1HE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



77 



The American Bee-Keeper, 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 



THE W. T. FALCONER MANFG CO. 



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EDITORIAL, 



Spring has been very backward in this 

 section. The buds are only just beginning 

 to show on the soft maples, while most 

 other kinds of. trees and vegetation is, to all 

 appearances, as it was a month ago. About 

 the first of April we had a few spring-like 

 days, but since then have had a heavy fall 

 of snow, and the weather has continued 

 cold, so that bees have not been doing 

 much. However, a late spring is apt to 

 insure rapid breeding when once the weath- 

 er becomes warm, besides there is not so 

 much danger of spring dwindling. A late 

 spring is also usually followed by a good 

 honey pasturage, so that large swarms, the 

 result of rapid breeding, combined with 

 good pasturage, results in a successful 

 honey season. 



We have observed that bees seem to 

 prefer the unpainted to the painted hives. 

 Whether the odor of the paint is distasteful 

 to them or for other reasons we do not 

 know, although presumably it is the smell of 

 the paint, for of course it is unknown to 

 them in their natural state. 



As now is the time when many new hives- 

 and supplies are purchased, we wish to im- 

 press our readers with a realizing sense of 

 the advantages to be gained by purchasing 

 everything of a regular or standard style 

 and size. You will then be able at all times- 

 in all seasons to order your future supplies- 

 of hives and inside " fixings" of almost any 

 dealer or manufacturer and they will have 

 them in stock ready to ship you on short 

 notice, while if your goods are "odd," the 

 large manufacturer cannot take the time 

 and trouble in the busy season to make the 

 goods and consequently you will be com- 

 pelled to get along without them when most 

 needed. This has been the experience of 

 many bee-keepers who run off after some 

 patent hive or other uncommon style of 

 furniture. 



Our friend, Dr. Miller, calls our attention 

 in " Stray Straws " to the fact that while 

 we object to our friends using the initials 

 A. B. K., for American Bee-Keeper, we 

 do not hesitate to use initials for the names 

 of some of our cotemporaries. Our reason 

 for not wishing the initials used in reference 

 to the American Bee-Keeper is that there 

 are so many magazines whose initials are so- 

 similar ; for instance, the Progressive Bee~ 

 Keeper, the Nebraska Bee-Keeper, and at the 

 time we originally raised the objection there 

 was the California Bee-Keeper. Then, too, 

 there is much liability of A. B. K. being 

 confounded with A. B. J. Brother New- 

 man himself objected on this score and 

 suggested to us that we use the full name of 

 our magazine. So Doctor, we prefer that 

 you continue to call us the American Bee- 

 Keeper, as heretofore. 



The spring has been so backward that 

 bee-keepers have hesitated to send in their 

 orders for supplies so that there is general 

 complaint among dealers of a lack of orders, 

 but we look for a heavy trade this month, 

 and shall not be surprised if some of us 

 get "behind orders." It is a good plan for 

 you to "order early," and we may add, 

 " and often." 



Your bees require your attention contin- 

 ually if you desire to be successful with* 

 them. 



