IBQS. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLRNALo 



307 



was unusually fine In appearance, sections averaging very 

 nearly one pound each all through, and many of them show- 

 ing no "pop-holes" at all. Having an opportunity to go 

 through the separator the bees seem willing to abandon, to a 

 great extent, their usual habit of going through the section. 



I should like to have some of our prominent bee-men try 

 this plan, say with a hive or two, and note results. 



Cook Co., 111. 



[As Dr. Miller is accustomed to having questions of all 

 kinds "fired" at him, we sent him Mr. Crego's, and in answer 

 received the following: — Editor.] 



In answering Mr. Crego's question I may take the oppor- 

 tunity to refer to the article he mentions, on page 244, writ- 

 ten by J. S. Scott. One who reads that would be likely to 

 understand that the "Medicine Man of the Marengoes " had 

 advised the adoption of the plain section. I cannot imagine 

 upon what Mr. Scott can base any such idea. I have not de- 

 cided to adopt the plain section for myself, and would hardly 

 advise any one else prematurely in such a matter. I don't 

 know whether such a thing is advisable or not, but I want to 

 find out. If I think I can make money by adopting the plain 

 section, you may be sure I'll adopt it, otherwise not. I suspect 

 there are advatages claimed for it that will not pan out in 

 actual practice, and on the other hand objections are raised 

 that have qo foundation in fact. 



I am confident that the "Sage of Medina" is entirely 

 honest in believing that the adoption of the plain separator 

 a.nd fenoa will lead to material gain ob the part of the comb- 

 tiODey producer. Whatever may be the price now of an irreg- 

 ular style of section, there is no question that if the plain sec- 

 tion becomes one of the standards it wHl cost less than the 

 ■old style. The claim is made that fences will cost less in the 

 long Tun than plain separators. I don^t believe that is true. 

 On the other hand, 1 don't believe that tyhere is ground for the 

 objection so persistently urged that Inexperienced clerks will 

 make such havoc in handling plain sections. I don't believe 

 there's a man who makes that objection who doesn't handle 

 his sections by the narrow part at the top, where the comb 

 comes just as close to the edge as does the comb in the plain 

 ■section. 



At the same time I believe it's t^fee right thing to discuss 

 fuHy the advantages and the disadvantages of making any 

 such change, and I am glad Mr. Scott has spoken his mind. 



AH this is a long preliminary to answering Mr. Crego's 

 ■question, in what particular the plainsections are an improve- 

 ment over the old 1% section, open at top and bottom. The 

 one distinct particular in which they are an improvement is 

 the fact that in connection with a eieated separator, whether 

 that separator be plain or fence, the section has the appear- 

 ance of being better filled, and as a matter of fact is better 

 filled ; that is, the surface of the comb comes out nearer the 

 surface of the wood. It may be just a little difficult for those 

 who have always used nothing but sections with bee-ways and 

 separators to understand this. The older members of the 

 ■craft who remember the introduction of separators will have 

 no difficulty. An objection to the adoption of separators was 

 that they gave the section of honey a lean look. No one de- 

 nied that the section had a less inviting look, but the advan- 

 tage of having sections that were always straight and would 

 make no trouble in packing were so great that the lean look 

 was endured by most, but some have hung out against the use 

 of separators till the present day. Whether the plain section 

 will ijring back the desired plumpness of appearance without 

 ■costing too much, or bringing some other evil in its train, is a 

 questioE to be answered by actual trial. 



I think Mr. Crego is mistaken in supposing that " the 

 cross strips on the fence separator effectually shut up the two 

 sideg of tlse section." In the latest fences the cross strips or 

 cleats do not come out flush with the edges of the section, but 

 cut short of that, leaving a passage-way at the corners from 

 one section to the next one abutting against it. 



Sections with openings on four sides, as also separators 

 with slots made by machinery, have been in use to some ex- 

 tent for a number of years. C. C. Miller. 



Is a Colony au Organism ?— A German Con- 

 troversy. 



BY REV. H. ROHRS. 



The American Bee Journal, on page 151, mentions for 

 the first time of an American bee-paper, so far as I know, the 

 controversy that is going on in Germany as to whether a col- 

 ony of bees is an organism or not, and says that Editor Leh- 

 zen, of the Centralblatt, " seems to think time and ink can be 



better spent in matters of practical importance." Now, I do 

 not coincide with Lehzen, and if the " Beedora Boiler " had 

 studied the question at issue I think he would have made more 

 of this important question — Is a colony an organism ? 



