12 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jan. 12, 



THOMAS C. NEWMAN. 



Editor and Proprietor, 

 CHICAGO, ILL., JAN. 12, 1881. 



How to Prepare Bees for Shipping. 



When is the best time to ship bees 

 from here to Dakota, and please give 

 directions for preparing them for ship- 

 ment that far 'f J . B. Ellison. 



[The best time for shipping that dis- 

 tance would be April, or quite early in 

 May, before the combs are too heavy 

 with brood ; but with proper care in 

 preparing them and ordinary usage in 

 handling, they may be shipped at any 

 time with comparative safety, except in 

 quite cold weather. 



The lirst work is to go through your 

 hives and extract about all the un- 

 capped honey, as the least daubing will 

 prove fatal to the bees ; then procure a 

 block one inch square, and as long as 

 the hive is wide, in this cut notches and 

 tack in the bottom of the hive, in which 

 to place the frames to keep them steady ; 

 now select the new combs and those 

 heavy with brood or sealed honey, se- 

 cure them well in the frames with strip- 

 binders, and place in the hive ; tack the 

 ends of the frames Urmly to the rabbets 

 on which they rest ; dip the blanket in 

 clean water, lightly wring, fold about 6 

 thicknesses, and lay on the front ends of 

 the frames. If your hive has no porti- 

 co, leave off the cover, and instead use 

 wire cloth, nailing on top of that three 

 1-inch strips, 2 inches wide— 1 across the 

 centre, the others across each end— to 

 insure ventilation when piled on each 

 other. Now tack wire cloth over the 

 entrance, and your bees are ready for 

 shipment to Australia if needs be. 



If the hive has a portico, prepare in 

 the same manner as above, except to 

 bore a IJ2 inch hole in each side of the 

 brood chamber, and also in the cover, 

 which will be used in place of the wire 

 cloth over the frames ; the holes to be 

 covered inside and outside with wire- 

 cloth, to admit of ventilation. Leave 

 the entrance open full size, but cover 

 the entire portico securely with wire- 

 cloth, leaving free access to it from the 

 interior of the hive. 



Prepared in this manner, we have 

 shipped full colonies, at all seasons from 

 May 1st till Aug. 10th, to Connecticut, 

 Canada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South 

 Carolina, Georgia, and many other 

 States, North and South, with perfect 

 success. In August last Mr. Alfred H. 

 Newman shipped a colony, prepared in 

 this manner, to New Zealand, via San 

 Francisco. The trip occupied six ireeks 

 by railroad and ocean steamer. Return 

 advices, after a lapse of three months, 

 stated they arrived safely and in good 

 condition, but many of the bees were 

 dead, which were probably old bees. 

 He has an order from New South Wales 

 for two colonies in the spring, which he 

 informs us will be prepared in the same 

 manner.— Ed.] 



Compulsory Honesty. 



We are frequently in receipt of letters 

 asking for the draft or form of a general 

 law, applicable to and prohibitory of, the 

 almost universal adultera'tive poisoning 

 now so largely practiced. The last 

 number of the American Grocer gives 

 the copy of a bill recently prepared un- 

 der the auspices of the National Board 

 of Trade, embracing the suggestions of 

 the ablest of the competitive essays 

 received by the Messrs. Thurber, in 

 response to their prizes of $1,000 offered 

 for the best on the subject. The follow- 

 ing is a copy of the bill as prepared by 

 the committee : 



A BILL to Prevent the Adulteration ot 

 Food or Drugs. 



Lie it enacted, &c, That uo person or cor- 

 poration shall knowingly transport, or cause 

 to be transported, from ttie State, district, 

 01 territory, in winch he resides or does 

 business inlo any other State or territory, or 

 From any foreign country, or other State 01 

 territory, intotlie State or territory in whicu 

 lie resides or does business, for sale or bar- 

 ter, or to be offered lor sale or barter, any 

 article of tood or drugs adulterated witniu 

 the meaning of this act, and any person 

 violating the above provision shall be 

 deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon 

 conviction thereof Shall be lined not more 

 than fifty dollars for each offense. 



