1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



223 



Eight extra pages again. 



So far bees have wintered most excellently, 

 and reports generally throughout the country 

 indicate the same thing. But, hold on ! It is 

 sometimes more difficult to spring than to win- 

 ter bees. We shall see how it will be this 

 spring. 



We are having a very warm, wet, muddy 

 March. If this warm weather continues much 

 longer I shall be fearful for results later. 

 There never was a truer saying than that 

 "when March comes in like a lamb it goes out 

 like a lion ; " and it is then that the bees catch 

 it — especially the brood. 



THAT BLIND EDITOR. 

 Some chap in the Ainericafi Bee Journa/, 

 referring to my early disapproval and subse- 

 quent approval of the plain section, accuses 

 me of being blind when I zi'ant to be blind, 

 and of being able to see when I want to see. I 

 take it that this is a polite insinuation that, 

 when it is to the interest of our supply trade 

 to recognize the merits of a good thing, I am 

 loud in my praise of the thing in question ; 

 and that, when it is not to the interest of our 

 supply business, then I am very iiiitin. Naugh- 

 ty York, not to put on his name and address/ 

 I wish I could just catch that fellow wiihout a 

 name. I would show him that even /le looks 

 through a glass darkly, for it is very evident 

 he fails to see that I have not been as naughty 

 as he thinks. However, I will forgive him, 

 for, though not committing himself directly, 

 he apparently thinks the plain section and 

 fence a good thing. 



BEE-VEILS FOR THE KLONDIKE. 

 We have been selling hundreds of bee-veils, 

 and especially the globe bee-veil, for use at 

 the Klondike. When we heard the)' were 

 selling like hot cakes, for a region that is sup- 

 posed to be colder than most inhabited locali- 

 ties in the world, I wondered what they were 

 for. Then I was told they were to keep off 

 " skeeters," for they are actually thicker there 

 than in Florida and other mosquito-infested 

 countries. The worst part of it is, they are 

 mammoth in size, and can take a horrible 

 bite. If reports are correct, it is something of 

 a problem to know what to do with dumb ani- 

 mals because of these same blood-suckers. 

 The report does not say whether they are bad 

 during that season of the year when the mer- 

 cury is below zero ; but a " tenderfoot " would 

 suppose they are troublesome only at that sea- 

 son when the weather is warm, if there is such 

 a thing as zvarm in the Klondike. 



the American Bee Journal, and among other 

 things he says: 



I also growl about the way in which vou and Glkan- 

 iNGS, and perhaps other bee-paper.s and correspond- 

 ents, sometimes hint at or tell on dishonest commis- 

 sion men. Jf a commission man does a crooked piece 

 of business, and it is publi.-hed without his name, 

 what good is done the unsophisticated country sucker 

 who buys your paper, and also swallows the plausible 

 buncombe and flattering testimonials of Wheadoti, 

 Horrie, ct al., except to make him suspicious of all 

 commission men ? What's the use of putting us on to 

 'em after the police have chased 'em out of town and 

 closed up their business ? 



Editor York replies after this fashion : 



Experienced publishers, and honorable ones, too, 

 have some respect for libel laws, as well as for other- 

 good laws. We can not publish all that we would, 

 sometimes. 



Mr. York has hit the nail on the head. Un- 

 fortunately, we as publishers can not even tell 

 the truth in regard to what we are morally cer- 

 tain is truth, unless we can prove the truth by 

 affidavits or other undeniable facts. For in- 

 stance, I may know positively, in my own mind, 

 that a saloon-keeper is selling liquor illegally; 

 but to prove it would be another thing. I may 

 be pretty well satisfied that a commission 

 house is tricky anl dishonest ; but to come out 

 broadly with the statement might render us 

 liable for heavy damages in a libel suit, for the 

 reason that we might not be able to produce 

 the evidence necessary to satisfy the jury or 

 the court before whom the case might be tried. 

 So the next best thing we can do is to " hint 

 at or tell on dishonest commission men " in a 

 general way. And very often this is all that 

 is necessary. For instance, a snide house may 

 have a very plausible and apparently honest 

 appearance ; but a bee-journal can often un- 

 cover the swindling schemes they are about to 

 launch forth, i. e., how the wolf has put on 

 sheep's clothing. Whenever that honest (?) 

 old ram comes around, bee-keepers will be able 

 to recognize at once the " true inwardness " of 

 the " baste," whether under the name of A, B, 

 C & Co. or X, Y, Z &.Co. 



Sometimes we do get hold of enough proof 

 that is strong enough to warrant us in giving 

 names and particulars, but more often not. 

 Most of the dishonest rascals are just " slick 

 enough " to cover up their tracks far enough 

 so that a publisher dare not reveal their swin- 

 dling schemes in connection with their names. 



By the way, I somehow have a sort of in- 

 ward feeling of rejoicing to know that Bro. 

 York comes in for his share of "kicks and 

 growls." Misery loves company. 



THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. 

 Mr. J. M. Jenkins, of Wetumpka, Ala., 

 gives some good-natured kicks and growls at 



ventilating BOTTOM-BOARDS. 



Two or three issues ago I asked for sugges- 

 tions in regard to the construction of bottom- 

 boards that give better ventilation than even 

 our Danzenbaker board with deep entrance ; 

 for quite a number, among whom was Dr. Mil- 

 ler, seemed to think that an entrance the full 

 width of the hive, and "s deep, was not 

 enough ; that, even when the hive was raised 

 up an inch on four blocks, giving an inch 

 space on the two ends and two sides, this was 

 none too much. In response to my request, 

 various ideas were submitted. From among 

 the lot I selected out a few of the best. 



