170^ 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY, 1870. 



A change in our arrangement for publication may 

 dela.y the appearance of this number a tew clays, and 

 constrains us to retain till March several articles in- 

 tended for its pages — among them some interesting 

 communications from old correspondents. 



We feel assured that it will be gratifying to its 

 friends to hear of the steadily increasing patronage of 

 the American Bee Joukkal. At no time since it 

 was commenced has its subscription list grown so 

 rapidly and largely as within the past month; and flat- 

 tering evidence of the warm interest felt in its success 

 by intelligent disinterested beekeepers, is constantly 

 reaching us from all parts of the Union, the British 

 provinces, and Europe. As we have ever scorned to re- 

 sort to clap-trap and humbug to extend its circula- 

 tion, may not claim, to some extent at least, that 



"The force of its own merit makes its way?" 

 while we fully appreciate and gratefully acknowledge 

 the aid and countenance received from many long- 

 tried and steadfast friends. 



Wc have received the tenth or concluding part of 

 Dr. Packard's " Guide to the Studt of Insects." 

 The work is now completed, and constitutes a popular 

 introduction to this important branch of natural 

 his ory, such as has long been needed. 



The second volume of Adair's "Annals of Bee- 

 cdi.tuke," or that for 1870, we understand, may be 

 looked for early in the spring. 



Many practical beekeepers are of opinion that 

 pollen is indispensably necessary for bees during 

 winter, but, experiments have shown that all the 

 essential operations of the colony may proceed from 

 October to May, fully six months, though the hive 

 do not contain a particle of pollen. It seems certain, 

 nevertheless, that ordinarily bees do consume it in 

 all the winter months, excepting November. Dr. 

 Donhoff, when analyzing the contents of the viscera 

 of bees, found traces of pollen therein at all times, 

 except in November. Communicating this fact to 

 Prof. Leuckart, the latter said it was corroborated 

 by his OAvii independent observations. Shortly there- 

 after, however, the Professor discovered that the 

 mucous tissue lining the stomach and intestines of 

 bees, undergoes decomposition or is sloughed off an- 

 nually, and renewed, in the interval between the 

 latter part of October and the beginning of December, 

 corresponding precisely with the p^'iod in which tlie 

 consumption of pollen is pretermitted. Hence the 

 non-use of pollen during the interval results, probably 

 from the abnormal condition of the insect at the time. 



After much delay in its transit, we received by 

 mail, from Mr. H. M.Thomas, of Brooklyn, Canada, a 

 package of Alsike clover hay, showing its condition 

 and quality as fodder, after the seed has been re- 

 moved by threshing. We referred the subject to an ap- 

 propriate cow committee, by which it was thoroughly 

 discussed, evidently cum gitsto—end'mg in a very in- 

 telligble motion for more ; but, deeming eager man- 

 ducation and deglutition a satisfactory rq^ort, we 

 discharged the committee without awaiting further 

 rumination. 



We publish on another page a complete list of the 

 patents on beehives, &c., issued during the year 1869, 

 for which we are indebted to Mr. Grinnell, Chief 

 Clerk of the Patent Office. The number is large, nay, 

 considering how ancient, wide-spread and common is 

 the pursuit to which they relate, it may be regarded 

 as very large. We apprehend however, that the 

 sanguine expectations of most of the inventors are 

 doomed to disappointment : for according to our 

 observation, patents on beehives and cognate contri- 

 vances, like those on velocipedes and bouquet-holders, 

 are not profitable investments. About nine-tenths of 

 them, being based on exploded notions or miscon- 

 ceved theories, prove to be practically failures ; and 

 of the comparatively few that are really new and 

 useful, the miserable crew of infringers and modi- 

 fiers speedily contrive to divert the emoluments from 

 the origirftil and meritorio\;s patentee. The inventor 

 of a truly new and useful device certainly deserves the 

 protection and remuneration which a patent is in- 

 tended, but usually fails, to secure ; but at this 

 advanced period in the history of bee culture, and in 

 view of the improvements made in the last thirty 

 years, he must be a genius indeed who contrives and 

 constructs a hive of preeminent and permanent value. 

 It is sheer folly to rush to the Patent Office in hot 

 haste to secure a patent for every whim-wham that 

 strikes the fancy , of one laboring under a paroxysm 

 of "bee on the brain." Better far, save your money 

 and charitably suppose that others also may have had 

 the same or similar ideas, and have tested, or be testing 

 their value, though the Chiefs of the Patent Office arc 

 unaware of the fact. Obtaining a patent is the 

 smallest part of the affair. Time, labor and money 

 are required to introduce it, more time and money, 

 must be spent, and much annoyance and vexation 

 endured, in litigation with infringers; and if in the 

 end you succeed in establishing your rights, it gen- 

 erally proves to be an empty and bootless victory. 



We received a few day ago, per mail, from Mr. 

 Henry Alley, Wenham, (Mass.) an Italian queen bee 

 and about a dozen workers. They were caged and 

 provisoned as Mr. A. usually prepares them for trans- 

 mission by mail in the summer, with some special 

 protection from cold. When first opened they were 

 somewhat sluggish as bees are when clustered in the 



