330 



April 18, 1907 



American ^ee Journal 



the distant air. I naturally thought that she 

 had just brought the dead bee from the 

 hive, but in less than a minute back she came 

 and hovered about the ground as if in search 

 of something. Then alighting by another 

 dead body she grasped and pulled at that, 

 and flew away with it. Again and again I 

 saw her repeat this act, never once entering 

 the hive; never once seeking the society of 

 her living sisters, but plodding away by her- 

 self, clearing the ground in front of the hive 

 of the dead bodies. Later on another bee 

 joined in the task, and a few hours later, 

 when I took note of the progress of the work, 

 I found the ground completely cleared of the 

 dead bees that had been thrown there the 

 •evening before. 



The task was a self-imposed task. An 

 amouQt of work was done which relatively 



would be beyond the possibilities of the 

 strongest human being. It would only be 

 fair to say that to do a proportionate amount 

 of work a man would need to carry 50 bodies 

 of his fellow men to the top of a high hill in 

 a space of 3 hours. 



That a bee should drag out of the hive the 

 dead body of one of its comrades, even 

 should it continue to struggle with it 

 after some yards from the hive, would seem 

 nothing very strange; but a bee that would 

 return again and again after the dead bodies 

 lying entirely outside of the hive, with never 

 a word of cheer from its sisters, certainly can 

 not be called lazy. 



Getting New Subscribers for the 



American Bee Journal is something every 

 reader can do if he makes a sincere attempt. 

 No one knows better than does he its value 

 to every would-be successful bee-keeper. And 

 we offer valuable premiums, to those of our 

 present readers whose subscriptions are paid 

 in advance, for the work of going out and 

 getting new subscriptions. Tour neighbor 

 bee-keepers perhaps have never heard of the 

 American Bee Journal, although it is now in 

 its 47th year. Why not try to get them to 

 subscribe? You may be surprised how readily 

 they will do so upon your invitation. 



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 flews -Items 



Hon. R. L. Taylor, of Lapeer, is now 

 the Michigan inspector of apiaries, succeed- 

 ing Mr. Hutchinson, who felt that he could 

 no longer continue the work owing to other 

 duties that press upon him. Mr. Tayloi'has 

 had large experience with foul brood among 

 bees, and is otherwise in every way specially 

 fitted for the work of bee-disease inspector. 

 Michigan bee-keepers are to be congratulated 

 on the efficiency of their inspectors. 



Mr. E. K. Meredith, of Batavia, 111., 

 died with hemorrhage of the brain March 12, 

 190". He had been sick for 2 weeks with in- 

 flammatory rheumatism, but apparently was 

 improving. Mr. Meredith was an active mem- 

 ber of the Chicago-Northwestern Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, and attended the last meeting 

 with his wife and daughter. His many friends 

 will join with the American Bee Journal in 

 extending sincerest sympathy to his family in 

 their bereavement. As Mrs. Meredith also 

 understands bee-keeping, doubtless she will 

 continue in the business. 



Dr. E. P. Phillips is now "in charge" 

 of "Apicultural Investigations " in the En- 

 tomology Bureau of the Department of .\gri- 

 culture at Washington, D. C. We learn this 

 from a Government pamphlet on the " Or- 

 ganization of Department of Agriculture, 

 1907," which details the work of the Depart- 

 ment and gives the names of those in charge, 

 etc. The particular paragraph referring to 

 the work in the interest of bee-culture reads 

 thus: 



The importance of the apiarian interests of 

 America are recognized by the establishment 

 of an office for special investigation in this 

 field. Inquiry is under way to determine 

 what crops may be profitably employed to fill 

 the gaps in the honey yield, or to create arti- 

 ficial pasturage tor apiaries, and efforts are 

 being made also to introduce new honey- 

 producing plants from abroad. The different 

 races of bees are being tested to determine 

 their relative availability for this country, 

 and experiments are being conducted in the 



crossing of diilerent varieties looking to the 

 production of a superior honey-producing 

 strain. The diseases of bees are also receiv- 

 ing thorough investigation. 



Dr. Phillips has already proven himself the 

 right man for the place which he occupies. 

 The American Bee Journal will be glad to co- 

 operate with him in his efforts in behalf of 

 the progress of beedom. 



" Songs of Beedom." — This is a beau- 

 tiful 16-page-and-cover pamphlet, 6x9 inches 

 ill size, containing 10 bee-songs— words and 

 music — all the songs so far written specially 

 for bee-keepers, we believe. It is nice, as 

 well as convenient, to have these songs all in 

 one binding. Every bee-keepers' organiza- 

 tion should have copies for use at conven- 

 tions. They could be sold to members after 

 using once, or held by the secretary for use 

 at future meetings. Of course, every bee- 

 keeper's family will want at least one copy. 

 It is sent, postpaid, for only 25 cents, or 3 

 copies for 60 cents; or, we will mail one copy 

 with the American Bee Journal one year — 

 lioth for $1.10. Send all orders to the office 

 of the American Bee Journal. 



Ainerikanisclie Bienenziicht, 



by Hans Buschbauer, is a bee-keeper's hand- 

 book of 138 pages, which is just what our 

 German friends will want. It is fully illus- 

 trated, and neatly bound in cloth. Price, 

 postpaid, SI. 00 ; or with the American Bee 

 Journal one year— both for SI. 75. Address 

 all orders to this office. 



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 «^ flr'€icle>s 



No. 3— Feeding and Feeders 

 —Bottom-Feeders 



BY C. P. DADANT 



The next style of feeders that we 

 will consider is the bottom-feeder. 

 Feeding' under the bottom, on the bot- 

 tom, or in the bottom, is practised con- 

 siderably. Feeding on the bottom, 

 without a feeder, has been practised in 

 two ways, by raising the hive in front 

 so that the feed can not escape through 

 the entrance. It may be done with 

 granulated honey poured between the 

 frames at the back, or if the hive is 

 absolutely tight at the bottom, by 

 pouring liquid food so that it will lie at 

 the back end of the hive. In such cases, 

 the hive must be entirely water-tight 

 and nailed to the bottom-board. It is 

 a very expeditious way. The main ob- 

 jection is that the hive being raised so 

 as to slant backward, the rain may 

 beat in and mix with the feed. This 

 was practised more with the old-style 

 portico hive than with any other, owing 



to the slieller furnished to the alight- 

 ing-board by the portico ceiling. 

 Urgent requirements may be filled in 

 this way with almost no preparation. 

 As to the feeding of granulated honey 

 in this manner, it is objectionable 

 when the intention is to stimulate 

 breeding without necessitating the 

 bees' visit to water supplies, for gran- 

 ulated honey seems to make an in 

 creased supply of water desirable. 



Bottom-feeders are made to be at- 

 tached under the bottom, with a con- 

 nection through a hole with the brood 

 apartment, or may be a part of the 

 bottom-board with an extension on the 

 side at the back so as to be refilled 

 without opening the hive, as in the 

 Alexander feeder. 



The only fault of these feeders is in 

 placing the food below the brood-nest, 

 and sometimes remote from it, as weak 

 colonies sometimes neglect to visit the 

 feeder if the weather is unfavorable. 

 I have often found food untouched in a 

 bottom-feeder, when the colony evi- 

 dently required help. Yet, in many 

 ways those bottom-feeders are com 



