108 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
marks I have only given you a slight idea of 
what we saw and did and the districts we 
have travelled over, but the pages of the Bee 
Journal shall give you fuller particulars from 
time to time. Wherever I took my microscope 
it was a source of great interest and delight, and 
the preparations were attentively examined. 
I have already told you how hospitably we 
were received everywhere iu the States and 
Canada. All beekeepers seemed pleased to 
meet me, not only as a brother beekeeper, but 
as the representative of the beekeepers of this 
country. I assured them that the compli- 
ments paid to me would be appreciated by the 
members of our Associations here, and I can 
now only repeat my expression of thanks for 
all the kindnesses I received on the other side 
of the Atlantic. Our trip was a very enjoy- 
able one, although travelling is not so easy 
there as here, and one becomes wearied by the 
long distances. Of course, my wife could not 
bear the fatigue of accompanying me every- 
where. Accommodation is not so good there 
as here ; sometimes, in out-of-the-way places, 
we have had to sleep on the floor, owing to 
unwelcome bed-fellows. In conclusion, let me 
say I shall be happy to give you any further 
information in my power, if you will ask me 
questions on any specific points. (Loud and 
protracted cheering.)* 
In reply to questions by Mr. Meggy, the 
Itev. Mr. Clay, Mr. (Jar rat t, and Mr. Lyon, 
the Chairman said that Captain Hethering- 
ton's bees were Italians, or crosses between 
them and black bees. Large honey-producers 
like the Captain raised their own queens, and 
did not deal with queen-raisers , because where 
an extensive business was done queens were 
wanted by the dozen. It was found by expe- 
rience that Italian bees, or a cross between 
them and black bees, were best suited to the 
American climate, at any rate in that district. 
Carniolan bees were being introduced in some 
places, but not largely. It was the practice 
always to select queens from the best stocks. 
All the sales at the show were retail. A large 
quantity of honey was sold by producer's to 
the stores in the neighborhood. The only 
place where he had examined foul brood was 
at Mr. Boot’s. 
Mr. Lyon asked wlmt was the average price 
per lb. of honey paid to producers, because he 
thought, considering the market price of 
Canadian honey in this country, a beekeeper 
over there who only had 400 hives could not 
make a very good living. 
The Chairman replied that the usual price 
was fi •cm fourpenee to eightpence per lb. Mr. 
Hall had a very bad season last year, but as a 
rule he made a good living by beekeeping. 
* The above outline of Mr. Cowan’s travels through the 
States anil Canada, and his narrative of visits paid to 
beekeepers, were delivered without the aid of notes, and 
with little previous preparation, which must be his apology 
lor any possible omissio is or misstatements. 
In reply to the Eev. Mr. Raynor, the 
: Chairman said that Captain Hetlierington 
always introduced his queens by means of a 
cage very similar to the pipe-cover cage. The 
Captain said it would not pay him to practice 
direct introduction. He must make sure of 
introducing every queen successfully. He had 
tried the direct method, hut had lost so many 
queens thereby that he could not afford to 
waste any more time by experiments. The 
question was governed entirely by cents and 
dollars, and every day was of consequence. 
One gentleman he (the Chairman) met who 
frequently tried direct introduction, and by 
taking the precaution to smoke the bees and 
the queen, and thus give them all the same 
scent, had been successful. 
In answer to Mr. Grimsliaw and Mr. Garratt 
the Chairman said that Captain Hetlierington 
used a different smoker to those employed here. 
A fire was lit in the American smoker, which 
sent out an immense quantity of smote. He 
(the Chairman) had been present during the 
manipulation by Captain Hetlierington. That 
gentleman would not allow any of his friends 
to he present on such occasions unless veiled. 
A tremendous puff of smoke was blown into 
the sections, which caused the bees to rush 
down, and crate after crate was removed 
in that way — a work occupying only a few 
moments. Very few bees were killed or taken 
away, perhaps not more than two or three. 
The wood used in the smoker was maple cut 
out into pieces about four inches long and half 
an inch square. Some people, like Mr. Heddon, 
irsed moistened plane-shavings mixed with dry 
shavings, which combination smouldered very 
much and gave off a considerable amount of 
smoke and steam. In every apiary there 
was a! ways a smoker ready at hand. He (the 
speaker) took the opportunity of testing Mi'. 
Grimshaw’s apifuge at Messrs. Knickerbocker 
and Lock’s. Mr. Lock put some on his face 
and hands when examining a hive of savage 
Cyprians. One bee flew direct at his face, but 
did not sting, at which Mr. Lock was agree- 
ably surprised. He (the Chairman) left some 
of the apifuge with several persons. 
In reply to Mr. Sambels, the Chairman said 
that sections in America were propolised late 
in the season just as much as here, but early 
in the season the honey flow there was very 
rapid, and they were consequently not propo- 
lised so much. Captain Hetlierington con- 
sidered seventy pounds per colony a very fan’ 
yield. With regard to carrying bees away on 
the sections he had omitted to say that every 
establishment had its honey house, and the 
windows in these were so arranged that bees 
taken in could get out again. In America, 
however, they were not so particular about 
destroying a few bees as we were, so long as 
time was saved. They do not trouble to re- 
move the sections as carefully as we do, an 
with them it is of no consequence to crusi a 
few bees. Wintering iu Canada is much easier 
