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AMERICAN 'BEE JOURNAL. 



On important Subjects. 



Interesting Apiarian Reminiscences, 



J. H. TOWNLEY. 



Being indebted to some unknown 

 friend for a copy of a recent date of the 

 American Bee Journal (the first 

 periodical issued in the world devoted 

 exclusively to bee-culture), I know of no 

 way to reach him with thanks except 

 through that paper. 



The first issue of the American Bee 

 Journal appeared in 1861. The late 

 war commenced that year, and its publi- 

 cation was discontinued until the close 

 of the war, when it was resumed. From 

 1866 to 1882, when I went out of the 

 bee-business and moved from Michigan 

 to Dakota, I was a continuous subscriber 

 for and reader of the Bee Journal. 

 The first copy I have seen since then 

 was received this week. Many of the 

 names of correspondents and advertisers 

 in it now were familiar there 10, 15, 

 and a few 20 years ago. Two from my 

 former State— A. J. Cook and H. D. Cut- 

 ing — I was somewhat acquainted with. 



PROF. COOK'S EARLY BEE-LESSONS. 



In June (I think in 1867), after a 

 ride of 30 miles on the cars, and 7 in 

 some other way, Prof. Cook, an entire 

 stranger to me except in name, stepped 

 into my door one morning while the 

 family were at beakfast, on urgent, 

 pressing, business ; business so pressing 

 that he could scarcely finish his break- 

 fast, before it was, " Come, Townley, I 

 have work for you to-day ;" and he was 

 correct. Before he stepped on the 

 ground he had work planned for every 

 moment he had to spare. 



During the six or seven hours he was 

 there, he kept my hands busy trans- 

 ferring all the contents of box to frame 

 hives, starting nuclei, showing the 

 modus operandi of rearing queens arti- 

 ficially, and other kinds of work that 

 one finds it necessary to do in an apiary; 

 and my tongue was kept equally busy 

 in answering questions. He came there 

 to learn, and knew just what course to 

 pursue to obtain the desired informa- 

 tion. If he did not enjoy the lesson 

 hugely, the expression of his face greatly 

 belied his emotions. The pupil then, is 

 the teacher now ; and the novice who 



reads and heeds the lessons taught in 

 " Cook's Manual," will not go far astray. 

 Among the familiar names seen in the 

 Bee Journal is that of one to whom I 

 have sold tons of extracted honey, one 

 whose dealings with me were always 

 prompt and honorable — that of Mr. C. 

 F. Muth, of Cincinnati, Ohio. 



THE YELLOW BANDS ON ITALIAN BEES. 



During the ten years that I have not 

 been a reader of the Bee Journal, two 

 more yellow bands have appeared on 

 the abdomen of the Italian bee. Now 

 there are five, ten years ago there were 

 three ; and 25 years ago, when they 

 were first extensively disseminated, one 

 needed a powerful magnifying glass 

 and a vivid imagination to discover even 

 three on some that were sold for pure 

 Italians ! There is probably no doubt 

 but that, with a long continued and 

 persevering effort in breeding with that 

 object in view, bees may be produced 

 with nearly the whole abdomen yellow. 

 But will it pay ? If one admires the 

 high color, and in breeding makes 

 utility the primary object, and beauty a 

 secondary one, it certainly will. On the 

 other hand, if beauty alone is aimed at 

 in breeding, one who pursues that course 

 will, like many a youth, sooner or later, 

 learn that all else has been sacrificed to 

 fancy. 



That the American Bee Journal 

 may continue its usefulness as long as 

 bee-keeping continues to exist, is the 

 sincere wish of one, who, through the 

 greater part of a life of nearly three- 

 score years and ten, has been an enthu- 

 siastic worker among the bees. 



Ashton, S. Dak., July 2, 1892. 



Removing Propolis from Separators, 



EMMA WILSON. 



When I cleaned the T tins with con- 

 centrated lye, I felt pretty sure that 

 hives, supers, separators, etc., could be 

 cleaned in the same way, but I was so 

 busy I could not take time just then to 

 experiment, so I concluded to say noth- 

 ing about it until I could find time to 

 test the matter. This morning (May 5) 

 being the first opportunity I have had, I 

 concluded to experiment a little. 



I put on the wash-boiler with water 

 and lye, then went to the shop and 

 selected the most badly propolized supers 

 and separators that I could find as fit 

 subjects on which to experiment. I 



