-^^ERICA.^ 



^^ il^A-ZN AMERICA >^ 



41st YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL,, MAY 30, 1901, 



No, 22, 



I ^ Editorial. =^ I 



The Freight-Rate on Comb Honey 



was left uDfliangred bj-'the Western Classifica- 

 tion Committee at its recent meeting in Cali- 

 fornia. We suppose bee-keepers ouglit to be 

 'grateful for this, but in all justice to comb- 

 honey producers, the rate should be reduced. 

 Perhaps with the proper effort on their part 

 at some future time the reduction will be 

 secured. 



Steam-Press Wa.\-Extraetors. — A late 

 number of Gleanings in Bee-Culture occupies 

 several pages discussing wax-extractors. It 

 seems that for several years in Germany and 

 France, and more recently in this country, 

 wax-extractors have been in use by which the 

 wax is pressed out by a screw-press, the press 

 all the while being kept within steam, so that 

 there is no danger of the wax chilling as when 

 taken from a heated place and put in a press 

 in a lower temperature. Some object that 

 these steam-press extractors are on too small 

 a scale for rapid work. Gerst\iiig. a German 

 editor, has invented a press to work in hot 

 water, which he claims is better than in 

 steam. It is possible that the solar extractor 

 may have to take a back seat for something 

 that will do more thorough work in getting the 

 wax out of old combs. 



Foul Brood in Michigan. — Geo. E. 

 Hilton, ijresident of the Michigan State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, sends us the following 

 concerning the foul-brood law in that State, 

 which he desires all Michigan bee-keepers to 

 read ; 



To THE Bee-Keei>eks or Michigan-. — 



So many letters are coining to nie regarding 

 the foul-brood law in Michigan, that I will 

 try, through the bee-papers, to answer in a 

 general way, and save myself valuable time at 

 this busy time of the year. 



First, the law is in operation to-day, and 

 the inspector is appointed. I feel very much 

 relieved. I have made four trips to Lansing 

 in behalf of the measure, and it rei|uired ail 

 the intluence that myself and others could 

 tiring to bear to secure its passage, as its im- 

 portance was so little understood. I have 

 paid out about ?.tO in expenses, to say noth- 

 ing of the time I have donated, which would 

 amount to as much more. And now 1 want 

 the bee-keepers of the State to take advantage 

 of the law. and receive the benctits that may 

 come from our efforts. 



I went to Lansing last week, spending a 

 portion of three days, and succeeded in hav- 

 ing John M. Rankin, our State apiarist, ap- 

 pointed as our insjjector, and I know of no 

 one that can better attend to the work, or 

 who is more worthy of the posiliim. The work 



is under the management of the State Dairy 

 and Food Commissioner, Hon. W. B. Snow, 

 of Lansing. Mich., to whom all communica- 

 tions should be sent. He is in direct com- 

 liiunicatiou with the Agricultural College, 

 and will inform Mr. Kankin what is expected 

 of him. 



We have but .?.tOO to use this season, but as 

 the necessity of the work becomes apparent 

 we shall be able to gel more. The disease 

 has an alarming foothold in our State, and it 

 behooves every bee-keeper in Michigan to do 

 his whole duty in assisting in the extermina- 

 tion of this dread malady. 



Trusting the above will make everything 

 plain, and save me many personal letters, I 

 am. Very respectfully yours, 



Geo. E. Hilton, 



rremletit Midiiyau Bee- Keepers'' Asxociation. 



Mr. Hilton and others deserve the thanks of 

 every Michigan bee-keeper, for their success- 

 ful efforts in securing the passage of their 

 foul-brood law. and also for the appointment 

 of Mr. John M. Rankin as foul-brood inspec- 

 tor. Now, let all co-ojierate in the attempt to 

 eradicate completely the scourge which Mr. 

 Hilton says lias already gained such a foot- 

 hold in Michigan. 



Other States shouUI jironiptly follow the 

 good examples set by Wisconsin, Michigan, 

 Colorado, and some other progressive States 

 that have lieen wise enough, and energetic 

 enough, to enact laws for the purpose of pro- 

 tecting the bees from the deadly disease of 

 foul brood. 



