March, 1909. 



American l^ae Joarnal] 



dent of Documents, Government Print- 

 ing Office, Washington, D. C. (Postage 

 stamps are not accepted.) 



The pamphlet is a very complete 

 one, indeed, as it covers a great many 

 points of interest not only to bee-keep- 

 ers, but to every one else at all interest- 

 ed in the resources of our country. 



^\ccording to the census of 1900, the 

 average number of colonies among far- 

 mers reporting them, was 5.8, valued at 

 S14.40: and the number of those who 

 rely wholly on the production of honey 

 and beeswax for a livelihood is very 

 small. 



Referring to the extent of the in- 

 dustry of bee-keeping in this country, 

 the pamphlet says that the average value 



Hawaiian Islands, and is nicely illus- 

 trated. It is an exceptionally interest- 

 ing production, and no doubt every one 

 of our readers will be pleased to have 

 a copy. It is nice for bee-keepers to 

 know about every part of the United 

 States and its island possessions along 

 the honey-producing line. 



We will not attempt to report very 

 much from this pamphlet, excepting to 

 say that the total number of colonies 

 in the Hawaiian Islands is about 20,000, 

 and the annual output of honey, prac- 

 tically all of which is extracted, is prob- 

 ably 600 tons, although the crop for 

 1908 may be nearly 1000 tons according 

 to a recent report from the Hawaiian 

 entomologist. 



Mr. J. E. THf)RSTAn and Apiarv. 



of honey produced annually, is $20,000,- 

 000: of beeswax, about $2,000,000. 



There are in the United States over 

 700.000 bee-keepers. 



The annual importation of honey 

 amounts to about 2,500,000 pounds, and 

 that of beeswax, about 700,000 pounds. 



The honey-bee probably does more 

 good to American agriculture as a pol- 

 lenizing agent than as a honey-producer. 



We might go on making other ex- 

 tracts from the pamphlet referred to, 

 but wtjuld prefer that each of our read- 

 ers should order it for himself, and 

 thus get the benelit of everything con- 

 tained in the pamphlet, which is worth 

 many times the small amount of 5 cents 

 asked for it. 



It seems the apiaries are run by cor- 

 porations owning several thousand col- 

 onies each. They are organized so that 

 their bee-supplies are purchased in car- 

 lots, and their honey is also sold in a 

 similar manner. 



We would advise all of our readers 

 who are sufficiently interested, to send 

 to Washington not only for the pam- 

 phlet on Hawaiian bee-keeping, Init also 

 for the one mentioned in another item, 

 the one on bee-keeping in the United 

 States. 



Bee-Keeping in Hawaii 



llulletin So. 75, Part .s, issued Janu- 

 ary 19, 1909, by tlie Department of Ag- 

 riculture at Washington, D. C, is "A 

 t'.rief Survey of Hawaiian Bee-Keep- 

 ing." It gives a very complete account 

 of bee-keeping on the Hawaiian Islands, 

 which, although one of the minor in- 

 dustries, is being conducted with profit. 

 Dr. E. F. Phillips, In Charge of Api- 

 culture, so well known to our readers, 

 prepared the pamphlet, which can be 

 had for 15 cents liy addressing the Su 

 perintendent of Documents, (jovcrn- 

 nient Printing Office, Washington, 1) 

 C. C Postage stamps are not accepted. I 



The pamphlet contains a map of the 



Apiary of J. E. Thorstad 



I he honey season this year was very 

 good. I got 4,000 pounds from 40 colo- 

 nies, spring count, and have now 53 

 colonies left in good condition. 



Enclosed please find postal which con- 

 tains my picture and 7 supers with 33 

 pound-sections in each super, or 231 

 l)ound-scctions. This was all filled by 

 one colony of bees. It shows that my 

 supers are made differently from oth- 

 ers, as I manufacture them myself. 

 'I here is a glass place in each end, 

 which makes it possible to see when 

 the sections become full of honey. 



J. F.. TnoRSTAi). 



Blair, Wis., Dec. 18. 



and other countries a multiple uncapper 

 that is figured and described in the Irish 

 Bee Journal. Both sides of the comb 

 are uncapped at the same time. On 

 each side is a series of triangular knives, 

 reminding one of the cutter-bar of a 

 mowing machine. It looks as if it 

 might be somewhat expensive. 



