5'M 



American Ttee .Journal 



July 12, 1906 



tained. Before giving particulars, as obtained from the 

 Australian Bee-Bulletin, it may be well to explain that 

 what are called "Crown lands " seem to be the same as we 

 call government lands. A bee-farm license would seem to 

 give entire control of the ground, not to exceed 10 acres ; 

 while a bee-range gives control of the nectar within a radius 

 of one mile. Here are the particulars : 



Regulations for the conduct of bee-farms under the provisions of 

 the Victorian Land Act Amendment Bill passed last session, have 

 been approved by the Minister for Lands (Mr. Murray). These farms 

 consist for the most part of excisions from areas held under lease 

 from the Crown, and the regulations are, therefore, in the main, 

 directed to defining the rights of the lessee and the bee-farmer. The 

 license is issued for a period of 7 years, and no right of renewal is 

 guaranteed. The bee-farmer may make improvements, but be does so 

 at his own risk, and is not entitled to compensation. Stringent pro- 

 visions are made against the careless use of fire, and the licensee is not 

 allowed to keep a dog. The licensee is given the right of access to 

 his holding over the original lessee's property, but he is prohibited 

 under penalties from leaving gates open after passing through them. 

 No individual, company, or corporation is allowed to have more than 

 3 bee-farms or bee-ranges. The aggregate area of the bee-farm licenses 

 must not exceed 10 acres, whilst a bee-range consists of all the land 

 within one mile of the apiary site. The licensee has, however, no 

 right of entry to the 1-mile radius, which refers only to the area over 

 which the bee6 could have the use of the trees. 



Owners of apiaries on private lands adjoining Crown lands may 

 apply for bee-range licenses, the rent of which is fixed by the Act at a 

 halfpenny [about 1 cent] per acre within the mile radius. Areas in- 

 cluded in the licenses can be transferred or sublet only on the appro- 

 val of the Minister on a payment of a fee of 32.42. Speaking generally, 

 the rent for a bee-farm license will be 25 cents per acre. All applica- 

 tions lodged on or before March 31 will be deemed to have been simul- 

 taneously made. Forms of application will be available at the Lands 

 Department. Applicants are requested to furnish full particulars of 

 the site in respect to which the application is made. Where there is 

 no opposition permits will be given for immediate occupation. Licen- 

 ses are not allowed to cultivate, except with the consent in writing 

 of the Minister. 



The Regulations Governing the Bee-Sections of the New Land Act 

 as now published, although they may not be exactly what we desired, 

 are a compromise of the demands of bee-keepers and the contentions 

 of occupiers of Crown Lands, and are the best this Association could 

 obtain after a protracted struggle against opposing influences. 



Will members please note that all applications for bee-sites made 

 up to March 31 next will be considered as made simultaneously. After 

 that date priority will go with date when application was received. In 

 undisputed cases permits for immediate occupation will be issued, 

 and applicants may, therefore, avoid much delay by agreeing first 

 amongst themselves. 



I would also point out that although the charge for a Bee-Range 

 license is ~%,d. [about 1 cent] per acre, it is not obligatory for the 

 holder of a Bee-Farm license to take out a Bee-Range license if he 

 cares to take the risk of getting a competitor for his pasture within 2 

 miles of his apiary. On the other hand, an apiarist on private land 

 may take out a Bee-Range license, securing to him the exclusive use 

 for a distance of a mile of the bee-pa6ture on adjoining Crown lands, 

 although he. himself, does not require a Bee-Farm license. The num- 

 ber of sites and Bee- Range licenses any one person may hold is 3. The 

 amount payable as a royalty for a radius of 1 mile at yid. per acre is 

 about *20 00. R. Beuhne. 



Miscellaneous 

 flews -Items 



The Langstroth Gavels shown on the first page of this 

 number were engraved from the ones presented to the 

 National and Chicago-Northwestern Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tions by Mrs. F. M. Glessner, as mentioned on page 599. 

 This was one of the most interesting features of the 

 National Convention. Mrs. Glessner deserves to be con- 

 gratulated on the happy results of her appropriate thought 

 in securing and presenting the gavels. She has a nice little 

 apiary at her summer home in New Hampshire, where she 

 goes from Chicago early each spring and returns in the fall. 

 She cares for the bees herself, and has been quite success- 

 ful with them. She once told us that she thought that all 

 nice white comb honey should bring at least SO cents per 

 pound in a retail way ! Of course, very few people could 

 afford to pay that price, but it serves to show how enthusi- 

 astic she is in bee-keeping, and how much she appreciates 

 honey. 



