206 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



labors. One old fashioned but not un- 

 pleasant wrinkle about the Queen is its 

 way of interleaving pages of engraving 

 paper with portraits on them. The May 

 number thus presents E. J. Atchley, the 

 queen's "other half," and W. H. Pridgen. 



As to the correspondents of the last 

 Queen, H. H. Hyde thinks that two inch 

 es slope to the front is altogether too 

 much for a hive. 



h. B. Smith says they had a blizzard 

 this year when bees should be swarming, 

 and the result will be the death of a great 

 many colonies in Texas — especially among 

 box hive keepers. It .seems the Texas 

 variety of that species of Soloman holds 

 that what honey a colony has left on the 

 arrival of spring should be taken away, 

 else the bees ivill carry it out of the hive 

 and throw it away. (5, May. ) 



E. R. Jones thinks he has a cure for 

 paralysis, sulpho-calcine — half an ounce 

 in a quart of well salted honey and water 

 — hive, bees and combs well sprayed with 

 an atomizer. He thinks that the real 

 point of adva;itage in the plain section is 

 that there is more entrance way at the 

 bottom — and entrance extending practi- 

 cally clear across the hive. Obviously 

 the same thing could easily be had with 

 very little change of the old style arrange- 

 ments, if it is true that better filling of 

 the section results. He also contributes 

 a valuable observation. When a sheet of 

 foundation is drawn only on one side he 

 finds that the cell bottoms are hemis- 

 pherical, and when looked, at from the 

 reverse or unworked side they look like 

 the cappings of drone brood. So it would 

 seem that the usual cell bottom (so great- 

 ly celebrated by mathematical folks) is 

 simply the compromise or resultant of 

 two opposite sets of punchings and 

 scrapings, not the deliberate work of the 

 bee either intentional or unintentional. 

 This, if correct, will lead to quite a break- 

 ing of the old crockery (4, May.) Now 

 my attention is called t6 it, it half seems 

 to me as if I had seen just such round- 

 bottomed work myself. 



Iv. L. Skaggs (5, May) contributes a 

 new bee tent. Two wagon bows are 



lengthened with strips of wood till you 

 can stand up under them; and each ex- 

 tremity is shod with a sharp iron to punch 

 into the ground. Bind the completed 

 bows with cloth, to make sure that the 

 tent proper will slip on and off without 

 catching on a splinter. Now set the two 

 bows so they will cross and form an X 

 over your head. Fasten them thus by 

 about three loops of strong wire — all on 

 the upper half of the concern. Make a 

 fourth hoop, of six inches larger diameter 

 than the frame, and hang it in place with 

 long strings. This keeps the shape of the 

 fabric at the bottom; and by its lifting up 

 property lets you out and in. The cover, 

 or tent, proper, is mosquito-bar. Cheap 

 calico part way up would be an improve- 

 ment I think. But say, both my tents 

 went to ruin years ago, and I get along 

 nicely without any. 



C. B. Bankston and A. W. Cotton rob- 

 bed one of those newspaper bee caves 

 which contain honey by the wagon load, 

 and "pizen death" sufficient to kill an 

 army. Got a very slender show of hon- 

 ey — scarce what a colony might use be- 

 tween spring and harvest. Of old dry 

 comb there was indeed a big lot. No- 

 body got even a single sting. (7, May) 



W. H. Pridgen says when he finds out 

 the bees of a certain colony are following 

 him about he screens them in (12, May. ) 



J. H. Siple says he gets ten cents a 

 gallon for extracting. (13, May) I be- 

 lieve we do not often see the value of that 

 sort of work stated in that way. Made 

 I14.00 one day, besides walking twelve 

 miles. 



On page 14 and onward the Texas 

 state association is reported. Perhaps 

 the best thing I glean is to fish for honey 

 customers in different ways according to 

 your chap. If he's well-to-do, only never 

 got in the habit of buying honey, just 

 politely make him the present of a section. 

 If he's one of the scratch around folks, 

 ofTer to trade him some honey for some 

 vegetables. (W.H.White.) 



The Editorial Notes of the Queen are 

 very like those of other journals. Also, 

 in line with editorial practice elsewhere 



