not make me perfect, by any means. I 

 cannot blame you for thinking 1 make but 

 a poor show, for I often feel almost discour- 

 aged about it myself. I think I am doing 

 right about the smoker, and as I am sure 

 friend Bingham thinks he is doing right, I 

 guess we shall arrange it pleasantly. If I 

 have spoken unkindly, or jestingly of some 

 of your queer views, friend Ileddon, 1 beg 

 your pardon, and will try to do so no more. 

 If I ever go to Michigan" again, I am going 

 to see you, and 1 hope you will talk right 

 out, just what you think. I very seldom 

 quarrel with people when I can see them 

 face to face. 



Will all those whon John Long owes 

 foundation please write me the full circuin- 



SttillCGS? 



May God bless the Amkbtcan Bee Joitk- 

 NAL and all its readers, and help me to 

 remember, whatever may turn up, what I 

 have just said. . A. 1. Root. 



Medina, Ohio. 



[ These apologies show that friend Root 

 has been benefited by the " new light," and 

 we are glad to see the spirit manifested, as 

 well as the frank acknowledgements therein 

 made. ""Confessing our faults, one to 

 another" is a duty enjoined upon us, and 

 we always feel better for obeying it. Truly, 

 "to obey is better than sacrifice." It 

 brings down Heaven's richest blessings 

 upon us, as well as our injured brothers.— 

 Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Chips from Sweet Home. 



For the benefit of the readers of the 

 American Bee Jouhnai., and more espec- 

 ially those who have not been able to call 

 upon the Editor, in his office, I will give a 

 brief description of what I saw there. We 

 got off the C. B. & Q. train, walked 3 blocks, 

 took the horse-cars, rode thereon, about 3 

 miles for Sets., to 974, West Madison St. 



Here, upon the first floor, we found our- 

 selves in a large capacious room; upon the 

 right was quite a large collection of apia- 

 rian supplies, upon shelves protected from 

 dust by sash. Upon the left was a variety 

 of " honey slingers," and hives. At the 

 farther end was the printers' cases, where 

 our letters and articles were being set up in 

 shape for thousands to read. In the center 

 and on the left of the room is the Editor' 

 easy cliair and office; 1 should have said 

 there were two chairs, one for T. G. N., and 

 one on his left for his Son, for they are both 

 as busy as bees, every day, every month 

 of the whole year; their whole time being 

 devoted to the interests of the American 

 Bee Jouknai.. 



To those not accustomed to the Editor's 

 Chair, it may seem an easy chair, but such, 

 brother bee-keepers, is not the case with 

 the editor of our Bee Journal. Having 

 served, a short time, in an editor's office, (as 

 a devil? Oh no!) we know what some of his 

 duties are, and will give you some idea of 

 it: First, he reads all your letters and iirti- 



cles, if possible. Why, says one, can he 

 not read them all? No, he cannot; for 

 some are so poorly written that aPliila- 

 delphia lawyer could not read tliem; otl^ers 

 need re-writing and correcting before tlwiy 

 go to the compositor, and many, very many 

 he only glances over, and is compelled for 

 want of room to throw into the waste- 

 basket. Were our Editor to put in all our 

 articles, letters, and clip])ings from foreign 

 bee journals, also some from home papers, 

 he would need a journal four times as large. 



Then, friends, two things are necessary. 

 First, that he should discriminate, clipping 

 some and discarding others entirely. Sec- 

 ondly, on our part, to boll iloion our letters 

 and articles, telling our ideas in as few 

 words as possible, so that they will occupy 

 as little space and convey our ideas as forci- 

 ble as language will permit. First, then, be 

 sure you have sometluHg to write that 

 others will want to read; secondly, write it 

 in as few words as possible, and, if you are 

 not accustomed to writing, look over your 

 article and see how much you can shorten 

 it; by thus doing, you will improve yoisr 

 article for publication. 



These articles boiled down, (imiltum in 

 parvo), are the ones more eagerly read and 

 longer to be remembered than those long, 

 dry, tedious columns. So, in conclusion we 

 would say boll them down. 



D. D. Palmer. 



Ventilation of Bee Houses. 



ABE BEE HOUSES NECESSARY? 



There has been, and still is a strong effort 

 iipon the part of some to do away with 

 houses to winter in. The substitution of 

 cushions and chaff mats are intended to 

 supersede winter repositories; but, if a 

 repository is so constructed as to be a com- 

 plete success under all conditions of the 

 atmosphere, it is far in the advance of all 

 mats and cushions, bundled about the bees 

 on their summer stands. 



1. The bees never fly and waste. 



2. The value of a house is soon savedjin 

 honey. 



3. The bees are prepared for winter, and 

 put away with less expense. 



BEES CONSTANTLY NEED FRESH AIR. 



Those who have been observing have 

 learned, from the influence of warm air 

 upon their bees in winter quarters, in Dec. 

 last, to keep bees quiet, they must be con- 

 stantly sui)plied with fresh air, in sufficient 

 (juantities to preserve a normal condition of 

 the atmosphere. 



WHAT SHOULD BE THE TEMPERATURE? 



That depends altogether, or largely so, 

 upon the purity and motion of the air. 



Place a thermometer at the ceiling of a 

 bee house 60" fahn, and another at the floor 

 .54^ fahr., and the bees at the floor 54° are 

 wasting more than those above at 60° fahr. 



There is no eff'ect without a cause. -^ 



WHAT CAUSE PRODUCES THIS EFFECT? 



The normal condition of the atmosphere 

 has been destroyed by the respiration of too 



