408 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



W( 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Wayside Pencilings. 



We have been to the National Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Convention, and at jrreater expense 

 perhaps tlian any one else, but we do not 

 reyret it. There were a goodly number in 

 attendance, but we do not believe that there 

 is one who regrets it— for it was a grand 

 success and much good was accomplished. 



On our way we were compelled by a 

 break of cownections to spend several hours 

 in Cinciiniati, which we did in a very pleas- 

 ant way witli friend Muth. 



Of tiie proceedings of the Convention we 

 will not speak, as you have published them 

 in full and they speak for themselves, but 

 there is one matter in connection therewith 

 tiiat we will mention for the satisfaction of 

 those who were present. It was generally 

 remarked and much surprise expressed at 

 the absence of friend J. S. Coe, who was 

 seen only a few hours before the meeting, 

 and who had promised to be on hand. The 

 day after the Society adjourned, we called 

 on' friend Coe, who explained his absence 

 by informing us that soon after we i)arted 

 from him he was taken violently ill and 

 was confined to his bed from Tuesday noon 

 until Friday morning, and expressed regret 

 at not being able to be present. 



We were appointed a committee to wait 

 on the Post Master General, regarding the 

 shipment of bees by mail. We called on 

 the gentleman, and exhibited to him the 

 package of bees done up in the usual mail- 

 ing style by friend Alley, and told him that 

 it was utterly impossible for them to get 

 out or for mail matter to become soiled, or 

 for any one to be injured by them. His 

 reply was that all did not do them up so 

 well— t'lat if they had, there would have 

 been no trouble about the matter; that 

 some did them up in a very slovenly man- 

 ner- that mail matter had been soiled and 

 the bees had gotten out of the cages. Our 

 conversation lasted several minutes. We 

 made an ai)poiiitment to meet him again in 

 the evening at his hotel. We called but he 

 was not in; should have called again had 

 we not been feeling unwell. In wiiat con- 

 versation we did have with him, however, 

 we have no expectation of procuring a re- 

 vocation of the order forbidding their being 

 sent in the mail. 



We would suggest that queen raisers and 

 bee-men geuerallv, circulate petitions, di- 

 rected to their Members of Congress, re- 

 questing them to call on the Postmaster 

 General and get it revoked. By this means 

 it may be accomplished. We would add 

 that the Postmaster General received us 

 very cordially and showed us every cour- 

 tesy possible. ^ , ^, ,, 



From Washington we went to Chatta- 

 nooga, where we met friend S. C. Dodge,— 

 a real, live, progressive bee-man. lie ob- 

 tained a hack, into which we seated 

 ourselves, and were soon pulling up the 

 steep sides of Look-Out Mountain. Our 

 visit to the Mountain was made doubly in- 

 teresting by being so fortunate as having 

 such a guide as friend Dodge, who knows 

 every crook and crevise of it; also being 

 quite a botanist, he pointed out the moun- 

 tain flora which is peculiar to the mountain 

 alone. Returning from the mountain, we 

 partook of a sumiituous dinner with friend 

 Dodge and his estimable lady. 



After diuipg we took a stroll through 

 friend Dodge's apiary, and then around tlie 

 suburbs of the city. We spent a most de- 

 liglitful day, and shall ever remember it as 

 one of the most pleasant of our life. We 

 left for home on the evening train, arriving 

 at 10 o'clock tiie following morning, where- 

 we found a large lot of correspondence 

 awaiting our return. w. J. A. 



Look-out Apiary. 



Fkiend Andrews: I began the season 

 with one weak colony in a closed-end 

 frame Quinhy hive, which I have increased 

 to three. Not having any more hives of 

 that paltern, I had to stop at that point. 

 Later in the season, I procured five other 

 colonies, in different kinds of frames. 

 These 1 transferred into Gallup frames- 

 One of the colonies soon became queenless, 

 and I used it to fill up the other hives, mak- 

 ing four strong colonies consisting of 12 

 frames each. These four colonies I have 

 increased to 26, making 63^ of each one. be- 

 sides several nuclei. I used the extractor 

 freely while stores were coming in. I sold 

 enough honey to pay for what foundation I 

 needed, and returned the rest to the bees as- 

 they have needed it, and tliey appear to be 

 in good condition to winter well, averaging 

 nine full frames each. The only expense 

 that I have been to is for hives. 



It would be difficult for me to detail to 

 you the many trials that 1 liave labored 

 under "to get the hang of it,'" but I now 

 feel pleased with the season's work, it be- 

 ing my first in practical apiculture. And 

 right here, I wish to extend iny sincere 

 thanks to the several apiarists who sO' 

 kindly and generously assisted ine with 

 their counsel. As a class, I have found 

 them to be generous and unselfish, to a 

 remarkable degree. I had a great deal to 

 learn, but I feel assured that with the ex- 

 perience I have acquired this season in the 

 use of foundation and queen-reaa-iiig, that, 

 in any good season, I could increase from 

 one to" ten. 



I regard artificial comb foundation as in- 

 valuable, and the discovery of which should 

 immortalize the inventor. 



There is yet another discovery to be 

 made, which will rank with any other in 

 apiculture; that is, an artificiaf food for 

 bees cheaper than either sugar or honey, to 

 be used by them for brood-rearing without 

 pollen, also for wintering. I regard the 

 day as not far distant. Who will be the 

 first to cry out Eureka! and generously give 

 it to the world, free to all? 



The season here began very nicely; plen- 

 ty of fruit-tree blossoms, then came white 

 clover and honey-dew, then a cessation on 

 about July 1st. The only dependence for 

 forage then was the mint family (Ldbidtae). 

 This just furnished enough to keep up a 

 very moderate brood-rearing. About Sept. 

 loth, swartweed, golden-rod and astors be- 

 gan to open their flowers, and the fall har- 

 vest began in earnest. During the last 

 week the busy workers have filled every 

 cell with precious sweets, and at night 

 their tiny wings keep up a loud and joyous 

 hum, ventilating their hives, and concen- 

 trating the nectar— fitting it for their win- 

 ter food— while the aiT is redolent with the 

 perfume of the apiary. S. C. Dodge. 



Chattenooga, Tenn., Ott. 4, 1877. 



