1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



231 



succeeded in buying their sections at a reduced figure of a 

 certaiu house. Injudicious members let it out, whereupon a 

 rival house lowered the price of their sections 20 cents per 

 thousand below those reduced rates. The result was that 

 outsiders got their sections cheaper than did the memoers of 

 the Association, who were in honor bound to stand by the 

 house they had chosen. 



R. H. Rhodes — Secrecy is a benefit to those who make our 

 low prices. 



Mr. Booth — A neighbor of mine refuses to .join the Asso- 

 ciation just on that account. He says, " You will go down 

 there and pay your fee, and I will pay nothing, and get my 

 supplies cheaper than you, after all." 



Mr. Porter — This is a matter of business. Honey-pro- 

 ducers, as a rule, are not business men. They must be edu- 

 cated. 



Pres. Aikin — I think I ara misunderstood. I don't advo- 

 cate telling our business. But the idea of secrecy is the be- 

 ginning of organizing for selfishness. Then, irresponsible 

 members may leave goods on the hands of the committee, who 

 may have to pay for them. Let us have no credit business. 



Mr. Adams — The Northern Colorado Association took or- 

 ders in this way. The members were to pay cash when they 

 got the goods. Some of the goods were left on the hands of 

 the committee. Some raembers wanted to pay for them in 

 honey and wax, making us work for them in both ways, buy- 

 ing and selling. There is quite a little left on our hands now. 



Mr. Booth — The E.^ecutive Committee does not contract 

 for the exact amount, but somewhere near it. If some do not 

 pay, that is between the house and them. Members are not 

 responsible for orders sent in. None are sent in. They be- 

 come orders only when the certificates of membership are 

 presented. 



Mr. Croff — If supplies are ahipped to Denver and reship- 

 ped, local freights may be grea'er than the rebate. 



Mr. Porter — I have been in the supply business. Often 

 the only profit to supply dealers is the difference between ear 

 lots and local freight. Even when car lots are brought here 

 first and then distributed, I think there would be a gain. 



The clause " if not against his personal interest," was in- 

 serted to meet Mr. Croff's objection. 



The Association adopted the following resolution by Mr. 

 Aikin : 



Resolved, That the chair appoint a Legislative Committee 

 of three to revise our foul brood law, or to draft a new law to 

 be placed before the next General Assembly for passage ; that 

 the report of this committee shall be submitted to the Execu- 

 tive Committee for their concurrence before going before the 

 assembly ; and after being concurred in by the Executive 

 Committee, said Legislative Committee shall, when the Assem- 

 bly convenes, place the bill before them and use all proper 

 means to secure its passage ; further, that said committee 

 may work in the same manner to recommend such legislation 

 as may be thought advisable. 



J. B. Adams, H. Rauchfuss, and F. L. Thompson were 

 appointed as the legislative committee. 



A letter from E. S. Jenkins, of Las Animas, was read, in 

 which he said that apiculture has had its day in this part of 

 the Arkansas valley. The sheep craze has struck the people, 

 and alfalfa seed is low. 



The request of the Committee on Resolutions, to be per- 

 mitted to furnish the Secretary with a copy of the memoir of 

 the Rev. L. L. Langstroth for publication, was granted. 



R. Patterson asked whether the self-hiver was a success. 

 .1. B. Adams replied that it had been tried in the northern 

 counties, and was not. 



The convention adjourned to meet at the call of the 

 Executive Committee, which will be some time in the spring 

 months. F. L. Thompson, 



Arvada, Colo. Assistant Secretary. 



A. JJew Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 

 American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 

 subscriber who sends us 15 cents. It is called "The Wood 

 Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 

 arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 

 Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 

 Journal as fast as they are received. They are invaluable for 

 reference, and at the low price of the Binder you can afford to 

 get it yearly. 



If any one desires two of the Binders — one for 1S95 

 and one for 189(3 — send 25 cents, and they will be mailed to 

 you. 





Age of Brood-Com'bs. 



