506 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For tbe American Bee JoumaL 



Proofs vs. Evidence. 



.1. E. POND, JR. 



It would seem that not only my 

 ideas as a bee-keeper are criticised, 

 but also my knowledge as a lawyer. 

 If I did not know more law than my 

 critics show evidence of knowing, I 

 should at once quit the profession. 



A few weeks ago I was accused of 

 mis-applying legal principles ; last 

 week a friend insists that I do not 

 understand the principles of evidence. 

 Now, a lawyer who neither under- 

 stands law nor evidence, must be a 

 pretty poor tool, hut does our criti- 

 cising friend understand fully what 

 he is writing about V He claims to 

 have i!^ proofs in favor of the pollen 

 theory against !) of mine. I did not 

 suppose that either of us had proved 

 anything. He offered a certain 

 amount of evidence, but evidence is 

 not proof. 



We prove facts by means of evi- 

 dence, but the evidence must be 

 weighed carefully in order to judge of 

 its value. Xow, in regard to proving 

 the pollen theory to be correct or not. 

 my 9 witnesses that had no diarrhoea, 

 with pollen in the liives. prove con- 

 clusively that pollen did not cause 

 the disease in them. I may not be 

 able to judge of proofs, but I do know 

 that evidence may or may not prove a 

 tiling, depending upon its value. 



Foxboro, Mass. 



For the American Bee Juurnal. 



Obtaining Statistical Information. 



M. nilAY. 



The subject of obtaining statistics 

 in regard to apiculture, may be some- 

 what worn, but I do not like to see it 

 dropped altogether, and so I propose 

 to outline a little ; if it shall lead to 

 any plans which are practical, my ob- 

 ject will have been obtained. 



I would suggest the forming of an 

 association for the express purpose of 

 obtaining the desired information ; 

 and we must make it an object for 

 bee-keepers to report. The time and 

 place to form an association will be at 

 the North American Bee-Keepers' 

 Convention at Rochester, N. Y. Let 

 the members of that association organ- 

 ize for obtaining the desired informa- 

 tion, and then invite members of dis- 

 trict. State and county associations, 

 and all bee-keepers who are interested^ 

 to send in their names with dues 

 (which shall be determined by the 

 association), and take a membership ; 

 thus we will have a sprinkling of bee- 

 keepers in all parts of North America 

 as a foundation to build upon. 



I do not wish to be considered as 

 writing a code of bylaws, but will 

 name some of the work of the associa- 

 tion when organized. The officers 

 shall be. President, ^'ice-President, 

 Secretary and Treasiner, The Secre- 

 tary shall receive all dues ; and also 

 all reports, transfer them to the 

 Society's books, and receipt for the 

 same. The following will do for a 



receipt, and can be printed on a postal 

 card : " Dear Sir :— Your report is 

 received and transferred to the 

 Society's books." The bee-keeper will 

 then know that his or her report has 

 been received, and that he or she is 

 on record as a honey-producer. This 

 is not all. When the reports are all 

 in they shall be listed by districts or 

 States, and a list of names that have 

 reported, sent to each member so re- 

 porting from such district or State, 

 with address and amount produced 

 affixed to each individual name so re- 

 porting. All bee-keepers who have 

 a supply business shall have a short 

 notice of their business appended to 

 their report. Dealers in honey and 

 beeswax shall have the right to take 

 a membership, and have a notice of 

 business and address appended to 

 their names. 



Thus we would get what would be 

 an equivalent to a formal introduction 

 to each bee-keeper who reports from 

 the State in which he resides, which 

 would be one form of sociability, and 

 have the satisfaction of knowing what 

 those around us are doing. 



I would allow anyone to obtain lists 

 of names in districts or States, other 

 than that in which they reside, by 

 sending to the Society a stipulated 

 amount, and naming the State or dis- 

 trict which they wish the names from; 

 or any one may have their name and 

 address listed in any district or 

 State, other than their own, with 

 notice of business appended, by pay- 

 ing dues for that district or State. 



