,the ,american ,apiculturist4 ,a ,journal ,devoted to ,scientific and ,practical ,beekeeping4 ,,entered ,,at ,,the ,,post-,,office1 ,,salem1 ,,as ,,second-,,class ,,matter4 ,published ,monthly4 ,s4 ,m4 ,,locke1 ,publisher ,prop'r4 ,,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,wenham1 ,,mass41 ,,june #ae1 #ahhe4 ,no4 #f4 ,,subscription ,,prices4 #a4jj per year1 payable in advance4 ,sent on trial three months for #ce cts41 six months for #fj cts4 ,,advertising ,,rates3--#ae cents per line of space each insertion4 ,a line of this type will admit about #g words ,one inch will contain twelve lines4 ,transient ,advertisements must be paid for in advance4 ,those wishing special rates will please correspond with the ,editor4 ,when sending money make all postal notes and money orders payable at the ,salem1 ,mass41 ,post ,office4 ,all communications should be addressed to ,s4 ,m4 ,,locke ,,co41 ,wenham1 ,mass4 ,,beekeeping ,,as ,a ,,pursuit4#a ,,by ,,arthur ,,todd4 ,this subject may be regarded from two standpoints--that of the man who1 with income assured from other sources1 pursues beekeeping for its pleasure2 and that of the man who1 wishing to increase his slender income1 or actually make an income1 turns to beekeeping with a view to profit on the capital and labor to be invested4 ,but1 as to the latter are denied none of the pleasures enjoyed by the former1 it is from the latter standpoint alone that ,i shall review the subject4 ,beekeeping is1 strictly speaking1 a branch of agriculture1 and many a farmer is to-day getting a greater return from his investment in bees than that received from any of his other stock2 but right here ,i say that beekeeping as a pursuit has to-day become a 8specialty40 ,the man who enters upon this pursuit 7leaving the question of capital aside7 must be one endowed with physical and mental ability2 a man with open eyes and ears1 one ready for emergencies1 prompt to do what is necessary at once1 and one who is not easily discouraged4 ,the physical ability is required because beekeeping demands real hard work--yes1 back-aching work--not suitable to the sick ladies and gentlemen so often ill-advised to go into beekeeping4 ,the mental ability is required to keep the beekeeper abreast of the times and its rapidly changing conditions4 ,beekeeping is now a science1 a study1 and the conditions which govern one season1 or colony of bees1 will be completely changed for the next4 ,every stage in the life of a colony of bees requires to be understood4 ,there must be no 8guessing10 and this will bring us to the cultivation of the habit of observation1 and a disposition to hear all that one can upon the special subject4 ,emergencies will occur needing heroic treatment1 but the beekeeper with mind and hand trained by experience and thoughtful consideration of his 8specialty10 will rise superior to any occasion1 and when discouragement comes1 as it inevitably will1 in the words of the immortal ,longfellow1 8,he will look not mournfully into the past1 it comes not back again1 but wisely improve the future for it is his40 ,pleasure and profit go hand in hand1 as a rule1 in this specialty1 although the former is not unalloyed by a liberal application of the 8business end0 of the little busy bee1 and the latter by a recurrence of poor honey seasons4 ,in nature are found both the beautiful and the sublime2 in the hive both are constantly under the beekeeper's eye1 teaching him to look with amazement from 8nature up to nature's ,god40 ,as he views his hive and sees the city grow1 and population increase1 the waxen walls1 and stores well filled1 the free-born citizen hurrying to and fro1 each with his special task1 outside of the thoughts of profit will come to the most unimpressionable1 thoughts of wonder and admiration for the works of that great ,architect of the universe who said1 8,let there be life and there was life40 ,the profits of beekeeping are what8 ,to many a one they hold out the hopes of 8the glorious privilege of being independent20 and to obtain these profits the specialist1 gifted with the requisite mental and physical qualities1 must be 8the right man in the right place40 ,he must have hives of the movable-frame order4 ,moses ,quinby wrote thus1 in #aheh3 8,there is not the least doubt1 in my mind1 that whoever realizes the greatest profit from his bees will have to retain the movable combs in some form20 and who of us will gainsay this to-day8 ,out of the many styles of movable-comb hives now in existence1 the beekeeper will select one best fitted for the business in which he means to engage1 be it the production of comb or extracted honey1 queen-rearing1 bee-selling1 or a combination of all4 ,the specialist who intends to rear bees for sale will do well to employ that hive which will take the size and style of frame most in use in the district in which he resides4 ,interchangeability of parts is a grand secret of success1 and the beekeeper who can sell a colony of bees1 or buy a colony well knowing that each and every frame is usable in his own or his neighbors' hives1 has made a step in the right direction4 ,the main points in a good hive are1 8,simplicity of construction1 combining plenty of bee-space with perfect ease of manipulation40 ,the race of bees will next engage the specialist's attention4 ,study and experience1 and also the actual line of business engaged in1 will best decide this point4 ,the black1 the ,italian1 the ,syrian1 the ,cyprian1 and the ,carniolan1 alike have their votaries4 ,at present1 for all purposes of sale and honey-gathering1 the ,ligurian or ,italian-,alp bee is the principal one in demand2 but the very best race of bees will afford but little profit unless the queens are carefully looked after4 ,as fast as signs of senility appear1 these should be removed and their places supplied by younger and more vigorous queens4 ,the apiarist for profit should not only rear queens1 but know how1 when and where to replace them4 ,he should also know the requisites of a good queen1 and how to judge of her progeny4 ,pasture to the beekeeper is everything2 if that be poor1 his returns will be poor2 hence he should carefully examine his location4 ,districts vary greatly in their flora1 and by a careful study of this question before locating1 disappointment will be avoided4 ,the beekeeper should be a walking calendar of the flora of his neighborhood for miles around1 then1 as the honey comes pouring in1 he can tell its source and label it accordingly4 ,this knowledge will enable him to build up colonies1 and follow the old advice1 8,keep your colonies strong20 so that when the honey does come1 there are bees to gather it in4 ,the management of bees kept for profit will vary according to the object of the beekeeper1 whether it be the production of honey or the rearing of bees or queens4 ,in running for honey alone1 we have the swarming and the non-swarming methods4 ,the experiences of good bee-men are so diversified that one is reminded of the old saying1 8when doctors differ1 the patient dies40 ,the bee-man must strike out his own line of action suitable to his own special circumstances4 ,in running for extracted honey1 swarming is1 to a great extent1 controlled1 for 8,poverty maketh humble20 but ,i insist that the good bee-man will know the condition of each hive1 and act accordingly4 ,the specialist is a man who reads1 and although he may not get or use a single one of the many traps1 or patent articles now offered1 he should know all about them2 for at any moment1 what he has read about these things may give him an idea1 the successful carrying out of which may help him over a difficulty4 ,the capacity of the beekeeper to attend to a certain number of colonies1 be it greater or less1 will have a great influence on the profits of the pursuit4 ,as a pursuit1 beekeeping should not be entered into without careful thought and consideration as to the capital required1 the location and the suitability of the employment to one's temperament4 ,to-day1 before embarking in the business1 it is possible for the intending beekeeper to serve an actual and willing apprenticeship in the yards of well-known and successful bee-masters4 ,i need dwell not upon the advantages of this plan for they are obvious4 ,to the enthusiast with but small experience1 ,i would say1 8,go slow60 ,read the good bee-literature now so easy to be obtained1 and never be above learning from others4 ,visit beekeepers wherever you can enjoy the privilege1 attend bee-conventions1 and gradually a store of knowledge will be gathered upon which you will draw with profit later on4 ,profitable beekeeping as a pursuit is1 to my mind1 the outcome of the union of two great factors--8talent0 and 8tact20 for 8talent is power1 tact is skill2 talent is wealth1 tact is ready money2 talent knows what to do1 tact knows how to do it2 talent makes the world wonder that it gets on no faster1 tact excites astonishment that it gets on so fast2 talent may obtain a living1 but tact will make one4 ,talent convinces1 tact converts2 talent is an honor to the profession1 tact has the knack of slipping into good places1 and keeping them2 it seems to know everything without learning anything3 it has no left hand1 no deaf ear1 no blind side1 with a full knowledge of the ,pythagorean doctrine1 #8that a man ought rather to be silent1 or say something better than silence4'0 ,i submit