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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURINAL 



April 5, 1906 



dering how I will look among' all those real bee-keepers — 

 and I must hurry and become one of them as quick as I 

 can." 



Such are the thoughts of one who has returned from his 

 first bee-meeting — yea, and from many more. He returns 

 not only having learned something himself, and to become 

 a better bee-keeper, but he has been instrumental in drop- 

 ping a little hint here and there, perhaps, in his own rude 

 way, that may lead to the development of some useful meth- 

 ods for which bee-keepers have longed. 



Well do I remember my first bee keepers' convention. 

 My experience was not very different from that just out- 

 lined. Everybody thought I could not be induced to say 

 anything, and this was only confirmed by my dissenting 

 when asked to have a say, or give my opinion. No, I did 

 not say anything, but how much and what I heard ! My 

 head was crammed. Once more at home, and in the bee- 

 yards, and how my head buzzed. Al". there was to do was 

 at least to try some of those things I " learned at the bee- 

 meeting." Although they seemed to be good, they were 

 not exactly like mine. After a trial they were better — and 

 better for me. 



Next year I had to attend again ; not only that, but (so 

 I heard) one of the best papers that had been before the 

 convention at any time was read by that young fellow who 

 could not be induced to say a word the last year. Even in 

 the discussions a part was taken. And how easy it was ! 



Attend the bee-keepers' conventions whenever it is 

 practical for you to so, is my advice. It will be good for 

 you. If you have been once you'll go again, for it does not 

 take long for a person to find out that it is of much value 

 to him. 



(Dur+Sister 

 Beekeepers 



j 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111.. 



Very Old (?) English Bees ! 



Here is an amusing item from one of our English sis- 

 ters in the British Bee Journal: 



This is my first season of bee-keeping : I had 3D pounds of section 

 honey from one colony, and a large swarm from the other; my third 

 consists of two lots of driven bees, secured from an old country- 

 woman in the autumn. Her daughter-in-law told me that she did not 

 think that her mother's bees would be worth having, as she was quite 

 sure they were too old to gather honey! " Why," she said, " they 

 must be nearly 30 years old I She has kept them in the same place 

 ever 6ince she had them, and I am quite sure they must be nearly worn 

 out — poor things. Why, last year they hardly gathered any honey 

 at all, so I don't think it much use your trying them." Surely, Devon- 

 shire bees are very long lived. — " Heather," Sidmouth. 



A New England Sister Looks On 



Dear Miss Wilson : — I have been absent from the Sis- 

 ters' corner a long time, so long that you may have forgot- 

 ten that I ever was there. However, I have kept that cor- 

 ner in sight all the time, and watched what the sisters were 

 doing and saying. As a result of my observation I can see 

 that women bee-keepers are doing more independent work 

 than formerly ; testing methods for themselves instead of 

 depending entirely upon the experience of others. 



I can assure them that I have learned some wonderful 

 things about bees since I left my old home in New York 

 State, nearly two years ago, when I came to New England 

 to share Henry Alley's labors in queen-rearing. His work 

 possesses a great fascination for me, as I watch each de- 

 tail. I wish you could see him at work among the bees, 

 with no protection except a large red-bandana handkerchief 

 thrown over his head, under his hat, to protect the' back of 

 his neck. I really believe the bees get to know that ban- 

 dana, and think it an immense flower, by the way they 

 hover over it, but seldom under it. 



I have watched this work from the time that an empty 

 comb was given to a choice queen to fill with eggs till the 

 beautiful golden queens were put into cages, and sent all 

 over the world, ready to reproduce their kind in distant 

 lands. The work looks easy and simple, and the results 



seem almost magic ; but let me tell you, that it has taken 40 

 years out of the best part of a man's life to perfect that sys- 

 tem. It all looks simple because Nature's methods have 

 been studied, and her work is always simple. No artificial 

 cell-cups are used, but the bees draw out the cells in a nat- 

 ural way. I know of no more beautiful sight than a row of 

 those queen-cells, perfectly formed, just ready to hatch 

 those golden queens. 



I would like to tell the sisters the whole process, as it 

 has unfolded before my observation, if they would care to 

 hear a^out it. Should any of them visit New England, we 

 would be glad to have them visit the " Bay State Apiary." 

 Mrs. Henry Alley, 



Essex Co., Mass. (Formerly Mrs. C. A. Ball.) 



Some Intemperate Bees 



Sister J. W. Sagendorf, of Brookfleld Center, Conn., 

 sends the following clipping : 



It would seem that it is among the humble-bees that temperance 

 reform is most needed. The temptation is offered in the 6hape of 

 honey supplied by certain composite plants of the thistle and century 

 tribes. Whether this honey is specially and naturally intoxicating, 

 or only occasionally so, is an open question ; but Mr. J. L. Williams 

 tells us that when the bees partake of it, tbey imitate the maudliD 

 human very closely, in that they roll on their backs, kick their legs in 

 the air, and show the utter helpless state of the chronic inebriate. As 

 in ether drinking, however, the intoxication is very brief in its effects; 

 but, sad to relate, the bees return to the honey after recovery with 

 renewed zest, although Mr. Williams relates that one bee which had 

 been coDtined for a night in a botanical box with some of the special 

 flowers, 6bowed signs of remorse on being set free. Possibly a sur- 

 feit over night acted, as usual, in inducing a decided, if transitory, fit 

 of virtue next morning. 



Upon reading the foregoing some will be inclined to 

 think that Mr. Williams has himself been partaking of 

 something not to be classed strictly among " soft drinks," 

 and so has been " seeing things." Yet there is probably 

 foundation for all he has said, and no very active imagina- 

 tion was probably needed to see all he saw. When the craze 

 for the Chapman honey-plant was on, we had quite a patch 

 of it. It was not an uncommon thing to see a number of 

 bees sitting on the blossoms in a sort of stupid condition, 

 perhaps remaining in that way over night. It looks as if 

 the nectar obtained from those plants brought on that con- 

 dition, and although these were hive-bees no doubt bumble- 

 bees might be served the same way. These groggy bees, 

 when touched, would throw their hind legs in the air as if 

 to ward off attack, and if far enough gone it is not impos- 

 sible they might roll over on their backs. 



2Ttr. pasty's 

 Ctftertl?ouc$ts 



j 



The " Old Reliable " as seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. 

 By E. E. Hasty, Sta. JB. Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



Dampening Sections— Cutting Foundation. 



Both the section-dampening plan and the foundation- 

 cutting device, given by C. H. Harlan, on page 165, are 

 likely to be splendid, if you can only make them work. As 

 he makes them work it ought not to prove impossible to the 

 rest of us. (Damp cellar for sections, and a saw-cut path 

 for the end of the foundation-knife.) 



Growing A Quick Wind-Break. 



Anent Dr. Miller's answer about quick wind-breaks, on 

 page 164, there's no doubt about Cottonwood making the 

 most growth ; but seems to me young cottonwoods incline 

 to grow too much like bare poles. For the first 5 years I 

 kind o' guess one might do better. How would it do to set 

 quite thickly poles 10 feet high of white willow or weeping 

 willow ? They take root and grow. I think soft maple will 

 do the same thing if the ground is not too dry. Localities 

 differ some as to which trees come to the front. Here wild 

 cherry distances pretty much everything it grows beside. 

 If one chose that, I think he would have to set rooted trees 

 instead of poles. Doubtless cottonwoods could be branched 

 out by cutting tops off — but don't they incline to sulk in- 

 i stead of growing their prettiest when you do that ? Possi- 



