580 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



A. Curiens Freak. 



In the German Bee Journal, of Nord- 

 liiigen. No. 19, volume 39, I read the 

 incredible but true fact that a Mr. 

 Anton Kremer, school director and 

 bee master in Schroda, Germany, saw 

 on July 20th, at 3 o'clock p. m., on an 

 open space of ground, a drone which 

 was dragged along by a worker bee. 

 In going near to examine the pair, he 

 found that they were closely hung to- 

 gether, a drone and a worker hee ; that 

 the drone was dead and had its geni- 

 tal organs fastened in the vagina of 

 the worker, so tliat by gentle pulling 

 they could not be separated. He 

 placed the pair in alcohol, but the 

 worker was strong, and it required 

 several dippings under before it was 

 dead ; then on recommendation f)f the 

 editor of that journal, Mr. Kremer 

 personally delivered the pair to the 

 Kev. Pastor Schonfeld, the greatest 

 scientific and practical bee-keeper in 

 Germany, to investigate, and he sends 

 word to the above paper that "'the bee 

 which hangs together with the drone is 

 not a small qveen, but a real worker- 

 bee." 



The bees are of the common Ger- 

 man race. The above paper will pub- 

 lish the result of the investigation as 

 soon as it is accomplished. Rev. 

 Schonfeld is in possession of a very 

 great microscope, which the bee-keep- 

 ers in Germany bought by subscrip- 

 tion and placed in his hands. 



Wm. F. Kanzler. 



Fulda, Ind., Nov. 3, isas. 



(ilood Enough. 



My report is as follows : Fall of 

 1882, 71 colonies ; lost 6 in wintering, 

 lost 4 in spring, sold 1 ; balance, 60. 

 Fall of 1883, 11-5 ; comb honey, in sec- 

 tions, 2,300 pounds ; extracted hojiey, 

 4,200 pounds. The spring was wet and 

 cold ; clover commenced to yield honey 

 on June 3rd, and it was of good quality. 

 Swarming commenced June 5th, and 

 ended July 4tli. Fall crop rather 

 light. S. H. Moss. 



Colchester, 111., Nov. 6th. 1883. 



The Thickness of Sections. 



I have just been reading on page 5i>4 

 what Mr. A. J. Fisher says about the 

 thickness of sections, and will give 

 my experience. Several years ago I 

 tried the wide frames, to hold 6 or 8 

 two-inch pound sections, with separa- 

 tors, but I soon found tliat they were 

 fcoo much bother and would not pay, 

 so I have been using a " case " with a 

 bottom in it, though I prefer a case 

 like Mr. Heddon uses. I also wanted 

 to use, during the past season, thinner 

 sections, so that the combs would be 

 built straighter. I have used 8,000 

 sections 4%x4%xl J^. I like them very 

 well, but hnd that they weigh, when 

 filled, 18 ounces. As I prefer 1}^ 

 inches for the thickness of the sec- 

 tions, I would suggest that the size be 

 43^x4J^xl3^ for those who can use 

 them on their hives ; those who use 

 Langstroth hives are all right, with 

 the Heddon case of 7 sections to the 

 foot, 434x43^x15^, scant. If 13^ inches 

 is the proper thickness, the sections 

 might be made 43^x5x1!^ ; the Heddon 

 case would then hold 32 one-pound 



sections, or the 8-frame Langstroth 

 hive. I find that foundation that is 

 made thin enough will sag and warp, 

 so I use guides 1}4 inches by the full 

 width of the sections. I do not con- 

 sider the Given foundation thin 

 enough to use full sheets in the sec- 

 tions ; it will not be as thin and nice 

 as natural comb. I fear it will by- 

 and-by be worth less in the market, if 

 people know it. R. S. Becktell. 

 Three Oaks, Mich. 



(xoue to Florida. 



I came to Florida via sailing vessel 

 from New York to this place, thence 

 to Palalka, Astor, Ft. Mason, Eutis, 

 Tavares, in Orange Co. Built a sail- 

 boat, came the entire length of the 

 Ocklawaha river to the mouth of tlie 

 St. John's, and then hack to this place. 

 I secured 80 acres in Marion Co., near 

 Orange Spring, the only place in the 

 interior that I found honey plentiful 

 and bees common and clieap, with 

 palmetto and other honey-producing 

 plants in alnnidance. Having traveled 

 by water about 400 miles, from the 

 head of Lake Dora to tlie ocean, camp- 

 ing out during the entire journey, I 

 have suffered less from the heat and 

 insects than at the north, with good 

 health since my arrival. 



Jko. Y. Detwiler. 



Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 5, 1883. 



My Report for 1883. 



