AMERICAN BEE JOUt=lNAL. 



765 



to effect this importation of foreign 

 bees. The experimental work, I sug- 

 gested, was in the line of our previous 

 work — planting for honey, breeding a 

 race of bees, experiments to show the 

 value of bees as fertilizers of various 

 flowers of useful plants ; effect of spray- 

 ing blossoms of fruit-trees with the arse- 

 nites, etc. I do not need to say that this 

 arrangement was made, and that we 

 were so fortunate as to secure the ser- 

 vices of Mr. J. H. Larrabee, of Vermont, 

 to take immediate charge oif the work. 



,Last autumn, while in Washington, I 

 expressed to Dr. Willits and Dr. Riley, 

 that my duties were such that I wished 

 to resign the work so far as all responsi- 

 bility was concerned, though I was will- 

 ing to advise as before. I suggested 

 that Mr. Larrabee seemed an able man 

 for the work, and recommended that the 

 experiments be put into his charge. I 

 suggested that the large plant at the 

 College could be used as before, and 

 that the location was good ; for, in case 

 the agent wished aid in any of the 

 sciences closely related to apiculture — 

 as entomology, botany, chemistry, or 

 bacteriology — there were experts close 

 at hand to give the information or per- 

 form experiments desired in those lines. 



This plan commended itself to Drs. 

 Willits and Riley, if we may judge from 

 the fact that Mr. Larrabee was ap- 

 pointed, and now has charge of the 

 work. Mr. Larrabee is an honest, care- 

 ful worker, and I believe will do very 

 satisfactory work. In case he should 

 not prove to be the right man, he will 

 be first to learn the fact, and will quickly 

 resign in favor of another, though I feel 

 sure there will bo no call for such 

 action. 



Mr. Elwood thinks that Mr. Larrabee's 

 time is too much occupied in caring for 

 the large apiary here. The apiary here 

 is not large — no larger, I think, than a 

 person who has no other duties would 

 wish. Indeed, I know by experience 

 that a person who experiments with only 

 15 or 20 colonies will be criticised from 

 this very fact, though I think with small 

 reason. Besides, if Mr. Larrabee feels 

 that he has too many colonies, he can 

 reduce the size of the apiary, I am sure. 

 I think the size should be left entirely to 

 him. There is another advantage here. 

 Mr. Larrabee can secure help to care 

 for the apiary at any time, as well as aid 

 in scientific lines. The complaint by 

 the authorities at Washington is, that 

 they have little money. Why, then, ask 

 them to buy a plant when they have one 

 at their disposal ? 



Mr. Elwood suggests that the work be 

 taken from Mr. Riley's hands. Even 

 granting that this be desirable, it is not 

 practical. We surely cannot get a sep- 

 arate Division for apiculture now. I 

 think, though, that Dr. Riley will leave 

 the work almost, if not wholly, with the 

 apiarist. I think, too, that it would be 

 impossible to secure an apiary at Wash- 

 ington. Is it not better to hold on to 

 what we have, and not grasp for more, 

 and lose all ? The other advantages so 

 well presented by Mr. Elwood, are 

 secured here as well as they would be at 

 Washington. 



I believe Mr. Larrabee is the right 

 man in the right place. I believe that, 

 if he is sustained by the government 

 and by bee-keepers, he will give far 

 more than value received for the money 

 spent. I believe that, if the bee-keepers 

 ask this, he will be kept at work for a 

 series of years, and will achieve large 

 results. Is it not worth while for the 

 bee-keepers all over the country to 

 write to the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 and ask this favor, or, better, right ? I 

 have no doubt in my own mind of the 

 wisdom of this course. If the bee-keep- 

 ing public agree with me, and act in the 

 matter, there is but little question that 

 Mr. Larrabee's work will be continued, 

 and real, substantial good be the result ! 

 — Gleanings. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



Descripfloii of Oyster-Can Bee-Feeflers. 



C. L. BUCKMASTER. 



The time has come in the production 

 of honey that it behooves the bee-keeper 

 to economize with all his strength and 

 good judgment. This is the day of 

 cheap sugar, which means cheap can- 

 dies, cheap preserves, and cheap sweets 

 of all kinds. Legislation is against the 

 bee-keeper ; but it is said of old, that 

 " it is an ill wind that blows nobody 

 good." This is true in regard to the 

 apiarift. Cheap sugar makes cheap 

 food to stimulate brood-rearing, and 

 cheap stores for winter. 



The foregoing being true, a cheap 

 feeder is imperative. This I propose to 

 suggest in the "oyster-can bee-feeder," 

 which is made as follows: 



I take a Langstroth frame and fasten 

 an oyster-can in each end of it. The 

 dimensions of one of these cans are 

 QMx4:%\l%, which equals 51 69-256 

 cubic inches. One quart contains 57% 

 cubic inches, so it can be seen that with 



