AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



565 



bees in them did not suffer much, and 

 were ready to come out in grand style 

 when the conditions were favorable 

 again, about April 1st. 



At present there are large numbers of 

 young bees making their appearance for 

 a play-spell on fine days, and plenty of 

 brood that will hatch before May 1st. 



In spite of the unfavorable prospects 

 Jast fall, the winter has been much less 

 severe than last year. The indications 

 now are that the season will be a good 

 one. Bees have plenty of stores to last 

 them some time yet, and most of them 

 are strong. The only thing now is to 

 keep them strong by judicious feeding, 

 if necessary, until the harvest comes. 

 And while spring has come, bringing — 



Warmth to the hearts chilled by winter so 



dreary, 

 Life to the earth that has slumbered so long, 

 Hope, that awakes with the bird-song so 



cheery, 

 Thankfulness swelling each heart of the 



throng 

 Of earth's happy tenants— birds, blossoms, 



and bees- 

 Are we, God's immortal, less grateful than 



these y 



Millard, Nebr., April 12. 



MaDiiE Oneensatfill— ReyoMlons. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY HON. EUGENE SECOR. 



It appears to me that Bro. Russell 

 (see page 470) is presuming a good deal 

 on the credulity of bee-keepers, when he 

 wants a pledge in advance of publication 

 of any theory, no matter how plausible, 

 on the possibility of mating queens at 

 will. We have had so many "revolu- 

 tions " in bee-keeping in the last ten 

 years, that he will pardon some of us 

 for not taking for granted every claim 

 made in the " revolution " business. If 

 we have many more "revolutions" in 

 bee-keeping we old stagers will not 

 know " where we are at." 



We have hardly recovered from the 

 effects of the non-swarming revolution, 

 and now to boldly assert that some other 

 man has a cinch on breeding queens with 

 certainty, " and with much less fussing 

 and trouble than other domesticated live 

 stock," completely demoralizes us. If 

 improvements keep coming at this rate 

 — a revolution or two a year — we shall 

 all get to be millionares before we have 

 learned how to spend the money ! 



I don't see as there is to be any ele- 

 ment of uncertainty in our business 

 hereafter. 



Friend Wilson has taught us how I 



" Coming events cast their shadows be- 

 fore," or, in other words, how we may 

 know in advance what our honey-yield 

 is to be ; Bro. Langdon has patented a 

 device by which the bees are to be fooled 

 into working all summer without even a 

 swarming spree; and now some un- 

 known friend is just about to give to 

 the world— for a consideration — his 

 method of marrying the queen to a pure- 

 blood, pedigreed drone — an Italian 

 Count, probably. I am really anxious 

 to know how that's done, but it would 

 seem to me that a name a little higher 

 in the scroll of fame than Langstroth 

 and Dzierzon would be compensation 

 enough for the average bee-keeper— es- 

 pecially as he would with one bound leap 

 from obscurity to the highest place 

 among the bee-keepers of the earth, ac- 

 cording to Bro. Russell's estimate. 



Can't he be induced to give his 

 " formula," and trust to the same gen- 

 erous expressions that are shown toward 

 the venerable Langstroth? If not, I 

 fear the world will never see the prom- 

 ised "revolution." 



"OUT OF THE - DARKNESS, INTO THE 

 LIGHT." 



It must sound strange to some of our 

 Southern friends to hear us say at this 

 late date that we have just put our bees 

 out. But it is a fact. I finished carry- 

 ing mine out yesterday— wintered in the 

 cellar under our dwelling, as usual. 

 Length of confinement about five 

 months. Never had them winter better. 

 They appear to be strong in numbers, 

 combs dry and bees free from disease. 

 Loss about 6 per cent., and all of that 

 traceable to want of inspection in the 

 fall. The bee-apartment in the cellar 

 was dry and well ventilated, but at times 

 the temperature went as low as 36°. 



In rebuilding, last year, I started the 

 chimney in the bottom of the cellar, and 

 built it large enough to admit of a ven- 

 tilating flue with an opening in the cel- 

 lar as well as on each floor above. I 

 have also a sub-earth, 6-inch ventilating 

 pipe opening into the cellar and running 

 about 200 feet before it emerges. Hot 

 water and warm air heater in adjoining 

 room. Result : perfect ventilation. 

 Cellar so dry that the hoops fall off the 

 wash-tubs. 



Novices often inquire why we leave 

 our bees in the cellar so long after the 

 snow is gone and mild days are some- 

 what frequent. I follow the practice 

 because I want to conserve the strength 

 of the colony. Until bees can get either 

 honey or pollen from natural sources, it 



