THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



65 



ter once for all. There are too many 

 points in bee-culture that need to be 

 decided. It keeps the ordinary bee- 

 man in hot water, so as to speak, try- 

 ing to be on the rigiit track. Most 

 ■of those who use the thick and wide 

 top-bars agree that they reduce, if 

 not entu-ely obviate, brace combs. 



Mr. P. H. Dilworth, in American 

 Bee Journal protests against the use 

 of the word "colony" as applied to 

 "bees. He says that colony means a 

 settlement but that the bees are only 

 one family. The editor retorts that 

 "colony'' is better than "hive" or 

 •'swarm," and that we should use it 

 thus or invent a better term. 



Siftl)if/s thinks they should be 

 called a "family." What say ye, 

 Bros. Dilworth and Newman.' 



Mr. C. A. Bunch, in the American 

 JBe6 'Tournal says that the portico 

 hive, the wide frame, the open side 

 section and tight bottom-boards as 

 well as hives that do not take a stand- 

 ard brood-frame will all be laid on 

 the shelf. Yes, and a great many 

 other things that are now lauded 

 highly will be in the same "bunch." 

 But will Mr. Bunch give us the exact 

 size of "a standard (?) brood-frame"? 

 What is a standard frame anyway? 



Mr. Geo. Wood, in the Canadian 

 J3ee f/owr;^a^ advocates killing sui'plus 

 bees rather than trying to winter 

 them. The editor calls it a new idea, 

 but it is not, for it has been published 

 Ijefore. The best way is to destroy 

 the old bees in all "families" in the 

 fall and save and unite the young 

 "bees to save over winter. The old 

 bees may be separated from the young 

 ones by movmg the hive when the 

 bees are flying. 



We do uot approve anything of the kind. Let 

 the bees manage this matter themselves and all 

 will be well.— Ed. 



that of wiring brood frames."— Z*;-' 

 Gr. Jj. Tinker in American Journal- 

 Always thought so. Dr., only I did 

 not think it in quite such strong lan- 

 guage. In a few years the progres- 

 sive beeman will smile at the idea of 

 fussing with wired frames. Some 

 peojile seem to want combs strong- 

 enough to be handled like paving 

 stones. 



So say we, and so liave we said since we first 

 saw and nse<l wired foundation. Wived founda- 

 tion is one of ilMse nuisances tliat have crept 

 into bee culture almost unnoticed.— Ed. 



Mr. A. I. Root is sometimes rather 

 severe on "odd sizes," as he puts it in 

 bee fixtures. Being a supply dealer 

 it is to his interest to have things uni- 

 form. He says in <Tleanin</s for 

 Jan.: "Nobody wants to buy bees in 

 a frame that is almost but not quite 

 an L." I would like to ask Mr. Root 

 if this phrase of his "almost but not 

 quite an L."does not exactly describe 

 his own pet so-called "Simplicity" 

 frame? 



€lu€en-brt'cber0' ^Department. 



Conducted by e. l. pratt. 



Now let's have a rest. " La Grippe '' 

 we liave all had it, and the worst is 

 passed. 



I wish to emphasize most emphatic- 

 ally that pwre Carniolan bees should 

 shoiv no yelloiu bands. 



Mr. E. A. Lomaster informs me 

 that he has also had bees swarm with- 

 out drones or drone brood. 



The March number of the Revieio 

 was given up to the discussion of the 

 rearing and shipping of queens. 



"If there is one folly greater than 

 .another in modern beekeejoing, it is 



The size of a queen can easily be de- 

 termined while she is a virgin by the 

 development of the head and cliest. 



