1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



505 



apiarian papers launched in this country, less than a half- 

 dozen having survived, and scarcely one of them proving at 

 all a financial success, aside from a means of furthering a 

 bee-supply business. One reason for this is the fact that the 

 field of bee-culture is limited, and their is neither the need nor 

 the demand for a host of publications. 



Again, we wish to say that if our permission is desired 

 for the starting of a hundred new bee-papers, it will be freely 

 given ; but their publishers must not expect us to turn around 

 and give them a lot of free advertising so that they can hope 

 to live. We are here to make the American Bee Journal what 

 it should be, and not for the purpose of aiding superfluous en- 

 terprises that some people make, and who have failed to 

 "count the cost" before venturing. 



By the way, the Southland Queen probably would not have 

 been started had it not been for our dropping the Atchley 

 folks from our columns. And as it was begun immediately 

 afterward, it showed very plainly that they had been using the 

 Bee Journal simply as a stepping-stone, for previous to their 

 prominent appearance in our columns they were but little 

 known, though having a bee-keeping experience. We have 

 never objected to the starting of the Southland Queen, for 

 that is none of our afiEair ; but we dropped its publishers as 

 Bee Journal correspondents and advertisers, for good and 

 sufficient reasons, that are well known to those most interested. 



Stray Sta-ws, in Gleanings, are still trying to " show 

 which way the wind blows." These appeared recently : 



A good scratcher to scratch the surface of sealed honey so 

 as to get the bees to empty it out is made of a piece of heavy 

 wire cloth, three meshes to the inch. Possibly five to the inch 

 would be better. Take a piece three or four inches square, 

 and you'll find the edge where it Is cut off just the thing to 

 rake the surface. 



Cases are reported in which swarms have issued with no 

 sign of a queen-cell in the hive. I'm inclined to be mildly 

 skeptical about this ; at least, I have some doubt about such 

 a case occurring unless the bee-keeper had baffled the inten- 

 tions of the bees by previously removing queen-cells. The 

 more bees are thwarted as to swarming, the more determined 

 they sometimes are; and I can imagine their getting mad 

 enough to swarm with no sign of a queen-cell. I've had many 

 a case in which there was nothing further than an egg in a 

 queen-cell. 



■*-'-*■ 



A Very Xeat Program is that issued by the 

 Southwest Texas Bee-Keepers' Association, for their meeting 

 at Beeville, on Sept. 1 6 and 17, 1896. Any one near enough 

 to attend should send for a copy, to the Secretary, J. o. 

 Grimsley, Beeville, Tex. 



4 

 4 



PERSONAL MENTION. 



Mr. Chas. Daj)Ant, of the firm of Chas. Dadant & Son, 

 the well known comb foundation makers, made us a very 

 pleasant call on Tuesday, July 28. He was on his way to 

 Sturgeon Bay, Wis., where he goes annually for a month or 

 so, in order to avoid an attack of hay-fever were he to remain 

 at his home in Hancock county, Illinois. 



Mr. Dadant says they have 325 colonies of bees now, and 

 that they had extracted about 5,000 pounds of honey so far, 

 with more to follow. One year they had 45,000 pounds from 

 about the same number of colonies as they now have. 



In speaking of beeswax, Mr. D. mentioned a very simple 



test to detect adulteration. Have a vial partly filled with 

 water, into which is put a small piece of beeswax of known 

 purity. Then pour in alcohol until the piece of beeswax sinks 

 to the bottom of the vial. Now put in a piece of the beeswax 

 you wish to test — if it floats it is adulterated ; if it goes to 

 the bottom it is all right. 



When Mr. Dadant first came to this country, from France 

 — over 30 years ago — he found on the bank of the Mississippi 

 river a single, small plant of sweet clover. It was quite a 

 distance from his home, but when it was time for the seed to 

 be ripe, he went after it, and scattered it so that it might 

 spread. Later he also gave some seed to a friend near 

 Keokuk, across the river. By following up the practice he 

 soon had a great deal of sweet clover growing, and in fact 

 now it is pretty well spread over a good share of the States 

 bordering on the Mississippi, and Mr. Dadant believes that 

 much of it is the result of the one plant which he watched so 

 carefully, and in due time scattered its seed. He values sweet 

 clover very highly as a honey-plant. 



Upon reaching the United States, Mr. Dadant and family 

 were almost penniless. So both he and his good wife (who 

 departed this life about a year ago) had to work bird in order 

 to get along. They picked and sold blackberries about the 

 first season, and from the money thus made, Mr. D. paid 

 $5.00 for an Italian queen — and she was not even a war- 

 ranted one. Mrs. Dadant disfavored paying $5.00 thus, 

 but said very little. But the next year Mr. D. sold some 

 queens reared from her for $10.00 each ! He began with 

 two colonies, and increased from year to year until the bees 

 became his main source of revenue. 



For a man 79 years of age, Mr. Dadant is remarkably 

 well-preserved. In fact, we do not remember ever seeing him 

 looking better than now. We wish him yet many happy years, 

 in which we are sure the thousands who have read his 

 practical and helpful articles in the Bee Journal will most 

 heartily unite. 



While this is rather a lengthy " personal mention," we 

 think no one will object to it, or even feel slighted if they do 

 not receive one of equal length when " their turn "' comes. 



Mb. L. D. Stilson, of York, Nebr., in a letter dated July 

 27, says: "We have just had a two-days' session of the 

 State Horticultural Society here at York. It was decidedly 

 the best attended meeting ever held by the Society." That's 

 good. We hope the same can be said of the North American 

 convention at Lincoln, Oct. 7 and 8. Mr. Stilson will do his 

 part to make it so, depend upon that. 



Mr. G. M. Doolittle had two practical articles in the 

 July American Bee-Keeper. What a prolific writer that man 

 Doolittle is, anyway ! Wonder when he finds time to work 

 with the bees. It is surprising how much work one can " turn 

 off " when accustomed to it. Shouldn't be surprised if Mr. 

 D. has everything systematized, and, besides, writes a good deal 

 at night. 



Mr. HASTY~the Review's "Reviewer" — says that he 

 thinks "the foundation-cutting arrangement given on page 

 337 [of this paper] is one of the best that has been brought 

 out." By the way, Mr. Hasty keeps up a very entertaining 

 department in the Review. 



Hon. R. L. Taylor's interesting article on the subject of 

 swarming, as reported in the July Review, will be found on 

 page 501) of this number of the Bee Journal. Read it. 



Mk. Geo. E. Hilton, of Michigan, when writing on July 

 23, said : " My trade in hives, sections, foundation and ship- 

 ing-cases is double any previous year at this date." 