these remarks to my fellow beekeepers1 being painfully conscious of many shortcomings from the high standard of excellence that man should attend to who in these days goes into 8beekeeping as a pursuit40 ,germantown1 ,pa4 ,,howes' ,,reversible ,,frame-,,support4 ,,by ,c4 ,j4 ,f4 ,,howes4 ,to whom does the invention belong8 ,from articles lately appearing in ,gleanings in ,bee ,culture1 and editorial comments thereon1 ,i think there is a misapprehension of what the above invention consists1 or what it really is1 and whose property it is4 ,the above-mentioned articles and editorials are1 ,i feel1 doing me an injustice1 and have a tendency1 virtually1 to rob me of all the benefits1 to say nothing of the 8honors10 of the discovery1 which ,i had considered to be my property4 ,as to what constitutes my invention1 ,i will quote from my article in the ,a4 ,b4 ,journal1 page #eg1 in reply to ,mr4 ,heddon's claim to the invention of the frame illustrated in ,gleanings1 page #ajd4 8,at the annual meeting of the ,southeastern ,michigan ,beekeepers' ,association1 held at ,adrian1 ,mich41 ,jan4 #bc1 #ahhd1 ,i exhibited samples of a device for reversing brood-frames1 which device1 or plan1 suspended the frame by strips of wood1 or metal1 which strips were pivoted to the centre of the end-bars1 and extended up to the top of the frame1 there forming projecting arms to rest on the rabbets1 and allowing the frame to revolve on these pivots4 ,in describing the device before the convention1 ,i distinctly claimed as my invention1 the plan of suspending the frame between side-strips pivoted to the end-bars1 as described40 ,previous to the illustration and description of my device1 all reversible-frames had fixtures at both top and bottom2 see ,gleanings for #ahhb1 page #ga1 also #ahhc1 page #fe1 ,burgess' device2 #ahhd1 page #aee1 ,baldridge's device2 and #ahhd1 page #ccb1 ,hetherington's device4 ,these attachments were entirely different in principle from the 8,howes' ,supports40 ,no one had ever suggested revolving the frames on 8centre pivots10 previous to the illustration1 and description of my frame in ,gleanings for #ahhd1 page #aef4 ,soon after ,i began to manufacture and sell ,howes' ,reversible ,frame and ,supports1--as advertised in ,gleanings1 for #ahhd1 page #bhe1--reversing devices began to appear from all quarters2 both men and women joining in the scramble for the 8honor10 if not for the profits of the invention2 each one suspending the frame by 8centre pivots10 as ,i had described them4 ,several used hoop-iron bent at a right angle to form projecting arm4 7,prof4 ,cook at the ,michigan convention claimed to have tried this plan1 though a lady1 ,i think1 first described it in ,gleanings74 ,mr4 ,root has often1 through ,gleanings1 acknowledged that these different devices are1 practically the same thing as the 8,howes' ,support20 still he does not hesitate to manufacture1 advertise and sell them1 as if the invention was common property4 7,see editorial remarks in ,gleanings2 page #gd1 describing ,mr4 ,nuzvinis' device2 then ,editorial in next number1 page #ajd1 on the same subject47 ,i submit the question1 in all seriousness4 ,does not this state of things justify anyone1 in securing his rights to the labor of his brain1 by a patent1 as provided by law8 ,if a better device1 to secure the results aimed at1 by reversing the brood-combs1 shall be discovered1 ,i shall be glad to adopt it1 in my own apiary1 and will1 willingly1 pay for the privilege4 ,until then1 ,i request all to 8please keep off my preserve40 ,adrian1 ,mich41 ,feb4 #g1 #ahhe4 ,,which ,,is ,,the ,,most ,,profitable ,,race ,,of ,,bees4 ,,by ,d4 ,f4 ,,lashier4 ,which is the most profitable race of bees regarding brooding1 comb-building1 honey-gathering disposition and wintering qualities8 ,i have no desire to injure anyone's business and wish merely to bring to notice a few facts which it seems to me to have been overlooked4 ,perhaps a few notes founded upon years of experience would not be out of place1 especially as my motives are entirely unselfish4 ,i commenced beekeeping in #ahgb with one colony of gray bees in a box hive4 ,i purchased this hive of a neighbor whose bees seemed to be very hardy and gentle4 ,they are of uniform size and as large as any ,italians that ,i ever have seen1 even when the latter were reared in comb of their own building4 ,i hive all my gray bees without any protection whatever and the same when looking for queens1 etc4 ,with the ,italians this would be perfect madness4#b ,doubtless some will say 8your gentle bees must suffer from being robbed40 ,not so1 my friends1 they are good protectors of their homes4 ,i have purchased queens from some of the best breeders in the ,states hoping to get the best in the market1 and ,i never have1 as yet1 seen any that will hold their own with my gray bees4 ,in breeding1 the ,italians commence a trifle earlier in spring1 but they dwindle so badly that when fruit trees bloom they are not as strong as the gray bees4 ,for honey-gathering from the white and red clover the ,italians and gray bees are about equal1 but when buckwheat is in bloom the grays beat the ,italians by fifty per cent4 ,i have wintered both races indoors and out of doors4 ,the grays seem to become dormant not caring to move about1 while the ,italians are uneasy1 crawling out of their hives and wasting away4 ,my gray bees have steadily increased by natural swarming#c from the one colony to #abj1 all in the same apiary2 giving me1 in an average season1 a nice surplus of box honey1 and in a very poor season holding their own without feeding or spring dwindling4 ,i think that had one-half the pains been taken to improve some of our native bees that have been devoted to rearing foreign races1 beekeeping of to-day would be in a far better condition4 ,it is the general result and the general summing up that decide which is the more profitable vocation4 ,of late years ,i have wintered my bees in a frost-proof building1 and have found it to be a great saving of honey4 ,at some future time ,i will tell your readers1 if they wish1 how this building is constructed so as to carry bees safely through five months of as cold winter weather as ever existed in my section1 together with my experience in fruit raising in connection with beekeeping and how ,i manage to save my natural swarms from absconding4 ,this having swarms decamp to parts unknown is all wrong4 ,i have had more swarms come to me than ,i ever had desert1 and the idea that bees injure fruit blossoms is altogether erroneous4 ,why6 we were obliged to prop up our plum trees last season to prevent them from breaking down with the load of plums1 and of cherries we had a most bountiful crop and this right in our apiary too4 ,i should be pleased to give your readers a paper on fruit and bees if it would be acceptable4#d ,hooper1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,how ,,to ,,form ,,nuclei4 ,,by ,,henry ,,alley4 ,most beekeepers wish to rear a few queens and must have for such a purpose a few nucleus colonies4 ,the following plan for forming them is an easy and simple one4 ,the nucleus hives should be constructed of light material and about one-third the width of the large hive1 and the covers should be cleated to prevent splitting and warping4 ,if the hives are painted they will last many years4 ,the nucleus colonies should consist of three combs and two quarts of bees4 ,when ready to form them1 place in one of the hives two combs containing honey and1 in the centre1 one containing brood1 after which add the bees4 ,perhaps the better way would be to remove from a full colony a comb containing brood1 together with the adhering bees1 being careful of course not to take the queen with them4 ,in such case there will be a sufficient number of bees on the comb to care for the brood2 if not1 a few more may be brushed from another comb into the hive4 ,after the combs and bees have been placed in the hive1 confine the latter to the hives for thirty-six hours and release them early on the morning of the third day4 ,do not remove the screen 7with which they have been confined7 from the entrance except just before dark or early in the morning2 as1 if released in the middle of the day1 the bees would rush out and many would not return4 ,after having been confined in the hive for thirty-six hours1 the bees will have constructed several queen cells and when released will return to the new location4 ,a matured queen cell may be given them at this time2 or1 when they have been queenless seventy-two hours1 a virgin queen can be introduced safely4 ,before releasing the bees the nuclei should be placed some distance from the stands from which the bees were taken4 ,while the bees are confined in the hives they should be supplied with water4 ,for such purpose ,i find the cone feeder very useful4 ,if the reader has studied the article in the ,may number in reference to the drone trap he is prepared to have his queens purely mated with any particular strain of drones in the apiary4 ,wenham1 ,mass4 ,a ,,guide ,,to ,,the ,,best ,,methods ,,of ,,beekeeping4 ,,by ,j4 ,l4 ,,christ4 ,r4 ,f4 ,holterman1 ,translator4 7,continued from p4 #ij1 ,vol4 ,,iii47 ,,pertaining ,,to ,,the ,,finest ,,and ,,best ,,colonies4 ,it is a principle in beekeeping if one desires to derive a benefit from his bees1 to see that one keeps very populous colonies4 ,the mere number of colonies has nothing to do with amount of value2 but their strength1 the number of inhabitants in a hive1 is the measure of its worth4 ,one single populous colony is worth more and will store more honey than four weak ones4 ,in fourteen days the one will bring in more honey than the four will in four weeks4 ,i place a strong colony at #dj1jjj working bees2 of these #ac1jjj to #af1jjj can daily fly out and bring in stores2 the remainder stay at home to care for the brood1 to build comb1 and to perform such other duties as may be required of them4#e ,of four weak colonies1 however1 each calculated at #ab1jjj workers1 only #d1jjj can fly out leaving #h1jjj at home4 ,these four colonies together not only cannot send to the fields as many workers as the one strong one1 but they also labor under many disadvantages4 ,it may be good weather for eight days and the flow of honey abundant and the strong colony may in that time gather all its winter stores1 but the weak ones can take only sufficient advantage to gather at most one-fourth of the required stores4 ,if unfavorable weather should follow1 and the flow of honey cease1 the strong colony is supplied and the four weak ones are lost in the winter if they be not fed1 which latter is associated with much expense1 trouble and inconvenience and even then often fails1 not to mention the facts that the weaker ones cannot depend upon themselves as well against robbers1 moths1 ants1 etc42 and in winter they cannot maintain the proper warmth as well1 are more liable to be frozen1 and are less able to stand the changes in temperature4 ,they cannot rear brood as early as the strong one and there are many advantages the strong one has over the weaker1 one of the most prominent of which is that the strong one displays more energy and is more industrious than the weaker4 ,,in ,,the ,,ordinary ,,straw ,,skeps ,,one ,,cannot ,,carry ,,out ,,one',s ,,desires ,,completely ,,in ,,managing ,,bees4 ,as important and well known as the fact now is of having the colonies strong1 one cannot make them so if they are kept in the common1 simple straw basket where one does nothing but destroy in a slovenly way1 especially farmers4 ,in the fall they take the heaviest and lightest colonies and in a sinful and thoughtless manner kill and smother its inhabitants thus doing themselves a deliberate injury1 as if they permitted these useful creatures1 these patterns of industry1 to live1 they would gain far more4 ,i once saw a beekeeper take a very heavy colony consisting of two colonies which in swarming clustered together1 and smother them1 because he thought that owing to the large number of bees the colony might not have enough winter stores4 ,yes6 a clown of a fellow actually burned with straw his young swarms1 because they came rather late4 ,but ,i do not intend to occupy my time describing the wrong mode of keeping bees1 as through the length and breadth of the land this has been so passionately spoken of and they will learn1 only as matters progress1 to adopt a better mode of beekeeping4 ,,the ,,magazinestock#f ,,are ,,convenient1 ,,particularly ,,with ,,the ,,wooden ,,top ,,boxes ,,with ,a ,,glass ,,side4 ,if one wishes to build up populous colonies1 one must commence by controlling swarming3 namely1 swarming often4 ,to do this1 one must provide roomy dwellings and those that can be enlarged gradually2 without this the object would fail4 ,if one should give the bees a large dwelling at once they would become discouraged and would not half fill the hive and there would be many other disadvantages4 ,the dwelling must also be arranged in such a manner that the bees can be handled with ease and without damage to the bees1 or ever to have to destroy the latter to enjoy the product of their industry and control their surplus in honey and wax4 ,all this is required2 but now as to the care of the 8magazine40 ,as the bees conduct their domestic affairs within a limited space and they from time to time according to the demands of time1 attentions1 etc41 are increased or diminished1 one generally makes them of straw 7at least ,i have seen no others7 and lathes which are very useful1 if not too large 7as they generally are72 nevertheless1 these straw 8storing cases0 have several drawbacks which ,i have found by observation and manipulation4 ,thus1 some years ago1 ,i conceived the idea of making1 as far as possible1 those that were more complete and convenient2 to that end ,i made wooden four-cornered hives of boards and put in the same at least one pane of glass which1 although only costing but little1 is of inestimable value4 ,i improved on these until ,i found the most useful and convenient to handle4 ,the samples that ,i have ,i not only had myself for several years1 but ,i also made some for good friends1 and others made copies of them and their great value makes me recommend them unhesitatingly4 ,these hives are very little more expensive than straw 7if they are made plain and cheap71 they last longer1 are better and more convenient and can be made anywhere1 while men who can make straw hives are often difficult to get4 ,one should not allow himself to be frightened into thinking they are too expensive1 when conducting an extensive bee business2 or that1 if one begins with them1 the profits will soon disappear4 ,i will just describe their completeness and their general utility and their advantages over the straw hive1 more especially for the purpose of giving guidance how to make them of the greatest use in beekeeping4 ,rodheim1 ,germany1 ,july1 #aghc4 ,to be continued4 ,,is ,,beekeeping ,,profitable4 ,,by ,t4 ,f4 ,,arundell4 ,my attention being called to the article headed1 8,is ,beekeeping ,profitable0 7page #fd1 ,march ,no471 ,i will answer it to the best of my ability4 ,the answers to questions #a and #b depend simply on the annual yield of honey per colony1 and the success attained in wintering4 ,should a surplus of #ajj lbs4 or more be obtained from each colony 7spring count71 together with a moderate increase in bees and with little or no loss in wintering1 success would be assured2 but1 should the average yearly surplus amount to no more than #dj or #ej lbs4 coupled with severe losses in wintering1 the business could not prove otherwise than a financial failure4 ,no4 #c4 ,in this section one man can properly manipulate at least #aej colonies and their increase1 make the extra hives1 and extract all the honey from them1 excepting possibly1 a very few days when honey is stored more rapidly than usual4 ,as to tools wearing out with use1 ,i will say that ,i have extracted #dj1jjj lbs4 7#bj tons71 in the last two summers with a four frame 8,novice0 geared extractor with no appreciable wear1 and my honey knives are as good as when first bought4 ,a well made hive should last a lifetime1 so that the depreciation in value of utensils is more imaginary than real4 ,no4 #d4 ,given a properly arranged hive and appropriate tools a man can extract from #abj to #adj lbs4 per hour1 say #abjj lbs4 per day4 ,in four successive days last ,july ,i extracted and filled into cans #e1bjj lbs4 of honey1 working about eight hours each day extracting and filling cans from the tanks mornings and evenings4 ,hives in my apiary average about #dj lbs4 each extracting4 ,no4 #e4 ,in regard to the number of colonies an apiarist could oversee1 it depends more on the talent and genius of the overseer than upon the number of colonies possessed4 ,while one man can direct and control hundreds of employs1 another cannot even manage his own labor to lead to the best results4 ,at some future time ,i would like to describe1 in your ,journal1 the best and speediest methods of extracting honey in large apiaries as practised in this country4 ,santa ,paula1 ,cal4 ,,instructions ,,to ,,beginners4 ,,by ,,the ,,editor4 ,there are1 properly speaking1 two systems of keeping bees3 the one adapted to the needs of the expert and specialist who keeps a large number of colonies and devotes his entire time and attention to the pursuit2 the other adapted to an apiarist who keeps bees in connection with some other business1 either for the pleasure and recreation1 or for the purpose of adding another source of income4 ,the latter class constitute the majority of the beekeeping fraternity and only too often are their needs overlooked by those who write upon the subject of apiculture4 ,while we are aware that if one is adapted to beekeeping1 and enters into it properly in a favorable location and masters it that success will follow2 yet1 as a rule1 we advise keeping bees in connection with some other vocation1 as when one becomes thoroughly familiar with all the requirements of beekeeping it is an easy matter to enlarge his apiary4 ,then1 again1 a few colonies properly managed will generally give far better results than can be obtained from a large apiary4 ,those who are just commencing should remember that the less they handle their bees1 and yet accomplish what may be required1 the better for their colonies4 ,if one is naturally nervous1 it is best to wear a bee veil at first and when manipulating the colonies work gently and avoid jarring or fretting them4 ,when looking for the queen1 blow a little smoke in at the entrance as this causes the queen to run up on the comb and the bees that may be running about on the bottom board will fill with honey4 ,one of the first steps