After dinner we examined Mr. Hill's 

 apiary and had a pleasant meeting. 

 Dr. !N. P. Allen in the chair. On mo- 

 tion of Mr. D. A. Jones, seconded by 

 Capt. W. F. Williams, it was resolved 

 that we tender our thanks to Mr. J. S. 

 Hill and his family, for their kind- 

 hearted hospitality in furnishing us a 

 sumptuous dinner and his kindness in 

 exhibiting to us his apiary and his fine 

 Italian and Cyprian queens, also our 

 thanks to Mr. 0. F. Muth for his kind- 

 ness in exhibiting to us his house apiary 

 and bees, and his kindness in procuring 

 for us vehicles for our trip. 



Mr. Muth is a large-hearted man ; 

 systematic in the management of his 

 business and I am not surprised at the 

 unbounded confidence I so frequently 

 heard expressed, in his judgment and 

 integrity. 



The persons who were seated at Mr. 

 Hill's table in addition to his family, 

 represented about 3,000 colonies — Mr. 

 Jones heading the list. In our examin- 

 ation of the apiary Miss Hill rendered 

 valuable assistance to her father in 

 opening the hives in advance. She 

 showed that skill and gentleness of 

 action that comes from experience and 

 although unprotected, showed no fear 

 and was not stung. When asked if she 

 liked such work, she replied, that she 

 liked to do anything to assist her father. 

 If more sons and daughters were like 

 minded, there would be more happy 

 homes. She has intelligence, independ- 

 ence and firmness enough to make a 

 strong character, and whatever she 

 does, it will be done as Sir Joshua 

 Reynolds mixed his colors, ''with 

 brains, sir." 



New York. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Hard-wood Barrels for Honey. 



EDWIN FRANCE. 



I have had some experience with oak 

 honey barrels. It is needless to detail 

 all my trials and troubles with " leaky"' 

 barrels, the hrst year, after I obtained 

 an extractor, but I will say that oak 

 barrels will hold honey without leaking, 

 if they are well made, of good timber, 

 and thoroughly dried before putting the 

 honey into them. The barrels should 

 be kept up stairs, two months or a year 

 before using them — by all means keep 

 them out of the cellar. 



I use oak barrels without waxing and 

 they do not leak at all, and the most of 

 them have been in use from 3 to 4 years, 

 and every year I have to take out one of 

 the heads to get the honey out, after it 



is candied. I sell most of my honey in 

 our home market. Am selling now at 

 123>£c. per pound or 10c. by the barrel. 

 Platteville, Wis., Oct. 12, 1880. 



[Hard wood barrels as usually made 

 and kept in damp places, will not hold 

 honey without waxing. Small sugar- 

 pine or spruce barrels are far preferable 

 to hard- wood, for honey ; besides, your 

 success with hard- wood is certainly ex- 

 ceptional. We recently saw a lot of 7 

 tons of honey, and all the barrels leaked 

 but 3. For our opinion of honey casks, 

 see October number, page 472. — Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Honey and Apiarian Supplies at Fairs. 



L. H. PAMMEL, JR. 



Many counties in the United States 

 hold an annual fair, where there is a 

 general display of agricultural products, 

 farm inplements, stock, fruit, honey 

 and apiarian supplies. Some depart- 

 ments are well represented, but that of 

 honey and fruit is generally meager. 

 So deficient were they in the former, at 

 the numerous fairs wliich I have visited, 

 that I questioned myself as to the cause, 

 not thinking, however, that it was from 

 a lack of interest. I further considered 

 the matter, and through inquiry I hud 

 it to be actually from a lack of interest; 

 and still another cause is that many bee- 

 keepers hold fast to their old theories 

 and think very little of scientihc bee- 

 culture, and 1 am sorry to say that a 

 large proportion are such— of course 

 there are many exceptions. Something 

 must be done to enlighten such bee- 

 keepers. But how shall it be done ? is a 

 question of great importance. Bee- 

 keeping as a science has been developed 

 to only a limited extent, for many new 

 theories will be adopted that will add to 

 the store of human knowledge. 



Every bee-keeper should take pride in 

 advancing the cause of scientiUc bee- 

 keeping, and no place affords such am- 

 ple opportunity as our State and county 

 fairs, for the less advanced class gener- 

 ally attend the fairs, and if the advant- 

 age is shown to them of having bees in 

 movable-frame hives, or show tiiem your 

 honey, how elegant it looks, and others 

 passing by will praise it ; then contrast 

 the difference with an old box hive, or 

 surplus gathered in cheese- boxes and 

 tobacco-pails. They will very soon be 

 converted from their old hobbies to the 

 more modern principles. 



LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 1, 1880. 



