84 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For tbe Americas Bee JoomaL 



Michigan State Fair Premium List 

 tor Bees and Honey. 



vr. Z. HXTTCHrNSON. 



Jan. 1-1, 18S4, the Executive Board 

 of the Michigan State Agriciiltnial 

 Society held its annual business 

 meeting at the Kussell House in De- 

 troit. Mr. H. D. Cutting and myself 

 as representatives of tlie Michigan 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association, put 

 in an appearance at the same time 

 and place. From the mass of corres- 

 pondence and other premium lists in 

 our possession, we " evolved "' a list 

 that we thought best ; the aggregate 

 amount of premiums being exactly 

 S300. 



There appears to be a disposition 

 upon the part of the fair managers to 

 cUscontinue offering premiums upon 

 machinery and maimfactured goods. 

 The manufacturers of this class of ex- 

 hibits bringing them to the fair 

 simply for advertising purposes, and 

 the officers of the society consider 

 that, if they allow space for exhibits 

 of this character, they are sufficiently 

 generous without offering any prem- 

 iums, and it was only by placing the 

 amounts very low "upon " apiarian 

 implements," and assuring the prem- 

 ium list committee that, as a general 

 thing, the maiuifacturers of these im- 

 plements did not exhibit them, that 

 they were brought there by the keep- 

 ers "themselves for the purpose of en- 

 lightening the public in regard to the 

 improved methods now in use in scien- 

 tific bee -culture, that they were not 

 stricken from the list. 



The officers of the society were 

 much pleased witli a project proposed 

 by Mr. Cutting, which was nothing 

 less than the gi\ing away to children, 

 upon "childreus" day." of 1,000 o-cent 

 packages of extracted honey labeled 

 as follows : " Compliments of the 

 Michigan State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation." Mr. Cutting and myself 

 devoted considerable time to the dis- 

 cussion of this subject, but did not 

 arrive at any definite conclusion as to 

 how the matter should be managed. 

 Although we did not feel like bearing 

 Uie whole expense, we were willing to 

 pay at least S5 each towards carrying 

 out the programme, and we thought 

 that, perhaps, the whole amount 

 might be secured by voluntary con- 

 tribution of either money or "honey. 

 I mention this matter more for the 

 pui"pose of drawing out suggestions 

 than for anything else. It would cer- 

 tainly be a" good advertisement for 

 Michigan State Fair (especially the 

 apiarian department) of her" Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, and of her 

 honey. It would get into the papers 

 and go. all over; other States might 

 adopt it, and the result would be that 

 thousands of children would in this 

 manner receive, perhaps, their first 

 taste of honey, and this taste would 



be so glowingly described that many 

 parents would, perhaps, buy their first 

 package of honey. Any plan that 

 will increase the consumption of 

 honey should not be slighted. 



Now let those who complain of the 

 meager premiums offered in the apiar- 

 ian department of their State Fair, go 

 to work and prepare such a list as they 

 think best, and then go in person 

 (this important) and ask the premium 

 list committee to adopt it. The de- 

 mands, or rather the requests, should 

 be moderate and reasonable, and, even 

 though refused, there should be no 

 exhibition of "temper'' or even dis- 

 appointment ; but the next fair should 

 witness a fine display, premiimis or no 

 premiums, and at the next meeting of 

 the premium-list committee let the 

 petition be again preserveringly but 

 smilingly presented. The State "asso- 

 ciation of bee-keepers should send a 

 delegate to present the matter to the 

 premium-list committee. When a 

 man comes as a representative of a 

 State Association, his requests are 

 usually treated with more considera- 

 tion than were they simply private 

 requests. But all tliese things require 

 time, patience and perseverance. It 

 has taken several years of hard work 

 to place Michigan's bee and honey 

 premium where it now is, and*now 

 that we have secured this liberal list, 

 let the bee-keepers come forward and 

 make an exhibition next fall that will 

 eclipse all former bee and honey 

 shows. But I have chatted long 

 enough, and I know that you are all 

 anxious to see the list, so here it is : 



1st 2d 

 Prem. Prem. 



Best colony Italian 'bees in movable 

 comb hive $10 00 1$ 5 00 



Best colony Syrian bees in movable 

 comb iiive 10 00 5 00 



Beat colony black bees in movable 

 comb hive 10 00 5 00 



Largesl and best display of full colo- 

 nies of different races of bees 10 00 5 00 



Note.— Purity of race and numerical strength 

 shall constitute the competing points; and colo- 

 nies must be exhibited in such shape as to be 

 readily seen on at least two sides. Bees must not 

 be allowed to fly when visitors are present. 



