THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



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A Word of Cheer for the Workers. 



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Association. Dec. 



31st. 1874. 



It is gratifying to know that, in a time 

 ■wlion the country is suffering from a great 

 tinanoial depression, a body of lier intelli- 

 gent citizens will gather to unite in the dis- 

 cussion and dissemination of knowledge 

 ooneerning a branch of economy, which, 

 with proper attention would add no incon- 

 siderable amount to the wealth of the coun- 

 try. The eight millions of dollars annually 

 produced in the Ignited States tlirough the 

 agency of that industrious insect, the honey 

 bee. is almost a clear gain to the country 

 since their labor saves what would other- 

 wise go to waste, a fact which has been fre- 

 quently expressed by the sentence : "They 

 work for nothing and board themselves." 

 When we consider that the country could, 

 to say the least, support three times as 

 many bees as are now within her limits, 

 (and that too without decreasing the average 

 yield per hive.) and thus jilace the annual re- 

 turn from this branch of rural economy at 

 twenty-four millions of dollars, we see the 

 importance of such assemblages as this for 

 the promulgation of all i)ractical knowledge 

 of the habits and best method of managing 

 these sweet creatures, and the "Goddess of 

 Liberty" may well afford to smile at the 

 Imneued Vi'ords dropped by her hai-dy sons 

 of toil. 



There have been three steps in Apiculture 

 which, when compared with the rest of its 

 progress might be termed mighty strides 

 toward perfection : The introduction of 

 tlie movable-comb hive was the first of these. 

 It is well recognized among prwgressive bee- 

 Iceepersthat this step has completely revolu- 

 tionized the keeping of bees. By the use of 

 movable-comb hives the bee-keci)er can as- 

 certain at once the exact cdiKlition of the in- 

 terior of every hive and is thus tMiahlcd to 

 remedy all accidents Which happen in each 

 little community, (for accidents do happen 

 to bees as well as to human beings) ; he can 

 secure larger yields of honey and in a more 

 saleable form, while rapidly increasing tlie 

 number of his colonies in a new and safer 

 manner than by the old method; in short, 

 he can regiUate the labor of his bees as cer- 

 tainly as he can those of any other domestic 

 animals. 



The second stride in apiarian pursuits was 

 the introduction of the beautiful golden- 

 banded Italian bees. Tliough discovered 

 among tiie Alps mountains early in the pres- 

 ent century they were not brought to this 

 country until ISOO. and this date marks the 

 eommencement of an imjiortant period in 

 the history of bee-culture in the United 

 States, an era of ))rogr('ss. The peacc^ful 

 disposition of the Italians, their great in- 

 dustry, causing them to accumulate a sur- 

 plus of honey while connnon bees are gath- 

 ering none, their complete defense of their 



combs against th(> ravages of the wax-moth 

 larva\ theirdisjxtsition to adhere evenly and 

 (^nietly to the combs when handled, tlie pro- 

 lificness of the (|ucens. and their great beau- 

 ty, — all these are (lualities which conunend 

 tliemselves to us, while we cannot find that 

 they are inferior in any respect to the com- 

 mon race of bees. Their introduction has 

 aided in the practical solution of many dis- 

 jtuted ])oints in the natural history of the 

 nee. How easy, now, to determine the aver- 

 age length of life of the worker-bee. Just 

 ])lace a purely fertilized Italian (jueen in 

 jilace of a connnon (lueen in a pojiulous col- 

 ony. At the expiration of three weeks the 

 last black workers will have hatched, and 

 the yellow-baiuled Italians will begin to 

 gnaw their way out from their i)rison-like 

 cells. In a few more weeks none but the 

 geuth^ race of Italy can be found in the hive. 

 Kach little laborer has but a few weeks to 

 live and labor, and then, having literally 

 worn herself out tugging in her loads of 

 bread and nectar-food she bequeathes her 

 accumulated wealth to the support of the 

 generations that come after her and which 

 are to perpetuate the little comnnmity 

 through the dreary period intervening be- 

 tween the harvests. Surely here is an ex- 

 ample of patience and persevering industry 

 that should not be unheeded by the fretful, 

 the irresolute, and tlie idle ! 



Last, but not less justly entitled to rank 

 as one of the mighty strides of modern Api- 

 culture came in 18(17, the honey extractor or 

 mellipult as it has been styled.— the result 

 of the inventive genius of Major Von 

 Ilruscha of Austria. This machine is simp- 

 ly a tin cylinder in which to revolve the 

 combs and throw tlie honey from the cells. 

 It is so simple that the inventive American 

 wonflers why it was not thought of sooner. 

 By its use two or tiiree times as much pure 

 honey can be obtained from each hive ; and 

 many seasons when no surplus can be ob- 

 tained in boxes a good yield can be secured 

 with the extractor ; besides, colonies can be 

 assisted greatly in keeping up their num- 

 bers by having the brood coinbs emptied of 

 honey freciuently. Who can say after all 

 this progress that there will not yet be such 

 additional advancement made as will place 

 apiculture in the front rank among rural 

 specialties ? 



Thanking you most heartily for your kind 

 attention. 1 close by expressing the hope 

 that, in this— your first meeting yon will 

 not, as true Keiitnckians forget the motto of 

 your beautiful State : "United, we stand ; 

 divided, we fall." 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Criticism. 



In the Proiric Fanner of the 13th, Prof. 

 C. V. Riley takes up the cudgel ostensibly, 

 in defence of Dr. Le Baron, State Entomolo- 

 gist of Illinois, because I had briefly criti- 

 cised the fact of Dr. Le Baron's copyright- 

 ing his Fourth Annual Report. My criticism 

 was in the form of an encpiiry ; and if Dr. 

 Le Baron considered himself aggrieved, he 

 is doubtless abundantly able to defend him- 

 self. But the latter part of Prof. Riley's 

 ctmimunication, shows the animus which 

 prompted it. It was to say a word for Prof. 

 C. V. Riley, and to vent his spite against 

 me. for giving a jtlaiu and correct statement 

 I of facts, albeit said facts were not especial- 



