328 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



BEEKEEPING EN CAUEOENEA 



K C, C 



On page 137, Feb. 15, the words " lumber 

 pines " should read limber pines. I make 

 this eon-eetion because the pines at that 

 elevation are not fit for lumber, being of a 

 very scrubby growth. 



« « « 



GOLDENS SHOWING UP WELL. 



The golden queen that was at the head of 

 my best producing colony last year is still 

 doing fairly well at the middle of her third 

 season. As a breeder she is worth much, 

 and will be used for that purpose. I have 

 goldens and leather-colored, but am decid- 

 edly partial to the goldens, not alone be- 

 cause they are bright, but because they are 

 producing results, and are attractive besides. 

 * * * 



IMPORTANCE OF PLENTY OF COMBS. 



There is nothing that increases the yield 

 like plenty of combs to catch the raw nec- 

 tar. A colony that has to wait for a super 

 of combs to be finished ready for extracting, 

 to give it more room, is losing valuable time. 

 A friend, whom I consider one of the best 

 beekeepers in the South), said to me the 

 other day, " If I had plenty of empty 

 combs I could get from a third to a lialf 

 more honey during the season." This gen- 

 tleman has not lost a colony in two years. 

 [See article by R. F. Holtermann, and foot- 

 note on page 331, this issue, that supports 

 your position. — -Ed.] 



FEEDING IN THE SPRING. 



Arthur C. Miller, page 131, says, " Stim- 

 ulative feeding for spring should always be 

 done in the fall," which reminds me of a 

 time in my boyhood days when my mother 

 instructed me how to feed the pigs corn. 

 She said, " Give them ten ears for supper 

 and ten for breakfast." I gave them twenty 

 ears for supper so they would need none 

 for breakfast. Mother thought I had a 

 wrong idea of the matter, and so I think of 

 Mr. Miller. [To make your illustration 

 entirely parallel, should you not compare 

 the feeding of bees in the fall to the putting 

 of corn in the corn-crib? The bees do not 

 eat all of that syrup in the fall; they put 

 it in the combs and keep it for future use. 

 —Ed.] 



« « « 



TOO MUCH FREE ADVERTISING. 



I entered an agreement with a western 

 fruit and farm journal to furnish an article 

 for each month's issue. The first month I 



wrote on "The Relation of Bees to the Fruit 

 Industry." For the second issue I submitted 

 some of my ideas on hives, frames, etc. My 

 copy was returned with the following letter : 

 " Purely from the advertising standpoint, 

 don't you think the ijublicity given the 

 Langstroth hive and the Hoffman frame is a 

 little too great for a free notice? I do and 

 would ask you not to mention the names, 

 or else give me another article." 



I felt faint when I received the letter, but 

 recovered in time to write the editor that it 

 would be impossible for me to furnish more 

 copy if I could not be permitted the use of 

 common terms. This man is doubtless a 

 success as an editor; but when it comes to 

 bee lore he does not know even common 



terms. 



» * * 



HONEY-CROP PROSPECTS. 



My last report spoke of weather condi- 

 tions not being favorable for honey-gath- 

 ering at that date, April S. Cloudy condi- 

 tions i^revailed more or less until April 10, 

 since which time the weather has been ideal 

 for gathering honey. The orange bloom is 

 now about gone, with the yield far below 

 expectations, due to the fact that the season 

 for orange " beat the bees to it," but would 

 not have been so bad had the weather con- 

 tinued warm instead of the many cloudy 

 weeks we had. But " what is one man's 

 gain to another man's loss? " With the 

 cloudy days came rain which gaye new life 

 to all vegetation, and undoubtedly extended 

 the blooming period of the button sage. At 

 the time tlie button-sage bloom was being 

 held in check by the cool weather, there 

 were millions of bees hatching to add to the 

 gathering force as soon as the weather 

 cleared. Those depending on the orange 

 alone ''lost out" with the weather; but 

 where sage was the main source a benefit 

 has been the result. 



The button sage is yielding heavily, and 

 colonies that are ready for the harvest are 

 doing a land-office business. I believe we 

 shall get at least four more weeks of flow 

 from it. which will add greatly to our out- 

 put. Then if the white sage should yield 

 well, which now seems probable, it should 

 add two or three more weeks to our heavy 

 flow. Oh for the bees! but an enormous 

 crop of sage honey will be impossible this 

 season for lack of bees in condition to gath- 

 er it. Some apiaries will liarvest a large 

 crop, while otliers a few miles distant will 

 return but little. 