Largest and best collection of queen 

 bees, alive S 00 5 00 



Largest and best display of comb 

 honey 20 00 10 ixi 



Largest and best display of extracted 

 honey 12 00 6 00 



Beat specimen of comb honey, not less 

 than 211 lbs., quality and manner of 

 puttinp up for the market to be con- 

 sidered 10 00 5 00 



Best specimen of extracted honey, not 

 less than 20 lbs., quality and manner 

 of putting up for the market to be 

 considered — 8 00 4 00 



Largest and best display of samples of 

 different kinds of honey 10 00 5 00 



Best specimen of beeswax, not less 

 thaniolbs 5 00 3 00 



Largest and best display of honey-pro- 

 ducing plants, pressed and mounted, 

 orin bloom 10 00 5 00 



Largest and best collection of aplcul- 

 tural literature 10 00 5 00 



Best bee hive for all purposes 5 00 3 00 



Best honey extractor 5 00 3 00 



Best comb foundation machine 8 00 4 tK) 



Best specimen of comb foundation 4 00 2 00 



Best specimen of comb foundation 

 made on the grounds 5 00 3 00 



Best bee smoker 2 00 100 



Best wax extractor 3 00 2 00 



Best honey knife 2 00 100 



Best section bo.x for comb honey 2 00 i 00 



Best queen cage for shipping queens.. 2 00 100 



Best queen cage for introducing 

 queens 2 00 100 



Beat bee feeder 2 00 100 



Best machine for making boles in 

 frames for wiring 2 00 100 



Largest and best display of apiarian 

 implements 10 00 5 00 



Largest, best, and most attractive, in- 

 teresting and instructive exhibit, al! 

 things considered 10 00 e 00 



Rogers ville, Mich. 



For the American Bee JoumaL 



Test for Purity of Beeswax. 



CHAS. DADANT & SON. 



Fkiend Xewjian :— We have just 

 hit upon a very easy plan for testing 

 the purity of wax. and wiU give it to 

 you : Dilute water and alcohol m a 

 vial about % water and X alcohol. 

 Then take a small piece of wax which 

 you know to be pure (you or any bee- 

 keeper can easily find such), put it 

 in the vial and add alcohol slowly 

 until your mixture is of the sam"e 

 specific weight as the wax. Then the 

 wax will go to the bottom very slowly. 

 Your testing apparatus is now ready. 

 If you have wax with tallow or para- 

 fflne, and put it in the mixture, it will 

 remain at the top, its specific gravity 

 being less than that of the mixture. 

 If it contains rosin, on the other hand, 

 it will go to the bottom quickly, being 

 heavier than the mixture. 



In testing.you should take care that 

 the sample contains no air, as this 

 would change its specific weight. In 

 testing foundation, therefore, the 

 sample should be thoroughly melted 

 before testing, so as to exclude all air 

 from the inside of the sample. 



This test is cheap and conclusive. 

 There may be a small difference from 

 one sample of wax to another, but it 

 is not so as to exclude the clear dis- 

 covery of parafflne or tallow.which are 

 the worst enemies we have, for purity 

 of wax. We have tested one or two 

 samples which we suspected, and 

 they floated in a manner that proved 

 their impure origin clearly. 



As this may bie of use to bee-keep- 

 ers at large, we authorize you to pub- 

 lish the above entirely in the columns 

 of the Bee Journal, and will be glad 

 if it can be of service in preventing 

 the sale of adulterated, wax. 



Hamilton, 111. 



Eastern New York Convention. 



The seventh annual meeting of the 

 Eastern New York Association met 

 in Agricultural Hall, Albany, N. Y.. 

 on Jan. 8, 1884. Called to order at 

 2:30 p. m. President Vrooman, of 

 Seward, N. Y., in the chair. John 

 Aspinwall was elected Secretary, pro 

 tern. 



The President made some eulogis- 

 tic remarks relative to the character 

 of the late Secretary, ^Ir. Theo. 

 Houck, and appointed a committee 

 composed of Messrs. Tennant, Snyder 

 and the Secretary, to prepare suitable 

 resolutions respecting the death of 

 Mr. Houck, to lie presented to the as- 

 sociation for approval on the after- 

 noon of the 9th. 



Twenty-six new members were 

 taken into the association. 



Treasurer's report showed $20.98 in 

 the treasury. 



The President then read his address. 



The election of officers was deferred 

 till the next day. 



JSIr. Tennant talked at some length 

 on different subjects. He advised 

 more unity in the different associa- 

 tions. That associations should com- 



