266 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



keeping it tied down to these special discus- 

 sions ; by compelling its editor to choose a 

 subject for discussion each month whether 

 there is an appropriate subject or not. An 

 editor needs plenty of latitude; at the same 

 time it will not answer to ignore the wishes 

 of his readers, I feel sure that one reason 

 why the Review has prospered as it has is 

 because it has taken its readers into its con- 

 fidence, asked for their advice and sugges- 

 tions and tried to profit thereby. 



And now I have reached the point I had in 

 view when I began writing this editorial, that 

 of asking the advice of my readers in regard 

 to the advisability of the proposed change. 

 Shall the Review continue to make each 

 issue a special number, as heretofore, even 

 though the topics taken up may sometimes 

 be unimportant, or shall its editor be allowed 

 to devote a number to the discussion of some 

 special topic only when he thinks it advis- 

 able ? I wish every subscriber would write 

 me on this subject. Will those who wish 

 each number to be a special number, (yes, 

 and those who don't, for that matter), send 

 a list of subjects they would like discussed ? 

 Before doing this, however, let each one turn 

 to the last page of the cover and look over 

 the topics already discussed. 



If the Review does not have some special 

 topic discussed in each issue what will it 

 give in place of this feature ? This is a 

 question that may be asked. I don't wish to 

 discontinue this feature, simply not be 

 obliged to introduce it into ei-ery issue. I'll 

 tell you what I had been thinking of giving 

 next year instead of these special discussions, 

 or in place of those that may be dropped, 

 and that is a series of seasonable articles 

 from some three or four of our most practi- 

 cal and successful bee keepers. A single 

 article from a man does not always show 

 him nor his methods to the best advantage. 

 If we could see what had come before, and 

 what was to follow, the present might appear 

 to better advantage. How is it, friends, 

 wouldn't you like to have a few of our best 

 bee keepers tell you, in a series of articles in 

 the Review, how they manage their bees 

 from the time they are wintering in the cel- 

 lar until they are again stored in the same 

 place, each article being given a month be- 

 fore the information it may convey will be 

 needed ? If so, please say whom you would 

 like to have write such articles ; as in the 

 selection of the writers I should be guided 

 largely by the preference of my readers. 



I have introduced this subject now that I 

 may have time to hear from my subscribers 

 and decide upon the matter in time to 

 announce the decision in the December 

 Review. 



Friends, I wish you would consider this 

 appeal just as personal as though written 

 with a pen and you were compelled to puzzle 

 over it to " make it out." Think the matter 

 over carefully, and then write me your views. 



MOVING bees into THE OELLAE. 



The main points to be considered are when 

 to do it and how to do it. Two or three 

 years ago the question of when bees ought to 

 be carried into the cellar was considerably 

 discussed. The drift of the matter at that 

 time was that we were leaving our bees out 

 of doors too long, that the one or two flights 

 that possibly might be secured by the delay 

 were of no particular benefit. The bees had 

 ceased to store honey or to breed, they sel- 

 dom flew and consumed but little food, 

 either honey or pollen : in fact they had set- 

 tled down into a quiescent state and were 

 ready for their winter's nap. No cleansing 

 flights were needed. The intestines were 

 not loaded, because almost no food was being 

 handled or consumed, and nothing was 

 voided in these late flights, if the bees did 

 fly. It was argued that it was better to carry 

 the bees in before they had even felt the 

 touch of Winter's stern hand, and before the 

 hives were dampened by frost or snow or ice. 

 Instances were mentioned where bees were 

 carried into the cellar unusually early, yet 

 they wintered well. Some bee keepers said 

 that, as time went by, each year found them 

 . putting their bees in the cellar at an earlier 

 date. All this appears reasonable, and, for 

 ought I know, is good doctrine, I have put 

 bees in the cellar as early as Novemlier 10, 

 and as late as December la, and, so far as 

 results were concerned, I could see little 

 difl'erence. It is my belief that after bees 

 have ceased active labors ( honey gathering 

 and brood rearing) for a sufficient time to 

 allow their systems to get rid of the waste 

 matter resulting from such labors, and they 

 have had one or two flights after cool fall 

 weather has set in, that any slight accumu- 

 lations may be voided, I say it is my belief 

 that nothing is gained by leaving them upon 

 the summer stands. That anything is gained 

 by putting them in unusually early I doubt. 

 I believe it has been argued that it disturbs 



