1363 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



It is obviously impossible to sell all alfalfa 

 in an alfalfa district, or mountain sage in 

 California, a mesquite or guajilla honey in 

 Texas, a palmetto in Florida. Necessarily 

 these honeys will be exported to other terri- 

 tories. The duty, thei'efore, devolves upon 

 bee-keepers to educate the public that there 

 are as many flavors of honey as there are of 

 the various kinds of fruit. Would it not be 

 wise for every bee-keeper to obtain samples 

 of the different table honeys where his pros- 

 pective customers can taste and see them? 

 It not infrequently happens that a brashy, 

 unpleasant flavor of honey which one has 

 and can not sell will tickle the palate of some 

 one customer, and, by letting them all test 

 these honeys, we may be able to find an out- 

 let for sorne undesirable stock, and at the 

 same time educate the whole community to 

 the fact that honeys have flavors like candies 

 and fruit. The sooner the consuming public 

 recognize this general fact, the less difficult 

 will it be for us to dispose of imported honey 

 in times when our own stock gives out. 



For example, suppose there is a scarcity of 

 white clover in the locality, and it is difficult 

 to purchase any of it elsewhere; and suppose, 

 again, that plenty of good alfalfa can be ob- 

 tained at a fair price. If the locality had al- 

 ready been educated to the fact that there is 

 a variety in flavors, the consumers would 

 readily take the alfalfa when offered. 



The fact is, the public needs to know that 

 all pure honeys are not alike. It ought to 

 know that there is good honey and poor hon- 

 ey, and some bad-flavored honey. It ought 

 to know that there is such a thing as alfalfa, 

 mountain sage, and mesquite, etc., as well 

 as clover and basswood. Perhaps one says 

 he doesn't like any honey, when the fact is 

 he has never had a taste of mountain sage or 

 alfalfa. Give him these and we might make 

 a consumer and a customer. 



PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER. 



Those who live in the Northern States 

 should look over their colonies and see 

 whether they have the requisite amount of 

 stores to pass through the winter. An eight- 

 frame hive ought to have at least six combs 

 well filled, or the equivalent of stores scat- 

 tered through the eight. If not so filled, the 

 colony should be fed a mixture of granulated 

 sugar and water mixed cold in equal pro- 

 portions The sugar should be gradually 

 poured into the water, stirring vigorously 

 until all cloudiness disappears. The process 

 may be hastened somewhat by using hot 

 water. 



If you have not already made arrange- 

 ments for wintering outdoors you should do 

 so at once. While double-walled hives stand 

 at the head for outdoor wintering, a single- 

 walled hive may be practically as good by 

 using an outside winter case large enough to 

 telescope down over it. Folds of old news- 

 paper should be laid on top of the hive, then 

 the case slipped down, making a snug close 

 fit. It is desirable to leave off the regular 

 hive-cover, because the majority of them 

 project over at the_front and rear. A thin 



board cover should then be substituted, the 

 same width and length as the hive itself. 

 The entrance should be contracted down to 

 f X8 inches, and when cold weather comes 

 on it should be narrowed down to about two 

 inches. Occasionally the entrance should be 

 raked out to remove any dead bees that may 

 have accumulated; for if it should become 

 clogged it would be almost sure to result in 

 the death of the colony. 



It would be well to lean a board, a la Doo- 

 little, against the front of the hive (leaving 

 openings at both ends), and keep it there 

 during the winter. Mr. A. J. Halter, of Ak- 

 ron, O., has tested the principle, and finds it 

 to work admirably in keeping bees from fly- 

 ing out on days with an alluring sunshine, 

 but with a temperature so low that thou- 

 sands of bees would be chilled to death. 



Mr. C. H. W. Weber, of Cincinnati, has a 

 device to accomplish the same purpose that 

 looks as if it might be a good thing. 



NATIONAL CONVENTION TO BE HELD AT 

 HARRISBURG. 



General Manager France has sent us 

 the following notice of the convention of the 

 National Association: 



The National Bee-keepers' Association will hold its 

 annual convention at Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 30 and 31. 

 Low railroad and hotel rates are promised, fuller in- 

 formation in regard to which will be given later. 



It is expected that a special feature will be made of 

 the question-box, and all members are asked to send 

 questions which they would like to have discussed. 

 If they wish, they may state whom they would like to 

 have answer their questions. Questions may be sent 

 to the secretary, J. A. Green, Grand Junction, Colo., 

 or to General Manager N. E. France, Platteville, Wis. 



Space will be provided for exhibits; and those hav- 

 ing apparatus, supplies, or products they wish exhib- 

 ited may, if they wish, send them to Prof. H. A. Sur- 

 face at the State Capitol building, who will see that 

 they are installed properly. 



In another letter Mr. France writes that, 

 on accou.nt of the Jamestown exposition, 

 tickets can be bought at very low rates, with 

 stop-over permits, including that at Harris- 

 burg, Oct. 30 and 31. The round-trip fare 

 from Chicago to Jamestown Exposition for 

 a ten-day ticket, with stop-off at Harrisburg, 

 is $17; and for a fifteen-day ticket $33.25. 

 The rates are much cheaper by way of the 

 exposition than to Harrisburg direct. 



The National Association is becoming more 

 and more national in character as well as 

 in name. According to the annual report 

 for 1906, the membership in four States ex- 

 ceeds the 200 mark. Wisconsin has 308 mem- 

 bers; Illinois, 285; California, 317; New York, 

 310. Four more States have over 100 mem- 

 bers each— Pennsylvania, 164; Minnesota, 185; 

 Missouri, 133; Texas, 113; Michigan and 

 Iowa have 96 and 76 members respectively. 

 Ontario, Canada, has 53. The rest of the 

 membership is distributed among 34 States. 

 These figures are doubtless exceeded at the 

 present time, as Mr. France's list on May 18, 

 as reported through the American Bee Jour- 

 nal, was 8346 — a substantial increase over 

 the number given in the last annual report. 



Pennsylvania is one of the great States for 

 bee-keeping, and it is to be hoped that there 

 will be a good attendance at the convention. 



