THE AMERICAJN BEE JOURNAL. 



39 



mitlieiin)!: qualities. In short, we see 

 lieve a race far more closely related to 

 the ("yprians than to the "I'alestines, 

 ami. like the Cyprians, they winter 

 better tlian do Italian bees; while, 

 with care, they can be manipulated 

 more rapidly than Italians. Such is 

 the Syrian race of l)ees, which, if in- 

 troduced into America in its purity, 

 cannot fail to (ind favor with the mass 

 of intelligent apiarists. 



I never recommended the "Holy 

 I>and " bee further than the aljove 

 recommends it, and, though I have 

 better facilities for procuring these 

 bees than the Syrians, and can get 

 them at a somewhat less cost, yet I 

 must state my convi<'tion that, of the 

 two races, the Syrian is decidedly the 

 preferable one. I have addressed 

 many queens of each race to Europe 

 and America, and have never failed 

 to mark plainly on each box the name 

 of the locality from which its con- 

 tents came, so that if, in the face of 

 my remonstrances, some have per- 

 sisted in mixing them together and 

 calling them all " Holy Land " 

 queens, I am not to be blamed for the 

 present jumbled up state of public 

 opinion regarding Eastern bees. N^or 

 should the good bees of Syria forever 

 bear a bad name because somebody 

 cliose to make them associate with 

 bad company. For my part I have 

 always called, and shall continue to 

 call, the bees from north of the 

 mountain range mentioned Syrian 

 bees, and to restrict the term Pales- 

 tine bees to those from the south of 

 that range, leaving the name " Holy 

 Land " as applied to bees for such as 

 have a mortal dread of tieing too ex- 

 act in tlieir work and modes of ex- 

 pression. 



Munich, Germany, Nov. 3, 1883. 



[Mr. Benton makes a fine distinction 

 between Syrian and Palestine bees. A 

 glance at the map of Asia will show 

 that Palestine is a portion of Syria 

 bounded on the North by Lebanon, 

 and on the South by the Desert of 

 Arabia. Syria comprises this whole 

 land, but runs North to Asia Minor, 

 and East to Persia. It might be said 

 ■with as much propriety that natives 

 of the United States. Canada, Mexico, 

 or any other Province or Country in 

 America, were not Americans! There 

 may possibly be a difference in the bees 

 of Northern Syria or Palestine, but 

 the bees of Palestine, or the " Holy 

 Land" (as some call them), are as 

 properly named Syrian, as the inhabi- 

 tants of Mexico are called American, 

 or the people of Scotland called Brit- 

 ish.— Ed.] 



l®°The Mahoning Valley Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, will be held in the 

 Town HallatNewton Falls, on Thurs- 

 day, Jan. 24, 1884. As this is the 

 meeting to elect officers, every mem- 

 ber and all interested in the produc- 

 tion iind sale of honey, are requested 

 to be present. 



E. W. Turner, Sec. 



For tho American Bro .Tournnl. 



Premium List for Bees and Honey. 



W. /.. lIUlflllNSON. 



I see by page (>43 of the Bee Jour- 

 nal for iss^ that I am called upon for 

 an article upon the above subject, and 

 that Mr. Clute also desires critici-sms 

 upon the list that he has offered. Be- 

 fore reading Air. Clute's list, I had 

 prepared one whicli I intended otter- 

 ing to the committee on the revision 

 of the apiarian department of our 

 state fair premium list, but after read- 

 inf; i\Ir. Clute's list I feel like making 

 a few slight changes. The premiums 

 offered in the poultry department of 

 our state fair premium list amount to 

 over S300, and, like Mr. Clute, I had 

 placed the amount of premiums in the 

 bee-keeping department at about S300. 



In regard to offering premiums upon 

 the different varieties of bees, I think 

 the amount ottered should be the same 

 upon each variety. As to which is 

 the best variety, opinions ditter ; and 

 it does not seem right that the one 

 who prepares the premium list should 

 decide which is the best variety, and 

 then put the highest premiums upon 

 the kind that he considers best, and 

 more upon the one that he considers 

 the least desirable. Upon each breed 

 of hens the premium is the same, and 

 the same is true of different breeds of 

 cattle and sheep, why should the bees 

 be made an exception 'i 



If we can have suitable buildings, I 

 too, should be in favor of public ma- 

 nipulations with bees, but I am de- 

 cidedly opposed to allowing bees their 

 liberty on the fair grounds, at the 

 same time that visitors are present ; I 

 have seen too much trouble from this 

 source. .Just as soon as our bees be- 

 come a nuisance at fairs, and annoy 

 the public, just so soon will we be 

 obliged to " fold up our tents and steal 

 silently away." 



