Jan. 24, 1907 



American Hee Journal 



the same as does the drowning man at 

 a straw. 



The post-office department at Wash- 

 ington is ever on the alert to protect 

 the people, and is constantly combat- 

 ting and extinguishing frauds; but 

 new ways and means are as constantly 

 devised to catch the unwary, who are 

 seeking something for nothing, and 

 the army of victimized innocents 

 grows no smaller. How slow they are 

 to learn that a scoundrel will exercise 

 more ingenuity and more energy in 

 beating another out of a few cents 

 than would be required to make more 

 than as many dollars in a legitimate 

 pursuit. These rogues are watching 

 on the one hand for a " rake off," and 

 on the other making sure of not being 

 " raked in."' 



The frantic, though fruitless, follow- 

 ing of one ignis-fatuus after another to 

 their final evanescence, teaches no les- 

 son, but rather seems to add fuel to the 

 flame of excitement, until the habit be- 

 comes a fixed one, and the appearance 

 of a flickering light in a new location 

 is but the signal for the beginning of 

 renewed chase. Poverty would be 

 known only as a myth, and the world 

 would be overflowed with plenty, were 

 all the efl'orts which are made to get 

 something for nothing turned to prac- 

 tical pursuits. 



It is quite easy to make a fool of 

 one's self, but none of us ever fool 

 Nature into giving us more than we 

 have earned by honest endeavor. 



While marketing honey the seller is 

 frequently greeted with, " You can 

 take much less than you are asking 

 for your honey," or remarks of similar 

 import, " because you get it for noth- 

 ing. " But woe unto the man and 

 woman who starts in the business har- 

 boring such false notions; the awak- 

 ening to the truth will stagger them ; 

 and if in addition they coddle them- 

 selves into the belief that "there's 

 millions in it," they will get a hard 

 fall. The person who satisfies himself 

 or herself with slack methods, or, 

 rather, a lack of method, will in the 

 final round-up find the most dissatis- 

 faction. 



I recently read of a banker who re- 

 fused to lend money to the farmer that 

 permitted his implements and ma- 

 chinery to remain outdoors, subject to 

 the ravages of the elements ; and the 

 bee-keeper who allows his capital stock 

 to lie around loose and unprotected 

 deserves no better treatment. To ex- 

 pect exturns from bee-keeping that 

 can cope with such drainage is unrea- 

 sonable. Such habits might almost 

 be termed "criminal carelessness," as 

 the loss therefrom is often most keenly 

 felt by the dependent family. 



These are they whose banners bear 

 the legend, " Hard times,' and, indeed, 

 the desolate, neglected apiaries belong- 

 ing to such, cry "hard times" more 

 emphatically than the owners thereof. 

 While we deeply regret that the tran- 

 sient bee-keeper is not awake to his 

 opportunities (hence is of a necessity 

 transient), we comfort ourselves with 

 the reflection that the number of 

 the unconcerned within our ranks is no 

 greater than is to be found in connec- 

 tion with other vocations ; and that we 

 have hosts who are making the most 



of their opportunities, and are appre- 

 ciative and thankful — 



" Not only for this present store 



In winter storm and blight, 

 But for the hope that asks for more, 



And sees that more in sight." 



These latter are our permanent bee- 

 keepers, of whom we are all so justly 

 proud, and who, when they fall down, 

 do not stop to " cry over spilled milk," 

 but are up and at it again as if the 

 thought of defeat were not to be enter- 

 tained for a moment. The inscription 

 on their banners requires but one 

 more little letter, but instead of a 



frowning, repellent one, it is smiling 

 and attractive. It reads, " Prosper- 

 ity." 



As an industry, bee-keeping owes its 

 very existence to these undaunted stal- 

 warts. The pioneers deserve, of course, 

 the more credit, but there are those 

 among us who are valiantly fighting 

 our battles, and have already earned 

 bright laurels. Why wait until they 

 have passed to the Beyond before we 

 offer flowers ? For them we will need 

 to set up no memorials, for, truly, by 

 their works shall they be known. 



(Mrs.) Mary E. Ndll. 



Miami, Mo. 



anadian 

 "Beadom 



P . .. : 



Conducted by E. L. Bier, Markham, Ont. 



Combined Hive-Cover and Bee- 

 Feeder 



Here is a drawing of cover and feeder 

 combined. It is an ordinary double- 

 walled cover, but there is a space of 2 

 inches between the two walls. The 

 crack A in the lower wall is about ^s- 

 inch wide. This is to allow the bees 

 access to feed, and is about 2 inches in 



COMBINED HIVE-COVER iND BEE-FEEEER. 



from the side of the cover, which is 

 permanently closed. 



The second drawing shows the other 

 side of the cover, which is closed by 

 the door C. This door is a piece of Ji- 

 inch stuff, one end of which fits into 

 groove B. The other end of the door 

 goes against a little block on the in- 

 side of the end of the cover, and is 

 secured by a button D. 



The feeder is a common dripping 

 pan of any size, about Vi inches deep. 



To feed, simply fill the pan, and slide 

 it into the chamber, being careful not 

 to shove it over crack A. 



This is an excellent thing to feed in 

 at any season. It is not necessary to 

 break the cover loose after it is sealed, 

 or in any way to disturb the bees. If 

 it is properly made it is nearly air- 

 tight, and is not a cold place for bees 

 to go at any time. I believe that bees 

 may be fed with this feeder in weather 

 which would prohibit feeding with any 

 other kind. 



Some may object to the extra cost of 

 this cover, but there is little more ma- 

 terial in it than in other double covers. 

 When cost of feeders is considered, 

 this is really a cheaper arrangement. 

 Besides, this feeder is always on the 

 hive, and ready for use. 



Ontario, Dec. 26. H. A. Smith. 



Truly, it might be said, Of the mak- 

 ing of feeders there is no end. Some 

 are good, some bad, and others indif- 

 ferent. From the description given 

 by Mr. Smith, I don't know but that 

 his feeder deserves to be placed in the 

 first-named class. No doubt it would 

 be good for stimulative feeding, and it 

 certainly is so designed that with its 

 use the danger of robbing would be re- 

 duced to a minimum, as there would be 

 no excuse for spilling the syrup, or in 

 any way exposing it to other bees than 

 those for which it was intended. 



One objection, if such it can be 

 called, to the Alexander feeder, is the 

 fact that all bottom-boards and hive- 

 stands have to be nicely adjusted, 

 otherwise there will be trouble. I am 

 sorry to say that in my yards the hive- 

 stands are not always nicely adjusted, 

 therefore the Alexander feeder does 

 not meet with favor in my eyes. With 

 Mr. Smith's feeder that objection is 

 not present, and to those who practise 

 stimulative feeding, it should be worth 

 a trial, at least. 



I would be inclined to think that in 



