270 GLEANlNCtS IN BEE CULTURE April, 1917 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



A Machine for Dampening Sections 



The illustration shows my section-moist- 

 ener. The section lies in the bottom of the 

 " hopper," which holds about 100. When 

 the little crank, shown at the right, is turn- 

 ed, the sections are pushed, one at a time, 

 over the three small wheels the lower sides 

 of which are immersed in a small pan of 

 water. The wheels have a rim or " tire " 

 of cloth, felt, or some other absorbent ma- 

 terial which will carry plenty of water. 

 The little spring paddles hold the sections 

 down on the wheels sufifieiently to cause 

 them to turn as the sections are pushed over 





them, and thus carry up the water aiul ap- 

 ply it to the section opposite the V groove. 

 Ordinarily, cold water answers; but if the 

 sections are very dry a lamp-stove under 

 the pan will keep the water hot aixl do a 

 more thoro job. Of course, in placing the 

 sections in the hopper the operator must 

 notice that they all lie grooved side up. 

 Tliis is quite easy, as I notice that the sec- 

 tions usually all lie one way in the boxes. 

 After being placed in the hopper the 100 

 sections can be dampened in one - half to 

 three - fourths of a minute. However, I 

 notice that the young man who usually folds 

 my sections has got in the habit of seating 

 himself in front of the folder with the 

 moistener on the table within easy reach, 

 wetting 25 or 30 sections, and folding them 

 before wetting another batch, as he says 

 they generally fold better when freshly 

 moistened. By adjusting one end of the 

 hopi3er, and the wheels, which are fastened 

 on the shaft with set-screws, sections of any 

 size could be accommodated. 



Almont, Mich. Arthur Rattray. 



Coercion vs. Education 



On page 1118, Dec. 1, Wesley Foster takes 

 me to task for a remark which I made to 

 the editor, which the editor quoted in an 

 editorial in the June 15th issue. 



Mr. Foster did not state what the 

 quotation was. Here is the essential part: 



" I have come to the conclusion that we need in 

 Ohio and everywhere else a campaign of education. 

 Foul brood is scattered all over the state. Many bee- 

 keepers are careless and indifferent, and so, of 

 course, they eliminate themselves in time, but they 

 leave behind them sources of infection. There are 

 beekeepers of another class who are inclined to defy 

 authority if the strong arm of the law is brought to 

 bear to compel them to clean up. In that case they 

 may or may not make trouble by scattering the dis- 

 ease out of pure revenge." 



Tliis remark was made in the course of 

 a. general conversation which I had with 

 the editor in his office. I do not believe 

 that all insi^ection work should be dropped, 

 nor that we should work only along educa- 

 tional lines; as a matter of fact I support 

 nearly all Mr. Foster said except that 

 part of his article in which he places me 

 in a wrong jDosition. 



This is a subject on which there are all 

 kinds of opinions. I believe conditions must 

 be much different in Colorado than in our 

 section, for Mr. Foster says, " Stock in- 

 spection, dairy inspection, fruit inspection, 

 have been carried on so thoroly that the 

 farmers are not opposed to inspection 

 work." On the opposite page Mr. Scott, 

 of Indiana, in an article on educating 

 the careless beekeeper, says, " But as a rule 

 the man with a few colonies resents in- 

 spection and regards the procedure as an 

 intrusion on his rights." 



I have visited hundreds of beekeepers 

 when on inspection work, and I believe 

 Mr. Scott is more nearly right. The bee- 

 keeper may not object much; but neverthe- 

 less he resents the work. But, as a rule, 

 after the inspector has convinced the bee- 

 keeper of his good intentions future visits 

 are welcomed. 



I feel certain that the great value of in- 

 sj^ection work is along educational lines. 

 It seems that the man who is doing the 

 teaching must have the power to force 

 the beekeeper to accept the education. We 

 in Ohio are working much along educational 

 lines. Whenever possible, when doing work 

 in a district we get all the beekeepers to- 

 gether and give an actual demonstration of 

 the treatment of disease, transferring, etc. 



For years we have had educational ex- 

 hibits at our State Fair, and at as many 



