D. STAPLES thought if they were gov. erned by instinct they would invariably do the same thing as it was implanted in them by the God of Nature, 8. D. MCLEAN thought it was instinct that prompted the bees to remain and die with their queen, and if they had lost their queen, with no means left them to rear another, to die in their hive. D. STAPLES thought if you got instinct into the bee that you could also get it into man. The dog and horse had forethought to return to their homes, as well as all the lower order of animals; that bees had made improvements; they make cells a certain shape and length; if combs are much apart they will make them longer; had had them two inches deep. If they hadn't room to build another comb, but too much space between them, they would fill it up by making their cells longer. Under circumstances they work as man does. The Secretary then exhibited a Quinby smoker, a Root queen cage, metal corners, the different size frames in prominent use, specimens of artificial comb foundations and some other novelties pertaining to the apiary, which attracted considerable interest. 8. D. McLEAN was quite sure the reason of man had not equaled the instinct of the bee in the construction of combs. D. STAPLES asked for further time for the executive committee to make a report. Mr. J. B. BRAY, of Giles, was unanimously elected a member. S. D. MCLEAN moved that the society adjourn to meet on the first Saturday in May, at Columbia. Motion adopted. WM. J. ANDREWS, For the American Bee Journal. My Observations. I have lately devised a cheap winter protection for bees on their summer stands; and as I find that it fills very well the aim in view, I give it herewith to the readers of the old AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. Cut some plasterer's laths in three equal parts: you will have small laths 16 inches in length. If your hives are very tall,-for instance, as tall or taller than the "King," so called the "American hive,"-cut the laths in two. Pierce two 4 inch holes at each end, three inches from the ends, and two similar holes in the middle of every lath. To do the work quickly, use a pattern. Put the pattern in the bench press, with 3 laths, and with a wimble you can pierce three holes at the same time. These twin holes should be pierced crosswise, % of an inch from each other. When your laths are pierced, take a tarred string and pass it into the twin holes at one of the ends of each lath, so as to have every lath about three or four inches apart from each other. Pass a second string in the twin holes of the middle of the laths, and at last, a third string in the holes of the other end of the laths, taking care to allow about the same distance between every lath; i. e., 3 or 4 inches. Then you have a kind of rope ladder, whose steps are three or four inches apart. Now go to the hive to be protected, and spread this ladder behind the hive so that the middle of the ladder corresponds with the middle of the hive. Cover the ladder with straw, one foot or more thick, taking care to spread the straw evenly. With the help of an assistant, draw the ladder and the straw against the hive, bringing the ends of the string ladder against the sides of the hive, taking care to raise, at the same time, the laths on their ends; then tie the strings firmly in front of the hive, and it is done. As the tarred strings cannot be tied easily, on account of their stiffness, I lengthen them with small bits of common linen string, which slide more easily while placing the straw against the hive. I take care not to put straw in front of the hive, to let the sun warm it. I have more than 60 hives thus protected against cold winds; and I think they are as well protected as if they were surrounded by stacks of straw. The expense does not exceed a few cents for each hive. The implements will last a life-time, if put in the barn after winter. The hives have not been disturbed, for they have remained in the same place, and the straw will be easily removed in spring. I recommend this protection to all the bee-keepers who inhabit the prairie. Hamilton, Ill. CH. DADANT. For the American Bee Journal. Reply to C. P. Dadant. It has been truly said: "If we expect to arrive at the truth, we must have no desire as to what the truth may be." Probably Mr. C. P. Dadant has not worked as hard, produced better extracted honey, nor sold at as low prices as I have, to build up that 'home demand" he refers to. At least, I have made a specialty of the above. One peculiar fact in the matter is, that all these parties who can sell all their honey right out, about home, for 20 to 25 cents per lb., cannot sell one pound more. Not a man of them will pay me 12 cents a pound for just a little more. Honey can never become a "staple” at 15 cents per pound, retail. Besides, it costs 10 per cent. to retail it, whether we do it, or hire our grocer to do it for us. "Granulated honey" is not a merchantable article, outside the apiary, and very few will buy it there, though all think it so nice." How can honey become a "staple article" at $1.80 cents per gallon, while the best cane syrup sells for 90 cents per gallon, and is superior to honey, for every purpose except sauce? It seems strange that consumers should become disgusted with "adulterated honey," when we producers cannot tell it from the genuine. Adulterated honey wont trouble us any longer, as honey must rank secondary to sugar syrup when sold in bulk, for cash. It does that now. Friend Dadant: I "tested" the "comb. surplus production" business several years ago. Even if 25 pounds of honey is required to produce one pound of comb, that does not favor your position, as I can see. Even though I could see no other cause for my bees dying, except thin, watery stores, they did not die from that cause, as I afterwards proved, and I did not say they did. When honey becomes a "necessity of life," it will