204 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



nearly ready to make up the last form, 

 when the foregoing article came to hand. 

 The plan used by Mr. Craig is somewhat 

 similar to the one now being advocated 

 by the editor of Gleanings and Dr. Miller; 

 that of using two sets of Langstroth 

 combs before the beginning of the har- 

 vest, and then removing the upper set 

 and putting sections in their place. None 

 of these men tell us what is to be done 

 with the upper set of combs that are re- 

 moved. At least, I do not remember see- 

 ing any such instructions. Of course, 

 this plan brings the sections right close 

 down to the sealed brood, which is an 

 advantage, but this same condition can 

 be secured with the Heddon Hive by 

 simgly transposing the two sections of 

 the hive; and the honey that may be 

 stored along under the top-bars of the 

 upper section will be removed and brood 

 put in its place when thus transferred to 

 the center of the hive. — Ed.] 



ENTHUSIASM. 



A Graphic Letter From a Beginner. 



[Among the many interesting Jettirs tiiat ] 

 received lasv winter was one Irom a lady living 

 in Johnstown, Pa. 1 asked her permiet. on ti. 

 publieli it and she declined ; but, knowing thii i. 

 woman's no sometimes means yes, 1 lepeaitd 

 my solicitations with greater earnestness, and 

 she finally consented. 8inco then it has teemed 

 as so there were so many things that must go iii, 

 that, until now, there has been no room lor it. 

 Of course, it do. s not pro lend to give any gioiii 

 iiifoinmtion regarding bee-keeping, but, an. a 

 piciuieof that first btage ilirough which we 

 have all passed, it is seldom excelled.— Ed.] 



Johnstown, Pa., Dec. 31, 1097. 

 Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson, 



Flint, Mich. 



Dear Sir: — The Review in its new dress 

 was welcomed to-day, and had so much 

 of interest that, when my husband brought 

 it, at dinner time, my dinner was cold 

 when at last I sat down to the table. I 

 know it is not meant especially for be- 

 ginners, but, nevertheless, I can under- 

 stand all of it and will be able to look 



back next year to those numbers that had 

 articles that may prove practical in my 

 environment. 



I suppose many will take advantage of 

 your offer to put them in print. I con- 

 fess to a weakness for it mj'self, or rather 

 for my bees, when I accomplish some- 

 thing to be proud of. 



This time last year I had never seen a 

 hive; thought they were all like those 

 pictures of straw "skeps;" but became 

 interested while studying up a little in 

 entomology, as my little ones, girls three 

 and two years old, ask so many questions 

 about bugs, beetles, ants, etc., and I al- 

 ways try to answer, if I know what they 

 are enquiring of me. If not, then I look 

 it up, and we all learn something new. 



The bees seemed so interesting that I 

 looked for an advertisement I had seen 

 somewhere, and found it at last in an old 

 Ladies' Home Journal. It was of Root's 

 catalogue and Gleanings. I sent for 

 them, and in Gleanings found your "ad." 

 I believe, or else it was in some paper 

 that I sent for that I found advertised in 

 Gleanings, for I sent for copies of all. I 

 decided on taking the American Bee 

 Journal, because it came every week, and 

 thtis my enthusiasm would have a weekly 

 stimulus, in case, as often happens, 

 interest in my hobby would show signs 

 of abating. 



I got Cook's, Langstroth's, Root's and 

 Heddon 's works on bee culture, your 

 Advanced Bee Culture, Doolittle's Scien- 

 tific Queen Rearing, and many little 

 pamphlets — anything and everj'thing I 

 could afford. I presume that was stage 

 "one" of the bee fever. 



Then I sent for some of Mr. Bell's 

 hives from yon, an eight dollar order, 

 including yotir periodical. One of Doo- 

 little's queens and a colony of bees cost 

 another eight dollars, and the express to 

 Johnstown was |i. 90. Some foundation 

 from Van Deusen, a can of honey from 

 Heddon and some supplies from Root, 

 be.sides a colony of common bees, the 

 first hive I ever saw, ran my expense 

 column up to over fifty dollars. 



