890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



*.R. ROOT 



Extra pages again. 



That man Hutchinson of the Review 

 knows how to dish up seasonable bee-stuff. 



The American Bee Journal is getting out a 

 good report of the Philadelphia Convention. 

 The paper of Prof. Wiley, United States Chem- 

 ist, is especially valuable. 



In next issue we expect to give pictures of 

 the two best-looking editors in all beedom. 

 (The representatives of Gleanings will not 

 be in it of course). Good-looking girls will 

 vie with them in — in good looks on other 

 pages. 



In our next or Christmas number we expect 

 to show some of those prize pictures of pretty 

 girls hiving swarms of bees. Old bachelors 

 need not put in their applications, because I 

 have made a solemn promise not to give their 

 names. 



All empty combs not in the hives should 

 be put in moth-proof boxes, hives, or rooms, 

 where the temperature is liable to go down to 

 freezing or lower. Combs after a good freeze, 

 and kept away from further visitation of 

 moths, will be safe until wanted again. 



We shall go into winter quarters with near- 

 ly 300 colonies. We winter exclusively out- 

 doors, packed in chaff or planer-shavings. 

 We have not much preference for one over the 

 other, although, as a matter of fact, we use 

 the shavings because they can be very readily 

 obtained. 



More of an effort should be made by bee- 

 keepers to educate consumers to the palata- 

 bility of candied honey. In many a bee- 

 keepers' home the white solid honey is pre- 

 ferred even up. It spreads better on bread, 

 does not muss up whiskered mouths, and the 

 small children can eat it without smearing 

 the table-cloth. 



While this journal is going to our readers 

 I shall probably be in attendance at the Colo- 

 rado State Bee-keepers' convention at Denver. 

 I go with my largest and best camera, prepar- 

 ed to shoot any thing or anybody that stands 

 in the way — that is, provided they are good- 

 looking, you know. My ! but I onl} 7 wish I 

 had the time to run up northward and shoot 

 prairie chickens. I am very fond of that kind 

 of " snap shot." 



I Take this opportunity to thank the many 

 friends who have spoken so kindly and favor- 

 ably of the new edition of the A B C of Bee 

 Culture. 



If there is any one thing in the new edition 



that has met with the hearty approbation of 

 bee-keepers in general, it is the fact that I 

 have endeavored to give, carefully and faith- 

 fully, the views of others, even when their 

 practices are opposed to my own experiences. 



COMB HONEY IN COLD WEATHER. 



Be sure to warn the groceryman, or any one 

 else who handles your honey, to keep that in 

 the comb, at least, in warm dry rooms. A 

 room subject to freezing temperature should 

 never be used for the storage of comb honey. 

 Freezing cracks the cappings, and when the 

 room warms up again it will sweat like a 

 pitcher of cold water on a summer's day. 

 Unsealed comb honey receiving such treat- 

 ment will also be ruined. The "sweat" will 

 mingle with the honey, thinning it so it will 

 sour. The commission man is supposed to 

 know all this, while your local grocer may be 

 utterly ignorant of it. 



THE NEW ARRIVAL AT THE HOME OF THE 

 HONEY-BEES. 

 I Fully intended to tell something about 

 the latest baby at Rootville ; but Bro. Hutch- 

 inson has got ahead of me. This is what he 

 has to say : 



Ernest Wynne Boyden is the name of a new little 

 boy that came November 2d (the 21st birthday of our 

 twins) to gladden the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. L- 

 Boyden. of Medina, Ohio. Mr. Boyden is the Michi- 

 gan young man who went down to Medina a few 

 years ago, became one of the business managers for 

 The A. I. Root Co., won the heart and hand of Con- 

 stance Root, or " Blue Eyes," fis Mr. Root used to call 

 her in Gleanings, has since become one of the part- 

 ners in the company — and now has a boy, as well as 

 the rest of them. Congratulations, Arthur. 



DR. MASON ON THE SPELLING REFORM. 



Dr. A. B. Mason has not a little to say in 

 the last Bee-keepers' Review in favor of the 

 shorter forms of spelling proposed for Glean- 

 ings. In winding up he says, "I am going 

 to vote, even if it does cost a cent ; and still I 

 have a sort of feeling that a postal card is 

 hardly large enough for my emphatic ' go 

 ahead ; and among other improvements in 

 Gleanings, improve your spelling.' And 

 now I am wondering whether the staid and 

 methodical Review will fall in line." But, 

 dear doctor, we have not " fallen in line" yet. 

 We are going to wait long enough to get full 

 returns from those who desire to express them- 

 selves on this question. I said a while ago, 

 that only one protest against the change had 

 come in ; but now six more may be added to 

 the list, notwithstanding " yes " votes are still 

 coming in. There are so many of the latter 

 now that I can not give space to them. 



"GADDING ABOUT THE COUNTRY." 



Somebody was criticising Mr. W. Z. Hutch- 

 inson for " gadding about the country " when 

 he ought to be at home "tendin' to his knit- 

 tin'." While it is a splendid thing to be 

 punctual with periodicals, yet it seems to me 

 it is almost absolutely nececssary for the editor 

 of a bee-journal to skirmish around among 

 his friends and — his enemies to get his own 



