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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Aug. 13, 1903. 



our home yard in Medina. Simply because it would offend some of 

 our vifitor friends. Thej- expect to see something like a park. But 

 take a trip up to the Harrington yard, and you will find things as they 

 are in Cuba. 



What is true in this regard respecting a queen-rearing yard is just 

 as true with regard to the ordinary apiary, although the consequences 

 may not be so severe. If a worker-bee carries its load into the^wrong 

 hive, there may be no loss ; its load of honey will be worth as much to 

 the bee-keeper in one hive as in another. But if a young queen enters 

 the wrong hive, it is quite another story. But even in an ordinary 

 apiary there are young queens to take their wedding-trips, and en- 

 trance into wrong hives is disastrous. 



One does not like, however, to have the hives in one's apiary 

 arranged in such order as a cyclone might be expected to^leave them. 

 There is little danger from the straightest .rows, provided there] are 

 objects of the right kind to help the little workers to locate] their 

 hives. A tree will help to locate a number of hives on all sides. Even 

 a post will be a help. 



Granules of Honey in Bait-Sections. — It might seem that 

 a very little honey left in a bait-section, even if granulated, would be 

 so thoroughly lost in the much larger quantity of fresh honey added, 

 that no harm could result. But it is claimed that each little granule 

 acts somewhat as a seed, rapidly increasing its kind, the smallest gran- 

 ule thus soon affecting the whole. Upon this point H. S. Shorthouse 

 makes the following interesting remarks in the British Bee .Journal : 



The occasional crystallization of one jar of honey which granu- 

 lates, while the others remain bright and liquid, is accounted for by 

 the fact that the bottle either contains a small portion of grit, or is 

 slightly rough or irregular in some particular part of the inside, which 

 lends a starting point of crystallization to the sugars which are con- 

 tained in the honey in what we will term a state of super-saturation. 

 I — An experiment (on crystallization), using sulphate of soda for the 

 purpose, most beautifully illustrates this theory. If we take a quan- 

 tity of sulphate of soda, dissolve it in a minimum quantity of hot 

 water, and whilst warm tie over the neck of the vessel in which it is 

 contained a parchment paper, and allow it to cool, we can at any mo- 

 ment cause the solution to crystallize by the puncturing of the paper 

 with a needle, or by keeping the bottle air-tight we can retain it in so- 

 lution form. 



Again, we can make solutions of chemicals and can manipulate 

 them without any signs of separation, but the introduction of a fur- 

 ther small crystal of the same or some other substance will sponta- 

 neously cause the crystallization of the whole, and I feel assured that 

 the granulation of honey can be accelerated by the addition of a very 

 small crystal of the ordinary cane-sugar. 





Miscellaneous Items 





The Los Angeles Convention will be held next week. Only 

 a few days yet, and there will gather perhaps the largest concourse of 

 bee-keepers ever gotten together on this continent. To be a member 

 of that convention will be a treasured memory by all who can attend. 

 It is the first meeting of the National Association in a Pacific Coast 

 city. California bee-keepers will " lay themselves out'' to see that 

 all who are present have the best of entertainment and a good time 

 generally. 



We expect to publish in these columns a very full report of the 

 proceedings. But such can not take the place of being present in 

 person. All should go who can at all get away from their homes and 

 business. Aside from the convention, the trip and social meetings and 

 greetings will be a rare treat. 



Mr. Thos. Wm. Cowan is a name well-known throughout the 

 world of beedom. He is not only editor of the only other weekly bee- 

 paper, but is also the author of a book on bees and bee-keeping, that 

 has had an enormous sale in the Old World". 



Mr. Cowan is a man most delightful to meet. He is the very 

 essence of affability and courtesy, and his character and ability are of 

 the highest possible. He is a member of many of the famous scientific 

 societies in England, and has won for himself a deservedly conspicu- 

 ous position in them. 



Mr. Cowan has been residing in California for the past few years, 

 but recently returning to England, with his good wife, for a stay of a 

 year or so. It is unfortunate that he cannot be at the Los Angeles 



convention, for his presence and help would have contributed im- 

 mensely to the success of that gathering of American bee-keepers. 



We are pleased to present to our readers the excellent picture of 

 Mr. Cowan, which is reproduced from his latest photograph. 



Frame for Extracting Sections.— The following is from John 

 Trimberger, of Clark Co., Wis. : 



I send a photograph of my frame to hold sections for extracting. 

 I use four frames holding 33 sections for one operation. I have used 

 it three or four years now, and find it very expeditious and conven- 

 ient. The stand is essential. The little honey that drips down stays 



I'LAN FOR EXTRACTING SECTIONS. 



inside the enclosure ; the frames remain dry. How the sections are 

 held together can be seen in the picture. To take the sections out, I 

 hold the frame with sections about six inches above the table, then 

 drop the farther end on the table, at the same time pull the shifting 

 end-bar, held by rubbers, toward me, and, presto, out drop the sections. 



To put the sections in: After the lower six are in the frame I 

 stand the Tth and Sth against the upper bar, then lift it up and the 

 two last sections drop back in place automatically. 



One of the combs in the picture has been mutilated by those in- 

 specting it during zero weather, before the photographer had a snap 

 at it. John Trimberger. 



That car-Load of Bee-Keepers for the Los Angeles conven- 

 tion was assured in good time. As is usually the case, many must 

 decide at the last minute about going. There are so many things to 

 be considered — so many other things to be arranged for leaving — that 

 it is exceedingly difficult for some to go away from home at all, espe- 

 cially when it is necessary to be gone for two weeks or more, as in 

 taking a California trip. 



But the company in the special car travelling across the conti- 

 nent will be the best kind of a convention in itself. A car-load of bee- 

 keepers! Who ever heard of such a thing before' And to ride 3000 

 miles with Dr. Miller, A. I. Root, Hutchinson, and others! That 

 surely will be a memorable event. There should have been 40 or 50 in 

 the company instead of 25 or 30. But to succeed in getting the re- 

 quired number and a few more is something to rejoice over. 



You will likely hear more about that car-load of bee-people 

 later on. 



