1902 



THE AM ERIC AX BEE-KEEPER 



13 



seonis, tlie hears have to he fenced 

 against, also in places the hees have to 

 be put ten feet from the ground. It 

 seems to me such an elevaiton would be 

 very inconvenient and expensive. 1 

 would let the mangrove honey go — and 

 find a more suitable location. 



I commenced keeping bees when 12 

 years old— that was in 1857— have never 

 been without since then. So you see I 

 have been clear through the clearing 

 house, so to speak. While I have not 

 taken much interest in the various ques- 

 tions and discussions that go through 

 the journals from time to time, I must 

 say that I am often much amused. One 

 thing I learned long ago, and that is 

 you don't have to swallow everything 

 you see in print. Long before I ever 

 saw a bee book or heard of Langstroth. 

 I had in operation a movable comb- 

 hive, and am still using it. I also had 

 a smoker before I ever heard of Mr. 

 Bingham. Well, as I did not start out 

 to say anything in particular-^but to 

 just have a little say along with the 

 other fellows, will give the readers of 

 your journal some questions to answer; 

 and if they are not answered right, will 

 tell them what I think about them later 

 on: 



First. From what does the laying 

 worker originate '•' 



Second- Why does not all queenless 

 colonies have a laying worker? 



Third. Why will a queenless colony 

 fail to produce a good queen when on- 

 ly supplied with a few eggs? 



These questions should be under- 

 stood. And I hope to have them an- 

 swered through The Bee-Keeper, by 

 some who have given the matter prop- 

 er thought. 



Perhaps Uncle John Hardscrabble 

 can answer the questions for us, as he 

 seems to want to tell something very 

 bad. Maybe if he can't, the fellow he 

 refers to as being free to give an opin- 

 ion on most any or everything,, will, 



althouoh Mr. H. thinks he is very ig- 

 norant on some things. 



Well, we have had a fairly good sea- 

 son in summer months this year, fine 

 growth of white clover early, from 

 which the bees did well, then the drouth 

 set in and killed almost everything; 

 but about August ist, we had some 

 rain, and a splendid fall harvest. Our 

 bees are in splendid condition for win- 

 ter, and we expect another good sea- 

 son next year; although our white clo- 

 ver will be scarce for a year or two on 

 account of the drouth. May be, I had 

 better close this little epistle, or Uncle 

 John will get after me, along with the 

 balance. Yours truly, 



Geo- H. Mobley. 



GIVE THEM A CHANCE. 



Derby, Vt., Dec. 16, 1901. 

 Editor American Bee-Keeper : 



It is with the best wishes of the many 

 friends of N. A. Blake and family (he 

 being a noted bee-keeper of Bee Plains, 

 Vt-) that they leave us to make their 

 future home in Southern California, 

 may the people in that community give 

 them a hearty welcome, as they are up- 

 right. Christian people and will be 

 greatly missed by all who knew them 

 in this section. May they prosper in 

 their new home, is the sincere wish of 

 the writer. 



A Bee-Keeper 



WILL BEE-KEEPERS HELP"^ 



Grayson, Calif., Dec. 12. 1901. 

 Editor American Bee-Keeper: 



Dear Sir: — You know the apiarian 

 conditions existing in California from 

 experience. Some times we get a big 

 crop and sometimes a very small one. 

 This year our crop was estimated at 

 from 200 to 1,000 car loads. Of course, 

 the market was demoralized. You may 

 have .had a ta.ste of that uncertainty, 



