66 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



March, 



tivities are increased and aroused to 

 activity. Then when the food is re- 

 ceived into the mouth there will 

 have already been made preparations 

 for its being taken care of and for 

 its perfect disposal. By far the larg- 

 er share of the undigested food and 

 the gulping after meals is caused by 

 the improper condition of the first 

 mouthfuls of food swallowed. Being 

 chewed and swallowed before the 

 salivary glands or stomach muscles 

 becaine active. No muscle or other 

 organ of the system works to the 

 highest extent vmtil it has been in 

 activity for some space of time. 



Whether it is honey or brains those 

 articles are not to be found except in 

 close contact with nature or her meth- 

 ods or plans. No artificial flavorings 

 or scents can be devised which can 

 exactly "fill the bill." Any variation 

 from the ''real" will begin an artifi- 

 cial and morbidness of appetite and 

 scent that can lead no where else 

 than astray. Then the body will be- 

 gin to fail in obtaining its proper 

 nourishment and there begins to be a 

 change which gradually grows and 

 extends until the bodily machinery 

 cannot be kept in running order. Not 

 so much on account of improper food 

 as of improper smell or scent. This 

 morbid scent and appetite are of a 

 most deceptive nature. It makes the 

 possessor think that he has the most 

 active and healthy appetite he ever 

 had. But it is nearly all stimulant 

 fraud. Undigested food ferments. 

 Fermentation produces alcohol and 

 germs. Organisms, both animal and 

 vegetable which destroy the linings 

 of the digestive tract and render them 

 sore and painful, which painfulness 

 is readily mistaken for natural hun- 

 ger. 



Clatsworth, California. 



vention at Big Rapids, Dec. 25 and 

 26. Mr. Fred W. Muth, of Cincin- 

 nati, was present and reports "a fine 

 time." 



The following is a paragraph from 

 a letter to The Bee-Keeper: 



At their city hall in the evening of 

 the 26th, close of the meeting, Mr. 

 Elmore Hunt gave a public exhibition 

 of handling bees in a cage. The mer- 

 cury in the open air had fallen down 

 to the freezing point, but the hall was 

 warm, and our friend Hunt went 

 through the performance like a pro- 

 fessional actor — wonderfully well. He 

 went into the cage, and while speak- 

 ing to his audience, dofifed his coat, 

 next his cufifs and collar, and his hat 

 Then rolled up his sleeves, lit his 

 smoker, and proceeded with the oper- 

 ation. He took out one frame after 

 another, accompanying every move 

 with a thorough explanation, and 

 showed what the little bees can and 

 will do. Shook them into a dish pan 

 handling them as though they were so 

 many little grains of pop corn, newly 

 popped. It was a revelation, even to 

 me. When the bees stung Mr. Hunt, 

 he displayed a nerve, leading one to 

 believe that it did not pain him in the 

 least, but I knew, from experience, 

 that he could control the external 

 signs of pain wonderfully well. 



A PLEASING DEMONSTRATION. 



The Michigan State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association held their annual con- 



QUEENS THAT FAILED. 



Dr. Blanton writes: 



I had two queens hatched in June, 

 one a three-banded and one a 

 Cyprian that in ten-framed one-story 

 L. hives did not gather any surplus 

 honey and I gave them two extra 

 combs of honey each to winter on. 



They raised a moderate quantity of 

 brood. I examined them a few days 

 ago and finer queens I would not 

 wish to have. Will give them a fair 

 trial this season and if a failure will * 

 replace them. The cause of failure is 

 a mystery to me, as both were young. 



