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THB MMEKIC'MH Wmm JQ'^KlfMlL. 



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Giood Queens io tlie Spring.— 



Mr. L. H. 'Vrilcox, of Hastings, Minn., gives 

 this excellent advice and caution in the 

 Fai-m, Stock and Hoine for last week 



GLEiMS OF MEWS. 



Trees for Shade ami Honey.— 



The importance of planting trees for the 

 nectar which some of them so profusely 

 yield, as well as for their grateful shade 

 and general attractiveness, should not 

 escape the attention of all bee-keepers who 

 desire to extend their fields of honey-pro- 

 duciug blooms. Especially should this sub- 

 ject of tree-planting be thoughtfully con- 

 sidered by apiarists, when they have been 

 so forcibly reminded that the unexcelled 

 lectar-bearing tree— the precious linden or 

 1 asswood-is fast disappearing under the 

 woodman's ruthless axe. 



Let every one interested in securing the 

 largest measure of success from his own, 

 and the efforts of his bees, see to it that, 

 among others, the lindens are freely 

 planted to grace the walks of home or 

 town, and to supply their delicious sweet- 

 ness for the "busy bee's" delight, and its 

 keeper's profit. 



The following paragraph, relating to this 

 matter of growing trees by bee-keepers, are 

 excerpted from the Rural Calif omian: 



Xlie IVorld's Fair Bee-Exliitoil. 



—Mr. J. E. Pond, of North Attleboro, Mass., 

 writes as follows about the bee-exhibit at 

 the World's Fair: 



Every bee keeper is interested m forestry, 

 whether he knows it or not. The presence 

 of trees, whether large or small, protects 

 the surface of the earth from the mtense 

 and scorching rays of the sun in summer, 

 prevents the evaporation of moisture occa- 

 sioned by rainfall, and also prevents the 

 rapid absorption of moisture at the roots 

 an^ rootlets of trees,obstructing the descent 

 of water, and causing it to be held so that 

 It percolates through the soil, and rocks, 

 storing it for use in streams, as well as for 

 evaporation in the atmosphere. 



Much of the nectar gathered by the bees 

 comes from the bloom of trees and shrubs. 

 The oak, sycamore, locust, willow, blue- 

 eum acacia and manzanita are all good 

 honey -producers; whUe the sages are the 

 best of all. But other trees that produce 

 no nectar-bearing bloom, are useful in 

 tempering the atmosphere, creating that 

 humidity that is essential to the secreting 

 of nectar in flowers, whether growing trees 

 or plants. Besides, trees are wind-breaks 

 sheltering from the sweeping blasts that 

 come down from the north, lapping up the 

 moisture in the earth when unmolested, 

 Sid increasing in velocity as they drive 

 over barren mountain sides, vaUey and 



^'Then let the bee-keeper plant trees, being 

 assured that he gathers wealth from each 

 swaying branch, and every sturdy trunk 

 and root of the trees that ornament and 

 beautify our landscape. 



In expanding the brood-nest to accommo- 

 date the increasing numbers of bees be 

 careful to give no more room than will be 

 occupied and kept warm by them, usually 

 one or two combs at a time is all we can 

 add with safety, and they should be placed 

 in the center of the nest, with the filled 

 combs of brood on each side, and honey 

 outside of all. 



If we get the queen to laying well at an 

 early date by providing the necessary 

 warmth and stimulative feeding, we may 

 expect by the middle of May to have from 

 1 500 to 2,000 bees hatching daily, and 

 tliese wUl be of just the right age to secure 

 the crop of white clover honey from this 

 time on. If we are sure they have a good 

 queen the brood-nest will require but little 

 attention until it is time to take them in 

 hand to prevent swarming, of which we 

 will speak later on. 



During our spring examinations vve 

 always expect to find about one queen in 

 four or five that from age, incapacity or 

 other cause, fails to produce sufficient eggs 

 for best results; these were sometimes 

 exchanged with a weak colony that has a 

 young and vigorous queen; but usually we 

 simply mark the hive, and as soon as we 

 can rear our first young queens ready to 

 introduce, off comes the " old lady's " head. 