for the beginner is to decide1 as far as possible1 to which class he intends to belong1 and what amount of capital he can safely invest4 ,where one has a limited capital and wishes to become an expert or a specialist1 it is far better to begin on a small scale and gradually increase his number of colonies making them pay their way and also furnish funds for new investments4 ,if your first lessons have been gleaned from flaming advertisements or reports of enormous yields1 or through reading some of the overdrawn works on apiculture 7so written with the purpose of making new converts71 just take some wholesome1 practical food for study and thought1 both by securing one or more of the works on practical apiculture mentioned in this journal1 and by visiting some practical and successful apiarist4 ,in this way1 you will be prepared to look at both sides2 and if1 after doing this1 you enter into beekeeping with a determination to succeed you are certain to make it pay1 provided you are adapted to the business1 and other things are equal4 ,there is not the slightest reason why nearly every person who has a fair-sized garden should not keep a few colonies of bees and thus provide the table with nature's purest and most healthful sweets4 ,success in any vocation always means hard work1 together with push1 tact1 and energy4 ,thousands embark each year on the sea of business enterprise and the shoals and quicksands are strewn with stranded wrecks1 yet there are those who1 by rigid economy and shrewd management1 accumulate a competency besides establishing a good remunerative business4 ,our advice to those who wish to engage in beekeeping would as a rule be this4 ,if at present you have no location1 look about you and find a small place of from one to ten acres according to your means and the situation4 ,it is better to have the land slope to the south and east if possible and it should be well protected from the cold north and west winds4 ,perhaps you can rent or lease a place adapted to your needs4 ,the surrounding country should be well supplied with bee pasturage in the shape of orchards1 clover1 basswood 7if possible71 wild flowers or many others that we might name but which are described in most of the works on apiculture4 ,where one is located in the city or village and means to keep only a few colonies this advice is unnecessary1 but with all others it is imperative that they locate in a good honey-producing district4 ,it is also best to learn if there are many bees kept where you wish to locate2 as1 while there is no law to prevent your establishing an apiary by the side of your neighbor1 yet the latter has rights which it is proper and just to respect4 ,this again will not matter without you intend to build up a large apiary4 ,one may secure a large yield of honey and yet find a poor market for it2 hence it is always best to take into consideration the advantages for establishing a good home market4 ,it will pay far better than shipping to large markets and giving all your profits to commission men4 ,there are so many items of interest which should serve as an introduction to these papers that we hardly know where to stop and must be necessarily brief and even leave many of them until we write again4 ,in purchasing bees it is best if you want but from one to five colonies to purchase them of some reliable dealer and always select a standard frame1 and it will pay you well to look into the merits of the various frames before making your purchase4 ,while for some reasons we prefer a frame about #aj #ae1 yet as the 8,langstroth ,standard0 is now so largely in use and is no objection as regards wintering the bees1 we deem it best to adopt it in our own apiaries4 ,circumstances must in a great measure control these matters1 but whatever style is adopted it should be adhered to1 else much trouble and expense will result4 ,we deem the tenement hive the best for all purposes4 ,true1 the first cost is somewhat greater1 but in the end it pays4 ,the hives should be constructed in as simple a manner as possible1 and while if one wants but a few he can make them after obtaining his colony of bees and estimating the size of the brood chamber2 yet it is much better if he wants five or more hives to purchase them in the flat4 ,while we prefer for working bees a cross between the ,italian and ,holylands 7from ,syria71 yet as a rule we would recommend the ,italian as the best for the average beekeeper4 ,experience will teach one which is the best race4 ,we shall endeavor to give illustrations of different styles of hives in our next paper but have been too busy to attend to it this month4 ,our first advice is 8,make haste slowly10 but 8stick to it0 until you have either mastered the business or found that you were better adapted to some other vocation4 ,,new ,,observations ,,on ,,the ,,natural ,,history ,,of ,,bees4 ,,by ,,francis ,,huber4 7,continued from p4 #ie1 ,vol ,,iii47 ,solicitous to learn its origin1 and conjecturing that it might be masculine matter1 he began to watch the motions of every drone in the hive1 on purpose to seize the moment when it should be received by the eggs4 ,he assures us1 that he saw several drones insinuate the posterior part of the body into the cells for that purpose4 ,after frequent repetition of the first he entered on a long series of other experiments4 ,there was something very specious in this explanation3 the experiments on which it was founded seemed correct2 and it afforded a satisfactory reason for the prodigious number of males in a hive4 ,at the same time the author had neglected to obviate one strong objection3 larv appear when there are no drones4 ,from the month of ,september until ,april1 hives are generally destitute of males2 yet1 notwithstanding their absence1 the queen then lays fertile eggs4 ,thus the prolific matter cannot be required for their impregnation1 unless we shall suppose that it is necessary at a certain time of the year1 while at every other season it is useless4 ,to discover the truth amidst these facts1 apparently so contradictory1 ,i determined to repeat ,mr4 ,debraw's experiments1 and to observe more precaution than he himself had done4 ,first1 ,i sought for that matter which he supposes the prolific in cells containing eggs4 ,several were actually found with such an appearance1 and during the first day of observation1 neither my assistant nor myself doubted the reality of the discovery4 ,but we afterwards found it an illusion arising from the reflection of the light for nothing like a fluid was visible except when the solar rays reached the bottom of the cells4 ,this part is commonly covered by shining fragments of the cocoons of worms successively hatched1 and the reflection of the light from these when much illuminated1 produces an illusory effect4 ,we proved it by the strictest examination for no vestiges of a fluid were perceptible when the cells were detached and cut asunder4 ,though the first observation inspired us with some distrust of ,mr4 ,debraw's discovery1 we repeated his other experiments with the utmost care4 ,on the #fth of ,august1 #aghg1 we immersed a hive1 and with scrupulous attention examined all the bees while in the bath4 ,we ascertained that there was no male1 either large or small1 and having examined every comb we found neither male nymph nor worm4 ,when the bees were dry we replaced the whole1 along with the queen in their habitation1 and transported them into my cabinet4 ,they were allowed full liberty2 therefore they flew about and made their usual collections2 but it being necessary that no male should enter the hive during the experiment1 a glass tube was adapted to the entrance1 of such dimensions that two bees only could pass at once2 and we watched the tube attentively during the four or five days that the experiment continued4 ,we should have instantly observed1 and removed any male appearing1 that the result of the experiment might be undisturbed1 and ,i can positively affirm that not one was seen4 ,however1 from the first day which was the #fth of ,august1 the queen deposited fourteen eggs in the workers' cells2 and all these were hatched on the tenth of the same month4 ,to be continued4 ,,editorial4 ,doubtless our friends will not take it amiss if we give but a brief editorial this month4 ,our new enterprise is receiving such hearty endorsement from every quarter that we must conclude that we have taken the right step after all4 ,we only ask that the reader and our customers bear patiently with us for a while4 ,the season has been so backward that we are in a rush but shall be amply able to meet all demands4 ,we have not utilized the question and answer department this month as the amount of work that we have been obliged to perform has been simply enormous1 but we shall soon have that department in running order again4 ,we would urge upon our readers the importance of creating a home demand for honey this season in order that we may not have a glutted honey market with which to contend4 ,work hard at the ,state conventions to have county associations formed2 these are the educators that will prove the gateway to a home demand4 ,prepare to make first-class exhibitions at county fairs next fall3 it will pay4 ,it may seem as though this advice was premature1 but we have none too much time to prepare for these fairs4 ,remember that if we ever have a permanent market