Simmins Uncapper 



The l-'.nglish expert, Samuel Simmins, 

 I',a^ patented in dreat Britiiin, .\merica, 



A Letter from Austria 



We have received the following from 

 Mr. Alex. Schrceder, who visited us 

 last fall: 



Dkar Mr. York: — Returned from my short 

 visit to the United States, I feel it my duty 

 to thank you and all vour countrymen I had 

 the pleasure to meet, for the cordial and 

 friendly reception I found all over the coun- 

 try, which showed me land and people in a 

 very fair light. 



I called upon Dr. Miller, in Marengo, and 

 Mr. Horstniann. in Chicago, and was so for- 

 tunate as to make the personal acquaintance of 

 the former and family, while I was very sorry 

 no: to meet Mr. Horstmann, he being absent 

 from home, but was well received by his good 

 lady and son, who showed me his bee-yard 

 and work-shop which I found fully up-to-date 

 and very interesting. Young "Leslie" opened 

 one of the hives having a side glass, and 

 showed us a very fine and strong Italian col- 

 ony. 



In Marengo we found Dr. Miller and family 

 very busy scraping sections, of which they 

 had taken over ig.ooo; and we had the pleas- 

 ure of seeing the various implements in bee- 

 keeping used with you; for instance, a ma- 

 chine to stick foundation into the sections, 

 which being very simple, is sure to last long 

 and to satisfy the worker. 



In Washington we met Mr. Benton, whom 

 we knew for so many years, ever since he 

 first came over to liurope with D. A. Tones, 

 of Canada, to get the Cyprian bee. wliich I 

 had iirovided to Mr. Cari. in Bruex. Bohemia, 

 and Count Kolowrat. Tabor. Bohemia, some 

 years before. He was very interesting, and 

 showed us through the beautiful city of Wash- 

 ington; and we also had the pleasure to see 

 one of his apiaries in Virginia, near Claren- 

 don. 



I thank you all for your kind reception, and 

 am very glad I have seen at last some of the 

 -\merican bee-keepers and bee-keeping witli 

 which I was in touch for so many long 

 vears through the "old reliable" American Bee 

 Journal. 



On my arrival home I found my bees all 

 right, and only in need to be packed up for 

 winter, which I do with old bags and news- 

 liajiers. My hives are on the Dzierzon i)rin- 

 cijile. mostly 3 stories high, and can be built 

 up to very strong colonies. I also have hives 

 which can be built up to 40 frames of about 

 25 centimeters square. The largest "take" I 

 ever got from one colony was Kilog. 42 

 fequal to about 83 pounds), and in one year 

 I had an average of K. 10 (or about 22 

 Iiounds) per colony, fall count. My ajiiary 

 is near the town, and the building of houses 

 continues all around our villa, so that in not 

 a very long time we sliall become town-folks, 

 and then the crops of honey will, of course, 

 be reduced still more. But as long as my 

 bees find enough for their winter feed. I will 

 not give up this hobby whicli I have prac- 

 tised now for over 34 years, and. except for 

 the stinging, which nobody likes. I have found 

 it full of interest and jileasurc. 



At your request I enclose a picture of my 

 apiary. The shade is in front (facing south) 

 and the bee-house more to the left on wbiclt 

 a disk is attached, showing a bee in the cen- 

 ter, and around is the inscription, "11 mio 

 non sol' ma I'altrui ben procuro." the motto 

 of the Italian Central .\ssociation of Bee- 

 Keejiers in Milan, which has about the same 

 meaning as the motto on the button you pre- 

 sented to mc. "Our toil doth sweeten others." 

 In the fnmt wall 4 large hives are fixed, 

 which face west and are handled from the in- 

 side in a room, from which the bees escape 

 through a turning window. I can increase 

 the number of my colonies up to so. Fifty- 

 three was my largest number, but during the 

 last years I have reduced the number to be- 

 tween 30 and 40. 



I run only for extracted honey, which 

 friends of mine take as fast as produced, at a 

 crown per 500 gram.s (it cents per pound) 

 in glass jars. This price has been the same 

 ever since I have been selling honey, and 

 when today there is a demanil for honey 



