164 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Mar. 18, 



fereoce, but I would expect the best results from the white, as 

 it is the more vigorous grower. 



There is one peculiarity about the yellow sweet clover 

 that I have not seen noted by any one, and that is, the seed- 

 pod — examine it, and you will find it contains from one to 

 three seeds, differing entirely from the white in this respect, 

 which carries only a single seed in each pod. Its stems are of 

 a reddish nature, while the white are greenish. In very dry 

 seasons it often refuses to bloom a second time, while the 

 white never fails, and is the last Uower to be seen in bloom 

 that bees work upon. 



Since becoming acquainted with the nature and habits of 

 the yellow variety, I find it better to confine it to bottom 

 lands, and northern exposures. The reason for selecting 

 these locations is to retard its early blooming. It seems to 

 thrive in moist places. I have quite a few acres growing in 

 the marsh, which I expect to see covered with it, in extent 

 about 1,0U0 acres. I can assure you it will not be my fault 

 if this is not the case, if I live long enough. 



Having on different occasions made reference to it, and 

 admitting that it is finer in the straw, yet I have seen it on 

 rich, moist soil six feet in height. As a contrast, I have a 

 sample of the white that measures 12 feet. It is more shy, 

 and not so sure as a cropper. You can throw the seed of the 

 white anywhere, and be sure of a catch, if the seed is good, 

 almost every time; but not so with the yellow. Yet there is 

 something beautiful about its pretty, little, yellow blossoms, 

 that endears it to the lovers of flowers, which are a shade 

 larger than the white. When there is a good stand it looks 

 handsome when in full bloom. After being cut, it covers the 

 ground, and is of a crawling, or creeping, nature, never be- 

 coming very erect. It is not at all obnoxious, in fact I have 

 repeatedly sown it along some of the boulevards and streets, 

 and it meets with no objection. This is one feature that com- 

 mends it to bee-keepers. 



In thus writing T am candid, having no personal aim in 

 view, and no seed for sale, all being spoken for. My last year's 

 crop of seed of the white variety, amounted to nearly 3,000 

 pounds, a few hundred pounds going to the United States. So 

 I take this way to thank my United States bee-keeping friends 

 for the interest they are taking in this, the queen of honey- 

 plants. Ontario, Canada. 



Preventliig Bees from Leaviug a New Hive. 



BV L. L. 8KAGGS. 



.Tust put an entrance-guard over the entrance and leave 

 it there until they are satisfied with their new home. The 

 bees may come out several times, but they will return, because 

 the queen can't follow. 



I have been practicing this for four years, and I find it 

 beats giving a frame of brood, or any plan that I ever saw in 

 print. 



If you want comb honey, give the new swarm four frames 

 of sealed honey and four frames of starters, and see how quick 

 they will go to work in the sections, and the starters will be 

 built out with worker-comb, as a rule. 



COMB HONEY HIVE — DOU'T FEED SUGAB. 



Some one wanted to know if any one had tried a two- 

 story 8-frame hive for comb honey. Yes, I have, and I think 

 it is the best way with old colonies that get the sections 

 further from the old black brood-combs, and the sections are 

 as white as those that are built over new swarms ; and 

 you have 12 months' supply of honey in the brood-combs, and 

 that is what I want. I don't want to feed. I think that is 

 the worst business that a bee-koeper ever got into. Better 

 keep plenty of sealed combs, and never think of feeding. But 

 if you do get in that fix, whatever you do, never use anything 

 but honey, for if yon do it will be going all over the country 

 that you feed your bees on cheap sugar to "make" honey, 

 and people will tell all kinds of yarns about you. Take my 

 advice, and never use anything but pure honey, or you will be 

 sorry for it. 



I think sugar-feeding has hurt bee-keepers nearly as much 

 as adulteration. From what experience I have had in feed- 

 ing, I would rather have two pounds of honey than three of 

 sugar. It was what was intended for bees; they never get 

 tired of working on honey, but sugar is different. They never 

 rear much brood when fed on sugar. 



FIOHTINO COMMISSION AND AUI.TERATING FRAUDS. 



