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[Illustration:
ESTABLISHED IN OLDEST BEE-PAPER
1861 IN AMERICA
THE AMERICAN
BEE JOURNAL
Weekly, $1 a Year.} DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY {Sample Copy Free.
TO BEE-CULTURE.
VOL. XXXIII. CHICAGO, ILL., JAN. 25, 1894. NO. 4.
]
[Illustration: EDITORIAL
GEORGE W YORK. EDITOR]
=Beeswax=, so it is said, is formed by one equivalent of starch
changed into fat by losing one equivalent of carbonic acid and seven
equivalents of oxygen.
=The Ohio Convention= will be omitted this winter. So we are informed
by Miss Dema Bennett, the Secretary of the association. She says that
the Executive Committee has so decided, but will hold one next winter.
Due notice of time and place will be given in the BEE JOURNAL.
=Bro. Geo. W. Brodbeck=, of Los Angeles, Calif., has been appointed
chairman of a committee to secure and put in place the bee and honey
exhibit at the Midwinter Fair now being held in San Francisco.
It is proposed that a "honey pyramid," consisting of comb and extracted
honey, be built, six feet square at the base, and 15 feet high. It is
thought that 1,500 pounds will be required, and that this will exceed
the famous Egyptian pyramids—in sweetness.
California bee-keepers are invited to help make the display, which, no
doubt, they will do in a handsome manner.
=Bro. G. M. Doolittle= is writing a series of semi-political articles
for the _Free Press_ of Skaneateles, N. Y. The first is on "The Tariff
Wrong in Principle." Another will be on "The Tariff for Protection
Wrong;" the next on "The Tariff for Revenue Wrong;" then will come two
articles on "The Liquor Traffic," which will probably be followed by
one on the financial situation of our country. If the reader desires
to see all these articles, send 25 cents to the _Free Press_ for
three months subscription, asking the publisher to begin with Bro.
Doolittle's first article, then you will have them all. For ourselves,
we can say that we are always interested in what Bro. Doolittle may
have to say, whether it be on bee-keeping, or anything else.
☞ Bees never puncture fruit, and unless the skin has been broken by
other insects or birds, they never molest it.—_Newman._
=Basis of Honey-Predictions.=—Finally, we think we have learned upon
what basis certain honey-prophets base their prophecies about honey
crops. It appears to be something like this:
The more rain and snow in November and December, the more honey there
will be the following season; and if there is no rain or snow in the
two months mentioned, there will be no honey.
The predictions are made upon the reports of the State Weather Bureaus,
or the Weather Bureau reports in Washington, D. C. All who wish to test
the reliability of such a basis for a honey-prediction, should get the
weather reports, and begin to foretell for themselves, and thus not be
required to await the movements of some so-called "honey-prophet."
We believe the above rule for prophesying is for linden, sourwood, and
white clover honey.
Who knows but this may be the secret to which the Tennessee
honey-prophet, Sam Wilson, has been so tenaciously hanging on? We
shouldn't be a bit surprised if it should prove to be that very secret.
If so, every bee-keeper can now be his own "honey-prophet"—whether he
gets any honey or not.
=Mr. N. W. McLain=—once in charge of a United States experiment
apiary, and an apicultural writer—has been visiting recently at Mrs.
Atchley's home. Mr. McLain's address is Hinsdale, Ills.
=The Iowa Honey Exhibit= at the World's Fair, we have pleasure in
illustrating and describing this week. No separate appropriation was
made for the exhibit, but the Iowa Columbian Commission, recognizing
bee-culture as one of the many agricultural pursuits of the State,
desired that a creditable exhibit of honey and wax should be made in
connection with their agricultural exhibits, and for that purpose
appointed Bro. E. Kretchmer, of Red Oak, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 1893. This
being too late to secure suitable honey for an exhibit from the crop of
1892, only enough was placed in the case at the beginning of the Fair
to retain the space.
There being no money to buy the honey for a suitable exhibit,
Mr. Kretchmer, by issuing several circulars, and making several
personal visits to prominent apiarists, enlisted the aid of the Iowa
bee-keepers, and nobly did they respond by loaning the honey that was
exhibited in the Iowa case. Believing that much credit is due those who
thus generously loan honey for exhibition purposes, we give the names
of those who aided thus, and also what they contributed:
E. J. Cronkleton, of Dunlap—100 pounds of nice comb honey.
F. A. Beals, of Salix—480 pounds of extracted basswood
honey, and 544 pounds of comb honey.
