1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



505 



has saved these books for the past 25 years, and they form 

 an interesting library of themselves. 



Miss Emma Wilson, the Doctor's sister-in-la"v, has been 

 his chief helper in the apiary for many years. She was form- 

 erly a school-teacher, is thoroughly informed on all matters 

 pertaining to bees and their management, and could write 

 most helpfully out of her large experience — if only she could 

 be induced to take up her pen. 



Mrs. Miller is in every way the Doctor's equal in good- 

 nature and general goodness. But we almost incurred her 

 displeasure by suggesting that she allow us to put her picture 

 in the Bee Journal with that of the Doctor, as they appeared 

 one day when Editor E. R. Root was there and took several 

 snap shots at them. 



We might write further of our pleasant two days' stay at 

 the home of the apiarian "Sage of Marengo," but will close 

 with a reference to one of the worst cases of robbing the Doc- 

 tor ever had, and of which he was heartily ashamed. 



It occurred the first day we were there. We had helpt 

 the Doctor put more hive-bodies with combs containing some 

 brood and honey on a pile that he had already placed in the 

 care of a colony — perhaps six stories high. But the colony 

 was not sufficiently strong to care for so many combs, espe- 

 cially when some of the old hives had ample cracks and holes 

 that it was somewhat difficult to close up. 



Well, the robbing began about noon, and it was a sight. 

 From top to bottom of the pile the robber-bees just swarmed. 

 The Doctor soon got a sprinkling-can and several palls of 

 water and began to put It on the pile of hives and the robbers 

 most thoroughly. They had a complete and continuous bath 

 for quite awhile. Then a large armful of straw was brought, 

 and thrown on the hive-entrance and wet down. 



Well, the shower-bath was kept up almost all the after- 

 noon, and by night the insurrection was pretty well put down. 

 The next morning all was lovely again. 



Strange as It may seem, tho all the other hives in the api- 

 ary were raised up on inch blocks, not one of them was at- 

 tackt by the persistent robber-bees, and that with no honey 

 coming in. 



'Wbat tbe Union Ought to Do?— Sometime 

 ago this question was askt in the Question-Box department of 

 this journal : 



" What would you advise in order that the membership 

 in the United States Bee-Keepers' Union may be so increast 

 as to make it of the greatest possible good to the bee-keeping 

 pursuit ?" 



In reply to the foregoing, Hon. R. L. Taylor said : 



"You have the cart before the horse. 'Make It the 

 greatest possible good ' to its membership, then its member- 

 ship will be sufficiently increast." 



Editor Hill, In the American Bee-Keeper, in referring to 

 Mr. Taylor's answer, wrote thus : 



"Mr. Taylor is not in the habit of vocalizing his thoughts 

 without due consideration, and we are, therefore, led to 

 cherish the hope that his full Ideas In this connection were 

 not exprest in the Bee .Journal. Hence we beg to propound a 

 supplemental question : How can the Union be made of any 

 possible good (not to say ' the greatest ') to its members with- 

 out an Increast membership?" 



Whereupon Mr. Taylor replies to Mr. Hill's "supplemen- 

 tal question" as follows. In the Bee-Keepers' Review : 



"I answer, the membership of the Union is already large, 

 and Its resources abundant. Let Its officers make a deter- 

 mined and effective campaign, offensive and defensive, against 

 the evils and dangers that threaten bee-keepers and bee-keep- 

 ing, and doubters will fall In rapidly enough." 



We beg to correct Mr. Taylor in his first sentence 

 above. The Union's membership is not large, nor has it 

 abundant resources. There are not yet 500 members, so 

 there can't be $500 in the treasury. As one of the Union's 



officers, we do not think it worth while to begin much warfare 

 with so little ammunition on hand. Adulteration of honey is 

 the great evil threatening bee-keepers most, and that should 

 be attackt next, but surely Mr. Taylor would hardly begin a 

 fight against such an enemy without more than $5500 In the 

 treasury. In our opinion there should be §1,000 to begin 

 with, and a possible $1,000 more to draw upon when needed. 



Mr. Taylor is an able lawyer. He knows how expensive 

 is efficient legal talent. We think he would hardly want ta 

 commence the prosecution of even one big adulterator here in 

 Chicago, and expect to win, with less than $500 at his com- 

 mand. Why, we could name several large honey-adulterating 

 firms here that would simply laugh at the presumption of an 

 organization that numbers only a few hundred members, with 

 an equal number of dollars, attempting to fight their millions 

 of dollars ! 



" A determined and effective campaign" can hardly be 

 waged "against the evils and dangers that threaten bee-keep- 

 ers and bee-keeping " until the United States Bee-Keepers' 

 Union is In a position to back up Its efforts with the same kind 

 of shot and shells as the toe can hurl — dollars, dollars, dollars. 

 It takes money to conduct a war, as the United States Is find- 

 ing out very fast these days. The Union might as well learn 

 that from observation, as it would be compelled to learn it by- 

 actual experience. 



As Mr. Taylor Is not a member of the United States Bee- 

 Keepers' Union, we must conclude that he is one of the 

 "doubters" he mentions In his last sentence. It seems 

 to us that it would be far better for him to " fall in " and help 

 increase the membership and treasury by sending his dollar 

 to General Manager Secor, Instead of staying on the outside 

 and " doubting." 





Against Ants in Hives, Le Progres Aplcole advises the 

 use of chloride of lime In little dishes in which stand the feet 

 of the bench that supports the hives. 



Tlie Department of Criticism In the Bee-Keepers' Review 

 seems to be given up almost entirely to controversy between 

 the critic and Dr. Miller. Both the men might be better em- 

 ployed. 



Do Bees Move Bgss ?— H. Rohrs, on page 381, thinks he 

 has a case that proves they do, but R. L. Taylor, In the Bee- 

 Keepers' Review, thinks the eggs found in that case were the 

 work of an enterprising worker. 



Guarding Against Foul Brood.— Editor Holtermann 

 thinks there is no danger of getting foul brood through a 

 queen, but that there may be danger through the food that 

 comes in the queen-cage. So he would not let the bees have 

 the food that comes with a queen.— Canadian Bee Journal. 



Contraction of the Brood-Nest. — The editor of the Bee- 

 Keepers' Review, with characteristic frankness, says he was 

 wrong In thinking contraction of the brood-nest had never 

 been practiced with establisht colonies at the time of putting 

 on supers. He doesn't believe lu such contraction, but he does 

 believe, as do many others, in contraction at the time of hiving 

 swarms. 



A Conundrum. — The July Canadian Bee Journal quote* 

 the item from page 3oO in " Beedom Boiled Down," and re- 

 marks, "Friend York is attacking a man of straw. Where 

 did Holtermann ever say that Root said so ? In reply to that 

 conundrum another may be askt : " Where did York ever say 

 that Holtermann ever said that Root said so ?" And how can 

 York be attacking a man of straw, when no attack whatever 



