July 17, 1902. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



453 



have more to say about the sights along this route, and also 

 about the attractions in and around Denver. 



Santa Ci.aha Vai.i.ey, in California, is one of the tuost 

 fertile and productive localities of the world. Its fruit lias 

 a wide reputation for excellence, and its flowers are incom- 

 parable. The bee-keepers in that delightful climate met on 

 June 2() for the purpose of organizing an association. There 

 are over 300 bee-keepers in Santa Clara County, and they 

 should have an effective organization, to advance their in- 

 terests, and protect the pursuit. After some informal dis- 

 cussion an adjournment was taken until July 5, when a 

 permanent organization was to have been effected. 



[ Contributed Articles. 



Table of Contents and Index to Books. 



BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



I hav-e just been indexing the 19th 1000 of mv "Bcc 

 ^^^Pf^ Guide." This leads me to pen a few -.vords on 

 lable of Contents and'Tndex.'' To me, no part of a book 

 —especially a really helpful book— is of more value than a 

 good index. The table of contents is not quite so valuable 

 but IS, to my mind, a far too valuable part ever to be omitted' 

 1 believe it will not be amiss to say a word in suggestion of 

 how these parts of a book can be best utilized. 



- When I get a book that promises to be useful in mv 

 work I tirst study carefully the table of contents. If this is 

 well thought out and planned by the author, its thorouc'h 

 study will make one very conversant with the entire con- 

 tents of the book. He will thus in an hour learn what it 

 woiild take days to compass by the slow process of careful 

 reading. Indeed, it will take a vear or more of readin^r 

 verihed by actual practice in the apiary, for one t^o 

 become conversant with the whole text so he mav know 

 what a mine of wealth he has in good suggesti6n, fact 

 and valuable history. Whereas, a thorough but brief study 

 ot the contents will make them keenly alive to these treasures 

 of information. He will know that they are there, and the 

 chapter that contains them. 



To illustrate: Take Chapter XVI in my own book It 

 treats of marketing the products of the apiary. The table of 

 contents gives the subjects treated as follows: 



How to invigorate the market; preparation for mar- 

 ket, l^xtracted honey; how to tempt the consumer Comb 

 honey ; rules to be observed. Marketing bees; selling queens- 

 selling bees by the pound. Vinegar from honey. Fairs and 

 the market : What they should be. Effects of such exhibits. 

 A few minutes of careful, thoughtful study of this series 

 of topics gives not only what this chapter has to mve the 

 reader, but suggests the methods and treatment throughout 

 the entire book. Any book which is to serve at all adequately 

 is seriously handicapped unless it offers its readers a good 

 table of contents. '' 



The index may well be studied from the same point of 

 view. A good index, however, has other and even better use 

 It serves as a wondrous time-saver. Even though we have 

 the best of memories, and have been most faithful students 

 ot our text, there will yet be points that we shall not keep in 

 memor)-, and which we shall wish to use when time forbids 

 much study or chance to find w*at is in demand At such 

 times a good index is invaluable. 



The index, to be perfect, should present every subject 

 under every possible head that would be suggested to the 

 person who comes for light and information. Again to take 

 rny own book for example. A person may come upon some- 

 thing that suggests "foul brood;" the ill-odor, the sunken cell- 

 cap or the perforated capping to the brood-cell. He wishes 

 at once to know what the trouble is. He may know nothing 

 ot toul brood, when he will turn to the index for di.seases of 

 bees when will be treated, dysentery, spring dwindling bee- 

 paralysis new bee-diseases, black-brood, sour-brood and foul 

 brood. Or, if he has foul brood in mind, he turns at once to 

 that m the index, and finds under foul brood: illustration of ■ 

 nature of; remedies for; fasting, phenol, salicylic acid He 



can turn at once with no loss of time, to the very theme that 



most concerns his present nee<ls. 



