136 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



the quiescent state they needed only 

 honej; to serve their wants ; that they 

 have in their blood and tissue enough 

 albiftninous material to last all win- 

 ter, and that pollen would not be 

 needed. That in animals fat alone 

 serves the purpose of all food, and for 

 a time keeps up nutrition ; that possi- 

 bly all organic food may be converted 

 into fat ; that nitrogenous food (food 

 containing nitrogen) can be trans- 

 formed into fat by a peculiar vital 

 process. That almost pure muscle is 

 transformed into fat ; as an example, 

 fatty degeneration of the heart is 

 given. That carbo-hydrates are falsely 

 called heat-producing food ! That 

 carbo-hydrates are the best food for 

 bees in winter quarters. That carbo- 

 hydrates are used with other food to 

 build up tissue. That heat is produced 

 by vital work. That the albuminoids 

 are absolutely essential in food to 

 form vital tissue. That in all vital 

 action some of this albuminous ma- 

 terial is used up and must be re- 

 stored. That active workers need 

 pollen. That in order to get bees 

 through the winter without diarrhea, 

 when the temperature cannot be con- 

 trolled, they should be deprived of 

 pollen. 



I hold that the nitrogen in food 

 cannot be transformed into fat, and 

 that muscular tissue or albuminous 

 material cannot be entirely changed 

 into fat. That stored fat (or other- 

 wise) cannot as a food serve the pur- 

 pose of albumen or nitrogenous ma- 

 terial. That in fatty degeneration of 

 the heart the fibrin or albuminous 

 material is carried away and replaced 

 by fat. That fat is not made into 

 tissue, is not truly vitalized, but is 

 merely stored in living tissue. That 

 carbo-hydrates are heat-producing,and 

 serve the purpose of fuel for the body, 

 to carry on the vital forces and event- 

 ually produce heat. That this surplus 

 fuel in animals is stored as fat to be 

 drawn upon in time of need. 



I would like to ask, how could bees 

 have any pollen in their excreta, if 

 there were none in the hive ? Who be- 

 lieves that bees cannot have diarrhea 

 that is not colored by pollen ? Is 

 cold or improper temperature harm- 

 less to bees if their pollen is removed? 

 Will not excess of moisture in the air 

 of a hive produce diarrhea y Can they 

 be made so quiescent or inactive as to 

 live until the hive is opened in the 

 spring, without wearing out any 

 tissue V 



The Professor says that bees do not 

 hibernate, are not quiet, but in the 

 ■winter cluster are continually chang- 

 ing from the outside to the centre of 

 the cluster, although this activity is 

 very slight ( page 87, 1886). We would 

 infer then that they do need pollen, 

 although but a very slight amount. 

 Even if they do hibernate, or have 

 hibernating spells (which I believe is 

 all that is claimed by Rev. W. F. 

 Clarke), they would need pollen be- 

 tween those spells when active. If 

 without pollen and tliey do wear out 

 nerve and muscular tissue, will not 

 the result be an impoverished and 

 feeble condition V 



Tissue worn out must be replaced. 

 How much of that material can the 



blood and body of the bee contain Y 

 They store both carbonaceous and 

 nitrogenous food in their combs, why I 

 do they not lay in a supply of one and 

 not the other of these elements, if but 

 one is needed V Animals that hiber- 

 nate store up in their bodies both of 

 these elements sufficient for winter. 



Bees generally breed in the spring 

 before the hives can be opened. How 

 about those with no pollen V If the 

 pollen theory is sound it will live, no 

 matter what is said against it. If it 

 is not sound, the sooner all find it out 

 and turn their attention to real causes, 

 the better for our pursuit. 



Pawtucket,^ R- 1- 



For tDe American Bee JonmaL 



A Bee-Hat for Protection, 



WM. MUTH-KA8MUSSEN. 



If you would fain your nose protect 

 From bee-8tlriK8, don't a veil select ; 

 For my experience with a veil 

 Is, tbat it is too ligbt and frail. 



When, just like some, a veil I used, 



My nose was also oft abused ; 



On one occasion e'en it got 



Two stings at once, which made me hot ! 



A veil may easily take Are, 

 Resultine in disaster dire, 

 And cause, as then perhaps you'll find, 

 A wail of quite a different kind. 



Now, if you my advice will follow. 

 I'll tell vou what will bent "all hollow" 

 The veil and such like institutions : 

 Then you can draw your own conclusions. 



First, Ket a cheap hat, made of straw, 

 (A calico hat is even better) ; 

 Then borrow needle and thread from " ma,' 

 Or if she'll sew for you, why, let her. 



