52 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 28, 



State, and the fact that shs has already inaugurated an Ex- 

 change system, makes it somewhat appropriate that the Man- 

 ager should be a citizen of California. I see no reason why 

 prosecutions against adulteration could not be carried on from 

 California as well as from Chicago, or New York. St. Louis, 

 Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, Boston are all important mar- 

 kets and centers of honey distribution — surely, no Manager 

 could exist in all of these places. Why, then, may he not as 

 well live in San Francisco, the chief city of perhaps the most 

 important honey-producing State in the United States? 



These are my reasons for voting for the continuance of 

 Mr. Newman in office. If the majority of those in the Union 

 believe that Chicago should bo the home of the Manager, and 

 that Dr. Miller is the more suitable man, I shall be entirely 

 satisfied, and work as heartily for the Union and its interest 

 and success as I have done in the past. Whatever, may be the 

 result, I sincerely hope that all discord and bitterness will be 

 avoided. We are living too late in the world's history to allow 

 inharmony to come into our ranks. I believe that one of the 

 greatest and most important things to-day, not only in the 

 bee-keeping industry, but in all industries, is for the people 

 engaged to work together. Let us all work energetically to 

 carry our point, if we deem it important, and then when a 

 decision is given let us all fall into the ranks and work as one 

 man to accomplish what is desired, and in the way which the 

 wisdom of the majority points out. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



Something from a Foreigu Bee- Paper. 



BY CHARLES NORMAN. 



Number 12, of the Leipziger Bieneuzeltung, came to hand, 

 and a few items from it may be of interest to your readers. 



BLACK BEES PREFERRED IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



Tho not a few German beekeepers handle the Italian, 

 Carniolan and other foreign bees, yet in the north and middle 

 Germany, at any rate, the preference is given to the common 

 black bee. The German bee-keepers being anything but back- 

 ward people, there must be some quite good reason why they 

 thus differ from us who have very little use for the black bees 

 — the more so because our winters in the Northern States are 

 colder and severer than winters over there. To me the reason 

 seems to lie in that our summers are so very hot. The Italian 

 bee is the bee of a warmer climate, and as our climate, in 

 spite of our extreme winters, is a warmer one on an average 

 than that in north and middle Germany, in many parts of 

 France, Switzerland, Austria, and so on, the Italian bee suits 

 us, while Uicy, with their pretty cool, but so far even and 

 equal climate, " go in " for the black bee. 



THE PROPER WARMTH OF A BEE. 



That renowned Polish bee-keeper. Dr. Ciesielski, con- 

 ducted some further experiments to find out the proper 

 warmth — not of a whole colony (we know enough in this par- 

 ticular) — but of the single bee. He used exceedingly fine 

 thermometers, made for the purpose. Inducted into both 

 thorax and abdomen, they showed 28^, Reaumur ; Inducted 

 Into the abdomen alone, the stomach being filled with honey, 

 there were 20^, Reaumur. Pastor Fleischmann, who reports 

 this, received his information from some Polish-German bee- 

 keeper. Fleischmann says: "I myself do not understand 

 any Polish, and shall certainly not learn it before I am able to 

 pronounce the following sentence, which I copied when at 

 Reichenberg, namely: 'strc prst skrz krk.' I presume I had 

 better let the Polish alone. Younger ones may learn It. I 

 won't." 



Dr. Riehm says : " Any creature feels best in a tempera- 

 ture which is below its own warmth." Bees form clusters 

 when the temperature is below 82-^, Reaumur. At about 32- 

 they begin to uncluster and to fan with their wings in order to 

 remove the excess of heat. Therefore, the temperature about 

 them should amount to some (not much, tho) below 32 . 



A PAMPHLET ON FOUL BROOD. 



Early in 1897 a pamphlet on foul brood will be publisht 

 by Mr. Lichtenthaeler, at Herdorf. Pastor F'leischmann, who 

 read the manuscript, and who is a first-rate bee-keeper, you 

 understand, positively asserts that foul brood can be cured 

 without the use of any remedies, just by proper treatment, 

 and that hitherto the real danger of infection and transmission 

 has been sought for In the wrong place. Messrs. G. M. (Doo- 

 llttle, I mean), R. L. (Taylor, I mean), E. R. (Root, I moan), 

 (!to., look out for said pamphlet ! You smile at Mr. Flelsch- 

 mann'g"bold" assertion! Well, there are In Europe not a 



few bee-keepers of note (among them Mr. Bertrand, of La 

 Revue Internationale, and Mr. Gravenhorst, of the Deutsche 

 Illustrierte Bienenzeitung) that are strong advocates of curing 

 foul brood. 