Let us all hope that after the bees, the hogs, 

 the cattle, and all other farm live-stock have 

 been fully protected, our legislators will wake 

 up to the importance of protecting that " best 

 crop of the farm ' ' — the boys and girls — from 

 the curse of the saloon. Up to the present 

 time they are not considered of sufflcient 

 value in most States to overbalance the greed 

 for ill-gotten financial gain. 



Simmins' Method of Introduction 



seems to be gaining in favor. Confine the 

 queen fasting for HO minutes, keeping her 

 warm, and let her run quietly in at the top 

 of the hive, preceding and following with a 

 pull of smoke. This at night. Then don't 

 disturb the colony tor 48 hours. 



Uzierzon and Jiangstroth. — Some dis- 

 cussion has taken place in Gleanings in Bee- 

 Culture between Editor Boot and Dr. C. C. 



Miller as to the merits of these two great 

 leaders. Froiri the discussion it appears that 

 neither of tlie two gets more credit anywhere 

 than he deserves, and that neither gets out- 

 side his own couiury as much credit as ho 

 should have. The work of Langstroth is not 

 fully appreciated in Germany, and Dzierzon 

 is too little appieciati-d }n this country. The 



high value of the doctrine of parthenogenesis 

 given by Dzierzon is by some fully appreciated 

 on both sides the water, while many on this 

 side scarcely know what is meant liy^he 

 term. In Germany Dzierzon is credited with 

 the invention of movable combs ( bars being 

 used with side-opening hives necessitating 

 the cutting of the combs from the hive-walls 

 at each removal), the great improvement of 

 movable /ramcs being apparently considered 

 by many as part and jiarcel of Dzierzon's 

 work, while Langstroth is scarcely recognized ; 

 while on this side it is apparently not gen- 

 erally known that Dzierzon gave to his coun- 

 trymen movable combs before movable frames 

 were invented, his bar-hives still being in use 

 in that country. 



While not taking a single leaf from Lang- 

 stroth's crown of laurel, we on this side can 

 right at least half the wrong by recognizing 

 Dzierzon at his full worth. 



Decoy for Swarms.— Mr. Doolittle says 

 in the Progressive Bee-Keejier that years ago 

 lie hung up dried mullen tops that had been 

 out over winter, for swarms to settle on, and 

 three out of four swarms chose those settling- 

 places. For those who allow natural swarm- 

 ing he commends the following, which he cut 

 out of an old newspaper : 



*'A good way to cat^'h swarms is as follows : 

 After each melting of wax preserve the resi- 

 due of dirt, pollen, cocoons, etc., which is left 

 after the wax has been pressed out, until 

 enough for the iJur|iose has been obtained, 

 when you will add to it one-half pound of 

 rosin and melt it all in an old vessel. Then 

 having secured some old mullen tops, take an 

 old spoon and spread some of the mixture 

 onto one side of two or three, then keep 

 adding more toijs and of the mixture, until 

 the whole cemented together is a fairly good 

 representation of a swarm of bees, when you 

 have an excellent bee-bob. When the swarm- 

 ing season conies on, hang your liob on the 

 limb of a tree or a pole in the apiary, within 

 the reach of your hand, and of the bees also, 

 and nearly every swarm will settle on it. For 

 something to hang it up by. put in a good, 

 stout wire while making, cementing it in at 

 the center." 



■ ♦- 



A School for Bee-Keepers is one of 



the up-to-date things in Vienna, Austria, 

 (iovernment aid lias been secured, ground 

 purchased, and a building erected. The tier- 

 man bee-journal, Bienen-Vater, has a fine 

 picture of the building, and another of the 

 apiary. A chief course is to be held some 

 two weeks, beginning in June, with a possi- 

 bility of the same being repeated. Only 20 

 applicants will be received at these chief 

 courses. Subsidiary courses will lie held on 

 10 specilic afternoons on dillerent dates from 

 June to September, allowing 4U to attend 

 Tuition is entirely free. 