Say, bee-keepers, if Mr. York gets a lawsuit on his hands 

 by exposing frauds, why can't we chip in a little to pay his 

 expenses ? A little from each subscriber would amount to 



considerable, and we would never miss it. It seems like a big 

 load for one to take on his hands. He is saving bee-keepers 

 lots of money, by exposing these swindlers, and I think we 

 should stand by him, if he gets into trouble for our benefit. 



Say, Mr. York, why not you and some more editors, and 

 able bee-keepers, frame a Bill or a pure food law, and send 

 out a copy to each bee-keeper to sign, and get all the signers 

 possible, then return to you, and you present it to Congress? 

 Don't you think the Bill would pass '? 1 believe nearly every 

 man would sign such a Bill. If the lawmakers want to help 

 the people, I think they would push such a Bill through at 

 once. I am willing to do all I can within the bounds of rea- 

 son, to stop adulteration, or any other kind of fraud. 



Llano Co., Tex. 



[Thank you, Mr. Skaggs, for suggesting that all turn in 

 and help in case we get into trouble for exposing frauds in the 

 interest of bee-keepers. We are not afraid at all, but in case 

 any swindler should think of fighting back, it would be a fine 

 thing to tell him he'll have to fight the whole bee-keeping pub- 

 lic. He probably would " tink a coople dimes " before he be- 

 gan to strike back. But they know better than to attempt 

 that. 



Yes, it might be well to take up your suggestion about 

 getting a law against adulteration. But the plan was tried 

 once, and failed. Later on perhaps some such plan may be 

 undertaken again. — Editor.] 



Several Notes on Bees ia Nebraska. 



BY J. M. Y'OUNG. 



Bees are wintering finely in this locality, the temperature 

 of the weather being so that they could fly every few weeks 

 through the entire winter, but spring dwindling usually gets 

 away with more bees than the winter here. 



Where to Keep Honky'. — The proper place to keep ex- 

 tracted and comb honey is in a warm, dry room upstairs in 

 your dwelling or honey-house, where you have fire below the 

 most of the time. As soon as our honey is taken from the 

 hives it is placed in the upper part of our dwelling, where the 

 direct rays of the sun strike it at all times. 



Stamping Sections. — I never use labels on my honey- 

 boxes, and yet my name and address appears on every section 

 I put on the market. I have a rubber stamp with my name 

 and address, that beats any label ever printed, and is just as 

 attractive. It is easily put on, does not cost very much, and 

 several sections can bo stampt in a minute, or several hundred 

 in an hour. Just try one, and convince yourself. 



Dating Circulars. — Quite a few circulars come to ray 

 address without any date on them. It seems to me that all 

 printed matter of whatever nature should have something on 

 it to show just when it was '• horned." Also, if bee-keepers 

 would use colored paper for the covers of their circulars it 

 would bo a big item in many ways. 



An Upto-Date Bee-Keepeb is getting ready now for 

 next summer, just as fast as he can. If ho hasn't been post- 

 ing up on bee-literature all winter, and looking up the best 

 and newest improvements ho will surely be " left " when the 

 time comes for real work. The winter-time is the proper time 

 to do all this — to fix hives, cases, boxes, etc. 



Candied Honky in Sections.— -I don't agree with Dr. 

 Miller (see pages 74 and lOo) as to using old sections that 

 had candied honey in them. I usually have sections every 

 winter (and believe all beekeepers have) that the honey will 

 candy, and the unsealed honey will sour in the sections. My 

 hives are all 2-story, and when the weather gets warm I place 

 those candied sections of honey — in fact, all sections that have 

 honey in them— in the upper story of the hives, directly over 

 the bees, and leave them there for several days, and if the 

 Doctor will do this I think he will not find any granulation of 

 honey In them, and that they will be just as clean as anybody 

 would want them. If the sections are put in the open air, I 

 doubt If they are cleaned out properly. 



Drawn-Comb and End-Spackrs. — I am watching those 

 fellows down at Rootvillo, on that drawn-out comb business ; 

 also that new improvement on frames with staples driven in 



