, a serious matter; for, from the 

 standpoint of dollars and cents, it means a 

 distinct loss to the producer when his gTad- 

 ing is badly done. 



THE NEW FOUL-BROOD BILL BEFORE THE LEG- 

 ISLATURE OF MICHIGAN. 



The beekeepers of Michigan are ti-ying 

 to get a foul-brood law that is more effec- 

 tive than they have had in the past. Every 

 beekeeper in Michigan should immediately 

 write to his Senator and Representative 

 asking for his unqualified support to the 

 bee-disease bill (House bill No. 343) that is 

 now pending before the General Assembly. 

 Exi^lain that bee disease is rajiidly spread- 

 ing all over the United States and Canada, 

 and that it is very necessary that the State 

 of Michigan should have a law that will 

 protect her against the inroads of the dis- 

 ease from other States. Prompt and deci- 

 sive action on the part of all the beekeepers 

 of the State should be taken at once. The 

 States bordering have much better laws, and 

 it is high time that Michigan should have 

 as good a law as her sister States. 



DOUBLING THE STRENGTH OF COLONIES DUR- 

 ING MIDWINTER. 



We would call attention to an interesting 

 article by G. T. Whitten, in this issue, on 

 the subject of building up colonies indoors 

 by feeding, and pi'oviding a means for flight 

 in a wire-cloth cage. Years ago A. I. Root 



succeeded in making colonies in a gxeen- 

 house rear brood during cold weather. The 

 bees finally learned to fly out and go back 

 to their hives. While, of course, some were 

 lost, yet brood-rearing continued. Mi*. 

 Wliitten may have made an improvement 

 in that he uses a small wire-cloth cage into 

 which the bees may fly — so small indeed 

 they may then go back into their hives. 

 Although he does not say so, we take it that 

 at such times they void their feces. 



While we do not believe it would be prac- 

 tical for every one to rear brood under the 

 conditions named in Mr. Whitten's article, 

 yet it might be possible for small beekeep- 

 ers to save a few of their colonies having a 

 mere handful of bees each. The thing is 

 worth trjdng, for the amount of fuel re- 

 quired would not be large. When there 

 is only one colony, the living-room might 

 be used ; but if there are a dozen, a room 

 would have to be prepared with suitable 

 means for ventilation. 



We shall be glad to get reports from any 

 of our subscribers who have tried out this 

 plan ; and in conclusion we may venture to 

 suggest that not many will be able to suc- 

 ceed as well as Mr. Whitten has done. 



THE EFFECT OP SUGAR IN EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS 

 ON THE HUMAN SYSTEM. 



In the January issue of The Technical 

 World Magazine, page 516, is an article by 

 Bailey Millard entitled " Our Great Sugar 

 Debauch." We wish ew^ry one of our read- 

 ers might secure a copy for the purpose of 

 reading this article, for it is an astonishing- 

 revelation of the enormous quantity of su- 

 gar consumed in the United States, and of 

 the bad effect which this excessive use of 

 sugar has on the system. We are preju- 

 diced, of course ; bat in our opinion the 

 writer sliould have offered as a solution the 

 substitution of honey for so much sugar. 

 However, even as it stands, the deleterious 

 effect on the health is evident. 



The opinions of specialists are quoted, 

 showing that " The bad effects ascribed to 

 sugar as a food are due to its use in larger 

 quantities than three to four ounces a day. 

 . . . The average person eats about three 

 times as much cane sugar as he should." 

 ..." Many a factory girl and depart- 

 ment-store saleswoman makes her entire 

 luncheon from starchy wheat cakes swim- 

 ming in maple, cane, or corn sjrup, and no 

 other dish." The unfortunate girls who 

 work in the candy-factories " are not a 

 healthy-looking lot ; and, though plumj? 

 enough, they are pale of cheek and listless 

 of ej'e. Sugar inebriates all, with bad 

 stomachs and bad livers." 



