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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



by the motbs was, and how king-bees 

 could be turned into queens, or something 

 like that. I think he got all mixed up on 

 the subject, or maybe it was me that was 

 just a trifle "off." 



Now, what do you tliink ? Not a soul in 

 that convention asked my opinion in regard 

 to those many and momentous questions ! 

 The slight sorter rankles in my bosom yet. 

 Of course, a few of the more considerate 

 availed themselves of my wise counsel re- 

 garding the proper food for bees, and as to 

 the best time in the day to feed them— 

 whether only morning and bed-time, or at 

 noon, too. I was pleased to impart all the 

 knowledge in my power! 



But I am real glad I went to that bee- 

 convention, if only for the pleasure of 

 meeting the sweet sisters and big brothers. 

 The nice blonde man from Canada told us 

 folks what a grand time we could all have 

 if we came to see him. So we voted to go 

 there next year, and elected him President, 

 so he could look out for nice accommoda- 

 tions. Maybe his house won't hold all of 

 us, but Dr. Miller and I, and York and 

 Hutchinson, can sleep up in the haymow, 

 just as well as not. 



Good bye, sisters, until we meet again. 

 Emm Dee. 



JBotli are Asters. — Mr. Wm. S. Knox, 

 of Dickey ville. Wis., writes as follows: 



By this mail I send you samples of 

 two honey-plants. Please name each, and 

 tell their value as honey-producers. They 

 grow mostly on places where the timber 

 has been chopped off. Success to the " Old 

 Reliable." Wm. S. Knox. 



Prof. T. J. Burrill, of the University of 

 Illinois, at Champaign, kindly replies to 

 the above as follows: 



These plants are both asters,and probably 

 Anter keuis and Anter cwridce, but it is impos- 

 sible to be absolutely certain from the 

 specimens in regard to the species. How- 

 ever, all asters are very much alike in re- 

 gard to their honey value. I do not think 

 this very great. Immense quantities of 

 pollen are collected from them, and no 

 doubt a fair atnount of nectar. 



The plant belongs to the sunflower 

 family, of which there are an immense 

 number of species, and among them some 

 honey-plants. T. J. Buhuill. 



A Binder for holding a year's num- 

 bers of the Bee Journal we mall for 

 only 50 cents; or clubbed with the 

 JotJBNAL for $1.40. 



answered by 



Marengo, III. 



In this department will be answered those 

 questions needing immediate attention, and 

 such as are not of sufliclent special interest to 

 require replies from the "40 or more apiarists 

 who help to make "Queries and Replies "so 

 interesting on another page, lathe main, it 

 will contain questions and answers upon mat- 

 ters that particularly interest beginners.— Ed. 



The Hoffman Frame. 



Please give me your opinion of the 

 Hoffman frame. I notice Mr. Barnett 

 Taylor condemns it in an article on page 

 272 of a March number of the "Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal " for 1894. I want to 

 use the self-spacing frame in full brood- 

 chamber, if there is no better. 



Gaylord. Va. E. E. A. 



Anwser — Referring to the page you 

 mention, it is easily seen that Mr. B. 

 Taylor is quite positive in his condemna- 

 tion of the Hoffman frame, and he is a 

 man whose opinions I respect. He does 

 not say why he condemns them, but if I 

 understand him correctly, he condemns 

 them because he likes the kind he is 

 using better, and I suspect it is on ac- 

 count of the matter of ease or difficulty 

 in handling. 



I have had considerable experience 

 with the Hoffman frames, as well as 

 with several other kinds. Exact spac- 

 ing seemed to be a thing out of the ques- 

 tion with my old, loose-hanging frames, 

 and among other self-spacing frames I 

 tried the Hoffman. They gave exact 

 spacing against which there could be no 

 criticism, but after being in use for some 

 time I began to dread having to open a 

 hive containing them. There was so 

 much prying and pulling to get out the 

 dummy before getting out the first 

 frame, that the old, loose frames seemed 

 ever so much nicer to handle. The 



