1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



29 



Experience with Comb Foundation- 



Seeing of late that a number of apiar- 

 ists give their experience in the use of 

 comb foundation, and that their verdict 

 is in favor of that made on the Dunham 

 machine, will you allow me modestly to 

 give my experience with foundation for 

 the benefit of those thai have yet to 

 commence its use. 



In 1878 I used 50 lhs. of foundation 

 made on the Root machine, received 

 from a manufacturer in t lie State of 

 New York, which the bees used readily 

 and to my satisfaction. 



In 1879 1 used 103 lbs. made on the 

 Boot machine, received fromamanu- 

 facturer in Ontario. It pleased me and 

 the bees well. 



In 1880. I used 17.5 lbs. (out of 300 lbs. 

 purchased) made on the Dunham ma- 

 chine, that did not please me. Contrary 

 to the testimony of others, it was not 

 received by the bees so readily, and it 

 did sag eery much. The high walls did 

 not come with the foundation, as you 

 will see by the sample enclosed. It was 

 purchased in Michigan, from whom I 

 will not now say, as it would not be a 

 good puff for said firm. 



I think foundation a success for the 

 brood chamber, if used about feet to 

 the lb., made of pure wax. 



Woodstock, Out. J. B. Hill. 



[We are under obligations to Mr. Hill 

 for enclosing the sample of objectiona- 

 ble foundation, as it gives opportunity 

 for intelligently commenting upon what 

 has probably caused some of the differ- 

 ences in experience with Dunham foun- 

 dation. We say objectionable foundation, 

 for if the sample sent is a fair specimen, 

 leaving out the possibility of adultera- 

 tion in the wax, we object to it for use 

 in the brood chamber — 1st. Because it is 

 too light in weight ; 2d. It is minus the 

 Dunham side-walls; and, 3d. It was not 

 made on a Dunham machine. We have 

 seen and used foundation made on five 

 Dunham machines, and the same gen- 

 eral characteristics were prominent in 

 each, viz : Thin septum or base ; high, 

 prominent side-walls, and preponder- 

 ance of wax in the sides, where the bees 

 can use it most readily and rapidly. Of 

 course we do not know who Mr. Hill 

 purchased from, but we do know the 

 sample sent to this office is not Dunham 

 foundation. 



In this connection, we will take occa- 

 sion again to impress our readers with 

 the desirability of purchasing supplies 

 from honest dealers. Because an arti- 

 cle is sold for the least money, is not 

 proof that it is the cheapest ; any more 

 than that honesty always dictates the 

 most plausible story. The advertise- 

 ments of several responsible dealers 

 will be found in our columns.— Ed.] 



Do we Want Facts? 



Questions.— 1. When snow covers the 

 earth, what must be the temperature to 

 be successful in removing bees from the 

 cellar for a fly '. 



2. Will bees cleanse the hive from dead 

 bees while in the cellar, if the entrance 

 is left unobstructed ? 



3. Is it advisable to cover the entrance 

 with wire-cloth while in the cellar'? 



Query. 

 St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 15, 1881. 



1. When the weather is warm enough 

 that bees can fly from the hive and re- 

 turn, without dropping on the snow. 



2. No; but they frequently come out- 

 side to die. 



3. No; never. 



I® - Sample copies of the Weekly 

 Bee Journal will be sent free to any 

 names that may be sent in. Any one 

 intending to get up a club can have 

 sample copies sent to the persons they 

 desire to interview, by sending the 

 names to this office. 



The Eev. A. Salisbury, in the Amf.k- 

 h an Bee Journal or Jan. 12. refers 

 to a resolution brought before the Cin- 

 cinnati Convention, which was tabled 

 very promptly without discussion, and 

 proceeds to deliberate on the question 

 in a most reckless manner, as though 

 that ■■ high-toned" body had not said by 

 their action, We do not want this matter 

 discussed. Not only does be do this but 

 he incites others to the same folly, for 

 be says, "We want to hear from the 

 leading bee men of the country on this 

 subject." 



Mr. S., what do you mean by such 

 suicidal disloyalty to the great bee- 

 keeping interests of this country? Do 

 you mean to ruin the importation trade, 

 that we have been to so much trouble in 

 building up ? I fear you do. What do 

 you think that Convention " sat down" 

 on that resolution fori 1 Perhaps it was 

 not the proper place to discuss such 

 issues. Is it facts we want ? 



H. R. Boardman. 



East Townsend, O. 