for our honey the beekeepers must make it4 ,we wish our readers to come to us with their experiences1 successes and failures and we shall endeavor to give them such instruction as will aid them in their work4 ,do not fail to send for a few of our 8,companions0 and distribute them for us2 it will be but little trouble and will aid us wonderfully in building up our subscription list4 ,we are preparing to give our readers a large number of illustrations and as our list increases we shall be able to add many new and interesting features to our ,journal4 ,we have already sent out #e1jjj 8,companions0 within the last two weeks1 and the call is so great that we are printing #e1jjj more4 ,,experimental ,,bee ,,farm ,,notes4 ,on account of the many duties devolving upon us in establishing our bee farm we have not as yet been able to carry out any of the experiments that we mean to test for the benefit of our readers4 ,while for the purpose of experimenting we shall devote some colonies to the production of honey1 both comb and extracted1 yet this season's operations will be confined almost exclusively to queen-rearing4 ,we start with about one hundred colonies of the different races of bees4 ,the season thus far 7in this locality7 has been unusually backward and trying1 giving us but little warm1 pleasant weather and but few days when the bees could gather honey freely4 ,last winter most of our colonies were wintered in the beehouse and were removed to the summer stands1 about the #bhth of ,march1 in fine condition and there seemed to be but little difference between their condition and that of those wintered on the summer stands4 ,the first work of the season commenced when the bees were removed from the beehouse4 ,the hives were cleared 7as much as possible without removing the combs7 of dead bees2 the honey boards with which the hives were covered during winter were removed and replaced with mats on the top of which chaff cushions were placed4 ,we kept our colonies well packed that they might be snug and warm even during the sudden changes in temperature and we make it a rule never to remove such packing until warm weather has 8come to stay40 ,as soon as the bees could be handled safely the colonies were examined and all combs outside the cluster were removed4 ,this is an excellent practice1 as by reducing the capacity of the brood chamber to the size of the cluster we enable the bees to maintain sufficient heat to carry on brood-rearing much more rapidly than when they are surrounded by a cold vacant space4 ,at the time of setting out the bees1 the entrances to the hives were all contracted to about one inch and it is wonderful to see what a help this is to the bees in keeping the hive warm4 ,in a few days after being removed from the bee-house the bees were busily engaged in carrying in the artificial pollen 7wheat flour7 which we provided for them placing it near by in the apiary4 ,brood-rearing soon commenced and in about four weeks the colonies began to show marked signs of increase4 ,soon we found it necessary to add empty combs wherein the queens might deposit eggs4 ,while in the hands of the expert this is a safe and sure method of building up the colonies rapidly1 yet it must be conducted with caution else during a warm spell the queens may utilize more combs than the bees can cluster and thus neglect the brood in the outside combs which in such case must perish4 ,never spread brood faster than it can be covered and well protected by the bees even during the cool nights4 ,during the last few days in ,april the weather was favorable for honey gathering and a few pounds were stored by each colony from the soft maple bloom4 ,our colonies have been so well protected that they were not troubled with spring dwindling and soon they became so strong in numbers as to be in fine condition for queen-rearing4 ,it is poor policy both for the breeder and for the honey producer to attempt to rear queens with any but the most populous colonies if they want first-class queens4 ,at this date we have between #cjj and #djj queen cells in all stages of construction and quite a large number of queens ready for fertilization4 ,our queen-rearing is conducted by the methods given in the ,beekeepers' ,handy ,book2 and1 indeed1 after having practised all the various methods1 we would as soon think of going back to the old box-hive system of keeping bees as to practise the old unsatisfactory and uncertain methods of rearing queen bees4 ,it is a pleasure to examine the nice evenly built and conveniently spaced rows of cells found in the queen-rearing colonies now under ,mr4 ,alley's supervision4 ,it is indeed a most interesting sight and one that we would be pleased to share with our beekeeping friends to whom we extend a most cordial invitation to visit us4 ,we shall endeavor to impart to all our visitors all the information possible regarding queen-rearing and the general management of the apiary as conducted at our 8bee farm40 ,at present we have four races of bees from which we are propagating queens1 prominent among which are the orange-yellow ,italians4 ,we confidently assert that we never saw or possessed a more beautiful or hardy strain of pure ,italian bees4 ,we shall run four separate apiaries situated about three miles apart in order to keep each race strictly pure4 ,we have set out one hundred 8prickly comfrey0 plants1 purchased of ,mr4 ,arthur ,todd of ,philadelphia1 ,pa41 and shall refer to them again later in the season4 ,we have also sown one and a half acres of ,bokhara clover for the bees and it will pay our readers to utilize every waste spot 7at least7 with either or both of the above4 ,increase in pasturage means increase in surplus honey4 ,it is now time to prepare for the coming honey harvest and indeed in many sections of the country the surplus boxes have been placed in the hives1 or the honey extractor resorted to4 ,when the colonies that are to be run for section honey become populous and begin to build white comb along the edges of the top bars1 and perhaps between the combs1 it is well to place one set of sections on the hives but they should have only the amount of surplus room that they can utilize and other sections should be added as they are needed4 ,a piece of comb foundation one-half the size of the section1 cut in the shape of a triangle and attached point downward1 will be a wonderful help to the bees and prove a paying investment to the apiarist4 ,if some colonies seem strong but do not utilize the sections readily1 just exchange their empty sections with partially filled sets 7bees and all7 from other colonies4 ,this is a plan practised more than twenty-five years ago by ,mr4 ,alley and ,mr4 ,john ,j4 ,gould1 formerly of ,wenham4 ,mr4 ,g4 was at one time one of the largest beekeepers in this ,state4 ,mr4 ,pond1 however1 credits a beekeeper in ,maine with being the originator of this most excellent plan for inducing the bees to enter the sections4 ,there is one disadvantage in connection with this practice that ,mr4 ,pond and others fail to give4 ,it often happens that when a colony at work in the sections is disturbed1 the queens will run up into the latter and in the removal may be lost4 ,to prevent this make as little disturbance in the transferring as possible and smoke down1 into the hive1 all the bees that cluster on the tops of the frames4 ,the bees removed with the sections will not quarrel with their new neighbors4 ,there are many items that would prove interesting to our readers but we have already devoted more space than we intended to this department and must await another opportunity4 ,,correspondence4 ,,the ,,honey ,,extractor4 ,,friend ,,locke3 ,your beautiful book1 ,vols4 ,i and ,,ii of the 8,american ,apiculturist10 is before me and its contents noted4 ,it seems to fill the bill1 being replete with items of importance especially to the more advanced apiarist4 ,while we cannot forget the labors of a ,langstroth1 a ,quinby1 and a few other dear names1 your work fills a more modern want1 and if you keep in view the interest of honey producers1 as ,i do not doubt you will1 you ought to meet with success4 ,i have been in the business of raising and marketing comb-honey about #ce years4 ,made a little at it once1 but of late years it hardly pays4 ,the injudicious use of the honey extractor has been a great damage to us as beekeepers1 and it is the only thing ,i know of that can injure your success4 ,this engine bee business is a mistake4 ,some are clamoring for a large iron extractor1 that will extract not less than four combs in no time4 ,i suppose their reason for it is that the larv will not expire under the operation4 ,some do not relish larval honey anyway1 and ,joseph prefers quality to quantity1 nor does he believe it benefits brood or comb to be violently whirled in the vortex of death4 ,they talk about a glutted market4 ,well6 well6 honey is down and the mourners go about the streets4 ,what shall we do8 ,create a home demand8 ,i think friend ,l4 ,c4 ,root has answered this question on page #dh1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 8,american ,apiculturist0 when he says 8we must devise some means of producing smaller crops10 and ,i would add without diminishing our income that we annihilate the extractor4 ,what other method can we rationally adopt to curtail the quantity and enhance the quality and