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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



even a convention allows. T am glad 

 that Mrs. Harrison calls for a recess once 

 in a while, when she is present. It is 

 hard work to sit in a public audience 10 

 hours a day and behave well. Essays 

 are not the cause of these long sessions, 

 but the discussions which follow. Per- 

 haps there ought not to be so many of 

 them, curtail, if you will, but do not 

 prohibit. 



Did you ever see a public meeting of 

 any kind, from Congress down to the 

 "town meeting," where a few persons 

 did not do all the talking ? The only 

 exception I know of is the Methodist 

 class meeting, where each one is called 

 upon to express himself. If that plan 

 could be followed at bee conventions 

 perhaps the essay might be left out. 

 But it cannot. All will not talk even if 

 called on. I would put the non-talkative 

 on for essays and let the voluble ones air 

 themselves on their feet afterwards, 

 under a rule that no one should talk over 

 5 minutes at a time, nor more than once 

 on the same subject, until all have had 

 an opportunity to be heard. I do 

 not agree that it is necessary or desirable 

 that everything should be written from a 

 practical standpoint. 



A good many attend conventions who 

 are not specialists. If every thing were 

 planned for the latter only, it might not 

 interest the others. 



Finally, Doctor, will you not admit 

 that we had as good a time at Keokuk 

 with essays, as at Columbus in '88 with- 

 out them. 



Hot featlier M Ttaier Storis, 



' ' RAMBLER. 



I wish to congratulate " the old 

 reliable " upon its new dress and im- 

 proved appearance in general. If the 

 editor after the several poor seasons we 

 have had, has the courage to make such 

 improvements, the bee-keepers, certainly, 

 should also keep up courage and prepare 

 for the grand honey flow that is coming 

 by and by. 



Writing of improvements reminds me 

 that there seems to be an epidemic of 

 this sort among the Journals. The 

 Beview was the first to put in its 

 enlarged form and beautiful title page. 

 A journal so neatly gotten up is worth 

 many dimes a year just to look at. 



The Apieulturist comes next with its 

 bright face, and its characteristic ideas, 

 all fresh and breezy. Our literature 

 without an Alley would be dull indeed. 



Bee-keepers can well be proud of their 

 journals. 



While chatting with you, Bee Journal, 

 I wish to give a pointer to Mr. Bull, as 

 he invites experience on page 810 of 

 last Vol. I would say that my experi- 

 ence is directly contrary to that of 

 Mr. Bull. The greatest and most 

 encouraging honey yield ever produced 

 in this county, was during a season • of 

 frequent and sudden thunder storms. 

 The weather was extremely hot, and the 

 bees were working upon basswood early 

 and late. Several short but explosive 

 thunder showers would come up during 

 the day, and after each, how the bees 

 would work. They drew out in such 

 force that we expected to see hives and 

 all go to the woods, but they were too 

 heavily loaded with honey to move. 

 One hundred pounds per colony was our 

 average yield that year. Give me the 

 hot weather and the thunder storms. 



Hartford, N. Y., Jan. 6, 1891. 



IWilicalionofFonl-Brood, etc. 



R. L. TAYLOR. 



Though I discussed the subject of foul- 

 brood at our last annual meeting, I have^ 

 at the request of our secretary, prepared 

 a sort of supplemental essay on the 

 same subject. 



And, first, I shall add a further word 

 to aid in the identification of the malady. 

 Enough has been written about sunken 

 and perforated -cappings, and the color 

 and viscid character of the brood, 

 having recently died of the disease. 



In the case of weak colonies generally, 

 and of all colonies during the breeding 

 season, some of these indications will be 

 found, if the disease is present, and will 

 furnish certain means of a correct diag- 

 nosis ; but it is to be noted that after the 

 breeding season is well over, a strong 

 colony, though badly diseased, exhibits 

 none of these indications. The cappings, 

 if ever present, are all nicely cleared 

 away, and the dead brood is entirely 

 dried up ; mere scales, almost of the 

 color of the comb itself, lying fast to the 

 lower side of the cell, and drawn back, 

 more or less, from the opening. 



I have samples of affected comb with 

 me, one of which illustrates this point, 

 though the sample is hardly a fair one, 

 as the scales resulting from the dead 

 brood are more apparent than they 

 usually are, being less drawn back and 

 thicker, and rather darker than they are 

 often found. 