Referring to the above communica- 

 tion, which savors more of sarcasm than 

 candid discussion, we copy the resolu- 

 tion alluded to, from the Bee Jour- 

 nal's report of the proceedings of the 

 National Convention, second column 

 page 520, November number, 1880: 



Mr. Boardman moved, as a test of the 

 sentiment of the Convention, 



liesolved, That the importation of 

 Italian queens is no longer advisable as 

 an improvement of our present race of 

 bees. 



It is difficult to imagine how a Con- 

 vention, composed of many of the most 

 intelligent and most progressive bee- 

 keepers of America, could do otherwise 

 than table such a resolution, when 

 offered, without supplemental explana- 

 tion, to test the sentiment of its mem- 

 bers. In fact, even though as individ- 

 uals fully coinciding in the gist of the 

 resolution, it could not adopt that, 

 alone, without stultifying itself by dis- 

 couraging one of the 2^°ssible means of 

 further improving our stock, through 

 the importation of the most superior 

 strains of Italian queens — if there are 

 superior and inferior bees in Italy, as 

 claimed by the breeders there, and, as 

 we are free to admit, we fully believe. 



The insinuation that the resolution 

 was tabled in the interest of the im- 

 porters, is wholly without a shadow of 

 foundation, and is unworthy of Mr. 

 Boardman himself. We venture the 

 assertion, that not one in ten of those 

 who voted in the affirmative have ever 

 imported a queen from Italy direct for 

 traffic ; and not ten per cent, of the few 

 who have, can boast of clearing one 

 penny as profit, if their sales were made 

 at present popular prices. 



We reiterate, that " while we believe 

 the intelligent and discriminating bee- 

 keepers of America have succeeded in 

 breeding a strain or strains of bees 

 equal, if not superior, to any to be 

 found in Italy, we would not discourage 

 any from importing if an improvement 

 is possible. .. .We do not doubt there 

 are many fine queens bred in Italy, but 

 we do believe none are better than our 

 best." And certainly, the Convention, 

 by its action in tabling the resolution 

 given above, did nothing which could 

 be construed as a more positive endorse- 

 ment of the system of indiscriminate 

 importation than can be found in the 

 language quoted above from our issue 

 of the 12th inst, 



"Is it facts we want?" Yes; of 

 course, it is. But we want all of them. 

 The " high-toned body," as Mr. Board- 



man sarcastically alludes to the Con- 

 vention, and of which he was a very 

 active member, "sat down" on the 

 resolution because it did not properly 

 cover all the ground. The first and 

 second of the series of resolutions 

 offered by Mr. Hayes did cover all the 

 ground, were freely and fully discussed, 

 and our report says "passed unani- 

 mously" upon a vote being taken. 

 Compare, carefully, the resolution 

 offered by Mr. Boardman with those 

 adopted unanimously by the Conven- 

 tion, and the cause for complaint will 

 remain undiscovered, unless it is be- 

 cause the first of Mr. Hayes' resolutions 

 specifies a sole reason why importations 

 should be encouraged, if at all. and Mr. 

 Boardman's resolution left that to im- 

 plication. 



" Do we want facts ?" If so, refer to 

 the page above cited, and it will be ob- 

 served the resolution was not "tabled 

 very promptly without discussion." 

 Our reporter gave some of the discus- 

 sion, but most of it being irrelevant, 

 was omitted to save space. 



It is evident Rev. Mr. Salisbury's 

 communication was read under a mis- 

 apprehension. His many years' ex- 

 perience with imported and home-bred 

 Italians have not been thrown away; 

 nor have his observations as a pro- 

 gressive bee-keeper failed to develop 

 queens, in his own apiary superior to 

 their imported mothers. We are confi- 

 dent had he been in attendance at the 

 Cincinnati Convention, his vote would 

 not have broken the harmonious unani- 

 mity with which the following resolu- 

 tions were adopted : 



liesolved, That the importation of 



pure Italian, Cyprian and Holy Land 



bees into North America, ought to be 



j encouraged for the sole purpose of add- 



; ing new and different strains of blood 



I to that we already have. 



2. That the strain of Italian blood 

 j we now have has reached a higher 



standard of excellence than is to be 

 found in the native home of the Italian. 



3. That queens reared from pure se- 

 lected home-bred Italian mothers, 

 should command at least as high a mar- 

 ket value as those bred from imported 

 mothers, where pure Italian stock is the 

 sole object desired. 



