(Entered at the Post-Offlce at Chicago as Second-Class Mail-Matter.) 

 Published Weekly at $1.00 a Year, l>y George XV. York & Co., 334, Dearborn St. 



aeoRUE W. YORK, Editor 



CHICAGO, ILL, APRIL 5, 1906 



VoL XLVI— No. 14 



=\ 



(Sbttortal Hotes 

 anb Comments 



j 



The Need of Water for Bees 



The bee-keeper looks out that his bees are supplied with 

 food, giving little thought generally to their need of 

 water ; but if the bees themselves were consulted they 

 would be likely to say that in the spring they are more con- 

 cerned about drink than food. If they are in the care of a 

 provident owner, enough food is in the hive so that there is 

 no need to go outside for it unless the weather is entirely 

 favorable ; but when brood-rearing is begun water is in 

 constant demand, and no supply has been stored up from 

 the previous fall, hence many is the day when they are 

 forced out to skirmish for water when the weather is so in- 

 clement that thousands of the wee creatures never reach 

 home with their icy burdens. How many bee-keepers, prob- 

 ably, are there who pay the slightest attention to the mat- 

 ter of providing their bees with water ? Humanity alone 

 should urge that which will pay in dollars and cents. 



How to Provide Water for Bees 



In some cases it will be an advantage to the bees if 

 water is provided for them in any way whatever, only so it 

 is near enough to prevent their going off a half mile or 

 more for it. Still more important than to save such travel 

 is to furnish them water in a sheltered place. For a bee 

 will chill much more quickly sitting still in a chilly place 

 loading up with water than while in active exercise on the 

 wing. So let their watering-place be sheltered, protected 

 from cold winds and open toward the sun. 



A bee will be three times as long loading up with cold 

 water as with warm. So there will be a gain to give toler- 

 ably hot water as early in the day as bees begin to fly ; and 

 the oftener it is renewed the better. If you are willing to 

 take the trouble, you may arrange so that the water shall be 

 kept throughout the day at a uniform degree of warmth. 

 Take a box 2 or 3 inches higher than a lamp to be set in it. 

 Over this set a tin pan large enough to cover the box. Put 

 in the pan some cork chips to prevent the bees from drown- 

 ing, and fill up with water. The cork chips can be got at 

 any grocery which sells Southern grapes. Lacking cork 

 chips, a floating board well filled with holes, or some other 

 means, may be used to prevent drowning. A lamp is set in 

 the center of the box, and kept turned up enough to keep 

 the water at blood heat or warmer. For ventilation make a 

 half-inch hole at the bottom of the box at one side, and a 

 similar hole at the top on the opposite side. Make a door on 

 one side through which to regulate the lamp. 



Some sort of roof or covering should protect rain during 

 showers. When rain is falling one would think the bees 

 should take the drops falling at the entrance of the hive ; 



but they don't, they fly through the rain to their usual 

 watering-place. 



Some trouble to do all this ; but if you will find the 

 places where bees, left to themselves, obtain their supply of 

 water in spring from icy streams or puddles, and count the 

 dead bees that have been lost thereby, you may think the 

 plan suggested none too much trouble. Of course, those 

 who live far enough South may thank their stars that they 

 are saved all anxious thought on this score. 



Honey Advertising and the National Association 



We have received the following contribution from Hon. 

 Eugene Secor, of Forest City, Iowa, who was at one time 

 General Manager of the National Bee-Keepers' Association : 



A Bureau of Publicity. 



Editor American Bee Journal: — You may remember the 

 friendly correspondence we had after the Honey-Producers' League 

 was organized. 



You will recall that I was not very enthusiastic as to the bene- 

 ficial results sought to be obtained through the means proposed. 



Without looking up the old files of the American Bee Journal to 

 see just what the purposes of the League were, it was, and is, my im- 

 pression that it was proposed to advenise honey in the leading papers 

 and magazines, asserting its purity, its healthfulne66, etc. 



If the impression then received was wrong it was chiefly due, per- 

 haps, to the fact that the sum of $501)0 was called for before beginning 

 business. It occurred to me that if ?5000 were needed to maintain a 

 few 6mall advertisements in a few of the leading literary and political 

 journals for the first year, it would require other equally large sums 

 every year to keep alive the interest awakened if any impressions on 

 the public were produced. 



So I say this plan did not appeal to me, because I thought the bee- 

 keepers, or the manufacturers even, could not afford the expense. 



If, however, I was mistaken in my ideas of the League's purposed 

 work, and if it (the League) meant to maintain a " Bureau of Pub- 

 licity," working through the reading columns of such newspapers as 

 could be interested, then I am heartily in favor of the plan. 



If the League could be merged into the National Association, and 

 the latter take up this work of publicity in addition to its other duties, 

 it would open a wide field of usefulness. 



I suggest the formation of a Literary Bureau by the National 

 Directory. This Bureau, composed of two or three competent mem- 

 bers, could prepare matter for the secular press pertaining to bees, 

 honey, comb foundation, etc., which would not only be admitted to 

 the reading columns of hundreds of papers, but would be welcomed 

 and sought after. 



f believe that publishers, as a rule, want correct information on 

 all technical subjects, and their greatest trouble is to find some one 

 who is competent to furnish it. 



The " ready print " companies that furnish plates or " insides " 

 for most of the country weeklies, sometimes pay specialists under 

 contract by the year to prepare matter for them. 



It seems to me that it would not be difficult to get access to the 

 columns of these country weeklies through the Newspaper Unions. 

 Other papers might be interested if the proper methods were pursued. 



I think I could name at least two men who are wise enough, and 

 capable enough, to bring about such publicity. The present Secretary 

 of the National and the General Manager of the League know how to 

 gain admission to the editorial rooms of the press. 



I wish to state here that I am aware of some of the labors per- 

 formed by you, Mr. York, along the lines above suggested. I know 

 that you have been admitted to the columns of some of the Chicago 

 dailies in the interest of apicultural truth. This is an assurance that 

 more might be done by the same ellicient means if it were thought 

 wise to keep it up. 



I believe 60ine discussion was iaJulged in at the last meeting of 



