66 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



and each morsel, whether meat, fish, or bread, was 

 dipped into it before being conveyed to the mouth. The 

 people often mixed honey with milk, either sweet or 

 sour, for drinking. From honey also was made a kind 

 of liquor called mead, very sweet and slightly intoxicat- 

 ing. This was considered a delicacy: and a visitor was 

 often treated to a drink of mead immediately on arrival. 

 As bees were so abundant, beeswax, as might be ex- 

 pected, was turned to account for lighting purposes. 

 In some of our old records we find wax candles men- 

 tioned as being used in the houses of the richer classes 

 <in Dinnree for instance) long before the fifth century. 



The general tenor of the European bee 

 journals, especially French and German, at • 

 the close of the old year indicates much 

 interest in all lines of apicultural progress. 

 Great conventions are planned for the entire 

 year; important experiments are being tried 

 in bee manipulation and in curing bee dis- 

 •eases; new plans for disposing of honey 

 •crops are being warmly discussed ; and as 

 the years go by there is evident in Europe 

 what might be called an Americanized way 

 of doing things so far as bees are concerned. 

 While the old straw skep holds its own fairly 

 well in some places, especially in countries 

 as cold as Germany, the square box is be- 

 coming more and more a familiar feature in 

 pictures of German apiaries. The rapid 

 intercommunication among nations to-day is 

 causing them to be more and more alike. 

 It would be quite impossible to judge from 

 a photograph nowadays whether it repre- 

 sents a convention of German, French, 

 Dutch, English, Irish, or American bee- 

 keepers so far as clothing is concerned, as 

 there is nothing characteristic about any of 

 them so far as national garb is concerned. 

 This leveling-down process indicates prog- 

 ress among all ranks, and is causing the 

 thrones of kings to stand no higher than the 

 rocking-chair of the peasant. 



It shall be my endeavor to give to the 

 readers items of interest as adapted more 

 particularly to the Southwest, although occa- 

 sionally other matters of interest to the 

 readers, not strictly pertaining to bee-keep- 

 ing in the southwestern territory, will be 

 dwelt upon. But to make this department 

 a creditable one I shall have to ask for the 

 hearty co-operation of the bee-keepers. 

 Write me about your experiences, or on any 

 subject that may be of interest to the bee- 

 keeping fraternity ; and by boiling down 

 such matter it can be used and imparted to 

 others. Thus you will not only be benefit- 

 ing others by giving your experience, but 

 yourself by getting the experience of others 

 in return. 



^' 



Some of my bee-keeping friends may want 

 to know where I have been located for the 

 past several months, judging from the many 

 letters to that effect, as some had written 

 that it had been rather hard for them to 

 keep track of me; therefore I thought a few 

 words of explanation would not be out of 

 the way here, especially since I want to 

 hear from these friends occasionally since 

 this department has been started. 



Since the first of October I have been here 

 in Columbus, Ohio, attending the Ohio State 

 University as a special student in zoology, 

 entomology, and botany, which are all re- 

 lated to bee-keeping. After March the 

 readers will find me at my old place in the 

 South, with the Agricultural and Mechanical 

 College, at College Station, Texas, where 

 the work in the department of entomology 

 and the experiment apiary will be resumed. 

 My address now is No. 76 West Frambes 

 Ave., Columbus, Ohio, where I shall be glad 

 to have you send your correspondence. 



Beekeeping iiN THE Southwest 



BY LOUIS H-SCHDIL CPU Fr.F STATION TEXASl 



INTRODUCTION. 



By way of introduction I wish to say that, 

 after some correspondence and a recent 

 conference with the editor of Gleanings, 

 arrangements have been made whereby the 

 Southwest, that great portion of country 

 of the United States so well known for its 

 extensive bee-keeping and honey- production, 

 will be favored with a department in this 

 journal, and the writer will, for a time at 

 least, fill the place of the editorial writer of 

 this department. 



The bee-keepers of the great Southwest 

 ought to be glad of this favor of Gleanings, 

 and I hope that they will appreciate it, as 

 they surely will, and that they will all jom 

 in making this new department of much 

 interest and value. 



A question of great importance that should 

 be kept before every bee-keeper is, "Have 

 you ordered your necessary bee-supplies for 

 the coming season ? and will you be pre- 

 pared for the honey-flow when it does come ? 

 Although many have had occasion to learn 

 that it is good policy to prepare every thing 

 ahead of time, yet there are many who will 

 forget or neglect the matter, only to be 

 caught again by a heavy honey-flow, but 

 without ^pers for the bees to store it in. 



Now is the time to get your hives, supers, 

 foundation, and other supplies ; and during 

 these wintry days every thing should be 

 made ready for next season's work. There- 

 fore I ask again, * ' Have you ordered your 

 supplies? and will you be ready for the 

 honey-flow when it comes?" 



It is gratifying to note the sentiment of 

 the members of the National Bee-keepers' 

 Association in favor of meeting in San 

 Antonio, Texas, next time, and I am glad 

 indeed that such is the case. Of course, it 

 remains for the Executive Committee of the 

 Association to decide upon the place ; but I 

 think it is safe to say that all the bee-keep- 



