1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



471 



They are crooked, bulged, gnawed down, and 

 disfigured here and there with extra pieces of 

 comb as the result of too wide spacing. Over 

 against these, in pleasing contrast, in the same 

 ■apmry, are the self-spacing or HolTman frames, 

 all, of course, properly spaced. Whatever we 

 may say regarding their special advantages to 

 the expert bee-keeper, they are especially 

 adapted to the beginner or farmer bee-keeper. 

 There was one apiary visited where the loose 

 frames were properly spaced ; but it is rare 

 that such is seen. 



We have just received the Second Annual 

 Report of the Illinois State Bee-keepers' Asso- 

 ciation. It is neatly bound in cloth, and con- 

 tains 260 pages. Half is confined to the report 

 of the State Bee-keepers' Association ; the 

 other half to a report of the North American 

 Bee-keepers' Association, held in Chicago Oc- 

 tober last. A large amount of valuable matter 

 has been collated. Portraits, also, of some of 

 the most prominent bee-keepers, as well as 

 World's Fair views of honey exhibits and 

 apiarian supplies, grace its pages. The Illinois 

 Bee-keepers' Association is in a most flourish- 

 ing condition. It has an appropriation of $.500 

 annually from the State, to enable it to get out 

 its reports ; and how well the work is done is 

 evidenced by the one before us. We believe it 

 is sent only to members. Any one else may 

 obtain paper-bound copies by sending 8 cts. to 

 the secretary, Jas. A. Stone, Bradford ton. 111. 



SPRAYING TREES WHILE IN BLOOM. 



In some of the agricultural papers it is still 

 advised to spray trees while in full bloom. We 

 might reply to these, but in a certain sense 

 they would consider us a prejudiced authority 

 and therefore hang to the " same opinion still." 

 The better way is for a subscriber to such 

 paper, also a bee-keeper, to send a short courte- 

 ous reply,' calling their attention to the fact 

 that spraying during full bloom not only kills 

 bees but is premature; that the best authorities, 

 including the experiment stations, advise that 

 the spraying be done o/fcr the petals fall; for 

 it is at that time the injurious insects get in 

 their bad work. The point is here: An editor 

 will accept a correction from a subscriber more 

 readily than from a bee-journal. It may be a 

 little late this season to follow up such cases ; 

 but let it be done next season, and don't assume 

 that the " other fellow " will do it if you don't. 



IS THE CLOVER MIDGE GOING TO HARM BEE- 

 KEEPERS ? 



Most of you have seen items in the papers, to 

 the effect that an insect is doing serious dam- 

 age to the farmers by destroying the crop of 

 clover hay. If I am correct, however, the latest 

 reports of our experiment stations tell us that, 

 right up to the present date, the damage seems 

 to be much less than was anticipated. The 



enemies of the clover midge were on hand 

 promptly, as is usually the case when most 

 enemies of this kind threaten to prove serious, 

 and, together with the cold rains that have 

 prevailed for the past ten days, the clover now 

 promises fairly well. I believe that, as a rule, 

 this clover midge seldom troubles while clover 

 very much ; therefore bee-keepers have little to 

 fear in that direction. With Terry's rotation, 

 and his management of clover, there is but 

 little to fear at any season. And this illustrates 

 again an important fact. It is the slothful, 

 slipshod farmer— the one who is always behind 

 the times, and does not take the agricultural 

 papers, nor keep posted in regard to our experi- 

 ment stations and their work ; it is mainly 

 farmers of this kind who suffer loss from insect- 

 enemies. A full account of how Terry circum- 

 vents the clover midge is given in his large 

 book, " Our Farming." A. I. R. 



CONTENTS OF GLEANINGS; GOOD ADVICE. 



Bro. Hasty, in speaking of the contents of 

 Gleanings, has this to say: 



The course of development which this excellent 

 journal lias been talsing- of late is quite plain to be 

 seen. It is, to utilize to the utmost tlie abilities of a 

 few excellent writers— and overboard into the deep, 

 deep sea witli the " let us hear from all the breth- 

 ren " idea. In theory this looks to be wrong- ; in 

 practice it makes the readable and instructive 

 paper. Only one man out of a thousand can write 

 out what he knows. Pretty much of the rest seem 

 foreordained to write a lot of stutf of no use to any 

 mortal, and leave out tlie valuable things which 

 they could supply if they would. Strange as this is, 

 it is not unique. Let a thousand men go to the 

 World's Fair, and how many of the thousand can 

 give the loved ones at home even a tolerable account 

 of what they have seen ? And writing is a much 

 rarer gift than talking. Nearlj- every bee-man in a 

 flve-minutes' talk will tell things that would be 

 worthy matter for Gleanings if properly dished up. 

 Not one of those things will he tell if he sits down 

 to write, but leave them all out, and write some- 

 thing else. Queer, isn't it ? Awfully we need a 

 school, or class, or something, to teach the brethren 

 how to write. " What can the man do that cometh 

 after the king?" Don't go after the king then. 

 Don't pour out your crude and imperfect thoughts 

 and notions on a subject which some master hand 

 has just treated nobly well. " And if I chance to fall 

 below Demosthenes and Cicero "—to the dogs with 

 Demosthenes and Cicero! Desire to have one's 

 article sound like " literature " has killed off more 

 bee - writers than all other murrains combined. 

 Have something to saj% and say it in your own ear- 

 nest way. But don't be so silly as to despise literary 

 merit— look out for literary faults; divorce them as 

 fast as possible; and build up a clear, strong, indi- 

 vidual style. Literary style is an excellent tiling; 

 only don't expect it to pass current without some 

 facts and ideas— don't expect the clothes to walk 

 without a man inside. 



As a general thing, old writers have the most 

 practical ideas; but, nevertheless, we are con- 

 stantly on the watch for something good from 

 any one. 



