189G. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



15 



We have just received advance 

 proof sheets of " Bulletin No. 1. New 

 Series," to be issued in a few days by 

 the Entomological Division of the 

 Agricultural Department at Washing- 

 ton and is entitled "The Honey Bee, 

 A jManual of Instruction in Apicul- 

 ture." It will be a pamplet contain- 

 ing about 120 pages and is written by 

 Mr. Frank Benton who is well and 

 favorably known throughout this and 

 man}' foreign countries as one who is 

 thoroughly competent to treat the 

 subject in a most exhaustive manner. 

 A brief perusal of the work shows 

 that he has not slighted it in any way. 

 It contains ver}' comprehensive and 

 practical instructions in bee-keeping 

 and is written in plain language that 

 can be readily understood even by the 

 merest novice in apriculture. The 

 object in issuing the work is to more 

 thoroughly disseminate a knowledge 

 of bee- keeping among the farmers and 

 to stimulate the industry among those 

 who are alreadj^ engaged in it, and 

 enable bee-keepers everywhere to gain 

 a knowledge of bee-keeping that will 

 enable them the more surely to ac- 

 quire a fair remuneration for their 

 work and investment. The book will 

 be profusely illustrated many of the 

 illustrations being there produced for 

 the first time. 



The work is for free distribution by 

 the Goverment but as the edition will 

 be limited to a few thousand copies, 

 only those who apply early will prob- 

 ably be able to obtain a copy. Mr. 

 Benton deserves great credit for the 

 thorough manner in which he has 

 treated the subject and no doubt the 

 work will be widely read and quoted. 



From the advance proofs of ' ' The 



Honey Bee" shortly to be issued we 

 quote the following instructions re- 

 lative to selecting of a site for an 

 apiary. 



' ' The apiary should be located 

 where no surface water will collect 

 during heavy storms, yet the ground 

 should not be very uneven, but rather 

 a gentle slope. In the colder portions 

 of the United States a southeastern 

 exposure is decidedly preferable, 

 though in the South the slope of the 

 site is less important to the welfare of 

 the bees ; a direct southern or south- 

 western exposure, however, will be 

 found extremely uncomfortable at 

 times both for the operator and for 

 his bees. A windbreak, such as a 

 board fence, a hedge, or a row of 

 evergreens on the north and west, is 

 advisable as a protection against sharp 

 winds in the winter and early spring, 

 which keep many bees from reaching 

 their hives even when near the en- 

 trances. Some shade is desirable, yet 

 such density as to produce dampness 

 is extremely detrimental. In moist 

 elevated regions, which are of course 

 cool, no shade will be needed, except 

 temporarily for newly hived swarms. 

 Tall trees are objectionable in or near 

 the apiary, because swarms are likely 

 to cluster so high as to render their 

 capture difficult and dangerous. 

 Some of the self-hivers or non-swarm- 

 ing devices now offered for sale may 

 with improvement yet accomplish the 

 end in view, but heretofore clipping 

 one wing of each laying queen and 

 using all precautions to prevent after- 

 swarming, making artificial swarms, 

 selection in breeding, or any other 

 means known to limit swarming, have 

 not sufficed to prevent the occasional 



