172 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 1, 



THOMAS C. NEWMAN. 



EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR, 



CHICAGO, ILL., JUNE 1, 1881. 



Another Bee-Master Gone. 



On May 2nd, at 8 a. m., Herrn An- 

 dreas Schmid, editor of the Bienen Zei- 

 tung, died at his residence in Eichstadt, 

 Germany, aged 65 years, after a long 

 and painful illness. 



His name belongs to those illustrious 

 ones, whose research, patient study 

 and progressive thought, have given 

 Germany the unquestioned first posi- 

 tion in the theoretical department of 

 scientific bee-culture. 



While in Europe in 1879, we had the 

 extreme pleasure of having a very in- 

 teresting conversation with the illus- 

 trious departed, having been intro- 

 duced to him, by the Baroness, widow 

 of that late celebrated apiarist, the 

 Baron of Berlepisch. At that time we 

 exchanged photographs, and from the 

 one he then placed in our hands, we 

 have had the accompanying engraving 

 made, and now present it to our readers: 



Herrn Andreas Schmid. 



Little did we then think that of all 

 the noted apiarists present at that Con- 

 gress, he would be the first to be cut 

 down by the all-devouring scythe of 

 time, which without distinction sweeps 

 away the rich as well as the poor, the 

 learned as well as the ignorant, and the 

 savant as well as the peasant. 



Never again do we expect to behold 

 such a scene as we witnessed at that 

 honorable Congress of Austria and 

 Germany. There, though we had hired 

 an interpreter to assist us in conversa- 

 tion, that estimable lady, the Baroness 

 of Berlepsch, escorted us around, and 

 personally introduced us to the leading 

 apiarists of the World, who were in 

 attendance at that Congress — among 

 whom were the late Herrn Schmid, the 

 Rev. Dr. Dzierzon, Herrn Emil Hil- 

 bert, Prof. Dr. Butlerow, of Russia, 

 (who was the bearer of authority from 

 the late Czar of Russia, to confer the 

 order of Santa Anna upon the eminent 

 Rev. Dr. Dzierzon), Prof. Louis Ritter 

 Von Sartori, of Milan, Italy, Herrn 

 Vogel, Herrn Karl Gatter, editor of the 

 Bienen Vater, at Vienna, Count Kolo- 

 wrat, Otto Schultz, and many other cel- 

 ebrities, who seemed knit together in 

 the closest bonds of affection. We 

 shall never forget the parting scenes, 



when many a kiss of affection was 

 exchanged, accompanied by the parting 

 tear. 



It is now 37 years since the Bienen 

 Zeitung was started. It is the oldest 

 Bee Paper in the World, and is pub- 

 lished semi-monthly. Among its val- 

 ued correspondents, has been numbered 

 the Rev. Dr. Dzierzon, the late Baron 

 Von Berlepsch, of Coburg, Prof. Von 

 Siebold, Prof. Leuckart, Dr. Donhoff, 

 Dr. Kuchenmeister, Pastor Kleine, 

 Pastor Schonfeld, Herrn Vogel, Dathe 

 Rothe, Count Von Stosch, whose names 

 are among the illustrious apiarists of 

 the 19th Century. 



It must be admitted that the Ger- 

 mans bear off the palm, for all the great 

 advances in the theoretical knowledge 

 of the bees, made for a generation past, 

 have come from them. 



The following is from the pen of 

 the late Samuel Wagner, our wor- 

 thy predecessor, and will be read with 

 interest as a part of the history con- 

 nected with the late departed: 



In the earlier part of its career, the 

 German Bienen Zeitung had to contend 

 with difficulties. Bee culture had long 

 been a subject of general interest and 

 study in Germany. Various theories 

 had been framed, to explain the mys- 

 teries which its advocates recognized as 

 existing; and the authors and adher- 

 ents of these several theories, clung 

 fondly to their preconceived notions, 

 defending them oft with intemperate 

 ardor. So long as it seemed conceded 

 that anyone of these theories might be 

 true, and all of them were treated with 

 equal defference, the Bienen Zeitung 

 moved along smoothly. But when 

 Dzierzon advanced his new theory, 

 though modestly submitting it at first 

 in the form of an hypothesis, a different 

 state of affairs ensued. The old schools 

 felt intuitively that if this new doctrine 

 be true, it involved the subversion and 

 repudiation of all the subsisting theo- 

 ries. It was at once made an object of 

 attack from all quarters; and a violent 

 controversy, not unmixed with acrimo- 

 nious personalities, followed. Dzierzon 

 defended his theory with great dia- 

 lectic skill, for which his training and 

 large experience in bee culture emin- 

 ently qualified him. Then turning on 

 his assailants, he exposed their falla- 

 cies and the inconsistency of their 

 views, and arrayed against them 

 the evidence of incontrovertible facts. 

