October, 1914. 



)i^American Hee Jonrnal 



blossoms of the willow herb that had 

 come up where the fires had been last 

 year. Much rain and very cool weather 

 during the latter part of August and 

 the first part of September cut the 

 surplus short to what it would have 

 been, but even at the present (Sept. Hi) 

 honey is still coming in. For the past 

 four days we have had summer condi- 

 tions again. 



We have just finished the extracting 



there (my father and son are at the 

 yard), and the bees are plugging up 

 the brood-nests in good shape. I spent 

 three day^ there last week. It was fine 

 to see the bees dropping in the grass 

 in front of the hives at this late date, 

 after a season at home of almost total 

 failure. The willow herb is not a stayer, 

 as two years is usually all it lasts. Then 

 raspberries and other shrubbery crowd 

 it out. 



Surely, nearly all of us could do at 

 least a little of this and profit thereby. 



Bee-Keeping 



In Dixie^ 



Conducied by J, J Wilder. Cordele. Ga. 



In Trouble 



Mr. Wilder: — I have recently bought 

 some 10-frame hives, and find that my 

 old covers are too small for them. The 

 metal roof and Colorado cover are long 

 enough, but lack about fs-inch being 

 wide enough. What can I do with 

 these ? H. F. Winter. 



Tampa, Fla. 



. I believe the 10 frame hive has been 

 made some larger recently in order to 

 admit better manipulation of frames. 

 This was a good change, even if it did 

 come at a late time, for the regular 10- 

 frame hive was not wide enough for 

 10 frames, and allow sufficient space 

 for the easy and quick handling of the 

 frames. 



I would suggest that you use the old 

 covers on the old hives until they give 

 out, and the new ones on the new 

 hives. It will not be a great task to 

 keep them in use, for it is not often 

 necessary to change covers, and if 

 there should be a general mix up you 

 can easily tell the old ones from the 

 new. You might be able to pry the 

 rim of the covers apart, just a little on 

 both sides, so they would be wide 

 enough to easily come down over the 

 hive, and if the top edge of the 

 rim should extend a little beyond the 

 top they could be dressed even. 

 ' — •^-•-^ 



The Panic 



The European war has brought a 

 money panic which, no doubt, is felt by 

 most beekeepers in the selling of honey 

 and collecting for same. I, for one, 

 am away behind from what I was this 

 time last season. Business is fast 

 slacking up and the question is, " What 

 shall we do ?" Of course, we must dis- 

 pose of our unsold honey crop, and 

 must not let it go at a sacrifice, but at 

 least realize for it what we set out to at 

 the first of the season. To do this, we 

 must not rush it off, but place it in the 

 hands of parties whom we know. Keep 

 it closer at home, and if necessary put 

 forth great eilorts to dispose of a lot 

 of it yourself. 



This is a critical time, and we should 

 exert ourselves in every way possible 

 to dispose of even a little for cash ; in 

 other words, help to sell it. For these 

 parties, whom we may trust to sell it at 

 whatever they can get, may use the 



panic as a lever in more than one way 

 to wrong the beekeepers. 



I was in a large city the other day 

 and went down on "commission row " 

 and saw honey in nearly every house, 

 and a far greater stock than they 

 should carry. I did not have any honey 

 there, and did not expect to place any 

 in their hands, but I made enquiry as 

 to sales, prices, etc., and was well in- 

 formed. The prices they made me 

 were about as usual, but I overheard a 

 a talk between the proprietor and the 

 bookkeeper in one of these houses, 

 and know they were hiding behind 

 this panic when it came to making re- 

 mittances, etc. I knew where all the 

 honey trusted in their care came from, 

 and I left sadly impressed. 



I know one beekeeper who did not 

 ship his honey this year, but took it to 

 neighboring towns and peddled it out, 

 using an automobile in order to cover 

 the field farther and more quickly. It 

 was all sold to consumers direct, and 

 he got the cash and his prices for it. 



Caucasian Bees 



Mr Wilder:— I see that you have 

 much to say about Caucasian bees and 

 advocate them highly. I have several 

 colonies of them which are getting 

 crossed with Italians. I find them 

 wonderful honey gatherers. I judge 

 from your location and experience 

 with them that you could do a great 

 queen business by breeding this race 

 of bees as soon as the beekeeping 

 world learned their value. I have them 

 in one yard with most every other kind 

 I could get, and they and their crosses 

 are by far the best. I have one crossed 

 with the Cyprians, which is making a 

 record this season, and the dash of 

 Caucasian blood seems to knock out 

 much of the bad temper in them. 



From past experience I believe that 

 by selecting some of the best Cauca- 

 sian queens and some of the brightest 

 colored drones of the Cyprians, a strain 

 of bees could be established that in 

 appearance would be much like the 

 3-banded Italians but far better. 



G. C. Rahn, 

 Jlfg-r. Rahn flee and Ilonev Co. 



Haileyburg, Ont. 



If reports are true, the Caucasian 

 bees are fast gaining ground every- 

 where, and in my opinion they will 

 soon fully come to their own in true 

 value. 



A Suggestion 



I have decided not to spread my bee- 

 business for another season, but shall 

 apply the emergency brakes, for I have 

 been going at a rapid rate for several 

 seasons. Money, no doubt, will be 

 scarce, and now is the time to call a 

 halt. I shall buy no supplies except 

 what I will have to have for the honey 



Portion of a Mountaineer's "Ideal" Apiary and Honey House in the Blue Ridge 