Sec. S3.— That no person shall, within the 

 District of Columbia or in any ot tne terri- 

 tories, or hi any tort, arsenal, dock-yard, 01 

 reservation, or other place under the juris- 

 diction ot tne United States, manufacture, 

 offer for sale, or sell any article ot lood 01 

 drugs which isadulterated within the mean- 

 ing of this act, and any person violating tins 

 provision shall be deemed guilty ot a uns- 

 Uemeauor, and upon conviction tnereof shah 

 be punished by a tine not exceeding titty 

 dollars. 



Sec 3.— If, on examination of any article 

 of food or drugs imported from any foreign 

 country, it is touud to be adulterated witlnn 

 tin- meaning of this act, a return to that 

 effect shall be made upon the invoice, anu 

 articles so noted shall not he permitted to 

 pass the custom-house or be delivered to the 

 consignees, unless on re-exaunnalioii, as 

 provided for in this act, it shall be found 

 that the said articles are not adulterated. 



Sec. 4. — The owner or consignee shall 

 have the privilege ot calling at his own ex- 

 pense tor are-examination, and on deposit- 

 ing with the Collector of Customs sucli sum 

 as he may deem suftieient to defray such 

 expenses it shall be the duty ot tne Col- 

 lector of Customs to procure a certificate, 

 under oath from a public analyst, ot a care- 

 lul analysis ot the articles m question ; and 

 111 case the report by certificate of the ana- 

 lyst shall declare the report of the officer 

 who examiued thegoodsto be erroneous and 

 the said articles to be unadulterated, the 

 said articles shall be returned to the owner 

 or consignee, and passed without reservation 

 on payment ot the duties, if any. But in 

 case the officer's return shall he sustained 

 by the analyst the said articles shall remain 

 in charge ot the Collecter of Customs, to he 

 disposed of in accordance with regulations 

 to be prepared by the National Board 01 

 tf ealth and approved by the Secretary ot the 

 Treasury: Pkovided, That tne owner 01 

 consignee, on payment of cuarges ot storage 

 and otlier expenses necessarily incurred by 

 the United Stales, and on giving bond, with 

 sureties satisfactory to the Collector, agree- 

 ing to remove said articles from the United 

 States, shall have the privilege of re-export- 

 ing them at any tune within the period ot 

 six months after the date ot the report ot 

 the inspector or public analyst. 



Sec. 5.— In order to carry into effect the 

 provisions of this act, the Secretary of the 

 Treasury is hereby authorized to appoint 

 from names submitted to him tor that pur- 

 pose by the National Board of Health one 

 or more suitable qualified persons as special 

 inspectors and as public analysts for adul- 

 terated food and drugs at such ports of entry 

 as the Secretary of the Treasury may deem 

 expedient, and it shall be the duty of the 

 National Board of Health to prepare in- 

 structions governing the work ot such in- 

 spectors and analysts, which, when approved 

 by the Secretary ot the Treasury, shall 

 govern their action, and thatot collectors ol 

 customs, iu preventing importation from 

 foreign countries of food or drugs adulter- 

 ated within the meaning of this act. 



Sec 6.— The National Board of Health 

 shall make, or cause to he made, examina- 

 tion of specimens of food and drugs collected 

 ._■ Sample copies of the Weekly under its. direction in various parts ot the 

 Bee JoUKN'AI. will lie sent Jree to any country, and shall publish in its weekly bul- 

 names that may be sent in. Any one ! letin the results of such analyses. If it 

 intending to get up a club can have sl >all appear from such examination that auy 

 sample copies sent to the persons they ! °< u | e provisions of this act have been vio- 

 ,wi!i tn i,,t„rvipw by sending the ! lateu ' tlle be ? let ? r y ot «?e Board shall at 



results of the analyses duly authenticated 

 by the analyst under oath. 



