May 10, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



293 



results that have occurred by application of certain princi- 

 pals, and new light has dawned upon the bee-keeper's path- 

 way. 



It mig-ht be well for me to give a short history of my 

 own experience, and a few practical thoughts on my own 

 observation. 



About 23 years ago I started with four colonies in box- 

 hives. By the help of a friend who had some knowledge of 

 the bee, we succeeded in getting them transferred into 

 movable-frame hives. 



Pardon me if I add here a meed of praise to Mr. L,ang- 

 stroth for the invention of the movable-frame hive, intro- 

 duced about 18S0, which opened up a wide field of study — in 

 fact, it was the invention of the age, regarded so by intelli- 

 gent bee-keepers, and upon it has hinged most of the prog- 

 ress that has been made since. 



I transferred quite early, and by dividing I increast my 

 apiary from 4 to 12 colonies, ready for winter quarters. 



All came out of the cellar the following spring in good 

 shape, and with the help of the gentleman before mentioned, 

 we made our own hives, and, by dividing, by fall we reacht 

 SO colonies, with a surplus of about 300 pounds of extracted 

 honey. 



Well, you may imagine my feelings — I considered my- 

 self a full-fledged bee-man — yes, may I say, an expert in 

 bee-culture ! 



I put the bees into a bee-house for winter quarters, and 

 awaited results. 



Spring came, and to my chagrin I had 8 colonies in- 

 stead of SO ! Shall I say it was the best lesson I ever had 

 in apiculture ? Yes, for it was. Then I commenced aright, 

 cautiously and carefully. I secured a few Italian colonies, 

 my first ones having been black bees, and Italianized the 

 whole apiary. I then commenced as an amateur apicul- 

 turist. I found that what I did not know would fill a vol- 

 ume of 600 or 800 pages, largely illustrated. I state this for 

 the encouragement of beginners. No matter what your 

 failures may be, or have been, if you have studied your 

 locality, studied the experience of older and wiser heads, 

 and do not come too hastily to conclusions, you will be sure 

 to succeed. 



Since 1 882, withthe exception of dry seasons, or those 

 too wet, I have realized more clear profit from my bees than 

 from the farm. 



There is comfort in the knowledge so often exprest — 

 experience is the best of teachers. I believe a man will 

 best succeed who loves bee-keeping. Other industries can 

 be successfully carried on when followed only for the 

 profit, but I think it necessary to love bee-culture in order 

 to succeed. 



I have at two different times started, or carried on, api- 

 aries at a distance of 2'yz to 6 miles from the home-apiary, 

 but I found they added greatly to the work already on hand, 

 so I sold them. I do not condemn the handling of several 

 apiaries if a man has plenty of help that understands the 

 business, or is willing to put forth a persistent effort to 

 bring about the best results. 



Bear in mind that it is a very easy thing to overstock 

 your fields. In such cases I would advise the scattering out 

 of the colonies. In my locality I can easily keep from 100 

 to ISO colonies if the season be favorable. 



I believe the great problem in successful wintering of 

 bees is plenty of young bees in the fall, and plenty of good 

 honey in store. See that all are in good shape for winter 

 late in the season. A good cellar for wintering is where 

 the temperature is easily kept above 40 degrees, and well 

 supplied with pure air. I have tried a few colonies out-of- 

 doors several winters. I like the idea of packing, but I 

 think it is not enough better than cellar-wintering to pay 

 for the extra labor. 



Misfortunes or accidents often develop important 

 truths. By observation I have found that cold and frost 

 are deadly enemies. Cellar-wintering requires the least 

 consumption of food, and the least amount of respiration 

 and exertion. I believe it to be the most perfect system— I 

 mean one that will invariably produce the same results. 



A system of wintering bees, in which the conditions are 

 likely to be different each year, can never be a perfect one. 

 We can, of course, have uniformity of stores when winter- 

 ing in the open air, but the severity and irregularity of the 

 weather are beyond our control. 



