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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



lieve that the Southern bees require more 

 watching than those of the North. 



In localities like Virginia, Tennessee, and 

 other States lying in about the same latitude, 

 it might be advisable to use double-walled 

 hives ; but we do know that the majority of 

 bee-keepers in that latitude winter their bees 

 successfully in single-walled hives ; but I be- 

 lieve it is the general practice to place on top 

 of the hive a super containing chaff, leaves, 

 planer-shavings, or some good warm packing- 

 material ; then if the colony is not very strong 

 it is advisable to place a chaff division-board 

 on each side of the cluster. In all cases the 

 bees should not be given a larger cubic capaci- 

 ty than they can comfortably fill with bees 

 spread out as they usually are on a day when 

 the temperature is not below 70 F. 



In Colorado it is customary to winter in sin- 

 gle-walled hives. A shallow cap or tray con- 

 taining an inch or so of packing is placed on 

 top of the hive. Very often, for further pro- 

 tection, a sort of shed or roof, as shown in our 

 issue for July 15, this year, with its back to 

 the prevailing winds, is built over a row of 

 hives. The Colorado bee-keepers are troubled 

 some with sandstorms, and with fierce piercing 

 winds ; and while the temperature may go 

 down below zero, it is not likely to remain so 

 for more than a few hours, when one extreme 

 will be changed for a temperature of 60 or 70 

 F., and the bees flying. For such conditions 

 double-walled hives, and an excess of packing- 

 material has been found to be not at all neces- 

 sary in Colorado. 



UTTER VERSUS UTTER ; THE BEE-KEEPING 

 INTERESTS OF NEW YORK THREATENED. 



For the last week or ten days clipping after 

 clipping relative to a celebrated bee-suit in 

 New York resulting in a verdict against the 

 bee-keeper and in favor of the fruit-grower has 

 been sent in to us, asking what we or the Na- 

 tional Bee-keepers' Association was going to 

 do about it. The case was promptly referred 

 to General Manager Secor, who, it appears, 

 had already taken the initiative by authorizing 

 an appeal, and pledging $100 toward securing 

 a reversal of the judgment of the lower court. 



Mr. Secor explains his own action as fol- 

 lows : 



wide notoriety has been given through the daily 

 and weekly press to a lawsuit between two brothers 

 near Amity, N. Y., one a bee-keeper and the other a 

 peach-grower. The fruit-grower alleged that the 

 bees belonging to his brother, the bee-keeper, de- 

 stroyed or lessened his crop of peaches. The case 

 seems to have been one growing out of former family 

 feuds, and was, therefore, fought bitterly, but not 

 thoroughly. While the public has no interest in fam- 

 ily or neighborhood quarrels, the bee-keeping frater- 

 nity does have an interest in truth and justice. The 

 case was tried before a justice of the peace, and from 

 reports of the evidence presented by defendant the 

 bees were fairly exonerated; but the court decided 

 against the bee-keeper, and rendered judgment for 

 825.00 and costs. 



Notice of this suit came to me, as General Manager, 

 but too late to get in the proper evidence to rebut the 

 allegations of the plaintiff. Therefore I have author- 

 ized an appeal to the County Court, and have pledged 

 one hundred dollars toward fighting it. The defend- 

 ant is a poor man, which may have had something to 

 do with the failure in the lower court, as he could not 

 afford to employ the best legal counsel, or procure the 

 attendance of expert witnesses from any distance. 



I am assisting the attorneys in obtaining evidence, 

 and hope to get a reversal of the lower court. I mere- 

 ly want to let the bee-keept.rs know that the National 

 Association is not dead or asleep. The Association 

 can not afford to let such a decision stand, and will 

 fight it the bitter end, if I have any authority in the 

 matter. Eugene Secor. 



Forest City, Iowa, Sept. 17. 



I believe every bee-keeper in the land, es- 

 pecially the members of the Association, will 

 commend the action of the General Manager ; 

 for this is one of the most important cases that 

 was ever brought before it, and it is very es- 

 sential that the verdict of the lower court, so 

 inimical to the interests of bee-keepers, should 

 not be affirmed by the higher court. We had 

 considerable correspondence with Mr. Secor, 

 and know he has taken a very active interest 

 in the case, and will see that expert witnesses 

 are furnished whenever they may be needed. 

 A. I. Root himself has offered to pay his own 

 expenses, and testify for Mr. Utter the bee- 

 keeper, should his services be desired ; and I 

 doubt not that other bee-keepers will be glad 

 to respond in like manner. In New York 

 there are two directors of the Association in 

 the persons of Mr. W. F. Marks, of Chapin- 

 ville, and Mr. P. H. Elwood, of Starkville. 

 Both of these gentlemen will be able to ren- 

 der expert testimony. Mr. Marks is a fruit- 

 grower as well as a bee-keeper, and Mr. El- 

 wood is one of the best-informed bee-men in 

 the State. 



The bee-keeping interests of New York are 

 very extensive ; and if an adverse decision 

 should come from the higher court, it might 

 mean the wiping-out of the industry in many 

 important sections, and seriously handicapping 

 it in others. 



It is unfortunate that this case should arise 

 out of what was probably an old feud, and 

 from spite work. The fruit-grower, if I under- 

 stand the case, is much better fixed financially 

 than his brother the bee-keeper ; and it goes 

 without saying that he will undoubtedly fight 

 his side of the case to the bitter end. It is not 

 a question, apparently, whether the bees are a 

 nuisance, but whether one brother will be able 

 to " get even " with the other. If this is the 

 case, then I see no reason why the bees should 

 not be exonerated from all blame, for from 

 the newspaper reports there was no real testi- 

 mony offered proving that the bees did punc- 

 ture the fruit or " sting the trees." If given 

 a fair chance we can easily show the absurdity 

 of both propositions. 



To show how the general press of the coun- 

 try regard the decision of the judge (or justice) 

 who decided against the bees and the possible 

 consequence of that decision upon the bee- 

 keeping industry, I give here just one sample 

 from the Lewiston Journal, Maine. It reads : 



A WONDERFUL DECISION. 



A New Yolk judge has delivered a decision that 

 renders the owners of bees liable for damages for 

 trespass on the property of other people. This is a 

 case of justice run mad. Should it be su.staiiied in 

 the higher courts and extended to other States it 

 would simply kill the bee industry. We can control 

 our cattle and sheep but we can not control the flight 

 of bees. It is clearly evident that the fools are not all 

 confined to the common classes. When judges get to 

 rendering such decisions as this it is high time for 

 them to step down and out, so as to make room for 

 some one possessed of common sense. 



