Jan. 31, 1907 



American Bee Journal 



in? on grapes. I'm ready to give mine as far 

 as it goes. Some years bees work thickly on 

 my grapes; other years scarcely at all. even 

 when they have nothing else to do. Ihe 

 grapes, when first punctured, appear just as 

 Mr. Kennedy says, " just as if one had stuck 

 the point of a knife-blade in the side of each 

 grape,'" only there is an enlargement of the 

 cut at each end. Further than this, deponent 

 sayethnot. . 



Is not Mr. Kennedy in error in deciding that 

 bumble-bees were of different kinds because 

 of different sizes? If I am not mistaken I 

 have seen in the same nest bumble-bees of 

 different sizes. *^- C Miller. 



Dr. Miller is over-cautious about drawing 

 conclusions from his meager facts. One fact 

 is that there are times when bees suck the 

 juice of the grapes, and another that there 

 are times when they do not do so, although a 

 dearth may be in existence at the time. That 

 inclines to the belief that some other agency 

 must open the way for the bees. 



The incision made in the grape was like 

 that made by the point of a knife thrust in, 

 with an enlargement at each end. Is it likely 

 a bee would make a cut of that kind? It 

 could not make it at a single blow, but a bird 

 could. With an open mouth a bird striking 

 the grape would make a hole with its pointed 

 upper bill and another with its lower bill, 

 and then closing its bill it would make the 

 knife-cut between the two enlarged openings. 

 But why not see the bird actually at work! 

 Some one has said it is done very early in the 

 morning. But why not watch early in the 

 morning? Certainly here is a chance for 

 further investigation. 



go forward in its work for the good of all its 

 members, and for the benefit of bee-keeping 

 in general, and not waste any time on those 

 who would sow discord among the member- 

 ship. 



If any member thinks he has a grievance, 

 let him submit it to the Board of Directors for 

 adjustment. 



If any member knows that any officer, edi- 

 tor or manufacturer has become rich at the 

 expense of the National's membership, and 

 unfairly so, why, let it be announced pub- 

 licly who such individual is. It is hardly pos- 

 sible that any one could get very rich in such 

 manner without at least several members be- 

 ing aware of it. We have been fairly well 

 acquainted with most of the officers of the 



National during the past 30 years, and we 

 don't know of a single one who made any- 

 thing for himself out of such oliioial connec- 

 tion. We do know several, however, who 

 made financial sacrifices for the Association ; 

 but they were glad of the opportunity to 

 do so. 



By the way, we fail to recall anything of 

 any very great importance that any of the 

 few who are now opposing the National ever 

 did for its success. And at least one or two 

 of them were not members at all until some 

 3 or 3 months ago. 



Say, haven't about enough time, attention, 

 and words been wasted on Jhis thing? We 

 plead guilty to a little of it, and expect 

 to drop it with this editorial. 



The National Association All Right 



Mr. M. A. Gill, perhaps Colorado's most 

 extensive comb-honey producer, wrote us as 

 follows under date of Jan. 10, 1907 : 



FmTOR York:— I wish to thank those 

 who voted for me for President of the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association last Novem- 

 ber I appreciate the honor intended but I 

 think the best man won, as is generally the 

 case I hereby pledge my aid and support to 

 thlNationll in its efforts to give the greatest 

 good to the greatest number. 



I may say that I started on Nov. 4, 1906 to 

 attend the National convention at San An- 

 wn'orbut was delayed Ijy the trams so that 

 when I reached El Paso I found I could be 

 present but one day, so I switched off for 

 California to visit my daughter. 



While speaking of the National Associa- 

 tion I am reminded of the petty strifes and 

 differences of opinions that have sprung up 

 and want to say that from my view-point I 

 can Je no just cause for such differences. I 

 never have anything for sale except honey, 

 and 1 am quite an extensive buyer of supplies 

 for my own use only having bought 100 000 

 seot^ns and 600 pounds of comb foundation 

 ,n 1906) ; think I have been watchful with re- 

 gard to my own interests, and I will say that 

 I have never detected where any editor or 

 manufacturer was trying to.corral the inter^ 

 ests of our National Association to his own 



^thopt'tha; every bee-keeper will help the 

 Nation'll along until it becomes a bulwark bej 

 hind which we can all t^l^^ /^^'"f ' mire 

 through it secure the enforcement of the pure 

 food faw, educate the public on the use of 

 honey, and then secure better prices and a 

 ibetter demand. ^"- ■"■ 



Mr Gill is quite right, that the " strifes and 

 differences of opinion that have sprung up " 

 among a few members of the National are 

 u petty " In fact, they are so " petty " that 

 really the National's management need only 



flecus -If ems 



lioading a Car ol Bee.s.— The piciuiu 

 on the first page shows Mr. W. O. Victor, of 

 Texas, loading a car of 494 colonies and 396 

 3-frame nuclei of bees to be shipped to Utah. 

