52 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. l."i. 



wrote ail article hi answer to the question, 

 which was. in substance, as follows: 



The reason was. on account of narrow top- 

 bars. I gave, for instance and proof, that, if our 

 top-bars were very narrow, say }4 inch or less, 

 that the bees would of necessity extend their 

 cells out past them, and, as a natural conse- 

 quence, would build the combs upward on each 

 side of the top-bar. and fasten them to the sec- 

 tion-case; therefore I argued tliatwide top-bars 

 would be the remedy. 



Now, It is txseless to say that I am pleased to 

 note that the narrow top-bar has proved, as I 

 said several years ago, to be the trouble. Some 

 lay great stress on ihicli top-bars: but I think 

 that, after it is thick enough to prevent sagging. 

 any greater thickness avails nothing. As to the 

 widtli of the top-bar, it depends on how far the 

 combs are spaced from center to center. If 

 spaced 19^, the top-bar will do 1^\^ in. wide: but 

 if spaced l}i. they should be not less than Ih 

 inches wide.' I think the new thick top-bar. as 

 you now make it with molded comb- guide, is a 

 great improvement, as also your improved Hoff- 

 man frame. 



It is encouraging to see the improvements 

 that have come up in the last few years. I have 

 often been amtised to see the younger Root tak- 

 ing up with the improvements of the times, and 

 breaking oft' from many of the appliances that 

 the older Root has hung on to so tcnju-ionsly for 

 these many years: but as improvements come up 

 we riuist take advantage of them or we shall be 

 left in the race. W. S. Vaxdkuff. 



Waynesburg, Pa. .Jan. 4. 



[Even the younger Root, wliile disposed to ac- 

 cept new things, has opposed some ideas that, 

 afterward, he was very glad to accept. Some 

 of us require more proof tiian others.] 



THOS. G. NEWMAN AND DR. MILLER ON 

 ESSAYS. 



AVITH A GOOD PRE.SIDEXT THEY AKE X(»T NEED- 

 ED FOK f ONVENTIOXS. 



Essays at conventions are sometimes quite 

 unnecessary, as they were at the late conven- 

 tion at Chicago. At some conventions, we know 

 that th(>y are not only desirable, but very neces- 

 sary. Dr. Miller, in the last Gleanings, in his 

 usual happy vein, writes thus on this subject: 



AVheii Newman, of the American Bee Jnurnal, 

 cliaiiges his mind, he makes no bones of saying' so. 

 Foimei'iy he aig'iiert tliat essays at a convention 

 were essential. Now lie says, in the most unreserv- 

 ed manner: "The Northwesleni was a convention 

 without essays, and it was a c'harining' success. 

 Tliere was no want of subject-matter to discuss, and 

 no la_'k of eutlnisiasin." 



It was only the doctor's extreme modesty 

 which prevented him from quoting the whole 

 item. The r(>st of it. on page 709. reads thus: 

 •■ With sucii a president as Dr. Miller, no essays 

 or programs are ever needed." And that is the 

 i<ey to tlie situation. 



If tile president is thoroughly capable of be- 

 ing the i)rogram himself— if lie'is"full and run- 

 ning over"' with subject-matter— if he is so 

 well acquainted with the iiKMiiliers as to grasp 

 instantly their individual opinions and views, 

 so as to call out a fnll discussion, by continually 

 suggesting that Mr. .So-and-.so ■■ holds a diffei'- 

 ent view, and we should like to hear from him 

 on the subject." or words to that effect— then 

 neither program nor essay has any place in such 

 a meeting. 



I'resident Miller is so much at home as chair- 

 man of a bee-keepers' assembly thai he knows 

 how long to cairy on a discussion —in what 

 channel to direct it. when to stop, so as not to 



weary the membei'S, and has a happy manner 

 of saying so — that he is a whole convention in 

 himself, including essays and program. 



The doctor's extreme modesty led him into 

 this '• expostxre," and he must not now com- 

 plain. So far as the item in Geeanings was 

 concerned, it did not represent us correctly 

 without the last sentence — and so it was neces- 

 sary for us to correct it. 



Dr. J. W. Vance wisely remarks thus in the 

 Wisconsin Farmer, on this subject: 



The American Bee Jmirual says tliere were UO' 

 essays read at tlie recent meeting of tiie Northwest- 

 ern Bee-keepers' Association, and yet tliere was no 

 lack of sul)ject-maiter for discussion, nor want of 

 eutliusiasm. The convention was an eminent suc- 

 cess. The editor adds: '"With such a president as 

 Dr. jVIiller, no essays or programs are needed." 



Iain inclined to thinlt too many or too lengthy 

 essays are not g'ood for our annual meetings. Gen- 

 erally we have had g'ood essays, but the greatest in- 

 terest of the meeting' has centered uiion the dicu.s- 

 sions, which often liad to lie cut short when at tlie 

 most interesting' point. 



Essays should lead only far enough to suggest 

 points for discussion, and in that way they are 

 very good. But if they overpowiu' and crowd 

 out disctission. tliey are worse than useless. — 

 Amerie(tti Bee Jnurual. 



ABSORBENTS OR NON - ABSORBENTS 

 OUTDOOR PACKING FOR "WINTER. 



FOR 



WHO WAS THE FIRST TO PROPOSE LETTING THE 



BEES SEAE THE COVERS TIGHT FOR 



WINTER? 



Frieitd Root: — I have been much interested 

 in reading your review of G. R. Pierce's book, 

 ••The Winter Problem in Bee-keeping." and 

 your experiments along this line. I beg to call 

 your attention to my articles in the American 

 Bee-keeper, whicli were commenced in the 

 Bee World. On page 1(34. American Bee- 

 liceper for November, you will see that I there 

 used almost the identical ideas you have ex- 

 pressed. This was before you or friend Pierce 

 either ever made public the idea of having a 

 board sealed down ovei- the bees. Please give 

 me credit in your next issue for being the first 

 to publish this idea. I also said that the pollen 

 theory cut no figure in my locality. To save 

 you the trouble of hunting up the item I clip 

 from the Bee World the same item, with the 

 points to which I b(»g your att(Mition specially, 

 marked. This article first appeared in the Bee 

 World for July. ISltl. Give credit to whom it-is 

 due. It was original with me. 



T. K. Massie. 



Concord Church. W. Va.. Dec. :i'S. 



We have made an extract from the article re- 

 ferred to in the American Bee-keeper, which is 

 as follows: 



The l)ox-lii^-e brethren " rob" their bees In June, 

 or eail>' i)ait of Jul.\ . Tlu' head is tlien nailed on 

 tight and daubed around witli nioitar. The bees 

 also go "chinking'" up the cracks and crevices on 

 tlie inside with propolis, so that, t>y the time cold 

 weather comes on, the hives are just about air- 

 tight, a iifl upward ventilation is an impossiliility. 

 Tlie sealing of proi)olis is not broken in the fall to 

 remove pollen, or for an.^• other ))iii'pose. The bees, 

 as previously stated, come out strong and healtliy 

 in the spring. From tliese facts I have drawn the 

 conclusion that the pollen theory and upward ven- 

 tilation cut no tlgure in the winter in'obleni ill my 

 localit.v. It nia.v lie said that the box hives luue 

 the larg-er entrance, and therefore more ventilation 

 at the Ixittom. True; liut this is easy to remed.v, 

 and it seems to me Dr. Tink(>r is a long step in ad- 

 \ance in this respect b.v this arrangement for ven- 

 t ilatiiig' his liix'es through the bottom of his winter 

 case. 



