Dec. 14, 1905 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



863 



try hard to put it on when the bees are hungry. I once, 

 when even greener than now, put on a lot of sections I had 

 no market for — not as baits, but thinking the bees would 

 keep it better than I could, and faintly hoping they would 

 take it out and rejuvenate it. Queer looking stuff when I 

 took it off the second time. Dingy, and fired full of empty 

 cells here and there. 



What About Boiling Sdg.\r ? 



In Miss Wilson's answer. No. 4, page 778, we read, 

 "Boiling does not change sugar." Say, rather, Boiling 

 gently for a short time changes sugar but little. I think 

 the chemists claim that boiling does greatly change sugar 

 if you boil it long enough and furiously enough. Or did I 

 dream that ? 



Orange Trees and Apple Trees. 



Hello, orange tree ! If you are a champion tree you are 

 good evidence that the orange does not grow as big as the 

 apple. Nobody would be surprised at an apple tree of your 

 size. (Outside of No. 46.) 



The Government and Caucasian Queens. 



That Government circular on the free distribution of 

 Caucasian queens is admirable. At last Uncle Sam seems 

 to be doing himself proud in helping apiculture. 



Now, most of us don't want Caucasian bees. The bees 

 we have are the bees we want. Scarce a glimmer of a 

 chance that Caucasians will make more beautiful sections 

 of honey than select Germans do, or store extracted honey 

 swifter than select Italians, Carniolans or German-Italian 

 hybrids. Many of us would like a few to tinker with and 

 be interested in. But to all people keeping bees in cities 

 and towns they are likely to prove a very great boon — if 

 something near equal to those named above. Neighbors will 

 be at peace if they are assured that a new kind of bee that 

 pretty nearly can't be made to sting is the only bee kept. 

 And a host of would-be amateurs can with Caucasians im- 

 prove their minds and their health. 



The grand trouble is that unsupervised breeders will 

 send out hybrids largely ; and hybrids are quite unlikely to 

 be very gentle. Thanks — a thousand thanks — to Uncle Sam 

 for undertaking to supervise. Let's all support him in a 

 hearty and vigorous sort of way. Let's say. Don't buy a 

 Caucasian queen unless the breeder has the Government in- 

 dorsement. I would like to go further, and add this much 

 more: Don't buy one unless bred entirely out of reach of 

 any other bees. Pretty severe to limit prices to Italian 

 prices plus 20 percent. I hope that on further consideration 

 a minimum of 52.00 will be allowed, when bred in totally 

 isolated localities. Or if allowed to send out queens just 

 beginning to lay at testedqueen prices, that would be about 

 as good. And the queens from' such a location would be 

 practically tested queens. Page 789. 



=\ 



®ur:* Sister 

 53cc=!Kecpcr5 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



Bee-Keeping' for Women in California 



J 



Under the above caption Mrs. J. B. Ames writes to the 

 California Promotion Committee's publication as follows : 



"Actual experience has proved bcc-kceping to be a profit- 

 able as well as a healthful occupation for women in California. 

 The ready market for comb and extracted honey removes all 

 diflSculties in disposing of the product of the busiest of all 

 animals, and the mild climate permits the outdoor work neces- 

 sary for the care of the bees during a long and pleasant sea- 

 son. The woman who would keep bees, either to supply her 

 household needs or with a view of earning a living, has but 

 to understand and apply the two following very simple essen- 

 tials to the profitable keeping of bees. They are: first, that 

 the animal life be properly nourished; and, second, that nature 

 be so assisted by intelligent methods of keeping and reason- 

 able care as to give best results to the keeper. But these 

 essentials may be supplied here in California with a minimum 

 expenditure of work and money. So many localities furnish 

 abundant food for the bees that the question of feeding them I 



is solved for the keeper, while by an intelligent selection of 

 location and methods of handling the best results are easily 

 obtained. There being no winter problem in California, it is 

 not necessary to carry the bees with six months' supplies in 

 the cellar. A bee-keeper in Wisconsin writes : 



" 'On April 12th I took out the last bees. From then till 

 the 22d we had heavy frost and cold weather. On the 26th 

 and 27th tlie weather is so unfavorable that one day they 

 work and the next day they have to lay up again on account 

 of high winds and cold.' 