 Mr. V. is a bee-keeper of large experience in 

 the handling and shipping of bees. We had 

 the pleasure of meeting him when attending 

 the San Antonio National convention last 

 November. He is one of the leading bee- 

 keepers of Texas, and spoke a word of cordial 

 welcome to the members of the National con- 

 vention when it opened its sessions in San 

 Antonio. ^ 



Legislation for Missouri Bee-Keep- 



e,.g.._We have received the following from 

 the Secretary of the Missouri State Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, which deserves the careful 

 attention of every Missouri bee-keeper: 



The Apiary Bill " providing for an inspector 

 of apiaries to assist in the development and 

 protection of the honey-industry, and for the 

 prevention and suppression of diseases among 

 honey-bees, such as foul brood," etc., has 

 been introduced in the Senate of the 44th 

 General Assembly, and is called Senate Bill 

 No. 145. , , ,,. 



1 earnestly request all bee-keepers of Mis- 

 souri to write to the Representative of then- 

 county in our Legislature ; also to the Sena- 

 tor of their district, a letter urging them to 

 work- and vote for Senate Bill No. 145, as it is 

 of the utmost importance to the beekeepers 

 of the State that this Bill may pass and be- 

 come a law. It would assist me in my work 

 if each one who has written to nis Represen- 

 tatives in the Legislature, would send me a 

 postal card stating to whom he has written, 

 as I, when I approach these gentlemen, then 

 will' know that they lian- heard f rum home. 



Bee-keepers, let us all work for the Foul 

 Brood Bill, and we will succeed in having it 



^^There is another Bill before the Legislature 

 now which is of great importance to the bee- 

 keepers—the Pure Food Bill. Bills have been 

 introduced in the Senate, being Senate Bills 

 Nos. 47 and 48, also in the House, being Nos. 

 "15 and 316 Both the Senate and House Bills 

 read alike, which, if they become laws, will 



Mup Lui- ,sa.t ol auy article under the name of 

 honey which is not the pure product of the 

 honey-bee. It will easily be seen that the 

 demand for honey must increase if these Bills 

 pass and become laws, as it will stop the 

 adulteration of honey by mixing honey with 

 glucose, or by putting a little piece of comb 

 honey in a tumbler and filling it with glucose 

 and calling it " honey." 



Bee-keepers, write to your Representatives, 

 and Senators, also, to support these Bills. 

 Write to the Senators to support Senate Bills 

 Nos. 145, 47 and 48, and write to the Repre- 

 sentatives to support Senate Bill No. 145 and 

 House Bills Nos. 315 and 316. 



Bee-Keepers of Missouri, don't miss this 

 chance to do something for yourselves. 



ROBT. A. HOLEKAMP, 



Sec. Missouri State Bee-Keepers' Association.. 



We hope that Mr. Holekamp's earnest call 

 will be heeded by all the Missouri readers of 

 the American Bee Journal. And may they 

 succeed in their worthy efforts ! 



An Armful Swarm of Bees forms an 

 interesting picture on the first page. Mr. W. 

 O. Victor, who is holding the bees on his arm, 

 seems quite unconcerned— just as if it were 

 an every-day occurrence with him. Both of 

 the photographs appearing on the first page 

 this week were given to us by Mr. Victor, at 

 the National convention in San Antonio, in 

 November, 1906. It is hoped that he will 

 soon contribute from his large fund of bee- 

 experience to the department of " Southern 

 Beedom." 



The Minnesota State Bee-Keepers' 

 Society has sent us a copy of a good circu- 

 lar that is evidently being sent to Minnesota 

 bee-keepers. It says the objects of the Society 

 are the promotion of scientific and practical 

 bee-keeping, and also securing legislation for 

 the encouragement and advancement of the 

 bee-keeping industry. As a body they be- 

 long to the National Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, and also to the Minnesota State Horti- 



