1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



269 



ist, not barring himself, who can ex- 

 plain and prove beyond a doubt, that 

 drones originate bv parthenogenesis. 

 No intelligent scientist will confess 

 that he, in matters pertaining to any 

 science, pins bis faith upon some one, 

 or some tew observations of bis own, 

 and say that others are non-intelli- 

 gent who are not of the same faith. 



The doctrine of parthenogenesis is 

 of modern invention, being held forth 

 as a hypothesis to account for the re- 

 production of certain insects, but 

 there is no record of evidence showing 

 that parthenogenesis exists, in fact, 

 in any living creature, much less that 

 it explains the phenomenon of virgin 

 queens reproducing drones. Certain 

 German scientists, namely, Von Sie- 

 bold, Leuckart, and Dr. Donhoff are 

 the originators of the term partheno- 

 genesis, and denned its meaning. 

 Those men fancied that drones origi- 

 nated as explained bv their new the- 

 ory, and the lamented Baron of Ber- 

 lepsch, being in the dark regarding 

 the phenomenon, adopted the hypoth- 

 esis as a fact. 



Either parthenogenesis is a false 

 doctrine or the Creator had no wise 

 purpose in making a distinction of 

 sex. True, if we have faith in some 

 stories, some of us might believe that 



Earthenogenesis existed even in the 

 uman race, but none would be wil- 

 ling to vouch for the truth of those 

 stories, even to uphold the doctrine 

 by them advocated. Of course, I have 

 no reference to the case of Joseph's 

 bethrothed. nor to the 15 other virgins 

 who, according to ancient history, are 

 reputed to have reproduced indepen- 

 dent of the male sex ! 



Parthenogenesis and Mormonism 

 may yet transform the relation of hu- 

 man males to the reproduction of our 

 race, like the relation of the drone to 

 the bee species. I hope that some 

 Professor will deign to write an essay 

 on this subject. 

 Richford, N. Y., Aug. 15, 1881. 



Mr. Sherman further says," assertions 



do not satisty." Where does he find 

 any assertions of mine as to what 

 causes dysentery? I have, from the 

 first, called the bacteria theory only a 

 hypothesis, and said it was the only 

 theory that would admit of all the 

 effect we had experienced and heard 

 reported. We had all heard of thin 

 honey and fall honey as causes, and 

 our experiences and observations had 

 convinced us to the contrary. We 

 knew bees had wintered in damp re- 

 positories, where " the combs were all 

 moldy" (I quote Mr. Balch. of Kala- 

 mazoo), and died in dry ones, where 

 all was dry and an even temperature 

 existed ; that they had come through 

 in fine condition out-of-doors, during 

 damp winters. where the combs molded 

 liadlv, and had all died in some apiaries 

 in seasons just the opposite ; thatsome 

 lived while others died, only a few 

 miles apart, where the winter was the 

 same, and honey in the same condition 

 as far as thinness was concerned. 

 Dowagiac, Mich. 



ting queens run right into aqueenless 

 colony, and certainly it is 99 times the 

 safest. 

 Sussex, Wis., Aug. 5, 1881. 



Convention in Nebraska. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Introducing Queens with Safety. 



T. E. TURNER. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bacteria, a Cause of Loss in Winter. 



TAMES HEDDON. 



In the Bee Journal of June 15, 

 Mr. J. O. Sherman wants to know why 

 some scientific " beeist" does not give 

 us the proof, if it is bacteria that kills 

 our bees. First, the theory or suppo- 

 sition, and then the demonstration. 

 How long did bacteria produce itch, 

 diphtheria, etc., before the scientist 

 guessed (from symptoms) the true 

 cause, and then how long was it till 

 he demonstrated the truth of the 

 guess ? Imagination is the parent of 

 nearly all practical inventions and dis- 

 coveries. I wish to say here, that thin 

 honey is not the main great cause of 

 dysentery, for often have I known 

 colonies to die early, when apparently 

 none butthebestof stores were theirs. 

 Again, I had my large apiary of 375 

 colonies nearly all winter safely, with 

 considerable cider honey in each hive. 

 We have many credible reports where 

 bees all died, with none but sealed, 

 thick honey ; I have bad colonies die 

 with dysentery in its worst form, ere 

 winter bad fairly began, where their 

 honey was, apparently, first class. 



Mr. Sherman says, " nearly all ad- 

 mit" that bees can endure long con- 

 finement if the honey is thick and in 

 good condition. In nearly every re- 

 pository, or out-of-doors, as soon as a 

 colony is dead, dampness accumulates 

 in the hive, an effect— not a cause— of 

 the death of the bees. If the causes 

 Mr. Sherman ascribes are the true 

 ones, why is there such a difference in 

 the success of apiaries only a few miles 

 apart? Why cannot you go about in 

 the fall and select the hives where the 

 bees are going to die ? I thought that 

 the winter problem was still unsettled, 

 not "admitted." This thin-honey 

 theory came up, was advocated, and 

 let drop, some years ago, as the Bee 

 Journal shows. We believed that 

 dysentery had one cause ; we knew 

 that it raged in its worst form where 

 no thin or sour honey was present. Of 

 course we dropped this seeming cause. 