be when it is cheaper than other necessities; say, four or five cents per pound. The same outlay in bread, however, would sustain life longer. Perhaps some kinds of bee-keeping is profitable, in some places, with some men: still, I think with friends L. C. Root, Capt. Hetherington, and many other special producers, that whoever gets money or profit" out of bee-keeping, will be sure to earn all he gets. The reason that Heddon still sticks to bee-keeping is, because he cannot get out. When I can sell out at 25 per cent. discount, if I don't sell, then Mr. D. will have the palm. Why couldn't Mr. D. as well have said: "Don't extract honey till all capped overif honey is wanted, and not nectar." Particularly is this rule imperative during the bass-wood harvest. I will agree that there is "room for all" who can succeed in making apiculture profitable. Just at present there seems to be as much room for the "dishonest ones," as any other class. Some who have done most at "proselyting" are now well proven to be among the "crooked." Let each person decide for himself how he will take his surplus, being governed by the demand around him. Nearly every mail brings in one or more letters congratulating us on the course taken at our State Convention at Kalamazoo, in regard to the overproduction matter. Probably, at this time, thousands are thinking as we do, but still carry little white flags of truce. Mr. Editor, will you please publish the claims (if not specifications and all) of Mr. Coe's house-apiary; also of Mr. Wagner's (now Mr. C. O. Perrine's) comb-foundation; that the bee-keepers may know what they really own, and how long the ownership will last.' Let the bee-keepers of this country know what these men do, and do not, own, if they expect us to respect their claims. Models embrace too much, usually, and far more than the patentee has been allowed to claim. Spring very backward, and many bees dying, in this locality. JAS. HEDDON. Dowagiac, Mich., April 7th, 1876. [As these are matters of general interest, we shall be glad to publish the patented features owned by Messrs. Coe and Perrine, if furnished.—ED.] For the American Bee Journal. The Black Bee-Cause of its Running Out. Under the head of The Black Bee, it may not be thought improper to class the three varieties of black, brown and gray bee, although they may be distinguished by peculiar characteristics, as but varieties of the same race, for certainly as regards mildness of temper, fertility and honey gathering properties, the large gray and brown bee are certainly preferable to the small and vicious black one; yet, as in respect to any observations we are about to make in relation to the stock deteriorating or running out, what would be applicable to one, would be alike true of the other. We have thought it better therefore to designate all as the black or dark bee. In passing through the apiaries of our friends in the country, how frequently do we hear such remarks as these: "Our bees have ceased to be profitable;" "The timber has been cut off and too much clearing has been done;" "My father had excellent success and my grand-father before him even better than he." So frequently have we heard these and kindred observations that we have been led to look closely at the subject and see, if we cannot assign a better reason why an industrious little worker should cease to be as laborious and profitable (all conditions being equal) as in earlier years. And yet while reluctantly we would listen to the complaints of our friends at their loss, we would occasionally happen upon a more fortunate one, whose apiary was in a prosperous condition, stocks increasing, and the product of honey exceeding that of former years. (This cannot altogether be accounted for in the fact that this one is a more careful bee-keeper than those just before mentioned.) But upon further inquiry we learn from him that on several occasions he has been fortunate enough to find bees in a tree in the woods which he has secured and brought home, and at present they serve as an increase to his stocks, or at another time he has found a swarm hanging upon a limb or bush, which he has succeeded in hiving and placing in his apiary. But what is more probable than either case, he has been at a sale some fifteen miles distant where some half dozen strong colonies were offered at a sacrifice, and which he has purchased and placed along side of his own. Let us see if in this fact we cannot learn the secret of his success-if in this admixture of foreign blood, (shall we call it) we cannot account for his more prosperous condition than that of his neighbors. How common a practice it has become for farmers to introduce fresh blood among their cattle, their sheep, their hogs, and even their poultry, indeed has this become of such universal practice, that only he who acts upon it, is regarded as the successful and thrifty farmer. This course of breeding then being so gener. ally sustained, by those who have found it so much to their interest to follow it, and, as we have said before, of such almost universal adoption, as it holds good and has proven profitable in the instances heretofore cited, why then should it not be acted upon in the proper propaga tion of our bees? Believing then, as we do, that the long continued course of in-and-in breeding has contributed to a greater extent than all other causes combined, to the deterioration of the black bee, we shall offer a remedy, and one which we think will not only accomplish the desired end, but will be of easy execution. We hope it will not be thought that we have here assumed that the dwindling or running out of the black_bee proceeds from any other than natural causes, which certainly can be accounted for in the plain reasons heretofore given. Far be it from us to give credence to such an idea, when for years past we have considered that our most productive honey. gatherers and