August, 1907. 



American Hee Journal 



"Forty Years Among the Bees." 



The following letter has been re- 

 ceived ; 



Editor York: — Dr. Miller says in 

 "Starting in Bee-Keeping," page 523, 

 that if you get only one book on bee- 

 keeping you can not go amiss to get, 

 etc. ; then names other books than 

 "Forty Years Among the Bees," as if 

 they are better for the amateur bee- 

 keeper. I believe the Doctor does him- 

 self and his own book an injustice in 

 that article, as I own several of those 

 same books and I value his book as 

 highly as any of the others; and when 

 I want to look up something right 

 quick, I always look at his book first, 

 and I believe I get just as much inform- 

 ation as is wanted. F. P. Daum. 



This correspondent is not the only one 

 who has thus expressed himself, and 

 while for him the book in question may 

 be as valuable as any other — even if in- 

 deed it should be more valuable — Dr. 

 Miller insists that for a first book the 

 beginner should have one of a more gen- 

 eral character, his book being rather 

 supplementary, in his opinion. It is 

 probably a fact, however, that any bee- 

 keeper who already possesses one or 

 more of the text-books would find it 

 money wisely invested to procure a copy 

 of Dr. Miller's book. Some new kink 

 found therein, or some old truth pre- 

 sented in a new light, may be worth 

 many times the cost of the book. This 

 book, which is cloth-bound, and has 344 

 pages, is mailed from the office of the 

 American Bee Journal for $1,00; or with 

 the Bee lournal one year — both for 

 $1-15. 



Opportunities of Today 



This is the name of a new, high-class 

 monthly magazine built upon entii ely 

 new and original lines, which makes its 

 initial bow to the public with the Septem- 

 ber number. As its name implies, the 

 publication will deal with bringing to the 

 notice of opportunity seekers, the many 

 and various chances for wealth and 

 home-making that are opening through- 

 out all the LFnited States. 



The home of the new magazine is the 

 entire I'th floor of the Majestic Build- 

 ing, 73 and 75 Monroe St., Chicago, 

 where Mr. R. L. Bernier, the editor and 

 publisher, has surrounded himself with 

 a thoroughly experienced and competent 

 staff of assistants. Advance sheets of 

 the publication indicate that no expense 

 will be spared to make it one of the 

 most striking and elaborate pieces of 

 work of its kind ever published in this 

 country. The first issue will represent 

 an expenditure of very nearly $30,000. 



.-Agriculturists will be particularly in- 

 terested in the articles which will ap- 

 pear from time to time, dealing with the 

 advanced ideas of farming, the develop- 

 ment of farm and stock lands in the 

 various parts of the continent, and the 

 irrigation and reclamation of lands, and 

 in fact everything pertaining to the pro- 

 ductions of the countrv. 



RuAKUR.^ Statk Apiary. New Zealand. 



progress of bee-culture in New Zea- 

 land : 



The Report of the Department of Ag- 

 riculture of New Zealand for igo6 shows 

 the vitality of bee-keeping in that coun- 

 try since bees were first landed in New 

 Zealand; now she has her expert in 

 the national department of agriculture, 

 has an experimental apiary, with an as- 

 sistant. Miss L. Livesay, in charge. All 

 this, and more, in a few years. 



The State Apiary, at Ruakura, Auck- 

 land, is Mr. Hopkin's — Apiarist of New 

 Zealand — latest move. In September, 

 1905, he started with 32 colonies on the 

 farm, "most of which were weak," he 

 says. The following season was back- 

 ward, which, notwithstanding, "we in- 

 creased, by dividing, to 46, 40 of which 

 have been Italianized; and we secured 

 about half a ton of honey." This shows 

 that some one knows how. The station 

 is soon to have its honey-house, plans 

 for which are included in the report. 



"An Apiaries Bill" has been intro- 

 duced in order to check the spread 

 of brood-diseases, which exist from 



one end of New Zealand to the other, 

 says Mr. Hopkins, and must be eradi- 

 cated if bee-keeping shall progress. To 

 quote again: "One prominent bee-keep- 

 er, who now owns a hundred colo- 

 nies, says that until the Bill is passed, 

 he will not keep more than a hun- 

 dred colonies; but when the Bill be- 

 comes a law, he is prepared to increase 

 to 5,000." 



New Zealand surely has the natural 

 resources; she seemingly has the :ight 

 sort of men to harness them. She has 

 made a vigorous start; there is a good 

 example in her methods for the Ameri- 

 can bee-man. Just now, in various 

 parts of the United States, we are run- 

 ning hard up against the disease prob- 

 lems. The sooner they are attacked 

 with some such progressive spirit, as 

 that of New Zealand, the better and 

 the easier they will be controlled. This 

 comes home to many of us, and has the 

 feeling of "at-homeness to the New 

 Zealander." Keep your eyes open to 

 progress. Burton N. Gates. 



Worcester, Mass. 



W^ Our 

 1^1^ • Keeping V 



^aiti^/^'^^''- 



Conducted by EMMA M, WILSON. Marengo. 111. 



Hybrid Bees vs. Italians 



Bee-Keeping in New Zealand 



We have received the following from 

 Mr. Burton N. Gates concerning the 



Dear Miss Wilson : — Is there an- 

 other sister who can give us a little of 

 her experience with Italian bees? In 

 the American Bee Journal everybody 

 and everything is all Italian bees. My 

 experience with them for the past 3 

 seasons has been that I never want any 

 more — in my locality, at least. 



To begin with, 3 years ago, I had 

 a queenless colony. I sent for a se- 

 lected tested Italian queen from a well- 

 known advertiser in the American Bee 

 Journal. I was only a beginner at the 

 time, and wanted to go slowly and 



surely. I paid $2.00 for the queen and 

 successfully introduced her. By the end 

 of the season she had reared an excep- 

 tionally large and fine colony. But only 

 about 2 sections of surplus honey, and 

 they were all built crooked, and not at 

 all nice. And they were the ugliest 

 colon}' of bees }-ou ever saw. I was 

 very much surprised at this, as in all 

 my reading in regard to Italians, every 

 articl'e pronounced them much more 

 gentle than black or hybrid bees. I laid 

 tins fact to their being queenless for 

 about 2 weeks before I found it out. I 

 thought to myself that next season they 

 will be all right. 