I write on introducing queens in 2 

 hours' time, for the benefit of those 

 who purchase queens and are doubtful 

 of successful introduction. When an 

 apiarist has purchased a fine queen, at 

 a cost of from $2 to $20, it is a matter 

 of some interest to him to know how 

 to introduce her to a colony with 

 safety. Different writers have given 

 their methods, and in works on the 

 apiary we find several described ; the 

 one I have adopted as the safest and 

 quickest is an old one with variations. 

 When vour queen has arrived, 

 which should be in warm weather if 

 at all possible, take a frame of brood 

 just hatching from each of a number 

 of colonies, as yon may choose to in- 

 troduce your queen to a large or small 

 colony, and place them in a new hive 

 on a new stand. Get combs of brood 

 and bees from colonies that have no 

 queens, or that have virgin queens 

 where there are no eggs, if possible. 



Then let the bees in the new queen- 

 less colony stand 2 hours, with the en- 

 trance open, in the middle of the day 

 when bees are working busily. When 

 the old bees will have gone back to 

 the colony from which they were 

 taken, the cage or shipping box con- 

 taining the qiieen may be opened and 

 placed inside the hive prepared for 

 her, with the edge of the box open 

 against one of the combs, and she will 

 leave the box or cage at her leisure, 

 and go on the combs among the young 

 bees unmolested. 



If it is desired to make the intro- 

 duction of your queen doubly sure, 

 shake or brush off all the bees from 

 each comb into or in front of the hive 

 from which taken , and place the combs 

 of brood alone in the new hive. Let 

 them stand for 2 hours, when there 

 will be quite a cluster of young bees 

 hatched out, among which your val- 

 uable queen may be allowed to crawl 

 unharmed. 



This is the safest and quickest 

 method that I have ever tried. The 

 plan of caging a queen for 48 hours 

 between combs or on a comb I have 

 found to be unsafe and tedious. On 

 one occasion I caged a valuable queen 

 on a comb in a hive containing old 

 bees for 48 hours, and released her to 

 have her balled up and only saved her 

 from being stung to death by a vio- 

 lent smoking and driving of the bees 

 backwards and forwards through the 

 hive. The 2 hour method may not be 

 a success in the hands of some, in 

 every case, but so far I have not failed 

 with it in one instance, and I have in- 

 troduced a number of queens in this 

 way. I have had some failures in all 

 other methods, but have never failed 

 by this plan, and, all things con- 

 sidered, this 2 hour method appears to 

 be the only positively safe way of in- 

 troducing queens. It is only 2 hours 

 and the time spent, in preparing the 

 hive, behind A. I. Root's plan of let- 



A meeting of the Nebraska State 

 Bee Keepers' Association will be held 

 in Omaha. Friday night, Sept. 16, 1881 , 

 to consider wintering reports and the 

 best method of wintering, and such 

 other business as may demand their 

 attention. T. S. Vandorn, Pres. 



Geo. M. Hawley, Sec. 



I append a copy of the premium list 

 of our State Fair. A cordial invitation 

 is extended to all to participate in the 

 exhibit. 



Best comb honey, not less than 20 

 pounds, crated, and in single-comb 

 sections weighing not less than 2 

 pounds each, 1st premium, $10; 2d 

 premium, $5. 



Best gallon extracted honey, limited 

 to competitors producing their own 

 honey in Nebraska during the year 

 1881, 1st premium, $5 ; 2d, $3. 



Best colony of Italian, Cyprian, or 

 Syrian bees, or cross of either, 1st pre- 

 mium, $10; 2d, $5. 



The test of colonies to be net gam 

 in stores during the two weeks pre- 

 ceding the day of examination. Each 

 hive to be weighed, recorded and 

 sealed at the commencement and 

 again at the end of the trial. No col- 

 ony admitted not possessing the ordi- 

 nary amiability of pure Italians. 



Best exhibit of brood and surplus 

 comb foundation fully or partly drawn 

 out. $5. . 



Best exhibit of apiarian implements 

 and supplies, 1st premium, $10; 2d, $5. 



Best display of honey in marketable 

 shape, $5. G. M. Hawley. 



Read before the S. W. Wis. Convention. 



Essays, and their Advantages. 



EDWIN FRANCE. 



must work, think, talk and write. If 

 there is anything we do not under- 

 stand, that is the very point we should 



Write upon. for. if we do ourselves 

 justice, we will post up on that point, 

 in fact, we want to post up on every 

 point in the business. 



