THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



131 



liijmM^ 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



Vol. nil. MarcU.m No. 9. 



We Kegretto learn that Mr. E. C. Jordan, 

 one of the principal bee-keepers of Virginia, 

 is unwell — having been dang-erously ill in 

 Washington. He is convalescing now. 



Our Correspondents have rushed in so 

 many communications that we are unable 

 to give one-tenth of them space at present. 

 We have more on hand now than we can use 

 in three months. Please exercise a little 

 patience, and not conclude hastily that 

 communications are refused or gone to the 

 waste-basket. 



As a I^esltiniate Resultof the persist- 

 ent assertions by ministers and others, who 

 know nothing about it, that comb honey is 

 being manufactured by machinery, etc., a 

 turbulent fellow gathered a crowd around 

 him near our office, asserting very vehement- 

 ly that he knew it to be true that comb was 

 made and filled and capped by machinery, 

 etc. — that he had a i-elative in California who 

 was engaged in the business, and had made 

 and sold lots of it in New York. We pro- 

 duced a letter from the bee-keeper in 

 question, and an article over his signature, 

 on making comb foundation, and his adver- 

 tisement of it for sale. This he pooh-poohed 

 —said it was only a " blind," etc. He would 

 rather believe the statements of the religious 

 and secular press, than all the evidence to 

 the contrary in the world. Truly, " Where 

 ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." 



Tlie Christian at Home, a valuable 

 paper published at Asbury, N. T., reviews 

 our book entitled " Bees and Honey " thus : 



It is an exceedingly valuable book for any 

 person who desires to study the habits of 

 bees or the improved methods of manipu- 

 lating them and their productions. Nor 

 does the value of the information which the 

 book contains exceed the interest of it. 

 There is nothing in natural history more 

 interesting or more astonishing than a 

 thorough knowledge of the manners and 

 customs ot the little creatures who furnish 

 us so much of the sweetness. A vast amount 

 of information has been gathered and 

 stored away in the 191 pages ot this book, 

 while the many illustrations help to give 

 clear conceptions of the author's descrip- 

 tions. 



The KeT. Robert Trest, editor of the 

 Advance in this city, two months ago an- 

 nounced editorially that so-called comb 

 was being "manufactured and filled and 

 capped by machinery ;" that a "grocer in 

 this city, who had recently purchased from 

 Ohio 1,000 pounds of what he honestly 

 supposed real honey," was convinced by 

 him in five minutes that it was " made of 

 syrups deftly secured in the comb ;" that he 

 was " familiar" with the place where bogus 

 comb honey was manufactured in this 

 city, etc. 



We publicly pressed him for the proof, as 

 our readers are aware, and labored with him 

 by private letters. Mr. A. I. Root also wrote 

 him that he would "willingly spend $1,000 

 in hunting up the establishment where such 

 an article is made, if it be made anywhere " 

 —adding that " no such thing as manufac- 

 tured comb honey has ever yet appeared " 

 in " any market in the world." Mrs. L. Har- 

 rison also gave Mr. West a severe criticism 

 in the Prairie Farmer. 



Last week we noted the fact that we had 

 received a letter from him, saying, " I 

 sincerely regret if I have misrepresented 

 an honest industry," and promising a retrac- 

 tion in the next issue of the Advance. It has 

 come to hand, and this is what he says : 



"We are very glad to be corrected in 

 statements made in these columns to the 

 effect that honey-comb had been manufac- 

 tured by machinery. We were misled by 

 ^hat seemed to be g:ood authority." 



This acknowledgement is all right so far, 

 and sets the matter at rest, but how few of 

 the papers which have:;copied it, will notice 

 the retraction ? The mischief is done, and 

 it will take more than a life-time to counter- 

 act the damage incurred by such unqualified 

 and positively false statements as were 

 made by Mr. West. He should have further 

 stated that he did not know what he was 

 speaking of— was not "familiar" with the 

 place where it was manufactured in this 

 city or elsewhere, and that the whole state- 

 ment was unwarranted — unjust to the bee- 

 keeping interests, and wholly u?it?-ue .' 



We are thus particular to note the points, 

 not to stir up ill-feelings, but to warn others 

 from making statements that they cannot 

 prove, which may damage an industry and 

 ruin a large trade. 



