1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



721 



tile workers. Ordinarily, in such cases we pre- 

 fer to give virgin queens or a cell, or break them 

 up altogether, distributing the bees and brood 

 among several good colonies. We have very 

 often met with success in introducing laying 

 queens; but this one I thought I would just let 

 run loose among them. This I did, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the bees circle about her 

 in a friendly way, and even crawling up on top 

 of each other, two or three bee-high, to look at 

 her majesty. I closed the hive up, and expect 

 all to go well; but I have a curiosity now to see 

 how well this queen will lay after her long con- 

 finement, and how soon she will commence. 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY AND ITS HU- 

 MILIATION. 



It will be remembered by our older readers at 

 least, that the Popular Science Monthly has 

 "put its foot into it" pretty badly in times 

 past on the subject of bee-keeping. The first 

 instance was when the great scientist Prof. 

 Tyndall tried to tell in its columns years ago 

 how the bees make comb. Said he: "The bees 

 place themselves at equal distances apart upon 

 the wax, and sweep and excavate," etc. ; and 

 the Popular Science Monthly did not know 

 any better than to publish and indorse such 

 twaddle as that. Some years later they publish- 

 ed what is now known as the "Wiley lie," to 

 the effect that artificial comb honey was a com- 

 mercial possibility, and that there was very 

 little genuine bees' honey on the market; that 

 comb honey was made out of paraffine, the 

 comb filled with glucose, and the cappings put 

 on with "appropriate machinery." Of course, 

 bee-keepers were disgusted, and sent in their 

 protests; but that monthly paid no attention 

 until that scientist and scholar, Allen Pringle, 

 some years afterward, sent them an article ex- 

 plaining the absurdity of the whole thing. 

 This they deigned to notice and publish. 



Well, it seems that the editors of that scien- 

 tific!?) monthly have again "put their foot in 

 it." This time, fortunately for bee keepers, 

 the twaddle does not relate to our industry. 

 The following editorial note, taken from Elec- 

 tricity for September 9, will explain itself : 



It seems that the PopuUi)- Science Monthly has 

 been imposed upon. Two of the faculty of the Le- 

 laiid Stiiiiford University invented a hoax which was 

 the photo^iaphy of mental iuiijressions. According' 

 to tlie story, eight members of a certain society were 

 each requested to think Intently of a cat, and ttien 

 to Raze upon a sensitive plate in a dark-room. 'I'he 

 plate was developed, and lo and behold ! eig-ht cats 

 of various sizes and degrees of spectrality were dis- 

 tinguishable on the plate! A half-tone reproduc- 

 tion from this plate was printed in the PofDiJar Sci- 

 ence Montlilu, together with a pedantic article on 

 the subject of the photosraphy of mental impres- 

 sions. 



It seems that one of the professors had taken 

 eight exposures of the janitor's cat, and that the 

 composite from these exposures formed the basis of 

 the hoax. 



A very little time and pains on their part to 

 Investigate some of this so-called science would 



prevent them from being led into such errors. 

 For instance, how much would it have cost to 

 ask a practical bee-keeper whether Prof. Tyn- 

 dall's statement was founded on fact or not? 



It is a wonder that they did not at a later 

 time exploit on the advance of science when 

 that other hoax came out that artificial eggs 

 were made that would hatch chickens, but so 

 far the chickens did net have feathers. 



As to the cat hoax, these professors must have 

 known that the Popular Science Monthly from 

 its past reputation was more gullible than oth- 

 er journals of its class, and hence their joke. 

 We should like to have seen the caf-aclysm 

 that occurred in their office when the hoax, like 

 the unfortunate cat, was "exposed." 



SALOON-KEEPER HONEY-BUYERS. 



Since writing the editoral in another column, 

 cautioning bee-keepers against sending honey 

 to commission houses that quote away above 

 the market, I have received Information to the 

 effect that some of these honey-sharks are none 

 other than saloon-keepers. They have the idea 

 that there is big money in handling honey as 

 well as in selling beer. Of cour.se, they have 

 no conscience, and quote the market away 

 above what it actually is; and if they can 

 make an actual purchase from the honey-pro- 

 ducer, and are irresponsible, they will sell the 

 honey below the market, and pocket the pro- 

 ceeds, without rendering any returns. Just 

 this very thing was done last fall, and a promi- 

 nent bee-keeper was the victim of the saloon- 

 keeper. One of our bee- keeping friends sends 

 us a sample of one of these circulars, which is 

 of about the same stamp as the one I have de- 

 scribed elsewhere. The commercial agencies 

 give them no rating, and give their business as 

 " saloon." That ought to be enough. 



It seems like almost unnecessary repetition; 

 but it is nevertheless necessary to say and keep 

 on saying, Don't send honey to concerns who 

 quote away above the market, and want to buy 

 outright, unless you can get cash before turn- 

 ing the honey over. Either bee-keepers do not 

 read the bee-journals they do take, or else they 

 do not take bee- journals at all; for some one is 

 continually being " taken in " by these sharks 

 every year. The producer who has a few hun- 

 dred pounds of honey to sell, and who can not 

 afford to take a bee-journal, must not com- 

 plain if he does get taken in pretty badly by 

 saloon-keeping honey-men. We like to see the 

 prices shoved up; but one thing is certain, new 

 firms can not be expected to do as well as old 

 ones. 



MORE ABOUT THE HONEY-SHARKS OF CHICAGO; 

 HOW TO SHIP HONEY BY FREIGHT. 



Just before the publication of our last issue, 

 information came to us regarding the existence 

 of a ring of honey-sharks in Chicago, and I see 

 the American Bee Journal is already on track 



