1056 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15 



ing. [I should really like to know, though, 

 whether honey does contain certain food el- 

 ements that the bees really need, not found 

 in the sugar syrup. During the process of 

 storing in the combs, according to the chem- 

 ists, the bees invert this sugar syrup so 

 that it is just as digestible as any honey; 

 and in saying this I do not wish to carry the 

 impression that the inverted-sugar syrup is 

 also honey. See the article by W. A. Sel- 

 ser, page 1063 of this issue. —Ed.] 



Springs for brood-frames ! I must have 

 been napping, for I don't remember seeing 

 anything about them before the mention by 

 J. A. Green, p. 1014. Why shouldn't they 

 be a good thing, squeezing the frames up 

 together while you sleep ? " They must be 

 made properly, though." What do you 

 mean ? How are they properly made ? 

 Don't hide your light, Jimmy. [I do not 

 remember to have seen any suggestion of 

 springs for the brood-nest before Mr. Green 

 mentioned them. It is my impression that 

 he put it out as an original suggestion 

 of his own. The springs may be all right, 

 but I am of the opinion I should not care to 

 bother with them. I once talked with R. L. 

 Taylor, who, as you know, is a user of the 

 Heddon hive. While the original hive was 

 provided with thumbscrews Mr. Taylor con- 

 sidered their use unnecessary and expensive. 

 If I remember correctly he gave it as his 

 opinion that the closed-end frames without 

 the pressure would separate just as readily 

 as those squeezed tightly together.— Ed.] 



P. Neumann, in Lerpziger Bztg., quotes a 

 Straw from p. 740, and thinks I don't con- 

 sider the different conditions in Europe and 

 here; for instance, that we have to do large- 

 ly with comb honey and they with extract- 

 ed. My good German friend, don't for a 

 minute think that I depreciate the advanced 

 position of bee-keeping across the water. 

 Especially when it comes to theory— upon 

 which all solid practice must be built— I take 

 off my hat to the patient and careful inves- 

 tigators in the fatherland. The only point 

 I was making was that, whereas formerly 

 nothing in the foreign journals appeared as to 

 bee-keeping on this side, now it is the com- 

 mon thing. That may be because our for- 

 eign brethren have become more wideawake 

 to pick up good things, as you say, wherever 

 found; or it may be that more good things 

 are to be picked up here than formerly— prob- 

 ably both. At any rate, many of the for- 

 eign journals now have a bright eye on the 

 lookout for good things to be picked up, of 

 which you are yourself a good example. 

 And it's a good thing that we're thus com- 

 ing closer together all the time. Grusz— or, 

 if you'll let me put it in Western U. S., 

 shake. 



Thanks, Mr. Editor, for the very clear 

 and explicit instructions for accustoming a 

 horse to an automobile, p. 1012. This is 

 really a very important matter; and if those 

 instructions had been known and followed it 

 nii'T-ht have saved two or three serious acci- 

 denis here. Just the day before Glean- 



ings came, with the aid of my good friend 

 Bert Piper I gave a lesson to one of my 

 horses. At his suggestion I led the horse 

 up to see and smell of the machine; then he 

 started it to chug-chugging, standing still. 

 Then he started up slowly, and I walked 

 along beside the auto, leading Beauty by a 

 long hitch-rope. Without stopping I stepped 

 into the auto, letting the horse walk for a 

 few rods, and then the speed was increased 

 to a trot. After going two or three miles 

 it seemed to be an old story, and I don't 

 believe there will be quite the same fear 

 hereafter. [The horses are getting very 

 much used to the automobile in our locality; 

 but occasionally nervous women and crusty 

 old men, by a sudden drawing-up of the 

 lines until they are taut, yanking up the 

 whip, etc., make the horse feel as if some- 

 thing were going to happen, and so he nat- 

 urally looks around to see what the impend- 

 ing disaster is. It is well enough for driv- 

 ers to be prepared; but we should not ex- 

 cite the horse unnecessarily. —Ed.] 





A French writer says the juice of common 

 plantain is the best thmg he has ever found 

 to take away the pain of stings of bees, mos- 

 quitos, etc. As the remedy is sure to be al- 

 ways at hand (or under foot) it might be 

 worth trying. 



xiu 



Bee-keepers generally live to be old; but 

 this longevity is not accounted for solely by 

 the use of honey, but by the inoculation of 

 bee poison, either by breathing it or by be- 

 ing stung. So says Gazette Apicolc on the 

 authority of a French writer. Some have 

 reported themselves as being unfavorably 

 affected by the odor of a hive just opened. 



I'm very sure it was Geo. W. York who 

 first carried into practice the idea of teach- 

 ing schoolchildren something about bees, in 

 the public schools of Chicago. All honor, 

 however, to others who keep up the practice. 

 Children are easily interested in whatever 

 moves, even if that mover makes them move 

 sometimes in a hurry. The nearer our 

 schools can be brought to practical life, the 

 better. 



In U Apicidteur for October, Mr. C. P. 

 Dadant gives a fine summing-up of the honey 

 prospects of the United States for this year. 

 The lateness of the season deters me from 

 translating it, for the actual figures are bet- 

 ter than any prophecy concerning it. He 

 says there is sure to be far less than an 