thus keep up a demand at home and abroad8 ,self interest for one is self interest for all honey producers4 ,it is better to make a little pay than a good deal not pay4 ,i am not talking for the supply business2 if ,i were1 ,i should undoubtedly advocate the extractor1 because what bees it does not kill in the larval state are hastened to an untimely death by a cruel and barbarous system1 which creates a demand for fresh victims1 fresh queens and fresh workers1 so that now the supply dealer alone makes anything4 ,when a law is passed by the ,legislature against the wicked practice of extracting honey as now carried on1 it will be the happiest day that the bee1 or the beekeeper who keeps bees for profit1 has seen4 ,of course ,i do not hope to do justice to this question in so short an article1 but would submit it to your thoughtful consideration as one of the most important questions touching the interest of the ,american beekeeper4 ,be gentle with the little bee ,which toils the summer day1 ,to bring its treasures to your home ,from every hidden way4 ,the fragile insect needs the care ,and kindness of your heart1 ,if you would win his services ,to aid you in a start4 ,j4 ,c4 ,,clark4 ,alden1 ,n4 ,y41 ,apr4 #ae1 #ahhe4 ,,chaff ,,hives ,,and ,,destruction ,,of ,,brood4 ,,mr4 ,,editor3 ,i drop these few lines to you to ascertain whether the 8,apiculturist0 is opposed to publishing opinions of beekeepers in regard to certain hives1 in certain localities1 their good and bad qualities1 etc4 ,i sent ,a4 ,i4 ,root my opinion of the chaff hive1 in my locality1 how ,i lost my bees very nearly all one season1 by using them2 and ,i proved the cause to be the fault of the hive4#g ,i must have been right1 or he would certainly have published the article4 ,at least ,i thought ,i was1 since he didn't publish it1 which is about two years ago4 ,now he ought not to have been opposed to publishing my article1 because ,i have already read in the ,gleanings1 where he said he was always glad to have the children write pieces for it1 because1 as he says1 they generally speak their mind right out1 no matter whom it hits4 ,now1 ,i am no child1 nor am ,i a professional writer2 but ,i consider that my article was as well gotten up as any child could get one up1 and it was just as plain spoken too1 as any article a child ever wrote for ,gleanings1 but it must have hit in the wrong place4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,editor1 if the 8,american ,apiculturist0 is conducted and run on such selfish motives1 ,i would rather have my money returned than be considered a subscriber4 ,you are at liberty to publish this if you choose4 ,sometime since ,i saw an article in one of the bee journals1 in answer to an inquiry as to the reason why a certain gentleman's bees tore down their worker brood and dragged it out4 ,the answer that he received was this3 in case the honey flow ceases suddenly1 the bees will tear down their worker brood and rid themselves of it to prevent starvation which1 so far as my experience goes1 ,i have never found to be the case1 although ,i have known the honey flow to cease very suddenly and very often with me4 ,when the honey flow suddenly ceases it is a very common thing to see the bees dragging out drone brood2 but whenever ,i see any of my bees carrying out their worker brood ,i know that that colony is troubled with the moth 7or wax7 worm4 ,i then open the hive and assist the bees in ridding themselves of the pests1 and ,i have never yet failed to find the latter travelling along just under the cappings of the brood1 where their presence is easily detected by white streaks which are easily followed with the head of a large pin or the point of a knife and the worm removed without injuring the brood in the least4 ,i suppose that the bees1 in their efforts to secure and remove the worms1 tear out some of the worker brood4 ,j4 ,c4 ,,simmons4 ,pottsville1 ,pa4 ,,news ,,from ,,new ,,york4 ,,friend ,,locke3 ,vols4 ,i and ,,ii of the 8,api0 7bound in one7 came to hand in nice shape4 ,its make-up is far superior to bound vols4 of papers and magazines in general1 being free from advertisements through the body of the book4 ,in fact one could hardly tell that it was a magazine as it has a strong appearance of being compiled expressly for book form4 ,the mechanical part of the work is ahead of any volume on apiculture we know of1 and of course the literary part is par excellence1 coming as it does from such men as ,l4 ,c4 ,root1 ,a4 ,j4 ,cook1 ,j4 ,e4 ,pond1 ,arthur ,todd1 etc41 etc4 ,no apiarist who wishes to be up with the times can afford to be without it4 ,it is an ornament to any library4 ,the snow is all gone1 but with the exception of a few days the weather has been cold and ,may #a and #b it froze quite hard in the night4 ,the winter has been severe4 ,the loss in bees in this county is fully #ej per cent1 yet what are left are in fair condition4 ,clover appears not to have been killed during the winter and ,i think we may look for a fair crop of honey if we can get our stocks strong enough to swarm in time4 ,wishing you success1 ,i remain yours truly1 ,c4 ,m4 ,,goodspeed4 ,thorn ,hill1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #d1 #ahhe4 ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,florida4 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,books1 papers and 8,apiculturist0 received4 ,thanks4 ,owing to the continued cold weather in ,january and ,february the orange bloom is not at its prime yet at this date 7,march #aa71 so ,i will omit the report of its value as a honey producer until next month4 ,the temperature for ,february was yet lower than for ,january4 ,i have taken three observations daily for the two months4 ,for ,january1 at #g ,a4 ,m41 average for the month #ee4 ,at #a ,p4 ,m41 in sun and cloudy weather1 highest #gh1 at #h ,p4 ,m41 #ed4 ,extreme temperature1 hottest1 #ih1 coolest #cd4 ,for ,february1 #g ,a4 ,m41 #dg1 #a ,p4 ,m4 in sun1 #gi1 #h ,p4 ,m41 #ec4 ,highest above #ib1 lowest1 #bh4 ,greatest variation during seven hours1 #eh4 ,february at #g ,a4 ,m41 temperature only #g colder2 at #a ,p4 ,m4 #a hotter and at #h ,p4 ,m41 #a colder4 ,january was very foggy and damp and much more uniform in temperature than ,february4 ,bees work every favorable day but no swarming in this vicinity this month4#h ,c4 ,g4 ,,ferris4 ,sanford1 ,fla41 ,march #aa1 #ahhe4 ,,exchanges4 ,,limitation ,,of ,,the ,,visual ,,field ,,of ,,the ,,worker ,,honey-,,bee',s ,,ocelli4 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,zabriskie4#i--,the honey-bee is a remarkably hairy insect4 ,on the head the hairs are dense1 and of various lengths2 and they cover every part1 even the compound eyes and the mandibles4 ,the antenn1 however1 are apparently smooth1 having only microscopic hairs2 and a path through the long hairs1 from each ocellus1 or simple eye1 directly outward1--to be described more fully presently1--is practically smooth4 ,the ocelli are so situated that when the bee is at rest and the face vertical1 they are directly on the top of the head1 arranged as an equilateral triangle1 and one ocellus is directed to the front1 one to the right side1 and one to the left#aj4 ,long1 branching hairs on the crown of the head stand thick like a miniature forest1 so that an ocellus is scarcely discernible except from a particular point of view2 and then the observer remarks an opening through the hairs--a cleared pathway1 as it were1 in such a forest--and notes that the ocellus1 looking like a glittering globe half immersed in the substance of the head1 lies at the inner end of the path4 ,the opening connected with the front ocellus expands forward from it like a funnel1 with an angle of about fifteen degrees4 ,the side ocelli have paths more narrow1 but opening more vertically2 so that the two together command a field which1 though hedged in anteriorly and posteriorly1 embraces1 in a plane transverse1 of course1 to the axis of the insect's body1 an arc of nearly one hundred and eighty degrees4 ,these paths through the hairs appear to me to be indications that the ocelli are intended for distant vision1 although the opinion that near vision is their function is held by eminent opticians4 ,the ocelli are nearly hemispherical1 and the diameter of each is about fifteen times that of a facet of the compound eye4 ,such a form of lens would1 ,i will concede1 indicate for these organs a short focus1 and hence1 a fitness for near vision4 ,but if the ocelli are intended for near objects1 it is difficult to understand why they are surrounded by a growth of hair so dense as to permit unobstructed vision only in a very narrow field1 and why they are so placed on the top of the head as to be debarred from seeing any objects in the neighborhood of the mandibles and the proboscis1 the ability to see which objects would appear to be very necessary in the constant and delicate labors of the worker honey-bee among the flowers4 ,dr4 ,zabriskie exhibited the head of the worker honey-bee for the purpose of illustrating the above remarks4 ,at the conclusion of his observations1 he added3 8,besides the worker honey-bee1 ,i have brought for exhibition the drone and the queen of the same species1 and the queen-cells2 the queen of ,bombus ,virginicus1 one of our native humble-bees2 the ,melissodes binotata1 male and female2 the ,melissodes pruinosa1 both sexes2 the