74 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



April 



honey turned out of doors! We learned 

 that the proprietor had been handling 

 honey for about sixteen years, and he 

 "always thought the colder the better 

 for honey." He thanked us kindly for 

 the suggestions we made free to offer 

 regarding the care of honey, and 

 promptly pulled in the display. 



Calling upon still another groceryman 

 we noticed upon the shelves a number 

 of one-pound tin cans, upon which in 

 red letters the word "honey" was 

 very prominent. A closer inspection 

 showed the label to read, "Blossom 

 Brand, Pure California Honey." "Pure 

 California honey, eh?" was our spon- 

 taneous query. 



"Well, that's what I bought it for, 

 but I opened a can to show to a cus- 

 tomer some time ago, and it had all 

 turned back to sugar, so I haven't rec- 

 ommended it since then," was the re- 

 ply. 



Now, all this dealer "pretended to 

 ask" for the questionable mixture was 

 twenty cents a pound, so we bought 

 one of the little cans and sampled the 

 contents on the spot; and a more per- 

 fectly delicious sample of pure black 

 sage honey we never tasted. Upon re- 

 moving the cover the aroma itself 

 brought to mind craggy mountain 

 slopes clad with clumps of greasewood 

 and sage brush, and of bygone days of 

 lonely bachelorhood in remote cannon 

 apiaries of the "Sunset State." Yet, 

 by no possible elasticity or distortion 

 of conscience, could this provision ven- 

 der feel to recommend it to his trade. 



It really seems to us that this neglect 

 of producers has been one great bar- 

 rier in the way of progress in the de- 

 velopment of the market. 



A small tent made of muslin or other 

 light material, that may be handled 

 conveniently, is an essential part of the 

 apiary equipment. Though its uses are 

 numerous, it will be found particularly 

 servicable to set over the hive being 

 manipulated when robbers are trouble- 

 some. 



KEEPING A RECORD. 



Just now as we are entering upon an- 

 other season of active apiary work, 

 seems a fitting time to indulge our in- 

 clination to say a few words regarding 

 colony records. 



That our idea of the impcrtance of 

 some efficient system of recording notes 

 in the apiary is not commonly 

 shared by bee-keepers, is shown by its 

 entire absence in many bee-yards, and, 

 indeed, some such yards have every ap- 

 pearance of being well cared for; yet, 

 with us, owing to our early training, 

 perhaps, such satisfactory results from 

 this memory, or guess-work manner of 

 doing business, could not be even 

 hoped for. 



The use of books is open to the ob- 

 jections of being soiled by propolis and 

 honey in handling, as well as the ease 

 with which they are blown away by 

 every breeze, when exposed. The ma- 

 nilla register serves only to indicate the 

 stage of progress in the development of 

 the queen at the time of the last visit, 

 and is in no sense acolony record. Sticks, 

 stones, sand piles, tomato cans, etc., 

 placed upon the hives is a popular 

 method in mountain apiaries of Cali- 

 fornia, which has been adopted in a 

 modified form by substituting oyster 

 and clam shells in many sea-board 

 apiaries of the east. The various pos- 

 itions of the entrance blocks, and many 

 other imperfect methods, might be 

 mentioned, which would impart to the 

 reader nothing of practical value. 



Perhaps the most efficient method in 

 general use is a small slate, about 

 IV2X2 inches, though its very limited 

 capacity for notes to a large degree de- 

 feats the purpose for which it is de- 

 signed. 



The system employed in the Wood- 

 stock apiary, shown in this number of 

 The Bee-Keeper, is to have a framed 

 slate about 4x6 inches attached by 

 straps to the back of each hive. Each 

 queen has a slate, and that slate fol- 

 lows her through life, with a note of 

 every event, feature and peculiarity 