 This is a matter generally neglected by 

 our best bee-keepers, and always by the 

 more negligent ones ; yet it is so important 

 that it often makes 25 per cent, difference 

 in the yield of an apiary, and every man 

 who keeps fine colonies can well afford to 

 rear and keep on hand a fevp extra queens, 

 while to the large apiarist it is indispensa- 

 ble to successful work. • 



To illustrate this point : One of our most 

 expert bee-keepers. Rev. Alex. Telford 

 told me that while his whole apiary of .iS 

 colonies averaged 126 pounds of surplus 

 each, 13 of them did not give anything, 

 and he ascribed it to the condition of their 

 queens. . ., « 



The danger period is during the month ot 

 April • our little workers have lain semi- 

 dormant through the long winter, eating 

 but little, often not more than four of hve 

 pounds per colony; but when they com- 

 mence active brood-rearing, they require 

 a large amount of food, and if the weather 

 is unfavorable, as it was in the spring of 

 1889, will frequently starve to death 

 before we realize their danger. So to the 

 skillful care they receive at this time, we 

 largely owe their subsequent prosperous 

 condition. 



Chicago is to have the World's Fair, if a 

 location can be found. Has any stir as 

 yet,been made in regard to " bee-exhibits ! 

 I presume that an exhibit will be made, 

 and on such a time and occasion, a big 

 attempt should be made, or none, as we 

 must show the world (if we show at all) 

 that we are away ahead of all competitors. 

 The West is the real ground for bee-indus- 

 tries. In the East, we produce but "ttle 

 honey, comparatively, slill we wish the 

 business to be boomed. Byand-by, when 

 science plays a greater part than now— 

 when the majority of ourbeekeepers know 

 something of entomology and natural laws 

 —then bee-keeping will take a position 

 among the other industries that will be 

 firm and enduring. J- E. Fond. 



Dr. A. B. Mason has full charge of the 

 whole matter, and as soon as the final 

 work in the Senate is done, and the Presi- 

 dent has signed the Bill, then full arrange- 

 ments will be made for a grand bee-exhibit. 



Increase and the Honey-Flow. 



-A correspondent sends the following 

 questions for reply : 



1 Will it aflfect the honey -flow if I take 

 one or two combs out of a PoP}'lo"^<=°'°?y 

 to make a nucleus about May IJ My locality 

 depends upon white clover and basswood. 



2 Please give the best method for secur- 

 ing'increase, without lessening the honey- 

 flow. 



Dr. C. C. MUler, of Marengo, Ills., an- 

 swers the above queries thus : 



1 No; it will not affect the honey-flow 

 in the slightest degree, but it will affect-- 

 and affect greatly-the amount of surplus 

 honey secured. 



2 I know of no method of increase that 

 will not interfere with the honey crop, 

 unless surplus can be obtained from some^ 

 thing later than clover or basswood. I 

 would rather take one or more colonies for 

 increase entirely, and not weaken any 

 intended for storing. C. C. Millek. 



It is Foolisli to send circulars to a list 

 of names that have been copied from old 

 copies of Journals. Many of such have 

 changed their addresses, and some are 

 dead We know of one who has been dead 

 for several years, but the usual batch of 

 circulars come through the mails every 

 year rand are consigned to the waste- 

 basket. The best way is to advertise in a 

 live Journal which has the newest addresses 

 regularly. Sending to old addresses is 

 •wasteful economy. 



Bee-Escapes Mrs. L. Harrison has 



this to say in the Prairie Fa)-me)- about 

 bee-escapes and their use : 



These are " the latest fad," and are 

 receiving much polite attention from the 

 bee-keeping world. It appears to me as 

 though " Barkis is willin'," and that honey- 

 producers will accept them and put them 

 into practical use in their apiaries. 



When honey is coming in, an empty case 

 of sections is put on, then the "escape," 

 and above it the finished sections contain- 

 ing the bees. If an empty case of sections 

 is placed under the finished one without 

 any " escape," many bees will remain 

 there when it would be an advantage to 

 have them working in the empty case. 



During a rush of work in the apiary, the 

 finished sections could remain upon the 

 hive, and it would be better to leave them 

 there, as the heat arising from the bees 

 would aid in curing it. 



Appreciated.-The editor of Home 

 and Countrij, New York, thus mentions 

 our monthly : 



The Illustrated Home Joubnal has been 

 recently paying our sanctum a ™it; »°<l 

 we have become so interested in its pages 

 that we hope it will come i-eg^^^lj '"J ^j^? 

 future It is a handsome magazine, nicely 

 Ulustrated and published for o°ly ^^ J^ 

 year; though fit to grace the parlor, study, 

 or other retreat, of any household in the 

 Union. 



Francesco Crispl. the Italian Prem- 

 ier, is undoubtedly, since the retii-ement of 

 Bismarck from the Chancellorship of the 

 German Empire, the most potent and pict- 

 uresque figure in European politics. A 

 striking portrait of the Sicilian statesman is 

 given in "Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly" 

 for May, with a very interesting article 

 entitled " Signor Crispi and the Italian 

 Chamber," by the Hon. George Makepeace 

 Towle. 



