1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1041 



ground again with no better success. The 

 thing was so fresh in my mind that I con- 

 cluded it wasn't worth while to go any fur- 

 ther back, and I began to Vvonder whether 

 I had not dreamed it, mentally resolving, 

 however, to renew the search if I should 

 ever have the leisure. This being Thanks- 

 giving week, I began to breathe more lei- 

 surel}', and to-day I thought I'd decide 

 whether I'd been dreaming or not. I turn- 

 ed over the pages of Gleanings, back, 

 back, back, and — would you believe it? — I 

 never struck it till I got into 1901, and 

 found the thing started April 15 of that 

 year. On p. 431, 1901, j-ou challenged me 

 to find a colony of more than 45,G00 bees, 

 and tried to wheedle me into being a dude 

 by offering me the best plug hat I could 

 find in Marengo if I succeeded. Now, in- 

 asmuch as I can show from p. 579 that it 

 would be strange if some very strong colo- 

 nies would not reach 100,000, I ought not to 

 have much trouble to find a colony of more 

 than 45,000 to secure that hat, ought I ? 



P. S. — How much will you allow me for 

 that stovepipe if I discount 5 per cent for 

 cash? [You have fairly earned your plug 

 hat. When you go to Chicago next, go to 

 the best hatstore in the city and get fitted 

 for a plug hat and send your bill in to me. 

 But if I foot the bill you must wear the hat 

 at the conventions and everywhere else 

 where common folks go. As you are short 

 and stout, a stovepipe would top you out 

 in good shape. But referring to the ques- 

 tion at issue, I based my first statement in 

 1901 on the fact that 9 lbs. was the largest 

 swarm of bees that I had ever weighed, and 

 it filled two and possibly three stories. We 

 used to buy bees by the pound of the farm- 

 ers during the swarming season, and the 

 9 lb. weight was the largest we ever paid 

 for. Of course, a three- story colony in Ja- 

 maica might have a good many more than 

 this. I will admit, however, there is a 

 conflict of statements. I still think that a 

 9-lb. swarm is the biggest that we shall 

 ever have in northern United States; and 

 3'et I believe that a four-story colony might 

 contain 100,000 bees. Say — I am going to 

 camp on your trail. If I can catch you 

 good and square, will you buy me an auto- 

 mobile? — Ed. 1 



_ yrou) Oi/r 



y^ei^hbor^jjleldj 



' By 



5? 



A foreign journal says if honey is heated 

 above 174 degrees, the point at which alco- 

 hol boils, the volatile oil which gives the 

 honej' its flavor will be expelled, giving 

 ing the residue a flat and insipid taste. 



Another journal says it is better to sell 



honey of a slightly inferior quality to one 

 to whom we can explain the matter fully 

 than to market it and thus injure our own 

 reputation, and cause honey itself to falli 

 into disfavor. 



A Dutch journal, I believe it is, says the 

 best system of wintering is that which gives 

 us the greatest number of healthy bees in 

 time for the first How of nectar; and expe- 

 rience alone can decide the matter for each. 



REVUE INTERNATIONALE. 

 In the previous issue I announced the 

 discontinuance of this journal on account 

 of Mr. Bertrand's health. Just as we were 

 going to press, the following came from Mr. 

 Frank Benton, in addition to what I had 

 already translated. I most cordially in- 

 dorse what he says in the following, for he 

 is, probab y, the best-qualified man in the 

 world to speak on this matter: 



This journal has presented, during these 25 years, a 

 vast amount of excellent information on apiarian top- 

 ics, and has had great influence in introducing Ameri- 

 can methods into the various countries of Europe, par- 

 ticularly into Switzerland, France, and Russia, and it 

 will be greatly missed in the future. For my own 

 part I hope that decision of Mr. Bertrand to retire 

 may bring forward some successor who will continue 

 the publication. I am sure that those to whom Mr. 

 Bertrand's journal has been a welcome visitor from 

 month to month will wish him many peaceful years 

 yet after his earnest efforts in the advancement of 

 apiculture. Frank Benton. 



Washington, D. C. 



EL COLMENERO ESPANOL. 



In speaking of bee-keeping in various 

 countries, the editor says this of Chili, aft- 

 er speaking of the United States as men- 

 tioned in our previous issue: 



Although Chili can not be compared with the United 

 States, still it has an extraordinary number of colonies 

 of bees in antique skeps, and some in modern movable 

 hives. This is the on ly nation of America which offers 

 competition to the honeys of Europe. 



In the ABC book will be found a fine 

 view of a Chilian apiary. 



In speaking of Cuba the editor says: 



Cuba also has many colonies kept in the old-style 

 way, almost in a wild condition, as they are found in 

 the forests, and belong to nobody. Those who exploit 

 this public wealth are the negroes, who send the hon- 

 ey and wax to Europe, and thus put up competition to 

 European products. There are many important apia- 

 ries in Cuba using the movable frame. 



In Santo Domingo, Argentina, Uruguay, 

 and Mexico the modern hive is known, but 

 too few in number to attract attention. "In 

 the rest of America," the editor says, " the 

 movable system is almost entirely un- 

 known." Coming to Germany we find, of 

 course, a different state of affairs. We 

 read: 



This country contains '2,000,000 hives of the movable- 

 frame type, so that Germany's apicuUural condition is 

 the mo.st important in Europe. In spite of its cold and 

 forbidding climate it produces annually 18.000 tons of ; 

 honey, the quality of whirh is very fine and white. 

 As it is produced from cultivated plants it has no pro- , 

 nounced flavor. Germany is the country that has the 

 largest number of apicultural societies; and, likewise, 

 has the largest number of bee-journals, as every soci- 

 ety has its own mouthpiece. These societies have the 

 support of corporations and of the government, and 

 they have continual conventions for the development 

 and spread of apicultural knowledge. 



