1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



811 



Later. — Since the foregoing was written I 

 have had a talk with our neighbor, Vernon 

 Burt, who says his bees are still storing 

 honey slowly from peavine and white clover. 

 He thinks they will continue to do so, from 

 the amount of forage in sight, till Septem- 

 ber. He further believes that his bees have 

 been doing even better than they were two 

 or three weeks ago. Those who are located 

 in the clover belt, where there is still con- 

 siderable white clover in bloom, as well as 

 peavine and common red, will do well to 

 look to their bees and see what they are do- 

 ing. Do not give up yet. You may get a 

 fair crop of honey. The recent rains, which 

 appear to be general, came just as it was 

 beginning to get a little dry. Queer season 

 this. 



COLORADO HONEY CROP ALMOST A TOTAL 

 FAILURE. 



Just as we are closing up the forms the 

 following comes to hand: 



Dear Sir:— To this date there has been no improve- 

 ment in the honey situation worth mentioning. Have 

 not heard of a single super being taken off the hives in 

 all of Northern Colorado. It begins to look as if we 

 would come nearer to having a total failure of the 

 honey crop than any time before. F. Rauchfuss, 

 Mgr. Colorado Honey-pioducers' Association. 



Denver, Colo., July 28. 



I hope every one of our readers (whether 

 they have sent one before or not) wdl send 

 in a one-sentence report— not more than 

 that— on a postal card as soon as this issue 

 is received. Do not delay it one minute. 

 This is very important to you as well as to 

 your brethren in the craft 



A COUPLE OF VISITORS AT THE HOME OF THE 

 HONEY-BEES. 



We had a call from the Rev. Dr. D. E. 

 Lyon, of Matawan, N. J., one who has lec- 

 tured considerably on bees., and who has 

 been and is now writing a series of articles 

 for various magazines on the subject. He 

 is an expert photographer, and the reader 

 will probably find his communications with 

 his photos in several of the leading maga- 

 zines. One of his articles will appear soon 

 in Coiintrij Life in America. He took a 

 number of photos here, some of which will 

 later be given in these columns. 



We also had a call from Dr. E. F. Phillips, 

 of the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington. He has charge, during the absence 

 of Mr. Benton, of the Division of Apicul- 

 ture. Dr. PhilHps is peculiarly well fitted 

 for his position, being a post-graduate uni- 

 versity man, a trained entomologist, and 

 last, but not least, a bee-keeper. 



THE GREASY WASTE SMOKER FUEL AGAIN. 



We have received quite a number of let- 

 ters of commendation for the suggestion 

 made editorially on page 704, July 1, regard- 

 ing the value of greasy waste, oily rags, 

 and the like for smoker fuel. From reports 

 it would seem that there is any quantity of 

 this stuff thrown away that can be obtain- 

 ed by bee-keepers simply for the asking. 

 Whether or not there are local machine- 



shops and printing-offices where this fuel 

 can be obtained, one can usually get all he 

 requires by walking up the track a mile or 

 two and gathering up the waste that is usu- 

 ally scattered along here and there. This 

 will also be found more particularly near de- 

 pots and other places where there are side- 

 tracks. Where none of the materials spoken 

 of can be obtained, one will usually be able 

 to get some old gunny sacks by going to 

 warehouses where grain is bought and 

 phosphate sold. 



The reports all agree that the waste or 

 rags do not creosote the smoker; that the 

 smoke is clean, lasting, and very effective; 

 and. what is of considerable importance, is 

 readily ignitable. 



ANOTHER "HOLDUP," BUT THIS TIME BY A 

 SWARM OF BEES. 



We clip the following from the Cleveland 

 Press: 



A SWARM OF BEES PARALYZES DETROIT'S TROLLEY 

 SYSTEM. 



In Detroit, on July 7, a swarm of bees lit on a trolley 

 wire at Michigan Av. and Griswold St., the heart of the 

 city, at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon, blocking the 

 entire street-car service for a time. 



A thousand people were attracted to the scene. A 

 section of the swarm, loosened by a jar on the wire, fell 

 off in a mass on the pavement, while the crowd stepped 

 back with the greatest haste. Hundreds of the bees 

 flew into the passing street-cars, while the passengei's 

 frantically fanned the air in fear, and it was not until a 

 man who had seen bees "housed" before, arrived on 

 the scene with a small wooden box on a long pole that 

 the excitement subsided. 



In a crowd of a thousand people I should 

 suppose some "bee-man" might have vol- 

 unteered in a very short time to take the 

 bees out of the way. The fear of bees, like 

 that of automobiles and a good many other 

 things, is largely because the people do not 

 understand the "critters." The more you 

 know about any enemy, real or imaginary, 

 the less there is to be feared. 



^6i^A/fis.£.ff. ffAFFORD!^^^ *^ 



Wonderful Honey-bee! thy tireless industry 



Inspires my song. 

 Light as a summer breeze 

 You flit 'mid flowers and trees 



The whole day long. 



Warrior and architect, you build and you protect 



With skill and care. 

 No forcing law or creed. 

 Yet for thy country's need 



You do and dare. 



None in thy humble home lives for himself alone 



In human greed; 

 Ceaselessly to and fro. 

 E'er to supply ye go 



The common need. 



Why should not human kind, so helpless, weak, 

 and blind. 

 Learn this from thee— 

 That, in our common good. 

 When rightly understood. 

 Safest are we? 

 Paw Paw, Mich., May 19. 



