1902 



GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



419 



sanctioned. As Prof. Benton says I seem 

 so ready to throw cold water on such work, 

 he probably imagines that there have been 

 a number of such instances. When making- 

 such a charge in so public a manner, is it 

 not "due courtesy" to be specific enough to 

 name the instances, or at least one of them? 

 Will Prof. Benton please do so? 



I am glad to be able to say that I think 

 there is a little excuse for Prof. Benton's 

 mistaken idea. In the Stray Straw in 

 question, when I spoke of the convention 

 now talking as I had talked, I had in mind 

 the matter of the introduction of apis dor- 

 sata, a matter, so far as I know, that had 

 not the sanction of government. I imagine 

 that Prof. Benton thought that I had in 

 mind the work actually done by government 

 lately in introducing queens from new re- 

 gions of Italy, etc. Moreover, I now think 

 that the convention had in mind this actual 

 work of the government, and had no thought 

 of apis dorsata. 



The question may be asked why I did not 

 think of the work that Prof. Benton had 

 done in introducing the queens mentioned. 

 For the simple reason that not until four 

 weeks after that Straw was in print did I 

 learn that such work had been done, and 

 then I learned it through a private source. 

 Due courtesy forbids that I should criticise 

 Prof. Benton in this regard; but I hardly 

 think it will be discourteous to say that bee- 

 keepers would be grateful if he would keep 

 them informed through the bee journals as 

 to what he is doing; and that if he had ta- 

 ken a page of Gleanings to tell all about 

 the importations he had lately been making 

 it would have been, at least for some, more 

 interesting reading than to have had the 

 same space occupied in berating me. And 

 in this case it might have saved some mis- 

 understanding on both sides. 



Prof. Benton says I have done nothing 

 toward securing appropriations from gov- 

 ernment. Is that such a capital offense as 

 to need three lines of italics in the telling? 

 If so, why am I signaled out to be gibbeted, 

 when in the same sentence he practically 

 says that the entire bee-keeping fraternity, 

 with a slight exception, are equally guilty? 

 for he saj's that what has been done has 

 been done " almost single-handed." But if 

 I have been negligent in that respect, I 

 seem to have done my full dut}' in another 

 respect, for he credits me with "a bushel 

 or two of propositions" as to what I might 

 think best should be done. 



Possibly he may not be entirely correct 

 in either regard. At any rate I do not de- 

 sire undue credit in the "proposition" line, 

 and I am a little curious to know what I 

 have proposed. 



I am sorrj- that Prof. Benton wrote the 

 paragraph referring to the Albany conven- 

 tion in such a way that it may be under- 

 stood as referring to me. I was not at that 

 convention, and had nothing to do with the 

 matter he mentions. 



Some of the new members of the Glean- 

 ings family may ask the question, "What 



is all this about, anyhow?" It is only fair 

 that I should reply in a few words. There 

 is a big bee in India, apis dorsata, that 

 some of the bee-keepers wanted brought to 

 this country. Along with some others lop- 

 posed its introduction until it was learned 

 whether it could be controlled, for there 

 were reports that it was migratory and 

 would not be confined to a hive, and it was 

 feared it might be a case somewhat like the 

 introduction of the English sparrow. Among 

 those in favor of the introduction were some 

 of the Ontario Co. bee-keepers, if I am not 

 mistaken; and when I understood that such 

 introduction was opposed at the late con- 

 vention I thought the joke was on them, and 

 that they would take my reference to it as 

 good-naturedly as I intended it, for I con- 

 sider the bee-keepers of Ontario Co. good- 

 natured as well as intelligent. Knowing 

 nothing about the late introduction of queens 

 by the government (which I may say, by 

 the way, could meet only my hearty ap- 

 proval), it can easily be seen why I sup- 

 posed the reference was to apis dorsata. 

 The probability is that Prof. Benton thought 

 I was speaking against the work he has 

 done, hence his article. 



When he understands the matter fully I 

 am sure that he will have the courtesy to 

 absolve me from all blame. There is enough 

 fighting to do against enemies to the pur- 

 suit without having any quarreling within 

 our own ranks. Prof. Benton has my 

 thanks, and should have the thanks of all, 

 for making an effort, and a successful ef- 

 fort, to have increased recognition from gov- 

 ernment; and he should also have thanks 

 for all that he has done in the interest of 

 the pursuit. He may always count on my 

 hearty co-operation in any good that may 

 be done. 



Marengo, 111. 



IMPORTATION OF HONEY=BEES. 



Basswood Timber for Top=bars; Comb=honey 

 Canard. 



BY F. GREINER. 



Mr. Editor: — In order to understand fully 

 what was meant when saying, "What 

 money our government expends importing 

 bees might better be used otherwise" (see 

 Dr. Miller's Straw, page 275), allow me to 

 define m}' position. 



For more than 30 years we have been im- 

 porting bees quite largelj' from Italy. 

 There existed a good reason for doing so, 

 and paying many thousands of dollars to 

 the queen-breeders of Italy. After testing 

 the Italian bee for these many years here, 

 the American bee-keepers have come to the 

 conclusion that this bee is well adapted to 

 our widely varying climates. The majori- 

 ty of honey-producers have it in their yards, 

 and propagate it. 



The American people in general have the 

 name of being the most practical business 

 men, and deservedly so. We may, there- 



