(Clesuniiimgg ie Bee Cmlttiire 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



A. I. Root, Editor Home Depnrtment J. T. Calvkrt, Business Manager 



H. H. Root, Managing Editor E. R. Root, Editor A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager 



Entered at the Postoffice, Medina, Ohio, as second-class matter 



VOL. XLII. 



OCTOBER 15, 1914 



NO. 20 



EDETOEIAL 



We believe that there are few places in 

 the world where there is such an institution 

 as a " bee-market," for, except under cer- 

 tain rather peculiar circumstances, there 

 would hardly be an occasion for any thing 

 of the kind. In Holland, however, there is 

 a flourishing market in bees, which is an 

 annual affair. This is described by Hans 

 Matthes, on page 804, and is illustrated on 

 our cover for this issue. 



Wijiterieg in Lar| 

 fer Ca§e§ a h 

 We are making our plans to winter one 

 yard of bees in some of those large winter 

 cases, four hives to the case, the same as 

 used by R. F. Holtermann and others of 

 Canada. We shall also put a certain number 

 of colonies in tlie same yard in regular 

 double-walled hives, with the view of com- 

 i:)aring the difference between the two lots 

 of bees. The results will be given later. 



(iiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiitiiiiMinitiiiiitiitiiiit 



In Straws in the issue for Oct. 1, Dr. 

 Miller believes that honey is worth 5 ets. 

 per lb. more as a winter food than sugar 

 syrup. While we believe the doctor's esti- 

 mate is high, there may be some truth in 

 his contehtion. If it were not for the dan- 

 ger of bee disease, the low price of cheap 

 honey would make an added reason for 

 using honey in place of sugar. However, 

 there are probably many beekeepers who 

 have medium-grade extracted of their own 

 that they know to be free from any possible 

 infection. Such honey can readily be fed 

 to bees at a considerable saving; but all 

 honey intended for winter food should be 

 of the very best quality. Honey-dew honey 

 and aster honey are of doubtful value. 

 While bees may winter on them sometimes, 

 it is attended with some risk. Such honey 

 should be used for spring feeding and early 

 fall feeding to raise young bees. 



In feeding honey it should be diluted 



with water half and half. We have been 

 feeding up one yard on Porto Rican honey. 

 This was selected not only because it was 

 cheap, but because no bee disease has ever 

 been known in Porto Rico, and for a year 

 or two back there have been very strict 

 ciuarantine regulations on the importation 

 of bees and queens to Poi'to Rico. The 

 bees fed on this Porto Rican article have 

 built up very satisfactorily, and have done 

 well — better than those hauled to the 

 swamps. 



tt§ in the Nei^ 

 or a 



liborliood of 



Elsewhere in this department the state- 

 ment is made that we charge up our bee- 

 yards, in moving bees from point to point, 

 the rate of 10 cts. a mile. To the uninitiated 

 this looks like a very heavy charge. The 

 question might be asked if we could not 

 move the bees for less money per mile if we 

 were to use a larger truck. The cost would 

 be somewhat less per colony, it is true, but 

 there would be a correspondingly larger de- 

 preciation expenss, and wear and tear on the 

 more expensive tires. But the same man who 

 would operate a small automobile truck 

 could run a larger one. But the big machine 

 would be unwieldy if used in going to and 

 from the yards for light loads, and for the 

 great bulk of the hauling would be too 

 slow. Most of the loads can be accommo- 

 dated on the small truck with the additional 

 advantage of less cost of upkeep and great- 

 er sjDeed. 



In this connection, every one who buys an 

 automobile truck or a pleasure vehicle 

 should understand very clearly that the cost 

 of operation does not stop at the first cost 

 of the machine and the price of gasoline 

 and oil consumed per mile. The principal 

 expense is the depreciation and tires. An 

 average set of tires will run from three to 

 four thousand miles, and cost $100 per set. 

 This mileage is the average for one year. 

 The average automobile will cost about 

 $1000, and the depreciation the first year 



