1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



735 



are heavy and clumsy tools, far surpassed by 

 those manufactured in England and the United 

 States; he also says that we Americans exhibit 

 our honey and bee-keeyers' supplies in a much 

 better and more systematic way; and, further- 

 more, he says that our rules for the distribu- 

 tion of prizes and premiums are much more 

 detailed, strict, and specified. 



By Mr. Graveuhorst's Blcnenzeitimg I see 

 that at Paris, France, an international bee- 

 keepers' congress was held in July. The Ger- 

 man exhibitors are said to have excelled there; 

 and it is quite refreshing, in these times of 

 chauvinism (just think of how the anniversary 

 of the victory of Sedan was celebrated in Ger- 

 many the other day), that the French bee- 

 keepers treated the German exhibitors and 

 visitors as brethren and friends in the fullest 

 meaning of the word. That hatred and so- 

 called patriotic rivalry which are sown and 

 nourished between the nations by their rulers 

 are an artificial, unnatural, inhuman feeling 

 which exists in minds of criminal turn only. 



On the European continent, foundation-mills 

 are much less used than in this country of ours. 

 Very many bee-keepers there make their foun- 

 dation themselves on hand foundation-presses 

 or forms. Of one of them, Rietsche's, between 

 <5000 and 7000 have been sold. By the Leipziger 

 Bienenzeitung I see that another one is manu- 

 factured now which consists partly of cement, 

 and is said to furnish thinner foundation than 

 the Rietsche press, and to work faster than 

 the latter, as no brushing off, no rubbing-in of 

 honey and the like, is needed; its price is also 

 much cheaper, being only three and a half 

 reichsmarks, or about 82 cents. Should the 

 press break by falling down, the manufacturer 

 repairs it for a trifle, as the wrought-iron frame, 

 the most valuable part of it, can not break. 

 To use the press it is previously laid in water 

 for at least five to six hours. Before the work 

 is commenced, the table has to be wetted thor- 

 oughly, and it must be kept wet as long as the 

 work is going on. Reason why: The press has 

 no rim to collect and gather the wax which is 

 forced out by the manipulation. This wax 

 flows partly down on the table, and partly 

 sticks to the outer part of the press from which, 

 when wet, it can be easily detached — which 

 operation, though, has to take place only now 

 and then, when a thicker crust has formed. 

 After the melted wax is poured on the press, 

 the latter is closed with the left hand, as the 

 weight of the upper plate itself produces the 

 necessary pressure. Then the press is immers- 

 ed in water for a moment, is opened on the 

 table, and the foundation is loosened from it 

 in a certain way by applying horizontally the 

 blade of a knife. It is advisable that an as- 

 sistant take hold of the foundation to cut off 

 what may adhere on its outer rim. Before one 

 proceeds to make another sheet of foundation. 



the press is again immersed in water; then it is 

 opened, and what drops of water may adhere 

 are let run off; what water does not flow off, is 

 almost momentarily taken up (swallowed) by 

 the cement. 



I also notice by the same paper that a Mr. A. 

 Enge, of Klein - Helmsdorf, has invented a 

 machine to uncap honey-combs with. The 

 depth to which the uncapping is done can be 

 regulated. It can be done down to the septum. 

 The machine has been exhibited and worked 

 at the above-mentioned exhibition at Leipzig, 

 and has "created quite an astonishment," and 

 was rewarded with a premium. 



St. Petersburg, Fla., Sept. 16. 



A LETTER FROM BELGIUM. 



MORE ABOUT THAT CONVENTION WITH A MEM- 

 BEKSHIP OF 2000 BEE -KEEPERS. 



By Prof. J. Verlinden. 



You have been sending me Gleanings reg- 

 ularly since 1892. It is certainly the apicul- 

 tural journal which I read with the greatest 

 pleasure. It is full of useful and interesting 

 teachings; and the hours I have passed in 

 translating it have been very agreeable. It is 

 with impatience that I await its arrival at my 



PROF, verlinden. 



table, and I then run over it eagerly. In order 

 to know better your Belgian correspondent 

 who will henceforth write more frequently, I 

 send with my letter three photographs. One is 

 a plain vignette of your humble servant. An- 

 other represents me giving a talk on the bee; 



