IC30^ 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



67 



other vagaries, that editor manages 

 to get out a fairly readable journal — 

 even if 'tisnt all original matter. 



Parenthetically while writing of joui- 

 nals, how the Progressive does show 

 the loss of Will Ward Mitchell's able 

 hand. It used to be like summer 

 dreams (somnambulist and all) but if 

 the simile holds good then the Decem- 

 ber number was a nightmare. But 

 when one gets to looking about for 

 real bee papers, where are they? Most 

 of them are pseudo-social-farming-rc- 

 ligious-poultry-p.^ychological-real es- 

 tate etc., publications. They call them- 

 selves "bee papers" and then mix in a 

 lot of mediocre material which some 

 of us don't believe and manv of us are 



-f-f 



not interested in — or if we are we get 

 the best papers specially devoted to the 

 topic — and then make us pay for the 

 mixture if we want what bee news they 

 contain. When we remonstrate they ask 

 if we are not getting full value for our 

 money'.' No! Not as values go in the 

 literary world today. 



Now if you ask why I don't start a 

 paper myself, I'll take the first train 

 over and we'll have it out. No siree, it's 

 more fun to sit here and "swat" flies— 

 and other folks. That word "swat" is 

 one of Nim's. How do you like it? 

 Expressive, isn't it? 



Yours as ever, 



John Hardscrabble. 



BOHEMIA. 



The things to be remembered in the 

 winter management of bees, Fobisch 

 says in Bienenvater, are quietness, ab- 

 sence of moisture, prevention of combs 

 becoming moukb'. sufficient ventilation, 

 protection against wind and the rays 

 of the sun, in particular as to their 

 striking the entrance. This latter is of 

 greater importance with German than 

 with American hives, as the former 

 have their entrance away above the bot- 

 tom board, and the rays of the sun 

 would have more of a tendency to en- 

 tice the bees to fly than is the case with 

 hives like those used here. 



Recipe of a gall cure, given in Boh. 

 Bienenvater: also good for sore neck 

 or other raw sores caused by harness 

 rubbing, etc.: Pine-pitch, 20 gram-; 

 beeswax, 20 gram.; honey. 20 gram.; 

 fresh lard, 350 gram. Melt ingredients 

 over gentle fire; apply often. 



Schusser has the following to say in 

 the Bienenvater: It would be a great 

 mistake for anyone to think he knew all 

 about bee-keeping, and yet there seem 

 to be some that do. We are constantly 

 moving onward and the one who does 



not keep his eyes and ears open will 

 soon be behind in the race. Every bee- 

 keeper must keep posted and there is 

 no better way than to studv the apicul- 

 tural literature. Subscribe for several 

 bee periodicals, is his advice. 



Feeding bees during the winter is not 

 recommended in B- V., but if necessary 

 may be done by giving candied honey 

 done up in paper and placed over the 

 cluster of bees. If bee-candy is given, 

 water also should be furnished. The 

 best and safest way is to substitute full 

 combs of honey for empty ones. 



The artificial comb 'foundation) is ac- 

 cused and held responsible in Bienen- 

 vater for causing the death of many 

 colonies. It is claimed that when bees 

 build their own combs, they always 

 leave holes for communication, but not 

 so when foundation is used. Severe 

 cold weather compels bees to cluster 

 closely in the more central part of the 

 hive when the bees in the different 

 spaces cannot communicate with one 

 another, which proves fatal many a 

 time; as the bees in the outside spacer, 

 cannot follow up if it should be neces- 

 sary and the}' perish. It is therefore 