PASTEBOARD FOR WINTER PROTECTION. 



That kind of pasteboard which serves for covering roofs 

 and the like is used by some to protect their colonies in winter, 

 because "it not only keeps warm, but is highly resistant to the 

 influence of temperature." 



A HONEV-PLANT OP HIGH RANK. 



L. Ehrhardt speaks of " Hydrophyllum Virginianum" as 

 being a honey-plant of the highest rank, being much better 

 than even linden. He distributes seeds graUs, which shows 

 that ho is not " interested " in what he says. Will some one 

 of our botaoist bee-keepers, or bee-keeping botanists, enlighten 

 us regarding said plant ? 



HAND-PRESSES FOR FOUNDATION MAKING. 



There are several kinds of hand-presses to make founda- 

 tion with, in use in Germany, Austria, •Switzerland and 

 Prance. Were not the duty, the freight, and the middlemen's 

 commissions on them so very high, many of us over here 

 would, no doubt, buy and use the one or other of them. Some- 

 thing should be done to also have them manufactured in our 

 own country. It is quite a saving to the bee-keeper to make 

 his own foundation. 



FOREIGN HONEy-EXTRACTORS. 



As to honey-extractors, some of those which are in use in 

 Europe are, I apprehend, ahead of ours. Whilst our extrac- 

 tors hold either two or four frames, there are some there that 

 hold three frames, standing triangularly in the can — quite an 

 improvement on the two-frame machines — and not requiring 

 a larger can than the latter. Furthermore, whilst our ex- 

 tractors have the gearing on top of the can, some German 

 extractors have it at the bottom, and the top is completely 

 open and unobstructed — nothing is in the way of placing the 

 frames in the can, and lifting them out. Finally, most of the 

 German extractors have three iron legs with eyes in them to 

 screw them to the floor, so that there is not a particle of shak- 

 ing when the extractor is operated. 



BEESWAX A "CORN" CURE. 



Are you troubled with corns ? Warm some pure, un- 

 bleacht wax, so that it is soft and adhesive, and can easliy be 

 kneaded. Spread it on a very small piece of paper or white 

 linen, just large enough to cover the corn. Let it lie for 

 three to four days, when, as a rule, the corn will be so soft- 

 ened that it can be completely removed. If not, use a similar 

 plaster for the same length of time, when success will bo cer- 

 tain. Before applying the remedy, take a foot-bath. 



That 12th Annual Union Report. 



Br C. THEILMANN. 



Friend York: — After reading the General Manager's 

 12th Annual Report over again, and comparing the New Con- 

 stitution (which be criticises) with the old, or the authority he 

 is taking in my case, I can hardly see any use at all to make, 

 or to have, a Constitution. Any number of men can join 

 together and select one of tho lot to whom they pay the 

 money, and let him use it as he sees fit without any examina- 

 tion of the finances by any one, but just accept the receipts 

 and disbursements as he sets them forth. It seems to me if tho 

 Constitution of the old Union gives the Manager such rights, 

 it needs revision more than the New Constitution, for the 

 Treasurer of the now Union has to give bonds at least, while 

 in the old Union it is only a trust. 



I did not think that tho General Manager could set forth 

 such a shallow excuse, about myself being impulsive, and my 

 case not being the " real issue." This is a very easy and 

 cheap way to get out. I admit I am no slouch, but learned 

 the good rule of tho wise man — " What you want to do, do at 

 once." 



If tho General Manager was located at Chicago, he would 

 have been the first man I would have lookt up ; but living in 

 California, I might have been In jail or dead before I heard 

 from him, for it took several weeks before I got any answer 

 after I appealed to him ; and what good did it do me ? Only 

 to see In his Report my nicely-written-up trouble ! I can tell 

 you there is not much satisfaction in that, to an old friend 

 and member of the Union ever since it started. 



I would like to know what the General Manager means 



