Published Monthly by "^he W. T. Falconer Mfg-. Co. 



Vol. X 



FEBRUARY, 1900 



No. 2 



The January Bee=Keeper. 



Emphasizing the Good Things in the Last 

 Number. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



'[^Tp-'OW often I have wished some one 

 would read over my large number 

 of weekly and monthly papers 

 and tell me just what there was in them 

 of value, and just where I could find that 

 value, so I could be spared the amount of 

 reading necessar}' to pick out that which 

 was really valuable, from that which was 

 partially so, or worse still, that which was 

 only chaff. Nearly all writers, and I am 

 no exception, mix in things which are 

 hardly worth the reading, much less 

 reading twice, while the writers are very 

 few, who do not say some very valuable 

 things. Therefore if the valuable could 

 be dished up together, in compact shape 

 what a blessing it would be to the very 

 busy worker among our pets, the bees. 

 Again, by having our attention called a 

 second time to that which was of real 

 value, it would be the more thoroughly 

 stamped on our memory, and the thing 

 would be given added emphasis, so that 

 we would be doubly profited by it. These 

 are thoughts which have been passing 

 through my mind for some time past, and 

 as I had promised to write ten articles for 

 the American BeeKeeper for the year 

 1900, it came to me that I could not serve 

 the reader better than by gathering up 

 what seemed to me the most valuable 

 thoughts, in reading any number, as soon 



as it arrived, and telling the readers 

 about it, so they would get these valuable 

 things in the next number. And as I am 

 now reading the January number I will, 

 right here and now, tell the readers as 

 best I may, about some of the things 

 which I consider worthy of more than a 

 passing glance, by way of emphasizing 

 them. 



DO NOT EMPLOY CARELESS PEOPLE TO 

 HANDLE HONEY. 



The whole article by F. S. Emens is 

 worthy of a second reading, but the best 

 part of the whole is this: "Do not employ 

 help that will get their fingers against the 

 nice, white cappings, or get the corner 

 of one section against the face side of 

 the comb in another sedlion." And as 

 added emphasis, I would say, see that 

 you do not do it yourself. Nothing 

 ever tried my patience as did the help I 

 hired more than 25 years ago, along the 

 line E. tells us about, and this was the 

 very thing which decided me in the 

 course I have taken in hiring no help at 

 handling section honey, from the time 

 the bees were off from it till it was 

 securely crated ready for market. And even 

 after it is all crated for market some are 

 so careless that they better not be allowed 

 to touch even a single case. Mr. E's 

 words, ' By so doing you will avoid pay- 

 ing wages to help for committing an 

 actual damage to your business," brought 

 very forcibly to my mind how I paid a 

 man, about 25 years ago, |i 50 for a day's 