For Mr. Boardman, personally, we 

 have the highest regard. We listened 

 with much interest to many of his re- 

 marks, and certainly he cannot com- 

 plain of any want of courtesy, either on 

 the part of the officers or constituent 

 members of the Convention. That he 

 takes an honest pride in the advance- 

 ment of scientific apiculture we do not 

 doubt, and we fully sympathize with 

 him in his estimation of the superiority 

 of American-Italian bees ; but we can- 



i not believe with him that the Conven- 

 tion endeavored to shirk any expression 



j of opinion, nor that the Convention, or 

 a majority of its members, failed to give 

 any matter brought before it proper 

 consideration. That all questions de- 

 liberated upon were settled with the 

 precision of inspiration we do not 

 claim ; but all decisions were rendered 

 through honest motives — the talent and 



| experience represented weie of a high 

 order, very far above the conventional 

 average. We have attended many bee- 

 keepers' Conventions, and other de- 

 liberative bodies, but never one superior 

 to the Convention which assembled 

 in Cincinnati last fall ; and it is a source 

 of honest pride to be able to refer to it 

 as a representee body of bee-keepers. 

 Is it facts you want ? — these are facts. 



K-,-, \\ e liuve accepted an invitation to 

 attend the Ashtabula County, O., Con- 

 vention, which is to lie held at Andovci . 

 O., on Tuesday and Wednesday. Feb. 8 

 and!). 1881. On the evening of Tues- 

 day, the sth, we have engaged to deliver 



a public lecture on " Bees and II -v." 



There being a large number of bee- 

 keepers in that region, we expect the 

 meeting will be very largely attended. 

 All interested will please notice the date 

 — as it lias been changed. 



J2f The Northeastern Bee-keepers' Association 

 will bold their Eleventb Annual Convention, In the 

 Common Con mil chamber, tit Utlca, N. v.. on the -'d, 

 :;d and 4tii days of February, issi. The Executive 

 Committee are determined to maintain Oie high 

 standing the Association lias justly eained in i In- 

 past, and propose to out-do all former efforts at the 

 cominn Convention. Essays or addresses are ex- 

 pected from Capt. W. F Williams: Prof. J. lias- 

 brouck ; Mrs. Frances Dunham ; James Heddon ; 

 Chas. Dadant ; 11. A. Burch ; Jno V. Detwiler ; C. P. 

 Dadant ; A. G. Thurber ; W. A. House ; A.J. Klin: ; 

 Julius Hoffman and others. 



A-gold medal will be awarded for best essays, on 

 the following subjects : "The different races nt bees 

 and their crosses." "Wintering bees," "Marketing 

 honey," " How can we make the apiary the most 

 protl table ?*' 



For best essay upon any subject outside of those 

 mentioned, one tested Cvprian queen, donated bv L. 

 C Root. 



Diplomas will be awarded for^best display of im- 

 plements ; the best comb foundation lor brood- 

 chamber ; for surplus boxes ; best honey extractor ; 

 best bee smoker ; for the most practical bee hive. 



One dollar each, for the best crate of honey in the 

 most marketable shape, and lor the best package of 

 extracted honey. 



For the neatest and best honey crate and section 

 boxes (cost, quality and finish to be considered), one 

 tested Italian queen, donated by Geo. W. House. 



All are invited to send implements for competition 

 or exhibition. Articles sent to the Secretary will be 

 sold or otherwise disposed of as the owner may 

 direct, it is desired that all articles sent be thesame 

 as kept iu stock, or forwarded to purchasers 



Geo. W. HocsE, Sec L. (J. Root. Ptcs. 



For the honor of the fraternity in 

 New York, we hope that the friends of 

 truth and justice will be present at the 

 above meeting. The very unjust reso- 

 lutions passed, a year ago, should be 

 rescinded and thus in a measure blot 

 out the disgrace which now attaches to 

 the last North Eastern Convention. 

 Many were indignant at the matter 

 then, and we hope they will make an 

 effort to be there, to assist in " making 

 the crooked things straight." We do 

 not imagine that it will be difficult, for 

 some of those who were interested in 

 passing them, if we mistake not, will 

 now labor to have them reversed.— Ed.] 



igyThe annual meeting of the South- 

 ern Michigan Bee-Keepers' Association 

 will be held in Battle Creek, Mich., on 

 Wednesday, Feb. 9, 1881, at 10 o'clock 

 a. m. B. Salisbury. Sec. 



i^"The Champlain Valley, Vermont, 

 Bee-Keepers' Association will hold its 

 annual meeting in Brandon, Vt., on 

 Thursday and Friday, Jan. 20 and 21, 

 1881. ' II. L. Leonard, Asst. Sec. 



<£I" The Nebraska Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation will hold their Annual Conven- 

 tion, on the 10th and 11th of February, 

 1881, at Plattsinouth, Cass Co., Neb. 

 Western Iowa bee-keepers are cordially 

 invited to attend. 



Hiram Craig, Pres. 



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