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THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



The American Bee-Keeper, 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 



THE W. T. FA LCONER MANFG CO. 



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 following. Address, 



THK AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER, 

 Falconer, N. Y. 



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blue cross on this paragraph indicates that 

 your subscription expired last month. Please re- 



EDITORIAL, 



During the latter part of February, we 

 sent inquiries to 5000 bee keepers, mostly 

 in the Middle and Eastern States, asking 

 them to state the number of hives and styles 

 they had in use. We received several hun- 

 dred replies, and the result of the inquiries 

 was indeed a revelation. We find that a 

 very large majority of the hives used are of 

 the old box style ; and the owners are, as a 

 rule, entirely ignorant of the late advances 

 in knowledge of bees and the economical 

 care of them. There could be hundreds of 

 thousands of pounds of honey obt^ited in 

 excess of what is now produced, if every 

 bee-keeper knew how he could get the most 

 benefit from his bees and would take the 

 necessary trouble to do so. What the ma- 

 jority of bee-keepers in this country need is 

 instruction as to the best methods of caring 

 for their bees. In hopes that we may, to a 

 certain extent, extend that knowledge among 

 those who need it, we have devoted the 

 greater part of this issue of the Bee-Keep- 

 er to the subject of box hives and their dis- 

 advantages. We will send out several 

 thousand extra copies of this number to 

 those who are* not subscribers, and we ask 

 overyone who receives a copy to read it, 

 and then hand it to some neighbor who will 

 perhaps be benefited by reading the articles 



We have a good many inquiries as to 

 whether it is profitable to use full sheets of 

 foundation in sections and brood frames, or 

 simply starters. It is our opiuion that full 

 sheets of foundation are very much more 

 desirable. In fact, this is the general con- 

 clusion of the majority of the experienced 

 bee-keepers. Tn using full-sized starters in 

 sections, it is essential that extra light foun- 

 dation of the best quality obtainable be 

 used, so as not to deteriorate the quality of 

 the honey, as is the case when heavy foun- 

 dation is used. Sometime ago we received 

 a small consignment of comb honey for our 

 own use, which, but for the heavy founda- 

 tion used in the sections, was about the finest 

 comb honey we ever tasted. 



The Paddock Pure Food bill, mention of 

 which has been made by us previously, has 

 lately been passed by the United States 

 senate without a division, and so strong is 

 public opinion in its favor, especially among 

 the farmers of this country, that we think 

 there is little doubt of its passing the house 

 when it comes up, which will be at an early 

 day. It has been amended so as to apply 

 only to foods and drugs which are articles 

 of exportation and inter-state commerce. 

 It prohibits, under penalty of fine and im- 

 prisonment, the introduction into one state 

 or territory from another, as well as the ex- 

 portation of adulterated or misbranded 

 foods or drugs. 



it contains. 



We send out with this number of the 

 Bee-Keeper, a 4-page supplement contain- 

 ing an article on the subject of " Better 

 Country Roads," which we hope will be 

 #read carefully by every one into whose 

 hands it may fall. We are sending out 

 many thousands of these supplements at a 

 large expense, without one cent remunera- 

 tion ; but we hope that they may have a 

 certain amount of influence in the right 

 direction. If there is one thing more than 

 another that the people of this country need 

 and especially the farmers, it is " better 

 roads." We will be glad to furnish any of 

 our readers extra copies of the article free 

 of all expense if they will distribute them 

 where they will be caiefully read among 

 their neighbors. 



