THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



101 



get a large return from this, as a part 

 of the side issue. I have used no 

 sugar heretofore, except in the spring 

 of 1878 to keep my bees from starving, 

 so right here 1 can score another point 

 toward tliat "grand " report, next fall. 



Surely such a " side issue '" can be 

 made a great source of wealth, for, if 

 an L. W. Vankirk can make S800. 

 therefrom, by spending a few days' 

 time from his more profitable farm, a 

 specialist who can devote his whole 

 time to tlie business can make his 

 tliousands. I presume we shall hear 

 no more about specialists as lioney 

 producers, after this. 



Borodino, N. Y. 



For tlie Amerlcaa Bee Journal. 



Reply to A. R. Kolmke's Review. 



CHAS. F. MUTH. 



In reply to Mr. Kohnke's review on 

 page 56 of the Bee .Journal, 1 must 

 say, a review, as the name implies, is 

 the view of a party on a subject of 

 former date. It may show the cliar- 

 acter of both parties, wliether they 

 are practical men, or whether tlie 

 knowledge of one or the otlier is 

 merely of a theoretical ciiaracter. 



Xothing improves our knowledge 

 more than a free discussion, and a 

 difference of opinion serves generally 

 to throw light on a subject. I do not 

 often indulge in literary attempts, and 

 when I d(i, other business does not 

 permit me to dwell too long on anyone 

 subject. I must make my articles 

 short, and avoid repeating. For in- 

 stance, when an article like the above 

 mentioned review requires an answer, 

 I must not postpone it until next day,, 

 because by that time, something else 

 is occupying my brains and time, and 

 the reply would never be made. 



I liave read some bee books and had 

 some practical experience with bees, 

 and wlienever I wrote about them, I 

 gave facts as they aiipeared to me. If 

 I have been wrong at any time, I am 

 willing to be corrected," and if con- 

 vinced, shall acknowledge it like a 

 man, and no iiard feeling will be crea- 

 ted thereby against any body. 



■However, in the " review " of Mr. 

 Kohnke, I fail entirely to see where 

 I have erred, although he counts up 

 " three mistakes," as he states, which 

 sound just as plausible to the unini- 

 tiated, as the great discovery of the ap- 

 plication of electricity on a swarm of 

 bees, wliich was published in the Bee 

 Journal in March, 1880. 



Mr. Kohnke states that, according 

 to my statement, Hilbert's foul brood 

 recipe was .50 grs. of Salicylic acid, 

 and 400 grs. of pure spirits (or alco- 

 hol), which I suppose is correct. If it 

 was not, I suppose he would have 

 given the proper proportions, as he 

 read, like myself, the German bee 

 papers giving "the details. 



He next says that in 1879, my recipe 

 was 8 grs. of Salicylic acid, S grs. 

 of borax, and 1 ounce of water, and 

 that in 1880 I recommended just 

 double that strength, that he waited 

 to see me correct it, and he concludes 

 that I made some grave mistakes, and 

 that he will show that the re-appear- 



ance of the disease in my apiary may 

 liave been caused by the effect of the 

 medicine — that is rich ! If I do not 

 make another gr;ive mistake, Mr. 

 Kohnke has kept •') colonies of bees 

 during one summer (from spring 

 to fall), while living in the suburbs of 

 our city, and if he ever kept bees 

 before, I was unable to observe it. 

 He was certainly no bee-keeper, and 

 he has kept no bees since, which his 

 last letter tells me. In the meantime, 

 liowever, he was in some manner con- 

 nected with Mr. Ileddon, who, I ven- 

 ture the assertion, can tell us that Mr. 

 Kohnke is not even able to open a 

 hive of bees like a practical bee-keeper 

 does it. His knowledge is theoretical, 

 and as such is the fact, he should not 

 liave overlooked important points, as 

 follows : My remedy to use with the 

 atomizer, was and is now 8 grs. of 

 Salicylic acid, 8 grs. of borax, and 

 1 ounce of water. But since I have 

 cured the disease by the means of 

 feeding, I have used the medicine of 

 double strength, and one ounce of this 

 mixture is answering for a quart of 

 food. If the mixture were single 

 strength, I should have to use 2 

 ounces. All of these matters have 

 been duly reported every season, and 

 every other matter of importance that 

 came under my observation. Mr. 

 Kolmke may imjn'ove his knowledge 

 by looking that matter up. It is not 

 worth my time tn do so. 



