26 



GLEANINGS IN HEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1. 



that the editors have been in the homes of the 

 most of the prominent bee-keepers of the land, 

 and carefully inspected their methods, liesides 

 their (the editors") experience in the apiary, 

 they are supposed to read, and have read, al- 

 most every thing that comes to the office, on the 

 subject of bees, besides reading once or tsvice 

 the matter that goes into the journal. This 

 gives them a pretty fair idea of what is practi- 

 cal, and what methods and plans have been sug- 

 gested in the past, and whether these plans and 

 methods have proven to be a succe.ss or failure. 

 But we presume the principal feature of the 

 footnotes that is most appreciated is the con- 

 versational feature, and that, if the ideas of h 

 certain article are indorsed, it gives it strength 

 and value. If not indorsed, it places a caution 

 on it. However, we do not hold ourselves to be 

 infallible, and are glad to be corrected, even if 

 the correction does not come clothed in the 

 smoothest language. 



We doubt whether any living man is better 

 Informed in regard to every kind of hive now 

 in use the world over, together with the many 

 methods of handling bees in all lands, than is 

 Mr. Karl R. Mathey, lately of Kesmark, Upper 

 Hungary, but now of the Home of the Honey- 

 bees. With an amount of trouble and pains 

 that seems absolutely astounding, Mr. Mathey 

 has drawn off, in large blank books, a descrip- 

 tion of nearly all hives known, together with 

 the minutest parts of all of them; and this de- 

 scription is accompanied with pen-drawings of 

 the same, executed in the most beautiful and 

 artistic manner. The books are written in the 

 German language, and constitute a complete 

 summing-up of practically every thing known 

 in reference to hives of all kinds. The human 

 figures represented in Mr. Mathey's drawings 

 are quite laughable, and are of the same nature 

 as the " Brownies " with which our readers are 

 doubtless all familiar. It is Mr. Mathey's pres- 

 ent intention to favor us with short articles 

 from his pen during the year. To learn our 

 language and our ways of doing business in 

 this country, he has taken a position here in 

 the same spirit that Peter the; Great, of Russia, 

 disguised himself and went to Holland to learn 

 how to make ships for his own navy. * His first 

 contribution is in reference to finding some bees 

 in the mummy of I'haraoh, the Egyptian king 

 whose daughter found and adopted Moses. It 

 will b(! found on page 18. 



duct a depnrtment of " Answers to Seasonable- 

 Questions," and, of course, these questions will 

 come mainly from beginners. He is so well up- 

 in his profession that the advanced bee-keeperj 

 may read his answers with nearly as much prof-l 

 it as the beginner. Indeed, experts learn from 

 each other, else a convention of experts would 

 be without avail. The questions to be answer- 

 ed by Mr. Doolittle may be sent direct to him; 

 but the sender must not expect a private answer, 

 neither must he expect to see it answered im- 

 mediately in Gleanings. Mr. D. will select 

 the most important, and answer them when th(^ 

 proper reason comes for such answer, even 

 though it be six months or a year after. But 

 there are beginners who want an answer to any 

 and every question, no matter whether it be iiv 

 season or not. Such questions as they often call 

 for light on matters in our A B C of Hee Ciil 

 ture, should he sent to us, and will be answered 

 either by private letter or under the heading of 

 " Beginners' Qucsiion-box." This department, 

 though newly named, will be the same in char- 

 acter as one that has appeared occasionally in 

 our columns. What it will be for the future 

 will be seen elsewhere in this issue. 



GLEANINGS, ANT) WHAT IT PHOr'OSKS TO DO 

 KOK HEGINNEKS. 



In this issue we, hegin, as will be noted, anew 

 department by (J. M. Doolittle. The more we 

 have to do with bee-journalism, the more we 

 are convinced that the needs of the beginner 

 should be met more perfectly. Mr. Doolittle, 

 from his long expiMMence, close observation, and 

 methodical habits, is eminently fitted to con- 



QUIET KOBBI.VG TO STOr' KOKBING. 



We notice that the idea of gentle robbing tc 

 stop objectionable robbing is credited to us; 

 and we are told that it is now receiving a coun- 

 terblast by friend Hasty, in the Review. Wi 

 did not originate the idea, because, if the readei 

 will refer to our back volumes of a number o 

 years ago he will see that no less an authoritj 

 than Dr. Miller probably first suggested it. Ai 

 any rate, we found the plan to work so well ii 

 our apiary that of late we have been giving i 

 considerable prominence. Quite a number 

 also, have indorsed the plan, while perhaps ai 

 equal number have said that it was a failure 

 Well, so far as we are concerned, so long as w( 

 secure more brood and more queens, and mon 

 queens fertilized, and at the same time securt 

 almost entin; immunity from objectkmnhle rob 

 bing, we shall keep riglit on using the plan. I 

 is our opinion, that those who have failed witl 

 it have not observed all the conditions neces 

 sary to make it work right. We do not blam» 

 some of our friends for thinking the plan wil 

 not wurk, for at first, apparently, it is a failure 

 because the bees make a perfect uproar to star 

 with; but as soon as tliey learn that honey cai 

 be obtained only a little at a time, they quie 

 down. We remember we first said the Board 

 man solar wax-extractor would not work— tha 

 we had tried it, and could not understand wh: 

 it should secMU to work so successfully with Mr 

 B. when it should fail with us. We remember 

 also, that Doolittle cell-cups were also a fail 

 ure; but lately, by observing a little more thi 

 conditions laid down, we not only made th 

 cell-cups work successfully, but found th 

 Boardman solar waK extractor was one of thi 



