1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



47 



"winterers." I have wintered them, 

 however, but they seldom come 

 through in very good condition. I 

 sometimes think that Henry Alley's 

 plan of shaking them off on the ground 

 and destroying theiu is about as good 

 as any. It depends somewhat upon 

 how they have been managed. If there 

 has been considerable brood reared all 

 summer and toward the end of the 

 season, the bees may winter pretty 

 well, but the uniting must be done 

 early, and it often happeus that there 

 is more profit in keeping the nuclei 

 running than there is in uniting them 

 early. 



Genesee Co., Mich. 



Owing to the severity of last year 

 on the bees, and consequent great loss- 

 es, there are nothing like the number 

 to gather the nectar this year that 

 there were two years ago. As far as 

 we can learn, however, what bees there 

 are, are doing very well, and bee keep- 

 ers have that fact to add to the joy of 

 their Xmas and New Year's festivities. 

 But a little advice is needed. There 

 is a very great abundance of fruit just 

 now. We are told the large markets 

 are glutted and prices are ridiculously 

 small. This will certainly militate 

 against the present sale of honey, and 

 if bee keepers rush the market prices 

 must certainly go down temporarily. 

 We say temporarily only. Owing to 

 last year's failure there has been a 

 slight rise in prices, which every bee 

 keeper should do his best to maintain. 

 Fruit will not keep, and must be sold 

 no matter at what price. It is not so 

 with honey. Honey will keep for 

 years and be as good as ever. Let 

 those who can keep their honey, re- 

 serve it till the fruit season is past. 



It will pay them, and they will be do- 

 ing a duty to their fellow bee keepers. 

 — Australian Bee Bulletin, December 

 28, 1896 



Literary Items, 



THE ORIC4IN OF " YANKEE DOODLE." 



" Yaukee Doodle " is claimed by many na- 

 tions. It was known in England as " Nan- 

 kee Doodle " in the time of Charles I. The 

 Hollanders had an old song to this air call- 

 ed " Yanker Diidel." It is said to be also 

 an old French vintage song, a native Hun- 

 garian air, and the ancient music of the 

 sword dance of the Biscayans In June, 

 1755, Dr. Richard Schuckburgh, regimental 

 surgeon under General Braddock, thought 

 to play a joke on the ragged, tattered Conti- 

 nentals by palming off the "Nankee Doodle" 

 of the time of Cromwell upon the Colonial 

 soldiers as the latest martial music. It at 

 once became popular, but a quarter of a 

 century later the joke seemed turned when 

 the Continental bands played this same 

 "Yankee Doodle" as Lord Cornwallis 

 marched out after surrendering his army, 

 his sword and the English colonies in 

 America to the Yankees. — February Ladies' 

 Home Journal. 



YELLOW KID SCHOTTISCHE. 



We have just received a gopy of the 

 above named Schottische, composed hy 

 Charlie Baker, the popular music writer. 

 This piece of music is without doubt destin- 

 ed to have an unprecedented run of popu- 

 larity. Most of our readers are aware that 

 the charcter of the " Yellow Kid" is now 

 the reigning fad throughout the East, being 

 the feature of the illustrated weeklies and 

 newspapers. It is very easy, remarkably 

 pretty, and can be played on piano or organ. 

 Price 40 cents per copy. All readers of our 

 magazine will receive a copy by sending 25 

 cents in silver or postage stamps to The 

 Union Mutual Music Co , 265 Sixth Avenue, 

 New York. 



" FRUITAGE," FOR FRUIT MEN ONLY. 



The exclusive fruit paper of'America is a 

 32 page paper, the reading matter of which 



