252 THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. [November, 



find a saving by increasing the num- reduced labor to as low a point as 



ber of his colonies and simplifying T have, and on some parts of the 



his system. business he has beaten me. He is 



"Manipulation" is but another term the busy principal of a big high school 



for "labor," and that but a synonym and his free time is from July first 



for "money," but from the amount to September first, and yet he suc- 



of manipulation commonly advocated cessfully handles over one hundred 



one would think it cost nothing, had and twenty-five colonies scattered in 



no value. Manipulation is closely as- central _ Massachusetts and central 



sociatd with the sort of hive used, Connecticut and on the outer end 



some requiring more than others to of Cape Cod. I am closely confined 



secure the same results, but there are to business in the city, and except 



few hives that necessitate a fraction for a half-day Saturdays and a few 



of the manipulation commonly ad- holidays have no time to reach the 



vocated. Stimulative feeding, trans- out apiaries. I know that both Mr. 



posing brood, building up weak col- Latham and myself secure as high 



onies, etc., may pay the man who results as any bee-keeper in the same 



writes them up — for his manuscript localities, and I know we do it with 



only but the busy honey producer but a mere fraction of the labor used 



must have shorter, simpler, less ex- by them. Where would we be should 



pensive ways. Some men are seek- we try to run our bees on the stim- 



ing them' through a better under- ulation multimanipulation plan? How 



standing of the bees' habits, others would we come out should we try to 



through hives, implements, buildings, nurse up weak colones? Personally 



records and general systems which T am increasing my colonies as fast 



simplify and make possible short cuts, as T can. and I understand that Mr. 



In a recent conversation with a Latham is doing the same, something 



bright bee-keeper, one who has good neither of us would dare to do if we 



hives and handy appliances, the mat- did not know that we could handle 



ter of manipulation was touched up- them readily and rapidly, 



on and it developed that he averaged Providence, R. I., Oct. 15, 1907. 



six more or less complete inspections _ 



of every colony from the opening BENEFIT OF BEE-PAPERS. 



of spring until the supers were put ___ ^_,^ 



on. It would take a good many J- J- WILDER, 



pounds of honey to pay for that la- / ■ \HE BEE-KEEPING fraternity 



bor. W/hen T stated that I saw the I should be proud of their bee- 



linside of my colonies but once a papers. Never before have 



year, and not all of them that often the editors put forth as great eflforts 



(excepting a few used for experi- increasing their staffs of contributors, 



ments). he was astounded and wanted penetrating the entire globe for 



to know how I did it. It is no news, thus giving their subscribers 



secret. The method followed I have the best thought on the industry, 



frequently written about. In a nut- A few days ago I came across a 



shell it is learning what internal con- few sample copies of bee-papers senv 



ditions are indicated by external ap- to me long ago, and I compared 



pearances (above and below combs, them with new editions. The jm- 



as well as at entrance, are all exter- provement was beyond description, 



nal to the brood nest), and then with and I remarked, "What kind of a bee- 



a knowledge of bees' habits, applying keeper would I have been today, and 



the simplest methods to produce de- what sort of a bee business would 



sired results. I have established if I had read and 



If I did not cut the labor item to studied the missing copies." 

 its lowest point, I should be unable Bee-papers often seem worthless or a 

 to care for the hundred and odd puzzle to beginners, but if they will con- 

 colonies scattered in some half-dozen stantly read and study the subjects 

 places and at distances from home discussed, this will soon _ disappear, 

 ranging from eighteen miles south to and it will be a sheet of instruction, 

 fifteen'miles north. Mr. Latham is Now that the editors are giving us 

 the only man I know of who has good papers, and depending on us 



