AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



821 



Tie "Perfection" Section Press. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY O. H. TOWNSEND. 



The accompanying illustration gives 

 an idea of the construction and manner 

 in which the "Perfection " Section Press 

 is operated. I wish to say, however, that 

 the cut does not do justice to the press 

 as now made, for the press presents a 

 much better appearance than it does in 

 the illustration. 



The press may be fastened to the wall, 

 or to the front side of a bench, and op- 

 erated by means of a treadle with a 

 strap attached to the end of the lever 

 marked " A ;" but I think a much better 

 way is to secure it to a bench in a hori- 



zontal position, with the large notch 

 away from the operator, and the end of 

 lever pointing to the right. 



To operate the Perfection section press 

 the section is folded up and placed in the 

 large notch, and the ends brought 

 nearly together inside the notch " B ;" 

 hold the section down with the left 

 hand, then give the lever a light, quick 

 stroke with the right hand, and it is 

 done. 



I find that with but little practice I 

 can fold nearly 1,000 sections in one 

 hour, and do perfect work. The press 

 is simple, durable, accurate, and rapid 

 and easy to work. 



Kalamazoo County, Mich. 



California vs. Floriaa,Aiiicultnrally, etc. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY H. E. HILL. 



A Binder for holding a year's num- 

 bers of the Bee Journal we mail for 

 only 50 cents ; or clubbed with the 

 Journal for $1.40. 



A well-known contributor to these 

 columns, whose good fortune it is to " sit 

 beneath his own fig-tree" and view the 

 snow-clad peaks against a cloudless sky 

 300 days in the year, on page 433 as- 

 sails the rival State of Florida in gen- 

 eral, and in his pardonable zeal to set 

 forth the numerous advantages of his 

 marvelously picturesque and productive 

 home State, quite oversteps the bounds 

 of justice in his criticism of the fruit 

 and climate of Florida's East Coast, 

 competitor for honors on these points. 



Information regarding California and 

 Florida, apiculturally and otherwise, is 

 eagerly sought by the many bee-keepers 

 of the North who desire to avoid our dis- 

 astrous winters, and those who contem- 

 plate engaging in the honey-producing 

 business, as the marvelous resources of 

 the South and Southwest become better 

 known, and who ofttimes rely largely 

 upon published comments and reports in 

 their selection of a location; and in 

 view of the possibility that a misstate- 

 ment of facts, or avoidance of the whole 

 truth may incur unwarranted expense, 

 financial loss and inconvenience to a 

 confiding brother, sincerity should be 

 observed in detailing information, re- 

 membering that speaking through the 

 medium of the press places us before an 

 audience of thousands. 



Mr. Pryal speaks truthfully when he 

 says (of California), "You may live in 

 some charming valley in a home where 

 contentment reigns within, and where 

 roses and other flowers are blooming in 

 profusion without," etc. But why refer 

 to "the death-dealing swamps and sand- 

 hills of Florida," in comparison ? It is 

 not to either of these features or locali- 

 ties that Florida asks favorable conces- 

 sions. The comparison is misleading 

 and unjust. No more beautiful hedge 

 of roses blooms in San Bernardino or 

 Orange counties, California, than those 

 which shed their fragrance upon the 

 more tropical air of Florida's counties 

 of Orangie and Volusia. 



I would not be thought unappreciative 

 of the beauties of California, revealed 

 by a seven months' sojourn within her 

 borders ; the fertile valleys under irri- 

 gation are phenomenally productive, 

 and portions of which are, perhaps, un- 

 surpassed for honey-production in the 

 United States. Florida may have 

 "death-dealing swamps," but no Death 



