THK BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



123 



It proved a failure; and (i leanings A-as hon- 

 est enough to ailniit it. In my opinion, 

 neither of these journals took the wisest 

 possible course. To use a common ex- 

 pres.sion, it is better to "go slow" on new 

 ihiiigs. I know it is true that people are 

 not compelled to buy these new things. 

 Neither are they compelled to buy patent 

 medicines; but they are led to do so b}^ 

 the most excellent manner in which they 

 are advertised. Many bee-keepers have 

 great faith in the judgtnent of the editor 

 of their favorite l)ee journal; and when he 

 endorses a new thing, they are inclined 

 to invest in it. If his judgment proves 

 correct, well and good. But suppose his 

 judgment and the article both turn out to 

 be poor in this particular instance, what 

 then ? An editor ought to bt- very careful 

 how he allows his journal to "boom" a 

 new thing, yes, or to condemn it, until 

 repeateil tests under varying conditions 

 have fully decided its value. 



The present attempted introduction of 

 plain sections and fence separators fur- 

 nishes another illustration of the difficul- 

 ties under which supplv-dealing editors do 

 their work. The beginner in bee-keeping 

 who read Gleanings alone would be al- 

 most certain to send his order for plain 

 sections and separators. If he read only 

 the Progressive or the Canadian Bee Jour- 

 nal there would be little danger even of 



-^ e.x])erimenting with them. 



1 am willing to admit, and have admit- 

 ted, my belief \.\\sl\. the use of plain sec- 

 tions and fence separators leads to a more 

 perfect filling of the sections. I think 

 that any one who is not prejudiced will 

 admit this upon seeing a crop of honey 

 thus produced. If this is a fact some 

 may ask, what is the objection to "boom- 

 ing" them? I think that there ought to 

 be some further attempt to discover ex- 

 actly what it is that causes the more per- 

 fect fdling. The fact that the section is 

 the same width all around can not possi- 

 bly have any bearing u]X)n the .subject. 

 It can make no difference whether the 

 >ide-pieces of the sections extend out and 

 meet the separators, or pieces on the sep- 



arators extend out and meet the sections. 

 One is exactly equal to the other. It 

 seems as though the freer communication 

 afforded by the open separators was the 

 only point left. In opposition to this 

 view, Mr. Daggitt recently called atten- 

 tion to the fact that sections filled with- 

 out the use of any separators whatever 

 were no better filled, if as well, as those 

 where separators were used. In this con- 

 nection it would be well to remember 

 that with old-style sections and no sep- 

 arators there is no lateral comm\\n\ca.\.\on. 

 I have been having some correspondence 

 with Mr. Byron Case, of Navarino, N. Y., 

 who has had some experience with the 

 Betsinger case — having some 100 of them 

 in use. In this case the separators are 

 fixed, fastened solidly in the case. The 

 sections are of the plain style and are 

 held exactly bee-space from the separa- 

 tors — thumbscrew pressure keeping them 

 in place. He says that the bees fill these 

 sections solidly, exactly as they would a 

 brood-frame. The point that I would 

 make is this, there may be some better 

 way of securing this perfect filling than 

 by the use of plain sections and fence 

 separators; and let's try and find out if 

 there is before spending very much of 

 our monev for fences. 



Honey Quotations. 



The following rules for grading honey were 

 adop'ed by the North American Bee- Keepers' 

 Association, at its Washington meeting, and, so 

 far as possible, quotations are made according 

 to these rules. 



Fancy.— All sections to be well tilled ; comhe 

 straight, of even thickness, and firmly attached 

 to all four sides; both wood and comb nnsoiled 

 by travel-stain, or otherwise; all the colls sealed 

 except the row of cells next the wood. 



No. 1.— All sect ions well tilled, but combs un- 

 even or crooked, detache<I at the bottom, or 

 with but few colls unsealed; both wood and 

 comb uneoiled by travel stain or otherwise. 



In addition to this the honey is to be classitied 

 according to color, using the terms while, amber 

 and dark. That is, there will be " fancy white." 

 Jvo. 1, dark," etc. 



CI.KVl':i,.\ND, f).— White- honey is in good de- 

 mand, and the supply very light. Dark grades 

 are moving slowly. We i|uote as follows: Fancy 