 Some of the old correspondents of the 

 Bienen Zeitung began to complain and 

 remonstrate, and finally many of them 

 withdrew. But the truth was rapidly 

 making converts on every hand ; and 

 when Berlepsch, who had vauntingly 

 denounced the new theory, proclaimed 

 his conversion ; and Kleine Orttel, and 

 other distinguished apiarists became its 

 advocates, a new and highly intelligent 

 corps of contributors soon made amends 

 for the defection. The impartial course 

 of the Bienen Zeitung, pending the con- 

 troversy, was acknowledged : its policy 

 vindicated ; and, in its speciality, it now 

 enjoys universal esteem. 



Gig" Mr. D. A. Jones reports that Apis 

 Dorsata has been found in Ared. We 

 shall be able to give our readers the 

 full particulars soon. 



US' Farmers in central Illinois report 

 winter wheat suffering from the chinch 

 bug and Hessian fly. Thousands of 

 acres are being plowed up to plantcorn. 

 Bee-keepers are not the only ones hav- 

 ing disasters. 



*®* The Annual Meeting of the So^ 

 ciety for the promotion of Agricultural 

 Science will be at Cincinnati, on Tues- 

 day, Aug. 16, 1881, the day preceding 

 the sessions of the American Associa- 

 tion for the advancement of science. 



The Honey Market for 1881. 



Although it may bepremature,atthis 

 time, to hazard conjectures regarding 

 the incoming crop and the prices likely 

 to govern the market, yet we feel that 

 bee-keepers cannot too soon realize the 

 situation, and take advantage of every 

 circumstance which may be made to 

 contribute to their prosperity. We see, 

 as yet, no reason to amend our auguries 

 regarding the favorableness of the sea- 

 son and the bountiful honey flow in all 

 the States east of the Rocky Mountain 

 range, and the heavy harvest and remu- 

 nerative prices which will be realized by 

 those who have escaped disaster, or who 

 may be wise enough to replenish their 

 winter losses before basswood bloom 

 puts in its appearance. 



Reports are very encouraging from 

 all quarters, and more especially from 

 most of those districts where last season 

 the honey yield was least encouraging. 

 Up to this time the weather, since the 

 late advent of spring, has been most 

 propitious, and colonies have built up 

 with marvelous rapidity. In most of 

 the Southern States the honey yield has 

 already been unusually gratifying, and 

 the prospect is good for several weeks' 

 duration. In all the Northern and Cen- 

 tral States the showing was never bet- 

 ter for a heavy summer harvest, and 

 with seasonable rains and favorable 

 winds, we may expect results that will 

 astonish the most sanguine, and of a 

 quality that will prove the superiority 

 of American honey. 



In California, however, the prospect 

 is anything but encouraging. Recent 

 advices, both public and private, from 

 San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Bernar- 

 dino, Los Angeles and Ventura coun- 

 ties, are of a somewhat discouraging 

 nature. The blossom of the white sage, 

 relied on for the lightest colored and 

 finest flavored honey, is said to be a fail- 

 ure in many localities. This, in addi- 

 tion to the fact that the California mar- 

 ket was about depleted of last season's 

 crop, leaves but little to be forwarded 

 for our home markets, thus putting the 

 price under the control of our home 

 producers. 



However abundant the yield may be, 

 there need be no fear of an over-stocked 

 market. There never has been much 

 attention paid to scientific bee-keeping 

 in the Southern States, and, of course, 

 but little honey on the market from 

 there, so that however abundant their 

 yield may be this season, it will not 

 approximate anything nigh the shortage 

 which will occur in the Northern yield 

 in consequence of the loss of bees last 

 winter. Honey has become a staple. 

 and now that the old fogy producers 

 were pretty well " frozen out" of the 

 business last winter, we cannot imagine 

 why this season would not be a favora- 

 ble time for establishing a staple price. 

