1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



229 



started, cuttings can be taken off, and it 

 can be further propagated. When a firm 

 stand has been secured, they may then be 

 transplanted to washes and other similar 

 situations where it may be desired to hold 

 the soil together. 



If the plant is valuable as a soil-binder, 

 the bee-keepers all over the world should 

 make an effort to get it introduced in their 

 localities, not necessarily because it is a 

 soil-binder, but because of the great amount 

 of fine honey; and when once introduced it 

 will stick like many other creeping plants 

 of its kind. 



Further particulars can probably be gath- 

 ered from Prof. J. J. Thornber, of the De- 

 partment of Botany, of that Territory. 

 Whether or not bee-keepers and others out- 

 side of Arizona would be furnished these 

 cuttings free I can not say; but probably 

 some will be supplied to all who apply for 

 it, at a nominal cost. 



"forty years among the bees." 

 In our last issue I promised to tell you 

 more about this new and interesting book 

 bj' Dr. C. C. Miller. I have read page af- 

 ter page of it; and the more I read, the 

 more I am convinced that it is one of the 

 most practical books that was ever written. 

 There are 101— yes, 1001— little kinks, little 

 tricks of the trade, little ideas, and big 

 ones too, which, while they may be old to 

 some of the veterans, I am of the opinion 

 will prove to be new and useful to the ma- 

 jority of them. The doctor has crowded 

 into these 330 pages his ripest experience; 

 and not only that, he has drawn from the 

 ideas of others so that we have the very 

 latest and best in the way of practical in- 

 formation from one who has actually spent 

 " forty years among the bees." 



In our previous issue I spoke of the fact 

 that the writers of text- books, and editors 

 of papers, often assume too much knowledge 

 on the part of the one they are supposed to 

 instruct. Our author, while he is not writ- 

 ing for beginners, does not assume any 

 thing of the sort. He describes just what 

 he does in the bee-yard, and hoiv he does 

 it. Even in the simple matter of catching 

 a queen, he goes into full details, illustrat- 

 ing by photograph each step in the opera- 

 tion. And that reminds me that, some four 

 or five years ago, I told the doctor he ought 

 to get one of those little pocket kodaks; that 

 one who wrote as much as he did ought to 

 be able once in a while to give a picture of 

 the fiiodiis operajidi. The next thing I knew 

 he had bought him a little camera, and was 

 snapping it on every thing right and left. 

 Why, 3'ou just ought to see how he illus- 

 trates in his books his various manipula- 

 tions with that handy little instrument. 

 Take, for example, his method of getting 

 bees oft' the combs, as shown in Fig. 26, p. 

 83. Without the book itself I can not de- 

 scribe to you exactlj' the vigorous shake or 

 " shook " he gives a comb; but with his left 

 'hand he grabs the end-bar securely; then 

 with his right hand, or fist, rather, he comes 



down on the back of his left hand, holding 

 the frame, with a quick sharp blow. Why, 

 you can actuall}^ see Dr. Miller's chubby 

 fist knocking every bee clea7i off. Did you 

 ever try to shake a comb with two hands, 

 giving it the most vigorous kind of " shook," 

 but it would not "shook" all the bees off 

 unless they were black ones? Well, take 

 Dr. Miller's plan, and, presto! every bee 

 will drop inslanter. In Fig. 28 he shows 

 the art of sweeping bees oii the comb; in 

 Fig. 31 how he stays up his foundation with 

 wooden splints, and a good plan it is too. 



Again, we get a glimpse of the doctor 

 holding his Miller feeder, just as if he were 

 describing its merits before a convention. 

 Another view that is most interesting is the 

 drive leading up to the Miller mansion. 

 On one side of the road is a row of beauti- 

 ful lindens, making the view from a purely 

 artistic point very attractive. Fig. 29 shows 

 the sealed brood of lajnng workers; and it 

 is the best representation in printer's ink 

 of such brood I have ever seen. Fig. 60 is 

 a remarkable view of a section filled with 

 foundation — one large top starter and one 

 narrow bottom starter. 



In Fig. 61 we see the doctor in his light 

 summer clothing, trimming foundation up 

 for sections. Yes, we can almost see the 

 sweat rolling down his good-natured face. 

 In Fig. 83 we are forcibly reminded of the 

 fact that the doctor believes in cool dress for 

 summer work among the bees. One thick- 

 ness of clothing, bee-veil, and hat, shoes 

 and stockings, complete his regalia, and he 

 looks very neat and comfortable standing up 

 among his favorite rose-bushes. In Fig. 84, 

 again, we see Miss Wilson, his sister-in- 

 law, in her very neat bee-suit. Well, I 

 might go on and describe each of the 101 

 pictures that are so interesting and also in- 

 structive. 



Yes, the book is full of good things — pack- 

 ed full of them, and I question very much 

 whether any progressive bee-keeper, begin- 

 ner or veteran, can afiford not to read this 

 book clear through. You may say you have 

 read the doctor's writings for years. Grant- 

 ed. But you will find that there are many 

 little kinks that he describes in this book, 

 that he has never put on the pages of a bee- 

 journal — not because he was not willing to 

 impart what he knew; but because, when 

 he sat down to write a book, one thing after 

 another suggested itself until he unfolded a 

 new story that is as good as a story and 

 far more profitable. 



The price of this book is $1.00, postpaid. 

 We will club it with Gleanings, both for 

 $1 75. 



VENTILATION IN BEE-CELLARS; HIGH TEM- 

 PERATURE; MESSRS. DOOLITTLE's AND 

 barber's BEE-CELLARS. 



In the Bee-keepers'' Review for February 

 appears an article from Ira Barber on this 

 subject. Mr. Barber has been an advocate 

 of hit;h temperature in bee-cellars, and has 

 insisted that one of the chief requirements 

 for successful wintering is to keep out sup- 



