1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



n 



lbs. But the probabilities are. at this date, 

 that the number of bee-keepers has Increased 

 to 500.000, and that the annual product of their 

 hives has increa.sed at least in proportion. The 

 government statistics as touching honey which 

 we have had so far would be too unreliable to 

 quote. 



DISCAKDINC; Or,D TIIIXGS AXD TAKING UP NEW 



OXES. 



FoK a good many years Gleaxixgs has been 

 slow in adopting improvements in bee culture. 

 One reason of this is, that, more than a dozen 

 years ago. there was quite a protest against in- 

 troducing so many new fixtures. The pro- 

 test was just, and I confess I feel now a good 

 deal of anxiety when so many new things are 

 coming up, being illustrated and offered for 

 sale: and I do believe that we should always be 

 slow in bringing to our apiaries different ar- 

 rangements. It is well to present these things 

 and discuss them: but l)efore adopting them I 

 would let our Question-box corps give their 

 opinions. If a change is to be made, let us 

 have the reasons in full for demanding the 

 change. Let us take the Hoffman frame as an 

 example. It is by no means a new thing, but 

 its revival is new. While I feel somewhat 

 doubtful as to whether it is going to obtain a 

 permanent place in our hives, there are two 

 reasons just now for its adoption. Out-apia- 

 ries are taking a place in our industry that 

 they never did befoic: and there is also a 

 strong demand for something to do away with 

 the buiT-comb nuisance. If the bees wilJ build 

 combs, have them build them where they are 

 worth money instead of where they are a" nui- 

 sance. To do this we want fixed distances: and 

 if we want fixed distances, perhaps nothing bet- 

 ter presents itself than the Hoffman frame. 

 Please remember, friends, that A. I. Root, 

 while he lives, is going to protest and hold back 

 against the introducMon of any thing new un- 

 til there is some very good and ijlain reason for 

 burdening the brotherhood with new and ad- 

 ditional expenses. 



THE XATIOXAI. BEE-KEEPEIiS" T'XIOX. 



The <)th annual report of the General Man- 

 ager. Mr. Thomas G. Newman, Chicago, 111., is 

 before us. Mr. Newman says: 



•• When attorneys are defending cases in 

 courts, they often cite the suits previously de- 

 cided, which favor their argument, or are anal- 

 ogous to it. * * * * AVhen bee-keepers are 

 their clients, they should be able to point to de- 

 cisions or points of law in favor of the pursuit. 

 * * * * In the first case defended by the 

 Union. Judge Clemen tson remarked: "This 

 case involves new points of law upon which 

 there are no rulings of the Supreme Court. We 

 have no law upon which to instruct a jury.' 

 That was in the Freeborn case, in Wisconsin, 

 which the L^nion had defended so vigorously 

 that the complainant lost his grip in the first 

 round, and it was literally kicked out of court. 

 We have now secured several decisions, notably 

 the one in the Supreme Court of Arkansas. 

 These not only save trouble and annoyance to 

 bee-keepers, but also expense to the Union, by 

 the prevention of petty lawsuits. 



'• Now. if city councils or town boards are any- 

 where troubled by a complainant, and asked to 

 pass an ordinance declai'ing l)ee-keeping a 

 nuisance, and to prohibit it within the corpor- 

 ate limits, etc., every member, together with 

 the mayor, the city attorney, and the one mak- 

 ing the complaint." are all dosed with copies of 

 the Supreme Court decision, that 'bee-keeping 

 is not a nuisance" perse, and the matter is at 

 once dropped— killed by the decision of the Su- 

 preme Court of Arkansas! "" 



In the one point of establishing precedents, 

 the Union has performed a grand work: and 

 even should it now be disbanded, these prece- 

 dents will go on. having their infiuence just the 

 same: but there is no likelihood of the Union 

 being disbanded so long as T. G. Newman re- 

 mains back of it: and under his efficient man- 

 agement we have no doubt that it will continue 

 its good work. It has two more cases on hand, 

 and the General Manager is in hopes that they 

 will be landed in the Supreme Court of their 

 respective States on account of the valuable 

 decisions that will be. without question, ren- 

 dered in favor of the bees. The Union has a 

 balance on hand in the treasury of .*(yi.l8. It 

 has engaged attorneys for the defense of the 

 several cases above mentioned: but Mr. New- 

 man says we shall have use fo*- all the money 

 on hand, and the dues for the next year, as the 

 cases are reached on the docket. To become a 

 member, send ^^l.oo to the General Manager, as 

 above. 



OI-D SQUARE CAXS FOH CALIFOKXIA HOXEY : 



HOW CALIFOKXIAXS ARE BREAKIXG 



DOWX THEIR MARKET. 



It is a well-known fact, that square cans are 

 used almost exclusively for shipping kerosene 

 from the East to the Pacific coast. After being 

 emptied they are filled with other liquids, and 

 shipped back again. The worst part of it is. 

 they are being used largely for extracted hon- 

 ey. It is true, they are scalded out, and then 

 the first quality of extracted honey is put in and 

 sent by the carload to the East. Some cans 

 that our men have examined leave us in doubt 

 as to whether they were ever scalded. Some- 

 times the flavor of the hon^n- is seriously deteri- 

 orated, and at other times it is scarcely per- 

 ceptible. Our friend and correspondent. J. F. 

 Mclntyre. a Californian. it will be remembered, 

 has written against the use of oil-cans for 

 packages for honey. 



The great difficulty in the way is, that the 

 California markets, at present, will not pay the 

 difference between honey put up in new square 

 cans, and that put up inthose formerly used for 

 kerosene. And still another thing is. that these 

 oil-cans can be had for 50 cts. per case less than 

 the new ones; and some of our Western bee- 

 keepers, looking to immediate gains, buy the 

 cheaper packages. If they will reflect a mo- 

 ment, they will see that, in time, they will ruin 

 the Eastern markets for all California honey, 

 or, at least, make it so it will drop a cent or two 

 — a thing that California bee-keepers can not 

 afford to have happen. 



Now. if you Californians must use coal-oiJ 

 cans, use some alkali to cut the residue of 

 grease that clings to the inside of the cans. 

 Hot water will not remove it: but a very little 

 weak ammonia \\ill. Yesterday we cut the top 

 off from one of those oil-cans in which had 

 been shipped us some first quality of honey. 

 We were suspicious of the flavor, arid hence de- 

 cided to investigate. The top being removed, 

 we found that a thin deposit of black grease 

 clung to all the six sides of the can. Hot water 

 would not budge it. I then told one of the boys 

 to get one of our 20-cent bottles, holding nearly 

 a quart of ammonia. It is rather weaker than 

 the ordinary commercial article, and is used for 

 washing purposes. Two taplespoonfuis of this 

 were thrown into the topless can. After shak- 

 ing it around for a minute, the black grease 

 came off entirely, and the sides of the can were 

 as bright and clean as a dollar. I am not sure 

 but that a single tablespoonful of commercial 

 ammonia, mixed with about half a cup of wa- 

 ter, would do the same. Remove tlie cap. pour 

 in the liquid, screw the cap down, and then give 

 the can a good shaking. If this does not re- 