In my (alleged) mistake No. 2, as he 

 CiiUs it, Mr. Kohnke gives those two 

 mixtures single and double strength, 

 ;ind says : " As Mr. Muth refers to 

 those in his other articles and essays 

 on foul brood, wliich is the right oneV 

 I (Kohnke), answer neither." Tliis 

 leads me to mistake No. 3, etc. This 

 is not rich, .but — well, I leaveit to tlie 

 reader to say what it is. Had I as 

 much time to spare as Mr. Kohnke, 

 perhaps I would repeat every time 

 when occasion offers; but, as "stated 

 above, whenever I am through with 

 one tiling, I have something else to do 

 and think about. 



I have nothing to say about the 

 chemical composition of my remedy, 

 but that it is effective and does all I 

 claim for it. 



The matter may soon be sifted by 

 parties better posted in chemistry than 

 I am. My druggist, whom" Mr. 

 Kohnke, I think, knows, is a good 

 chemist, says that Kohnke's statement 

 is nonsensical. 



No beginners should expect to 

 meet witli the same success as old 

 hands. But, if anybody fails to cure 

 foul brood when employing my rem- 

 edy given at our Cincinnati Conven- 

 tion in 1880, and recorded in the Bee 

 .Journal, and in my "Practical Hints 

 to Bee-Keepers," it is because only 

 the minority of men are successful in 

 any undertaking. If they would take 

 the same pains I did, they would be 

 more fortunate. 



"But," says Mr. Kohnke, "what 

 about tlie cure he effected V some will 

 ask. 1 (Kohnke) reply : A cure has 

 never been effected, but Mr. Muth 

 treated his diseased colonies to pure 

 comb or foundation, and pure honey, 

 by which a suppression of the disease 

 has been effected," etc. 



This is not rich, either, but it shows 

 plainly that Mr. Kohnke never treated 

 a colony of bees diseased with foul 

 brood, and he, very likely, never saw 

 one. It is, therefore, an assumption, 

 so say the least of it. 



There is no better authority than 

 Emil Hilbert, whose articles on foul 

 brood appeared in our German bee 

 papers, and are the basis of my treat- 

 ment, but which appear to have been 

 carelessly read by Mr. Kohnke.or were 

 misunderstood by him, because of his 

 lack of practical knowledge. I liave 

 simplified Hilbert's arrangement very 

 successfully, and I leave it to those 

 who know me if I am guilty of as- 

 sumption. 



I am so little alarmed about the dis- 

 ease that I, last spring, bought out a 

 neighbor's bees affected with foul 

 brood for a number of years, and who 

 used my remedy all along. I had 

 told my old friend that lie would not 

 be man enough for the emergency, but 

 he had to satisfy himself first, before 

 he gave up the bees. His 8 colonies 

 were placed in my apiary, and all his 

 goods pertaining "to bee-culture which 

 I did not take along were burned be- 

 fore I left the i)lace. Three of the col- 

 onies were still affected with the dis- 

 ease and cured during tlie first few 

 mouths of spring. From my friend's 

 apiary, very likely, dated a number of 

 occasional cases of foul brood in my 

 apiary, where, however, they could 

 not do much liarm, because I know 

 how to cure foul brood, and I am not 

 afraid to prove it. 



Cincinnati, O. 



For tbe American Bee Journal. 



Frosli-Made Comb Foiiiidatiou. 



J. W. PORTER. 



Permit an old friend to congratu- 

 late the Bee .Journal on its improved 

 appearance. It is becoming more and 

 more valuable, since the change. 



I can indorse Mr. Isham's remarks 

 in favor of wood separators for I have 

 long used them. The smoother and 

 harder they are the better, I think. 

 Tliey take up little more room than 

 tin. 



As I have seen nothing published in 

 regard to the superior advantages and 

 value of fresh made foundation I wish 

 to ask why it is, foritmust have come 

 to the oljservation of many who are 

 in the habit of using it. To me it 

 seems that freshly made, or at least 

 that which has not been allowed to be- 

 come hard, is worth very much more, 

 and there are times when I would pre- 

 fer even to melt into wax that which 

 is hardened liy age and pay for fresh 

 foundation, is not there .some way 

 in which seasoned sheets may be made 

 acceptalile and pliable V I shall try a 

 warm bath in slightly sweetened wa"ter 

 andlaying them damp in iiiles together, 

 and only cut as wanted in the hives. 

 Can anyone speak from experience in 

 this matter V 



This is a question of great import- 

 ance, for every one who uses founda- 

 tion must at times carry over quanti- 

 ties of it. It is, in my opinion, some- 

 thing that has an important hearing 



