AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



79 



are put on, I do not see that there is any 

 difference in them. 



The new form of the Amebican Bee 

 Journal handles better. Its general 

 make-up is fine. 



J. M. Young, on page 16, says that he 

 likes the 4j^x4j^ section best, because 

 it holds " just one pound." Will he tell 

 us how he manages to get the exact 

 weight ? Mine vary a good deal. 



On page 38, Mr. Erkel says: "To 

 successfully move bees, the bottom as 

 well as the top of the frames should be 

 securely fastened, so they will not slide 

 together and kill the bees." Right 

 enough for some roads, I have no doubt, 

 but I never do anything to fasten a 

 frame, either top or bottom, if the bees 

 have had a reasonable chance to glue 

 them together. My roads, however, are 

 not very rough. I have used a common 

 lumber wagon, without hay or springs. 

 The closed-end frames ought to be nice 

 for hauling over rough roads. 



Brother Newman I am glad that you 

 published those "German bee-laws." 

 Now, please tell me why such laws can- 

 not be secured in this country. Is not 

 that a legitimate field for the National 

 Bee-Keepers' Union to operate in ? Or, 

 if there is some better way, tell us what 

 it is. Are not the bee-keepers of this 

 country just as able to get good laws as 

 the Germans ? 



Marengo, Ills. 



[Yes, Doctor, you are right. It comes 

 properly under the heading of "defense," 

 to have good laws enacted to govern the 

 pursuit. But it will take money to get 

 it properly presented to Congress, and 

 see that it is wisely advocated. Perhaps 

 our friend, R. L. Taylor, can frame 

 such, and greatly assist in presenting 

 them to Congress. We hope to hear from 

 him and others on this subject with 

 further suggestions. — Ed.] 



Bees IniispensiWe to Friiit-&rowers. 



DANIEL WYSS. 



The first number of the American 

 Bee Journal for 1891, in its new dress, 

 has made its welcome arrival at my 

 desk. Readers, let us all, with one ac- 

 cord, extend our thanks to the editor as 

 an appreciation of the improvements of 

 this valuable Journal. 



No doubt every bee-keeper is looking 

 forward with bright hopes for a better 



honey harvest than was obtained last 

 season. 



The bee-keepers of this locality met 

 with the same f ^te as those of a great 

 many other sections, viz : A slim honey 

 crop. Wet weather, from the beginning 

 to the end of the season, was the princi- 

 pal cause. During fruit bloom the 

 weather was also cold for bees to fly. 

 Consequently no honey was gathered 

 from that source, and the fruit in turn 

 was not benefited by the bees. It, there- 

 fore, stands to reason that we had very 

 little fruit. 



To my full satisfaction, in my experi- 

 ence as nurseryman and fruit-grower, 

 the bees have proven themselves of great 

 value to successful fruit culture. I am 

 somewhat extensively engaged in straw- 

 berry and raspberry culture. My 

 observations in this line, have demon- 

 strated that in seasons when there were 

 many bees, and the weather favorable 

 for them to fly, during the blooming 

 period, the strawberry and raspberry 

 crop was a good one ; and in seasons 

 when bees were scarce, or the weather 

 being too cool during the blooming period, 

 the crop would be less. 



Six or seven years ago, when most of 

 the bees, generally kept in this locality 

 by farmers in a careless way, died ; their 

 absence made a remarkable difference in 

 the fruit yield ; especially in small fruits. 

 Even wild raspberries and blackberries 

 did not yield as well for several years 

 afterwards. 



Last season ray early strawberries were 

 a failure. It is true the first blossoms 

 froze; however, fully 75 per cent, 

 opened up after the frost, apparently 

 unhurt ; but the weather was so cool 

 that scarcely any bees visited these 

 flowers or blossoms. When the later 

 varieties bloomed, the weather was 

 warmer (although wet), the bees visited 

 the blossoms in great numbers. The 

 result was, a good crop. 



Summing it all up, it behooves every 

 farmer and fruit-grower, to encourage 

 bee culture ; and to assist in removing 

 any obstacles that may bo placed in its 

 course. 



We know that bees have been declared 

 a nuisance, in certain localities, by per- 

 sons who were prompted either by 

 ignorance or malice. Instead of being 

 considered a nuisance, they should be 

 recognized by law, as indispensible aids 

 in the fertilization of all flowers. 



Our legislators should, without hesi- 

 tation, pass an Act, prohibiting the 

 spraying, with poisonous mixtures, of 

 all plants, vines, and trees, while they 

 are in bloom. 



