1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



829 



questions being answered in a year. It is one of the strong 

 points of the Bee Journal, and while other bee-papers have at 

 various times begun a query-box department, sooner or later 

 they have dropped it out. The Bee Journal is the only one 

 that has continued it with scarcely a break. 



With 1896 the questions will begin again with No. 1, 

 and run on toward the 1000 mark as before. 



The able corps of experts who have so kindly and wisely 

 answered the many questions propounded during the past 11 

 years, are entitled, and I believe have, the unanimous thanks 

 of the Bee Journal readers tor their efforts to freely give the 

 best replies they knew to each and every question asked. 

 Most of those whose names appear in the Query-Box depart- 

 ment, I believe, have been with it from the very first year. 

 Only a few times have the ranks been broken ty death — so 

 infrequently that it is almost a " charmed circle." Long may 

 the veterans live to gontinue to give out the results of their 

 ripened apiarian experience ! 



The Annual Index appears in this number, as 

 usual. It forms a sort of recapitulation of the contents of the 

 Bee Journal for 1895. What a mass of information it indi- 

 cates ! Over 800 large pages, and thousands of topics com- 

 pressed into about 4 pages of index ! I think a little just 

 pride in the results attained in the Bee Journal this year may 

 be pardoned. I am sure all who have read it carefully have 

 been repaid many times for the small subscription price in- 

 vested. Those who preserve their weekly copies of the Bee 

 Journal will value this index nu'mber very highly, as it is a 

 great aid in referring to everything that has appeared during 

 the present year. 



A Ne'w Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 

 American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 

 subscriber who sends us 15 cents in addition to paying for his 

 or her subscription for 1896. It is called "The Wood 

 Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 

 arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 

 Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 

 Journal as fast as they are received. Why not begin with 

 Jan. 1 to save them ? They are invaluable for reference, and 

 at the low price of the Binder you can afford to get it yearly. 



If your subscription is already paid for 1896, send 15 



cents for the Binder. If any one desires two of the Binders — 



one for 1895 and one for 1896 — send 25 cents, and they will 



be mailed to you. 



^-»*- 



Wisconsin Farmers' Institutes is a book of 



about 300 pages, nicely bound in cloth, edited by Mr. Geo. 



McKerrow, Supt., Madison, Wis., to whom application may be 



made for copies. Prices to those outside the State are, 25 



cents for the paper-covered edition, and 40 cents for the 



cloth-bound ; to Wisconsin farmers, 10 cents for the former, 



and 25 cents for the latter. It is finely illustrated, and a very 



complete and interesting work — a sort of " Hand-Book on 



Agriculture." 



♦"•-^^ 



Two Ill-Paid Benefactors is the subject of an 

 interesting article by Mr. Wm. H. Coleman, in the New York 

 Independent for Nov. 21, 1895. One of the two was Father 

 Langstroth, to whom Mr. Coleman pays a fine tribute. For 

 10 cents, a copy of that number of The Independent can be 

 obtained. It is a splendid issue, being a special "Book Num- 

 ber." Address, 130 Fulton St., New York, N. Y. 



QuGstiojp'Box^ 



In the multitude of counsellors there Is 

 safety.— Prov. 11-14. 



What About Numbering Hives ? 



Qaery 1,000.-1. Is it advisable to number 

 hives ? 



2. It 60, should the numbers be permanently 

 attached to the hive, or detacbable ?— Mo. 



H. D. Cutting— 1. Yes. 2. Detach- 

 able. 



Rev. M. Mahin— 1. Yes. 2. Detach- 

 able. 



P. H. Elwood — I have never used num- 

 bers. 



Chas. Dadant & Son — 1 and 2. Yes, 

 paint it on the hive. 



W. G. Larrabee — 1. Yes. 2. I use 

 them permanently attached. 



E. L. Taylor — 1. If the apiarist has 

 plenty to do, I hardly think it is. 



J. A. Green — 1 and 2. I prefer to 

 number the location, not the hive. 



