794 



C -MEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15 



bent on swarming I would hive them and 

 take them down cellar and keep them 

 there for two or three days, or until they 

 could "cool off." 



OBSTRUCTED ENTRANCES IN THE HEIGHT OF 

 THE WORKING SEASON. 



Attention is drawn to a very suggestive 

 illustration by our artist, Mr. Murray, at 

 the close of the Doolittle article on non- 

 swarming, in thi3 issue, page|823, showing 

 a tangled entrance and one that is free of 

 obstructions. Many and many a time I go 

 through a bee-yard and see dollars being 

 lost, as I view it, just because of a little 

 lack of attention on the part of the owner of 

 the bees. An hour's time with a grass-hook 

 would remove all the obstructions and save 

 days and days of time, to say nothing about 

 torn wings and shortened working capacity 

 on the part of the little bees. 



I remember visiting, some years ago, a 

 yard of quite a prominent writer, and 1 was 

 astounded to see how disorderly every thing 

 appeared to be— hives out of plumb, and en- 

 trances fairly grown up with grass and 

 weeds. It is needless to say that that man 

 did not continue to write for us any longer, 

 for every thmg about his yard betokened 

 any thing but successful management. 



it is not necessary that the whole apiary 

 b J made to look like a city park ; but it is 

 important that the flight of the bees be not 

 obstructed, at least during the active work- 

 ing season. 



WHAT SHALL THE HARVEST BE? 



This is a hard question to answer. I am 

 glad to say, however, that 1 am able to 

 give something a good deal better than a 

 guess. We will start with the extreme 

 western coast. In San Diego Co. , Southern 

 California, there will be a fair crop; but in 

 the region round about Los Angeles the sea- 

 son which promised so well a few weeks ago 

 has not come up to expectations. Indeed, 

 the crop will be light, it is feared, at this 

 writing. 



Central California will contribute its full 

 quota of honey. 



Texas is having a poor season. This is 

 unfortunate on the eve of holding the big 

 convention at San Antonio. Colorado is not 

 doing much apparently. There was a big 

 loss of bees owing to the failure of the crop 

 a year ago. 



The region immediately west of the Miss- 

 issippi appears to be far below the average. 

 Too much drouth seems to be the cause. 



At the present time it is too early to pre- 

 dict what the result will be in the central 

 part of the United States or that territory 

 200 or 300 miles east of the Mississippi; but 

 we have reason to fear that there has been 

 a lack of rain at just the critical time. It 

 is not too late yet for rain to do good; but 

 some bee- keepers are beginning to feel a 

 little blue. 



In the eastern portions of the United 

 States conditions for a honey- flow have been 



exceedingly favorable. Our bee- supply 

 trade has been far heavier than we have 

 ever had it before in all our experience. 

 Had it not been for the lightness of trade in 

 the far West we should have been buried 

 out of sight with orders. 



Taking it all in all, there will be a light 

 California crop and a light flow from Colo- 

 rado, and a scant supply from Texas. Indi- 

 cations are magnificent for a good flow from 

 clover in the eastern portions of the country; 

 but as for the Mississippi Valley, we are in 

 doubt. 



We desire our subscribers to send in pos- 

 tal-card reports, not to exceed two or three 

 lines, describing conditions as they find them. 



After writing the foregoing the following 

 came from our office in Washington, and will 

 explain itself: 



We are continually getting good reports from the 

 Virginias and Carolinas as to this year's honey crop. 

 There seems to be a fine flow over the whole of the 

 South Atlantic States. Around Washington the fre- 

 quent showers have livened up all the clover and other 

 sources of honey, so that there seems to be a fine flow. 

 We get such reports as the following: "Honey seems 

 to be rolling in." "' Linden is just opening up." '" Best 

 honey-flow since we have been in the business." 



Washington, D. C, June 6 H. G. LaRue. 



DR. EDWARD F. BIGELOW. 



We are glad to introduce Dr. Edward F. 

 Bigelow, lecturer, editor, and naturalist, 

 from Stamford, Ct. Among the scientific 

 men who love the study of the bee, we have 

 no greater enthusiast than Dr. Bigelow; and 

 he carries his enthusiasm in his walks, talks, 

 and writing. His enthusiasm bubbles over 

 to an extent that it is contagious, for one 

 can not be with the doctor long without hav- 

 ing his interest in bees renewed to a higher 

 pitch. 



For several years back Dr. Bigelow has 

 been Nature and Science editor of the 

 Saint Nicholas Magazine. Formerly for 

 three years he was editor of Popular 

 Science, and eight years editor and pub- 

 lisher of the Observer Magazine for Natu- 

 ralists. At the present time he is instructor 

 in nature study at teachers' institutes in 

 Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Michigan, 

 West Virginia, and California. He was the 

 originator and director of the first session of 

 the Annual Summer School of Nature Study 

 at the Connecticut Agricultural College, 

 Storrs, Ct. For two years he was director 

 of the Annual Summer School of Nature 

 Study of the Connecticut Chautuqua Associ- 

 ation. For six years he has been director 

 of the departments of Nature Study and Bi- 

 ology at the Castle Private School for Young 

 Ladies, at Tarrytown, N. Y., and formerly 

 held the same position for two years at the 

 Mackenzie Private School for Boys. For 

 eight years he was principal of pubHc 

 schools, and for the past six years has been 

 lecturer of the New York Board of Educa- 

 tion. He has lectured at Martha's Vine- 

 yard Summer Institute for Teachers and 

 elsewhere. He is well known among the 

 naturalists and teachers of the country as a 

 general instructor in nature study; and his 



