THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



377 



the vast increase in the consumption during 

 this sliort period shows how much depends 

 on little things. 



It may be thought that I have given too 

 much prominence to the convenient sized 

 packages and too little to the question of 

 improved quality. I should indeed be sorry 

 to ignore the improvement in quality, but 

 convenient sized packages, both for the 

 dealer and the consumer, are important fac- 

 tors in a commercial point of view. 1 can 

 say, however, that the honey to whicli the 

 Judges have awarded the medal, in quality 

 is simply perfect, and as much superior to 

 the far-famed "honey of Mount Hymettus" 

 as can be imagined. I may say, en passant 

 that wliile in Greece last winter I had an 

 opportunity to taste this honey, the virtues 

 or which have been perpetuated in song 

 and story for the last 2,000 years. I can 

 only say in excuse for it that perhaps as the 

 modern Greek but little resembles the 

 heroes of Thermopylfe, the " honey of Hy- 

 mettus" may also have generated. That 

 the quality of American honey is appre- 

 ciated abroad is shown by the large and 

 constantly increasing export demand; and 

 all that our bee-culturists have to do is to 

 steadily try to produce " the best honey in 

 the most marketable shape" to insure a de- 

 mand which will always yield them a re- 

 munerative price. 



Tliere is perhaps no occupation more at- 

 tractive and absorbing than that of bee- 

 culture; one never wearies of watching the 

 industry and ingeiuiity of these little 

 workers, and in this connection 1 cannot 

 resist introducing a somewhat technical 

 statement, made to me a few days since by 

 a friend, who is an engineer and architect, 

 which illustrates Shakespeare's words, "So 

 work the honey bees— creatures that by a 

 rule in nature "teach tlie art of order to a 

 peopled kingdom." There are but tiiree 



geometrically regular figures (that is, figures 

 aving equal sides and equal angles), which 

 can be arranged around a point so as to 

 take up the entii'e space. 1st.— Six equi- 

 lateral triangles, each angle of which is 60% 

 or the six angles equal to .360°, — the circum- 

 ference of a circle. 2d.— Four squares, each 

 angle of which is 90-, or the four angles 

 equal to .360\ 3d.— Three hexagons, each 

 angle of which is 120°, and the three equal 

 to 360°. Now it is susceptible of geometric- 

 al demonstration that a hexagon affords the 

 largest amount of interior space within the 

 smallest amount of comb or frame work. 

 The bee is in architecture a conservative. 

 Bay windows, mansard roofs and other 

 modern improvements are wholly ignored. 

 He limits his efforts to a line of adaptations 

 embracing his own body, the material he 

 works with, and the structure he erects. 

 How different the condition of man! his 

 field is the world; his resources the infinite 

 variety of nature; the purposes of his life 

 illimitable; his will is left free, and by the 

 light of reason he works out his own lines 

 of adaptation. He enjoys the lariiest liber- 

 ty of all of God's creatures, but in none of 

 his activities does he attain that degree of 

 infallibility which marks the efforts of the 

 little busy bee, working under that straiten- 

 ed mental condition which we call instinct. 

 But to resume the consideration of the 

 influences affecting demand and supply— 

 and consequently of prices— I would say, 

 that the bee-culturists of the U. S., althougli 

 now far in advance of those of other coun- 



tries in the use of improved appliances, and 

 consequently in the quality and quantity of 

 honey produced, must not cease tlieir efforts 

 to excel; other countries will adopt our in- 

 ventions and also improve the quality of 

 their production. Only a few days since 

 we had a call from Mr. Milner, of the 

 British rifle team, who was investigating 

 all improvements in bee-culture made in 

 this country, with a view of introducing 

 them on the other side of the Atlantic; and 

 I am informed that others are taking the 

 same steps. Therefore, we must be pro- 

 gressive, both in the production and mar- 

 keting of honey. So far as the latter is 

 concerned our firm will do our part, and we 

 have no doubt but that producers will do 

 theirs, to maintain the prestige that our 

 country now has in this branch of industry. 

 I believe that the exchange of views, which 

 are made practicable by such conventions 

 as this, is of great value, and I hope the 

 organization of the bee-culturists will not 

 only be kept up, but perfected and extend- 

 ed. 



A vote of thanks waspassed unanimously 

 to Mr. Thurber for his very able and inter- 

 esting address as well as for his exertions 

 to create a demand for honey. 



Capt. J. E. Hetherington then addressed 

 the Convention on 



Comb Foundation. 



Mr. President: — As an introduction to 

 the discussion of the subject of artificial 

 comb foundation, I would say that the in- 

 ception is due to the Germans, and the 

 honor, if I am correctly informed, belongs 

 to Mr. J. Merhring, who for it received wliat 

 was known as the "Two hundred thaler 

 Wetzler premium," and gave them the name 

 of "artificial tablets." They consisted of 

 very thin sheets of wax corrogated to form 

 the simple base of the cells, without any ex- 

 tension of the side walls. At least in this 

 form it was presented to me for experiment 

 by Mr. Steele of Newark, New Jersey, as 

 early I think as 1859. Later I had them 

 sent me for experiment, which resulted in 

 laying them aside as impractical and worth- 

 less. They were again sent me three years 

 ago, I think, by W. H. Hoge, the gentleman 

 to wliose energy is due the fine exhibit at 

 the American Institute Fair. The improve- 

 ment in these consisted in an extension of 

 the side walls from the base, wliich con- 

 tained wax sufficient when drawn out by 

 the bees to form a large portion of the side 

 walls of the cell. To this improvement I 

 attribute its success practically. 



To the Germans is due the honor of incep- 

 tion, but they let it rest a period of fifteen 

 years or more, and until touclied by the in- 

 genuity of American progress, when it is 

 again brought to the front, a grand success. 

 Consequently to the American belongs the 

 honor of its present practical form. This 

 progress being the result of experiment, 

 there lias grown up in the minds of many a 

 prejudice, resulting from experiment made 

 before the improvement was complete. As 

 first sent out, the size of the cell was four 

 and one-half to the inch, a size between that 

 of worker and drone— too large for the rear- 

 ing of workers, and too small for drones, 

 and consequently was used indifferently by 

 the queen, if used at all. But when the cell 

 was made the accurate size of natural comb 

 it was accepted at once, and in this form we 

 now find it for discussion. 



