676 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Oct. 22, 1903. 



jority of the 5-gallon cans used is entirely too small. The 4-inch 

 screw-cap is much better, we think. 



Of course, where a honey-gate is used, we suppose the smaller 

 opening is better, and yet we do not see why a honey-gate suitable for 

 the 4-inch opening could not be made for about the same price as the 

 smaller one. 



The larger, or 4-inoh, opening is much better for cleaning and 

 drying the can after emptying its contents. 



We should like to hear from extensive bee-keepers who put up 

 their honey for market in the 5-gaUou cans, as to their opinion of a 

 larger opening than is now generally used. 



Formalin of Variable Strength. — Prof. F. C. Harrison says 

 in the Canadian Bee Journal : 



Formalin is not explosive, but I would caution you to be ex- 

 tremely careful to find out whether the formalin you supplied is of the 

 correct strength, as it is a very adulterated article. For disinfecting 

 bee-combs I advise the use of one-half more than is necessary in order 

 to safeguard any weakness of the drug. 



If this be true, the one great claim for formalin in preference to 

 any other preparation of formaldehyde seems to be not well founded. 

 It was claimed for formalin that it is guaranteed to be uniform in 

 strength. It begins to look as if one pays an extra price merely tor 

 the name " formalin." 



( 



Miscellaneous Items 



3 



Pasadena and Homeward Bound. — The last day of our stay 

 in California had come. The forenoon of Monday, Aug. 24, was spent 

 in going from Pasadena to Los Angeles to get our tickets signed by 

 the proper agent, so that we could start on our homeward trip in the 

 evening. While in Los Angeles we called at the office of the Califor- 

 nia National Honey- Producers' Association, which is located in one of 

 the finest buildings in the city. Pres. Geo. W. Brodbeck escorted us 

 up to their oflice, and shortly thereafter we started back to Pasadena. 

 In the afternoon, our cousin, Mrs. Freeman, gave us {Mrs. York 

 and the writer) a long carriage-ride over the beautiful city of Pasa- 

 dena. While August is about the worst month in all the year to see 

 the beauties of both man's work and that of Nature also, we saw 

 enough to convince us that in March 

 or April the sights in and about Pasa- 

 dena must be simply entrancing. We 

 certainly never saw so many palatial 

 residences and surrounded with their 

 immense grounds or lawns. We be- 

 lieve that some 40 millionaires live 

 on one of the finest avenues. The 

 driver seemed to know just who lived 



in each mansion during the winter, and 



where during the summer. Of course, 



it is well known that the majority of 



the wealthy owners spend the winters 



there, and during the rest of the year 



are in their regular places of business 



in Chicago, New York, or some other 



large city, making enough money to 



keep up their grand home in Sunset 



Land. 



dZ) We must have ridden 15 or 20 miles 



around Pasadena, and saw the best parts 



of that American Paradise. We think 



we could endure living there perman- 

 ently if we had enough of the where- 

 withal to pay expenses. But we had to 



think of getting ready to start back for 



the smoky city of Chicago, and at about 



8 p.m. we were at the station in I'asa- 



dena, waiting for the train to take us 



home. 



We were only three of our former 



car-load of bee-keepers— Dr. Miller, 



Mrs. York, and her smaller half. But 



it was an enjoyable return trip. We could see much that we had 

 missed when going. Of course, there were none that we knew on the 

 train except those mentioned, so it was a very quiet homeward jour- 

 ney. We visited with Dr. Miller until we both would get tired and 

 sleepy in broad daylight. It was such a long ride — from Monday 

 evening to Friday morning! Go to sleep at night with the train rush- 

 ing on, and get up in the morning with the train still rushing on. 

 Keeping that up for four nights and three days, and we had come 

 from Los Angeles to Chicago. 



It was a trip long to be remembered Perhaps few of the number 

 who went in that car-load of bee-keepers, over two thirds of the way 

 across the continent, will ever take so long a ride again. As we began 

 this series of convention notes with an account of the car-load of 

 bee-keepers, we close with giving a picture of the car and its " con- 

 tents '"as all appeared on Monday morning, Aug. 17, a few minutes 

 before leaving Grand Canyon for Williams, on the main line of the 

 Santa Fe railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Hanegan, with "Baby Joy," did not 

 take the side-trip to Grand Canyon, so they do not appear in the 

 picture; Mrs. E. C. Wheeler must have been inside the car; and as 

 Mr. Hutchinson was managing the camera so the rest of us might be 

 shown, he is absent from the picture. 



So, with this explanation, we invite our readers to take another 

 look at the front-page picture, and see if you don't all wish you could 

 have been in that happy company — the first car-load of the kind ever 

 known to go so far to attend a bee-keepers' convention where so 

 many extensive bee-keepers were assembled, and who represented so 

 many colonies of bees and so many pounds of honey — 



No of Colonies. No. lbs. Comb Honey. No. lbs. Ext'd Honey. 

 Over 45,000. Over 300,000. Over 2,000,000. 



The Chicago-Northwestern Convention will be held Wednes- 

 day and Thursday, Dec. 2 and 3. The executive committee held ai 

 meeting Get. 15, and will soon be able to announce the exact place of I 

 meeting in Chicago, and also give some particulars as to program. 

 Look out for a great meeting. Plan to be present. It stands next to i 

 the National convention. Some have told us they thought it bettert 

 than the National. 



Three Fine Photographs were taken by W. Z. Hutchinson, 

 when on the Los Angeles trip in August, for copies of which we are 

 indebted to him. The first is of the Grand Canyon (and it is a grand 

 picture) ; the second shows the bee-keepers' car, a reproduction 

 appearing on the first page of this issue of the Bee Journal; and the 

 third is a good group-picture of those attending the Los Angeles con- 



ONE OF THE LOVELY CALIFORNIA HOMES. 



