MAY 15, 1913 



329 



SIFTINGS 



J. E. Ckaxe, Middlebury, Yt. 



Mr. H. G. Quirin, p. 115, Feb. 15, is 

 quite right in his statements that the pro- 

 lifieness of a queen does not depend on her 

 size. I, too, have sometimes had a very 

 small queen prove one of the most prolific 

 in the yard. * # » 



Mr. J. L. Byer inquires, page 76, Feb. 

 1, if foul brood is more virulent at times 

 than others. I will say that this refers to 

 European foul brood only. American foul 

 brood in all localities seems to move on in 

 the same slow sure way to the end. 



* * » 



Xotice of the death of D. H. Coggshall, 

 Feb. 15, recalls to mind the pleasant day 

 that I spent with him in his Florida home 

 a year ago. I almost envied him his delight- 

 ful home, surrounded with fruit trees and 

 every thing to make life desirable. But he 

 has been called away, and we are reminded 

 again that this beautiful world with all its 

 charms is not our permanent home. 



That picture, page 83, Feb. 1, of an or- 

 ange tree bearing a crop of icicles instead 

 of oranges is indeed a queer sight. In much 

 of California as in Florida and other parts 

 of the extreme South, frost is the weather 

 condition most dreaded, while in the Xorth 

 a winter free from snow or ice is equally to 

 be feared, as it will be almost sure to work 

 mischief to the clover and fruit crops later. 



* * * 



The editor says, page 73, Feb. 1, that the 

 only thing fit to use during winter for clos- 

 ing entrances of hives when moving them 

 is a light snow. May be in Ohio ; but in 

 Vermont we have moved a good many 

 yards of bees in winter on sleds and found 

 cotton wool to work perfectly. It is not 

 always we have the light fluffy snow to use, 

 and we always use cloth over frames some- 

 what porous. * * * 



Mr. Chadwick says, page 75, Feb. 1, that 

 in California thej^ have a law compelling 

 the use of movable frames. So far so good ; 

 but does such a law make the owners use 

 them in a sensible way? Of what advan- 

 tage is a movable-frame hive when the 

 frames are two inches wide, or combs built 

 crosswise of the frames, or a honey-board 

 and bottom-board both nailed securely to 

 the brood-chamber 1 



^ ^ ^ 



On page 115, Feb. 15, Mr. David Roberts 

 gives some facts in regard to the value of 

 shelter in wintering bees. One thing he 



seems to have overlooked; and that is, to 

 give plenty of ventilation above the pack- 

 ing. If this is given, there will be little 

 trouble from excessive moisture in the pack- 

 ing above the bees, no matter how carefully 

 sheltered or protected. But do not shelter 

 so much as to induce the bees to fly in 

 weather so tliat they will get chilled and 



never return. 



* * * 



Dr. Miller seems to think, page 74, Feb. 

 1, that there is no more enthusiasm among 

 the young beekeepers of to-day than among 

 the beekeepers of fifty years ago. I gTiess 

 he is right; but I have been wondering if 

 We have as many young beekeepers to be 

 enthusiastic as forty or fifty years ago. In 

 the pictures of the conventions we see in 

 bee journals, most of those represented ap- 

 pear to be old or elderly men — very few 

 young men. I sometimes wonder if the old 

 men attend the conventions and leave the 

 boys at home to look after the " chores." 



* * * 



Mr. Chadwick, page 110, Feb. 15, speaks 

 of the Adciousness of bees in California; 

 and I have noticed here in Florida they 

 seem in most of the yards I have visited 

 much Grosser than in the North. I wonder 

 if this is generally true ; or is it because the 

 bees I have seen handled were handled out 

 of season or in the colder part of thej'ear? 

 Bees in Florida appear to be more sensi- 

 tive to weather conditions than in the North. 

 Bees in the North seem willing to work 

 when the temperature is cooler than they 

 will work here; and, again, they will stop 

 during the hottest part of the day here, ap- 

 parently on account of the heat, when they 

 would not think of stopping in the North. 



* * * 



I am under obligation to Mr. Wesley 

 Foster, page 128, Feb. 15, for correcting me 

 in regard to the rapid granulation of alfal- 

 fa comb honey. As I have seen the state- 

 ment in print many times, and so far have 

 never before heard it contradicted, I sup- 

 posed it was a fact. I also passed through 

 Colorado some years ago ; and while stop- 

 ping at a hotel over night I called for some 

 honey at the breakfast table ; and after con- 

 siderable urging I secured a little granulat- 

 ed comb honey. This was early in Novem- 

 ber, and tended to confirm my views of the 

 gi'anulation of alfalfa honey. So, then, it 

 is sweet clover, alfalfa, cleome, and wild 

 flowers mixed that makes the trouble. Glad 

 to know it. 



