•^1861 l'^ 



^ERICA.]^ 



>" v'/N AMERICA J^ 



40th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL, DECEMBER 6, 1900, 



No, 49, 



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^ Editorial Comments. 



% 



A Helping Hand has been extended by British bee- 

 keepers to a brother in trouble. Mr. Longley's bees stung 

 men and team in an adjoining field, and Mr. Longley was 

 sued and made to pay damages. Damages, costs, and 

 lawyer's fee made him out of pocket altogether $45. Con- 

 tributions were sent by bee-keepers to the British Bee Jour- 

 nal, and a check for §45 was sent Mr. Longley. 



British bee-keepers are wiser in their generation than 

 American. Some of the suras contributed were only 25 

 cents each, thus dividing the amount among so many that 

 the burden was lightened. In this country there is some- 

 times a false pride that says, " If you can not give a large 

 enough amount to look well in print, don't give anything." 



Shall Extracting-Combs be Cleaned by the Bees ? is 



a question undergoing consideration in Revue Interna- 

 tionale. So far as replies have been received, opinions are 

 equally divided. In favor of putting away combs in the 

 fall without having them lickt clean by the bees it is urged 

 that moths are more troublesome if the combs are dry ; that 

 in putting away the combs in a moist state there is a sav- 

 ing of time, stings, and the danger of exciting robbing ; 

 and that when the combs are given the following year the 

 bees are more prompt to occupy those with a residue of 

 honey. On the other hand, it is urged that there is danger 

 the molding and souring of the honey that remains ; that it 

 attracts mice and insects ; and that dry combs may be 

 given at leisure to the bees the next season without danger 

 of exciting robbing. 



Feeding Bees has had some discussion lately in Glean- 

 ings in Bee-Culture. J. E. Crane gives his way. If he were 

 beginning all over again, he might prefer Miller feeders, 

 but has on hand tin cans holding 6 pounds and 9 pounds 

 each, and he uses these much after the old pepper-box plan. 

 He melts the sugar on a stove, using 2 pounds of sugar to 

 one of water. To prevent granulation, he adds liquid 

 honey, or if he has not the liquid honey to spare, he adds 

 one tablespoonful of vinegar to each 10 pounds of sugar 

 or to each 20 pounds of sugar if the vinegar is sharp. 



Editor Root strongly prefers to use one pound of water 

 to one of sugar. It makes a thinner syrup to start with 

 but the bees ripen or " invert " it more thoroly,,and they 

 will not invert one-to-two syrup. When they formerly used 

 the one-to-two proportion, there was more or less granulat- 

 ing in the comb, but with- one-to-one there is no granula- 

 tion, and no need to use honey or acid. No need of cooking, 

 just pour the proper quantities of sugar and water into the 

 extractor can, and turn the reel till it is thoroly mist. This 

 can be done at the out-yards, saving the carrying of water. 



Then Dr. Miller appears, and says he has a simpler 

 plan. He pours the sugar in the feeder and then pours 

 water on it, saving the trouble of putting in and taking out 

 of the extractor. Editor Root objects that this leaves the 

 feeder mest up with a residue of sugar or of crystals, and 

 the only way to have it left lickt up clean by the bees is to 

 have it thoroly mist in the extractor. Dr. Miller says this 

 is more easily, and perhaps better, accomplisht by pouring 

 in a little more water at the last. Then Mr. Root suggests 

 that the bees may not ripen or invert this as readily as if 

 the whole had been thoroly mixt before being put in the 

 feeder. 



There is still room for something more to be said. 

 What is the objection to having a few crystals remaining 

 in the feeder ? and does Mr. Root find it possible to have an 

 entirely clean feeder when the syrup is slowly lowered, as 

 in the Miller feeder which he uses, or in any feeder which 

 does not allow the bees access to the inside of the feeder ? 

 Does he not find also that when water is poured upon the 

 dry sugar in the feeder that more water will be taken by 

 the bees, thus giving a better chance for inverting? In 

 other words, if he finds that the bees invert better the one- 

 to-one than the one-to-two syrup, will they not invert still 

 better if the syrup is still thinner ? 



But Dr. Miller fails to notice, or at least to mention, 

 that with this plan the greater amount of evaporation 

 makes it necessary to do the feeding earlier than with the 

 thoroly mixt one-to-one syrup. The beginner should be 

 told that if he is late about his feeding, Mr. Root's is the 

 safer plan, and that if he is very late Mr. Crane's is still 

 safer. He should, however, be told that it is much better to 

 feed as early as August or September, in which case Mr. 

 Root's course is better than Mr. Crane's, and perhaps Dr. 

 Miller's is still better. 



The Sale of Comb.Foundation ilachines in this coun- 

 try does not seem to be large. Probably fewer machines 

 are sold now than some years ago. Most bee-keepers find 

 it more satisfactory, and perhaps cheaper, to buy founda- 

 tion than to make it. This is in markt contrast with the 

 state of affairs in Europe. Of the Rietsche press alone, 

 17,000 have been sold since the first press was put on the 

 market 17 years ago. One reason for the difference in the 

 two countries is that in Europe some of the foundation put 

 on the market is adulterated, while in this country such a 

 thing is practically unknown. 



A Big Honey=Yield is reported in the Progressive Bee- 

 Keeper, John Krantz being the successful man, the year 

 not being given. The colony had the range of a large 

 apple-orchard, some apple-honey being stored in sections, 

 until the colony swarmed the first of May. Both colonies 

 then workt on apple bloom, and the first week in June both 

 swarmed. From the colony and its increase Mr. Krantz 

 obtained 1,600 pounds of comb honey, besides allowing his 

 family with ten children all the honey they could eat. 



