354 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' HE VIEW. 



trie light plaut, hence, bee-keeping does not 

 get the benefit of his undivided attention as 

 it did years ago. In short, almost all of the 

 work is done by his seventeen-year-old son, 

 Charlie. Extracted honey is raised exclu- 

 sively, and Mr. Heddon told me that he 

 never raised honey more cheaply than he is 

 doing it now. He tries to see with how little 

 labor he can manage the business. In his 

 circumstances he thinks that is the best way 

 for him to do, but he admitted that he longed 

 to be back at the work himself, doing the 

 work in the very best possible manner in- 

 stead of with a " lick and a brush." 



In the evening when Messrs. Heddou, 

 Burch, Hoshal and myself were talking of 

 " feeding back • ' and feeding bees for winter 

 late in the fall, it was mentioned that bees 

 would take the food more quickly late in the 

 season if it were put under the brood nest. 

 Mr. Heddon then suggested the arrangement 

 of his feeder so that it could be used for 

 " feeding back " by being placed under the 

 hive, the reservoir being at the back of the 

 hive with a cover to be removed when the 

 feeder needs filling, a passage way at one 

 eide allowing the flying bees to pass up from 

 the regular entrance and gain access to the 

 hive. I believe this idea is worthy of con- 

 sideration, as the bees do certainly take the 

 food more rapidly from below the hive, es- 

 pecially if the weather is a little cool. 



Since the foregoing was written Mr. Hed- 

 don has sent in the article that appears in 

 this issue, and in a private note accompany- 

 ing it he says : *' We have sold our electric 

 light plant to the city, and I am going back 

 to apiculture in old fashioned style ; I am 

 going into the old work both mentally and 

 physically, heart and hand." I know that 

 all will be rejoiced to know this. 



SUPEBIOBITY OF GIVEN FOUNDATION. 



It is very pleasant to know that bright, 

 practical men seem to have a way of getting 

 at the truth of things pretty closely without 

 recourse to such elaborate processes as ap 

 pear in this month's report from the Michi- 

 gan Experimental Apiary. Messrs. Heddon, 

 Taylor, E. J. Uatman, Dr. Mason, and some 

 others have declared in favor not only of 

 Given foundation, but of using quite heavy 

 foundation of this make in sections. Their 

 argument was that the press put the wax in 

 the walls of the foundation, leaving it soft, 

 because it was not subjected to pressure. 



while the base was left very thin. In these 

 experiments it will be seen that the lightest 

 foundation, 13.75 to the foot gives a septum 

 73.3 ten thousands of an inch, while Given 

 foundation of 9..37 pounds to the foot shows 

 a septum of only (53 ten thousands of an inch, 

 the thinnest septum of any in the test. Not 

 only this, but foundation from the press 

 gave the best results in the weight of honey 

 produced. Years ago when foundation was 

 discussed at conventions, the Given always 

 came out ahead, and it has always been a 

 puzzle to me why the manufacture of the 

 press was dropped and why manufacturers 

 did not offer Given foundation for sale. The 

 only reason that ever came to my mind was 

 that it seemed to me that it would be more 

 work to make foundation on the press. I 

 think now that if the right man should take 

 up the making of the press, or the making 

 of foundation on the press, success would 

 follow. There are one or two points that I 

 do not understand clearly, and that is why 

 the press can make foundation with a thin- 

 ner base, or, at least make such a base that 

 the bees leave it thinner, than can be done 

 with rollers, and why the side walls are left 

 softer than with a mill. The columns of the 

 Review are open for the discussion of this 

 foundation question, and contributions on 

 either or any side will be more than welcome. 



EXXRMCTED. 



Riding one Hobby too Long and too Hard. 



" Nothing preserves men more in their wits, 

 Tlian giving of them leave to play by fits." 



BUTLER. 



Last June somebody was trying to induce 

 Bro. Root of Gleanings to pay him a visit. 

 After mentioning quite a string of allure- 

 ments, he wound up by saying that he would 

 borrow a swarm of bees. Mr. Root pub- 

 lishes his friend's letter and then replies to 

 it under the head of " Holding too long to 

 one set of Ideas." Here is what he said : — 



"Brother G., you need not go to the 

 trouble of borrowing that hive of bees : and 

 perhaps I should say somethiag just here 

 that, in justice to our readers, I ought to 

 have said long ago. An incident of our trip 

 to California brings it to my mind. While 

 traveling somewhere in the vicinity of the 

 Rockies, all at once Prof. Cook remarked : 



' Look here, Mr. Root ; I want to ask you 

 one (luestion.' 



Of course, I told him to ask any question 

 he saw fit. Said he : 



