GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 





36 "Pages 7x10 



1°.2 PER YEAAj 



For thou art my rock and niy fortress ; therefore for thy 

 name's sake lead me and guide me.— Psalm 31 : 3. 



The last British Bee Journal, April 26, al- 

 ludes to " the remarkably uncertain character 

 of the weather during the last few days." and 

 we infer that it has had a depressing effect 

 upon " the hopes and prospects of bee-keepers." 



We have received a large sample of what is 

 said to be genuine orange-blossom honey. Its 

 flavor is not quite equal to samples we have 

 tasted before. It is good honey, however, but 

 not equal to some of the Southern honey we 

 have tasted. 



Cramps in queen-bees when picked up — what 

 causes them? is a question that is discussed by 

 friend Doolittle in another column. We now 

 have quite a number of queen -breeders. We 

 should be glad to have them throw on a little 

 extra light from their experience. 



Pko.spe'^ts for a fine honey crop this season 

 were never more flattering. If we are not sure 

 of a good flow from clover and basswood, we 

 are sure, from the heavy brood-reai'ing now 

 going on, of a large force of bees that will be 

 ready for business if the honey does come. 



We have said much about the practicability 

 of the bicycle in these columns; but it is evident 

 that very few bee-keepers yet fully appreciate 

 its real value for out-apiary work. We have 

 been trying to get Dr. Miller on one, but so far 

 he doesn't seem to enthuse very much. Per- 

 haps many would get a wheel if they really 

 thought they could ride. Most men will learn 

 to ride, with a practical wheelman to show 

 them how, in about half an hour. 



In speaking of our course regarding the pub- 

 lication of the analyses, Mr. Hutchinson says: 

 " I have every reason to believe that this course 

 [the one we took.— Ed.] is taken from the best 

 of motives." This is as generous as it' is kind. 

 We have every reason to believe that the atti- 

 tude Mr. Hutchinson has taken on the same 

 question is also taken from the best of motives. 

 We do not object; but, on the contrary, we 

 court candid criticism when such a spirit is 

 back of it. 



Dandelions seem in our locality to bo un- 

 usually profuse atjd persistent, especially on 

 the Rootville lawns. Although we cut 'em 

 down nearly every day with a lawn-mower or 

 scythe, yet their heads will bob up here and 

 there as if we had made no effort to cut 'em off 



from the face of the earth — around our houses. 

 Knt the bees — what a gala time they have befn 

 having over them I Whether they get much 

 honey, they are carrying load after load of 

 green pollen, and the combs are speckled full 

 with the stuflf. 



The following, from the General Manager of 

 the Bee-keepers' Union, will explain itself: 



Bro. Boof :— Some are criticising' me for not pros(> 

 cutiug- Mr. H(>ddon, and want to know why the Un- 

 ion did not do .so. I desire to state the facts in .1 

 few words, and also to correct the error a'^out Mi'. 

 Soper lia^inpr =t'nt me the samples said to be Hed- 

 don's adulterated honey. I shall not state how they 

 came, nor from whom— but that I have not had ;i 

 line nor any samples, either pure or adulterated, 

 from him for several years past. 



I would willingly prosecute adulterators: but the 

 Board decided that we rau.st have evidence strong- 

 enough to reasonably expect conviction. This we 

 did not liave. Thos. G. Newman, Gen. Manager. 



There is no need for haste in this matter. 



The Board probably has been waiting to see 



all the facts pro and con. 



A rather spirited controversy, we should 

 judge, has been going on in the British Bee 

 Journal between the editors on the one hand 

 and a correspondent on the other. In order to 

 close up the discussion, the editors insert a long 

 article from him, criticising them rather sharp- 

 ly, but refrain themselves " from adding a word 

 of comment on it," because of their "desire to 

 avoid even the risk of further reply;" and th(»y 

 add that " all that has been done or said in the 

 matter by the editors of this journal is recorded ; 

 in print, and they (the editors) are perfectly 1 

 content to be judged thereby." This is not 

 only wise, but an exceedingly fair way of drop- I 

 ping the discussion; and on similar ground 

 we at present feel disposed not only to let Mr. ! 

 Heddon speak for himself, but have the last say j 

 within reasonable bounds. 



There seems to be no special need this spring 

 of going to the expense and trouble of gather- 

 ing statistics as to how the bees have wintered; 

 for reports, with hardly an exception, show 

 that they have come out unusually well. Not 

 only is there no loss worth speaking of, but the 

 colonies are unusually strong. Never before do 

 we remember of a more favorable spring for 

 bees. In our own locality hives are filled with 

 honey from fruit-blossoms and dandelions, and 

 in our own apiary we have had to give more 

 room, and divide. Our neighbors have had 

 swarming, and yet fruit-bloom seems to be only 

 fairly out. By the ffood of orders, we should 

 judge that a similar state of things prevails 

 throughout the North. It should be said that, 

 in certain parts of the South, frosts have done 

 some damage. 



The editor of tlie Prrtgrcsslve Bee-keeper 

 says we had 20 columns of matter to boom our 

 own wares in the April 15th number; but he 

 failed to observe that we also gave in that same 

 number .55 columns of reading-matter orf the 



