130 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 28, 



many ways as possible. In the meanwhile, don't neglect your 

 "home market;" get all there is out of it — cater to it. If 

 they want one-pound sections, provide them ; if extracted, 

 provide it, and soon. Educate them in every way possible; 

 procure a few small glass (or otherwise suitable) receptacles, 

 and distribute them gratis among the doubtful class. Do not 

 fail to give them a good quality of honey, put up neat and 

 clean, with your name and address upon it in conspicuous 

 manner. 



These are a few of the essential things to be observed in 

 marketing your crop. Perhaps some of the brethren can sug- 

 gest other points of value. I want to see this subject dis- 

 cussed in the columns of the American Bee Journal, and now 

 is the "acceptable time." I will continue the subject in a 

 near number, as there are many points I have not now time 

 to further consider. Denver, Colo. 



Something in Defense of Honey-Dew Honey. 



BY STANLEY & SON. 



We have kept silent a long time on a matter that we have 

 often thought ought to receive more generous treatment ; that 

 is, " honey-dew honey." Why should it be called so many bad 

 names? Every few weeks some contributor to our bee-liter- 

 ature takes a lick at this poor orphan, and, every time it is 

 done, we have thought we would rise and say a few words by 

 way of protest against this heartless treatment accorded it. 



To us, honey-dew has been a friend that sticketh closer 

 than a brother. Without it we should have been compelled to 

 abandon the honey-business. We have been in this business 

 extensively for some 12 years, producing in that time about 

 120,000 pounds of comb honey and some extracted honey, 

 and of it all not more than 20,000 pounds has been clear, 

 while another 15,000 or 20,000 pounds has been from poplar, 

 leaving honey-dew to furnish 80,000 pounds, which we have 

 sold at an average price of 12J^ cents per pound, only some 

 4 cents less per pound than we have gotten for our clear and 

 poplar honeys, on an average. 



This, like all bad children (with only one father and 

 mother) has grieved us sorely at times, costing us tTie loss of 

 our apiaries almost entirely two or three winters — those of 

 1884, 1885, and 1891, being the worst ; but when we think 

 of what good it has done us, we do not have the heart to 

 chide. 



The season of 1887 here was practically a failure, and 

 our apiaries were on starvation the first of October. There 

 was but one recourse, we thought, and the feeding of sugar 

 was always repugnant to us, it being still more of a nuisance 

 to apiculture than honey-dew, in its way; when lo ! what 

 should happen but a nice honey-dew to show up on the hickory 

 leaves, and supply our bees with winter stores before frost 

 could catch it? 



Then, again, last year we moved two carloads of bees and 

 hives to Mont Eagle, Tenn., a picturesque little village on the 

 Cumberland plateau. Well, the March freeze killed the 

 poplar and locust, and our bees were on their last rations, 

 when the linden came in, followed by sourwood ; but our "old 

 friend " followed up, and gave us more honey than both or all 

 others. We are getting 12K cents for it again this winter. 

 " Holy Moses !" say some of you, " where can you sell it?" 

 Well, there are a few places left where our bee-papers do not 

 go, and they have never heard that it was a vile and filthy stuff, 

 but think it a good, cheap honey. Now, gentlemen, won't 

 you stop this ? Please do, for this unfortunate child has good 

 as well as Ixtd qualities. 



Are you prepared to say that this honey, distilled from 

 Heaven, is less pure than the cheap sugars, syrups, etc., on 

 the market, manufactured we know not how ? Do we see any 

 of their papers characterize it as vile or filthy stufi ? No, it 

 is sold on its merits, and that is what we ask you to do for 

 honey-dew honey, without partiality or prejudice. 



We have said that sugar was a nuisance to bee-keeping. 

 We believe it is. What would the ordinary grocer think if he 

 should pick up one of our periodicals containing a description 

 of the now famous percolator system, warranted to feed a 

 barrel of sugar per day ? We have heard it said already that 

 the dark honeys were the only pure ones — of course we know 

 better, but we can't expect others to know. 



Apropos to the discussion of East Tennessee mountain 

 society between Messrs. Getaz, Coleman and Webb, we con- 

 sider them all perhaps right. In the villages and towns we 

 find it good and improving, while if one would go where the 

 timber has not been disturbed, to secure the best results he 

 must be prepared to rough it. Though he will find the people 

 very kind and hospitable. Fairfield, III., Jan. 25. 



