1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



793 



Again, Mr. Green says, "The dealer, in fix- 

 ing his selling price, seldom knows or cares 

 any thing about the market price of honey 

 as quoted in the market reports. ' ' That is 

 exactly my notion. If you subscribe to these 

 sentiments, then we are on the same side of 

 the fence. Shake again.— Ed.] 



"Perhaps Mr. Doolittle meant that the 

 brooding heat of the cluster of bees would 

 be the same, no matter what the outside 

 temperature was. ' ' So you say, Mr. Editor, 

 p. 716. If Mr. Doolittle says he meant that, 

 I'll take his word for it; but please, Mr. 

 Editor, read what he says, American Bee 

 Journal, p. 364, and tell us what you think 

 he meant. Among other things he says, 

 ' ' And right here I shall, I suppose, be con- 

 sidered a heretic by the masses when I say 

 that, from all I can see by way of my ex- 

 periments, they will keep that temperature 

 of from 92 to 98 degrees in the brood-nest 

 just as easily as they did or could before the 

 other hive was put on, as the heat is confin- 

 ed within the cluster or crust of bees, not in 

 the hive. . . No, the heat from the clus- 

 ter is not allowed to pass up into an upper 

 hive at any time when that heat is needed 

 for the brood within the cluster of bees." 

 Don't you see there would be no heresy in 

 saying that the bees ' ' eat more honey, and 

 thus generate more heat"? The heresy is 

 in saying that "the heat is confined within 

 the cluster or crust of bees. ' ' And if you 

 want my conclusion I will say that, since 

 the experiment given, p. 716, I think most 

 emphatically that, in that particular, Mr. 

 Doolittle is a " heretic. ' ' The practical 

 bearing of the matter is of exceeding im- 

 portance; for upon it depends whether we 

 shall or shall not in spring keep the brood- 

 chamber as warm as possible. [The editor 

 deems it wise not to mix in this fray, and 

 therefore turns you over to Mr. Doolittle 

 direct. Permit me to say that, for the 

 present at least, you seem to have the best 

 of the argument. Now, friend Doolittle, 

 "wade in."— Ed.] 



Rev. S. L. Orb, in that sprightly publica- 

 tion The Irish Bee Journal, says there is 

 foundation of all grades of quality and price, 

 according to whether it is pure or adulterat- 

 ed, the bees having trouble with much of it, 

 both in brood-chamber and super. A. Schil- 

 ling says, in Deutsche III. Bztg. , that one of 

 the largest manufacturers of foundation in 

 Europe was convicted of selling foundation 

 (guaranteed pure), that was | paraffine; and 

 of six samples from six leading Austrian 

 manufactories, only two were unadulterated! 

 Whatever else may be in this land of wood- 

 en nutmegs, we never have a moment's anx- 

 ious thought as to the purity of our founda- 

 tion. [Strange that some of the manufac-, 

 turers in Europe should pursue the suicidal 

 policy of selling adulterated foundation, even 

 for what it is. The makers in this country 

 know that paraflSne, ceresin, or any other 

 mineral wax in foundation, would very soon 

 show itself to the practical beekeeper. A 

 ruined reputation would do tenfold more 



mischief to his business than any slight 

 gain he would make by putting out an adul- 

 terated article. But any manufacturer of 

 foundation may inadvertently get taken in 

 on a small lot. We find it necessary, for ex- 

 ample, to examine carefully every cake of 

 wax and inspect it for its quality and purity 

 before accepting it. Even then we might 

 get taken in with a few adulterated samplts. 

 Every year we have to reject considerable 

 quantities; and we presume that our experi- 

 ence has been duplicated by that of other 

 manufacturers. We will not, if we know it, 

 allow even one per cent of paraffine or cere- 

 sin to get into our product; and, so far as 

 we know, that is the attitude of all other 

 manufacturers in this country.— Ed.] 



The denatured alcohol bill has been finally 

 signed by the Presdient, and the law will 

 take effect on the first day of next January. 



THE PURE- FOOD BILL HANGING FIBE IN CON- 

 GRESS. 



The pure- food bill is hanging fire in Con- 

 gress. There seems to be now a possibility 

 that it may be passed; but certain whisky, 

 patent- medicine, and canning interests, so it 

 is stated in the papers, are fighting it with 

 powerful lobbies. But over against them 

 we have the strong personality of President 

 Roosevelt, who is doing every thing in his 

 power to have the bill enacted into law. 

 But we can not be successful unless the peo- 

 ple write to their Senators and Representa- 

 tives, urging them to support the bill and 

 pass it without further parley. The friends 

 of the pure- food "bill feel that if it is killed 

 now it may be a good many years before we 

 shall come to a point where we can get an 

 equally good law. 



IMPORTANCE OF MAKING A NEWLY HIVED 

 SWABM CONTENTED. 



Attention is drawn to a very seasonable 

 suggestion by Mr. Holtermann, at the close 

 of his article in this issue, on the subject of 

 making a newly hived swarm comfortable 

 with plenty of shade, abundant bottom ven- 

 tilation, and a large amount of room — at 

 least until such time as the bees can * ' cool 

 off." A swarm, for a day or two after it is 

 hived, is in a state of frenzy or excitement; 

 and if conditions are not exactly suited to 

 their comfort or liking they will, while in 

 that state, swarm out agam, and then it 

 will be excef dingly difficult to make them 

 feel satisfied anywhere. When they are 



