56 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



March 



would get the honey and money that 

 is due them. 



When you pick up one of our first- 

 class magazines you see everything 

 else advertised except honey. Then 

 we are foolish enough to wonder why 

 we cannot get anything for our honey. 



We use all our brains and energy 

 to produce, and there we quit. It's 

 wrong. 



I know you are tired, so once more 

 I will say don't, don't, don't sell for 

 less than your price, and be good to 

 your product. 



Grant, Fla. 



THAT FRAME OF FOUNDATION. 



By Adrian Getaz. 



I AM ACCUSED of colliding with 

 Mr. Poppleton's opinions. 

 I don"t see it. That's altogether 

 a question of view point. Mr. Pop- 

 pleton looking at that comb of founda- 

 tion from the standpoint of an ex- 

 tracted honey producer, while I was 

 writing from the position of a comb 

 honey raiser. 



An extracted honey producer is sup- 

 posed to have plenty of built combs, 

 and all he has to do is to give enough 

 of them to accommodate both sui-plus 

 and brood. There is absolutely no 

 need of giving foundation except when 

 he needs more combs. 



But the comb honey raiser is alto- 

 gether in a different position. He can 

 give only foundation in the sections 

 instead of combs already built. When 

 the honey flows come there is no room 

 yet in the sections to deposit the honey. 

 Then the honey gatherers put it in the 

 brood-nest as fast as the brood 

 emerges, disputing the cell,s to the 

 queen. Eventually swarming occurs 

 as the result of such a condition of 

 affairs. 



Now, we take out a comb and give 

 a sheet of foundation. It takes the 

 bees some time to draw the foundation, 

 further more the queen can lay in the 

 cells as soon as they are stretched, 

 while they cannot be used for holding 

 honey until they are about an eighth 

 of an inch longer. These two causes 

 enable the queen to keep up with the 

 comb-builders and fill the comb with 

 eggs. 



As I said, the object in view is to 

 prevent swarming. As long as there 

 is plenty of brood to feed, the nurse 



bees will not waste their time on queea 

 cells. 



Giving an already • built comb will 

 not answer. The thousands of honey 

 gatherers contained in the hive would 

 fill it with honey at once before the 

 queen could even make more than a 

 beginning at egg-laying. 



Knoxville, Tenn. 



AVIIiTSHIRF BAL.LAD. 



The Harnet and the Bittle. 



A harnet sat in a hollow treie, 

 A proper spiteful twoad wur he; 

 And he merrily sung as he did set. 

 His stinge as sharp as a bagouet. 

 Oh! who's so bowld and vierce as I 

 I vears not bee, nor waspe, nor vly. 



A bittle up thuck tree did dim, 

 And scornfully did look at 'im. 

 Says he: "Sir Harnet, Avho guv thee 

 A right to set in thuck there tree? 

 Although you zing so nation (very, ex- 

 tremely) vine, 

 I tell-'ee it's a house o' mine." 



The harnet's conscience felt a twinge. 

 But growin' bowld wi' his long stinge; 

 Says he: "Possession's the best law, 

 So here thee shasu't set a claw. 

 Git out and leave the tree to me, 

 The mixen's (dunghill) good enough 

 for thee." 



Just then a yuckel (woodpecker) pass- 

 in' by. 

 Was axed by them their cause to try; 

 Thinks he, 'tis very plain to see, 

 They'll make vamous munch for me. 

 His bill was sharp, his stummic leer, 

 So up he suapt the caddlin' (quarrel- 

 ing) pair. 



(Moral.) 

 All you as be to law inclined. 

 This leetle story bear in mind; 

 For if to law you ever go, 

 Be sure they'll alius sarve you so. 

 You'll meet the fate of them there two. 

 They'll take your cwoat and carcase 

 too. 



— T. P.'s. Weekly. 



I like The American Bee-Keeper 

 very much, and think it is improving 

 all the time.— Geo. B. Howe. 



Windbreaks in winter are beneficial. 