Sec. 7.— It shall he the duty of every dis- 

 trict attorney to whom the Secretary of the 

 National Board ot Health or any collector 

 of customs shall report any violation of this 

 act to cause proper proceedings to he com- 

 menced and prosecuted without delay for 

 the tines and penalties in such case provided, 

 unless, upon inquiry and examination, he 

 shall decide that such proceedings cannot 

 probably be sustained, in which case he 

 shall report the facts to the National Board 

 of Health. And for the expenses incurred 

 and services rendered in all such cases the 

 district attorney shall receive and be paid 

 from the Treasury such sum as the Stcre- 

 tary of the Treasury shall deem just and 

 reasonable, upon the certificate ot tne judge 

 before whom such cases are tried or 

 disposed. 



Sec. 8.— An article shall be deemed to be 

 adulterated within the meaning of this Act: 

 A. — In the case of drugs. 



1. If, when sold under or by a name 

 recognized in the United States Pharma- 

 copoeia, it differs from the standard of 

 strength, quality or purity laid down therein. 



2. ft, when sold under or by a name not 

 recognized in the United Slates- Pharma- 

 copoeia, but which is touud in some other 

 pharmacopoeia or other standard work on 

 Materia Medica, it differs materially from 

 the standard ot strength, quality or purity 

 laid down 111 such work. 



3. If its strength or purity fall below the 

 professed standard under which it is sold. 



B. — In the case of food or drink. 



1. If any substance or substances has or 

 have been mixed with it so as to reduce or 

 lower or injuriously affect its quality 01 

 strength. 



2. if any inferior or cheaper substance 

 or substances have been substituted wholly 

 or ill part tor the article. 



3. ft any valuable constituent of the 

 article has been wholly or 111 part abstracted. 



4. If it be an imitation of or be sold 

 under the name of another article. 



5. If it consists wholly or in part of a 

 diseased or decomposed, or putrid or rotten, 

 animal or vegetable substance whether 

 manufactured or not, or in the case of nnlk, 

 if it is the produce ot a diseased animal. 



6. If it he colored or coated, or polished 

 or powdered, whereby damage is concealed, 

 or it is made to appear better than it really 

 is, orof greater value. 



7. If it contain any added poisonous in- 

 gredient, or any ingredient which may ren- 

 der such article injurious to the health ot a 

 person consuming it : Provided, That 

 the National Board of Health may, with the 

 approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 troiu time to time declare certain articles 01 

 preparations to be exempt from the provi- 

 sions of this act: And puovided FUR- 

 THER, That the provisions of this act shall 

 notapply to mixtures or compounds RECOG- 

 NIZED as ordinary articles 01 food, provided 

 that tlie same are not injurious to health, 

 aud that the articles are distinctly labelleu I there 

 as a mixture, stating the components ot the 

 mixture. 



Sec. 9.— It shall be the duty of the Na- 

 tional Board of Health to prepare and pub- 

 lish from tune to time lists ol the articles, 

 mixtures or compounds declared to be ex- 

 empt from the provisions ot this act in ac- 

 cordance with the preceding section. The 

 National Board ot Health shall also from 

 tune to time fix the limits of variability per- 

 niissable in any article or compound. 



Sec 10. — The term "food" as used ill 

 this act shall include every article used foi 

 lood or drink by man. Tue term "drug ' 

 as used in this act shall include all medi- 

 cines tor internal or external use. 



Sec 11. — All the regulations and declara- 

 tions of the National Board of Health, made 

 under this act from time to time and promul- 

 gated, shall be printed in the Statutes-at- 

 Large. 



Sec 12.— This act shall take effect ninety 

 days after it shall have become a law. 



appended as a part of \ 8 meet with our 

 full approval. 



A bill should be, in fact will be, intro- 

 duced in Congress at an early day to re- 

 form the outrageous abuses now prac- 

 ticed. Meantime, continue to agitate. 