I also object to the putting of comb 

 honey on a par with extracted honey. 

 To bring comb honey to a fair, that 

 is, enough to make a creditable dis- 

 play, is a risky undertaking, much 

 more than the bringing of extracted ; 

 and the man who talces the risk should 

 be suitably rewarded. 



The classification of honey into 

 " white clover," " linden," and " fall 

 honey," may be well enough in the 

 west, but I think it unnecessary here 

 in Michigan, as we seldom fail of hav- 

 ing some of all three kinds. 



The offering of separate premiums 

 upon honey-producing plants pressed 

 and mounted, and those in bloom, 

 seems to me undesirable, for the rea- 

 son that, at the time that fairs are 

 held, only fall-blooming plants could 

 be exhibited in bloom, while flowers 

 can be pressed and mounted so nicely, 

 as to be almost nicer than when in 

 bloom. 



Neither do I like the plan of offer- 

 ing premiums upon so many different 

 points in bee hives, I would offer a 

 premium for the best hive, all things 

 considered. 



There is just one more thing that I 

 would " tear to pieces," and that is the 

 offering of a premium, for the largest 



yield of honey from one colony and 

 its increase; not but wliat kee-keep- 

 ers would honestly report, but some 

 one who failed to get tlie i>remiums 

 might think differently, and there 

 might be hard feelings, criminations 

 iind re-criminations. Let no premi- 

 ums be offered upon ani/thina that 

 cannot be shown and proved hy the 

 exhibit. There are some things that 

 Mr. Clute has not mentiiuied upon 

 which I would offer a premium, but 

 the list that I append will show what 

 they are. 



I am thankful, indeed, that Mr. 

 Clute has " stirred up " this matter, 

 and that too, in just the " nick 'o 

 time." 



First Second 

 Prem. Prem. 

 Best colouy Italian bees In observa- 

 tory hives 110 00 5 00 



Best colony Syrian bees in observa- 

 tory hives 10 00 5 0(J 



Best colony black bees in observato- 

 ry hives 10 110 5 00 



Note -The observatory hives must have at least 

 two sides of Bias-. In awarding premiums purity 

 of race :tnd numerical strenKth must be con- 

 sidered. Bees must not be allowed to Hy while 

 visittjrs are present. 

 Best and larcest display of full colo- 

 nies of diflTerent races of bees. ..$10 00 5 00 

 Larpeat collection of queen bees, 



alive 8 00 5 00 



LnrKest display of bees under Klass, 

 so arranKed as to be liandled by 



visitors 10 00 5 00 



Larifest and best display of comb 



honey 20 00 10 00 



Largest nnd best display of extract- 

 ed honey 15 00 8 00 



Best specimen of comb honey, not 

 less than ten pounds, quality and 

 manner of puttinw up for mar- 

 ket to be considered 10 00 5 00 



Best specimen e.xtracted honey, not 

 less than ten pounds, quality 

 and manner of puttint; up for 



the market to be considered 8 00 4 00 



Best 1" pound beeswax 5 00 3 00 



Largest and best col lection of honey 

 producing plants, pressed and 



mounted, or in bloom 10 00 5 00 



Larsest and best collection of apl- 



cultural literature 10 00 5 00 



Best bee hive, all things considered 10 00 5 00 



Best honey extractor 8 fX) 4 00 



Best comb foundation machine in (10 5 00 



Best specimen comb foundation — 3 Ofj 2 oo 



Best beesmoker 3 00 2 00 



Best honey knife for uncapping 2 00 1*^0 



Best wax extractor 3 00 2 00 



Best section honey box 2 00 100 



Lari:e8l and best cnl lection of apiar- 

 ian implements 10 00 5 OO 



Largest, best, and most interesting 

 and instructive exhibit, all things 

 considered 10 00 5 00 



Then, friends, as Mr. Clute says, 

 " I am quite willing that this list of 

 mine shall be knocked into splinters, 

 if from its ruins can be evolved the 

 perfect list;" but you must be lively 

 about it, for the time when these lists 

 must be used is close at hand, 



Rogersville, Mich, 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Essentials in Comb-Honey Racks. 



GEO. F. WILLIAMS. 



As bee-keepers are waiting for the 

 coming of spring in order to begin 

 active operations among the bees, it 

 seems to me that this is the very best 

 time for a discussion of section racks. 

 I think that a friendly discussion of 

 those racks in use, with suggestions 

 as to tlieir improvement, founded 

 both on fact and reason, will ultimate- 

 ly lead to the adoption of the best. 

 Some racks are adapted to individual 

 hives only, but to be the acme of per- 

 fection they should be suitable for any 

 hive, no matter how made, and to a 

 frame of anv size. 



