American ~Ree Journal 



January. loio. 



advised, with this argument in its favor, 

 which will appeal to many : 



■ I may add tliat by ripening honey outside 

 the hive swarming can be better kept under 

 control. " 



The climate, with its great heat and 

 dryness, may favor ripening outside 

 the hive. ' 



Perhaps this same climate has some- 

 thing to do with the fact that Mr. Hop- 

 kins is stron.gly opposed to the use of 

 excluders under surplus apartments. 

 The advantage of keeping the queen 

 below is entirely overbalanced by the 

 hindrance to free ventilation, in that 

 hot climate. 



Queeu Alatiug: More Than Oiu-e 



There have been at different times 

 reports of queens mating the second 

 time, but generally the observations 

 have been of such character that there 

 was at least a possibility of mistake. 

 Now comes a report in the British Bee 

 Journal, so circumstantially given, and 

 in which there was such close watch- 

 ing, that there seems no possibility of 

 mistake. .-\ virgin was in a baby- 

 nucleus hive containing a section, with 

 ' glass sides, so that all that was going 

 on could be seen. June 2S1 the young 

 queen came out o times, flying around 

 the entrance for a few seconds, then 

 darting off and staying away only a 

 few minutes ; but the last time she was 

 gone she was away for 5 minutes, re- 

 turning at 5 minutes to 4 o'clock, with 

 unmistakable signs of impregnation. 



June 3(lth, she flew out 5 times, tlie 

 longest flight lasting 5 minutes. July 

 1st she came out twice for short flights ; 

 then she came out again at 4 :20, and 

 returned again after having been out 

 about 20 minutes, and upon her return 

 the marks of her having mated again 

 were most distinct. 



It is quite possible that the instances 

 of more than once mating are more 

 common than generally supposed. 



Bree«liiigr linimiue Stock 



Before the visitors and delegates to 

 the National Farm Land Congress 

 which met in Chicago lately, VV. M. 

 Hays, .Assistant Secretary of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, 

 evoked bursts of applause by declaring 

 that a start had been made in the scien- 

 tific breeding of cattle whereby in a 

 few years even an inexperienced farmer 

 would be able to rear cattle immune to 

 tuberculosis, a consummation that will 

 be worth millions of dollars to the 

 nation at large. Mr. Hays said : 



" As proof that we arc on tiie road to suc- 

 cess in the undertaking. I may point to tlie 

 recent accomplishnifiits of tlie deiiartment 

 and the inslidUious with wliicli it is affiliated 

 res:arding the production of [ilants resistant 

 to diseases which previously made tlie grow- 

 ing of the parent stocks impracticable. 



■' Disease-resistant cf>w-peas, cottons, can- 

 taloupes, Hax and varieties of cereal grains 

 have been proiluccd. Iliese steps, however, 

 arc merely prelimin.iry to blaze the way to 

 the production of tlii' tuberculosis-proof 

 steer." 



\( cows, cow-peas, etc., can be made 

 immune to the diseases that compass 

 their destruction, what about bees? A 

 foul-brood-proof bee is a thing much 

 to be desired, and in the light of what 

 has been accomplished its attainment 

 seems not at all impossible, if indeed 



improbable. Indeed, it is not unrea- 

 sonable to believe that something in 

 that line has already been automatically 

 attained. Some bees succumb to foul 

 brood more readily than others. May 

 that not be that the latter have started 

 at least just a little way on the road to 

 immunity? In a locality where foul 

 brood is freshly introduced, its ravages 

 are more severe than in a locality 

 where it has been for a long time exis- 

 tent. Have not these latter become 

 immune to a certain extent? Why not 

 expect a bee immune to foul brood? 



Paiutert vs. Unpaiutecl Hive.s 



D. M. Macdonald, in the British Bee 

 Journal, expresses a very kindly feel- 

 ins toward the associate editor of the 



or out of a hive. In a heavy rain a 

 painted hive is better, because it keeps 

 out the moisture. After the rain is 

 over, the unpainted hive is better, for 

 it lets the moisture come out. But there 

 is no great trouble from rains. The 

 trouble from moisture in the hives is in 

 the winter, whether the hives be out- 

 doors or in the cellar. The moisture 

 is oriffiiiated in the hivi-. Paint can do 

 no possible good toward preventing 

 that moisture; it can not make the 

 breath of the bees less. But it can do 

 harm by preventing the outward pas- 

 sage. 



Now you have " the reason." But the 

 belief is not so stubbornly held that it 

 cannot be changed, and if a sufficient 

 " reason " for " the opposite " be given, 

 there will be a prompt recantation. 



The Langstroth Gavei.s Presented by Mrs, J. .T, Gi.essner, of Chicago. 



American Bee Journal — which feeling 

 is heartily reciprocated — and then 

 wants to know something. He refers 

 to the reason for leaving hives un- 

 painted, viz. : the " better chance for 

 the moisture to dry out of unpainted 

 hives than out of painted ones.'' and 

 says : 



■■ Please explain the reason why you think 

 so. Is it that thewisli is fatlier to tliu thouglit? 

 Now. f am ready to contend the opposite. 

 Damp, moisture, or mold, is far more likely 

 to find its way in. and stay there, in an un- 

 painted than in a painted hive, other things 

 being equal." 



Now listen to that Scotchman. Wants 

 " reason " for a thing, believes the op- 

 posite, and then doesn't .give a word of 

 "reason-" for /;/.'.- belief. Well, let us 

 see how far we can agree. 



"Damp, etc., is more likely to lind its 

 way into an unpainted hive." Agreed. 

 The paint is a hindrance to free pas- 

 sage. " And stay there." There we 

 part company. Why should damp be 

 more likely to stay in an unpainted 

 hive? Your " reason," Mr. Macdcjuald? 

 If an unpainted wall allows a freer pas- 

 sage in, why will it not allow a freer 

 passage out? 



But now for " the reason." Paint 

 hinders the passage of moisture, into 



The National Presidency 



We have received a number of con- 

 gratulatory messages since the an- 

 nouncement of our election to the 

 presidency of the National Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, last month. We cer- 

 tainly appreciate such kind words, and 

 only hope that we may be of some real 

 service, not only to the Association, 

 but to beedom at larg^. 



Hon. Geo. li. Hilton, whom we suc- 

 ceed in the presidency, wrote us as 

 follows : 



I''remont. Mich.. Dec. 7. iwq. 



Dear Mr. York:— I congratulate you upon 

 vour election. I have felt.it a very great 

 honor to be the president of the largest so- 

 ciety of its kind in the Western world for the 

 past 2 vi-ars; and I am more than glad that 

 you are my successor. No one deserves it 

 more than you. and no one would till the 

 position more creditably. If I can serve you 

 in anv way. 1 shall feel it a privilege to do so. 

 and I want you to call on me at any time, 

 and I ;im at your service. 



I am sending you by this registered mail 

 thf gavel that we all appreciate so much be- 

 cause of its associations, and of the proTnpt- 

 ings of those who seciu'ed it and presented 

 it to our .-Vssociation. 



With the very best wishes for your suc- 

 cess. I am. 



Very tridv voiu' friend. . 



Geo, K. Hilton. 



The president's gavel referred to is 

 the one presented to the National when 