Next, make a cylinder, to-wit, 

 Of wire-cloth, which your head will fit 

 So easy, that it won't come close 

 To neck or ears, nor to your noae. 



First scorch the wire-cloth o'er the fire. 

 Then beat the paint from woven wire ; 

 This makes it easier on the eyes, 

 While bright paint oft the siRht defies. 



Trim wire-cloth q uite wide in front. 

 Full width of face is best. I find ; 

 From thence decrease the width beyond 

 The shoulders ; make it scant behind. 



Join narrow ends to form the rear. 

 Turn in the rasged edge? , both. 

 That they may not your fingers tear. 

 Now make a wide fringe out of cloth ; 



Sew this to cylinder, below. 

 That it may o'er your shoulders fall. 

 To rim of hat you now will sew 

 This whole concern ; and tbat Is all. 



It shades the head, protects the eyes. 

 Admits the air, is coo) and nice, 

 And if the wind a little blows. 

 There is no danger to your nose. 

 Independence, Calif- 



For the Amencan Bee JoumaL 



Regulating tlie Price of Honey. 



GEO. F. R0BBIN8. 



When I hear a man talk about pay- 

 ing 20 per cent, commission, if a 

 grocer will retail honey at 20 cents 

 per pound,or about compelling dealers 

 to sell and consumers to buy at your 

 price, I do not know whether to laugh 

 or growl. I would laugh to see it 

 tried here. It is easy to say, but it is 

 a far difierent thing to do. 



I fancy I hear my brother, as he 

 surveys his growing stock on some 

 balmy, vernal day, soliloquizing thus: 

 " Mares are worth more than horses, 

 and steers more than heifers. It 

 would be better for me to have my 



colts all mares, and my calves all 

 males, and that is just what I'll do." 

 Will he V It would be about as well 

 for him to say. I will sell all my wheat 

 at a dollar per bushel, my hogs at 6 

 cents per pound, etc. The consumers 

 have something to say about that, 

 and it is rigl)t that they should. It is 

 no more reasonable for me to talk 

 about getting my price for honey. 

 I have made most heroic efforts in 

 that direction the past fall, and I 

 know how it goes. It is no use to 

 talk about keeping up arbitrary 

 prices. Whatever may be the efEects 

 of competition and combination, sup- 

 ply and demand do more than all 

 other things to regulate prices. 

 Whether it be labor at one end of the • 

 list, or produce at the other, all are ' 

 subject to the same inexorable law. 

 Labor combinations have bent their ! 

 energies during the past year as never 

 before, to get the labor markets at 

 their disposal, so to speak, and what 

 have they accomplished 'f Nothing 

 but to demonstrate the utter futility 

 of any such expedients. 



The farmers of this country can no 

 more set the prices for their products 

 than they can bridge the Atlantic ! 

 Honey producers are no better off. 

 The season of 18.S.5 was a very poor 

 one. I, with about 1,100 pounds of 

 honey to sell, had almost a monopoly 

 of the trade. I got about 16 cents per 

 pound for it. It was the best I could 

 do. A few consumers would buy 

 honey at 18 or 20 cents per pound, and 

 a few dealers would handle it at that. 

 The majority would not touch it. 

 They could not afford it. The year 

 1886, having four times as much honey 

 and four times as manj; competitors, 

 what is the sense in thinking about 

 keeping the price at the previous 

 year's figures ! There have been 

 many times as much honey sold last 

 year as the year previous, because the 

 quantity on the market has put it 

 down within the reach of the masses. 

 Where one person will buy honey at 

 20 cents per pound, six, perhaps, will 

 buy it at 15 cents. It naturally fol- 

 lows that more grocers will be found 

 to handle it. This theory I have 

 found to hold good in practice. 



To create a home market has long 

 been my hobby, and I have done my 

 best to make it ; consequently there 

 are few groceries in Springfield that I 

 have not visited. At least one man 

 would not deal in honey unless he 

 could get it at 10 cents, and none of 

 them would give over 12}^ cents. I 

 worked hard to get a number of 

 grocers to sell on commission, and 

 succeeded with just one. 



Mr. W., who has sold honey for me 

 on the above terms for several years, 

 persistently refused to do so last year. 

 Some time ago I tried to sell him a 

 lot at 12 cents per pound ; he wanted 

 it at 10 cents. He finally offered me 

 11 cents ; if he could not get it at that 

 he would look elsewhere. I had the 

 honey on hand, and it was take that 

 or ship it, and stand the chances of 

 getting less. I had been canvassing 

 the city, and I knew the state of the 

 market. Another grocer wanted the 

 same amount at 10 cents, and because 

 I would not sell it at that I have it 