Wild Bees and Other Matters. 



BY J. W. ROUSE. 



Every once in awhile I see something said about wild 

 bees. I do not know if I ever saw any wild bees unless the 

 blacks are wild, as they usually run pell-mell when the 

 hive is opened and one undertakes to manipulate them. I be- 

 lieve it makes but little difference whore bees are only handled 

 occasionally, out if handled almost every day they might be- 

 come used to it. The life of a bee in the working season is so 

 short that I do not believe they become gentle, or otherwise, 

 but I think the temper is very largely due to the queen. 



I have taken many bees from trees in the woods, and also 

 transferred very many bees that practically would be no more 

 domesticated than if in trees in the woods, as they got no at- 

 tention, but I have never been able to see any difference in 

 these bees, in their actions, over bees that were called "domes- 

 ticated," so that I do not believe there is any difference, 

 whether bees are in the woods or in a yard, unless handled 

 every day, and perhaps none, even then, as I have always had 

 to handle vicious bees with smoke whether in the bee-yard or 

 in the woods. But, as before stated, the temper is very 

 largely due to the queen, the time, temperature, and whether 

 the bees are at work or not, and the way they are approached 

 having the most, if not all, to do with their amiableness. 



PREVENTING THE SOILING OF SECTIONS. 



I notice what Mr, Scott has to say in regard to stained 

 sections, in the Bee Journal for Jan. 17. I have given this 

 subject much thought, and had meant to experiment some on 

 this line the past season, but as I worked my apiary for 

 queen-rearing, and being a poor honey season here, I made no 

 experiments in this line. I would take the section slats for 

 the bottom-bar or the sections to rest on, and use separators 

 4}4 inches wide, with insets corresponding with the sections, 

 and would use a follower both at the side and end, and thus 

 wedge or key both ways, and not use end-bars in the section- 

 holders at all. This would close the sections true and square, 

 and the bees could touch the sections only at the place of en- 

 trance and inside. 



It is impossible to so nail the section-holders with end- 

 bars so that it will fit the sections, as a very little variation, 

 either damp or dry, will not allow the sections to fit every 

 time. With an end follower it is less pieces to a hive, besides 

 the sections can be taken out of the super easier. Either 

 closed-top sections could be used, or slats to cover the top of 

 the sections, if so desired, to keep the top of the sections 

 clean. I do not claim originality in this plan, but I believe it 

 would remedy the difficulty. 



THE MORRISON DOVETAIL. 



In the proposed dovetailed corner, as giTen by Mr. Mor- 

 rison, on page 36, I do not consider it a practical corner to 

 make, as the strip or tongue to go in the groove or dovetail 

 would be very easily split if it run lengthwise or with the 

 grain, and if cut across the grain it would be easily broken in 

 trying to put it in the groove or dovetail, unless loose, which 

 would, if loose, not hold the corners tight together. 



Mexico, Mo. 



Another Kind of Migratory Bee-Keeping. 



BY' JOHN M'ARTHUR. 



On page 405 (1894) are the following questions pro- 

 pounded by Charles F. Jaessing, asking that they be an- 

 swered. In reply I would say that I am willing to answer 

 any questions pertaining to the above subject through the 

 American Bee Journal. A description of the undertaking 

 will be given in detail later ; in the meantime I will answer 

 Mr. Jaessing's questions so that any bee-keeper wishing to 

 try the migratory system may be able to glean a little infor- 

 mation that mav assist him in the undertaking. 



QaESTioN No. 1. — Will it be necessary for one to go per- 

 sonally and purchase the bees, and then accompany them all 

 the way to their destination ? 



Answer. — It would be better to go personally and pur- 

 chase the bees and accompany them to their destination, or 

 procure the services of some reliable man who has had practi- 

 cal experience in the matter. 



Question No. 2. — Did you purchase the hives, as well as 

 the bees, or did you ship them in light shipping-crates, and 

 then transfer them into hives of your own ? 



Answer. — Bees and six frames of brood in Langstroth 

 frames were purchased ; they were shipped in light crates, 

 and then transferred at home into proper hives. 



