362 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 16, 



the honest consumer ? Do not the 

 above extracts explain why the com- 

 mercial value of pure extracted honey 

 is quoted at 8@9c., while the same ar- 

 ticle in the comb sells for more than 

 double? Why is it that in Europe 

 prices are nearly equal, unless because 

 such immoral counsels have not been 

 impressed upon the public mind? 



Never have we counseled the sale or 

 use of glucose for any purpose what- 

 ever, neither directly nor by implica- 

 tion ; but, on the contrary, our protests 

 against its use have been frequent and 

 unqualified. We have sacrificed self- 

 interest in our opposition to adultera- 

 tions, and suffered much censure, but 

 the most grievous injury we have yet 

 received was from Mr. A. I. Root, who, 

 with his grape sugar record before the 

 public, unre traded, says " we are 

 agreed." 



The Queen-Breeders of Italy. 



On another page a correspondent 

 remarks as follows : 



" I confidently expect to find that 

 'coming bee' by following this very 

 strain (his own breed of bees) ; at least 

 I have more confidence than in semi 

 ing to Italy for a queen to breed from 

 that was reared by an ignorant peas 

 ant for no other purpose than to sell. 1 ' 



While we believe that America.will 

 produce the "bee of the future," we 

 emphatically dissent from the asser- 

 tion that the queen-breeders of Italy 

 are ignorant peasants. From personal 

 observation, and intercourse with them 

 by letter and otherwise, we know that 

 they are intelligent apiaiists. The 

 main reason why we cannot expect the 

 Italians to produce " the coming lire" 

 is because they are more ease-loving 

 than pains-taking; and are too much 

 wedded to old-fogy notions, to accept 

 the progressive ideasof ourday. Man} 

 of them, however, realize the necessity 

 of progression, and are doing all they 

 can to impress these ideas upon all. 

 Italian queen-breeders are by no means 

 ignorant. 



Controversial.— As we take our last 

 look over this Journal before closing 

 the forms, we notice that it is quite 

 controversial. We have a debate with 

 Novice; James tied don with E. L. 

 Briggs ; W. F. Clarke with James Iled- 

 don, and E. A. Thomas with G. M. 

 Doolittle. This is the way to brine 

 out the truth on every subject. To 

 exchange error for truth should be our 

 constant aim. In order to arrive at 

 and settle down upon correct princi- 

 ples, we must debate every inch of the 

 ground. The one who advocated the 

 unsound philosophy is as much bene- 

 fited by the general result as the one 

 who comes off victorious. This is a 

 good motto : "First pure, then peace- 

 able." 



Fragrant. — Mr. Julius Tomlinson, 

 of Allegan, Mich., has sent us under 

 date of November 10th, a very fragrant 

 little bouquet of sweet clover blossoms. 

 He writes : " My bees were bringing 

 in pollen later than the 1st." 



ST It will pay to devote a few hours 

 in getting up aclubforthe Bek Jour- 

 nal. Read the list of premiums mi 

 another page, and take advantage of 

 the fall gatherings to get up clubs. 



Venuor's Weather Predictions. 



We have received a copy of Ven- 

 nor's Weather Almanac for 1882. It 

 is replete with valuable information 

 in addition to the predictions for the 

 different months for next year, and is 

 sold at the low price of 25 cents. It 

 contains 82 pages. We copy the pre- 

 dictions for the last two months of the 

 present year. They are as follows : 



November, 1881, will probably enter 

 cold and decidedly wet, but this con- 

 dition will suddenly, after the first 

 week, give place to open and genial 

 weather again nearly everywhere, with 

 a disappearance of frosts even in 

 Northern New York and Canada for 

 a marked period. We may expect 

 some, of the finest — at any rate, most 

 enjoyable — weather of the season dur- 

 ing this month at New York, Huston, 

 Philadelphia, and Washington, and in 

 Canada our " Indian summer." In 

 western sections the fore and latter 

 portions of the month are likely to be 

 disagreeable, but I do not anticipate 

 much trouble from snowfalls or block- 

 ades this winter until December. 

 .Should such occur, however, it will 

 likely be found that the dates of the 

 disturbances will be very nearly the 

 same as those of the November of 

 1880. Fossibly there may be a period 

 of unusual warmth in proximity to the 

 middle of the month. 



There will be late fall-ploughing in 

 Western Canada and in the North- 

 west, but in the last week of Novem- 

 ber a sudden and very severe fall of 

 temperature will occur generally 

 through Canada, with but little snow, 

 if any, on the ground. 



