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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



bee-hives. But nobody knows better 

 than a lawyer how hard it is to decide a 

 matter against one's own interest, or 

 apparent interest. It is much cheaper to 

 extract the honey when thin and un- 

 sealed, and this consideration weighs 

 heavily to the short-sighted. This short- 

 sighted "evaporated honey" business 

 will ultimately bring the price of honey 

 taken with the extractor down to glu- 

 cose prices. 



DAKWIN AND BEES. 



That paragraph concerning Darwin 

 and bees, which plays a part in that 

 little review of mine published on page 

 593, seems to have stirred up some of 

 my good friends, as it has brought me 

 some friendly expostulations, and now 

 my friend, Allen Pringle, of Canada, 

 asks me to "particularize"' — perhaps 

 make some apology ! The paragraph, 

 it seems to me, is clear enough to be un- 

 derstood. In itself it was merely inci- 

 dental, falling in line with the subjects 

 reviewed in my article. 



Darwin wrote learnedly and exhaus- 

 tively about many things that he, nor 

 no one else, could demonstrate, but 

 when he wrote of bees — matters which 

 can be practically demonstrated — he 

 blundered like other mortals ! I could 

 not enter into "particulars," for this 

 would open up a discussion foreign to the 

 specialty of this journal, and the Editor, 

 friendly as he is, would stop me. 



Judging by the earnest but friendly 

 letters I have received since writing that 

 offending paragraph, together with the 

 concern manifested by Mr. Pringle, our 

 friends are jealous of the reputation of 

 Darwin ! What has Dr. Darwin done 

 for this world, that he is watched over 

 with such tender care ? He has unset- 

 tled the faith of some, and set them 

 adrift in the " mazes lost." But he has 

 not lifted up a single fallen mortal, nor 

 taken the strain off of a breaking heart, 

 nor hushed a convulsing sob, or dried a 

 burning tear, in all this world of woes, 

 which (the whole creation) "groans and 

 travails in pain to be delivered." Some 

 of us look for a better "age" than this, 

 and we know that it will never be 

 " built up from the dust." 



Our friends trunt Darwin ! We look 

 for the Lord from the Heavens. But we 

 are the enemies of nothing in this world 

 except the sins peculiar to mankind, 

 and " which beset us." 



I think, under the circumstances, this 

 much ought to be written in any publi- 

 cation ; and what is said here, needs no 

 answer, and no reply. 



Christiansburg, Ky. 



[We think Bro. Demaree is quite right, 

 in hinting that an investigation of the 

 theories of Darwin as to bees, would 

 "open up a discussion foreign to the 

 specialty" of the Bee Journal. Of 

 course, all will admit that Darwin was a 

 great student of Nature, but it must be 

 remembered that he was also human, 

 and liable to err as do all men. The 

 published results of his researches are 

 open to all, and by his writings it can 

 be judged whether or not his theories 

 about bees were correct. All who are 

 interested can procure those published 

 works, read them, and then decide for 

 themselves. — Editok.I 



An Exprieiice i ilti Bee-Paralysis. 



V''itten for the American Bee Journal 

 BY W. A. THOMPSON. 



In the Bee Journal of June 14th I 

 am quoted as recommending "changing 

 the queen " as a cure for bee-paralysis ; 

 also mentioned as an " experienced api- 

 arist." Well, I suppose "experienced," 

 like " good," is a relative word. 



In the spring of 1893 one colony of 

 my bees had a bad attack of bee-paral- 

 ysis. The bees were in a new dove- 

 tailed hive resting on four bricks, giving 

 a free circulation of air underneath the 

 hive. It was one of the strongest colo- 

 nies I had, and all the eight frames 

 were well filled with brood, but very 

 little honey in the frames. The bottom- 

 board in front of the hive was covered 

 night and day with the bees trying to 

 get rid of the sick bees, that were raven- 

 ously hungry, although their shiny, 

 black abdomens were distended almost 

 to bursting. 



As the field-bees came in, the sick 

 bees would meet them and beg for food. 

 On the ground in front of the hive was 

 a mass of dead and dying bees about 15 

 inches in diameter, and perhaps two 

 inches deep. If the other colonies got 

 the same disease, good-bye to any honey. 



I made up my mind to study the dis- 

 ease a little, and see if I could get the 

 best of it. First, going through my bee- 

 books, I found Mr. Heddon claimed 

 that the cause was in the queen, and 

 recommended changing the queen. I 

 had a fine young queen in a two-frame 

 nucleus, and after killing the queen of 



