298 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



Not only in the matter of making 

 hives and surplus arrangements is it nec- 

 essary to be accurate, but in the manage- 

 ment of our bees will it be found equally 

 so. How many times I have seen it 

 stated in print that bees would not rear 

 a queen from brood four days old, I do 

 not know; but I do know that I have 

 found them doing it many times; very 

 much to my disadvantage and their's too. 

 Again it has been said that they would 

 not hatch out a young queen in less than 

 ten days after being deprived of their 

 queen, and with out brood in queen cells, 

 but I have found out that they ivill some- 

 times do so to my sorrow. 



And now, in conclusion, let me say 

 that we should not only make our hives 

 and sections, our management and queen 

 rearing accurate, but let us learn to ob- 

 serve closely and think accurately and 

 clearly if we can. 



MlDDl^EBURV, Vt. June 20, 1898. 



NATURE'S WAYS. 



The Use of Section Cleaners. What to Expect 

 of Criticism. 



V,. A. ASPINWALL. 



The man with nnderstanding groat 

 Sees Nature with a lavish hand 

 On all her precious gifts bestow ; 

 But reflex thought on years gone by 

 Shows man witli eve' graspiag hand. 

 Unless that kuowleitge brings him low. 



m HE above sen- 

 ^ timent is par- 

 adoxical, taking 

 the season, with 

 its dearth of hon- 

 ey, into consider- 

 ation. 



Had Nature with 

 her benign influ- 

 ences, showered 

 such phenomenal 

 honey yields as 

 that of I S97 upon us for a series of years, 

 what would have been the result ? Or 



rather, what would have been the price ? 

 And where would we have found a market 

 for the product ? 



Although our ledgers may show but a 

 small profit, we have been impelled on- 

 ward in the field of knowledge — we have 

 a better comprehension of the situation; 

 hence better able to cope with similar 

 contingencies in the future. Let us con- 

 sider Nature's workings contrasted vrith 

 our innate, or uncultivated demands. 



First of all, she furnishes changes 

 which are inconceivabh' sublime. The 

 days as the)' come and go are resplendent 

 with color and hue, emenating from sun- 

 shine and clouds. The change of seasons 

 furnish an untold volume of beauty and 

 varied temperatures productive of food 

 in endless variety to satisfy the wants of 

 all her creatures. Imagine the monotony 

 of weather continuing intensely hot, cold, 

 wet, dry or windy for weeks without in- 

 terruption. Also, no change in her pro- 

 ducts as to variety; which the seasons 

 in their ever changing course fur- 

 nish us. Although lavish in quantity, 

 it would not satisfy the demands of her 

 creatures. 



Nature's workings transcend our high- 

 est, conceptions of harmony and beaut)'; 

 notwithstanding, at times, she seems 

 somewhat erratic. She pours her down- 

 fall of rain hither and thither, and her 

 currents of temperature seem to move in 

 a hap-hazard manner. 



But when our understanding is enlarg- 

 ed, when we begin to comprehend her 

 wor'fcings, then co'.nes the acknowledge- 

 ment, tliat her builder and maker is God. 

 Nature distril)utes her gifts in ever varia- 

 l)]e amounts, naturally increasing the 

 activity, in the mingling and comming- 

 ling of her creatures. 



Perennial honey yields like that of '97 

 would stagnate and degrade the pursuit. 

 The money end would absorb the intel- 

 lectual side, leaving it absolutely barren 

 in both respects. Friend Daggitt ex- 

 pressed the real truth on page 265 when 

 he said: "Putting a pursuit down to a 

 mere dollar and cent basis is degrading 

 it." 



