VOL. V. 



JUNE 1895. 



NO. 6. 



''Tall Hives, Etc." 



BY JNO. F. GATP;S. 



For those that admire bees, they 

 possess an attractiveness that is almost 

 sure to carry them to success, for 

 those that do not admire, them it is 

 almost impossible to have success, the 

 same theory is aplicable of course to 

 all branches of business, but with bees, 

 there seem to be more inclination on 

 the part of their admirers to "fall in 

 love " than is the case in most other 

 branches, it is well that it is so, for in 

 the bee business there is some sharp 

 points to contend with, these once 

 overcome, or the fear of there use 

 banished, and the field is left open for 

 great development. That word devel- 

 opment, what does it mean ? Does it 

 mean to import from other countries 

 new races of bees, thereby going far- 

 ther, and doing worse ? I should say 

 no ! Does it mean the adoption of 

 all or a great part of the many useless 

 inventions simply because they are 

 new, or unique, not stopping to ask 

 ourselves what we ♦>vant them for? 

 Mildly I say no ! It does not mean go- 

 ing into senseless operations of any sort. 

 The first thing it invites our attention 

 to is the fact that unless we can win- 

 ter our bees successfully we need not 



look for honey, for it takes bees to 

 look for honey. Then have we with all 

 our professed knowledge, found or 

 developed a plan by which we can 

 winter our bees with as much safety as 

 farmers winter their animals? Have 

 we with the multiplicity of inventions, 

 yet developed a plan or way to winter 

 our bees safely ? I should say if we 

 have it seems to not be very generally 

 known, and the lack of knowledge in 

 this one direction is enough to stamp 

 bee-keeping as an uncertain business 

 as a general thing, or among a very 

 large proportion of the bee keepers. 

 I don't mean to say that bee-keeping 

 is an unsafe business, far from it. I 

 believe the business is as safe and as 

 free from loss if rightly pursued as 

 any business, but I do say, that the 

 loss of bees every winter by such a 

 vast number of bee keepers, not only 

 puts a damper on the business in a 

 financial way with reference to those 

 already engaged in it, but it stamps 

 the pursuit as an unsafe one, and 

 keeps many from engaging in it. 

 This condition of affairs should not 

 be, and would not be allowed in any 

 other branch of farming. If sheep, 

 cattle, or hogs, or in fact anything, 

 even hens were dying every winter in 