This month will be marked by peri- 

 ods of balmy and brilliant autumn 

 weather, as in the year 1877. 



December, 1881, 1 hardly like the 

 look of this month, viewed from the 

 present standpoint. (.Sept. 18). It 

 ' looks ugly," and smacks of cold, bit- 

 ter, biting cold, north and south, east 

 ind west, with but sparsely snow- 

 covered ground in Northern New 

 York and Canada, and bare ground 

 west and south. The month bids fair 

 to be cold and dry, rather than other- 

 wise, and this cold may be somewhat 

 proportionate to the heat of the past 

 summer, and extend to extreme south- 

 ern and western points. The entry ol 

 I he month is likely to bring in winter 

 abruptly in most sections Where win- 

 ter is usually expected and exper- 

 ienced. The first week of the month 

 will probably give the first good snow 

 falls of the season in New York, Can- 

 ada, and westward, with considerable 

 bluster, while cold, stormy, and wet 

 weather will be experienced in south- 

 ern localities. Snowfalls will again 

 occur about the middle of the month 

 in Canada and the Northern United 

 states, and during the last few days of 

 the month, again, as far south as 

 Washington, D. C where it is prob- 

 able the new year will enter with fair 

 sleighing for a brief period. These 

 snowfalls, however, are not likely to 

 be as marked and severe as those of 

 the past winter; but. as I have already 

 stated, the " cold dips " look formida- 

 ble in most sections. 



My general impressions respecting 

 the winter of 1881-82 at the present 

 time (Sept. 2."i) point tosome very open 

 and balmy periods of considerable du- 

 ration toward midwinter; early and 

 intense cold at the setting-in of the 

 season, and again toward and in 

 .March ; a rather backward and wet 

 spring, and cool, wet summer, with 

 but few very hot periods. 



®" One of the latest caprices of 

 of Madam Fashion is a bee composed 

 of diamonds, finely contrasting with 

 a pink pearl which forms the body, 

 seated on a pearl-headed pin, and is 

 the latest design for a lace brooch, so 

 says a Journal of Fashion. 



S^Who will take an Apiary Record 

 Book, if we get some of them up. 



l^" We are sometimes asked who 

 our authorized agents are? Every 

 subscriber is such an agent; we have 

 no others, and greatly desire that each 

 one would at least send in one new 

 subscriber with his own renewal for 

 1882. The next few weeks are the 

 time to do this. We hope every sub- 

 scriber will do his or her best to double 

 our list for 1882. 



l^" Coleman's Rural World, of St. 

 Louis, Mo., of Nov. 3, has the adver- 

 tisement of Mrs. Cotton, and an edi- 

 torial notice endorsing her [him, we 

 mean.] After all the evidence of 

 fraud that has been given, it is de- 

 plorable that agricultural papers 

 should aid in defrauding the public 

 thus for a few paltry dollars. 



Sg~ New subscribers for the Weekly 

 Bee Journal, for 1882, will have all 

 the remaining numbers for 1881 free 

 from the time the money is received 

 at this office. Therefore, the sooner 

 they subscribe for it, the more they 

 will obtain for the $2. 



fHig" Subscriptions may commence 

 with the first number of any month in 

 the year. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



(ioo(l Fall Crop of Honey.— The In- 

 diana Fanner says : 



Mr. J. Hole, Butlerville, Ind., writes 

 us that this has been one of the best 

 seasons for fall honey that they have 

 had for several years, principally from 

 golden rod and asters, making it nec- 

 essary to extract from the body of the 

 hives to give the queens room in which 

 to lay. We have received other re- 

 ports of like character from several 

 different localities, all going to show 

 that the yield is quite general, making 

 the prospect for safe wintering very 

 fair. 



Well Turned.— The Daily Argus, of 



Middletown, N. Y., remarks as fol- 

 lows : 



Scientific bee-culture has taken a 

 firm hold up the Midland. The bee- 

 keeper who now kills his bees to get 

 the honey is twin brother to the man 

 who kills a hen to get hereggs. 1 was 

 going to write an article on apiculture 

 when I began this, but perhaps the 

 best thing i can do is to advise all of 

 my readers who are in anyway inter- 

 ested in bees or honey, to send postal 

 card for sa.n i pie copy of the Amerii an 

 Bee Journal, Chicago. 111. They 

 will find it a live paper on the bee, and 

 its editor as line a fellow as ever hand- 

 led a pen. 



