TSE AMERICAN ^Etl-KEEPt^R. 



March 



species in the matter of drone rearing? 

 Now it is probably just a little early 

 for us to add to our burden of earthly 

 cares, the suppression of drones in col- 

 onies yet in the inaccessible jungles ol 

 Hindoostan; but since the subject ia 

 before the public, The American Bee- 

 Keeper, presuming the existence ot 

 some distinctive feature in the cap- 

 pings, as in the case of our domestic 

 bees, bespeaks the effectual execution 

 of an extension step-ladder and a Bing- 

 ham knife in the hands of the dorsata- 

 keeper as a final solution of this little 

 matter; these extra trips to be paid 

 for in red clover honey and the secre- 

 tions of other flowers having deep nec- 

 taries. 



GO SLOW. 



That the art of bee-keeping is con- 

 stantly progressing is an apparent fact^ 

 and one in which every apiarist feels a 

 degree of justifiable pride, for each has 

 contributed, to some extent, towards 

 the attainment of present conditions; 

 yet no greater authority than our own 

 observation is required to establish the 

 fact that the present advanced state of 

 our art has been achieved largely 

 through costly experiments, conducted 

 by studiously inclined bee-keepers. 

 Failure and disappointment have been 

 a more frequent result in this work 

 than anticipated success, and have 

 been no less valuable in imparting 

 genuine knowledge. Recent inventions 

 are being discussed pro and con, and 

 innumerable methods are advocated 

 and opposed, according to the judgment 

 and experience of those who give them 

 attention. 



Simply because reports indicate tht 

 complete success and apparent great 

 advantage of some new method or ap- 

 pliance, the young bee-keeper should 

 not hastily conclude that in order to be 

 up with the times, he must discard his 

 present equipment and adopt the new- 

 fangled arrangements. It has been 

 well said that "more depends upon the 

 man and his locality than upon the 



hive and fixtures in use." If we are 

 favorably impressed in regard to some 

 aew feature suggested, it is better that 

 tve determine its practical adaptability 

 to our personal means and ends, by 

 moderate experinaent, before making 

 any expensive changes. Nor is it pru- 

 dent for the beginner to depart radi- 

 cally from the general course in vogue, 

 which has been established by years of 

 Experience. Of course, during the first 

 year or two of his practice, it is to be 

 expected that a few "improved" hives 

 will be invented. The field for invent- 

 ive genius in this line, however, is very 

 limited, as will be surely realized later. 



The spirit of investigation, and the 

 desire to excel are eminently commend- 

 able, and though it has wrought the 

 present state of perfection in apiarian 

 appliances and methods, as a result of 

 over-confidence in untried theories, it 

 is also responsible for much individual 

 loss, financially. 



Now, if only the proper application 

 were made by our young bee-keeping 

 readers, the foregoing might as well 

 have been expressed in two words: 

 "Go slow." 



A Belgian bee paper, Le Rucher 

 Beige, recommends the temporary as- 

 phyxiation of bees by the fumes of 

 burning saltpeter when it is desired to 

 dislodge them, and they, for any rea- 

 son, adhere sluggishly to the combs. 

 About one-fourth ounce of chloroform 

 on cotton, tucked into the entrance and 

 then closing it will produce exactly 

 the result described, without apparent 

 injury to the bees. But any one who 

 undertakes to entirely free the combs 

 of bees at any time of year, by any 

 method of suffocation, will surely meet 

 disappointment. Large numbers of 

 dormant bees will adhere to the surface 

 of the comb so tenaciously that all 

 shaking and jarring is useless; while 

 all those that seek relief from the 

 fumes of the drug, deep in the cells, suc- 

 cumb to its influence in that position 

 and cannot be shaken off. Decidedly 



