246 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



but one fault, viz.: the covers will warp. 

 Now and then one will lay perfectly fiat; 

 but the most of them are "cantankerous," 

 and I have to pile brick on diagonally oppo- 

 site corners to make them robber-excluding. 

 Well, if you are bothered the same way, 

 when you order covers just ask friend Root 

 to run them over a circular .saw, cutting 

 two-thirds of the way through the board, 

 from the under side. Make three or four 

 of the grooves, equal distances apart. When 

 that cover is cleated it is flat to stay, and as 

 strong as ever. One can even use the edge 

 for a seat if he feels so disposed." 



The Panics (Tunisians) Prolific and Good 

 "Workers. 



Bro. Alley complains because I said that I 

 saw no good accounts of the Tunisians (or 

 Funics as they have been called) except 

 those coming from interested parties. He 

 calls my attention to a favorable report ap- 

 pearing in Gleaninrjs of Aug. 1, from Mr. I. 

 N. Moore, of California. I would say in ex- 

 planation that when that issue of Gleanings 

 came to hand the "Extracted" department 

 of the last Review was already in print. I 

 have no pet race of bees to boom, and if the 

 Tunisians have any desirable qualities no 

 one is more willing than myself that the fact 

 shall be known. Here is what Mr. Moore 

 says: — 



"There has been so much said concerning 

 the Punic bees, and the many good qualities 

 claimed for them, I will give you my expe- 

 rience from last October up to date. I pro- 

 cured a Punic queen from Henry Alley about 

 the first of October, and introduced her to a 

 small colony— not over one quart of bees— 

 and no honey. I fed them, and the queen 

 began laying the third day after she was 

 introduced. By the first day of December 

 they were more than double in numbers, 

 and had plenty of honey for the winter. By 

 May 15th they were the strongest colony I 

 had. I have taken from them fourteen 

 frames of honey and brood for other hives, 

 and divided them once, and now the old hive 

 contains fifteen frames of brood and honey, 

 12x12, and the new colony is full of honey 

 and brood, and in fine condition. My new 

 colony of Punics has gathered as much 

 honey as any of the old colonies of the 

 native bees; and the old colony of Punics 

 has gathered nearly twice the amount of 

 honey of any of the other colonies. So far 

 they have come up to all the good qualities 

 claimed for them. They are quick and 

 active, work early and late; they are working 

 before the others are out, and after all others 

 have quit. I am satisfied they are the com- 

 ing bee; and if they are given a fair trial I 

 think they will give perfect satisfaction. I 

 am well pleased with mine, and hope other 

 bee keepers will give them a trial. 



I. N. MOOKE. 



Los Angeles, Cal., July 12." 



Shall the Bee-Keepers' TTnion Become Ag- 

 gressive as well as Defensive^ 



According to its present constitution the 

 Bee-Keepers' Union can use its money and 

 power only in defending its members when 

 suffering from unreasonable prosecution. 

 Several times it has been urged that its con- 

 stitution be changed so that it might take 

 the aggressive as well as the defensive, par- 

 ticularly in fighting the adulteration of 

 honey. Mr. J. F. Mclntyre, of California, 

 now proposes that a new Union be formed 

 simply for the purpose of fighting adultera- 

 tion. He writes to Gleanings as follows: — 



"I would urge all honest bee-keepers who 

 meet in Washington next fall, to organize 

 another bee-keepers' union for the express 

 purpose of fighting the adulteration of 

 honey. I believe such a union would soon 

 have ten times the strength of our present 

 one, because we are all interested in this 

 matter, except a few dishonest ones, and we 

 will soon make it interesting for them. I 

 have known for several years that a large 

 proportion of the extracted honey sold in 

 eastern cities was adulterated. This is why 

 our dark honey sells for nearly as much as 

 white — it will stand more glucose; and this 

 is why the price does not go up in a poor 

 year. I am very glad to hear H. W. Wiley 

 say, "There is no variation in genuine 

 honey, which would make it similar to corn- 

 starch glucose." And I sincerely hope he 

 will not be obliged to take it back; for if 

 that is true, we can easily trace the honey 

 back to the adulterator, and then place a 

 detective to watch until he gets proof that 

 will convict the guilty parties, if the evidence 

 of the chemist is not suflicient; but we must 

 have a union to furnish funds, and a strict 

 law against adulteration. If I go into a 

 store here and ask for maple syrup, the 

 storekeeper asks, "Which do you want — 

 Vermont or Ohio?" 



"What is the price?" 



"Vermont is 25 cents per quart, and Ohio 

 36" 



Now, what do you suppose makes the dif- 

 ference? Is it the soil, the kind of trees, or 

 the law? We know it is the Ohio law, and 

 take the 35-cent can every time. I say, give 

 uslaws that will increase the price of our 

 honey, and a union to see that they are 

 enforced. We do not make enough honey, 

 even in California, to compete with adulter- 

 ators, and enjoy the fun; and I cannot see 

 how any honest man can be opposed to laws 

 that would remove this competition. 



J. F. McIntyee. 



FiLLMOKB, Cal., July 26." 



The editor of Gleanings comments as fol- 



"Mr. Mclntyre is on the right track, and 

 his scheme should certainly receive hearty 

 encouragement. Whether it would be best 

 to organize a new union having new func- 

 tions we cannot say. It occurs to us that it 



