Feb. 15. 1912 



DFTTDK] 



J. E. Crane, Mlddlebury, Vt. 



99 



A capital idea that, in a footnote, page 

 712, Dec. 1, regarding the value of a mat of 

 corrugated paper on top of sections. When 

 the case is handled bottom side up the 

 combs will rest on a soft mat. 



That picture on the cover of the Dec. 15th 

 number is very pretty; but it almost made 

 my back ache to look at it, to think of the 

 work required to inspect such a lot. A lot 

 of fifteen or twenty, four inches apart, is 

 bad enough without a roof over them. 



Mr. liyer's appreciation of the value of 

 dry sawdust for a cushion on top of the hive, 

 p. 713, Dec. 1, is creditable to his good sense; 

 but after having used sawdust for many 

 years we have come to the conclusion that 

 fine planer shavings are better. 



Passing through the markets of Washing- 

 ton one day this week I saw a two-story 

 shipping-case of the style Mr. Foster, of Col- 

 orado, has so ably defended, and I must 

 confess it was a very attractive package; but 

 I noticed that three of the six combs visible 

 through the glass were broken loose from 

 the wood. 



Stopping near Howard University, a col- 

 lege forcolored people, I was awakened early 

 Christmas morning by the colored students 

 singing Christmas carols, and it seemed al- 

 most as though the sky had again opened, 

 and the angelic hosts were singing "Peace 

 on earth, good will toward men " — a beauti- 

 ful custom, surely. 



Let me add my testimony to the value of 

 windbreaks for wintering bees out of doors. 

 In our climate I would go some distance to 

 locate a yard of bees where there would be 

 protection, after seeing a part of two yards 

 wiped out where exposed to the wind while 

 the rest of the yard wintered very much bet- 

 ter. See page 675, Xov. 15. 

 ■^ 



I have noticed a good deal of discussion of 

 lae as to whether a two or three inch glass 

 is best for shipping-cases. It has been 

 many years since cases with glass have been 

 used here in \'ermont, and I am wondering 

 how large a proportion of shipping-cases 

 manufactured in supply-factories are made 

 with a two or three inch glass side. 



\\'esley Foster tells us, page 647, Nov. 1, 

 how to introducequeens by baptizing. Very 

 good. I believe it was A. E. Manum who 

 told in one of our State conventions many 

 years ago how to introduce a virgin queen 

 by giving her a second birth by caging her 

 in a queen-cell and letting her gnaw out like 

 a young queen, and they accepted her the 

 same as a young queen. 



On page 71;^ Mr. Byer expresses the idea 

 that alsike clover is not a drouth-resister. 

 Well, perhaps not as good as red clover, 

 but, mercy me! how it can stand water! 

 Red clover is nowhere in comparison, and I 

 have noticed that, during a wet season, we 

 usually have alsike clover, whether it could 

 be seen on the ground the fall before or not. 

 ■^ 



Our friend Wesley Foster never seems to 

 lack for good common sense, and his ideas 

 on the value of reinspecting and the quali- 

 fications of an inspector are well worth read 

 ing, page 714, Dec. 1. It is certainly a great 

 deal easier to burn hives of bees, and to be 

 spectacular, than to teach bee-keepers pa- 

 tiently how to cure and care for their bees. 



Mr. Gates' article, page 717, Dec. 1, is of 

 great interest. 1 noted especially what he 

 has said on the wastefulness of feeding bees 

 in the open air. I believe we have a good 

 deal to learn yet as to how much waste such 

 feeding brings, and what is the character of 

 the little drops that the bees let fall on their 

 way to their hives. I am yet to be convinc- 

 ed that it is water they have separated from 

 the sweet syrup. 



Looking over the government green or 

 propagating houses in Washington, I found 

 that tests were being made of a large num- 

 ber of seedling melilotus clovers, or perhaps 

 varieties, in order to find one with a very 

 small amount of the characteristic bitter- 

 ness. If successful in the experiment it 

 may be used more extensively than at pres- 

 ent as a forage-plant. If it should come in- 

 to general use it will add much to our hon- 

 ey resources. 



Mr. Chadwick, on page 748, Dec. 15, tells 

 how the ranges of sage in Southern Califor- 

 nia are being plowed up and the bee-forage 

 destroyed, and predicts the time when the 

 waste places will be covered by plants of 

 greater economic value. Let me say that I 

 saw in Washington, alfalfa from Northern 

 Africa that will grow where there are only 

 three inches of rainfall, and another variety 

 that required an alkali soil for thrifty 

 growth. Still another from Northern Asia 

 thrives where it is so cold that the ground 

 never entirely thaws out. 



The editorial on page 710, Dec. 1, on the 

 value of shade, is full of good sense. I have 

 contended in the past, I believe, that bees 

 do as well in the shade as in the sun; but 

 by watching I have discovered that there is 

 a decided difference in favor of those shad- 

 ed but little and those in a dense shade. 

 "Confession is good for the soul." But I 

 should think Mr. Robertson, page 725, used 

 more shade than is necessary for his climate. 

 For those having outyards, I fear his meth- 

 ods would not be piactical. 



