186 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The Festive and Greedy 'Hoppers. 



Several letters received during the past 

 month have reverted the 'hopper— and the 

 prospects for its utter extermination in 

 what is known as the " grasshopper coun- 

 try." The following facts will be of in- 

 terest to tliose bee-keepers who live in 

 Kansas, Nebraska, and Western Iowa. 



It will be remembered that Professors 

 Riley and Thomas, of the Entomological 

 Commission, were to visit Kansas and 

 Nebraska to inquire into the subject. They 

 have just issued their Report, showing that 

 the troublesome pest is at an end. 



" The esrg of this insect was laid in the 

 fall of 1876, in wiiat may be called the Mis- 

 souri region, consisting of Western Iowa, 

 Northwestern Missouri, portions of Kansas, 

 Nebraska, Minnesota, and Dakota. 



"This egg comes to perfection only in the 

 sandy, arid regions of the far West. The 

 rich, moist soil of the Missouri Valley, and 

 the snows and rains, wrought havoc 

 amongst tlie eggs during the winter and 

 spring, and the young insects which hatch- 

 ed out during April have been rapidly des- 

 troyed by the elements, by parasites and by 

 birds, and these influences, with the work 

 of the farmers themselves, have at this date 

 brought to destruction nine-tenths of the 

 youiig 'hoppers. ^^ , 



"The outlook in Southern Nebraska may 

 be stated thus: West of a line drawn from 

 Crete, the eggs are all hatched and nearly 

 all the young 'hoppers annihilated. Be- 

 tween Crete and the Missouri river, they 

 are nearly all hatched out and aiuiihilated, 

 and as fast as tliey appear they are being 

 destroyed by the various influences brought 

 to bear upon them. 



"The prospect for crops is as good as it 

 possibly can be. and the people are jubilant 

 over the outlook for good' crops, good prices, 

 and tlie fact that the grasshoiiper scare is 

 now practically at an end. The condition 

 of Southern Nebraska was never better; 

 there is a larger area of ground planted than 

 ever before. The increase in stock has 

 been enormous, and business generally is 

 brisk. 



' SometMng New. 



To OUR SOXTTHERN SUBSCRIBEKS.— We 



have made arrangements with friend W. J. 

 Andrews, of Columbia, Tenn., to conduct a 

 " Southern Department " in the A. B. J., 

 which he will make interesting to all the 

 bee-keepers of the "Sunny South." In 

 order to accommodate this department such 

 extra pages will be added to the Journal, 

 as circumstances may require. AVe shall 

 commence the arrangement in the next 

 number. Our Southern friends will please 

 " take due notice, and govern themselves 



accordingly." 



> » » * * 



We were invited to make a visit to Mr. 

 Hugh Tenipleton's, in this city, to see 

 "something new." Of course, we went and 

 found what it was. Mr. Weiss, " the in- 

 ventor of rolls for making artificial comb 

 foundation," has added another to his many 

 inventions. 



In the beginning, when the great 'farchi- 

 tect of the universe, assisted by the Elo- 

 heim, founded the human race by making 

 the first man, " the morning stars sang to- 

 gether, and all the angels of God shouted 

 for joy." In humble imitation of that 

 august event, Mr. Weiss has made a man, a 

 dog, and a bee-hive— in the latter its thous- 

 ands of inhabitants are expected to "hum 

 their merry song," while they gather the 

 sweets which cause the sons of men to 

 "shout for joy." 



The design is life-size, of a man with a 

 hive of bees on his back being attacked in 

 front by a large dog. It is a handsome de- 

 sign for a lawn. The entrance to the hive 

 is through the man's mouth. 



Mr. Hugh Templeton has had it built ex- 

 pressly for his lawn by Mr. Weiss. It is 

 made of plaster of Paris over a profusely- 

 wired frame and is substantial and neat. 



"Either of the two new extractors, 

 noticed elsewhere in this issue, can be ob- 

 tained at this office. Stephenson's is sold 

 at $14, and Wliite's at $15. 



Sending Bees by Mail. 



Until recently bees have been sent by 

 mail, and it has been both a che<tp and safe 

 means of conveyance. The P. M. General 

 having decided that bees are unmailable, 

 and some post-masters having refused to 

 forward them, we wrote to the P. M. Gener- 

 al, asking him to review the matter, and 

 reverse his decision; at the same time we 

 stated that the manner in which they were 

 put up prevented their doing injury to the 

 mails. But it appears to be of no use. His 

 decision is like " tlie law of the Medes and 

 Persians— which changeth not," as will be 

 seen from the following letter: 

 Post Office Department, I 



Washington, D. C, May 19, 1877. \ 

 Thos. G. Newman, Esq., Chicago, 111., 



Sir;— The Postmaster General has refer- 

 red your letter of the 17tli instant to this 

 ofiice with instructions to say, in reply, that 

 the ruling excludes bees from the mails was 

 made under the administration of one of 

 his predecessors, and seems to be in accord- 

 ance with the spirit of the postal law and 

 with the provisions of the postal regula- 

 tions, from the fact that if so sent they 

 would be liable to deface other mall matter 

 transmitted therewith, notwithstanding 

 their incasement according to the manner 

 proposed by you. He declines, therefore, to 

 revoke the said ruling. 



James H. Mauk, 

 Acting First Asst. P. M. Gen'l. 



