'I BE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



335 



those one half inch iu depth. This, how- 

 ever, seems to be the queeu's limit, as with 

 cells ''j of au iuch deep a few eggs will be 

 deposited attached to the sides of the cell-*. 



For storage purposes, bees lengthen the 

 cells both of worker and drone comb, and 1 

 cannot see that drone cells constitute sto- 

 rage comb any more than worker cells, only 

 as the circumstances of a honey tlow and 

 the absence of of brood permit. Certainly 

 more honey is stored in worker than iu 

 drone comb, for the simple reason that it 

 predominates. I have had artificial combs 

 with deep cells beautifully tilled with white 

 clover honey near the center of the brood 

 nest, and it was this experiment that en- 

 abled me to see the possible with a perfect 

 artiticial comb. With artiticial combs hav- 

 ing drone cells about one inch deep, no eggs 

 could be deposited in them: consequently, 

 no queen excluding zinc would be required, 

 no pollen would be stored iu them, and 

 honey of the purest and best alone would 

 be forthcoming. 



Artificial comb certainly presents to my 

 mind some possible advantage over the 

 natural. Although at present the cost is au 

 insuperable obje^liou to its adoption, still 

 there is a glimmer of something for the fu- 

 ture. Whether the bees can renovate such 

 combs as they become old or whether the 

 construction will be such as to enable the 

 bee-keeper to do it remains to be proven. 



I need uot allude to my experience with 

 artificial brood combs for the exclusion of 

 drones. I still have a colony living and 

 prospering in such a hive. 



Having spoken of the impossible in na- 

 tural comb, who of us can predict the pos- 

 sible with artificial comb ? 



I sometimes look upon the imperfections 

 in nature as given us to improve upon. Cer- 

 tainly our own lives and minds need our 

 best efforts. A retrospective in most branch- 

 es of human alfairs will reveal wonderful 

 progress. How from the wild apple and 

 p'um, ns well as all kinds of fruit, grain, 

 lowls and stock l)ave been produced the 

 highest types of their kind. That which is 

 wanting shows itse.'f in the object lesson, 

 impelling us onward, until that which is 

 seemingly chaos becomes a perfect and 

 practical reality. 



Jackson, Mich. 



Nov. 27, 18%. 



Bee-Keepers' Review. 



I'UULIHIIKU MONTULY. 



W. z. HUTCHINSON, Eilllor and Proprleior. 



J'EHMS :— $1.00 a yoar in advance. Two copiuH 

 $1.90 : three for $2.70 ; tivo for $4.00 ; ton or more, 

 70 conts oHPh. If it is dosireil to huvo the Reviiw 

 stopped at the expiration of the time paid for, 

 please say so when HiibHcribiuK. otliiTwise, it 

 will be continued 



FLINT. MICHIGAN. NOV. 10. 1896. 



Renewal Offers ! See them at the bo' • 

 torn of page 324. 



The Southland Queen still keeps up to 

 the front. The November issue has contri- 

 butions from such men as Ph. J. Balden- 

 sperger of France, L. Stachelhausen and T. 

 S. Ford. 



It*********!!" * 



THE CANADIAN 0ONTBOVEB8Y. 



My desire for fair play, and to see every 

 one have a fair show, has allowed the Can- 

 adian coatrovjrsy to be drawn out to a 

 tiresome length, but it has now reached 

 that point where it will soon be little else 

 than a dispute regarding the shortcomings 

 of some one, and I think it better be drop 

 ped. 1 hesitated considerably about pub- 

 lishing the first article, fearing that it might 

 stir up unpleasantness, but I well-knew 

 that there was an urgent need for Home one 

 to speak out. In fact, this " m-^noeavering " 

 of which Mr. Pringle complained, reached 

 such a point at the last meeting of the Asso- 

 ciation that there was held one evening a 

 secret meeting of several of the leading 

 members in which they seriously discussed 

 the advisability of leaving the Association in 

 a body ; but wiser counsels finally prevailed. 



The Ontario Bee-Keeper's .\s80ciatiou 'is 

 a power for good, as great, probably, as 

 that of any apiarian association in America, 

 and it is a pity that its usefulness should be 

 impaired in the manner that it has. The 

 Review has done its duty in pointing out 

 these drawbacks to the Association's pros- 

 perity, and, also, in permitting those who 

 have beeu criticised tu defend themselves, 

 but it feels that to continue the controver- 

 sy, which has now waudered far from the 

 path in which it started, would lead to no 

 good. 



