I903 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



87 



The following would be considered 

 too risky by the careful bee-keeper: 

 "Queen bees will be readily accepted 

 by a queenless colony, if the cage con- 

 taining the queen is first immersed in 

 cold water. A queen ,thus treated be- 

 comes very quiet, it is asid in Rhein. 

 Bztg. 



R. Spiegler, Saxony, has compounded 

 a liniment or salve from bee-glue, nam- 

 ed Propolisin. It is recommended as 

 a family medicine, excellent in case of 

 scalds, burns, cuts, boils and skin dis- 

 eases. He will send samples for the 

 postage. I have sen,t for it. 



To test the purity of beeswax, drop 

 a little piece of the wax into a testing 

 tube (glass) filled with benzine. If pure 

 the wax will all disolve, if adulterated, 

 some parts will remain. — ^Gavenhorst's 

 111. Bz,tg. / 



man; "but it is a common thing in New 

 England where people have beehives to 

 put black around them when somebody 

 in the family dies. They believe the 

 bees will fly away from the hive and 

 go to some other place if they are not 

 notified of this domestic sorrow in this 

 way. You know bees are very punctili- 

 ous," she added convincingly. 



"And I know New Englanders have 

 horse sense," he rejoined drily. "You'd 

 better send this point in apicultu^ to 

 our friend Maeterlinck.— Philadelphia 

 Public Ledger. 



Die Biene & Thre Zucht reports an 

 effective introduction of bees thus: A 

 tavern-keeper in the Altmark was un- 

 able to clear his apartments after a 

 dance, as a certain number of the 

 guests would not give up their game. 

 He finally used a little strategy, went 

 out into his back yard and when he re- 

 turned brought with him a little box 

 containing some bees which he liberat- 

 ed. There was a hustling and the room 

 was vacated. 



F. Greiner. 



A FANTASTIC NOTION. 



Riding through a country part of 

 Penn.sylvania recently, a man noticed a 

 beehive with a black ribbon wound 

 around i,t. "That is a singular way of 

 holding a hive together," he remarked. 

 "Why don't they use a piece of rope?" 



"That isn't to hold the hive togeth- 

 er," returned his companion, a woman 

 who had live<d most of her life in the 

 country. "There has been a death in 

 the family, and the beehive has been put 

 in mourning." 



"Dead bees?" 



"No. A dead man, woman or child 

 in jthe family." 



"Well, why on earth do they put that 

 black ribbon on the hive? Do they 

 bind crape on the horns of the family 

 cow, or tie up the plow horses' tails 

 with it, when anybody dies?" 



"You may laugh,' returned the wo- 



LITERARY NOTES. 



The Youth's Companion for IQ03 is 

 one of the mos,t interesting volumes of 

 this charming weekly that we have 

 known. The Companion has been pub- 

 lished continuously for over three- 

 quarters of a century, and it does seem 

 that each year's numbers grow better 

 Men and women prominent in every 

 walk of life are contributing to ,the 1903 

 volume. The special features which 

 render this volume of especial interest 

 in the home circle are: Serial stories, 

 each a book in itself, reflecting Ameri- 

 can life in the home, camp and field. 

 Ffty special articles are contributed by 

 famous sta,tesmen, travelers, scientists 

 and essayists. The editorials, on_ im- 

 portant public and domestic questions, 

 are thoughtful and timely. Numerous 

 short stories by the best living story- 

 writers, of character, adven,ture and 

 humor. The thousand short_ notes on 

 current events, and discoveries in the 

 field of science and natural history, are 

 a feature which invariably instructs and 

 entertains; while the endless array of 

 anecdotes, bright and amusing, items 

 of strange and curious knowledge, 

 poems and sketches, captivate both old 

 and young. The American Bee-Keep- 

 er has pleasure in commending The 

 Companion to those of its readers who 

 appreciate sparkling and wholesome 

 literature abou,t the family hearthstone. 



The fountains of the eternally virgin- 

 al spring in every human heart, and 

 keep the world of new emotions pe- 

 rennially fresh and beautiful; and to 

 each of us is given the right not only 

 to possess them, but the obligation to 

 cherish them.— From "My Old Maid's 

 Corner," The Century, February, 1903. 



