1895. 



TUE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



59 



I haye not called attention to the 

 advantage of a small hive overa large 

 one, in the lifting, carrying in and 

 out of winter quarters, etc. The 

 ground has all been gone over, but 

 this I consider an important item not 

 to be overlooked. 



After all, the question is not wheth- 

 er A can get better results with a 

 large hive than with a small one, but 

 whether A can get better results with 

 a large hive than B can with a small 

 one under the same conditions. 



BEE-EbEPI NG AS A BUSINESS. 



By Jiis. Heddon. 



Yes, a business, and one for the sup- 

 port of family and self ; a business 

 brim full of honest dignity ; one that 

 makes the world richer ; one that 

 makes two blades of grass grow where 

 only one grew before. No cheating 

 nature; she yields nothing until we 

 have paid for it with either physical 

 or mental labor, or both. Shall we 

 perpetuate the natural dignity of our 

 business? Surely. Well then.sit down, 

 and sit down hard, on all the twaddle 

 you meet in our literature. Don't get 

 into the error of supposing the same 

 article is worth more because it comes 

 from a man with a gria on his face. 

 We believe in paying a tribute to good 

 nature ; a bonus to cheerfulness, but 

 never insult these gi'and qualities by 

 paying it in money. Don't drag them 

 into channels of trade ; if you act so 

 silly as to do that, you encourage slob- 

 bering hypocrisy that will fool you to 

 enrich its selfish purse. It will cost 

 you too much in your business if you 

 pay tribute to " d^ar friends," of the 

 business world ; " friends" you have 

 never even seen. Why, bless you , look 

 at the inconsistency. Haven't you been 



personally acquainted with men for 

 years whom you supposed were your 

 friends and finally learned that they 

 were not, and never had been ? And 

 now you are asked to bite at a circular 

 from one you never met, headed, 

 "dear friends." May it not be true 

 that your intelligence is thus insulted 

 even though not intentionally so. Let 

 us quit this slobber and be men ; 

 honest business men, with a literature 

 that will not be the laughing-stock of 

 the best commercial men of the coun- 

 try. As a rule we are men of good 

 character ; now let vis do something 

 for our reputation ; weed out twaddle, 

 and honesty will take it's plqee. 



TO PEEVENT ROBBING. 



Jas. Heddon. 



Another question pulled out of the 

 query box, at the North American bee 

 convention read as follows : "In what 

 way can we distinguish robber bees?" 



President Abbott replied : "Watch 

 them and see if they bring out any 

 honey." Our experience in bee keep- 

 ing doesn't fit that reply at all, which 

 we think of no value to the beginner, 

 because he couldn't tell whether bees 

 came out loaded or not. We think 

 we can give a much better answer ; 

 we will try : Robber bees may be 

 readily distinguished by their cau- 

 tious, flitting, dodging, sneaking 

 movement as they hover about the en- 

 trance in fear and doubt about the 

 advisability of entering. Their legs 

 seem to hang down like a blue heron's 

 in flying to and from his nest. 



If the colony being robbed is still 

 defending itself, you will notice the 

 guards at the entrance preparing to 

 grab the robber as soon as he may 

 alight ; but understand the robber will 



