1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE GULEURE. 



61 



vegetation, and the yield of honey from them is 

 very larg(\ In one of these seasons \vi\ found a 

 colony, belonging to a neighbor, located half 

 way between us and the river, hai'vesting a 

 large yield of honey from this source, while our 

 bees harvested nothing. Is it not evident that 

 our bees had not gone that far? Yet we have 

 seen them two miles and more from home in 

 another direction. 



Had we kept as careful records as Mr. France 

 did, we should probably also be able to derive 

 some good lessons from these records; but we 

 are soi'ry to say, that, although we have har- 

 vested enormous crops of honey from our bees, 

 we have been I'ather careless about keeping a 

 record. If we had things exactly as we ought 

 to have them, in the matter of location, we 

 should spread all the upland apiaries a little 

 more, and place them, say four or five miles 

 apart: but ther(> ai'e lands like those Mississip- 

 pi bottom-lands which can support apiaries 

 very close to one another, and make money for 

 their owners. C. P. Dad.^nt. 



Hamilton, 111., Dec. 23. 



[Thanks. These drawings are exceedingly 

 heli)ful and valuable. The Sack apiary, in the 

 diagram, is a remarkable illustration of the 

 fact that the lay of the land has sometimes a de- 

 cided influence upon the bee forage, and that 

 we can not always lay down rules that an apia- 

 ry should be just exactly three or four mile" 

 from each otliei' in all cases. These exceptions 

 are interesting, and there is no way that we 

 can decide where we can locate apiaries profit- 

 ably except by trial. Of course, we can be 

 guided to a large extent by swamps, ranges of 

 hills, proximity to water, etc. You do not 

 give the size of the circles in miles; but from 

 reading your description I can gather pretty 

 nearly that they are about 2}:^ miles in diame- 

 ter. P^rom this the reader can gauge pretty 

 fairly the relative distances. A great many 

 interesting facts are being developed. A. E. 

 Manum has sent in a diagram which we will 

 present to our readers in the next issue.] 



THE MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION AT 

 DETROIT. 



HELD JAN. 1 AND 2. 



While this convention was not largely attend- 

 ed, those present were perhaps among the best 

 and brightest bee-keepers, not only to be found 

 in Michigan, but I think they compared well in 

 intelligence with any we have in the world. 

 One who is accustomed to attend conventions 

 will very readily pick out those who are in the 

 habit of attending either bee-conventions or 

 conventions of any kind. It seems to be some- 

 thing like this: 



The man who has never attended conven- 

 tions, or who has not done so for a great while, 

 is the more apt to be hasty in coming to conclu- 

 sions. He is also, as a rule, more ready to think 

 evil. He imagines that the world is full of cor- 

 ruption, and that even bee-keepers are more 

 intent on finding a chance to steal and not get 

 caught than they ai'e to find some way whereby 

 they can be helpful to their fellow-men. The 

 worthy president. Prof. Cook, has, perhaps, 

 done much to bring about this better state of 

 affairs. How natural it sounds, to hear him 

 say, when some absent member is violently at- 

 tacked, "'Oh, no, my friend! If you knew the 

 brother as well as I'do, you would not think of 

 charging him with such a thing."' 



Sometimes, it is true, he is obliged to admit- 

 that some brother has done a very foolish and 

 possibly a very wicked thing. In such a case 



he repi-oves the guilty on(> in such a gentle, 

 kindly way. and in a way that stirs him to a 

 ti'emendous resolution to do better n(>xt time, 

 that the sjjirit is really contagious. Please do 

 not imagine that he ignores and smooths over 

 all the wrongs that exist in society, or in bee 

 culture, if you clioose. He will sometimes 

 speak right out in the convention, something 

 like tliis: 



'• Now. Bro. , since this matter has come 



up right befoi'e us as it has lo-day. will you just 

 let me say that I have felt greatly pained, 

 many times, to see you go to such extremes in 

 this direction? Here are all these good friends 

 of yours who disagi'ee with you. Now, will you 

 not, foi' tiieir sak(>s, and out of respect to their 

 opinions, withdraw a little from your vehement 

 views, or, at least, put it a little milder?" 



The kindly look in liis face, at the time he 

 speaks, prevents anybody from taking offense: 

 and, in fact, jangles or hard words at bee-con- 

 ventions are unknown when Prof. Cook is ores- 

 ent. During our last convention we discussed 

 many matters where there was pretty strong 

 disagreement; but it was from first lo last char- 

 acterized by a spirit of brotherly love that I am 

 sure every one of us carried home: and I feel, 

 too, that its influence is going to make us better 

 men for a long time to come. 



DOES IT PAY TO USE SUCH LAIJGE QUANTITIES 

 OF f'OMH FOUNDATION? 



You will I'emembei' that this subject has Deen 

 up in the bee-journals, and there has been some 

 intimation that editors interested in the sale of 

 the article may, at least unwittingly, have kept 

 purchasers in the dark. Our good friend R. L. 

 Taylor was called upon to open the subject; 

 and by some means it fell upon myself to ask 

 him some questions. I was somewhat surprised, 

 and a good deal amused, to hear him insist so 

 emphatically that we can not afford to have 

 combs built without foundation. He said that, 

 inasmuch as combs would last us a great num- 

 ber of years, the first cost is but a small consid- 

 eration. He would have the sheets fill the 

 frames. When it came to a I'ising vote, the 

 bee-keepers were almost unanimous in indors- 

 ing his view. Foundation for section boxes 

 brought forth much the same decision. 



The number present who had out-apiaries 

 showed very conclusively that there is a wide 

 difference in the honey-yield in localities only 

 two or three miles distant. A man may have a 

 good yield of honey, while his neighbor three 

 miles away gets almost nothing. This indicates 

 the importance of testing different points in 

 your locality, say three or four miles away. 

 When you strike a point where bees seem to do 

 best, gradually increase the number of colonies 

 until you ascertain how many can be profitably 

 located at a certain point. This will also help 

 us to avoid the disaster of bad seasons. It is a 

 little on the plan of not putting (ill your eggs in 

 one basket. 



ADUI-TEKATEl) LIQUID HONEY. 



It is a sad fact, that there is once more con- 

 siderable spurious honey offered for sale. Sam- 

 ples were on the table, brought from some of 

 the Detroit groceries. One could readily judge 

 by the taste that both cane sugar and glucose 

 were used in getting up the mixture. It was 

 labeled "Michigan Honey." but. of course, the 

 name and address of the party putting it up 

 were not to be found on the label. This alone 

 is a plain violation of the laws of the State of 

 Michigan: and some of us were vehement in 

 demanding that the guilty parties be prosecuted 

 at once. As friend Taylor, however, sat in a 

 thoughtful attitude with his head down upon 

 his hands. I suggested that we hear from him. 



