169 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



Scplcmbi I- 



looking backward is the dotage of ad- 

 vanced life. But don't presume on that 

 definition and go to fooling with W. Z. 

 H., for his "Review'' is of a diflfcrent 

 breed of cats altogether. Years don't 

 count with him — he's actually getting 

 kittenish. Lives in a metropolis, too, 

 where they have factories and electric 

 lights, and water fountains and mac- 

 adamized streets and sidewalks. Do you 

 think he will speak to we uns when he 

 comes? D'ye mind the directions he 

 gives for introducing queens — to use, a 

 pipeful of tobacco? Now does he mean 

 enough for the bowl of one of those tiny 

 French things, or for my cob pipe, or 

 enough for a sociable German pipe — say 

 a pound or so? What sort of a pipe does 

 he smoke, anyhow? 



Now we know why those crooked 

 sticks of the social fabric, the hoboes, so 

 assiduously patronize the flowing bowl — 

 or tomato can. Listen to the heresy of 

 that Home Circler: '-We must let the 

 hard, forbidding sticks of character soak 

 — and soak — and soak.'" {A. B. J. July 

 25). That comes of living in a laud flow- 

 ing with wine and honey. 



In Qlcdiiinys for July 15, a Texan and 

 a Wisconsinite shout loudly for the prin- 

 ciples so long fought for by the Dowag- 

 iac veteran, but they not only give him 

 no credit even at this late day, but try 

 to accomplish the ends by using a poor 

 substitute for his perfected appliances. 

 One of them even goes so far as to get 

 up a hyphenated name for his makeshift. 

 Isn't it about time the Dowagiac veteran 

 was given full credit for what he has 

 done for us? 



Our brothers across the pond usually 

 take particular pains to give credit to 

 whom credit is due, while we often go to 

 the other extreme and try to put forth 

 as our own the results of another's labors. 

 And there is wisdom iu the Englishman's 

 policy, for there is many a good idea 

 which, though not merchantable, does 

 bring a modicum of glory to the origin- 

 ator and.which,were it not for the policy 

 which makes just credit sure, would 



perhaps never have seen light. 



Let us be just if for no higher motive 

 than our own self-interest — perliaps the 

 nobler will come later. 



"Envy will merit as its shade pnrsue, 

 But like a shadow proves the substance true." 



as ever, 



John Haudscrabbi-e. 



Your.' 



"Any fool can give advice, and he is con- 

 tinuallv at it." 



BEE-KEEPING AS A SIDE ISSUE, 



Or a Back-yard Industry— A Lesson for 

 Beginners. 



NO. 2. BY P. G. HERMAN. 



IN the days of the old-fashioned bee- 

 gums and box hives the bees had no 

 choice but to build their combs on 

 to the walls of the hive. There wis no 

 way for the bee-keeper to examine the 

 progress of affairs while the work of 

 gathering and storing was in progress, 

 and when the time came to rob the hives 

 there was nothing else to do but kill the 

 goose that had laid the golden egg, in 

 other words, to exterminate the bees 

 with brimstone, after which the honey 

 had to be cut out in chunks, an operation 

 that of course caused the hives to "bleed" 

 and much honey to run to waste. As 

 very much of this comb had been used 

 by the bees in brood-rearing, it was dark 

 and tough and unlit to eat, so the honey 

 had to be separated from the combs by 

 the old method of squeezing it through a 

 thin cloth, hence the name of "strainea" 

 honey, which name still clings to the 

 liquid honey of to-day, but the strained 

 honey is far inferior in color and quality 

 to extracted honey produced in the 

 modern way. With tht; movable frame 

 hive all these difficulties are overcome. 

 The bees build their combs in neat 

 frames which can be taken out and ex- 

 amined at will without injury to the 

 bees or to the honey itself. When it is 

 thoroughly ripe it is taken from the hive 

 ready to be separated from the combs. 

 Another very important invention is 



