1886 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



lbs. of honey wore used by tlio bees in producing a 

 pound of wax." Again, in the third paragrapli oc- 

 curs the following-: " A similar expernient" (refer- 

 ring' to the one justcjuotcd) "with like results was 

 made by the Baron of Berlepsch. In a subsequent 

 experiment he allowed the bees free access to pol- 

 len, and ascertained that, in such ease, 13 lbs. of 

 honey (exclusive of the pollen consumed) sufficed 

 to produce a pound of wa.\." The above ai'e ver- 

 batim quotations. Kcmembcr we are not talking- 

 about the amount of pi)llcn and honey required for 

 a pound of wax, but houey alone. The i)ollen in 

 the last experiment probably accounts largely for 

 the difference in results. 



In the same article, further on, we find: *' Ag-ain, 

 Count Stosch, taking the second experiment of the 

 Baron of Berlepsch as the basis of his estimate, 

 thinks due allowance should bo made for the time 

 spent in comb-building by the bees, and which, if 

 devoted to honey-gathering, would have enabled 

 them to store up 30 lbs. Hence, he concludes that, 

 with the actual consumption and the necessary al- 

 lowance for time and labor, the cost of a pound of 

 wax is fully equivalent to 30 lbs. of honey." 



If I am correct, the foregoing extracts refer to 

 the German friends Mr. Viallon has in mind, but I 

 do not see that the " results" of their experiments 

 particularly favor him, but rather verify what Prof. 

 McLain has said. If our German experimenters 

 have made anj' more recent experiments, the results 

 of which are radically different, I should be glad to 

 bo informed of it. 



Mr. Dadant is quoted as saying 10 lbs. of honey 

 only are reciuired for one pound of wax. As he ob- 

 tains this estimate from the quantity of grain re- 

 quired to make a pound of fat, it seems to me this 

 estimate bears the force of only an assumption. 

 The fat of animals and the wa.x of bee^ may be sim- 

 ilar, but I do not see how the proportion can hold 

 true, if we reason that corn is to fat as honey is 

 to wa.v, which, when sifted down, amounts to about 

 that. It may approach the truth, but not accurate- 

 ly, or, at least, so it seems to me. 



Mr. Doolittle is mentioned as saying in the C. B. J., 

 page lot), that only 5 pounds of honey is required 

 for 1 pound of wax ; but, observe, he gives it as his 

 opinion. He states the reasons for his belief, but 

 using Viallon'is terms, not the modioi operandi or the 

 results of his experiments, strictly speaking. 



Now, friends, while I confess I had just a " Icetle" 

 desire to talk back to friend Viallon, it is not my 

 purpose in making these extracts and allusions from 

 some of our prominent writers to show by their use 

 that the results of Viallon's experiments were incor- 

 rect, or that Doolittle was wrong in his belief; but to 

 show from various sources, so far as I was able, the 

 result of previous investigation upon the one point 

 of the original cost of wax. Indeed, I would regard 

 it as j)rcsumption to take issue with some of the old 

 writers who have long been in the Held. My object 

 is to call forth a settlement of this " wax question," 

 if possible, as proven by a series of careful and im- 

 partial experiments of the present time. Wax has 

 now become one of the staple articles of commerce, 

 and I regard it highly imjjortant that bee-keepers 

 know pretty nearly what it will cost them to pro- 

 duce it when honey is of slow sale. If it can be pro- 

 duced at a cost below the market prices, then surely 

 we ought to know it. Several have inquired 

 whether they could produce and sell wax at a prollt. 

 Perhaps with the knowledge of what has been done 



we can prove that the original cost of wa.x is con- 

 siderably lower than the old estimate. Strange as it 

 may seem, I sincerely hope it may be demonstrat- 

 ed, for it would develop a new income for the bee- 

 keeper; and it is quite probable that, as Mr. Doo- 

 little suggests, when the bees have access to open 

 air we may arrive at quite different results. 



Ernest. 



BEE - KEEPER'S GUIDE ; 



Or, MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



12,000 SOLD SINCE 1876. 



13th THOUSAND JUST OUT! 



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A. J. COOK, Author and Publisher, 

 13-23 Agricultural College, Mich. 



W. Z. HUTCHINSON^ 



ROGERSVILLE, GENESEE CO., MICH., 

 is rearing- Italian queens for sale again this season, 

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LEWBS V-GROOVE 



ONE-PIECE SECTIONS 



Down, Down, Goes the Price. 



First Quality, White Basswood, (Jnc-P<mnd Sections, 

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SPECIAL FREIGHT RATES. 



If 30(10 or minx arc wanted, write for special prices, 

 delivered to yim, freit/ht paid by its. 



C. B. LEWIS & CO., »tfdb 



April 15, 188G. Watertown, Wisconsin. 



G(K)D NEWS FOR DIXIE"! 

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Also S. hives of Southern yellow pine, and IJee- 

 Keepers' Sui)plies in genei-al. Price List Free. 



J. M. JENKINS, WETUMPKA, ALABAMA. 



3-24dl> 



We WILL SELL 



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A. F. STAUFFER & CO., Sterling, Ills. 



