Published by The A. I. Root Company, Medina, Ohio 



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



A. I. Root, Editor Home Department j. t. Calvert. Business Manager 



Entered at the Postofflce, Medina. Ohio, as Second-class Matter 



VOL. XL 



JANUARY 1, 1912 



NO. 1 



THE DEATH OF JAMES HEDDON. 



We have just received notice that James 

 Heddon, one of the best-known bee-keepers 

 of 20 years ago, died at his home in Dowa- 

 giac, Mich., on Dec. 7 last. A biographical 

 sketch will appear in our next issue. 



GLEANINGS BEGINNING ON ITS 40tH YEAR. 



A GLANCE at the bottom of the first cover 

 page of this issue will show that Glean- 

 ings is now entering on its 40th year. The 

 editor is also reminded that he is now en- 

 tering on his 27th year at the editorial helm 

 of this journal. Our managing editor, Mr. 

 H. H. Root, has for 9 years selected most of 

 the copy from our correspondents in the 

 field. ' 



SPECIAL ISSUES FOR 1912. 



We call the attention of our readers to the 

 fact that this issue, our "Beginners' Num- 

 ber," is the first one of a series of six special 

 numbers. We are endeavoring to collect ar- 

 ticles written by specialists that will furnish 

 exceptionally valuable reading along the 

 lines suggested. With this in view we are 

 soliciting these articles from well-known 

 authorities; for, although we have on hand 

 more material than we can use for some 

 time to come, it is always our aim to place 

 before our readers the best that can be ob- 

 tained. 



The rest of the special numbers will occur 

 as follows: February 15, "The Bee-keeper 

 and the Poultry-man;" March 15, "Bee 

 Cultureand Horticulture;" May 1, "Prepar- 

 ing Colonies for the Harvest;" .July 1, "Hon- 

 ey Harvesting and Marketing;" September 

 1," "Wintering." 



In addition to these special numbers we 

 are glad to announce a series of articles from 

 no less an authority than J. E. Crane, of 

 Middlebury, Vt., entitled "The Experiences 

 of a Foul-brood Inspector." This series is 

 illustrated, and we are sure it will prove 

 \ aluable, not only to the foul-brood inspect- 

 ors over the country but to all bee-keepers 

 as well. Mr. Crane has had a long experi- 

 ence, and his position as an extensi\ e pro- 

 ducer of honey enables him to sift the wheat 

 from the chafT as capably in these articles 

 as he does in his regular dei)artment. There 

 are eight articles in all, the first of which 

 will probably appear in the February 1st 



DD°Da[ 



issue, the rest following in continuous order, 

 with the exception, possibly, of the special 

 numbers. 



OUR COVER PICTURE. 



The picture on the cover of this number 

 is suggestive of a beginner making his first 

 start with bees. Notice the box containing 

 the three-frame nucleus that he has just 

 bought. One of the frames he has already 

 transferred to the hive in readiness; the sec- 

 ond one is just being lowered into position, 

 while the third is still in the shipping-box. 

 Those of our readers who made their start 

 from a nucleus (and, in fact, those who 

 started with a full colony) can remember 

 the eagerness with which they watched for 

 the arrival of those first bees, and the thrill 

 they had in seeing them begin at once to 

 fly in and out of the new hive. Of all the 

 different lines of outdoor work taken up by 

 suburbanites, or even residents of cities, we 

 believe there is none more entrancing than 

 that of caring for a few colonies of bees. 



The extensive producers who may be 

 styled professional bee-keej)ers, and who 

 number their colonies by the thousands, 

 can not afford to overlook the efforts of the 

 amateur; for more than once such amateur, 

 owing to his boundless enthusiasm and love 

 of the revelation of nature which bee-keep- 

 ing affords, has stumbled on to some new 

 principle. Without beginners there can 

 never be experts, for no man has yet been 

 born with an inherited knowledge of bees 

 and bee-keeping. 



COMMON MISTAKES BEGINNERS ARE APT TO 

 MAKE THE FIRST YEAR. 



In any line of business there are some 

 things that must be learned by experience; 

 but in bee-keeping especially there are some 

 difliculties that a beginner encounters that 

 do not form much of an obstacle to one who 

 has kept bees for a few years. While it is 

 impossible to make a list of a/l the troubles 

 that perplex beginners, and while explana- 

 tions regarding them do not always take 

 the place of the knowledge gained by real 

 work in the yard, it is, nevertheless, profit- 

 able now and then to consider some of the 

 mistakes that are most commonly made. 



We will first take up the list of those that 



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