THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



Ill 



But the perfect stillness and other unnatural 

 conditions of a greenhouse doubtless spoil 

 nature's plan of aerial fertilization. 



If the brethren could all tinker a little at 

 producing hybrid varieties, and so get 

 actually acquainted with pollen and its won- 

 drous ways, it would be of great help to their 

 judgment in the case. The trouble is that 

 they think pollenization a simple straight- 

 forward matter, like getting a little sand in 

 one's eyes. 



Prof. Cook's last article {Gleanings, 233) 

 is admirable in tone and temper. He also 

 gives the important new fact that bees were 

 admitted under the covers in some of the 

 Michigan experiments and produced similar 

 results there as in the open air. Still unob- 

 structed open air for the bee-bereft boughs 

 would be much more conclusive. The fol- 

 lowing paragraph of his should have a hearty 

 Amen. 



" Let us this season try to experiment so that 

 the blossoms shall be under precisely the same 

 conilitions, except for tlie presence of the bees. 

 Let us put aside ail bias and preconceived opin- 

 ions, and endeavor to settle the question. If it 

 shall be sliown by a most cautious line of experi- 

 ments, that bees are unnecessary to a full fruit- 

 age, and of no importance to horticulture, it 

 will not be the first time that theories in science 

 have had to be recast. So we should act in our 

 experiments as if the question were unsolved."' 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



Since last time I believe it mostly holds on 

 the even tenor of its way. Not so much 

 feverish scratching around by any of the 

 journals as a year Ago. Some of the depart- 

 ments of A. B. J. are not a " sure find." 

 Reepen's German reports, for instance, are 

 only semi-occasional ; likewise also the por- 

 traits and biographical sketches — and of 

 late the Stinger has his business end chopped 

 off. Some of this is just as it ought to be 

 however. We don't want our minds lum- 

 bered with the history of every neighborhood 

 bee man ; and if we have his " phiz " set be- 

 fore us it will only obscure our memory of 

 the faces we wish to remember, which be- 

 long to men of national reputation. The 

 space gained is mostly given to Dr. Miller 

 and his new department of General Ques- 

 tions for beginners — and he won't waste it. 

 The latest number on my table allots five 

 columns to the editor, W^ to the Dr., 4 to 

 Mrs. Atchley, and somewhat over 4 to Query 

 914. Then there are 14 columns of " arti- 

 cles," 41^ of Convention, and 7 of Letter- 

 Box. 



I believe I have not noticed before in these 

 papers the strong protest of the DadanLs 



against rendering wax with acid. No good 

 taste and smell left in it ; and bees care 

 something about such matters. One of these 

 protests is found. A. B. J., 211. 



And the senators split 13 to 13, 



On clipping the wings of our lady the queen. 



A. B. J., 208. 



Friend Dayton thinks that by furnishing 

 combs, queens and some feed, one California 

 colony can be increased to 128 in a year. A . 

 B. J., 242. Let's go there. 



Friend Corey figures the cost of California 

 honey at $2.^)0 per ton, (\2}i cts. per pound.) 

 A. B. J., 248. Better come away from there. 



Friend Levering tells of California bees 

 that fly extra long distances, and often work 

 by moonlight. (Trying to reduce that ex- 

 cessive cost of honey.) A. B. J., 249. 



Friend Mclntyre has a robbing wrinkle 

 which may, in some circumstances come in 

 good play. Trap the robbers and release 

 them at night. It's done by removing the 

 victimized colony and putting an empty hive 

 on its stand so arranged with cones inward 

 that bees can readily get in, but none get 

 out. A.B.J., 249. 



Another experiment station. Nebraska 

 this time. The experimenter is a scientist 

 but not a bee-keeper. The utter inability of 

 such a person to weigh contirgencies prop- 

 erly (and there are such a multitude of con- 

 tingencies) must often render his conclu- 

 sions very inconclusive when they relate to 

 the practical matters of our craft. And if 

 they don't relate to the practical matters 

 will they be worth very much ? A. B. J. 2(>2. 



It's just surprising how the Italian bee has 

 conquered all its foes. I thought there were 

 more dissenters. A vote on the best race re- 

 sults : German, 0; Italian, 1932; (Friend 

 Larrabee is the half man.) Carniolan, 2^2: 

 various hybrids, 3 : Syrian, 1. So many of the 

 majority are not in the queen business that 

 we can't lay it all to that. A. B. J., 270. 



Our smallest queen breeder, Leah Atchley, 

 has gone into the cactus business. I sup- 

 pose she still offers queens, but the competi- 

 tion of her big mother too nearly extin- 

 guishes her ; so to keep busy she will send 

 you a cactus by mail. A. B. J., 287. 



On page 304 friend Coleman speaks strong- 

 ly in favor of leaving the queen on the old 

 stand in dividing. He is right. Great waste 

 of queen's time to take her to a new stand — 

 and the queen's time is the most valuable 

 commodity the colony has. I may add, it is 

 also a great waste of eggs and young larvae 