most prolific breeders, were a cross of the Italian with the gray bee. It will be seen that the prime object to be attained, is the admixture of a strain from which we have not hitherto been breeding. We care not if you please, that you select the least to be desired, the small black bee, our aim should be to carefully avoid the dangerous system of in-and-in breeding which we make free to say has been the cause of the deterioration, and not a failing of any distinct species. Let our friends who have met with the serious reverses before spoken of, make an arrangement with a fellow bee-keeper some ten or fifteen miles distant to exchange an equal number of stocks, (say five or six) we care not whether they all be the black bee, and our word for it, the result cannot but prove satisfactory to both parties concerned. Just by way of parenthesis, we may be pardoned for here stating that this is not intended as a special plea for the black bee, for we have not a single colony among all our stocks. But to the main question again. To attain the highest degree of improved breeding in our bees, it cannot at this late day be denied that an addition of Italian stock must be resorted to, however small that addition may be at the outstart. We have bred the Italian bee constantly since 1861, (of the first importation) and as we said before, our best honey producers, (at least of box-honey) were a cross of the Italian with the gray bee. This indeed proved so valuable an acquisition, that from one of our best cross-bred queens, we have bred the most satisfactory stocks we have ever kept. In the penning of this article, we have no axe to grind, we have heretofore bred queens only for our own use, and that of our immediate neighbors, but on the other hand we have had an earnest desire to reach the facts in the premises stated in our caption, and so far as we could, present a method by which future losses might be prevented. Should any of our brotherhood differ with us, or if agreeing, point out a clearer remedy, we should be heartily glad to learn it. Should this hastily written sketch meet your approval, we shall at an early date write an article on "Improved breeding of the Italian bee." We affirm without fear of successful contradiction, that the Italian can be improved in a more marked degree than can any of our native bees. WM. S. BARCLAY. A Beaver, Pa., April 4, 1876. MOSES QUINBY, MEMORIAL ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE N. E. BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION, FEB. 3RD, 1876, by p. H. ELWOOD. In the history of every profession or occupation we find the names of a few who have outstripped all competitors; men possessed of that rare gift, power of original thought; pioneers who have explored an unknown wilderness and mapped it for future possessors. In the history of bee-culture there are four names that stand out prominently beyond all others: Huber, Dzierzon, Langstroth, and Quinby. Huber, the blind apiarist, who by his great ability and untiring perseverance, discovered more of the interior workings of the bee-hive than any other man that ever lived: Dzierzon, the Quinby of Germany, who confirmed the hitherto unbelieved statements of Huber, and added that equally surprising one of partheno-genesis: Langstroth, our own countryman, inventor of the movable combhive (without which there would be no occasion for gatherings like this) and author of a work on bee-culture, that for scientific accuracy and beauty of expres sion, is not only unsurpassed, but almost unsurpassable: And last, but not least, our own Quinby, who, adding largely to the knowledge of his predecessors, combined the whole into a system of practical management, unequaled in simplicity and feasibility, and finally, as the crowning act of a lifetime spent in the service of others, gave to the world his celebrated discovery, that the liquid part of honey was, under favorable circumstances, entirely evaporated within the body of the bee, a discovery second to none made in the natural history of this insect. As very many do not, as yet, accept his ever conclusions on this subject, I will say that I have obtained from the body of the bee, granular masses that under a microscope of low magnifying power, appear to be identical in composition with similar masses found upon the hive bottom. And notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Quinby is the author of our most practical work on bee-keeping, and, in my opinion, the inventor of the best movable frame hive, bee-smoker, and originator of other devices, too numerous to mention, I yet venture the assertion, that in future years he will be best known as the discoverer of the true nature of the accumulations found beneath the cluster in seasons of repose. Mr. Quinby's life work was to elevate bee-keeping to the dignity of a pursuit among men, and he has accomplished his mission. Bee-keeping as a specialty will date from his time, and if Huber has earned the title of "Prince of Apiarists," certainly Mr. Quinby is entitled to that of Father of Practical Bee-Culture. He sowed that we may reap. He labored without fee or reward, often, indeed, without an appreciative public. Now that he is gone, bee-keepers will miss his counsels and think more highly of his work. He had not, it is true, the advantages of a liberal education, but he largely supplied the deficiency, by his great observational powers and native common sense. While he was anxious that the millions of pounds of honey now lost, might be gathered, he had no fears of an overstocked market and often narrated the history of the cheese trade as an illustration, saying that while this industry was in its infancy prices were lower than at present, and that the market was really in more danger of being overstocked than now, as the facilities for disposing of the products of the dairy have increased faster than the production. The