As I could not be present at the late 

 Northwestern Bee-Keepers' Conven- 

 tion, and add my report to the others, 

 I will do so now. I commenced tlie 

 honey season with 80 colonies, but few 

 of them being in an average condition. 

 I had about 3 weeks good flow from 

 white clover, none whatever from 

 basswood, and less than a week's good 

 yield from buckwheat and fall flowers. 

 The season, on the whole, was less 

 than an average. I now have 155 col- 

 onies in winter quarters ; I have taken 

 9,S00 pounds of honey, mostly extract- 

 ed ; about 3,000 pounds of it being on 

 hand. In addition to the above, I 

 have about 30(J pounds stored away in 

 frames for feeding next spring, if 

 needed. My honey has nearly all 

 been disposed of at wholesale, bring- 

 ing from 7J^ to 12 cents per pound, 

 net ; averaging fully 10 cents net. As 

 1 have been to no expense for new 

 hives or other supplies, it leaves nearly 

 all my income as profit. This makes 

 a fair show for the poorest season I 

 have had in 4 years. 



O. O. POPPLETON. 



Williamstown, Iowa, Nov. 2, 1883. 



Large Oaks from Little Acorns. 



I was much pleased to notice in the 

 Bee Journal of Nov. 7th, the item 

 concerning the good work Dr. B. F. 

 Hamilton, of Terre Haute, Henderson 

 Co., 111., had done for the Journal. 

 About one year and a half ago I had 

 business in the village of Terre Haute, 

 and met, for the tirst time, Dr. Ham- 

 ilton. At that time I discovered that 

 the doctor had an attack of " bee 

 fever," and for a favor which he did 

 me, I proposed to send him the 'Bee 

 Journal, free, for 5 or 6 months. 



My proposition was cordially accepted, 

 and the Journal was sent on its 

 mission of love and usefulness. Short- 

 ly after I ordered the Journal sent 

 to the doctor, he wrote me telling me 

 how much pleasure he experienced in 

 perusing its well-tilled columns, and I 

 relt certain that the doctor was enlist- 

 ed for life in the good cause. I am 

 happy to learn of Dr. Hamilton's suc- 

 cess in securing subscribers to the old 

 reliable, and can only say to others, 

 " go and do likewise.'" There is my 

 1^, doctor, for a fraternal shake, 

 with the hope that one of the happiest 

 hom's of your life was when you be- 

 came a subscriber to the Bee Jour- 

 nal. J. R. Baker. 

 Warsaw, Indiana. 



Bees in Good Condition for Winter. 



I am preparing my bees for winter. 

 I have 31 colonies and the most of 

 them are in good condition. This has 

 been a very bad season for honey ; I 

 got plenty of increase, but only about 

 200 pounds of honey. Wm. Ashcom. 



Ligonier. Pa., Nov. 6, 1883. 



The Michigan Convention. 



Dear Mr. Editor :— May I ask you 

 to call special attention to our next 

 annual meeting to be held in Flint, 

 Dec. 5 and 6, of the Michigan Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. We expect to 

 have by far the best meeting ever held 

 in the State. It is expected that the 

 Rev. L. L. Langstrotli will be present. 

 To see and hear him will pay any one 

 for the trouble and expense incident 

 to the journey. We also expect D. A. 

 Jones, A. I. Root, C. F. Muth, and 

 hope to have C. C. Miller and T. G. 

 Newman. From what I hear, Michi- 

 gan bee-keepers are to be out in force. 

 Hotel rates are to be $1.00 a day. Fur- 

 ther particulars as to programme, will 

 be given soon. We expect to get re- 

 duced rates on the railroads. To aid 

 in this, and that I may know how 

 many certificates on railroads to ask 

 for, will every one in this or other 

 States who expect to come, drop me a 

 card at once to that effect 'f 



A. J. Cook, President. 



Lansing, Mich., Oct. 15, 1883. 



P. S.— I got the date of the above 

 Convention wrong, in a previous no- 

 tice. The date should be Dec. 5 and 

 6. A. J. Cook. 



It certainly seems reasonable that a 

 specialist who gives his constant at- 

 tention to chronic diseases, should ac- 

 quire a valuable experience and a 

 proficiency which should make his 

 opinion of especial value. Therefore, 

 those who have long suffered from ill 

 health, or merely felt themselves "out 

 of sorts," and have failed to get relief 

 from advice of home physicians, 

 should take advantage of the liberal 

 offer of free consultation and advice 

 made by Dr. E. B. Foote, of 120 Lex- 

 ington Ave., N. Y. City. A practice 

 of over thirty years, enables hira to 

 discover at once the nature of obscure 

 affections, and to offer suggestions for 

 cure or relief which are sure to be 

 plain and direct to the point.— Ado. 