In case of the young bee-keeper, robbing may come as a 

 very practical theme in his ( xpcrience. The index directs 

 him at once to the very page whi re the cause and cure are to 

 be described. The novice may commence his work when the 

 bees arc busy. Later the nectar-flow ceases, and the bees 

 cross and irritable, being a new and not so pleasant experience 

 to his life and work. Po.ssibly he turns to stings, and finds 

 where to look for prevention and cure. Or, if his desires are 

 in line of protection, he will find under bee-dress, bee-veil, 

 yell, bee-hat, hat, smoker, Bingham smoker; etc. — just what 

 he needs in his extremity. 



I doubt if any of us realize to the full the value of a good 

 index. As in making a book, it is the most arduous and try- 

 ing part of the work, .so to the owner of a book it ought to be 

 the most valuable and heliiful jjortion. I suggest to all our 

 bee-keepers to give a little time to the index of their bee-book, 

 and I am sure it will open their eyes to the wealth of informa- 

 tion they have right at hand. 



Akin to the last is the Glossary. This is also valuable, 

 as we may judge by the more and more frequent place 

 that It finds in our text-books, especially the practical man- 

 uals that are to help in the every day work. A good glossary, 

 well-paged that every theme may be quickly sought out and 

 fully studied, is a valuable part of any manual, and will richly 

 repay close and frequent study. This will make our reading 

 and study more accurate and valuable. 



^w 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



Does the Rearing of Oueensas Given in " Scientific 



Queen-Rearing " Have a Tendency Toward 



a Race of INon-Swarming Bees ? 



BV G. M. DOOLITTLK. 



Among other things, iu a very interesting letter from a 

 correspondent, I find this : 



"I shouldlike to know if you claim that (|ueens reared by the 

 plan given m ' Scientific Queen-Rearing-,' have a greater tendency not 

 to swarm than those reared by the bees during the swarming season, 

 as most bee-keepers allow their bees to rear them. I purchased your 

 book a few years ago, and have reared a few queens each year in ac- 

 cord therewith, and very few of the queens so reared have led out 

 swarms, while my other colonies have kept up an excessive swarming 

 each year. The queens in these swarming colonies were reared under 

 the swarming impulse, by colonies casting swarms, as are the most of 

 the queens in any apiary where the bees are allowed to swarm. Then, 

 four years ago I purchased a (|ueen which I supposed was reared by 

 the plan given in your book. This queen has done well for me : but 

 the point of interest to me just now is this: Although she has kept 

 her hive full to overflowing with bees, they giving me a good surplus 

 each year, fully as much so as any queen I have amongst my 150 colo- 

 nies, yet only one swarm has issued from her colony since I got her 

 Can you enlighten me in this matter through the columns ot the 

 American Bee .Journal V 



I have never made the claim that queens reared by the 

 plan given in my book, where the queen-cells are brought 

 to perfection in upper stories, while the reigning queen was 

 doing good work at egg-laying below, were less inclined to 

 swarm than were those reared when the bees were prepar- 

 ing to swarm, as I formerly reared all queens before perfect- 

 ing the plan as given in " Scientific Queen-Rearing." At 

 that time I was quite certain that queens reared under the 

 swarming impulse were the very best possible, just as some 

 still claim, but I now believe that it is possible to rear 

 queens by other methods which are every whit as good in 

 every respect, and perhaps better in some, than queens 

 reared from natural-swarming cells. 



Some 25 years ago I noticed that queens reared without 

 the bees having any intention of swarming — where this was 

 done to supersede a failing queen— were less inclined to 

 swarm than were those reared during the height of swarm- 

 ing, and so jotted down this fact in my diary at that time ; 

 and during the time intervening since I first noted this 

 matter, the queen by supersedure cell, whose bees have been 

 given too much swarming, has been the exception, not the 

 rule. Queens, where reared by the plan as given in my 

 book, are brought to perfection in very much the same way 

 as are those reared where a case of supersedure happens ; 

 and I have thought that the bees from them were less in- 

 clined to swarm. In any event, I have had far less swarm- 

 ing in my apiary during the past 12 or 14 years, during 

 which time I have reared nearly all of my queens over 

 queen-excluders, than I formerly had ; yet I would not think 

 it best to put forth the idea that a continuation of thus rear- 

 ing for a quarter to half a century would give a race of non - 



