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



fl. H. 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. a.s Second-elaas Matter 



VOL. XL 



APRIL IT), 1912 



NO. 8 



(iD{l(o)D°DaiD 



Next issue will be largely devoted to the 

 subject of making increase and strengthen- 

 ing weak nuclei. This discussion will be 

 especially seasonable this spring. 



A CORRECTION. 



In our editorial notice of the new bee 

 journal, the South African Bee-keepers' 

 Journal, in our December 15th issue, we 

 gave the address as .Johannesburg, Natal, 

 S. Africa, whereas Johannesburg is in the 

 Transvaal. The initials of the editor are 

 also "Ct. S." instead of "G. F." Oettle aS 

 given. 



NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS ROLLING IN. 



In spite of the severe winter losses, new 

 subscriptions are rolling in at a faster rate 

 at this time of the year than we have ever 

 known before except once. The last month 

 shows a gain of nearly 600 new subscribers. 

 It looks as if the winter just passed had not 

 chilled the ardor of a large number of our 

 beekeeping friends, for renewals are coming 

 in at the same steady healthy rate. 



THE DEATH OF NEW JERSEY'S FOUL-BROOD 

 INSPECTOR 



We are sorry to announce the death of 

 Prof. John B. Smith, State Entomologist 

 and Foul-brood Inspector of New Jersey. 

 Prof. Smith worked hard for foul-brood leg- 

 islation in his State, and, with the help of 

 others, finally succeeded in the enactment 

 of an excellent foul-brood law. There was 

 great need of it. He was a good entomolo- 

 gist, and did splendid work in eradicating 

 bee diseases. New Jersey can ill afford its 

 loss. His successor possibly may not be 

 appointed for some time. 



HONEY PROSPECTS FOR THE COM LNG YEAR. 



Reports thus far received, in spite of the 

 severe winter losses in some localities, are 

 optimistic, forecasting an oid-fashioned 

 honey-year. While it is true there will be 

 a light force of bees in some localities to 

 gather the honey, it seems to be generally 

 felt that this is going to be a clover year in 

 the P^ast. A large amount of snow has cov- 



ered almost the entire clover belt for the en- 

 tire winter. Such a condition, it is felt, 

 means clover and honey. There are a few 

 localities that report that last fall's drouth 

 killed clover out entirely; but these are few 

 and scattering. 



In the irrigated regions of the West there 

 will be the usual run of alfalfa honey. Con- 

 ditions in California, so far as the sage crop 

 is concerned, look much better than they 

 did a month ago; but it is feared that the 

 rains came too late to do any thing better 

 than to make a light yield. 



EXTRAVAGANT ADVERTISING OF FIVE-BAND- 

 ED BEES. 



In our last issue, page 189, in Straws, Geo. 

 M. Steele, of Philadelphia, desired to have 

 Dr. Miller retract his statement to the effect 

 that there were not a dozen colonies in the 

 United States showing all five-banders, for 

 he said he could disprove the statement 

 with the bees. Dr. Miller very properly re- 

 plied by saying that he did not make the 

 statement attributed to him and referred 

 him to the editor. As we were in Florida 

 when the Straw appeared, it is proper for us 

 to reply: 



Mr. Steele, in a letter which he submitted 

 to Dr. Miller, says, "I have sixty colonies 

 that will go one better in our 95 per cent of 

 the workers, and some five that will run 

 golden to the tip in 100 per cent of the work- 

 ers." We cheerfully retract, and offer our 

 congratulations. But we still venture the 

 opinion that Mr. Steele is the only breeder 

 of goldens that can show this higli percent- 

 age of yellow. If there is another, let him 

 hold up his hand and fariush the proof. 

 Mr. Steele has already done this to our sat- 

 isfaction, and it is but fair that the others 

 should do the same. 



What we have particularly i)rotested 

 against is a<lvertising "five-banded bees," 

 and furnishing, after the money is paid, 

 three and four banded bees. That is what 

 makes trouble; for if the "ad " appeared iri 

 these columns we are asked to "arbitrate" 

 or make the other fellow quit advertising 

 what he has not for sale and can not fur- 

 nish. 



