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Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, 0. 



H. H. Root, Assistant Editor. E. R. Root, Editor. A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager. 



A. I. Root, Editor Home Department. J. T. Calveet, Business Manager. 



Entered at the PostofiEice, Medina, O., as Second-class matter. 



VOL. XVI. 



AUGUST 1, 1913. 



NO. 15 



Editorial 



A HIGH WIND DURING THE MATING HOURS 

 OP THE DAY WILL SOMETIMES PLAT SE- 

 RIOUS HAVOC WITH QUEEN-REARING 

 OPERATIONS. 



On Sunday and Monday, July 13 and 14, 

 as mentioned elsewhere, a very high wind 

 —almost a hurricane — struck our basswood 

 apiary where there are 450 nuclei for queen- 

 rearing. This wind came up suddenly while 

 the queens were in the air seeking their 

 consorts. The next day, and the day fol- 

 lowing, showed that the nuclei were queen- 

 less. The presumption is that the queens, 

 and possibly the drones too, were earned 

 miles and miles away by the high wind, lost 

 their bearing's, and, of course, did not re- 

 turn. 



OUT AMONG THE BEES; EDITORIALS INSPIRED 

 BY OUTDOOR WORK. 



Perhaps the discriminating reader may 

 have noticed the larger amount of editorial 

 matter than usual, and the further fact that 

 these editorials smack of actual work in the 

 field. As related elsewhere, our boj's have 

 been very much overworked, and hence the 

 editor has been compelled at times to give a 

 helping hand. In order to keep up our 

 correspondence, we have in a few instances 

 transferred the office to the automobile. 

 While the truck is going in one direction 

 the editor and his auto would be going in 

 another with a couple of men. While they 

 were at work among the bees we have been 

 receiving inspiration and delight as we sat 

 in the machine in the shade of a tree listen- 

 ing to the hum of the bees and the song of 

 birds — no telephones, no traveling men, no 

 clerks, no one to interrupt. This morning, 

 July 23, we cleaned up quite a batch of 

 stuff; and if the reader finds any help in 

 our editorial buzzings of late he may lay it 

 to the outdoor air and contact with the bees 

 themselves. 



HONEY-CROP CONDITIONS AND PRICES. 



There is not much new to report this 

 time except to say that the white-clover 

 yield in many localities has been the heaviest 

 ever known; and, strangely enough, there 

 are some places where the clover failed, 

 either because of drouth or an early freeze. 



But the yield from the favored spots has 

 been exceptionally heavy if we may judge 

 from the numerous offerings we have re- 

 ceived from beekeepers who are anxious to 

 dispose of their crop. 



In the mean time it begins to look as if 

 the yield from alfalfa will be below normal 

 in some of the alfalfa regions; but just how 

 much we are not able to say at tliis writing. 

 The almost entire failure in California, and 

 the lighter yield of alfalfa, will probably 

 prevent a slump in the price of clover ex- 

 tracted. Our Western beekeepers would 

 do well to disj^ose of their crops in the 

 West where prices will be firmer, rather than 

 unload them in the East and run the danger 

 of smashing the honey market. We see no 

 reason Avhy there should be a great tumble, 

 and hope there will not be. Beekeepers of 

 the East and West should study the markets 

 and ship their crops where they can do the 

 best. 



THE SCHOOLS OP DRONES IN THE AIR. 



We have had reports in the past as to 

 how drones would congTegate in large num- 

 bers — so much so as to seem almost like a 

 swarm. Their vei-y loud noise can be heard 

 at a considerable distance; and when there 

 are thousands and thousands of them in the 

 air, as there are sometimes, they naturally 

 attract virgin queens seeking their mates. 

 An instance of this kind is reported by the 

 manager of our basswood apiary, Mr. 

 Pritchard. As it is such a striking confirma- 

 tion of what others have reported we asked 

 him to write it up, and here it is : 



About 3 o'clock on the afternoon of Monday, July 

 14, I heard a loud humming over the meadow which 

 borders the south side of the mating-yard at the 

 basswood apiary; and on going out from under the 

 trees I found that a great congregation of drones 

 iwere flying about, nearly as high as the tree-tops, 

 and that the virgin queens were coming from the 

 mating-boxes in astonishing numbers. When a queen 

 came from under the trees a number of drones (in 

 some instances apparently 20 or more) would circle 

 close about the queen, resembling a small but very 

 active swarm. They would dash high and low for a 

 few seconds until one of the drones would clasp the 

 queen and fall, the rest of the drones following them 

 until they struck the ground. Four such swarms of 

 drones were in sight at one time, and scarcely a 

 moment passed during the few minut«s I watched 

 them that one or more was not in sight. 



The wind had blown a gale all Saturday and 



