American honey" having been proved 

 to be adulterated. (See Board of Trade 

 Gazette, Dec. 7.) 



The result of this is that it will' shut 

 up the European markets to our honey, 

 for European dealers will refuse to buy 

 our products, fearing to obtain an adul- 

 terated article. Such facts as these 

 make the law against adulteration a 

 question of life or death for bee-culture 

 in this country. What will we do with 

 our honey if our merchants continue to 

 be Hooded with glucosed honey, and if 

 the European markets refuse to buy 

 from us V 



The petition will be presented to Con- 

 gress in January. Yet there is time to 

 obtain names. I made a mistake by 

 directing that the petitions be posted up 

 in the post-offices. A great many peti- 

 tions have been lost in that way. Those 

 who have lost their blanks in their post- 

 offices or otherwise, are requested to 

 send me a postal card and 1 will gladly 

 mail them another blank. 



Every bee-keeper ought to get one, 

 even if he be unable to get more than 

 ten names. One thousand copies, con- 

 taining ten names each, will give ten 

 thousand signatures. Every one of us 

 can get ten names and more in less than 

 one hour. The cost will be one cent for 

 a postal card ordering the blank, and 

 one cent to get an envelope, stamped as 

 for circulars, the petitions being con- 

 sidered as printed matter if sent in an 

 open envelope. Who will be so unmind- 

 ful of his interests as not to expend two 

 cents, and one hour's labor, to help our 

 endeavor V 



Hamilton, 111., Dec, 1878. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Comb-Building, Queen-Rearing, &c. 



BY A. F. MOON. 



Here we are, dear friends, at the end 

 of another year's journey ! The year 

 1878 has passed rapidly, but it has been 

 a memorable one. The American Bee 

 Journal, has been issued promptly, 

 carrying glad tidings to every part of 

 the world. It has been an exposer of 

 error, and a promoter of truth ; it has 

 fought valiantly with prejudice, and 

 won. It will, to-day, greet its thou- 

 sands of readers and receive hearty 

 welcome in return. Its editor and all 

 his contributors will wish " A Happy 

 New Year I" to all its readers, being 

 determined that the Journal, shall, 

 during the year 1879, be more interest- 

 ing than ever. Bidding farewell to the 

 old year and welcoming the new, let me 

 wish the editor, his correspondents and 

 its many readers, a "Happy New Year!" 



MAKING HONEY COMB. 



On page 415 of the November number, 

 N. J. Bayard wishes to know why bees 

 will not build comb in Florida in the 

 summer. Bees will build comb at al- 

 most any period of the year, if they pos- 

 sess the requisites for that purpose, viz., 

 plenty of bees, food and heat. It is evi- 

 dent that Mr. Bayard had plenty of bees, 

 and we do not think any heat was want- 

 ing, but they had not the material to 

 build the comb with. When bees cease 

 to build comb, select a hive containing 

 plenty of bees, and feed honey or sugar 

 syrup ; you will then be prepared to solve 

 the difficulty. Six years ago when we 

 commenced to teach bee-culture in the 

 South, we found the opinion expressed 

 by nearly every bee-keeper we met, that 

 bees did not make any comb after June. 

 We told them if such was the fact, it 

 was evident that the dry season pre- 

 vented the flowers from secreting their 

 saccharine juice. Some said that was 

 a humbug ; they knew that bees carried 

 their comb on their legs ; others said on 

 their backs; while many said it was a 

 mixture of bee-bread and something 

 else, they did not exactly know what. 

 When the season arrived for comb- 

 building to cease as stated, we took a 

 strong colony and fed, at the same time 

 placing glass boxes on the hive. Very 

 soon the comb question was settled, it 

 being the only colony in the apiary that 

 made any comb. It also threw off a 

 tine swarm, which we fed, and that hive 

 was filled with comb in about thirteen 

 days. We find that during the months 

 of July and generally August, the 

 weather is too dry and warm for bees 

 to gather as much as they consume. 

 The year 1877 being an exception ; then 

 during the last days of August bees 

 were gathering finely and sw r arming. 



VARIABLENESS OF QUEEN PROGENY. 



On page 430 of December number, H. 

 L. Jeffrey gives a sort of resume of what 

 had been said about queen progeny, &c, 

 and added that A. F. Moon says' noth- 

 ing about the season. I did not deem 

 itnecessary, being confident that nearly 

 all breeders of the Italian bee were ac- 

 quainted with the fact that locality, 

 season and age made a great difference 

 in the color of queens. 



THE MALE INFLUENCE. 



Mr. J., in the same article, tells us 

 something about the influence that the 

 male exerts over its progeny ; these are 

 facts that would be well for some of our 

 noted bee-keepers to consider. I have 

 ever entertained the idea that one of 

 the greatest points to be obtained was 

 the selection of strong and vigorous 



