

^ERICA.^ 



43d YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL., DEC. 3, 1903, 



No. 49. 





Editorial Comments 



J 



Some Expert Opinion. 



This is the heading of anew department in the American Bee 

 Journal, or rather an old department which is revived this week. It 

 ran before for 10 or 15 years, and was very popular, but for several 

 good reasons it was allowed to drop out a few years ago. We now 

 bring it forward again with practically the same corps of experts who 

 for years so kindly and acceptably answered the questions that we 

 sent to them. 



It is not intended that this department shall in any way overlap 

 or interfere with " Dr. Miller's Answers,'' but that certain questions, 

 upon which there may be a great diversity of opinion, are to be re- 

 ferred to the " multitude of counsellors." 



We feel very certain that it will be read with much interest and 

 profit by all, not excepting those who contribute their answers to the 

 questions propounded from time to time. 



Of course, we reserve the right to decide as to what particular 

 questions shall be referred to this honorable board of experts. Dr. 

 Miller's prestige and patronage in this line is not to be lessened in any 

 degree by this resurrected department. 



" In tliis Locality." 



This is a phrase that has been more or less a subject for merri- 

 ment, yet when you are right down to it there is no disputing that 

 there is a lot in locality. Mr. A. says a certain thing is so and so ; B. 

 says it is just the opposite; and each wonders how the other can be 

 so lacking in good judgment. For example, one man says he wants 

 nothing better than closed-end frames; another says that rapidity of 

 manipulation with frames having ends halt-closed, to say nothing of 

 closed-ends, is a thing impossible. Each man is right for his own 

 locality, for the abundance of bee-glue in the one locality and its 

 absence in the other makes all the difference in the world. 



The thing needed is charity, and a view broad enough that when 

 any One disagrees with us, to think that if we could change places with 

 him we might also change views. 



Apieultural Education. 



In this country the young man or the young woman who starts 

 out to get an education in bee-keeping must, in most cases, be self- 

 taught, with no aid beyond what he can get from bee-books and bee- 

 papers. It is true, that in a few agricultural schools bee-keeping is 

 taught, and some fleeting instruction given in a few farmers' institutes, 

 but that is about all. Other countries do better. In Europe a start 

 has been made in the establishment of regular apieultural schools, and 

 in England a fairly successful attempt has been made to have instruc- 

 tion given everywhere. 



The British Bee-Keepers" Association was founded , in 1874, its 

 avowed object being " to teach by means [of duly qualified lecturers 

 and experts the modern methods of bee-keeping. The Council, com- 

 poesd of practical bee-keepers, appoints examiners and issues cerlili- 

 cates of proficiency in bee-keeping." First-class, second-class, and 



third-class certificates are given. At a recent conference of the Coun- 

 cil of the Association with representatives of County Associations, the 

 chairman, Mr. Thos. Wm. Cowan, " endorsed Mr. Reid's statement to 

 the effect that English methods were equal to any on the Continent, 

 although probably no Goverment in the world did so little for the in- 

 dustry as our own. Germany had about 30 associations, nearly all of 

 which published their own papers, the cost being borne by the Gov- 

 ernment, and this was sent gratuitously to all members. In Normal 

 Schools bee-keeping was one of the branches of instruction which the 

 future schoolmaster was required to teach. 



" Mr. Scattergood was quite right in saying it was the children 

 they wanted to secure, or, at least, create in them an intelligent appre- 

 ciation of apiculture. On the Continent it was taught in schools, so 

 that those who wished could continue the study of bee-keeping later 

 on, while all gained more or less knowledge of the pursuit." 



Our good friend, Mr. Cowan, was hardly correct when he said that 

 probably no other Government did so little for bee-keeping; at least it 

 will probably be diflicult to tind in this country as many counties as in 

 England, which give an annual grant of ?150 to $350 for the further- 

 ance of apieultural interests. But it is comforting to know that in 

 this land of ours the outlook is growing brighter. 



Maliing Dark Honey Light. 



In the British Bee Journal it is reported that dark honey subjected 

 for about three hours to ozone from an electrical machine became 

 light in color, and that the expense per hundredweight would be 

 trifling. Important if the cost be not too much, and yet— and yet. 

 Would there be any benefit in the long run in having buckwheat 

 Tioney look the same as clover, supposing all the time that there was 

 no change in flavor! It would take away one of the easiest means of 

 distinguishing one honey from the other. And would it not make 

 consumers constantly suspicious that all light honey might be buck- 

 wheat or honey-dew * ^^^^__^_^ 



Do Bees Injure Sound Fruit? 



Tests sufficiently numerous have been made so that it does not 

 seem necessary that any fresh test should be made. Yet fresh accusa- 

 tions persistently made leave fresh tests by no means without value, 

 especially it those tests be made as much in the interest of the fruit- 

 men as the bee-men. Our Canadian friends have been making some 

 experiments that might be considered exhaustive at the Ottawa Ex- 

 perimental Farm, and these are reported in the Canadian Bee Journal. 

 First, strawberries were tried, then raspberries, neither of which were 

 injured by the bees. The fruit was placed inside the bee-hive, also in 

 other places easy of access to the bees. Inside the hives the fruit waF> 

 exposed in three different conditions: 



(1) Whole fruit without any treatment. 



(2) Whole fruit that had been dipped in honey in one-half of the 

 super. 



(3) Whole sound specimens in the other half of the super. 



A second test of the same kind was made with peaches, pears, 

 plums, and grapes, some of the fruit being punctured. 



'•The bees began to work at once, both upon the dipped and 

 punctured fruit. The former was cleaned thoroughly of honey during 

 the first night; upon the punctured fruit the bees clustered thickly, 

 sucking the juice through the punctures as long as they could obtain 

 any liquid. At the end of six days all the fruit was carefully exam- 

 ined. The sound fruit was still uninjured in anyway. The dipped 