Let no one try to excuse himself on 

 the ground of inability. Some say: 

 "I can't write anything; there are 

 others that can do better, and if I do 

 write, I am just as likely to say some- 

 thing wrong as right." If that is the 

 case, by all means say it; say it be- 

 fore the meeting, for if you are wrong 

 very likely some of the members can 

 correct you, and put you on the right 

 track. The sooner you are corrected, 

 the better for you. 



I want all to criticize me just as 

 closely as they can. If I say something 

 you do not understand, ask for an ex- 

 planation, or, if you cannot agree with 

 me, say so. and let us talk the matter 

 over. Perhaps I am wrong ; if so, I 

 want to be corrected. We can learn a 

 great deal from one another, in fact, 

 we can learn a great deal from mis- 

 takes made in bee-keeping, as well as 

 any other matter. I think we should 

 establish a question box ; that is, if 

 anyone has questions to answer or be 

 answered.letthem write each question 

 on a slip of paper and band it to the 

 Secretary to be read and answered by 

 any member. If it will take too long 

 to explain now.have it assigned to some 

 one to answer at our next meeting. 



As we can gain knowledge by obser- 

 vation, we should closely watch every- 

 thing belonging to the bee business. 

 If we lose a colony of bees try and 

 find out why it was lost, make a record 

 of it, and bring the report to the meet- 

 ing and let us all know about it, so 

 that we can be prepared to avoid a 

 similar loss. 



I often find, while working with 

 bees, that I get an idea clearly dem- 

 onstrated, and if I do notnote itdown 

 it is soon forgotten and lost. There- 

 fore, I think it would be a great help 

 if everyone would write down and 

 bring to the meeting such things as 

 they may think of from time to time. 

 Either in. the way of questions or im- 

 provements, let no good idea be lost, 

 for we need all the help we can get. 

 Platteville, Wis. 



I find it difficult to get members of 

 bee-keepers' societies to write essays 

 for conventions. There is always 

 some excuse— no time, not posted, no 

 experience, some one else can do bet- 

 Let me ask, are bee-keepers' asso- 

 ciations profitable, or likely to be V I 

 think we can all profit by them if 

 we do our part. We get together to 

 talk over matters belonging to the 

 bee business, and, as our time together 

 is short, it is important that we come 

 right to the point on everything, and 

 we want to take up as many of the 

 most important points as our time will 

 admit. Now, I think it is important 

 that every member have some point 

 assigned to him, and let him post up 

 and gather together all the evidence 

 he can bearing on that point, and 

 write it down to be read at the next 

 meeting. Should it happen that he 

 cannot come, he can send it to be read. 

 There is no member that will be so 

 much benefitted by it as the one that 

 writes the essay, because, if I write 

 on any subject I have to think and 

 post myself on it, and call to mind 

 many things that I would not other- 

 wise have thought of ; 1 shall examine 

 the bee-papers and think over my past 

 experience in that direction. In that 

 way I shall, perhaps, find many things 

 to remind me of something that I 

 ought to do, that will be a benefit to 

 me. If we ever make the business a 

 success we must think— we must study 

 all the wants and habits of the bee. 

 There are many things to be thought 

 of, and I know of no way that will in- 

 duce us to think on any subject as 

 much as to write on it, and one is 

 more likely to remember an idea if it 

 is brought out by hard study, espe- 

 cially if written down. If we make 

 bee-keepers' associations a success we 



Bee-Keepers' Union.— The Eastern 

 New York Bee-Keepers' Union Asso- 

 ciation, will hold their eighth semi- 

 annual Convention on Tuesday, Sept. 

 27, 1881, at 10 a. m., at Knowersville, 

 N. Y. All bee-keepers are invited to 

 attend. W. D. Wright, Pres. 



N. D. West, Sec. 



®*The Southern California Dis- 

 trict Bee-Keepers' Association will 

 hold its annual meeting in Los Angeles 

 City, Sept. 8, 9, and 10, 1881. All per- 

 sons interested in bees and honey are 

 respectfully invited to attend. 



J. E. Pleasants, Pres. 



Anaheim, Cal. 



l^" The Northwestern Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will meet in Chicago, on 

 Tuesday and Wednesday, October 25 

 and 26. All bee-keepers are cordially 

 invited to attend. It is desired to 

 make this one of the most interesting 

 conventions ever held in the United 

 States. C. C. Miller, M. D., Pres. 



C. C. COFFINBERRY, StC. 



<®° The Eastern Michigan bee-keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its fall meet- 

 ing in Detroit, Oct. 4, in the Y. M. C. 

 A. hall, at 10 o'clock a. m. 



A. B. Weed, Sec. 



^g" The Southwestern Wisconsin 

 Bee- Keepers' Association will hold its 

 next meetingin Platteville, GrantCo., 

 Wis.. Nov. 30, 1881. 



N. E. France, Sec, Platteville, Wis. 



igyThe Northwestern Illinois and 

 Southwestern Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its next meeting 

 Aug. 30, at Rock City, Stephenson Co., 

 111. Jonathan Stewart, Sec. 