Bees in Navarro County, Texas.— B. 

 F. Carroll, Dresden. Texas, in the 

 Texas Agricultural Journal, thus de- 

 scribes the season for honey : 



The year 18S1 will long be remem- 

 bered, first, by the unusual severity 

 of the winter; 2d, by the terrible 

 freeze on the 14th day of April, that 

 destroyed nearly every green vestige ; 

 3d, by the strange phenomena of the 

 heavenly planets and the many com- 

 ets; 4th, by the most, destructive 

 drouth that has visited Texas since 

 1857. On the 19th of May we had a 

 good rain, and since that time we have 

 not had over one and a quarter inches 



of rain, and this has fallen during 

 September and October— nearly five 

 mouths without rain, and the dry 

 weather continues. After all this dry 

 weather, the bee-keepers of old Na- 

 varro have done very well. Many of 

 us have gathered over 100 pounds of 

 extracted honey per old colony, and 

 our bees are now booming. The cool 

 nights have started the cotton plant 

 to growing, and it is now blooming 

 nicely, and furnishes, during Septem- 

 ber and October, an excellent quantity 

 and quality of honey, and with the aid 

 of broom-weed and goldenrod. our 

 bees are destined to go into winter 

 quarters in excellent trim, and give us 

 some surplus. They are 50 per cent, 

 better off now than last year at this 

 time. The increase of bees by natural 

 swarming during this year did not ex- 

 ceed 10 per cent. By the aid of comb 

 foundation, I increased my stock over 

 100 per cent., and sold at least 25 per 

 cent, more in early queens and full 

 colonies. 



Avoid Bee-Murder. — The Grange Bul- 

 l/tin records its views of killing bees 

 by neglect, in these words : 



The preparation of bees for winter 

 should now be the study of all con- 

 scientious bee-keepers. If not yet 

 decided as to how to prepare them, 

 read up at once. Apply the know] dge 

 gained to practice, and be prompt in 

 making all necessary arrangements; 

 for no man deserves the name of 

 bee-keeper, or should attempt to keep 

 bees, who has not resolved with all 

 sincerity to avoid bee-murder. Cool 

 nights have a tendency to retard brood 

 rearing, consequently some assistance 

 should be given to enable the bees to 

 keep as warm as possible. A quilt or 

 blanket is very beneficial to the bees 

 spread over the frames. It is im ma- 

 terial of what they are made. Pieces 

 of carpet, anything will do that will 

 keep in the heat and absorb the mois- 

 ture arising from the bees. 



Curiosities of Bee-Stings. — Prof. A. 

 J. Cook, in the New York Tribune on 

 this subject, remarks as follows : 



What has not been recommended as 

 a specific against bee-stings? Clay 

 wet with spittle, various acids, the ex- 

 pressed juice of certain plants, etc. 

 The last is the following from 

 tlie Scientific News: First remove the 

 sting as soon as possible with a for- 

 ceps, or by scratching with the finger 

 nail, but never between the thumb 

 and forefinger, because this squeezes 

 more of the poison into the wound. 

 Next squeeze the wound till a drop of 

 blood comes out, and then rub the 

 place with a solution of salicylic acid. 

 A trial of the above proves that it is, 

 like most, of the others, without effect. 

 The active principle of beestings is 

 formic acid, so we would suppose that 

 an alkali would be the best, remedy. 

 Nor are we wrong, as ammonia ap- 

 plied to the part after the removal of 

 the sting, as described above, is prob- 

 ably the best application that can be 

 used. A curious fact connected with 

 bee-stings is familiar to all bee-keep- 

 ers. It is that sometimes a stins is 

 much more painful than at other 

 limes. Usuallv, a sting affects me so 

 slightly that I do not mind it at all. 

 Occasionally, however, it is very pain- 

 ful, swells badly, and is followed by 

 lameness for 2 or 3 days. Whether 

 this peculiarity follows from the var- 

 iable amount of poison injected at dif- 

 ferent times, or to the greater suscep- 

 tibility of some portions of the body 

 to the poison, I am not able to say; 

 but this fact, and the readiness witli 

 which some people generalize from a 

 single observation, accounts for the 

 multitudinous remedies for beestings 

 which appear in the papers, the most, 

 of which, are worthless. It is a curi- 

 ous fact that the receiving of frequent 

 stinsrs seems to innoculate the person 

 so that the stings lose their power to 

 produce harm. I have not only 

 proved this lo be true in my own case, 

 but I see it illustrated in my students 

 every summer. 



