192 



classes of the rural districts 

 said to be very wholesome. 



While it niaj- be wandering some- 

 what from the subject of bees, to 

 which the American Bee-Keeper, 

 sticks closer than any otner bee-paper 

 in the country, our readers may be 

 interested to learn that the cabbage 

 is rather a wonderful tree, sTnce it 

 affords the material necessary for the 

 building of a very comfortable house, 

 as well as supplying something 

 for the table in the way of 

 ■'vegetables" and honey. Its tall, 

 and exceedingly straight trunks 

 make a substantial wall for a log 

 house, while its huge fan-like leaves 

 make a first class roof; the only v:x- 

 pense being that of labor. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



and is 



Septembei 



COMPARATIVE TESTS OF NEW 

 AND OLD FOUNDATION. 



The following is from the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal of July 27, and was 

 written by Mr. J. A. Green, of "Some- 

 where in Colorado:" 



"Doolittle and other bee-keepers 

 have used old foundation, and have 

 found that the bees usea !t all right. 

 Does not that prove that old founda- 

 tion is as good as new? By no means. 



Take notice that Doolittle says that 

 all the foundation used by him for 

 15 years has been put into the frames 

 or sections during the months of De- 

 cember, January. February and 

 March, then stored away until used. 

 Will he tell us what he has had to 

 compare this foundation with? All 

 that his practice really proves is that 

 bees will use old foundation, some- 

 thing that T think no one will ques- 

 tion. But it would give scarcely a 

 hint as to what was the preference of 

 the bees. 



Experience has made me a little cau- 

 tious about this, though, and I never 

 give a colony a full super of old sec- 

 tions. Instead, I divide the super, 

 putting half the old sections into an- 

 other super and then filling both with 

 sections containing foundation as 

 fresh as I can conveniently get it. 

 They are always put in in a certain 

 way, the new sections all on one side 

 of the super, the old on the other, and 

 I can always tell at any time not only 

 which supers are prepared this way, 

 but can alwaj^s tell which of them are 

 the old and which are the new sec- 



tions. I have done this for man 

 years, having each season from 20 t 

 100 supers prepared in this way. Now 

 as to results: 



In nearly every case, except whe 

 the bees have been crowded into th 

 supers by a heavy flow of honey th 

 bees will start on the new section 

 first. Occasionally they will mak 

 quite a start on them before they wi 

 touch the old ones, but usually, in a 

 ordinarily good honey-flow, there wi 

 be only a little difference, just enoug 

 to show that they prefer the fres 

 foundation. Even this little differcnc 

 will usually disappear before the sup 

 er is finished, so unless you keep clos 

 watch of the work being done, yo 

 will not notice that the bees have anj 

 preference. 



Perhaps you will say, if the dii 

 ference is so slight that it can not b 

 detected at the time the super come 

 to be finished, it does not amoun 

 to anything. It does amount to some 

 thing, though, in just this way: 



It is so exceedingly important tha 

 the bees make an early start in th 

 supers; that they form as early as pos 

 sible the habit of storing their hone; 

 there; that for the first super at leas 

 everything should be made as attrac 

 tive as possible." 



This is valuable not only in sliowin; 

 the difference between two kinds o 

 experimental research, the first worth 

 less, the second of much merit, bu 

 also for giving a true idea of th. 

 values of old and new foundation. I 

 would perhaps be well to add that i 

 foundation is kept from the air it i; 

 to all intents and purposes new anc 

 unchanged even after several years. 



There is a ,pra)rer of simple act 

 That from the tongue the readies^ 



slips. 

 Which springs spontaneous from tht 



heart 

 And breaks in blessing on the lii)s — 

 Bless you! 



(B. P. Shillaber. 



Sow thou the seeds of better deed and 



thought — • 



Light other lamps while yet thy light 



is beaming. 



The time is short. (Anon. 



"Imitation is the sincerest flattery.'' 



