486 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Xlie UVintering: Protolem in 



Bee-Keeping ; an Exposition of the 

 Conditions Essential to Success in the 

 Winter and Spring Management of the 

 Apiary, by G. R. Pierce. This is the 

 title of a new pamphlet of 77 pages, 

 just issued by the author, who has had 

 25 years' experience in bee-keeping, and 

 for the past 5 years has devoted all his 

 time and energies to the pursuit. In a 

 private letter the author says : 



Since 1880 I have been engaged, 

 during the Winter season, in experiment- 

 ing with a view to determining the cause 

 of Winter mortality in the apiary. 



The work is well written in an inter- 

 esting manner. In fact, we were so 

 much interested in it, that after com- 

 mencing at the "Preface," we could 

 not be induced to stop until we arrived 

 at "the end." Tons it was far more 

 interesting than a novel. 



The author objects to the Pollen 

 Theory, but maintains that poor honey, 

 honey mixed with vinegar, or even the 

 so-called honey-dew, will be safe for 

 Winter food for bees, if they "seal" it 

 over in the same manner as they do the 

 honey gathered from flowers. He thinks 

 hibernation imaginary, and ventilation 

 and absorbents quite unnecessary. 



He details repeated tests with 5 colo- 

 nies of bees, covering a period of six 

 years. He avers that it is the position 

 and sealing of the stores rather than the 

 ingredient that is all-important. His 

 experiments with sugar syrup and pollen 

 are quite interesting. 



Bee-diarrhea, he contends, " is simply 

 a cold — intestinal catarrh — and will soon 

 disappear, if nothing is present to 

 irritate the intestines while they are in 

 a sensitive and inflamed condition." 

 Pollen intensifies the disease, but is in 

 no way its cause. The cause is the 

 "combined influence of cold, and lack 

 of food." 



The book is copyrighted, or we would 

 give our readers one whole chapter with 

 its illustration. The price is 50 cents, 

 and the book is well worth it. 



J, M, Young:, of Plattsmouth, 

 Nebr., has been interviewed by a re- 

 porter of the Herald. Of course, the 

 reporter got things "mixed" somewhat, 

 but he wrote one-half of a column about 

 Mr. Young's apiary and honey, and says : 



Having often heard of the successful 

 bee-farm of Mr. Jasper Young, who 

 resides in the edge of the timber east of 

 the new fair grounds, a Herald reporter 

 was detailed to visit Mr. Young. His 

 bees were nicely located in a natural 

 grove near the house, consisting of 85 

 colonies of Italian bees. 



The hives were all facing the east, in 

 order to catch the first rays of the 

 morning sun. They were all double, 

 and were filled in with chaff, thus mak- 

 ing them warm for Winter, and cool for 

 Summer, and doing away with the ex- 

 pensive method of wintering in a bee- 

 house or cellar. 



Mr. Young not only markets large 

 quantities of fine honey, but he sells 

 bees all over the West. He sent several 

 colonies to Arizona, sometime ago, 

 which were delivered in good condition, 

 although they had to be hauled a num- 

 ber of miles by wagon. 



J. IJV. Xefft, of Buffalo, N. Y., is 

 again prostrated by la grippe. Reports 

 are coming from all quarters, showing 

 that this terrible afiliction has come 

 again, and that "right early." 



I^aying' Workers. — Another 

 cure for laying workers, is given by F. 

 H. & E. H. Dewey, in the American Bee- 

 Keeper. "Put the infected colony in a 

 ventilated box without combs for 4 or 5 

 hours, in the shade or in the cellar ; 

 then drop in a caged queen, preferably 

 a laying one, and in about two hours 

 more pour the bees before a hive devoid 

 of all brood, releasing the queen to run 

 in with the bees." 



Xlie American Metrological So- 

 ciety has prepared a simple and excellent 

 chart of the metric system which, for 

 educational purposes, it will mail to any 

 one asking for it for the cost price, 10 

 cents in stamps. Address Secretary of 

 American Metrological Society, No. 41 

 East 49th Street, New York City. 