 Why should not our local, district, State 

 and National Societies take this matter 

 up, and discuss it in their Conventions ? 

 Would it not be well to estimate the 

 average cost of production, reckoning 

 also the hazard, then after adding a 

 reasonably liberal percentage for profit, 

 fix a staple price for our commodity ? 

 We fail to recognize any other business 

 of one-half the magnitude of the bee- 

 keeping interest, wherein the producer 

 has not at least a voice in fixing the 

 price he is to receive, or calculate about 

 the gross receipts on a certain amount 

 of business transacted. We take this 



occasion to advise our readers not to be 

 in too great haste about forcing a mar- 

 ket. Europe will not produce enough 

 honey this season for local consumption, 

 and the foreign shipments from Califor- 

 nia will be comparatively light, there- 

 fore those who may have any to sell can, 

 if they will, get good prices. 



From a San Francisco price list of re- 

 cent date, we clip the following compar- 

 ative statement of transactions during 

 the past three years : 



The number of cases of comb honey 

 received were : 1878,38.337; 1879,8,443; 

 1880, 26,782. In addition to the receipts 

 for 1880. there arrived 1,156 bbls. and 126 

 kegs. There was also considerable ex- 

 ported overland, and by sea direct, from 

 Southern Coast points, the exact amount 

 of which there is no data at hand. 



Exports for the past three years from 

 San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose 

 have been : 



By Sea from 

 San Francisco. 



187S 4,»78 



1873 13,(575 



1NMO 7,890 



By Kail from 

 S.F.S interior. 

 Lbs. Lbs. 



518,714 1,254,989 



214,216 



150,806 861,050 



Of last year's shipments overland, 

 720,690 lbs. were sent from San Francis- 

 co, and 140,360 lbs. from Sacramento and 

 San Jose. Receipts since January 1st, 

 1881, to date, 3,865 cases, 272 bbls., 49 

 kegs. Exports by sea for same time, 

 4,432 cases, 199 bbls.; by rail, ex- 

 clusive of May shipments, 119,190 lbs. 

 from San Francisco, and 34,530 lbs. from 

 the interior. From Wilmington direct 

 there were shipped to Europe last month 

 1,139 cases. 



(gg" We were requested to write a 

 synopsis of the lecture we delivered at 

 Lansing, before the Central Michigan 

 Bee-keepers' Convention, and incorpo- 

 rate it into the minutes. We have been 

 too busy to do so, and must ask pardon 

 for its omission. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



(Jueen Bees Sent by Mail.— Mrs. L. 



Harrison, in the Prairie Farmer, gives 

 the following cautions to careless ship- 

 pers : 



Queen bees have been sent by ex- 

 press and through the mails for years. 

 Through the carelessness of some 

 breeders, who forwarded them in bad 

 shape so that the officials were stung 

 and the contents of the mail pouch 

 made sticky by the leakage of honey, 

 an order was issued forbidding them to 

 be sent by mail. But by the interces- 

 sion of some prominent entomologists 

 and apiarists the Post Master General 

 last year agreed to consider them mail- 

 able matter, so long as the officials 

 were not stung or the mail soiled with 

 honey. The requirements were, that 

 the bees were to be covered with two 

 thicknesses of wire cloth, and that no 

 liquid sweets were to be in the cage. 

 Queen bees are now sent in the mail 

 safely to the most remote settlements. 



The Bee Catcher. — In the Farmer's 

 Home Journal we find the following 

 description of the red bird which 

 destroys bees as found in " Audubon's 

 Birds of America :" 



Summer Red Bird— (Tanagra (Es- 

 tiva). — Adult male, the whole plumage 

 is vermillion, brighter on the lower 

 parts, excepting the tips and inner webs 

 of the quills, which are tinged with 

 brown. Length 7*4 inches ; extent of 

 wings 11 inches. It is migratory from 

 Texas to Massachusetts, and especially 

 abundant in the interior of Canada. 



Adult female, the general color is 

 light brownish-green, the sides of the 

 head and under parts generally brown- 



