August, 1914, 



American Hee Jonrnal 



In the Apiary at Colo Looking for Queens. 



out saying that she was well received. 



The sexual odor is manifested not 

 only by the queen but by the entire 

 colony. This may be exemplified in 

 uniting swarms. There is no difficulty 

 in uniting primary or secondary 

 swarms together. But if we try to 

 unite a primary swarm with an after 

 swarm, it usually results in a failure. 

 The reason is that their sexual odor is 

 different, the secondary swarm being 

 under the excitement of rut, while 

 with a fecundated queen the primary 

 swarm it not under such excitement. 



His Kirst Experience with Bees was at 

 THE Colo Field Meet. 



The knowledge of the role played by 

 odor in the management of an apiary 

 and in the life of the bee facilitates the 

 conduct of the apiary. But the "be- 

 havior" of both the bees and the api- 

 arist is also an important factor which 

 we must not undervalue. An experi- 

 enced apiarist working quietly at his 

 bees, handles them with greater suc- 

 cess and is less stung than a beginner. 

 It also happens that a frightened queen 

 is sometimes attacked by her own 

 bees. 



How about Mr. Arthur C. Miller's 

 success in his method of introduction ? 

 It is based upon the same reasons that 

 cause the success of beekeepers who 

 introduce queens by putting the colo- 

 nies in the position of swarms. In 

 either case the bees are reduced to 

 despair. An artificial swarm without a 

 queen, having no resources, will ac- 

 cept any queen given. By the Miller 

 process the colony is so disturbed, ex- 

 cited both by the smoke and the want 

 of ventilation, that the bees are only 

 looking for safety from the terrible 

 conditions created. The combination 

 of smoke and nf this excitement pro- 

 duces a distinctive odor which pervades 

 the entire hive, and it is for those rea- 

 sons that the queen is accepted. So 

 the method of Mr. Miller depends upon 

 the same factors as other methods but 

 in a different manner. His great merit 

 consists in having supplied so simple a 

 method, which will render great ser- 

 vices to beekeepers. 



Zurich, Switzerland. 



Second Iowa Field Meet 



BY FRANK C. PELLF.TT. 



THE second Iowa field meeting, 

 which was held at the Hall apiary 

 at Colo on Tune 10, was a decided 

 success, although the attendance was 

 not as large as had been expected. 

 The weather was threatening in the 

 morning, and rain fell not many miles 

 away, but it cleared nicely before noon 

 and those present spent a most profit- 

 able day. A register book was kept 

 open, and at the close of the day con- 

 tained more than 60 names of those in 

 attendance. 



The day was spent in discussions 

 and examination of the Hall equipment 

 and bees. After a most excellent din- 

 ner served by the Ladies' Aid Society, 

 Prof. Bartholomew, of Ames, gave a 

 very good talk on " Value of Scientific 

 Research to the Beekeeper." Prof. 

 Bartholomew is in charge of tlie new 

 course in beekeeping at the Iowa 

 Agricultural College, and has outlined 

 some of thethings that the State sliould 

 undertake, which the individual is not 

 in position to carry on alone 



Most of the Hall bees are very gen- 

 tle, and although most of the day was 

 spent among the hives, and nearly all 

 were opened one or more times, there 

 was little trouble with stings. One 

 colony proved to be an exception to 

 the rule, and boiled out in the good old 

 style, and raised a considerable com- 

 motion. One youngster who had fol- 

 lowed operations very closely and 

 asked many questions, had his curi- 

 osity entirely satisfied with a souvenir 

 under his eye. He did not again visit 

 the yard. 



Altogether those present voted the 

 day a most pleasant one, and Mr. and 

 Mrs. Hall and daughter Annette splen- 

 did hosts. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 



A Century of Progress 



BY J. E. CRANE. 



A FAMOUS French surgeon made 

 the statement a century ago that 

 surgery had reached such a de- 

 gree of perfection that it could not be 

 expected to go any farther. Amputa- 

 tions and removals of some external 

 growths, and in extreme cases removal 

 of bone pressure on the brain was 

 about all that could be done at that 

 time. As we look at it now, surgery 

 was then in its infancy. 



With the discovery of anesthesia, 

 with chloroform and ether, a new start 

 was made in the art. The discovery 

 that mortification was the result of 

 microscopic bacteria was a wonderful 

 help. Then came antiseptic treatment 

 with increased skill until today the 

 surgeon goes to the very center of the 

 body and head of a patient. Immense 

 improvements have been made in 

 many other lines. Methods of travel 

 have changed until today we can cross 

 the ocean or the continent in a few 

 days, or with our own conveyance 

 travel over our country roads at 30 

 miles an hour. In fact, the dream of 

 the ages has come true when a man 

 may fly over mountains and valleys, 

 rivers and lakes. 



How about beekeeping ? A century 

 ago there had been little improvement 

 in it over that of -000 years ago. The 

 studies of Langstroth gave us the mov- 

 able-comb hive; placing beekeeping at 

 once on a solid foundation ; eliminat- 

 ing the element of chance or guess 

 work; enabling us to accomplish work 

 we had previously not dared to at- 

 tempt. 



To subdue and keep the bees in sub- 

 jection, Quinby soon brought out a 

 hand smoker, the forerunner of all our 

 modern smokers. With smoker and a 

 veil we were masters of our bees. 



But more was desired. How nice it 

 would be if we could take the honey 

 out of the combs and return them to 

 the hive to be filled again! Very soon 

 a thoughtful German brought out the 

 honey extractor. I remember, about 

 1808, attaching a cord to the ceiling 

 overhead, and after twisting it very 

 tightly, fastening the other end to the 

 bail of a pail in which I had placed a 

 comb, and let it whirl just to see if it 

 would work. And it did, and in 18t)n I 

 made a machine with which I took 240 

 pounds of honey from one hive. What 

 dreams of future success were mine! 