history of this business, he thought, would be the history of ours. And after watching the honey trade closely for a few years past, visiting the principal eastern markets, etc., I am compelled to accept Mr. Quinby's conclusions as correct. There may be temporary depressions in this market, as there are in all others; prices may fall below the cost of production; but this will be, not because more is produced than can be consumed at remunerative prices, but because the facilities for handling the crop are undeveloped. Our greatest enemy today (outside of those who sell glucose for honey, and paraffine for beeswax) is the old fogy bee-keeper, who brings his honey to market in the most unattractive and undesirable packages. I find that a very small quantity of his honey will supply & larger town, and that the prices he estab lishes often prevents the introduction of the better goods. It is to our pecuniary interest to make better bee-keepers of such men. Yet while Mr. Quinby was doing just this very work, many bee-keepers thought him to be seriously injuring their business and were forever crying out, "My occupation's gone." High as Mr. Quinby ranked as an apiarist, he stood still higher as a man. We who were accustomed to gather at his fireside, can never forget his wholesome hospitality. He was a true gentleman, unfettered by the stifling conventionalities of modern life. He was always the same, always having a hearty welcome for his friends, and a kind word for every one. True to his Quaker education, he was an intense hater of shams, especially of the human kind. He was honest; a characteristic that is getting to be as rare as it is valuable. There is no principle in business better established than that "Honesty is the best policy." Mr. Quinby unlike most men, was honest from principle. The mental, rather than the motive temperament predominated in him, that is, surplus vitality, would more naturally develop into extra mental work than into intense muscular activity. He was a thinker, an investigator; an originator, rather than an imitator. He was calm and deliberate, not excitable; did not plan one minute to execute the next and destroy the following. As he viewed a subject from many standpoints, he was not quick in forming conclusions. In quickness he could not keep pace with many who were of lighter caliber than himself. Muskets sometimes hang fire, but big cannon are not usually handled with the rapidity of small arms. Slow to anger, he was not tame in spirit when he had just cause for indignation. He had a very modest opinion of himself, and in measuring others, did not set himself up as the standard of perfection, as is the manner of some. His last years were his best. His best and most enduring work was done after he was sixty years old. His famous assertion then made, so ably defended, that cold usually kills the bees, has never been successfully contradicted. He never wrote so well as in the later years of his life. He continued to improve in both subject-matter and manner of expression. His bodily powers were gradually failing him, but his reasoning faculties were never so keen as in the last five years of his life. With more of the elements of the politician about him, he would have ranked higher during life, but his reputation would not have been so enduring. Now his merits are just beginning to be appreciated. How fitting that a life so calm and pure should have so peaceful an ending. On the 27th of May last, he retired at his usual hour, in seeming good health and spirits. Before the hour of midnight, without awaking from his slumbers, he passed from time into eternity. Thus at the age of sixty-five, ended the life-work of our counsellor, friend and public benfactor. He was more fortunate than the most of men, for he was able to take with him his most valued possession, the hardearned accumulation of a lifetime-a noble character. "So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan that moves, To the pale realms of shade, where each shall take By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave For the American Bee Journal. Partheno-genesis. In the January number of Moon's Bee World, Mr. J. W. Howell expresses some doubt as to the usually advanced theory regarding the production of drones, before impregnation, and says further that he has come to the conclusion "that the various writers on bee culture must be mistaken in regard to the rearing of drones, and the whole subject, it seems to me, ought to be rehashed and gotten up on more scientific principles." As there are many others that have misgivings as to the truth of partheno-genetic production, I have condensed, in the following lines, some information derived principally from German sources. It is now fully thirty years ago that the Rev. Dr. Dzierson announced, in a quiet manner, that "drone eggs do not require fecundation, but the co-operation of the drone is imperatively necessary for the production of worker bees." Of course there was no want of persons who were ready, with their pens, to inveigh against such bold attacks upon the holy truths of science; but all who investigated the matter experimentally, were compelled to acknowledge its truth; thus was the sanction of science at last obtained, and the fact or law discovered by Dr. Dzierson was thenceforth called partheno-genesis. But few apiarists push their inquiries any further than the narrow limits of the apiary; but few know whether this law is restricted to the bee alone or whether it holds a wider dominion in animated nature. Of all investigators of the subject in Germany, Messrs. V. Siebold and Leukart have contributed most towards placing the law upon a firm scientific basis. The former has given to the public the result of many years' labor in his latest work, entitled " Regarding Partheno-genesis of Anthropodes" (Leipsic). This work exhibits a conscientious and labori |