FEBRUARY 15, 1916 



under such conditions. The facts are, snow 

 is one of the best non-conductors of heat 

 or cold. The hive is wholly protected from 

 the wind, and temperature is quite even. 

 Snow is soon melted around the sides of 

 the hive ; and if a colony is fairly strong it 

 comes thru all right. 



That article taken from the Weekly Xrws 

 Letter, page 1045, Dec. 15, on sweet clover, 

 is of great value to all interested in the 

 growth of this plant. I am surprised how 

 rapidly the interest in this plant is increas- 

 ing. I remember well when I first sowed 

 alsike-clover seed, probably the first sown 

 in Vermont, forty-nine years ago this com- 

 ing spring, and I hoped it might help us 

 out when there was little Avhite clover; and 

 now for the last five years it has saved us 

 from ruin. I believe the sowing of sweet 

 clover in meadow and pasture will prove 

 another help in the right direction. 



141 



thin syrup they will weigh less. Whether a 

 pound of sugar syrup of the same density 

 as honey will go further is another ques- 

 tion. 



* * * 



The death of Henri Fabre seems like the 

 loss of a personal friend. He was one of 

 the most fascinating writers of my acquain- 

 tance. Every beekeeper surely ought to 

 read of his painstaking experiments. The 

 history of his early life is as interesting as 

 any story well can be. In one of his books 

 he tells how he began making observations 

 as a child. He had discovered the sun in 

 the heavens, and he wanted to know how he 

 could tell this fact, so he shut his eyes and 

 opened his mouth ; then he opened his eyes 

 and shut his mouth, and knew for a cer- 

 tainty that he was able to recognize the sun 

 thru his eyes. " How foolish ! " we say ; 

 but it was thru just such painstaking, care- 

 ful observations in later life that he gave 

 us a mass of information about insect life 

 that will enrich the world for all time. 



J. H. Lovell tells us, page 1040, Dec. 15, 

 that hawkweed was introduced into this 

 country from Euiope some fifteen or twen- 

 ty years ago. May be he is right ; but if so, 

 there must have been an earlier introduc- 

 tion, for it has been growing in this vicinity 

 for more than forty years. But that does 

 not make it respectable. It is a bad weed. 

 It not only sends out a host of tiny winged 

 seeds to cover new territory at a distance, 

 but sends out creeping roots to make new 

 plants near by. I know of no waj' to get 

 rid of it in rough pasture land but to lime 

 and sow to sweet clover, a good growth of 

 which will smother it and furnish a lot of 

 good feed at the some time. (Oh, yes! I 

 remember now — salt is said to kill it.) 



There seems to be quite a mix-up of ideas 

 between Dr. Miller and the editor on Grace 

 Allen's question in regard to the amount of 

 sugar syrup to take the place of a given 

 amount of honey for winter stores, Jan. 1. 

 Dr. Miller says, page 3, that 5/7 of a pound 

 of sugar in syrup will equal a pound of 

 honey. I believe, doctor, you are mistaken. 

 If we add 2/7 of a pound of water to 5/7 

 of a pound of sugar we shall have a syrup 

 that is a little over 28/100 water, while 

 honey is only 17/100 water; besides, the 

 bees will consume more or less in storing 

 I lie syrup in their combs and getting rid of 

 the surplus water. I hav^e found by exper- 

 iment (weighing) that a colony will not 

 weigh any more two weeks after being fed 

 than the amount of sugar fed them. If fed 



On page 928, Nov. 15, E. F. Atwater 

 gives his opinion of eight and ten frame 

 hives and following boards. I wish every 

 manufacturer of hives would read what he 

 says, and take it to heart, particularly in 

 regard to eight-frame hives and division- 

 boards. Let me quote : " As the eight- 

 frame hive has room for eight frames and 

 a thin division (not over % thick) it is 

 seriously faulty. That flimsy worthless 

 follower is one of the worst nuisances ever 

 put into a hive." (Italics my own.) He 

 says further : " If propolis is at all plenti- 

 ful the ditision-board is often broken when 

 being removed, and sooner or later is left 

 out entirely, and the self -spacing feature of 

 the frames destroyed entirely." 



Now, that just hits the whole subject 

 squarely on the head. I just wish those 

 who send out such hives had to open them 

 as the inspector has to in the presence of 

 the owner. I never ask who makes their 

 hives; for if I knew I fear I should never 

 think of them just the same again. In the 

 hands of a large majority of beekeepers 

 they are not a movable-comb hive at all, 

 and they no more think of taking the frames 

 out of their hives than they think of taking 

 their heads off when they go to bed. Per- 

 haps I have said enough; but the sugges- 

 tion of Mr. Atwater is a good one, that, 

 instead of eight frames and a flimsy follow- 

 ing-board, better make all ten frame and 

 use but nine frames and a substantial fol- 

 lowing-board that can be taken out without 

 tearing it to pieces. 



