Vol. XXXV. 



MAR» J 5, J 907. 



No. 6. 



A MOUSE-NEST is to be seen at the back end 

 of the bottom-board in a hive in my cellar. 

 I am open to suggestions as to what is best 

 to do. 



Is NOT THAT picture wrong, p. 321 V Ac- 

 cording to the description, the storm-door 

 should come clear out, and rest on the front 

 edge of the bottom-board. [You are correct. 

 —Ed.] 



Ye Editor, p. 332, commends a cover with 

 dead-air space to keep things warm. 1 like 

 mine for that, but that's only part. I like it 

 to keep things cooi when the hot sun is shin- 

 ing on it. 



A. I. Root commends following hens as 

 the best exercise for little chickens, p. 343. 

 I^Of-ality again, Bro. Root. In this locality a 

 hen would lose half her chickens in trailing 

 them through the cold wet grass. 



Loaf sugar fed in dry lumps was com- 

 mended in British Bee Journcd. I tried it, 

 and it didn't work in this dry climate. I 

 wasn't smart enough to sprinkle it with 

 warm water, as does E. W. Alexander, page 

 315. 



Top entrances are suggested, p. 310, to 

 prevent bees ci'owding the brood-chamber, 

 thus preventing swarming. If that means 

 tield bees going straight into the supers, 

 what about their loads of pollen in the su- 

 pers? [Who will answer this question? — Ed.] 



Mr. Thomas W. Cowan, high authority 

 in foul-brood mattei's, in British Bee Journal, 



p. 41, files a caveat against calling black 

 brood "European foul brood." Black brood 

 is comparatively new in England, and he 

 thinks it possible that Dr. White has made a 

 mistake in saying it is caused by Bdcillus 

 alvei. [We shall soon publish Mr. Cowan's 

 editorial and Dr. Phillips' reply. — Ed.] 



Caucasians: "There is one thing wherein 

 they excel all other races, and that is in pro- 

 polizing," page 338. That's a new one, Mr. 

 Editor. Now, the woi'st gluers I ever had 

 were the worst at making watery sections. 

 How is it with Caucasians? [This principle 

 does not hold true in the case of Caucasians, 

 if we are correct. Their comb honey looks 

 a good deal like that made by the ordinary 

 black bees of this country. If we are wrong 

 we shall be glad to be corrected.— Ed.] 



Not sure that we've got to the bottom of 

 that bottom-starter business yet, p. 307. 1 

 wonder if it isn't this way: Any one can get 

 along without bottom-starters by crowding 

 the bees enough; but it is more profitable to 

 use bottom-starters than to crowd them so. 

 Without bottom-starters, fastening to the 

 bottom is about the last work done on a sec- 

 tion, and with room enough it may not be 

 fastened at all; with bottom-starters it is 

 about the first thing, room or no room. [We 

 take pleasure in accepting your amended 

 statement. — Ed.] 



"The proble.m in most cellars is not to 

 keep the bees warm enough, but cool enough 

 to prevent too much activity," p. 336. Yes, 

 in your locality, Mr. Editor, but remember 

 that you are on the southern limit of cellar 

 wintering. [If the cellar is cool it is no prob- 

 lem at all to warm it up with a stove, or to 

 let heat in from the furnace-i'oom if a furnace 

 is used in the Ixaseinent. But if the cellar is too 

 warm it is a real problem to cool it off if the 

 outside temperature is 60 or 6.5. There may 

 be more cool cellars than warm ones, but we 

 can handle a cellar that is too cool better 

 than one that is too warm. — Ed.] 