I have combs in my hives which have been in constant use 

 in the brood-chamber for 20 years ; and, while the cells do ap- 

 pear small in looking at them, yet, so far as lean see, it makes 

 no difference in the size of the bees hatching from these cells. 

 A neighbor tells of combs being in use for 40 years and yet no 

 perceptible difference in the looks of the bees coming from 

 these combs. 



All bees, when first emerged from the cells, look small ; 

 but wait till they are 36 to 48 hours old, and it will be seen 

 that they look altogether different, especially during a honey- 

 flow. Some seem to thiuk that bees do not grow any after 

 they cut out of the cells, but I think a little observation will 

 satisfy any one that the young bee "plumps out" considera- 

 bly after it emerges from the cell. Several times during past 

 years I have compelled the bees to rear workers in drone-cells, 

 and, so far as I could discover, using the closest scrutiny, said 

 bees were not a whit larg'er three days after hatching than 

 were those of the same age hatched from combs from 10 to 20 

 years old. It is true, th;it each emerging bee leaves a 

 slight cocoon or lining in the cell ; but as this cocoon is much 

 thicker at the base of the cell than at the sides, and so thin at 

 any spot that it is hardly perceptible, no bad results seem to 

 arise therefrom. It is always safe to use combs as long as 

 they are in good condition, and old combs have the advantage 

 of being better for the bees during winter than new ; conse- 

 quently I have no thoughts of throwing away these 20-year-old 

 combs at present. — G. M. Doolittle, in Gleanings. 



Bleaching- Beeswax. 



While beeswax may be bleached by means of chemicals, 

 the results are inferior to sun bleaching, and the latter process 

 is, I believe, the only commercially successful one. To bleach 

 wax by this method, it is first cleaned by the sulphuric acid 

 process which, if properly done, will restore the blackest and 

 dirtiest wax to its original color. To cleanse wax by this 

 method, take a whiskey or alcohol barrel and put about 6 

 inches of water in it, adding to the water a small quantity of 

 sulphuric acid, the quantity varying with the amount of dirt in 

 the wax. Two pounds of acid to one hundred of wax would 

 generally be sufficient. Then fill the barrel about two-thirds 

 full of wax. Next turn a jet of steam into the bottom of the 

 barrel, slowly at first, until the wax is all melted. Do not be 

 afraid of getting the wax too hot, but keep the steam on until 

 a froth rises to the top of the melted wax. Now watch the 

 froth carefully, for this is the critical point of the operation. 

 If you stop the steam too soon, you will not have cleaned the 

 wax. If the steam is on too long, you will make a soapy mess 

 of the whole thing. The time to shut off the steam is when 

 the bubbles in the froth begin to grow large — say about one- 

 fourth of an inch in diameter. Having shut off the steam, 

 wrap a carpet, or anything else that will keep the heat in 

 around the barrel, and let the wax settle until it is nearly cold, 

 when it may be dipped out and all the dirt will be at bottom. 



To prepare the wax for running, a little machinery is re- 

 quired. This consists of a tank to hold beeswax, having near 

 the bottom a row of holes about two inches apart. This tank 

 stands over a trough of cold water, some 10 or 15 feet long. 

 Revolving in one end of the trough, and about two-thirds sub- 

 merged, is arolle.- covered with felt, the tank of wax being di- 

 rectly over it. The melted wax flows from the holes in the 

 tank upon the wet felt and is instantly chilled into the shape 

 of ribbons about one-eighth of an inch thick, the revolution of 

 the roller at the same time moving the wax forward into the 

 tank of water, thus making as many continuous strips of wax as 

 there are holes in the bottom of the tank. From the tank the 

 wax is taken to the bleaching-ground and s_pread upon frames 

 covered with white cloth. Here it is exposed to the action of 

 the sun and air until the outside of the strips are bleached, 

 when it is re-melted and again run into strips and sunned, the 

 operation being repeated until satisfactory results are reached. 



It should be said that not all wax is suitable for bleaching, 

 wax from Southern countries, with a reddish tinge, generally 

 proving very difficult to whiten. — E. B. Weed, in Canadian 

 Bee Journal. 



