652 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi^. 



come one, come all ; and if you are not a 

 bee-keeper, you will wish you were by 

 the time the meeting is over. 



Jennie Atchley. 



Bunch of Comments and Suggestions. 



Our weather is fine at this writing 

 (Nov. 6). We are having one pretty, 

 sunshiny day after another, and just 

 cool enough to be pleasant — 60° at 

 night, and 75° in the middle of the day. 



MAILING queens TO AUSTRALIA. 



The last "Australian Bee-Buletin " 

 has reported our queens sent over as a 

 failure, but they reported too soon for 

 the main, big, 'special shipment, as we 

 have had no chance to hear since the 85 

 queens started, both by express and by 

 mail. I heard from Honolulu, and they 

 all passed there in tiptop order, and 

 that is about half way. I started another 

 large shipment on Nov. 9, and I feel 

 confident that they will go all right. 



MIDWINTER BEE-MEETING. 



Don't forget our midwinter bee-meet- 

 ing, at B^eville, on Dec. 27 and 28. All 

 are invited. 



DRONE-LAYING QUEENS. 



It was stated some time ago that I 

 would be able to give something valuable 

 on drone-laying queens, and the value of 

 drcines from such queens and from lay- 

 ing workers. After our hot July wind, 

 we lost so heavily in bees that we had to 

 use all tlie money we had to stock up 

 again, and as it would cost me $50 or 

 more to try the scheme, I had to post- 

 pone it, but have been investigating the 

 matter eight miles from other bees, tim- 

 ber, or any residence, and I have almost 

 made up my mind in the matter ; but as 

 there could not be a definite answer 

 given, I suppose the matter rests about 

 where it did. But I am never going to 

 trust to drones from virgin queens, or 

 from layhig workers, and I may give to 

 the public soon all my observations in 

 regard to the matter. I think I can 

 prove beyond a doubt that such drones 

 are not good. 



CHANGING FRAMES. 



Did you all read Doolittle's article on 

 page 566? If not, I would be glad if 

 you «?i would read it three times. His 

 words express my own sentiments to a 

 "t." Just think of the great cost to the 

 bee-keeping world— much less the labor 

 and time — to change frames. Doolittle 



has a ripe mind, and his judgment in 

 such matters is a big thing for bee-keep- 

 ers. He is a good criterion, or guide» 

 for us all to go by. 



QUESTION-BOX LESSON. 



I thought before this that our ques- 

 tion-box would have been opened in our 

 lessons, but as the midwinter bee-meet- 

 ing needs my attention just now, I will 

 postpone the question-box for a short 

 time. But as soon as the questions and 

 answers are complete, we will publish 

 them, and my intention is to have the 

 box so complete that one can learn how 

 to keep bees successfully by studying 

 the questions, as' every important thing 

 that can be thought of pertaining to api- 

 culture will be asked and answered in a 

 short, plain manner, and in the most 

 simple style, so that all may easily un- 

 derstand, even if no knowledge of bees 

 is possessed by the reader. 



ALFALFA IN TEXAS. 



Some are asking if alfalfa clover will 

 grow in Texas and the South. Yes, I 

 think it will grow anywhere in the 

 South unless there are some places too 

 dry for it. But I am told v/hen it first 

 takes hold, that if water enough is given, 

 in case it does not rain, it will get so 

 deeply rooted that it will siand a long 

 drouth, and come out all right. I have 

 seen fine, thrifty alfalfa in north Texas, 

 and I believe it will grow here. 



If there is any bee-keeper in the south 

 or southwest Texas, please let us know 

 how it is doing, and oblige us. 



THE RIGHT KIND OF REST. 



One good sister wishes to know when 

 I rest. If she means to sit still and re- 

 cline, and do nothing, and take ease, I 

 will say I do not rest except when I am 

 asleep — from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Being 

 idle is no rest for me. I take rest when 

 I get in the buggy and ride to town for 

 the mail two miles away, or when I feed 

 my chickens, pigs, etc. This is all rest 

 to me. 



Our rule is this : After the day's work 

 is done, and we have done all we could 

 well do for that day, we kneel around 

 our family altar and thank God for hjs 

 many blessings, and then lie down and 

 sleep soundly. We never lie awake at 

 night, worrying a tired brain over some- 

 thing we cannot help, which is sure to 

 make us feel stupid the next morning. 



Please excuse me for taking up your 

 time with these stray remarks, but while 

 my mind caught these things, I felt sure 

 that some one would read this that 



