496 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. 1, 



Big^gest Premium We Ever Offered ! 



THE BEE-KEEPER'S GUIDE 



-on- 



MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



BV 



PROF. A. J. COOK. 



This 15th and latest edition of Prof. Cook's magnificent book of 460 pages, 

 in neat and substantial cloth binding, we propose to give away to our present sub- 

 scribers, for the work of getting new subscribers for the American Bee Journal. 



A description of the book here is quite unnecessary — it is simply the most corn- 

 complete scientific and practical bee-book published to-day. Fully illustrated, and 

 all written in the most fascinating style. The author is also too well-known to the 

 whole bee-world to require any introduction. No bee-keeper is fnlly equipped, or 

 his library complete, without "The Bbe-Kbepeb's Guide." 



HERE IS OUR GRAND OFFER: 



Send us Two New Subscribers to the Bee Journal (with $2.00), and we will 

 mail YOU a copy of Prof. Cook's book free as a premium. No premium is also giv- 

 en to the new subscribers, under this offer. The postpaid price of the book alone 

 is $1.25, or we club it with the Bee Journal for a year — both together for $1.75. 

 But surely anybody can get only two new subscribers to the Bee Journal for a year, 

 and thus get the book as a premium. Let everybody try for it. We want to give 

 away 1000 copies of this book by Oct. 1. Will tou have one ? 



GEORGE W. YORK & CO., 56 Fifth Ave., CHICAGO, ILLS. 



Gaiifornia 



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If you care to know of its Fruits, Flowers. 

 Climate or Resources, send for a Sample Copy 

 of California's Favorite Paper— 



The Pacific Rural Press 



The leading Horticultural and Agricultural 

 paper of the Pacific Coast. Published weekly, 

 handsomely illustrated, $2.40 per annum. 

 Sample Copy Free. 



PACIFIC RURAL. PRESS, 



220 Market St., - SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. 



BEGINNERS. 



Beginners should have a copy of the 

 Amateur Bee-Keeper, a 70-page book by 

 Prof. J. W. House. Price 25 cents; if 

 sent by mail, 28c. The little book and 

 the Progressive Bee-Keeper (a live, pro- 

 gressive 28-page monthly journal) one 

 year, 6oc. Address any first-class dealer, 

 or 

 liEAHY MFG. CO., Higginsville, Mo- 



APIARIAN SUPPLIES 



VERY chi:a.p 



—"Amateur Bee- 

 Keeper"— how to manage bees, etc.— 25 cts. 

 The "Model Coop." for hen and her brood 

 Wyandotte, Lansfshan and Lptrhorn Eg-g-s foi 

 hatching. Gat. free, but state what you wani 

 J . W. BOUSE & CO. . Mexico, Mo. 



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BIG DROPS 



of water has made the vegetation. Now 

 the stiu shines — the Honey wells up — the 

 Bees gather it, and every Bee-Keeper 

 should have all needed Supplies at 

 once. Catalogue Free. 



TIUK ft IV'MVllinil 1*7 South Western Ave. 

 1 IIOS. U. lU.H Illllll, CHICA«;0, I1.L. 



ECTlOPiS, BEE-MilVES, S IIIPPMG- C m 



We make a Specialty of these Goods, and defy Competition in 



Qxj,A.LiiT-5r, ■woK,K;ika:A.3STSiiip and p>k,ice:s. 



V Write for Free Illustrated Catalogue and Price-List. 



G. B. LEWIS COMPANY, Watertown, Wis. 



VS~ Be sure to mention the American Bee Journal when you write. _g^ 



Qerjeral Iten^s^ 



Ozark Mtn. Region — Hive-Covers. 



Shortly after May 3 I started for Arkan- 

 sas — my former home — and while there I 

 visited the apiarj- of F. M. Tiner. of In- 

 gram, and found him to be a progressive 

 bee-keeper, with his bees all in fairly good 

 condition. Bees did but little here in the 

 mountains on account of dry weather, until 

 June I.'), when we bad good rains. That 

 started everything to growing and bloom- 

 ing nicely, and bees are domg better now. 



I notice on page 335, Wm. M. Barnum 

 asks, " What imjirovement can the readers 

 of the American Bee Journal suggest, that 

 will make our hive-covers water proof, last- 

 ing and non-crackable ?" lean tell howl 

 fix my hive-covers. I just saturate them 

 with oil just before nailing them together, 

 and after nailing I paint the top. I never 

 have had one to leak or crack that was 

 treated in this way. J. R. Gibson. 



Redford, Mo. 



May His Like Increase. 



It is now nearing the close of my first 

 year's subscription to the American Bee 

 Journal, for which I will say there is not a 

 finer or better bee-paper printed, and I can- 

 not think of doing without it. 



C. L. Yarbrough. 



Fair Grove, Mo.. July 1. 



Hive-Covers — Potato Blossoms. 



I have read in the various bee-papers 

 about leaky hive-covers. I am using some 

 covers that I made over 20 years ago, for 

 my old grandmother one time when I was 

 home. They are made gabling, out of % 

 boards, edges planed so they fit close to- 

 gether. I cover them the satue way as we 

 make what is called aboard a ship, "mast 

 cloths.'' Take what painters call "grease 

 paint," that is, all old paints thatthey turn 

 together — all kinds of old paint that has 

 stood for quite awhile. Put a thick coat 

 on the boards, then right away down on 

 over it heavy unbleached sheeting; tack it 

 all around, after drawing it tight, then 

 paint it over and let it dry hard. Give it 

 two coats, and when it becomes dry it will 

 not leak, crack or warp. Those I have, 

 have been painted about every two years, 

 and I am fixing all of my covers, as it is 

 cheaper than tin. 



Is there any honey for the bees in 

 potato blossoms ? I have about 10 acres of 

 potatoes and one field ; the bees seem to be 

 pretty thick on the blossoms, and the others 

 they do not seem to visit at all. 



Charlton, Mass. Geo. L. Vinal. 



Swarming — Further Remarks. 



Concerning my remarks on the preven- 

 tion of swarming on page 874, Dr. Miller 

 wants some figures. 



My practical experience began four years 

 ago. when I purchased 4 colonies, a stan- 

 dard book on bee-culture, and other essen- 

 tials. For the last three years each I have 

 had 4, 7. and 11 colonies, respectively, and 

 all but '2 in dovetail 8-frame chaS" hives. 

 During those three seasons I had not a sin- 

 gle natural swarm, increasing only by 

 building up from nuclei. My experience 

 for that time prompted me to write as I did ; 

 but this season, with a spring count of 29, 

 having purchased 13 additional colonies, I 

 have had, up to this date (July 1), 9 swarms. 



Now, why should I get so many swarms 

 this sea.son, and scarcely any surplus, when 

 last season I got a fair surplus and no 

 swarms ? The only reason tliat I can as- 

 sign is, that I allowed myself to be par- 

 tially convinced by the writings of others, 

 that I had been tinkering with my bees too 

 much, and consequently did not give them 

 the requisite attention at the proper time. 

 Will some one who knows, tell me wh]i some 