All who were present at the convention when the gavels 

 were presented by Dr. Miller seemed to be greatly pleased 

 with the whole event. As they were passed around after- 

 ward and examined by various bee-keepers, they seemed to 

 be unable to agree upon the kind of wood used in making 

 the gavels. Prof. McFarland, who was instrumental in se- 

 curing the wood, explains the matter quite fully in the fol- 

 lowing, which has kindly been sent to us for publication : 



Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



Dear Sir:— Allow me to do a little more than merely giving the 

 name of the wood of which those gavels were made. Here in Ohio 

 the tree is called "Linden." When the forests in Ohio were far more 

 extensive than they are now, I have seen Linden trees from 3 to 4 feet 

 in diameter. The tree is indigenous in Ohio. It bear6 a blossom 

 which bees greatly like; and the honey gathered from these blossoms 

 was the kind which Mr. Langstroth thought to be most delicate of all. 

 When Mr. L. came to Oxford, in 1859, more than half the original for- 

 ests were gone. We lived on the bprder of the town — his place out- 

 side the corporation, and extending about 400 feet along the line. My 

 place was just within the town limits — and extending very nearly a 

 like distance— a street 4 rods wide separating our lands. On the side 

 of the street bordering on his land tbere were no shade-trees. Our 

 houses were on different sides of the street, and nearly opposite to 

 each other, 60 or 70 feet from the border of the street. On my side, I 

 had a row of S or 10 maple-trees. About 1S63 or 1864, Mr. L. set out 

 8 or 10 Linden trees — say 2 inches in diameter at the time — for " bee- 

 pasture " in after years. I was with him when the work was done. 

 With a sharp knife he cut oft all the broken or injured roots of the 

 saplings, cutting on the underside of the root. He said it would 

 greatly aid the tree in getting a good 6tart to grow. The trees to-day 

 are about 10 inches in diameter. When I went to get a limb of which 

 to make the gavels, the lower limbs were too high for me to reach. 

 Just then my neighbor, Mr. Miller, came along in a wagon, and I 

 asked him to drive under the limbs, that I might be able to reach 

 them. He did so, and I cut off a limb from a tree which I had helped 

 Mr. L. plant nearly 40 years before. I took the tree which stood most 

 directly in front of his house. 



I thought a little account like this might be more acceptable than 

 the bare name of the wood. I knew Mr. L. from 1S59 to the day of 

 his death— nearly 40 years afterwards. He was a graduate of Yale, 

 and was tutor of Latin in that college 4 years, while Loomis was tutor 

 in mathematics. Loomis wrote the best series of mathematical text- 

 books I ever saw — I used them for more than 30 years. 



I am greatly gratified to know the spirit in which the gavels were 

 received by the people. Mr. L. was as noble a man as I ever saw. He 

 had only one son, who, at the beginning of the Civil War, was about 21 

 years of age. In 1S62 the students here formed a company of soldiers 

 and elected me as captain. Young Langstroth belonged to the com- 

 pany. The first summer was spent in West Virginia. In 1863 the reg- 

 iment was reorganized. Langstroth was promoted to a first lieuten- 

 ancy, and took part in the East Tennessee campaign, under Burnside. 

 Five or six years after the war he died from pulmonary trouble. I will 

 send you, in a day or two, a small pamphlet concerning one part of 

 that campaign. From the fact that Mr. L.'s son was in that expedi- 

 tion, I thought you might like to read the account. 



Very cordially yours, K. W. McFarland. 



Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 20, 1906. 



There is an additional appropriateness in that the wood 

 of which the gavels are made is linden, or basswood — not 

 only a favorite of Father Langstroth, but also often a fine 

 nectar-yielder. Surely these gavels will be prized by the 

 fortunate recipients. 



Bees Tearing Pasteboard.— Dr. G. Bohrer, of Kansas, 

 received from Wm. Cutter, a fruit-grower in the same State, 

 two pieces of pasteboard torn down by bees, and the ques- 

 tion, "If a bee can not break through a grape-skin, how 

 did it do this ?" To this, Dr. Bohrer replied as follows : 



Mr. Cutter:— Yours containing pasteboard picked and lacerated 

 by honey-bees came duly to hand. In reply I will say that the paste- 

 board is not nil nt nil. It is, as you are aware, felt goods. The bees 

 began at the edges of the pasteboard and picked it apart. Fruit-skins 

 are of an entirely different texture, and can not by any possible means 

 be picked apart as the pasteboard you sent me has been. The jaws of 

 the honey-bee are not made for cutting, but are made to press wax, 

 and weld and shape it into honey-comb. The yellow-jacket, wasp and 

 hornet have sharp jaws made for cutting, and they can cut through 

 the rind of grapes and other fruits. 



Please put the jaws of a honey-bee under a powerful magnifying 

 glass, and you will see that they are simply paddle-shaped, and when 

 closed fit neatly together. They can not cut anything, but they can 

 pick any felt or fuzzy bodies to fragments. G. Bohrer. 



The pasteboard pieces seem to show that they were 

 parts of a pasteboard separator, as they were somewhat 

 propolized. But this is only our guess. 



Indiana Fair and Apiarian Display.— We have re- 

 ceived the following from Walter S. Pouder, of Indianapo- 