W. R. Graham — 1. It is well enough, 

 but not essential. 2. I prefer the num- 

 bers detachable. 



J. M. Hambaugh — 1. Yes. 2. My 

 numbers are detachable, yet this is of 

 minor importance. 



E. France — 1. Yes, if you want to 

 keep a record of what you are doing; 

 2. Attached to the hives. 



Rev. E. T. Abbott — 1. I do not know; 

 it all depends upon what you want to do 

 with them, how many you have of them, 

 and the fellow who is to handle them. 

 Fix them the way you can get the most 



7io?ie!/ for the least money. 2. This, like 

 selecting a wife, is a thing in which 

 every one should suit himself. On gen- 

 eral principles, the less there is loose 

 about a hive the better it suits me ; but 

 you may not be "built that way." 



G. M. Doolittle— I used to number 

 hives, but do not now, as I see no real 

 advantage in it for Doolittle. 



Mrs. L. Harrison— 1. The last four 

 years it made no difference whether 

 numbered or not. 2. Best detachable. 



Eugene Secor — 1. There are some ad- 

 vantages in the practice. 2. I think I 

 prefer the numbers on tags, detachable. 



B. Taylor— 1. I have never made 

 numbering hives pay for the trouble. 

 2. If I used numbers, I would have them 

 detachable. 



Jas. A. Stone— 1. Yes. 2. I think 

 they ought to be painted on the hives, 

 then a corresponding number on the 

 stand they occupy. 



Mrs. J. N. Heater— 1. It is more con- 

 venient if you have many, or wish to 

 keep a record. 2. I paint the numbers 

 on permanently. 



Dr. J. P. H. Brown— 1. Whether it is 

 advisable or not, depends upon how 

 swarming is managed and colonies 

 worked. 2. It is best to have them de- 

 tachable. 



Prof. A. J. Cook— 1. It is absolutely 

 necessary if we keep track by note-book. 

 2. I prefer card or slate. If I used 

 numbers, I prefer card, so as to change 

 if I desire. 



Allen Pringle — 1. It is advisable for 

 some people, but is not necessary for all. 

 When I first set out in bee-keeping on 

 my own account, I carefully numbered 

 all my hives (painted the numbers on), 

 and had ever so much more "clock- 



work," fuss and routine than I have 

 now. I keep a record of the colony's 

 season's doings on a little paper under 

 the cover, and on the cover. Before 

 putting the bees into winter quarters I 

 remove these records (which, of course, 

 show the age of the queens), numbering 

 them from one up, and putting the same 

 numbers to correspond, in pencil, on the 

 hives. In the spring, when the hives 

 are gone over and examined, these 

 records are returned to their proper 

 places. 2. Detachable. 



Dr. C. C. Miller— 1. I think it is for 

 me. 2. I want the tags easily detach- 

 able, so that if I let two hives exchange 

 stands, the tags can be exchanged. The 

 number on a given stand always remains 

 the same. 



C. H. Dibbern — 1. I have abandoned 

 numbering hives, as in my management 

 I would get mixed up all over the yard, 

 i. e., they would not remain in consecu- 

 tive order. 2. If I used numbers, I 

 should prefer them detachable. 



J. E. Pond— 1. That is just as one 

 fancies. I deem it an advantage, my- 

 self, as I can then easily keep a record 

 of them. 2. I use numbers that can be 

 removed easily, if so needed. A small, 

 square piece of metal, with the number 

 stamped or engraved on it, that can be 

 hung on the hive, I find cheap and very 

 handy. 



G. W. Demaree— 1 and 2. I don't do 

 it now-a-days, and cannot advise it. But 

 when I did number my hives, years ago, 

 I learned not to number them perma- 

 nently, because I often found it necessary 

 to remove the bees bodily from a hive 

 into another, in order to repair the one I 

 moved the bees out of. I prefer to use 

 a chalk-mark, understood by myself 

 only, varied to suit all conditions. 



