340 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15. 



Oreat peace have thev wliioh love thj- law, and nothing shall 

 offend tlieni.— Ps. 119: 165. 



Ox account of the quantity and excellence of 

 available matter we enlarge again to 52 pages. 

 Be sure to read the discussions pro and con on 

 fixed distances and wax secretion in this issue. 



The advantage of having a practical bee- 

 keeper in the halls of our legislatures is illus- 

 trated on page 32(j. A fcnv such laws will iiave 

 a wonderful educational influence in favor of 

 our pursuit. 



During our spare evenings we have been 

 reading with profit and delight the " Mysteries 

 of Bee-keeping," by Quinby. We have been 

 charmed with the magnanimous spirit of Fa- 

 ther Quinliy. 



We must really apologize for calling our 

 friend Georgia H. Ashby. of Albion, N. Y., 

 George H. AslujicaJ, in our N. Y. State conven- 

 tion report. The former says he has been get- 

 ting a great many letters directed to the latter. 



Fixed frames have been and are used In 

 England almost exclusively, among bee-keep- 

 ers; and in looking over the back volumes of the 

 Br(ti.s7(. Bee Ji)uni<il we noticed that our British 

 cousins have tested and tried almost every 

 thing conceivable in the line of fixed distances. 



We have just had a call from Mr. R. F. Hol- 

 termann, who has recently attached himself to 

 the bee-keepers' supply department in the firm 

 of E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Out. Mr. H. 

 was former Secretary of the International Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. He is a bright and pro- 

 gressive bee-keeper, and will be a valuable ad- 

 dition to the Brantford firm. 



One of the biggest pieces of folly is to send 

 for bees long distances, by express. Yon can 

 just as well get improved strains by getting 

 queens bv mail, and introducing them into your 

 hybrid or black stocks. Haven't got any com- 

 mon bees? Buy some of a neighbor— that is, 

 if you want to start in bee-keeping; get a few 

 hives In the flat, of your nearest supi)ly-dealer, 

 and then get your pure Italian stock by mail, 

 wlierever you like. 



Hope is the word engraven on the heart of ev- 

 ery bee-keeper at the beginning of every sea- 

 son. " We are going to have a good season this 

 year," and so preparations are made. Without 

 hope or e\|»i'c(aucy there would be no prepara- 

 tion, and consequently no honey crop. Without 

 bees and proper appliances at the right time, 

 a big honey-flow does not amount to much; and 

 so it behooves us to be ready for whatever may 

 come. 



OuK yellow five-banded bees were the first to 

 be numbered among the dead in winter losses. 

 Our apiarist says the three colonies we had of 

 them had evidently died very early in the win- 

 ter. After all, it may have only happeneil so; 

 but still there seems to be a sort of opinion pre- 

 vailing, tliat the darker bees are better for win- 

 tering and better for honey. The next two 

 years will tell us more about it. A. E. Manum 

 attributes his successful wintering largely to 

 his leathe'r-colored strains. 



Thp: Hubbard section -former is a good ma- 

 ciiine — the best of the kind we know of. We 

 let the one we had in use go for an order — the 

 only one we had. and. oil my I wluit a scold the 

 girls made! They didn't like to go back to the 

 old way of folding sections. We now have 

 plenty in stock. 



'■ Some patent-hive men," says a correspon- 

 dent, '"are like a dog with a bone that has no 

 meat on it — ready to snarl and bite, the more 

 especialh' when the bone is entirely worthless."" 

 This is a very true saying. Does some i)atent- 

 hive man take offense at this? Well, he mustn't 

 put the shoe on, if it doesn't fit. Observe that he 

 doesn't say all patent hive men " are like," etc. 



Mr. F. H. McPiiekson, of the Canadian Bee 

 Journal, whose fall upon the ice was mention- 

 ed recently in Stray Straws, is still unable to 

 resume his duties, and is at present under the 

 medical care of an eminent physician in Toron- 

 to. The accident was more serious than was at 

 first anticipated; but it is hoped that, with a 

 complete rest for a time, he will soon be himself 

 again. We extend our sympathies to Bro. Mac. 



Perhaps some of my friends may accuse me 

 of idaying second horn for Mr. El wood and Mr. 

 Hoffman. Well, if I am. I am in good compa- 

 ny. They are both intelligent and extensive 

 bee-keepers, and they have no ax to grind. 

 Outside of their general interest and the wel- 

 fare of the pursuit, it matters very little to 

 them whether their suggestions are adopted or 

 not. E. R. 



Quite by accident, this seems to besometliing 

 of a topical issue. Notice the discussions, pro 

 and con. on wax secretion, and on fixed dis- 

 tances. No more valuable subjects could be dis- 

 cussed than these. On tiie solution of the wax 

 question hinges the much or little use of found- 

 ation, or the value of a surplus of empty combs. 

 It may not be possible just at present to settle 

 the fixed-distance question; but the discussion 

 shows how honest and good men see things dif- 

 ferently. 



We have received scores of congratulations 

 from friends and bee-ke(>pers all over the coun- 

 try, over the advent of our Easter offering, a 

 baby boy, Leeland Ives. To one and all we ex- 

 tend our hearty thanks. You will pardon us, 

 but we want to copy a little bit from a letter from 

 Mr. Elwood. who, after extending his congrat- 

 ulations, adds: 



Speaking: after tlie manner of bee-keepers, I trust 

 you will find tliat a moderate increase is not only 

 best in .securing- to you tlie greatest iimount of the 

 hiiney of life, but equally g-ood in maintaining- the 

 old stocks in tlio gieatest vigor. P. H. Elwood. 



Starkville, N. Y., April 4. 



DEATH OF MR. COWAN, SON-IN-LAW OF I,. L. 

 LANGSTKOTH. 



Dar Friend: — My soii-in-law, Hugh C. Cowan, left 

 us this Sabtiath morning- for tlie better woild. His 

 health gave wa.v more than a jear ago, and for the 

 la.st few months lie has been couflned to the house. 

 His disease was eonsuniiition. He died in the bless- 

 ed expectation that, when alisent from the body, he 

 should be "present with the Lord." 



Yours attectionately, 



Dayton. ()., March 23. L. L. Langstroth. 



Dear friend, it is not a sad thing to die when 

 one dies in the blessed faith, as mentioned in 

 the above. Neither is it, in one sense, a sad 

 thing to bid adieu to these friends— certainly 

 not when we think of what severe trials it must 

 be to those who live and die without any faith 

 whatever in a kind and loving Providence. 

 May God be with you and sustain you all, as I 

 know he will. We are very glad, friend L., to 