The old school, with Dzierzon, says : The single parts 

 are (each for itself) one organism ; the whole can only, there- 

 fore, be called an organic formation. 



The new school, with its champion. Rev. F. Gerstung, 

 say : A colony of bees is one organism ; the single parts 

 (comb, queen, workers, drones, brood, supplies) are the or- 

 ganized members of the whole. Dzierzon replies : That is all 

 nonsense. 



To understand this question better let us first see and 

 hear what an organism is. Webster says : " A being consist- 

 ing of parts of which the functions of each are essential to the 

 existence of the whole and of each of the parts ; a whole, of 

 which the parts are reciprocally means and ends." A horse 

 or a cow is an organism, for it can and does subsist independ- 

 ently, but that cannot be said of the worker-bee, or queeu, or 

 drone, or any other part of the colony. EAch one must perish 

 if taken from the whole, of which they are only parts, being 

 reciprocally means and ends to the whole. 



Every one can see that the new school of Gerstung is 

 right and Dzierzon and his followers are wrong ; and all their 

 ridicule and desperate fighting has been of no avail. From 

 year to year Gerstung's friends and followers have increast 

 rapidly. Why? Because whoever has tried his theory and 

 system had more honey to harvest than the men of the old 

 school. 



Gerstung has publisht several pamphlets and__books — his 

 bee-journal— Deutsche Bienenzucht— has nearly 7,000 read- 

 ers. I advise every one that is able to read German to get 

 Gerstung's books. By his theory many a riddle Is solved con- 

 cerning the development of the brood, its nourishment, the 

 building of worker or drone comb (the cause of it), of swarm- 

 ing, and of successful wintering. I hope to be able ^to say 

 more of the last thing in the future. Eock Co., Wis. 



An Address to All Colorado Bee-keepers. 



BV R. C. AIKIN. 



Dear Fellow Bee-Keepers : — There comes from all 

 <5uarters a cry for help. Prices are low, and the questions 

 confronting many apiarists are, "Shall I cease to keep bees?" 

 Or, " How and where can I profitably market my product ?" 



Suppose you do cease bee-culture what will you engage in 

 that will better your condition ? Other lines are as full as 

 ours, and the same story comes from all producers — " too 

 many already in our line of business." 



There is not too much of anything produced, surely not 

 when thousands are starving and millions have not any of the 

 luxuries, and millions more have scarcely the uecessities. 

 Were the products better distributed, and had the people the 

 money to bxiy, all agricultural products would find ready sale, 

 and we would be happy and count ourselves prosperous. 



Of all products that are poorly marketed honey is about 

 the worst of all. You have only to compare it with other 

 things to convince yourselves of the truth of this statement. 

 Cattle, hogs, sheep, wheat, oats, corn and other grain, as a 

 rule, have a market — places in nearly all communities where 

 they can be marketed, and usually for cash. I am not here 

 discussing whether the price paid is just and profitable — 

 almost every one knows of that ; but the fact that they have 

 markets and market values. Butter, eggs and potatoes also 

 find a market at almost every grocery, and can be sold at some 

 price in every city or village ; but honey — well, it usually begs 

 a buyer everywhere. 



In apiculture every man Is a law unto himself — produces, 

 grades and packs to suit himself, so that there are scarcely 

 any two lots of honey that are alike — no regularity, either In 

 quality, appearance, supply or demand. We sell our honey 

 wherever we can, and take what we can get, as do more or 

 less all producers. We cannot expect to have full control and 

 get any price we may demand, for tho all apiarists In the 

 world were organized In one united company, there are still 

 the great systems of commerce to deal with, monster combi- 

 nations and trusts whose objects are to control and manipulate 

 everything within their reach to their own profit, the Intro- 

 ducing of our product and getting the people to want it, and 

 the great multitude of things we have to contend with. 



It is just as Impossible for the Individual producer to meet 

 these contingencies as to swim ashore if dropt in the center of 

 Pacific Ocean. The individual producer can do much In his or 

 her own community, produce a good article and introduce It 

 at home, and in so doing help In a three or four fold way. In 



