July 15, 1911 



J. E. CRANE, Middlebury, Vt. 



419 



On page 260, May 1, the editor advises the 

 use of no adjective before the word honey. 

 A good point. 



•*- 



The picture of Wesley Foster's cow, page 

 248. April 15, shows very plainly that her 

 diet agrees with her, and we believe it would 

 with a very large number of other cows and 

 "horned cattle" if they only had a chance 

 to use it. 



A CORRECTION. 



On page 298, May 15, I am made to say, 

 "Why is it that among the many r/icans 

 found in magazines now, one never sees 

 honey and warm biscuit mentioned for the 

 tea-table ? " It should be men us, not means. 

 -^ 



That "bee-sieve" Mr. Greiner tells of on 

 p. 171, ■March 15, is worth a year's subscrip- 

 tion, and I will try to make one at once be- 

 fore I forget about it. Suppose one has a 

 dozen dark queens to look up, and it takes 

 half an hour each, as it often does, several 

 hours' time would be saved when it is most 

 valuable. 



BULK HONEY NOT PRACTICABLE IN THE 

 NORTH. 



After reading Mr. Mollett's article, page 

 298, May 15, I came to the conclusion I 

 should become a bulk-honey enthusiast if I 

 lived in the South, where the honey does 

 not granulate; but here, where it will be- 

 come solid in a few weeks, I rather think 

 our way is the best. 



-^ 



BEES AND HORTICULTURE. 



Wesley Foster, after telling of the inter- 

 est those who keep bees take in other in- 

 sects asks if it is not just a Itttle queer to 

 be interested in bugs, bees, and Howers, 

 page 264, May 1. No, sir: it is not queer at 

 all. But it is queer that our race should 

 have cared for bees so long, and nev- 

 er, until recently, found out the true rela- 

 tionship of bees to flowers, to say nothing 

 of other insects. If the Author "of all life 

 has so ingenousfy created all the little crea- 

 tures we see on every hand, shall we not see 

 his purpose and their use in the economy of 

 nature? I used to wonder, when I saw a 

 little attenuated insect with two wings, of 

 what use it could possibly be; but when we 

 had a scourge of forest worms these insects 

 could destroy them quicker than an army 

 with banners. Let us try "to think his 

 thoughts after him." 



SLEEPING OUTDOORS. 



In a recent number of Gleanings INIr. 

 Wesley Foster tells of an arrangement for 

 sleeping out of doors. More and more is 

 fresh outdoor air appreciated as a means of 

 gaining and retaining health. But one of 

 the blessings of sleeping out in the open air 



or with open windows I have not seen 

 named, and that is, the enjoyment of the 

 grand concert or chorus of bird songs that 

 begins about 3:30 in this latitude, and lasts 

 for nearly two hours, and is one of the most 

 enjoyable things that come with spring. 

 Indeed, it might also be called an endless 

 chorus, for it begins on our New England 

 coast with the early dawn, advancing west- 

 ward with advancing twilight until it has 

 crossed the continent, up the northwest coast 

 across Alaska, across the continent of Asia, 

 and still westward until it reaches the broad 

 Atlantic nearly twenty-four hours later. If 

 the birds thus blindly give of their best to 

 the great Author of life, how much more 

 may we who have thought and reason show 

 forth our gratitude for all we enjoy! 



CARBOLIC -acid SOLUTION FOR PREVENT- 

 ING ROBBING. 



"Carbolic Acid in Spraying Solutions 

 Would Have No Effect " is the heading of 

 an article on page 221, April 1, by B. C. Au- 

 ten, in which he proves to his own satisfac- 

 tion that the odor of carbolic acid has no ef- 

 fect whatever on the bees. It looks as though 

 he had sat down on me. If I can't get him 

 off I am going to "holler" until every bee- 

 keeper in the country can hear me. Now, I 

 do not suppose that, if bees had "got a go- 

 ing" in cleaning out a hive the odor of a 

 little carbolic acid would stop them; or if 

 thirsting to death that a little odor would 

 stop them; but I do say that, in handling 

 bees when forage is short, and they are in- 

 clined to rob, the use of a spray, or sprinkle 

 of a strong solution of carbolic acid, promises 

 to be very heljjful in preventing robbing. 



For those with few hives who can do their 

 work near night, or those whose yards per- 

 mit the use of a tent, it may be of little val- 

 ue; but for those who must work almost 

 constantly, without regard to other condi- 

 tions, I feel that it would prove of great val- 

 ue. Mr. A. W. Gates, of Hartford, Ct., who 

 called my attention to it last year, said that 

 with the use of it he covild work with perfect 

 safety with bees, inspecting for foul brood, 

 without regard to w hether honey was com- 

 ing in or not. I tried it with satisfactory 

 results late last year, when looking over my 

 bees. Where the acid was used, robbers 

 would leave a hive almost as soon as closed, 

 and not keep trying every crack and corner 

 for an entrance. I received a letter from 

 him a day or two ago, in which he called 

 my attention to it and its value in inspect- 

 ing for foul brood. I might add that Mr. 

 Gates is one of the most intelligent bee- 

 keepers of Connecticut. Now, I wish a large 

 number of bee-keepers would try it, not for 

 the purpose of stoj^ping robbing after they 

 get at it in full force, but before they begin, 

 and see if it doesn't prevent it. I wish Mr. 

 Gates might be persuaded to give his expe- 

 rience along this line. 



