744 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLKWAL. 



Nov. 3, 1904. 



To make a sheet, pour the wax on the face F of the 

 press, using only one hand, the other hand holding the 

 upper part U, and closing the press as soon as the wax is 

 poured in. The dotted lines show how the closing is done. 

 The inside of the box and the outside of the press should 

 be wet before beginning the operations, in order to prevent 

 the surplus wax from sticking. 



LUBRICANT FOR THE PRESS. 



At this stage of operations we have a thin and soft 

 sheet of foundation to take from the press. Needless to say 

 that such a sheet will not stand any hard pulling, and in 

 order to have it come off easily, a good lubricant should be 

 used. The instructions given in the European bee-papers 

 are to use water and honey, half and half, and apply after 

 every fourth or fifth sheet. I find that there is quite a dif- 

 ference according to the quality or kind of honey and the 

 temperature of the room and the press. The warmer these 

 are the more honey should be used. I obtain better results 

 by applying the lubricant often, and in small quantity 

 rather than by doing the reverse. I suppose any cheap 

 glucose syrup would do as well as honey. With me, a big 

 sponge is the best instrument to apply the lubricant rapidly 

 and uniformly. 



SOFTNESS OF PRESS FOUNDATION. 



The foundation from the press is thicker than the sur- 

 plus foundation made by the Weed process, but is much 

 softer. But let me say, first, that the difference in thick- 

 ness is more apparent than real. The enormous pressure 

 to which the Weed foundation is submitted reduces its 

 volume perhaps to half what it otherwise would be, but it 

 increases the hardness and toughness in proportion. 



There is no doubt that the bees prefer the soft founda- 

 tion, as they can work it more easily. Those of the old 

 readers of this paper, who have kept their bee-papers, will 

 find the discussions and reports on the use of the founda- 

 tion from the Given press and the rollers, in the papers of 

 ten or twelve years ago. The consensus of opinion was in 

 favor of the press. My own experiments are too limited yet 

 to be very conclusive. As far as I am able to judge now, 

 the bees will take the soft foundation in preference. 

 Furthermore, if the walls are not too high, they will thin 

 the base of the cells of the soft foundation, but never those 

 of the Weed foundation, probably because it is too hard. 

 The walls will always be thinned and drawn, no matter 

 how hard they may be ; probably because the bees can get 

 them between their mandibles and thus easily work them. 

 So, after all, the excess of wax of the soft foundation is not 

 lost at all. The transparency of the Weed foundation is 

 merely a matter of looks, and need not be considered. 



Knox Co., Tenn. 



Minnesota State Fair and Premiums. 



BY H. G. ACKUN. 



THE Minnesota State Fair, held Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, was 

 the best one the State Agricultural Society has held, 



and one of the best State Fairs in the United States. 

 The Minnesota bee-keepers did their share by putting up a 

 larger exhibit than last year, not only in honey and bees, 

 but canned fruit sweetened with honey, jams and marma- 

 lades sweetened with honey, cooking and baking sweetened 

 with honey, and plain and sweet pickles put up with honey- 

 vinegar. Cooking and baking, canned fruit, sweet and 

 plain pickles all put up with honey and honey-vinegar have 

 been exhibited for five or six years at our State Fair, and 

 have done a good deal towards increasing the sale of honey 

 and honey-vinegar. Many of the rich have asked for 

 recipes for cooking, baking, and putting up pickles with 

 honey and honey-vinegar. 



Mr. Eugene Secor, of Iowa, was the judge of the api- 

 arian exhibits, and the following is the 



LIST OF EXHIBITS, WINNERS, AND AWARDS. 



Case of Extracted amber honey. 12 pounds or more in glass, labeled — 



1st i5rem., J. B. Jardiae, $10; 2d, Moeser's Apiarv, $6; 3d, H. G. 



Aoklin, $4; 4th, Walter R. Ansell, $2. 

 Display of extracted honey from greatest number of liowers in glass, 



labeled— 1st, H. G. Acklin, $5; 2d, J. B. .Jardine. $3; 3d, Walter 



R. Ansell, $1. 

 Beeswax—best quality, 10 pounds or more— 1st, H. G. Acklin, $b; 2d. 



J. B. .Jardine, U; 3d, Moeser's Apiary, $3; 4th, W. R. Ansell, $3. 

 Honey-vinegar— 1st, H. G. Acklin, S4; 3d, Moeser's Apiary, $3; 3d. 



Waller R. Ansell, $2. 

 Best displa.v of pies sweetened with honey— 1st, H. G. Aoklin, $4; 2d. 



Moeser's Apiary, $3; 3d, Walter R. Ansell, $2. 



Best display of honey-cake— 1st, H. G. Acklin. *4; 2d, Moeser's Api- 

 ary, $3; 3d, J. B. Jardine, $2. 



Best and largest display of marmalades, jams and .iellies put up with 

 honey— 1st, H. G. Acklin, $4; 2d, .J. B. Jardine, .¥3; 3d, Moeser's 

 Apiary, $2. 



Largest and best display of plain pickles in honey-vinegar— 1st, H. G. 

 Aoklin, $3; 2d, Moeser's Apiary, $2; 3d. J. B. Jardine, $1. 



Largest and best display of sweet pickles put up with honey and 

 honey- vinegar— 1st, H. G. Acklin, S3; 2d, Moeser's Apiary, $2; J. 

