Dec. 



190S 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



845 



trouble about Christmas then. But the building for the 

 big «ho\v could not be completed in time, hence the post- 

 ponement of a week. \\'hat else could be done but to 

 postpone the bee-keepers' convention for the same length 

 of time? 



So we mustn't be too hard on the brothers. 



There is. too, another item that counts for something, 

 and for which the sisters are alone to blame. The propor- 

 tion of them in attendance at conventions is so small that 

 it ill becomes us to make much clamor about preparations 

 being made just to suit our convenience. Let the sisters 

 attend in large numbers, and no doubt their needs will 

 have full consideration. At any rate, the particular chain 

 of circumstances that made the trouble this time is not 

 likely to occur again in many a long year. 



=——— ^ 



Clftcrtpougl^ts 



J 



The 



Old Reliable ' 

 By E. E. 



' as seen through New and Unreliable Glaeees. 

 Hasty, Sta. B. Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



Advertising Adulterated Honey. 



Xo, we haven't got so far yet in the bad path of 

 adulteration as publicly to advertise alleged candied honey 

 at 3'/s cents. Yet we have more call to improve than to 

 brag. And when we get our door-yard a good deal cleaner 

 than it is now, perhaps our shining example will move the 

 Germans to clean up their door-yard, too. Page 758. 



Well-Ripened Comb Honev. 



A month in a hot room, a let Doolittle, is excellent for 

 the honey before sending it to market. But the same 

 time OH the hive is still better; and at some fezv apiaries the 

 conditions are such that the honey can well enough be 

 left on the hive as long as you choose. That is, there are 

 lots of bees and hives, but yield per hive always small. A 

 suggestion of this kind is likely to raise something akin to 

 a riot among many of our brethren. So wedded to the 

 orthodox teaching that sections must be taken off the 

 minute they are sealed — else the immaculate whiteness so 

 much admired will be sullied. Truth. Not the only truth. 

 And I think it is not by any means a hopeless task to get 

 customers intelligently to prefer quality to looks. My 

 experience with customers indicates this. And the expe- 

 rience of many grocers with the snow-white article is such 

 that they get disgusted with selling honey, and quit keep- 

 ing it. Small grocers, whose trade takes quite a while to 

 carry oflf even one case, are especially liable to drop off 

 this way. Here's a way of killing off the honey market 

 that is not often talked about. I have had the pleasure of 

 having a city grocer ask me what was the reason my honey 

 kept in so much better order than the immaculate sections 

 we have been tallcing about. Page 759. 



Le.wes for Winter P.\cking. 



I see C. P. Dadant speaks favorably of leaves for win- 

 ter protection. I am getting weak on them. Haven't kept 

 the mathematics of the thing, but it seems to me that in 

 an e.xtra-severe winter a larger percentage of the colonies 

 under leaves die, as compared with the colonies under 

 chaff. Page 759. 



Unlucky 14 — .Vuclei Sw.\rmi.v(;. 



So 14 is an unlucky number now, 'cause Mr. Day had 

 14 colonies and somebody stole 1 and left him with 13. 

 Mr. D.'s experience that 2-frame nuclei swarm after awhile, 

 when swarming gets to be the rage, is not a thing to be 

 surprised at. Page 763. 



XoMIN-\TI(IXS FOR THE N.\TIO.\'.\L. 



I was interested in the discussion about nominations 

 on pages 773 and 774. Logically, our Boss holds his own 

 pretty well; but practically, the Review's main point im- 

 pressed me the iiiost. The object desired is to avoid re- 

 electing the old incumbent except when a majority really 

 and earnestly desire a re-election, li they do, the Review's 

 plan will not do him any serious injustice. As it is, he is 

 as sure to get the largest number as he was under the old 



plan to get the election. Then on the formal ballot the 

 floating vote goes to him and elects him. Name one other 

 name beside his, and hide the fact which has the most 

 supporters, and we have done the most which can in 

 fairness be done (it seems to me) to secure rotation — if 

 that is what is wanted. If not, whence all these tears? 



An .\merican in Germany. 



Glad Prof. Cook can reside in Berlin and yet prefer 

 America, and think lovingly of it every day of his life. 

 Page 774. 



The "Outs" and the "Ins." 



So the heavy fellows of New York were shy of a 

 Honey-Producers' I-eague with the honey-producers left 

 out! What new thing is this in the world, that the outs 

 should be suspicious of the ins? Page 775. 



Black Bees vs. Italians. 



And so able a brother as Allen Latham "doubts greatly 

 whether any one can demonstrate that the black bee is 

 inferior to the Italian in keeping out the "moth." There 

 you have it, good and hot. Sam's daughter just as strong 

 as Sam's son. 'Spects it's good for the worshipers of the 

 3-banders to see how much depends on the color of the 

 glasses with which one looks at a thing. As for me, I'll 

 be propitious and chime in with Mr. L. Blacks get a 

 worse reputation than they deserve for worm-hunting on 

 account of their greater disposition to quiescence or summer 

 hibernation. During such a period moth-larvae may get 

 more or less start in out-of-the-way crannies; but, pshaw! 

 there's no danger of their triumphing over the colony. 

 The sleepy disposition will be thrown off, and the fighting 

 clothes pulled on, long before that happens. Italians in- 

 cline to keep up extreme activity whether they are making 

 anything at it or not. It's at least a legitimate subject of 

 inquiry whether they really gain or lose by this, as com- 

 pared with the quiescent tactics in lengthy times of dearth. 



Interesting to see that Mr. Latham has been trying to 

 rear choice black queens. He finds them hard to get 

 mated, when Italians mate all right. His solution — that 

 Italian virgins fly slowly, while black vigrins fly too 

 swiftly to be overtaken — I doubt some whether that solu- 

 tion is the right one. Still, perhaps it may be. Page 775. 



=__ \ 



Doctor ITlillcr's 

 Question '- Box 



Bend questions either to the office of the American Bee .Journal, 

 or to Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 

 Dr. Miller does not answer Questions by mail. 



^ 



Requeenlng— Fertilized ttueens-Winterlng Bees 



1. 'When is the best time to requeen 7 



2. If I buy a queen of a responsible breeder, will she be 

 already fertilized ? 



3. What is the best way to winter bees here — the coldest 

 weather is about zero — to put straw around the hives, or put 

 them in a dark cellar with no ventilation but a door ? 



Kansas. 



Answers. — 1. A good many think it is as well to leave 

 the matter of renewing queens entirely to the bees. Others 

 prefer to take the mattei into their own hands and replace 

 each queen when she has done two seasons' work. Possi- 

 bly, however, you mean the best time in the year to intro- 

 duce a queen. Not till the season is well under way ; and 

 special circumstances must decide whether it is better to 

 operate in the harvest or near its close. 



2. Yes. 



3. As far south as 39 degrees in Kansas bees will likely 



do better out- doors. 



•-♦-♦ 



Manaslng Swarms— Peedlng in Winter 



1. I have read in the bee-books that when the first 

 swarm issues to hive it and set the hive on the old stand, 

 putting the old hive as close as you can beside it, then a 

 week later move the old hive some distance away. Now, 