 Bee-keepers' societies, every society or 

 person who is a producer, every me- 

 chanic or person who is a consumer. 

 every merchant or grocer who is a buyer 

 or seller — in fact, every honest person — is 

 interested, and should do all in his 

 power to consummate the much needed 

 reform. _ 



Plant Sweet Clover. 



desire to interview, 

 names to this office. 



once report the facts to the proper United 

 States district attorney, with a copy of the 



We would suggest amending \ 1, 2d 

 line, by inserting " manufacture, sell, 

 or cause to be manufactured, sold, or" 

 between the words corporation shall. 

 The penalty for violations should be not 

 less than $50 nor more than $100, and 

 confiscation — one-half the fine to go to 

 the informer, when collected. The sec- 

 tions should all be modified so as to 

 simplify prosecutions and render more 

 certain their enforcement. We are 

 aware some doubts exist as to the pro- 

 priety or power of Congress to meddle 

 in the matter ; but properly amend the 

 sections of this bill to prevent the man- 

 ufacture, sale or transportation of com- 

 pounds intended to deceive consumers, 

 theu view them collectively in the light 

 of a sanitary measure, and all scruples 

 will at once vanish. The specilications 



The following extract is from a recent 

 number of the Indiana Farmer, and it 

 is gratifying that their experience has 

 been so identical with ours, as given on 

 page 361, August, 1880, number of Bee 

 Jouiinal. We believe all bee-keepers 

 will fully concur with everything we 

 have heretofore written in favor of 

 planting for honey pasturage, after giv- 

 ing the matter a fair and impartial trial. 

 We suggest that it will pay to plant 

 sweet clover in the East where land is 

 valuable, for the reason that it is a per- 

 fectly hardy plant, requiring no great 

 care in the preparation of ground, no 

 special adaptability of soil, no scientific 

 or expensive culture, nor an especially 

 favorable season ; harrow in the seed, 

 on a waste spot, wet or dry, clay, sand 

 or gravel, hillside or gully, anywhere, 

 and it will take care of itself. In the 

 West, where land is cheap, it will pay 

 to plant it, for it takes no time from 

 other crops. It will pay to plant it in 

 the North, where the winters are long 

 spring bloom late, and frost early in 

 tall, because it gives a continuous 

 bloom in summer, after white clover 

 and basswood have failed in their nec- 

 tar secretion ; and it will pay to plant 

 it in the South, where the summers are 

 long and the drouths severe, for winter 

 frosts and frequent rains are not neces- 

 sary to its development. We doubt if 

 is a locality in America over- 

 stocked with bees, that lias not in its 

 immediate vicinity enough of non-pro- 

 ductive soil to give every bee-keeper a 

 remunerative yield of honey, if properly 

 utilized iu the production of honey- 

 yielding plants. To be sure, a little ex- 

 penditure of time and money would be 

 necessary ; but not nearly so much as is 

 expended every year in feeding to pre- 

 vent starving. More bees die each year 

 from want of honey pasturage, than 

 would doubly pay for the time and ex- 

 pense of providing it. Moreover, the 

 consequent increase of stock would re- 

 pay all expense incurred. At 25 to 30 

 cents per pound for the seed, any bee- 

 keeper can afford to put in at least one 

 pound for every colony. Try it, and 

 try other plants ; try everything. 



Some live years ago we received a 

 package of sweet clover (Melilotus alba) 

 seed from Mr. C. P. Muth, Cincinnati. 

 We did not believe at that tune that 

 planting for honey would pay. Still we 

 concluded to give the matter a fair test. 

 We scattered seed iu several different 

 places, selecting as many different kinds 

 of soil as possible. The sequel proved 

 that there is no soil so poor in which 

 melilot will not grow, and it will thrive 

 under almost any or all circumstances, 

 and in all kinds of weather. We have 

 watched this plant closely for the past 

 three years aud we are satisfied that it 

 is one of the very best that we can 

 plant for honey alone. Blooming as it 

 does from the tirst of July to Septem- 

 ber, makes it of still greater value, lill- 

 iug the gap from basswood to fall 

 dowers. The most ilisagreeable fact is 