Members will be considered under 

 obligations to report once a year, and 

 besides their own report, to send such 

 other information as may be of value, 

 and also to lend their influence 

 against fraud and adulteration. 

 ■ As a prospectus, I would suggest 

 that an invitation be given through 

 the various bee-publications, for all 

 parties interested to send their names 

 with addresses to some one that will 

 be kind enough to receive and care for 

 them up to the time of meeting of the 

 North American Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation, all such being considered as 

 charter members. 



I would suggest that Dr. C. C. 

 Miller, of Marengo, 111., is " the right 

 man, and in the right place "' to re- 

 ceive and present the names. 



This may look visionary to some, 

 but I have talked with several bee- 

 keepers on the subject— some that do 

 not take publications on apiculture— 

 and without exception they have ex- 

 pressed a willingness to assist in it. I 

 think dues can be made small enough 

 to make it an object for any bee- 

 keeper to take a membership. In case 

 we could only get a small list of 

 names, the whole United States might 

 be listed together. If we can get 

 1,000 names. I would pay $1 for a list 

 —and I have no ax to grind either. 



New Almaden, Cal., July 22, 1884. 





1^ The Northwestern Illinois and 

 Southwestern Wisconsin ]5ee-Keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its next 

 meeting on the third Tuesday in Au- 

 gust, at Leroy Highbarger's. near 

 Adaline, Ogle County. 111. 



.T. Stewakt, 8ec. 



WMfi'f 



Disagreeable Weather for Bees. 



Bees have done very poorly, so far, 

 in this locality. We have had rain, 

 hail, sleet and snow for the last eight 

 months, with, perhaps, one day of 

 clear weather each week. My bees 

 have been fed since Mayl. In fact, 

 it has been so cold that ventilation on 

 the bottom-board has been closed 

 during the season. With the entrance 

 % closed, I have managed to keep my 

 bees from freezing durnig .July. Mt. 

 Shasta is covered deeper witli snow 

 this season than for years, and as lam 

 located within 10 miles of its base, I 

 feel the cool nights quite forcibly. 

 Byron Bryan. 



Edgewood, Cal., July 20, 1S84. 



California Honey at the World's Fair. 



To the Bee-Keepers who winh to make 

 an Exhibit at the World's Fair : — The 

 District Bee-Keepers' Association of 

 Southern California intend to send an 

 exhibit to the World's Fair to be held 

 at New Orleans, from December 1, 

 1.S84, to June 7, 1SS5. The collection 

 will be taken from the display made 

 at the District Fair held in Los Ange- 

 les this fall. I have made arrange- 

 ments with the Chief of Installation 

 to make an exhibit of the honey- 

 industry of California, and I would 

 ask all bee-keepers who would like to 

 help in making a display of our indus- 

 try to send to my address at El Monte, 

 by freight or express, whatever they 

 have that would help out the exhibit. 

 I will see that the material is taken 

 proper care of, and at the proper time 

 sent to New Orleans. All comb 

 honey should be sent in crates, and 

 extracted honey in tin cans, accompa- 

 nied by suitable glass bottles or jars 

 in which to exhibit it. I hope that 

 all will take an interest in the matter, 

 so that we may make a display that 

 will be a credit to the apiarists of the 

 Pacific coast. W. W. Bliss. 



Duarte, Cal. 



Honey Harvest Over. 



The honey harvest for this year is 

 past. The season has been only toler- 

 ably good. I think that less than 

 half as much honey was gathered this 

 year as was gathered last year. The 

 secretion of nectar was very good 

 from June 8 to 23; but owing to the 

 very poor season prior to June, the 

 bees did not fill the hives with brood, 

 and did not have the necessary 

 amount of laborers to secure the nec- 

 tar during its flow. Some colonies 

 were few in numbers, and only be- 

 came populous as the honey in the 

 flowers evaporated. Those colonies 

 will need attention and feed, unless 

 a favorable fall helps them through. 

 The swarms were few in this section, 

 owing to the lateness of the honey 

 harvest and its sudden cessation. 



S. Hathaway. 



Muncie. Ind., July 28, 1884. 



