Published Monthly by The W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co. 



Vol. XII 



APRIL 1902 



No. 4 



A GARDEN. 



Say. let u> plant a garden fair. 



With old-time flowers in it; 

 And give it every day some care, 



If only for a minute. 

 Let tender thoughts work out the plan. 



And loving words give reasons. 

 For these can do what naught else can — 



Make summer of all seasons. 

 Oh, let us build a garden fair 



And make it one long summer; 

 Just one small spot that all may share, 



No matter who the comer; 

 And set therein sweet mignonette. 



Whose greetings soft and tender. 

 May make the shyest heart forget 



The outward show and splendor. 



Yes, let us make a garden fair, 



Of smiling flowers and faces, 

 To glad the earth where it is bare, 



And brighten life's dark places. 

 Let roses beautify the May, 



And winter pinks, December, 

 .So every one that conies our way 



May pass on and remember. 



— Selected. 



Spring Dwindling of Bees and Its 

 Causes. 



• By W. W. McNeal.) 



IX the beautiful spring time when na- 

 ture l)egins to unfold her charms and 

 the bee awakens from her long win- 

 ter's sleep and again assumes the cares 

 and responsibilities allotted to her. how 

 important it is that the vitality, which 

 is now fading so fast, be shielded in 

 every possible way; for though the sun 

 may shine brightly, the greater part of 

 the colony are far on the shadv side of 

 life. 



The movable-comb bee-hive, while 

 it greatly facilitates work in the apiary, 

 compromises in a large measure the 

 natural protection of the old box-hive 

 to the bees. This must be conceded, 

 since bees in box-hives nearly always 

 pass this critical season of the year 

 more successfully than do those in 

 frame hives. 



You may say it is because colonies in 

 the larger box hives usually have more 

 and better stores: that by reason of the 

 good, ripe sealed honey the bees win- 

 ter better and they are stronger than 

 if compelled to feed upon honey that 

 was gathered late in the fall. This is 

 all very true and one of the essentials 

 in the prevention of spring dwindling. 

 But the natural advantages of the box- 

 hive is seen further in the fact of the 

 combs being attached to the cover- 

 board, thus dividing the spaces between 

 the combs into so many little rooms. 

 The bees are enabled to regulate the 

 heat of the cluster earlier in the season 

 for it is held right where it is needed. 

 And by the time the bees can fly act- 

 ively in the spring, there are a large 

 number of young bees ready for duty. 



In fraine hives the air circulates 

 freely all round the combs and unless 

 the hive has abundant protection from 

 the cold, the actual comb space within 

 the clusters that is sufficiently warm for 

 brood rearing, is so small that the col- 

 ony barely holds its own till the arrival 

 of settled warm weather. The old bees 

 wear themselves out from exposure in 

 a vain attempt to carry on brood rear- 

 ing. With the air circulating freely 

 throughout every part of the hive and 

 a loose cover-board permitting the es- 



