AUGUST 15, 1913 



keepers' Association. We feel sure that 

 either one would be willing to arrange a 

 scheme of dating that would accommodate 

 every one. 



Aside from the convenience of the manu- 

 facturers and editors of the various bee- 

 papers, it would make it possible for Dr. 

 E. F. Phillips, of the Bureau of Entomol- 

 ogy, to be able to attend many more con- 

 ventions than he is now able to do. His 

 superiors would doubtless be glad to send 

 him to a number of important meetings if 

 the expense could be divided up between 

 several conventions. 



During the past year Dr. Phillips has 

 gathered a great deal of valuable infoi'ma- 

 tion; and if some of our important State 

 conventions could secure his jDresence they 

 would thereby materially increase the at- 

 tendance. Under the present no-system 

 haphazard scheme the editors of the various 

 bee-papers can attend onlj^ a limited num- 

 ber of conventions. We respectfully sug- 

 gest that President Gates, of the National 

 Beekeepers' Association, take this matter 

 under consideration. 



Later. — Just as we go to press we have 

 received a letter indorsing the plan. We 

 will publish it in our next issue. 



PKOBABLE 50-PER-CENT REDUCTIOX IN THE 

 TARIFF ON HONEY. 



Several have been asking of late what 

 the proposed duty is to be on honey in the 

 new taritf bill now pending in Congress. 

 We wrote to our Senator, Hon. Theodore 

 E. Burton, and below is his reply: 



My dear Mr. Root: — This is to acknowledge re- 

 ceipt of your letter of the 23d inst. with reference to 

 the duty on honey. Under the so-called Payne-Aid- 

 rich law the duty was twent}' cents per gallon. Un- 

 der the bill now pending in Congress the duty is 

 placed at ten cents per gallon. I think, from pres- 

 ent indications, that the bill will go through prac- 

 tically in its present shape, and thus the duty will 

 Le reduced, as you say, 50 per cent. 



With cordial regards I am 



Yours very truly, 



T. E. Burton. 



So far we have refrained from any dis- 

 cussion as to the probable effect the fifty- 

 pei'-cent reduction would have on domestic 

 honey as it would be difficult to make a fore- 

 cast. We have not felt nor do we now be- 

 lieve that the proposed reduction is going 

 to affect materially the sale of honey in this 

 countrj'. The West India product is all 

 extracted, and much of it of an inferior 

 quality. It is xeiy clear that neither Amer- 

 ican comb honey nor table extracted would 

 be affected. The only thing that might 

 happen would be a reduction in the price 

 of American honey for manufacturing pur- 

 poses; but the production in this country, 

 of this grade, is so enormous that we do not 



559 



see how it would suffer by way of competi- 

 tion with honey from the West Indies of 

 the same gi-ade. And even if it did, it will 

 have the protection of probably a cent a 

 pound, which, in our opinion, will be suf- 

 ficient to protect our American producers. 



WIRE fences for PRODUCING FANCY COMB 

 HONEY. 



It will be remembered that Mr. S. D. 

 House, of Camillus, N. Y., has been advo- 

 cating^ the Betsinger wire fence or separa- 

 tors for the production of comb honey, 

 claiming that he gets better filling, and 

 practically all the honey fancy. We had 

 some supers made up on the Betsinger 

 plan, and turned them over to our neighbor 

 Vernon Burt, of Mallet Creek, about two 

 years ago. Well, he tested them out, but, 

 strangely enough, his bees built the combs 

 against the wire and all thi'ough it. The 

 honey was spoiled. The next year the re- 

 sults were not much better. But this year 

 he told us he had some of the prettiest 

 comb honey he ever produced. He showed 

 two supers produced by the Betsinger wire 

 separators, and it was about the prettiest 

 honey we ever saw — all fancy, and every 

 section perfect. 



There is a great difference in bees. Some 

 strains will build burr and brace combs in 

 their brood-nests galore, and others will 

 build very few. The former will build their 

 nice comb hon(?\- up against the fences. 

 One beekeeper remarked, " The best way 

 to treat such bees as that is to pinch the 

 head of their queen." 



Well, it is possibly true that, when Mr. 

 Burt tried out the Betsinger plan the first 

 time, he was using bees that liad a fondness 

 for building burr and brace combs. The 

 last time, he used a strain that is free from 

 il, and he has secured beautiful comb hon- 

 ey. 



A retrospect; the EDITOR WHO KNEW IT 

 ALL. 



We have been furnisliing editorial mat- 

 ter for this journal since 1885 — 28 long 

 years ; and yet we are glad to say that every 

 day we find something new to "learn, espe- 

 cially when we rub ujj against the bees 

 constantly'. 



Some 25 years ago the editor of one of 

 our bee papers, inclosing an editorial just 

 before he discontinued the publication of 

 his paper, made a statement to the effect 

 that the art of keeping bees had reached its 

 zenith. There was nothing more to learn, 

 no improvements to make; and therefore 

 he was about to disco)itinue the publication 

 of his paper. 



