Oct. S, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



633 



via the Pennsylvania route; and, didn't we talk bees. 

 things and men 1 The subject of amateur photography we 

 just reveled in. We not only went to the convention to- 

 gether, but we came back together; and on arriving at 

 Cleveland Mr. Hutchinson took the train with me for 

 Medina, where he spent with us a little over a day in look- 

 ing over the bees, visiting Vernon Burt, etc. All this may 

 seem sentimental to some ; but it means much to bee-keep- 

 ers as a whole. If the editors of the leading bee-jourtials 

 were clashing and pulling against each other, what would 

 the result be ? 



On account of the great dissimilarity in the bee-papers 

 of this countrj-, there is scarcely any rivalry among them. 

 It doubtless would pay every bee-keeper to take all of them. 

 and at least two or three of the best. 



There can be no good reason why bee-paper editors who 

 do what is right should not be on friendly terms. We 

 count the majority of them among our warmest friends, 

 and do not hesitate to commend them and their papers 

 whenever we feel it is deserved, and without expecting any 

 reciprocation on their part. As a wise man once said, we 

 expect to travel this way but once, and desire to do all the 

 good we can as we pass along. Life is too short to spend it 

 mainly in berating others, no matter how richly they may 

 deserve it ; and there is too much of real value to be pub- 

 lisht in the bee-papers to allow the space to be wasted in 

 quarrels among those who should be friends. 



Speaking Kind Words. — Dr. A. B. Mason, in the Bee- 

 Keepers' Review, touches on this subject in these words : 



" I really pity the man or woman that has neither the 

 inclination nor the ability to say good things of others 

 while they live, not waiting till they are dead. It has been 

 a source of real enjoyment to me to read the kind words 

 said of each other by the editors of our bee-journals. I be- 

 lieve there are very few people who do not like to be well 

 spoken of. The truthful words, kindly spoken of each 



other, encourage to better efforts and better living 



May this new era continue to exist, and its influence widen 

 till it covers the whole earth." 



As bee-keepers have so much to do with sweetness, they 

 of all people would naturally be expected to use " honeyed " 

 words. Tho the bee is a worker in sweets, still it has a 

 sting — but to be used only in defense. There are bees, too. 

 that some people say have had their desire to sting bred out 

 of them, making them non-stinging. We presume people 

 might be so bred, also — brought up to use kind, pleasant 

 words. It will pay to cultivate this characteristic, and thus 

 help to continue the " new era " to which Dr. Mason refers. 



New Edition of A B C of Bee.Culture.— We have re- 

 ceived a copy of the new (1899) edition of " A B C of Bee- 

 Culture," by A. I. Root, and just revised by Ernest R. Root. 

 It is indeed a fine work, very interesting descriptions of 

 which have been given on pages 603, 619, and on page 635 of 

 this number of the Bee Journal. It is a book that every 

 bee-keeper should own, ar.d read thoroly. The regular post- 

 paid price is SI. 20, but to all our subscribers who pay any 

 arrears that may be due, and also $1.00 for the Bee Journal 

 for 1900 (next year), we will mail a copy of A B C of Bee- 

 Culture for only 75 cents, provided the order is received 

 before January 1, next. We make this same offer to all who 

 have paid their subscriptions to the end of 1899 — send us 

 $1.75 and we will mail you the book and credit your sub- 

 scription for 1900. We make the same offers on " Lang- 

 stroth on the Honey-Bee," revised by Dadant (1899 edition). 



Crimson Clover is thus written about in a recent 

 bulletin issued by the Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington ; 



The use of crimson cXoyer (Tri/olium incaniatmn) has 

 increast to such an extent that it is now a standard crop in 

 many parts of the Southern and Middle States. It is dis- 

 tinguisht by its long head of brilliant scarlet blossoms and 

 by the great depth to which its roots make their way. 

 Wherever the winters are not too severe it thrives .and is a 



valuable plant for soiling or for hay. It is a winter an- 

 nual, the seed being sown any time from the middle of July 

 to late fall in the Southern States. It grows thruout the 

 milder weather in winter, and quickly makes a dense cover 

 to the ground in tlie spring. This can be pastured, cut for 

 hay, or turned under for green manure, or all three, depend- 

 ing upon conditions. 



The seed of crimson clover is larger than that of red or 

 mammoth clover, and is almost perfectly oval in shape. 

 The fresh seed is of a bright reddish-yellow color, and has 

 a high polish. As the seed becomes older the color changes, 

 to a reddish brown, and eventually the polish is lost, and 

 the seed has a dull, dark reddish-brown color. Such seed 

 should never be purchast, as it is too old to grow well. 



In general the seed of crimson clover is less liable ta 

 contain many weed seeds than the seed of other clovers. 

 It is harvested before most of the weeds have matured their 

 seed, and being planted in late summer or fall it tends to 

 choke out what vreeds may come up with the young plants. 



According to Mr. C. H. Lake, of the Maryland Agricul- 

 tural College, bees produce pink comb when working on 

 the blossoms of crimson clover. Mr. Lake wrote us as fol- 

 lows lately : 



I note what is said in a recent number of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal about the pink comb from Maryland. 

 When I again go down to the College I will get a specimen 

 I produced two years ago. It will show for itself. Crimson 

 clover is its origin, and the honey is also crimson, and not 

 straw color, as claimed by experts, so-called. 



C. H. Lake. 



Mr. Ch.\S. Dad.\nT, senior partner of Chas. Dadant & 

 Son, called on us Monday, Sept. 25, when on his way home 

 from a six-weeks' stay in Wisconsin, where he goes every 

 fall to escape an attack of the hay-fever in his southern 

 Illinois home. Tho nearly 82 years of age, Mr. Dadant is 

 well and able to enjoy life all right. He reports his firm as 

 having had a good trade in comb foundation this year, 

 which we were glad to hear. We always like to know of 

 our advertisers doing well. 



* » ♦ * ♦ 



Mr. F. Daxzenb.aker seems to deserve a good deal of 

 credit for suggesting the use of springs, for holding the 

 sections in supers. Editor Root, upon being askt who origi- 

 nated them, replies as follows in Gleanings in Bee-Culture : 



"Those super-springs, as you found them in the supers, 

 were devised by Mr. Fr. Danzenbaker. He got the princi- 

 ple, I believe, from Mr. M. H. Mendleson, of California, 

 who uses a flat steel spring. It is more expensive, and not 

 as well adapted to the purpose. From .some correspondence 

 that has come in of late, it seems others have been using 

 something similar. But Mr. Danzenbaker says he was 

 prior in the specific fonn of springs used in his supers." 

 « ♦ * # # 



Only a Hyphen. — Stenog, the one who has control of 

 the department of " Pickings" for Gleanings in Bee-Cul- 

 ture, in a recent issue of that paper is found " picking " on 

 us in this fashion : 



"Mr. York prints the name of this journal with a 

 hyphen in Bee-Culture. Why not use one in American Bee 

 Journal? Proper names should be printed as the owner 

 writes them. Surely the hyphen should be omitted in the 

 case cited." 



Whereupon we referred to the Standard Dictionary, and 

 found that the word " bee-culture " very properly appears 

 with a hyphen. Strange that Stenog didn't know how to 

 write the name of the paper to which he usually contributes 

 so entertainingly. The Standard Dictionary is a pretty 

 safe guide to follow, but we wouldn't think of objecting to 

 so small a matter as an extra hyphen if any one vrishes to 

 put it between the last two words of the name of our paper. 



