18t0.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Ul 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Washington, Dec, 1870. 



D:^ The seed of the Partridge Pea ( Cassia chanioe- 

 crista) referred to in our last issue as a bee plant, has 

 been placed in the Agricultural Department, for dis- 

 tribution among bee-keepers. As the quantity available 

 is very limited, it will be put up in small packages 

 and sent to those desiring to try it, on application 

 by mail to Col. Capron, the Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture. 



A correspondent suggests that the cases of foul- 

 brood stated, in our last number, to have been cured 

 by Dr. Abbe, may have been of the milder form 

 occasionally found in hives, which usually disappears 

 again without doing much damage. But if this were 

 so, it does not follow that the same treatment would 

 not be as judiciously and beneficially resorted to in 

 such cases for the arrest and eradication of the disease, 

 as when it has assumed the more virulent form. 

 We consider the disease as really one and the same 

 substantially in all its forms, only less harmful in its 

 early stages, as being then less contagious, and 

 therefore more manageable. 



Under date of Nov. 4, we have a further letter from 

 Dr. Abbe, in Avhich he says : — 



" There has not been time enough given to text the 

 permanence of the cure, and it ought to be regarded as 

 still an open question whether foul brood can be per- 

 manently cured in this way, for the effect may be only 

 the same as pruning, and the germs of the disease 

 still remain sealed in the honey cells. I shall ex- 

 amine the hives again in two weeks, after all the 

 brood is hatched. 



" I have recently found two more hives containing 

 fifteen and twenty cells with the disease, which 

 were left after all the brood was hatched. These I 

 have treated with Nichols' solution of Chloride of 

 Soda, diluted one-half. This promises more than the 

 other remedy, for it not only cleanses the cell, but 

 disinfects the whole hive. I am inclined to the 

 opinion that if the hive has contained the disease for 

 any length of time, it will have to be treated after 

 every crop of brood, or until all poisonous honey is 

 consumed." 



It was recently stated that foulbrood is not now 

 one-hundredth part as bad as it was ten years ago. 

 This may be so in some localities, but our corres- 

 pondence assures us that it is far more extensively 

 prevalent now than ever before, and this for obvious 

 reasons. 



lC^ We are assured that a National Bee-keepers' 

 Convention will assemble at Indianapolis, as hereto- 

 fore announced, on the 21st instant, for a two 

 days' session, and learn that many prominent bee- 

 keepers will attend it — though strong efforts have 

 been made, m private, to induce them to denounce it 

 and to keep away. Let all who can conveniently 



attend, do so — taking care not to be "led astray" by 

 anybody. The paramount interests of bee-cultitre 

 are to be promoted by such assemblages, and not 

 those of any selfish individuals. 



The statement made by the Secretary of the North 

 Eastern Bee-keepers' Association at Utica, that we 

 had been led astray by the representations of Mr. 

 Moon, or any one else, is altogether incorrect and un- 

 warranted. Whatever we said was said from our own 

 knowledge and impressions, and Mr. Moon had 

 nothing to do therewith, either directly or indirectly. 



No suggestion for holding a National Bee-keepers' 

 Convention was made by us ; nor did we furnish any 

 "hints for topics," to the Michigan Association, or 

 assist in any way in preparing its programme. We 

 announced the intended meeting and its objects in 

 our March number, the regular notice calling the 

 meeting, accompanied by the programme, sent to us 

 by one of the officers of the association having failed 

 to reach in time to be inserted entire. We made no 

 comments then or subsequently, and never thought 

 of inquiring whether ^^* " the names of any of the 

 earnest workers for ow Journal were among those 

 likely to be present." "^^ But we certainly treated 

 the Michigan Association with proper respect, and 

 did not forget nor 077iit to state that, as it was pro- 

 posed to make arrangements for holding a National 

 Bee-keepers' Convention, it was desired to have " a 

 large attendence of bee-keepers from other States and 

 from the British Provinces." — We have an unfor- 

 tunate knack of losing sight of self-interest on such 

 occasions ; but shall endeavor in future to derive a 

 useful lesson from the examples of our very disin- 

 terested contemporaries, who contrive so laudably to 

 have botJi sides of their bread well buttered on all 

 occasions. 



We presume the Secretary of the N. E. Bee-keepers' 

 Association was so busy writing letters to lead (or 

 mislead?) bee-keepers, that he could not furnish us 

 with the report of the proceedings at Utica, till just 

 iu'timetobe too late for'ourlast issue. It came late in 

 the month (after the November Journal was made 

 up for the press,) in a printed copy as set up for the 

 Secretary's own paper — making it morally certain 

 that he would gain a month's headway therein ! 

 Very disinterested Secretary — a model of promptness 

 and propriety ! Deser\-es a medal. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 

 A CARD. 

 Mr. Editor : — A certain party in this city, is 

 claiming in their circular and the daily papers, that 

 I consider their (or rather his) Honey Extractor 



