THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



that we can begin back about 25 years 

 ago. 



DowAGiAC, Mich. Dec. 31, 1897. 



[Mr. Heddon complains because Bro. 

 Root does not give reasons why plain sec- 

 tions and slatted separators are superior, 

 and then falls into the same fault him- 

 self. It is so seldom that I disagree with 

 Mr. Heddon that it is almost a pleasure 

 to find myself on the opposite side of the 

 fence from him. I do not mean that I 

 am unchangeably convinced that plain 

 sections and slat-separators are superior 

 to the ordinary style. I mean that I be- 

 lieve that Bro. Root has given reasons 

 why he considers the.se st^des of goods su- 

 perior, while Mr. Heddon has simply as- 

 serted to the contrary, giving his experi- 

 ence as a base for his as.sertions. His 

 nearest approach to a reason is the call- 

 ing of the separator a " glue-trap. '" But 

 what do we care for the daubing of pro- 

 polis on the separator ? that is, upon the 

 slats, there is no necessity for cleaning it 

 off. Where the sections touch the sepa- 

 rators, propolis will be deposited, but this 

 is true of every style of separator. I 

 must admit, however, that it seems to 

 me that the slatted style of separator 

 will be more difficult to clean, where 

 the sections do touch it, than is the 

 case with the plain .smooth .separator, 

 that can be scraped its whole length at 

 " one fell .swoop. " 



Now, friend Hebdon, have patience. 

 Von must remember that some of us are 

 thick-headed. We not only have to be 

 told things in plain English before we 

 can comprehend them, but sometimes 

 our heads are so thick that it is actually 

 necessary to pound in the ideas. Now, if 

 you will write another article, and go 

 carefully over the ground, pointing out 

 all of the objections that you found against 

 the plain section and the slatted separa- 

 tor, just as though you were writing for 

 real common folks, instead of the unusu- 

 ally bright ones, I shall be very glad to 

 print it. — Ed.] 



\OTES FROM FOREIGN • BEE JOURNALS. 



F. L. THOMPSON. 



As cold Waters to a thirsty soul, so is good 

 news from a far coantry, —fi/Sif. 



¥HENEVER " potasche " is called for 

 on pages 261 and 262 of the October 

 Review, in the recipes for making cake, 

 carbonate of potash is to be used, so saj-s 

 a German baker of Denver; and Pastor 

 Fleischmann has just written the same. 

 It may be procured at any driigstore. 



The Bee-kef;pkks" Record. — Mr. 

 Brice's experience with some Caucasian 

 queens imported from Russia was so un- 

 favorable that he finally killed them. 

 They are very unprolific, and their colo- 

 nies-lazy and weak, so that he had to 

 keep their strength up by additions from 

 other hives. 



In a general way, says Win. McXally, 

 it takes several years to establish a pri- 

 vate honey market. In his experience, 

 there is no readier or quicker method of 

 accomplishing that end than by compet- 

 ing on the show-bench. 



Gr.a.venhorst's Illustrierte Bie- 

 NENZEiTUNG. — Gravenliorst, who has had 

 much experience in transporting bees by 

 wagon and rail, now invariably uses 

 cloths made of loosely woven jute, in- 

 stead of wire cloth. This material is very 

 cheap, if bought second hand after hav- 

 ing been used for packing purposes. It 

 prevents the light from exciting the bees, 

 while it lets air pass through. The regu- 

 lar entrances are plugged tight. 



One way to prevent swarming, says he, 

 is to unqueen about the end of April or 

 middle of May, according to circumstan- 

 ces. In raising a young queen under 

 such conditions, the colony hardly ever 

 swarms, but destroys the remaining queen- 

 cells, and later on is not apt to swarm, 

 especially if population is kept down by 

 removing brood at the proper time. 

 ( evidentl)' local conditions must decide 

 whether such a plan is advisable ) . 



