rh ?.9<?. 



TEE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



45 



PRACTICAL LESSONS. 

 It has been often noted that too fre- 

 lent handling results in detriment 

 ither than improvement to the con- 

 tion of bees. Beginners are especial- 

 prone to bestow excessive care and 

 ork upon their new charge; which, 

 ough tending to impede the natural 

 ogess that would otherwise continue 

 the hive, imparts to the student that 

 hich is of greater importance than 

 e commercial value of the p'-oduct 

 at might be derived under skillful 

 anagement. By thus familiar'zing 

 mself with their characteristic na- 

 re, the prime requisite to successful 

 :e-keeping is unconsciously acquired, 

 id the foundation for future success 

 ereby established. 



The student may have committed to 

 emory the advice and instructions of 

 mgstroth, Quinby and C'^ok. having 

 bearing upon the work in hand; still, 

 ithout practical experience, he is un- 

 lalified to proceed with that confi- 

 !nce begotten of personal knowledge, 

 essential to the accomplishment of 

 isired erds. Yet he cannot afford to 

 ivote years of his life to fir>ding out 

 ^ practice that which he may learn 

 ithin a few days by reading the ex- 

 rience of others. 



The text-book, the periodical pubM- 

 tion and practice constitute the 

 hree graces." And the greatest of 

 ese is practice. 



Literary Itemj. 



Professor Lion's incubator, which is 

 iw to be seen in New York, is a mar- 

 1 of inventive skill, scientific ingenu- 

 r and mechanical expertness; and the 

 ating, the ventilation, and the hy- 

 enic conditions, upon which the life 



the prematurely born or weakly in- 

 nt must depend are so simple, so sys- 

 matic and so practical in arrange- 

 ent as to seem almost flawless. In 

 ^fder to have the benefit of the incu- 



tor treatment, it is not absolutely 

 cessary that babies be sent to the in- 



stiute. Single incubators, with trained 

 nurses, are sent to private houses, or 

 hospitals, if desired; though this meth- 

 od is naturally far more expensive than 

 the "ward" treatment, and is also less 

 ceitain in results. In all the incubator 

 hospital children brought by very poor 

 parents are treated free. The woman 

 who shudders with horror over the 

 idea of these fragile mites of humanity 

 being shut up in cages, without moth- 

 er arms or crooning lullabies, has an 

 entirely mistaken idea of the situation, 

 which a single glance in the babies' 

 dining-rocm would obliterate. For the 

 nurses apparently love their shadowy 

 little charges, and the amount of pet- 

 ting the unconscious, wabbling atoms 

 receive wouM comfort the heart of the 

 most sensitive mother. They are never 

 by any chance the least bit pretty, yet 

 they are petted and snuggled and 

 fondled and loved to the absolute con- 

 tentment of every woman's desire; and 

 the nurses grow so fond of them that 

 very often quiet tears are shed when 

 the cage door is opened for the pet bird 

 to fly away. Why, the very French 

 word for incubator (couveuse) means 

 brooding. — From 'Scientific Mother- 

 ing," in Demorest's Family Magazine 

 for February. 



The spring catalog of the Geo. A. 

 Sweet Nursery company of Dansville, 

 N. Y., has been received. It comprises 

 24 pages and lists a most complete line 

 of fruit and ornamental trees and 

 shrubs. The Sweet company propose 

 through the medium of this catalog t-i 

 save their patrons the agents' comms 

 sions by selling direct to the planter. 



Pare and cut the apples into slices; 

 put them in a baking pan with a layei 

 of coarse bread crumbs between the 

 layers of apples, having the top layer 

 of c- urnbs. Put two tablespoonfuls of 

 molasses into half a cupful of water; 

 pour the mixture over; bake in a mod- 

 erate oven. — February Ladies' Home 

 Journal. 



