NOVEMBER 15, 1913 



793 



Stray Stra^^s 



Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



L. S. Cranshaw made a plea for uniform- 

 ity of terms, " colony," etc., British Bee 

 Journal, 248. That warmed my heart. But 

 before he g'ot to the bottom of the column 

 he was talking about managing 300 hives. 

 L. S. ! 



Parcel post has not been a success in 

 sending honey, and there seems more or less 

 of a feeling that it never will be. But across 

 the water it has been in use successfully for 

 years. Is there less enterprise here than in 

 the old country? 



No doubt you are right, Mr. Editor, p. 

 749, that wires will hold tender extracting- 

 combs better than splints; and I doubt even 

 whether running the splints into split top 

 and bottom bars would make them better 

 than wires. For all that, I think splints 

 will give better combs. 



Right you are, Mr. Editor, when you say, 

 p. 703, that unsealed honey sometimes may 

 be ripe. It may be well to say that the 

 converse is also true. Sealed honey some- 

 times may be unripe. I've taken off sections 

 immediately upon being sealed that were the 

 very finest and whitest in appearance, stor- 

 ed them where otiier sections kept well, and 

 they became dark and watery just because 

 the bees had not ripened them sufficiently. 



P. C. Chadwick thinks the soil has no 

 more influence on the color of nectar than 

 the food he eats has upon the color of his 

 blood. Are you dead certain, P. C, that 

 your food has no effect on the color of your 

 blood? Any way, I supposed it was the 

 general belief that soil and elevation had an 

 emphatic effect on qualities of nectar. Dr. 

 Kramer says a change of soil makes a 

 change of color in queens. A certain apple 

 on the clay soil of my place is greenish, 

 while two miles away on prairie soil it is 

 red. If soil changes color in an apple, 

 might it not also in nectar? 



L. S. Cranshaw says he has not found 

 young queens laying as soon as ten days 

 after the prime swarm, but usually expects 

 a second swarm about that time — British 

 Bee Journal, 248. I think Quinby's rule 

 was that the prime swarm issues with the 

 sealing of the first cell, and the second 

 swarm about eight days after the prime 

 swarm. But I've seen many a sealed cell 

 where the bees had not yet swarmed. Per 

 contra, I've known a prime swarm to issue 

 with only eggs in queen-cells. But that was 

 where the beekeeper had interfered by cut- 

 ting out cells. 



Rev. G. H. Chatterton doesn't care for 

 special numbers, because " It seems to con- 

 fuse one when there are so many different 

 views expi-essed," p. 702. There will be the 

 name divergence of views, whether all in one 

 number or scattered throughout the year, 

 and I'd rather have them assembled in one 

 number so they may be carefully comi^ared 

 as to locality, etc, instead of being more 

 confused by indistinct remembrance of what 

 has been in previous numbers. [Practically 

 every one is asking to have special numbers 

 for the ensuing year. "We expect to have 

 announcements out soon for a new list of 

 subjects that we now believe will be attrac- 

 tive. — Ed.] 



Mr. Editor, you have much to answer for, 

 tiying to stir up discontent in me. I've been 

 quite content to staj^ north, summer and 

 winter, and now that scheme of youi-s, p. 

 748, makes me feel I'd like to try North- 

 and-South beekeeping. May be I'd better 

 iry it gradually, going a little way south 

 this fall, say as far as Washingion. [Say, 

 doctor, what is the matter with your going a 

 little further south than Washington ? Just 

 keep right on until you get to Jacksonville, 

 Fla. A. I. Root will be glad to see you. 

 Then shoot northwestward until you reach 

 Apalachicola. You will see quite a wonder- 

 ful bee countiv ; but you should be prepared 

 for mosquitoes. Thej^ are veiy fond of 

 Yankees. — Ed.] 



Mr. Editor, you must be trying to make 

 me tear my hair and shriek with rage when 

 you say, ]}. 705, " While you have been 

 lireeding toward non-swarmers, Mr. Burt 

 has given his attention largely to honey- 

 producers." Huh ! just as if I cared noth- 

 ing for honey-producers! Why, bless your 

 heart, don't you know I've bent my whole 

 energy toward breeding from best produc- 

 ers, even to the extent of breeding such 

 vicious little demons as nearly drove every 

 one off the place? Non-swarming came in 

 only secondarily because favoring honey- 

 7>roduction. And then to have yon hint that 

 L hadn't been giving " attention largely to 

 honey-producers " ! Just wait till you get 

 my record for this year. [Beg your pardon, 

 doctor; but if our occasional "breaks" on 

 (he even tenor of your way are the means of 

 inducing you to bring out some new facts 

 that you would not have done otherwise, 

 our readers will be all the better pleased. 

 Come on with your record. If it is a good 

 one for a young man it must be all the bet- 

 ter for one past his 82d year. — Ed.] 