R. B. Arnold, of Foster—20 pounds of white clover comb honey.
T. C. DeClercq, of DeSoto—60 pounds of extracted clover
honey, 60 pounds of extracted basswood honey, and 105 pounds
of comb honey.
L. G. Clute, of Manchester—20 pounds of very nice comb
honey, and this was honored with an award.
A. J. Duncan, of Hartford—50 pounds of extracted basswood
honey.
F. Furst, of Adair—40 pounds of comb honey.
Oliver Foster, of Mt. Vernon—30 pounds of comb honey, and 60
pounds of extracted honey; which also received an award.
Thos. O. Hines, of Anamosa—91 pounds of comb honey.
Thos. Johnson, of Coon Rapids—22 pounds of comb, and 25
pounds of extracted honey.
[Illustration: _Iowa Exhibit at the World's Fair._]
Noah Miller, of North English—48 pounds of white clover comb
honey.
J. H. Stanford, of Cherokee—20 pounds of aster honey,
gathered in October, 1892.
J. L. Strong of Clarinda—100 pounds of comb honey.
J. H. Stephens, of Riverton—60 pounds of extracted basswood
honey, and 43 pounds of comb honey.
Mont. Wyrick, of Cascade—100 pounds of extracted honey.
E. Kretchmer, of Red Oak—100 pounds of alfalfa comb honey,
which received an award; also 200 pounds of extracted clover
honey, which also received an award, and 175 pounds of clover
comb honey.
Wm. Kimble, of DeWitt—77 pounds of comb, and 66 pounds of
extracted honey, which received an award.
All of the extracted honey was displayed in 18 different vessels,
holding from 4 ounces to 12 pounds each.
The principal display of extracted honey was near the east end of the
case, arranged on cone-shaped shelving. This cone of honey reached a
height of about 6 feet, and was 5 feet in diameter, while near the
west end of the case a pyramid was erected, with extracted honey in
different sized glass jars, with sheets of glass between the several
tiers, and large vase-shaped jars filled with honey were dispersed
within the case.
The arrangement of displaying the comb honey consisted principally
in a bank near the center of the case, about 11 feet long, tapering
from a base nearly 5 feet wide to a crest 6 feet high, surmounted with
extracted honey in ornamental jars.
The front, or west end, display consisted of two columns of comb honey
which supported the words "IOWA HONEY," built of comb honey; over which
was shown a hollow tri-angle of fine comb honey, reaching to the top of
the case.
In the east end of the case was displayed a tri-angle of comb honey in
open sections, the three walls being 3×5 feet each, surmounted with
extracted honey in vessels of various sizes and shapes. Near the edge
of the ceiling of the case were suspended neat glass pails filled with
extracted honey; while nice specimens of bright wax, in ornamental
forms and shapes, were placed in every available nook and corner of the
case.
To the untiring efforts of Bro. Kretchmer belongs the credit of
securing and placing the very tasty exhibit of Iowa honey and wax. Few
men would have undertaken the task, and carried it to as successful
a completion, as he did. On another page of this issue of the BEE
JOURNAL may be found a picture and also biographical sketch of Bro.
Kretchmer—the man to whom Iowa bee-keepers now owe a debt of gratitude.
=Fine Weather= in Texas was reported by Mrs. Atchley on Jan. 12th. They
had had no frost, and everything was green. Cabbage heads weighing
15 pounds were then standing in the gardens. It seems from this that
things down there "stand on their heads," and grow just as well as if
"right side (or end) up." Good for Texas!
[Illustration: GENERAL QUESTIONS]
ANSWERED BY
DR. C. C. MILLER,
MARENGO, ILL.
In this department will be answered those questions needing IMMEDIATE
attention, and such as are not of sufficient special interest to
require replies from the 20 or more apiarists who help to make "Queries
and Replies" so interesting on another page. In the main, it will
contain questions and answers upon matters that particularly interest
beginners.—ED.
=Feeding Bees in the Cellar.=
What is the best way to feed bees when wintering in the cellar? I
started in 1891 with three colonies, but have had bad luck the last two
winters. I have 13 colonies at the present time—9 outdoors, and 4 in
the cellar.