AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



787 



wintered on honey were badly affected, 

 spotting up hives, combs and snow more 

 than all the others together. 



Experience is said to be a dear school, 

 but when theory is practically applied, 

 and good results obtained, it is as good 

 proof as can be had of the merit or de- 

 merit of the untested. For us it has 

 proven that sugar syrup is the best for 

 wintering bees, especially on the sum- 

 mer stands. It is surely the cheapest, 

 and does not Infringe on the rights of 

 the honey market or consumer, as does 

 feeding sugar for an increase of surplus, 

 which should not be contemplated. 



As a matter of safety, economy and 

 convenience, we henceforth and here- 

 after will winter our bees on sugar 

 syrup, made of pure granulated sugar 

 and water, in preference to the finest 

 honey. 



Portville, N. Y. 



Ho^v Michigan Secured its 

 periinental Apiary. 



Ex- 



Wnttcnfor the. Bee-Keepers' lievieio 

 BY W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



At several of the bee-conventions that 

 I have attended there have been resolu- 

 tions passed asking that the general 

 government, or that the State Experi- 

 ment Stations, do some experimental 

 work in the bee-keeping line. At one 

 or two of them a committee was ap- 

 pointed to try and secure the desired 

 action. If this is all that is done, no 

 experimental apiary will be established. 



At the last meeting of the Michigan 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association this sub- 

 ject was discussed, and a committee ap- 

 pointed to try and induce the State 

 Board of Agriculture to secure the ser- 

 vices of a competent bee-keeper for 

 managing the State apiary in an experi- 

 mental way, for, be it known, Michigan 

 was already the possessor of an apiary. 

 The Hon. R. L. Taylor, the Hon. Geo. 

 E. Hilton and myself were the members 

 of the committee. As chairman of the 

 committee, I addressed a letter to each 

 member of the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture. 



I called their attention to the fact that 

 of the $15,000 received by each State 

 from the general government for experi- 

 mental work, almost nothing was de- 

 voted to apiarian research ; I pointed 

 out the fact that each State ought to 

 conduct experiments in the lines that 

 would benefit the industries of that 

 State. Experiments in cotton-growing 



would not be appropriate in Michigan. 

 Experiments in bee-keeping would. Not 

 only is bee-keeping important for the 

 wax and honey produced, but for its 

 benefit to the fruit-grower and horticul- 

 turist. "Without bees, these two indus- 

 tries would languish. 



I then called attention to the different 

 experiments that ought to be made, and 

 in the name of the bee-keepers of Michi- 

 gan, I most respectfully, but most earn- 

 estly, urged that they give the matter 

 an early consideration. 



I then had circulars printed, showing 

 what I had done, and urging the re- 

 cipient to write to the members of the 

 Board, and ask that bee-keeping be 

 recognized by the appointment of any 

 apiarist for doing experimental work. 

 These were sent to about 100 of the 

 most prominent bee-keepers of the 

 State. I also wrote about 20 personal 

 letters, urging these friends to write. 

 Mr. Hilton also wrote and sent out cir- 

 culars. All this was done shortly before 

 a Board meeting, and when the Board 

 met, Mr. Taylor and myself went before 

 it, and urged our case. The matter was 

 urged almost solely upon the ground 

 that bees were a benefit to other pur- 

 suits ; that the honey and wax were of 

 less consequence than the benefits de- 

 rived from the bees by other pursuits. 

 Mr. Taylor said that bee-keeping was 

 looked upon by many as a small busi- 

 ness, as one beneath the dignity of a 

 man — a bee-keeper was looked upon as 

 a sort of a "hen-wife." If the State 

 would recognize and encourage it, it 

 would add dignity to the pursuit, and 

 lead to more extensive keeping of bees. 



The Board then wanted to know what 

 were the experiments that bee-keeping 

 so much needed. Said one member : 

 "The sheep and dairy men, and those 

 from other industries, come before us 

 just as you have done, and say, ' Do 

 something for us,' and when we ask 

 what, they are at a loss to answer. Tell 

 us what experiments you want done, 

 and we will try and see that a man is 

 found to do the work." 



I then went to work and prepared a 

 list of perhaps a dozen different experi- 

 ments that I considered the most impor- 

 tant, and, as none of the members were 

 practical bee-keepers, I went into de- 

 tails and explained each point, so that 

 the importance of the work could be 

 understood even by one not a bee-keeper. 



It was then asked if a bee-keeper 

 could not do this work cheaper in his 

 own apiary, than he could come to the 

 college and do the work. I replied that 

 he could. I thought he could do the 



