Dec. 14, 1905 



THE AMERICAN BEE xlOIJRNAL 



867 



llcpovts anb 

 Experiences 



Pure Food Law for Iowa 



To day I had a conversation with Hon. E. J. 

 Sankey, Decatur County's representative in 

 the Iowa State Legislature, on the subject of 

 a pure food law. Iowa has no pure food law, 

 but Mr. Sankey read to me the provisions of 

 a Bill which was introduced at the last meet- 

 ing of the Legislature. He thinks it will be 

 passed at the coming session, either in its 

 present or in an amended form. The Bill as 

 it now stands provides that the Dairy Com- 

 missioner shall perform the duties of Food 

 Commissioner. Mr. Sankey thinks another 

 man should be named for the last-named 

 work. I think he is right. 



In the absence of a pure food law, Iowa is 

 made the dumping ground for the adulterated 

 products of all kinds, wherever made. I will 

 venture to ask the honey-producers of Iowa 

 to labor with their representatives for the en- 

 actment of a pure food law at the coming ses- 

 sion of Iowa's Legislature. 



Leon, Iowa, Nov. 24. Edwin Bevins. 



Very Light Honey Crop 



The honey crop in this part of the State 

 {Jefferson Co.) was very light this year. I 

 keep most of my bees in Vernon County, and 

 the crop there was a total failure. I had to 

 feed 600 pounds to keep my bees through the 

 winter. There were two causes for that fail- 

 ure : 1st, very cold and wet weather during 

 the white clover bloom ; 3d, an hitherto un- 

 known bug killed all the basswood blossoms. 

 Every cluster had at its base some white scum 

 the si/.B of a pea, and in the middle of it was 

 a white bug with a yellow stripe on each side. 

 The buds began to wilt when about half de- 

 veloped. Does any one know any thing about 

 that bug? To give an idea of the damage 

 done, I may say that I know some of the bee- 

 keepers who a year ago secured over 150,000 

 pounds of honey, this fall had to feed their 

 bees for winter. Gustave Gross. 



Lake Mills, Wis , Nov. J6. 



Handling Bees— Bottom-Boards 



I would not like to be without the "Old 

 Reliable." I am always glad when Friday 

 comes, because I get the .Journal regularly on 

 that day. I do not think it has missed since I 

 have been taking it. 



This is my second year with bees ; I have no 

 trouble in introducing queens. I mate them 

 in the miniature hive, or baby nuclei, as it is 

 called. I had one mated, and when I found 

 her laying I don't think there were more than 

 2 dozen bees with her, and she is a tine queen. 



Our bees swarm from the first of April until 

 June. I had one swarm to come out July 31. 

 I hived it on empty combs, and now they have 

 their hive full of honey. 



The season here was too wet and cool in the 

 spring and summer. All the honey I got was 

 stored in September. My best colony stored 

 60 pounds of comb honey, which I sold at 20 

 cents per pound— S12. 00. My next best col- 

 ony was a prime swarm, which gave b'i pounds. 



I like bee.=, and would rather work with 

 them than to eat when I am hungry. I see a 

 great deal said about handling bees. Some 

 ask how to smoke them, and how much to 

 smoke. I smoke them until I subdue them, 

 it they are cross, much or little smoke. 

 A. I. Root said one time he had some bees to 

 run him. I never ran yet, and I am no expert 

 at handling bees, but when I want to handle 

 them, I handle them. Just the same, I gener- 

 ally have on a veil, and most of the time with 

 only my undershirt and overalls on, and 

 sleeves rolled up. If one gets its business-end 

 into me, I simply rub out the sting and go 

 on. Run ! oh, no, I think I would be a coward 

 to let as little a thing as a bee run me. I am 

 not afraid of them in the least, and I can't see 



why one should be, for they are as harmless 

 as a dove. 



Bees are flying to-day— temperature 72 de- 

 grees. How is that for winter? Bees can Hy 

 here every month of the year. I winter them 

 on the summer stands in single-walled hives. 

 Bees are in good shape for winter, with plenty 

 of sealed stores. 



I make my own hives, and buy frames and 

 sections. I see a great deal about hive- 

 making. I can make them a great deal more 

 cheaply than I can buy them, and they an- 

 swer all purposes. If they do, why are they 

 not just as good as a factory-made hive? ■ I 

 make a bottom-board which, to my notion, is 

 ahead of anything I have seen. Mr. Root says 

 it won't do, but I say it will do. It is thus: 

 I take two pieces 20 inches long by 1x4 wide ; 

 one piece 12 inches long, 1x4 wide; one piece 

 13 inches long, 1x2 wide ; one piece 1x13x4 feet 

 long; this board goes between the two side 

 rails within \ inch of the rail in the rear. 

 You can have the board V.: inches in front to 

 close up. Two nails are driven through the 

 side-rails in the rear to hold the bottom in 



place. This gives an incline to the front of 

 the hive for all debris to go out with a rush 

 If this is not all right I can't see why it is not 



I would like to hear from some one on the 

 bottom-board question. Since writing to Mr. 

 Root about it last year, some one has patented 

 a board the same as mine, only he leaves the 

 bottom loose, so he can pull it out, and Mr. 

 Root recommends it, if I mistake not. If I 

 am wrong, I beg pardon. 



Dr. Miller and Mr. Doolittle, what do you 

 say about the bottom-board business! 



W. C. Edgeworth. 



Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 6. 



Gepanium or Crane's-bill 



A weed or bush of some kind came up under 

 the edge of the porch on the south side of the 

 house, in August, and is just now in full 

 bloom. The stalk branches out and has a 

 bunch of flowers at the end of each branch. 

 Eich blossom contains a drop of nectar the 

 size of a BB shot, but it is rather cool now 



A $4.00 dock for $2.50 



WilHtne Weeklu flmerlGan Bee Journal 1 uear-all lor only $3. 





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THE BEE=HIVE CLOCK 



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We have had made specially for our readers, a bronze-metal Clock, called "The Bee- 

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The clock part itself is warranted for 3 years to keep good time. So it is no plaything, 

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Clocks like " The Bee Hive Clock " usually sell in the stores at from S4.00 to $5.00 each, 

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We expect to begin filling orders by Dec. 15, 1905, so the Clocks will arrive at destina- 

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Send all orders to 



How to Get " The Bee-Hive Clecli " FREE 



Send us 5 New Subscribers to the Weekly American Bee Journal for one year, at 

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