"We in California have but to read this from an Eastern 

 beekeeper to appreciate the advantages of California's won- 

 derful climate for bee-keeping. In fact, it has been the writer's 

 experience that the bees not only stay on the same stands, 

 but also gather nectar every month in the year, so that in the 

 early spring thev are in good condition to work and increase. 

 .■\I1 the work attendant upon the keeping of bees can thus be 

 readily done by women, and the prevailing wholesale prices 

 of 10 cents per pound for comb and 5 cents for extracted 

 honey yield a handsome profit to the industrious bee-keeper. 



"That there is room and that there are abundant opportu- 

 nities for engaging in bee-keeping in California is shown by 

 the present problem of disposing of the annual increase. And 

 why should not women take up this industry smce it is so 

 pleasant and profitable an occupation for women ? At present 

 it is largely confined to farmers' wives and daughters, who 

 already have many duties to perform, but the nleasant nature 

 of the work bids fair to attract women who will be able to 

 devote their attention and energies to developing the industry 

 on a larger scale. 



"It is a well-known fact that honey-bees will select a home 

 in a hollow tree and there not only attend to all their natural 

 wants and provide for an increase, but also lay up a surnlus 

 of honey. Climatic conditions in California are so favorable 

 that it only remains for man to turn them to his benefit. Here 

 there is no expense for feed, for the bees feed and care for 

 the young, thus relieving the keeper of much care, so that 

 there is no need to interfere with the increase except at the 

 swarming season ; then to provide new homes for the new 

 swarms, where they can thrive and wo:;k and produce that 

 delicious food, the value of which, I trust, will some dav be 

 fully realized by rich and poor alike. 



"Although California's output of honey iii 1905 will be tlie 

 largest in many years, it will he quite insuflicient to meet the 

 extraordinary demand caused by the short crop in other 

 States. One State usually leading in honey-production will 

 produce hardly a fourth of a crop this year, while another is 

 nearer to a honey failur.e than it has been for 20 \'ears. Here 

 is women's opportu.nity in California to enter this profitable 

 business, which has always been to the writer a pleasant one." 

 — Rural Californian. 



The foregoing glowing recital of California's advantages 

 will make some of the northern sisters gi;een with envy, .^nd 

 yet any one who tries a season or more in California and the 

 same length of time in a more northern locality is likely to 

 find some advantages in the bleaker region, as, for instance, 

 the matter of prices : and we will be generous enough not to 

 envy, but to congratulate our sisters of the more sunny region. 

 There seems to be some sort of a slip in the statement 

 that 1905 gives an unusually large yield in California, reports 

 in general indicating just the opposite. 



A Honey-Gargle 



Pour a pint of boiling water on 25 to 30 leaves of common 

 sage. Let the infusion stand for half an hour. Add vinegar 

 sufficient to make it moderately acid and honey to taste. 

 This combination of the astringent and emollient principles 

 seldom fails to produce the desired eflfect. The infu.sion must 

 be used as a gargle several times a day. — McCall's Maga,-ine. 



Please send us Names of Bee-Keepers who do not now 



get the American Bee Journal, and we will send them sam- 

 ple copies. Then you can very likely afterward get them 

 subscriptions, for which work we offer valuable premiums 

 in nearly every number of this Journal. You can aid much 

 by sending in the namer. and addresses when writing us on 

 other matters. ^ 



Amerikanische Bienenzucht, by Hans Buschbauer, is 

 a bee-keeper's handbook of 138 pages, which is just what 

 our German friends will want. It is fully illustrated, and 

 neatly bound in cloth. Price, postpaid, SI. 00 ; or with the 

 American Bee Journal one year— both for $1.75. Address 

 all orders to this office. 