 B. Jardine, $1. 



Largest and best display of variety of uses for honey — 1st, H. G. Ack- 

 lin, $4; 2d, Moeser's Apiary, $3; 3d, J. B. Jardine, $3. 



Nucleus of golden yellow Italian bees and queen— 1st. H. G. Ackhn, 

 U\ 2d, J. B. Jardine, $3. 



Nucleus of dark or leather-colored Italian bees and queen— 1st, H. G. 

 Acklin, S4; 2d, Moeser's Apiary, 5;3; 3d, J. B. Jardine, S2; 4th, 

 Walter R. Ansell, $1. 



Case of white clover honey, 13 to 34 pounds— 1st, H. G. Acklin, -?10; 

 2d, Moeser's Apiary, $6; 3d, J. B. Jardine, .?4: 3d, Walter R. 

 Ansell, $2. 



Case of basswood or linden comb honey — 1st, Moeser's Apiary, SIO: 

 2d. J. B. Jardine, .?6; 3d, H. H. Heins, $4 ; 4th, H. G. Acklin, S2. 



Case of other white comb honey — 1st, Moeser's Apiary, §10; 2d, D. C. 

 Hazelton, $6; 3d, Lindersmith, $4; 4th, J. B. Jardine, $2. 



Case of amber comb honey— 1st, Moeser's Apiary, -SIO; 2d, Walter R. 

 Ansell, SO; 3d, J. B. Jardine, *4; 4th, H. G. Acklin, S3. 



Case of extracted white clover honey, 12 pounds or more in glass, 

 labeled— 1st, G. A. Forgeson, SIO; 3d, Moeser's Apiary, $6; 3d, J. 

 B. Jardine, S4; 4th, H. G. Acklin, ^2. 



Case of extracted basswood or linden honey, 13 pounds or more, in 

 glass, labeled— 1st, J. B. Jardine, SIO; 2'd. H. G. Acklin, $6; 3d. 

 H. H. Heins, .S4; 4lh, Walter R. Ansell, s2. 



Case of other white extracted honey in glass, labeled — 1st, J. B. Jar- 

 dine, $10; 2d, H. G. Acklin, $6 ; 3d, Walter R. Ansell, .S4; 4th, 

 Moeser's Apiary, ¥3. 



Most attractive display of comb honey— 1st, Walter R. Ansell, 812: 

 2d, H. G. Acklin, SIO; 3d, Moeser's Apiary, $7; 4th,H.H.Heins,S5. 



Display of comb honey in extracting frames— 1st. J. B. Jardine, $6; 

 2d. H. G. Acklin, S4 ; 3d, Walter R. Ansell, 12; 4th, Moeser's Api- 

 ary, SI. 



Most attractive display of extracted honey — 1st, Moeser's Apiary, SIO ; 

 2d, H. G. Acklin, $6; 3d, J. B. Jardine, S4; 4th, H. H. Heins, $2, 



Display of extracted honey, granulated or candied — 1st, Walter B. An- 

 sell, .?5; 2d, H. G. Acklin, $4; 3d, J. B. Jardine, «3; 4th, Moeser's 

 Apiary, $3. 



Grand sweepstakes— largest, best, and most attractive exhibit — 1st. 

 Walter R. Ansell, S12; 2d, H. G. Acklin, §10; 3d, Moeser's Api- 

 ary, $"; 4th, J. B. Jardine, $5. 



I have been on the committee to revise our premium- 

 list for a number of years, and while we do not get just 

 what we would like, it is getting better every year. The 

 Fair managers always have their say as well as the com- 

 mittee. Cooking, canning, and using honey-vinegar are 

 more attractive to the average Fair visitor than the honey 

 alone, especially to the ladies, and are doing a lot to get 

 them to using honey. The premiums do not begin to pay, 

 as most of the cooking is eaten up by the judges, managers, 

 and a few others. 



One serious objection to our getting more premiums is, 

 when we ask for it the Secretary of the Fair turns to his 

 records and finds that Minnesota is now giving a larger 

 amount of premiums in the honey department than any 

 other State Fair in the United States. 



Ramsey Co., Minn. 



Money as a Health-Food is the name of a 16- 

 page leaflet (3^x6 inches) which is designed to help in- 

 crease the demand and sale of honey. The first part is 

 devoted to a consideration of " Honey as Food ", written 

 by Dr. C. C. Miller. The last part contains "Honey-Cook- 

 ing Recipes" and " Remedies Using Honey." It should be 

 widely circulated by every one who has honey for sale. It 

 is almost certain to make good customers for honey. We 

 know, for we have used it ourselves. 



Prices, prepaid — Sample copy free ; 10 for 20 cts.; 25 

 for 40 cts.; SO for 70 cts.; 100 for $1.25; 250 for $2.25; 500 

 for $4.00 ; 1000 for $7.50. Your business card printed free 

 at the bottom of the front page, on all orders for 100 or 

 more copies. Send all orders to the Bee Journal office. 



Amerikanische Bienenzucht, by Hans Buschbauer, is 

 a bee-keeper's handbook of 138 pages, which is just what 

 our German friends will want. It is fully illustrated, and 

 neatly bound in cloth. Price, postpaid, $1.00 ; or with the 

 American Bee Journal one vear — both for $1.75. Address 

 all orders to this office. 



