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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 8, 



been attributed to instinct, are the results of education and 

 memory. 



There seems to be a popular belief among a certain class 

 that mankind acts only by reason, and the lower animals only 

 by Instinct, and aside from that class there are probably no 

 two persons who would draw the line between reason and In- 

 stinct through exactly the same point. My own opinion is 

 that mankind possesses the greatest amount of intelligence of 

 any being on this muudanesphere.and yet he acts, to acertain 

 extent, through the agency of instinct; and from man we 

 may pass down through the whole line of animated beings and 

 find a diminishing scale of Intelligence until we reach the 

 lowest animal life where intelligence Is almost infinitesimal. I 

 do not expect to know all this as I might a principle In 

 mathematics, nor do I expect It to be accepted without proof 

 simply because I have said it. I eat and drink because Na- 

 ture (instinct), and not reason, Induces me to do so; and so 

 does all animal creation. I wish to move from one place to 

 another, and Nature causes the proper muscles to contract 

 and relax so as to cause my feet to carry me whither I will ; 

 and the same is true of all animals. 



Nature Instructs the new-born babe to draw Its first meal 

 from Its mother, the same as It teaches all young animals. 



I avoid the hot stove because reason teaches me that It 

 will burn ; and experience and reason teach most of the lower 

 animals, at least the same lesson that I have learned. 



Weld Co., Colo. 



its. 

 A Painful, Yet Profitable, Bee-Stiug. 



BV MKS. ELIZABETH GRINNELL. 



I am a housekeeper by profession and practice, also a 

 writer of stories and articles, hence I am desirous of getting 

 all there is in life which can contribute to either of these con- 

 ditions. I have therefore possest a couple of colonies of bees 

 for a year or two, and a part of every day has been devoted to 

 my being entertained by them. They are near my screen 

 porch, among roses and sweet peas and orange blossoms, 

 where I can hear them should they speak, and where I can 

 see them while I work. I have never taken any honey from 

 them as yet, but there are prospects. I know bees, and love 

 them, being the daughter of a bee-keeoer who kept them, and 

 managed them on the old-fashioned scale, back In Maine, a 

 good part of a century ago. 



I also have a neighbor who loves bees. This Is Dr. Chas. 

 H. Carter, recently of Chicago, who, on account of the attrac- 

 tions of the climate. Is living on our street. Dr. Carter and I 

 have had many a delightful hour talking about bees and com- 

 paring blank notes. 



Well, May S we were looking at my hives, making per- 

 sonal remarks about the bees, and guessing the amount of 

 honey we should get, when an Italian crawled under my veil 

 and kist me on the upper lip. I at once felt such nervous 

 sensations that I could scarcely remain to help my friend re- 

 place the frames. I had been stung many ti.mes, and only 

 laught at the effect. This time I did not laugh. In ten min- 

 utes I was swollen from head to foot, and perfectly scarlet. 

 At first the skin was dotted with points scarcely elevated, 

 then there were welts two Inches long, white when rubbed, 

 and stinglngly sensitive. The lip Itself was not painful, nor 

 did It swell so very much. I walkt about until warned by the 

 most violent of heart-beats that I must He down. Then com- 

 menced a chattering of teeth, and a trembling of limbs, and a 

 throbbing of the ears, and such a general commotion of body 

 as to bo extremely Interesting to myself and the attending 

 physicians — my husband, Dr. Grlnnell, as well as Dr. Carter, 

 remaining with me and attending me for the remainder of the 

 siege. 



After a couple of days the rash, which had departed, re- 



turned less violently than at first, and I grew gradually bet- 

 ter, tho feverish and suffering all the effects of general blood- 

 poisoning. Such cases as this are to be found In the books, 

 but they are rare, and so this account of mine may be inter- 

 esting — not so interesting, however, as the following sequel : 



I happen to carry a life and accident policy In a certain 

 company well known In this section. When I told my attend- 

 ing physicians that I should request an indemnity, they 

 smiled. However, they good-naturedly aided me, and I re- 

 ceived a check from the company for the amount of Indemnity 

 requested. This for a bee-sting. The reason my physicians 

 smiled was because they knew it would be a test case, and 

 that such an accident as a bee-sting was not in the usual 

 category of casualties. 



Now, the moral to my*tale Is this : On going Into the bee- 

 business, procure an accident policy. When examining bees 

 have competent witnesses present, and, if possible, a physician 

 in good standing. Apply for your Indemnity when stung. If 

 the accident be at all serious. What came to me in conse- 

 quence of that Italian honey-bee's kiss would double my stock 

 of colonies. Of course, if the physician happens to be a family 

 friend, his services will cost you nothing, as mine did, and you 

 have the indemnity money free of all Incumbrances. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



P. S. — I am of the opinion that It takes a real live Italian 

 bee to insure good any claim on the accident companies. 

 Blacks are of no account in that line according to my experi- 

 ence. Their stings don't take hold like those of the Italians, 

 and one has to make out a good case to get the Indemnity. 



E. G. 



Popular Honey-Packages and Organization. 



BY .1. H. MARTIN. 



In discussing the small-package subject I wish to first re- 

 fer to the improvements In the production of comb honey. 

 The most of us can remember when comb honey was taken 

 from the hives in 12-pound boxes, and the consumer was then 

 glad to get It in that shape. The next improvement was a 3 

 and 5 pound box with tin covers, and glass on all four sides. 

 This was a popular package In some markets, and was an im- 

 provement over the 12-pound box. Next came the Harbison 

 2-pound section, and Mr. Harbison had the honor of shipping 

 the first carload of honey put up In that shape to the Eastern 

 markets. When these nice sections were placed upon the 

 Eastern markets there was a great demand for our honey. 

 (Jrocers In every town of any considerable size advertised 

 California honey, and in those days California bee-keeping 

 paid as it never has since. 



About, or soon after, the introduction of the Harbison 

 section, tho honey-extractor was invented and liquid honey 

 was put extensively upon the market. Mr. Harbison did not 

 Introduce extractors Into his apiaries. He urged that the 

 Introduction of so much liquid honey in the markets of the 

 world at such low prices as It was then sold at wholesale would 

 degrade the price of comb honey. When liquid honey was 

 sold at wholesale even at 7 or 8 cents, he claimed that comb 

 honey would drop from its high standard of 20 to 2.5 cents to 

 approximate somewhere near the lower product. Mr. Harbi- 

 son was using his patented hive; it was not adapted to tho 

 use of the extractor, and bee-men, or those directly interested 

 in the use of extractors, accused Mr. Harbison of selfish 

 motives In his opposition to the use of the extractors. But 

 time and the logic of facts Indicate all good Ideas, and Mr. 

 Harbison was right. If the honey-extractor had never been 

 Invented, the bee-keeping Interests would have been better off 

 to-day. 



In expressing this opinion In relation to the extractor I 

 am viewing present conditions, but not forecasting the future. 