beautiful ,anthophora dispar1 male and female of ,tunis1 ,africa2 and the celebrated little stingless bee of ,abyssinia1 the ,trigona ,beccarii1 which lives in immense colonies1 and stores large quantities of honey4 ,the ,anthophora dispar has a very long proboscis4 ,the possession of such a proboscis by our own bees would add millions of dollars annually to the wealth of the ,united ,states40 ,,canadian ,,department4 ,r4 ,f4 ,,holterman1 ,,editor4 ,we have to report a very heavy loss2 at first one-third dead was supposed to cover the ground1 but later reports will probably bring it nearer #ej per cent4 ,the losses may briefly be accounted for1 at least largely3 by the failure of the honey crop after clover2 consequent cessation of breeding and old bees ready for winter quarters2 an unusual consumption of stores in the fall1 followed by a severe winter4 ,men who stimulated breeding until a proper season1 fed sufficient stores of the right kind and at the proper time1 and properly packed their bees outside or had them in good cellars1 were generally successful4 ,experienced beekeepers have generally been successful as they know and are careful about getting the proper conditions for successful wintering4 ,martin ,emyh1 of ,holbrook1 wintered #agh out of #ahj2 one winter he lost none out of #aej and his success is fully as great in summer management4 ,he doubtless could give much information of value but we seldom hear of him in public4 ,most parties report bees to have died in ,march after the severest weather had passed4 ,is this not additional proof that loss was caused by aged bees going into winter quarters and becoming worn out1 and insufficiency of stores8 ,one report before me gives eleven starved out of thirteen4 ,bees in some localities are doing remarkably well this spring4 ,fresh honey is being stored in abundance1 combs having honey from top to bottom1 and here we feel confident some of our colonies1 unless there is a sudden change in the weather1 will require extracting before the end of the week and the prospects are that beekeepers will reap an abundant harvest4 ,brantford1 ,ont4 ,,book ,,notices ,,and ,,reviews4 --8,money in ,potatoes0 is the title of a valuable and instructive little manual published by the ,franklin ,news ,co4 of ,phila41 ,pa41 which they kindly sent us for review4 --,mr4 ,a4 ,i4 ,root of ,medina1 ,ohio1 has also sent us a potato book entitled the ,a ,b ,c of ,potato ,culture1 written by ,t4 ,b4 ,terry of ,hudson1 ,ohio1 which is well illustrated and printed in good clear type4 ,mr4 ,henry ,alley1 of ,wenham1 ,mass41 has submitted for review1 the proof sheets of the latest edition of the 8,beekeeper's ,handy ,book40 ,our reason for not waiting until the work was complete was because it will be placed on the market at about the same time that our subscribers receive their journal4 ,mr4 ,alley's former work was an invaluable addition to bee literature1 giving as it did1 not only the most scientific1 systematic and practical method of raising queen bees1 but also many other items of interest and much valuable information1 gleaned from an intimate acquaintance with beekeeping of about twenty-seven years4 ,the present work1 however1 surpasses the former in every respect1 and no beekeeper can afford to do without it4 ,the instructions given have been thoroughly tested by the author who has made a success of the business1 and these instructions are presented to the reader in a simple matter-of-fact way3 ,they are1 in fact1 the concise description of the every-day experiences1 for nearly twenty-seven years1 of a thoroughly practical apiarist who has mastered every branch of the business4 ,this work contains about #cjj pages1 and nearly one hundred illustrations4 ,while we have other valuable works on ,apiculture1 yet none of them fill the position occupied by the 8,handy ,book10 and no matter what works one may have this one should be procured1 as it will more than return its cost each season4 ,the first part contains about #age pages1 is devoted to general subjects of apiculture1 while the second is devoted to queen-rearing4 ,the author1 so to speak1 takes the beginner out into his apiary and gives him just the information needed to enable one who is almost wholly unacquainted with the bees1 to commence this study and continue it with a surety of success4 ,he tells the beginner 8how to start an apiary10 how and when to select1 pack and remove their bees1 when to place the section-boxes on1 how to prevent bees from deserting surplus boxes on cool nights1 and how to strengthen weak colonies4 ,his description of swarming and the proper care and management of swarms is excellent1 while that pertaining to queenless colonies and their care is very important and valuable4 ,the subject of comb-foundation and its manufacture is complete and exhaustive1 and is written by one of the best manufacturers of comb-foundation in the country4 ,the chapter on beehives1 their construction1 etc41 is entirely a new departure1 and original with this work4 ,a large number of the best are illustrated and described1 also their valuable features1 as claimed by their originators4 ,the work also contains a brief1 but interesting1 description 7with fine illustrations7 of the various honey producing plants1 and also the enemies of bees4 ,the second part1 which is devoted to queen-rearing1 has been revised and corrected1 and many new and valuable illustrations and items of instruction have been added4 ,it is a work that we can heartily endorse and recommend as indispensable to every beekeeper4 ,,notes ,,and ,,queries4 --,mr4 ,j4 ,m4 ,shuck who a short time since suffered a severe loss in the burning up of his beehive stock1 has just sent us his neat and attractive circular stating that he is again prepared for business4 --,we have just received from ,mr4 ,pryal of ,temescal1 ,cal41 a complete file of the ,california ,apiculturist1 which we are pleased to add to our collection4 ,mr4 ,pryal will please accept our thanks for the same4 --,we shall issue our ,journal from ,june to ,december on the #aeth of the month4 --,those who are so strictly orthodox in their opinions1 especially when criticising others1 should remember that their first duty is to practise what they preach1 as their teachings will then be productive of good4 --,we shall continue to issue our ,journal from the ,salem ,press office1 but all communications should be addressed to ,wenham1 ,mass41 and when sending money do not forget to make all postal notes or money orders payable on ,salem1 ,mass41 post office4 --,we have just received a circular and price list from ,mr4 ,b----1 who is now in ,europe dealing in foreign queens and bees4 ,the character of the language and criticisms contained therein will not warrant us in giving it a favorable notice4 ,manly criticism or counsel and advice1 or one's opinion expressed in kindly language1 always demands respect2 but since ,mr4 ,b---- has engaged in the sale of the eastern bees and queens he has introduced some finely drawn lines of distinction between the names given to the different races of bees from the ,holy ,land4 ,until lately we had no trouble in understanding what was meant by the terms ,holy ,land bees1 ,syrian bees or ,palestine bees1 and in order that we may be set at rights again will some one capable of judging kindly tell us what countries are included within the boundaries of the ,holy ,land 7not ,holy ,land proper47 ,mr4 ,b---- is not even contented to establish names of his own but makes it a point to abuse all those who differ from him4 ,we trust that he may yet learn to allow others the same freedom in expressing their opinions that he wishes himself and then abstain from abusing them for so doing4 --,we have just received from ,f4 ,d4 ,wellcome of ,poland1 ,maine1 the finest lot of red raspberry plants that we ever saw1 they certainly do him credit4 --,as we are now publishing #e1jjj copies per month of our ,journal1 advertisers will do well to give it a trial4 --,use every effort to work up a home demand for your honey this season as in most cases it will pay much better than sending it to city markets4 --,read all our club offers for this month carefully and if you should receive more than one copy of our ,journal kindly hand the other to your neighbor4 ,it may do him some good and it will help us4 ,better chances were never offered to secure first-class goods cheap than will be found in our club list4 --,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,clark submits his communication to us for consideration1 and we would state that while the extractor in the hands of an inexperienced apiarist or by injudicious use will doubtless prove a great injury1 yet we consider it one of the most valuable implements in a well conducted apiary4 ,the trouble with the 8glutted0 honey market comes1 not from the use of the honey extractor1 or the over-production of honey1 but from a lack of proper knowledge and means of creating a demand4 ,as a rule we do not consider it best to extract honey from combs containing unsealed larv1 but one must be governed by his knowledge of and experience in this business4 ,we could not be hired to do without the extractor for many reasons4 ,we should be pleased to hear from ,mr4 ,dadant on this subject1 as he uses the extractor extensively4 ,a few days since while we were busy at the desk1 ,mr4 ,alley