40th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL, NOVEMBER 22, 1900, 



No, 47, 



^ Editorial Commepts. ^^ i 



Moving Bees i.ioo Miles in November is reported by 

 John D. Bixby in the Bee-Keepers' Review. The loading 

 on cars began Nov. 18, the weather was mild, freezing only 

 at night, and the bees were settled in their new place after 

 11 daj's, altho only 4'2 days on the railroad. The loss in 

 stores and bees was heavy, most colonies having a pint to 

 a quart of dead bees on the bottom-board. But. he thinks 

 these were mostly old bees, as the loss in winter was light. 



Spacing Extracting=Frames. — C. Guillemin says in 

 Revue Eclectique that for years he has spaced his extract- 

 ing-frames Ijs to 1^4 inches from center to center, and is 

 well pleased with it. The thick combs projecting beyond 

 the wood of the frame make the work of uncapping easier, 

 and there is also less surface to uncap for a given weight 

 of honey. The queen is less likely to invade the surplus 

 apartment when the combs are so thick. There is a saving 

 in the number of frames and the amount of foundation 

 employed. Some, however, would argue that thinner 

 combs would facilitate more rapid evaporation. 



Local Bee-Keepers' Associations can do much more 

 than they might at first think, toward aiding the National 

 Association, and for the interest of the pursuit of bee-keep- 

 ing at large. 



Hon. Eugene Secor, the general manager of the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association, was askt by the Chicago 

 Bee-Keepers' Association as to what he thought local asso- 

 ciations could do to assist the National, and here is his 

 reply : 



WHA'' CAN LOCAt BEE-KKEPERS' ASSOCIATIONS DO TO HELP 

 THE NATIONAL ? 



First. — They can join the National in a body, and thus 

 add to its influence by increasing its numbers. A member- 

 ship of one thousand is more than proportionately stronger 

 than of one hundred. 



While a full treasury can accomplish some things, of 

 more importance is a united and interested constituency be- 

 hind it. If the South African republic had had />ien enough 

 she would have successfully resisted the power of Great 

 Britain. If our association comprised all the bee-keepers in 

 the land, as the Boer army comprised all the fighting popu- 

 lation of the Transvaal, we might, with equal generalship 

 and equal enthusiasm, overpower the enemy of adultera- 

 tion. We could make ourselves felt in the Congress of the 

 United States; we could influence State legislation; we 

 could stiffen the backbone of officers whose duty it is to 

 enforce the laws. The very fact of a large membership 

 would have its efi'ect on every contemplated aggression 

 against the rights of bee-keepers. 



Second. — They can discuss the objects of the Associa- 

 tion, and thus become familiar with its purposes. Many 

 bee-keepers do not appear to understand what we are trying 

 to accomplish, or the importance of standing together to 

 bring about results. Every individual in the country has 



some influence in the community where he lives. If that 

 influence is properly exercised it will do much to discour- 

 age adulteration and help to enlighten the people on the 

 value of honey and the importance of the honey-bee. 



Third.— They might %vith profit discuss methods of 

 warfare against the adulteration of honey, and agree on an 

 organized plan of collecting evidence for the use of the 

 National Association. 



The National is willing to furnish the funds to pay ex- 

 penses, but the work of massing evidence must be done by 

 friends in the community where suits are brought. It is 

 impossible for the general manager to leave his home for 

 the purpose of working up cases of violation of law. It 

 would be very expensive, even if he had the time. But 

 local associations might assist very materially and effectu- 

 ally. These matters could be discust with great profit, 

 especially if the society happens to be in a State or city 

 where open violations of the pure-food laws are practiced. 



EOGENE Secor. 



But in many places there are no local bee-keepers' or- 

 ganizations to unite with the National in a body. In that 

 case we wish to say that we will be pleased to receive the 

 membership dues of $1.00 each when such of our readers 

 are renewing their subscriptions for another year. We will 

 forward the amount to Mr. Secor, when he will mail re- 

 ceipts to the members thus paying. 



This is an exceedingly important matter, and we hope 

 our readers will not neglect it. The membership roll of the 

 National should number thousands, so that its treasury 

 would be ample to push the cases which it undertakes in the 

 interest of bee-keeping. 



It may be that nearly all who pay their dues may per- 

 sonally never need the help of the National, but they will 

 be just as much interested in the successful prosecution of 

 a case in which a brother member of the bee-keeping fra- 

 ternity is directly affected, and also in all prosecutions of 

 honey-adulterators. 



Better get into line at once for the defense of apicul- 

 ture, if not already a member of the National. You can't 

 tell at what time jco« may need the aid it can furnish bet- 

 ter than any other organization. 



Wintering Bees in Clamps. — Of late little has been 

 said about burj'ing bees in clamps for winter, but Editor 

 Hutchinson, of the Bee-Keepers' Review, says where out- 

 door wintering is unsafe, and one has no cellar, clamps 

 may well be used. He speaks from personal experience, an 

 experience that cost him nearly the whole of 96 colonies in 

 one winter, because they had no ventilation, and perhaps 

 because the number was so large. There was no dysen- 

 tery ; the combs were clean, dry, and full of honey, but the 

 bees had deserted the bives and crawled all thru the straw. 

 On a dry, sandy hillside (not in clay) he would have no 

 hesitation in putting any number up to 25 or 30 into a 

 clamp. 



Queenlessness in the mother colony sometimes occurs, 

 according to Schweiz. Bztg., in this way: After-swarms 

 leave the colony so weak that the. cluster of bees shrinks 

 away from the lower edges of the frames where alone are 

 any queen-cells left, and these are chilled so that the colony 

 is left hopelessly queenless. 