AVe have a Host of Queries waiting 

 their turn to appear In the Bee Journal,. 

 This fact will explain to some why we cannot 

 comply with thoir request to have their 

 queries answered " next week." Even if 

 there were but few ahead, it takes about a 

 month to get the queries put in type, sent to 

 those who answer them, and have them 

 returned and appear in proper order. We 

 will cheerfully accommodate all, but must 

 have sufficient time to "do the fair thing " 

 by all those who seek instruction in this 

 valuable department. In order to try to 

 " catch up " wo have divided our Query 

 Corps into two companies, and sent a 

 different lot of Queries to each, just as a 

 trial, and to gain space and time. 



A Surprise Party consisting of three 

 sleigh-loads (says the Valparaiso Vidette), a 

 few days ago, visited the residence of Mr. T. 

 S. Bull, near that city. They were shown 

 the apiary, workshop, tools and implements 

 used in modern bee-culture, and expressed 

 much wonder over the habits and instincts 

 of the bees, and were interested in Mr. Bull's 

 explanations, etc. After enjoying a splendid 

 supper, they returned to their homes having 

 had a nice time. 



The Anti-Adulteration Journal is 



the name of a new monthly published at 

 Philadelphia, Pa., at $1.00 a year, by the 

 "Society for the prevention of adulteration 

 of food, drugs, medicines," etc., at 142 Si.xtb 

 Street. The adulteration of food of all kinds 

 (including honey) is so general that all 

 honest persons will wish that Society suc- 

 cess. A stringent law against adulteration 

 of food is demanded, and we hope such will 

 be enacted by Congress, and be rigidly 

 enforced. 



As Manager of the National Bee- 

 Keepers' ITnion, we had engaged a lawyer 

 to bring suit against Rev. R. West, and so 

 informed him— thinking we had given him 

 all the time necessary for a retraction. This 

 is the second time that the Union has served 

 the interests of bee-keepers in defending 

 their rights. 



Next month comes the trial of the raisin 

 growers of California against Mr. Bohn, and 

 the Union has taken a hand in the prepara- 

 tion of the appealed eas% by contributing 

 over $100 to hire an able attorney, affidavits, 

 etc., etc. The National Bee-Keepers' Union 

 is a " power in the land," and is working 

 energetically for the defense of the rights 

 of our chosen pursuit. If the reader of this 

 has not yet joined the Union, he should do 

 so at once. 



Hay and 'Straw, pressed in a strong hay 

 press, are to be used for making hives. We 

 have a model in our Museum from Orr, 

 Rotramel & Co., of Carlisle, Ind. Such walls 

 are non-conductors of heat and cold, and do 

 not gather dampness. They are trimmed by 

 a knife and plastered outside with cement. 

 Hay is also used for building dwellings, 

 conservatories, etc., and it is said that the 

 tenderest plants bloom within such walls 

 during the severest Northern winters. 



New Price-I/lsts have been received 

 from the following persons : 



J. P. Moore, Morgan, Ky. — i pages— Italian 

 Queens and Bees. 



North Carolina Tar-Heel Apiaries— 1 page 

 —Bees, Queens, Comb Foundation, etc. 



Reynolds Bros., Williamsburg, Ind.— 16 

 pages— Bee-Keepers' Supplies, Bees, Queens, 

 etc. 



Sumner & Prime, Bristol, Vt.— 20 pages— 

 Bee-Keepers' Supplies. 



E. M. Teomans. Andover, Conn.— .3 pages- 

 Italian Queens, Bees and Nuclei. 



Will J. Stratton & Bro., Atwater, O.— 16 

 pages— Vegetable Seeds. 



Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. T.— 142 

 pages— Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Plants, etc. 



Lewis Roesch, Fredonia, N. Y.— 22 pages— 

 Grape-Vines, Plants, etc. 



John S. Collins, Moorestown, N. J.— 30 

 pages— Small Fruit Plants. 



Any one desiring a copy of either of them, 

 can obtain it by sending a postal card to the 

 address as given above. 



One of the Prettiest ITIarches pub- 

 lished this season is the G. A. R. Grand 

 March, by V.'iegand, price 40 cents, Ign. 

 Fischer, publisher, Toledo, O. 