called us out into the apiary to witness a swarm of bees issuing from a hive that was provided with one of his drone traps4 ,it was very amusing and interesting to watch the honey-laden bees rush pell-mell out through the perforated metal entrance giving conclusive evidence that the perforations were amply large to freely admit a worker bee laden either with pollen or honey4 ,soon the queen unable to force her way through at the entrance passed into the trap4 ,as soon as the majority of the bees had passed out we removed the drone trap1 fastened it to the end of a long pole and rested it against a small tree near by4 ,in a short time the bees1 discovering their queen in the trap1 clustered upon it4 ,when the bees had become quiet we removed the trap to a convenient shady spot near by and laying it on its side placed over it one of the swarming boxes1 covering the box with a board so as to cover the wire cloth and make it dark within the box4 ,we then left the swarm in that condition for about six hours in order to experiment with it and learn whether the queen would force her way out4 ,in the early evening we examined the swarm and found that the queen was out among the bees in the swarming box1 and found that as the trap was laid on its side the bees that filled the trap formed a bridge over which the queen could pass through the wire tube through which she passed into the trap4 ,this is a valuable feature of the trap because if one cannot always be at hand to attend to the swarms1 the queen after about six hours will find her way back into the hive again1 thus preventing either her loss or that of the bees4 ,we have had considerable experience with hiving swarms1 but never performed the task with such ease or so speedily as we can with the drone trap4 ,we can heartily endorse it as invaluable to the beekeeper even for this one purpose alone4 ,we shall experiment further with the trap and give the results4 --,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,goodrich of ,east ,hardwick1 ,vermont1 has sent us some most excellent comb foundation4 ,the thin for sections was especially fine4 --,for #c4jj cash we will send the 8,american ,apiculturist0 one year and one of our fertilizing hives containing four combs with brood and one-half pound of bees and a choice selected queen--the hive will also be supplied with one of our cone feeders4 ,with this small nucleus colony one can rear a number of queens during the season and it will be a great help in learning queen-rearing4 --,advertisers will please notice the change in our rates1 #ae cents per line each insertion4 ,there are about seven words to the line1 and twelve lines to the inch4 ,in sending copy always write it on one side of a separate sheet of paper and be very particular to have the names1 addresses1 etc41 very plain4 ,parties unknown to us must send cash with the order4 ,all copy for advertisements and manuscript must reach us by the first of the month1 if they are to appear in the following number which we shall issue on the #aeth of the month until ,december4 ,,letter ,,box4 ,des ,moines1 ,ia4 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,am in receipt of ,vols4 #a #b of the 8,american ,apiculturist0 handsomely bound in cloth with an enormous golden bee on the front cover4 ,happy bee6 to thus repose upon a production that has sprung up under the skies of ,quinby1 ,carey1 ,parsons1 ,elwood1 ,alley1 ,hetherington1 ,doolittle1 ,l4 ,c4 ,root1 and a host of northeastern beekeepers who have honored the calling4 ,the attractiveness of the book and its practical teaching should find for it a ready sale4 ,j4 ,m4 ,,shuck4 ,willamina1 ,yarnhill ,co41 ,ore4 ,april #bb1 #ahhe4 ,s4 ,m4 ,,locke1 ,,sir3 ,i have just received your first and second volumes bound together in cloth1 and must say that it exceeds my greatest expectations4 ,every beekeeper should have it4 ,,frank ,s4 ,,harding1 ,pres4 of the ,willamette ,valley ,b4 ,a4 ,oxford1 ,butler ,co41 ,ohio4 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,vols4 #a #b of the 8,apiculturist0 received1 and after carefully examining its contents1 ,i have no hesitancy in pronouncing it fully up to any bee journal published4 ,its contributors are first-class1 and show by their articles that they are men of ability4 ,i highly approve of your treatment and condemnation of fraud in every shape4 ,i am pleased to meet with the familiar face of our old friend ,mr4 ,langstroth in ,vol4 #b4 ,he lives within #bjj yards of me1 and is one of the dearest old men ,i ever knew4 ,a person has only to know him to appreciate his worth4 ,d4 ,a4 ,,mccord4 ,battle ,ground1 ,ind41 ,april #ac1 #ahhe4 ,dear ,sir3 ,the 8,am4 ,apiculturist0 came safe to hand1 and having examined its contents1 or rather the headings of the major part of the book1 ,i pronounce it ne plus ultra4 ,it should be in the hands of every respectable beekeeper of our broad land1 it being complete and full of most useful knowledge4 ,with many thanks ,i am1 sir1 very truly yours in fraternal bonds of apiculture4 ,p4 ,s4 ,i truly wish you success1 in all that is good and honorable1 and shall try to furnish an occasional article for the ,am4 ,apiculturist4 ,please find this my second contribution to same4 ,if acceptable you are at liberty to publish4 ,trusting the 8,apiculturist0 may live long and prosper1 ,i am as ever1 ,j4 ,m4 ,,hicks4 ,brantford1 ,june #d1 #ahhe4 ,,friend ,,locke3 ,i see by the last number of the 8,apiculturist0 much new and valuable information from ,england and ,germany4 ,last fall ,i learned through a ,german journal that the poison of the honey bee was utilized in curing honey4 ,a thought suggested itself to me which ,i hoped ere now ,i should have been in a position to practically test1 but circumstances have been unfavorable and perhaps you know of some one who would take an interest in the matter4 ,i intended taking a strong colony and feeding them1 say #c lbs4 of syrup per day and allow the bees to seal this and extract with great care4 ,then feed the same colony #be lbs4 in a day of twenty-four hours 7and it can be done7 and after it has been sealed extract as before1 during hot weather1 and again later in the season1 giving four distinct experiments1 and then test the various syrups for difference1 if any1 of quantity of poison contained in stores4 ,if a marked difference occurred after repeated experimenting the matter might be worthy of consideration and thus one reason why stores put in late are not as good as those given earlier4 ,i must say a man must be too much of an enthusiast if he considers1 as many appear to1 that any one condition1 if fulfilled1 will insure perfect success in wintering4 ,doubtless much is to be learned in wintering1 and theories advanced will often be another step towards success4 ,if we only acted thoroughly up to our present knowledge and were more careful1 the percentage of loss would doubtless be wonderfully reduced4 ,your brother beekeeper1 ,r4 ,f4 ,,holterman4 ,we are pleased with ,mr ,holterman's suggestions1 and1 if possible1 will make some tests1 as this matter is of more vital importance to beekeepers than they are aware4 ,we shall refer to this again in the near future4 ,mr4 ,holterman has touched the right key2 we must have more careful experimenting with a view to solving some of the mysteries that now surround apiculture1 and we trust that others of our readers and beekeeping friends will offer like suggestions and also assist us in making the tests4 ,it will pay you well to do so1 and we can by this means help each other very much4--,,ed4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,read at the ,beekeepers' ,congress1 at ,new ,orleans4 #b ,if our friend will visit us we will show him colonies of ,italians that can be examined without fear of stings1 and this with neither smoke nor protection4--,,ed4 #c ,when working for comb honey1 ,i return all of my swarms so that ,i get no increase that season4--,d4 ,f4 ,l4 #d ,doubtless our readers would be pleased to hear from friend ,lashier again1 and we trust that he will favor us with the article4--,,ed4 #e ,nature has wisely ordered it that generally only one-third of the bees in a colony fly out to the fields1 so that the colony would not perish even if all the absent bees were lost through some mishap4 #f ,literally magazine or wave house hive4--,r4 ,f4 ,h4 #g ,we are unable to decide to what extent the 8,chaff ,hive0 was liable for the loss of our friend's bees1 as quite frequently the lack of a thorough knowledge of beekeeping will result in loss of queens or bees which is attributed to the hive or dealer4 ,our friend certainly has a right to speak and the columns of the 8,apiculturist0 are always open to those who wish to express opinions1 so long as they do so in a fair1 manly way4--,,ed4 #h ,by mistake this communication1 which should have appeared in our last1 was overlooked and as it contains valuable items we give it in this number4--,,ed4 #i ,this paper was read at a meeting of the ,new ,york ,microscopical ,society1 ,march #f1 #ahhe4 #aj ,the ocelli are simple eyes or lenses1 set between the compound eyes1 as additional organs of vision4 ,these organs are possessed by all insects which have compound eyes4--,,ed4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,obvious printer errors corrected silently4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original4