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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



frost was accused of cutting the blossom, 

 which nearly all fell off, the trees hardly- 

 setting any fruit. The small bush, 

 mentioned, however, was an exception ; 

 it was loaded with fruit, the branches 

 quite bending under the weight ; while 

 in a well-kept garden not many yards 

 distant, with well-grown trees, there was 

 hardly any fruit at all. 



Bees may often be seen on flowers 

 close to their hives in cold weather, but 

 none on those at a distance. Bees are 

 anxious to fly whenever possible, but a 

 wonderful instinct warns them not to 

 venture if the temperature is low. 



The crops of hardy fruit in my own 

 garden have lately been much larger 

 than formerly, and I am convinced that 

 the change is to a great degree owing to 

 the fact that there are now plenty of 

 bees close at hand to work whenever 

 they are able. Thus, in every way I can 

 but consider bee-keeping a source of 

 pleasure and profit. — Miss M. Gayton, 

 in the British Bee Journal. 



First Honey of 1891. 



Bees have been gathering pollen for 

 several weeks. During the last three or 

 four weeks they have been bringing in 

 immense loads, chiefly from the acacia, 

 and the cells are now loaded with new 

 honey, or rather nectar, for none of it is 

 yet sealed. Brood-rearing is going on at 

 a rapid rate. Since the rain came, the 

 prospects of a good season are more 

 encouraging. — Wm. Styan, in the Cali- 

 fornia Rural Press. 



Bees and Honey and Farmers. 



There is a fascination in the keeping 

 of bees, and in eating the honey there is 

 pleasure. Having a strong liking for 

 honey, the possession of a swarm of bees 

 was one of the things particularly 

 desired by myself, when a boy, but for 

 several reasons the desire was not 

 realized until after I came to manhood. 



I see no reason why the farmer may 

 not as properly keep bees to furnish his 

 table with honey, as a cow to provide 

 milk and butter. It is the wholesomest 

 of sweets, and, on a majority of tables, 

 a luxury not of every day use. The boys 

 of the farm might assume the care of 

 the bees, with enjoyment, if once they 

 get interested in the science. An inter- 

 esting way to get started with bees is to 

 find a swarm in the woods, and transfer 

 it to a hive ; but on no condition put 

 them, or any other bees, into an old- 

 fashioned box-hive. Use a movable 



frame hive with section-boxes. If any- 

 one wishes, I will give directions for 

 transferring. 



Some text book on bee-keeping ought 

 to be procured, and a periodical publica- 

 tion will be found of great value. Soon 

 after beginning with bees I procured a 

 copy of "Bees and Honey," a neat book 

 published by Thomas G. Newman, editor 

 of the American Bee Journal, of Chi- 

 cago. From its pages I learned consid- 

 erable, and became more fascinated with 

 bees than before. It is a book that can 

 be highly recommended. — F. H. Dow, in 

 the Patriot, Concord, N. H. 



Tliose in^ho Never study nature, 

 Never see a landscape fair. 



Never note the wave of beauty, 

 Never feel the balmy air; 



These, I say, miss half the pleasure 

 Of this life, and in a measure 

 Lead a life of stupid care. 



Spring Protection for Bees. 



In Canada and the Northern and Cen- 

 tral states, the Spring packing of bees is 

 one of the essentials to successful bee- 

 culture. Yet perhaps not one-tenth of 

 the bee-keepers in those regions practice 

 it. Not only do ordinary bee-keepers, 

 but many extraordinary ones as well, 

 neglect to give Spring packing. 



This is not only against the person's 

 own pecuniary interests, but amounts to 

 a moral culpability as indirectly affect- 

 ing others. 



One of the results of non-protection in 

 the Spring is chilled and dead brood, lia- 

 ble to end in foul-brood. Other serious 

 results are Spring dwindling, and the 

 robbing of weak colonies thus neglected. 



There is no doubt that a large propor- 

 tion of the bees lost in the Spring, could 

 be saved by proper packing and protec- 

 tion. The breeding temperature must 

 be kept up, and this is impossible for a 

 weak colony, or even a fairly-strong one, 

 when the cold and raw Spring winds are 

 penetrating the exposed habitation, and 

 carrying off the heat as fast as generated. 

 — Allen Pringle, in Farm and Home. 



The Better Way. 



Do not go to law with that neighbor 

 of yours. Some afternoon meet him, in 

 company with one or two mutual friends 

 and neighbors, talk over your misunder- 

 standing — "make up" and go home 

 happy. This beats a lawsuit out of 

 sight. — Farm, Stock and Home. 