Speaking of last year, one would naturally conclude 

 that bee-culture was becoming less profitable. By investi- 

 gation we learn the profit in bee-culture is just being 

 reacht, while basswood in some sections is being thinned 

 out, and by heavy drouth and severe winters the white 

 clover may be killed out for a season, or even more. Plants 



with their honey-producing qualities have been studied, so 

 that it is possible for bee-keepers to produce their own pas- 

 turage to a certain extent. Good locations are more care- 

 fully selected, and to have necessary articles for conven- 

 ience at hand, add to the scientific handling and the re- 

 munerative proceeds. 



Time and space forbid speaking of many things I 

 would like to mention. I would like to touch the subject of 

 queen-rearing — I like home-bred queens better than im- 

 ported ones. Mr. Doolittle informs us that American 

 breeders take more pains than they do over the water. He 

 thinks many are taken from a promiscuous selection, taken 

 from second and third swarms, therefore are not likely to 

 build up and make good honey-gathering colonies. 



I would also like to mention the subject of bee-pastur- 

 age, and the profit in running for extracted honey over that 

 of comb honey when the season is short. I would like to 

 say something in regard to our foul-brood law ; I would ad- 

 vise that subject to be agitated thruout America. Brother 

 bee-keepers, we must fight our greatest enemy if we succeed. 



It is not true that all can keep bees successfully— only 

 such should undertake it as are by nature adapted to it, and 

 will give it the same thoro, continued application as is re- 

 quired to make any branch of business profitable. Bee- 

 culture demands more study, more skill, than any other rural 

 employment, hence our ranks are not likely to swell to 

 great dimensions. No honest employment can be little in 

 any sense. What we need is more little successes and less 

 big failures. Green Co., Wis. 



A Short Sermon on Progress and Reforms. 



BY L. L. SKAGGS. 



LET'S come down to facts and not fancies, and see which 

 is best. What do we want with silent letters ? Would 

 you keep three horses when two will do your work ? 

 The extra one is in the waj', costs something to feed it. and 

 care for it in general. And so it is the same with silent 

 letters. I have askt professors all my life what good they 

 did, and so far I have failed to find one that could tell. 

 Their answer is, " Oh, it is customary." So we keep on in 

 the same old rut, and will not try to get out ; and if any 

 one tries to help us out, we make a terrible noise, and sit 

 back. ~If we like old ways, let's go to China— we can get 

 them there. Oh, my, what a fuss people do make at any 

 improvement ! 



In 1874 and 187S I lived in Southern Texas, where the 

 people were nearly all Mexicans. For illustration, I will 

 try to tell how they made their plows. They cut a tree that 

 had two limbs that set contrary to each other on opposite 

 sides ; one they used for a handle, and on the other they 

 fastened a sharp, pointed piece of iron, to tear up the 

 ground ; and the main body was for a beam. Well, you 

 would split your sides with laughter if you could see one, 

 and see the work it does. You can't tell which way their 

 rows run. The corn looks as if it had been scattered broad- 

 cast. And what a crop of weeds they would raise, and get 

 about 8 or 10 bushels of corn per acre. Now they tell me 

 they raise from 40 to SO bushels. While I was there the 

 owner of the ranch sent a lot of improved plows to the 

 ranch, for his hands to work with. The owner was a white 

 man. Well, if you could have heard what a fuss they made 

 about those plows, you would not wonder at people kicking 

 at reform spelling. They said the owner of the ranch was 

 the biggest fool they ever knew. No, sir, they would not 

 try to use those plows at all. 



I have never known any improvement offered to the 

 public but what there was a great kick ; and if the improve- 

 ment is not backt with money it is put aside. 



To be sure, there is no one to put up money on simpler 

 spelling, because it is the children that need it. The old 

 folks have gotten into the habit of plowing with forkt 

 sticks, and carrying rocks in their sacks to balance with 

 their corn, so they think it is death to quit. Now, let's 

 have some reason. We know that everything we do is good 

 or bad, one or the other, so if silent letters are of no use, 

 drop them. It is the readers who have to suffer, not the 

 editors. The more type the more paper and ink they use, 

 and then the more our reading will cost. It is not for the 

 good of the editor at all. He charges according to the work 

 and outlay. If it was for the good of the editors, reform 

 spelling would be adopted in less than six months, and the 

 readers would never get a vote at it. No. sir, we would 

 never get a chance to kick at all. Did the A. I. Root Com- 



