1871.] 



THE AMEKICAN BEE JOURNAL-. 



197 



a society of bee keepei's, and they did so. He 

 has heard from them since, and their success has 

 been much greater than formerly. Ignorance 

 was the great cause of failure, and there was no 

 lack of it. 



The Secretary gave notice of the expenses of 

 the association as $8 per day for the hall. Nothing 

 more, unless a report of the meeting was printed, 

 which was desirable. A collection to defray the 

 expenses was taken up, amounting to over $50. 



A petition was circulated, to be sent to the 

 State Legislature, praying that body to enact a 

 law to protect bee keepers from thefts of bees, 

 especially in the spring. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The association met in regular session, Vice- 

 President Van Slyke in the chair. 



Seventh Topic. 



Is the Italian bee superior to the black bee ? 

 was the topic for discussion. 



This tojjic had incidentally come into the dis- 

 cussion under other topics. The almost universal 

 testimony was that the Italian bee was a better 

 honey gatherer, more prolific and more tractable 

 than any other bee. 



Mr. Dallas said that the Italian bee would 

 gather honey from watermelon flowers. Another 

 sijeaker said it would make honey of the melons, 

 but was fastidious. The melon must be a good 

 one. 



Eigli'Tb Topic. 



Will the drone progeny of a pure Italian queen, 

 fertilized by black di'ones, produce pure Italian 

 drones? This knotty question was announced 

 as the eighth topic. 



Mr. Root said the theory was that drones were 

 the product of the eggs of an unfertilized queen 

 or a fertilized worker. Drones were also pro- 

 duced by fertilized queens, and the queen could 

 lay drone eggs or worker eggs at pleasure. It 

 was said that only the drones from a fertilized 

 queen could fertilize a queen. 



Mr. King said the object here was not to dis- 

 cuss the book theories, but if possible to con- 

 trovert them and bring out something new. 



Mr. ]\Iitchell said he would not give a pewter 

 cent for an Italian queen impregnated by a black 

 drone. He believed the queen thereby received 

 a taint that she never got rid of. 



Prop sed Testimonial to Mr. Langstroth. 



Mr. King arose, and upon a suspension of the 

 order of business, stated that Mr. Bickford had 

 written to the American Bee Keepers' Journal 

 an article suggesting that the bee keepers of 

 America owed a lasting debt of gratitude to Mr. 

 Langstroth, now the President of this associa- 

 tion, and that it would be proper for them to 

 raise for him the sum of |5,000. The Rev. Mr. 

 Van Slyke had, without knowing anything of 

 ^Ir. Bickford's action, written to him, making 

 the same suggestion. He said that ]Mr. Lang- 

 stroth was not an object of charity. The bee- 

 keepers of the country were indebted to him. 



His health was not good now. He first made 

 high bee culture possible by his genius and in- 

 dustry. 



Mr. Van Slyke took the floor and said that the 

 bee keepers of America owed a lasting debt to 

 ]\Ir. Langstroth, as the introducer of the movable 

 frame hive. 



The call was made for volunteer subscriptions. 

 The following contributions were made : The 

 Rev. H. A. King, $50 ; A. I. Root, f 50 ; T. B. 

 Hamlin, $50 ; Mrs. Ellen S. Tupper, $20 ; Messrs. 

 Delland & Scott, $20. Subscriptions stopped 

 here. 



Mr. Root said that Mr. Langstroth 's introduc- 

 tion of the movable fiame hive had revolutionized 

 bee culture and made the rearing of Italian 

 queens possible. 



Mr. Clark, of Canada, said that he was told 

 that if Mr. Langstroth had his rights he would 

 now be well off. He would rather subscribe to 

 a fund to prosecute men who had infringed upon 

 his patent and make them disgorge, than give 

 directly to aid him. 



Mr. Otis said that Mr. King had advertised 

 Mr. Langstroth as an object of charity. He 

 himself would give $500 for justice to Mr. Lang- 

 stroth. 



Mr. King— I will give $1,000, and draw the 

 check now. 



Mr. Otis — I would have you, Mr. King, prose- 

 cuted for your two worthless patents infringing 

 upon Mr. Langstroth's patents. 



The Chairman — This is personal and must be 

 stopped. 



Mr. King moved to refer this subject to a 

 connnittee of three appointed by the (hair, the 

 committee to report. 



The Chair appointed Messrs. King, Root and 

 Hamlin as that committee. 



On a subsequent motion jMr. Clarke, of Canada, 

 was added to the committee. 



Mr. Otis wanted to have that committee take 

 the $500 of his and the $1,000 that Mr. King 

 proposed to give for justice, and use it properly 

 to care for Mr. Langstroth's interests. It would 

 not be long till he would be well off, if that were 

 done. 



Mr. King said he could repel Mr. Otis' insinua- 

 tions, but he did not choose to do so in this 

 meeting. 



Mr. Mitchell said that he was sorry this matter 

 had taken the tui-n that it had. He himself had 

 just perfected an arrangement whereby Mr. 

 Langstroth would be greatly benefited. 



]Mr. Otis here rose up, and said he was glad to 

 hear Mr. Mitchell speak so. Every hive he (Mr. 

 Mitchell) had sold was an infringement upon 

 Mr. Langstroth's patent. 



Mr. Mitchell was unanimously added to the 

 committee. 



Mr. Otis controls a hirge amount of territory 

 for the Langstroth patent hive. 



A short time was given to exhibitors to show 

 their inventions, which they availed themselves 

 of. Several bee hives were exhibited. Gen. 

 Adair explained an excellent device for fertiliz- 

 ing queens : also one for arresting the queen 

 when a swarm was coming out. One instance 

 was related of arresting a queen and the swarm 



