1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1147 



80 pounds of comb honey as the average sur- 

 plus for each colony in the spring, while at 

 the end of the eighth season my average 

 yield per colony was I663 pounds. During 

 these years I had read, studied, and practiced 

 all of my wakeful hours about bees, having 

 great fun and enjoyment in doing the same, 

 and this was brought about by those winter 

 evenings when I began to read up on the 

 subject. Many and many have been the 

 nights when I was awake from one to three 

 hours planning how to accomplish some re- 

 sult I desired to achieve in regard to the 

 practical part of apiculture, which, with the 

 help of what I had read, caused me to ac- 

 comphsh what I had sought." 



' ' Well, that sounds good. But what shall 

 I read?" 



"During tho?e years, and all which have 

 passed, I have found that, if I would suc- 

 ceed, as far as possible I should read mainly 

 those books and articles which come from 

 the pens of practical bee-keepers — those 

 whose ideas come from their daily work among 

 their bees, rather than from theorizing 

 while sitting at the writing-table, for the 

 former are the ones who make a success of 

 their calling, and tell just how they do it." 



"I think that is right." 



"Yes, certainly. If you wish to learn 

 farming, to whom do you go — to the man 

 whose farm is allowed to grow up to weeds 

 and briers, with buildings unpainted and 

 fences down, or to the man who produces 

 good crops each year, has his fences up in 

 good shape, with his buildings in attractive 

 style and in good repair? To the latter, of 

 course; and just so should you do in bee-keep- 

 ing." 



"But all do not write for the papers, do 

 they?" 



" I am well aware that many of our most 

 practical bee-men do not write for publica- 

 tion, and for this reason we can bring in vis- 

 iting during the winter as another help along 

 the line of our qualification. ' ' 



"But would not these practical men con- 

 sider it a bore for a novice to visit them and 

 ask questions?" 



"Very likely, if we confined this visit 

 wholly to asking questions for our benefit. 

 When you go to visit any bee-keeper, make 

 it a visit by imparting something as well as 

 receiving something. And don't try to get 

 too much at once, for a little well learned is 

 much better than having so many things 

 come before you that you do not remember 

 any of them. Then there are bee conven- 

 tions we can attend, which are mainly held 

 during the fall and winter months, and for 

 the special purpose of gaining knowledge. 

 All of these things are great helps to us, 

 and should be eagerly sought, as they will be 

 if we have a natural qualification for the call- 

 ing we have chosen." 



"I think I agree, for the one bee conven- 

 tion I have attended I enjoyed very much. 

 But what about your thinking I was not 

 right about not making more hives, etc., 

 this winter?" 



"I can not help thinking you are making 



a mistake here, as many have done before 

 you." 



"How is that? You would not advise 

 making up a lot of hives till I am sure I 

 shall need them, would you?" 



"The question, it seems to me, should be, 

 ' Am I to continue in the bee business? If 

 so, then I must be prepared for a full honey- 

 harvest from the number I have now; other- 

 wise that/«// honey-harvest may come and 

 find me napping.' " 



" But suppose my bees should die." 



"I will answer that by asking, 'Suppose 

 they should all live?' When you found this 

 out in May or June, you would order supplies. 

 The supply man would be ' full of orders ' at 

 that time, and you might not get them till 

 the harvest was on, and you too busy to 

 make them. No, no; the time to do these 

 things is in the winter, then you will be sure 

 in the matter; and if your bees should hap- 

 pen to die, the hives will be ready when you 

 want them ; for if you are to stay in the 

 business you will want them some time." 



"I guess that is right, after all. How 

 many do you calculate for?" 



"My plan has always been to prepare 

 hives to the number I wish to increase my 

 colonies to, should the coming season be the 

 best, and sections to the amount of 125 pounds 

 for each colony I have in the fall." 



"And do you do this as early as this?" 



' ' Yes, I do all of this preparing during the 

 winter months, getting every thing all in 

 perfect order before the season opens, so 

 that, when the time for active labor arrives, 

 I shall not be handicapped by not being in 

 readiness for any ' downpour ' which may 

 happen to come." 



"Well, I must be going now. These 

 thoughts are new to me, but I guess they 

 are along the right line after all." 



There was a large and enthusiastic con- 

 vention of the Minnesota State Association 

 at Minneapolis, Dec. 7 and 8. I will endeav- 

 or, in our next issue, to have a report of it. 



SIDELIGHTS FROM THE ST. LOUIS CONVEN- 

 TION, FOOD FRAUDS AND FOOD 

 OFFICIALS. 



Another paper that was listened to with 

 marked attention was one by Prof. E. N. 

 Eaton, Pure-food Chemist, of Chicago. It 

 was a matter of pride with him, he said, 

 that he had attended bee-keepers' conven- 

 tions regularly for ten years; and although 

 he never owned a bee in his life he had re- 

 ceived a great deal of benefit from every 



