will do it. It's no easy task to sit down and pen a newspaper article when one has his head and hands full of business; if somebody thinks it is, why just let them try their hand at it.

The honey season is over for '76, and we may safely say that the centennial year has been a failure with us, so far as honey is concerned. The spring was cold, backward and wet, which wasn't at all conducive to strengthening up our decimated stocks very early in the season. The "June roses" (or something else) brought warmer weather, and rain, rain, rain. For more than two weeks it rained almost incessantly, which of course delayed the advent of the basswood bloom. Finally it cleared up and then came a period of intense heat. Day after day the mercury wandered among the nineties, and when the linden blossoms came it was only to make a call, and a brief one too. It usually yields honey about twenty days, but this season could only afford us ten. Even during this brief period the flow of nectar was very moderate.

The scorching heat still continued, though the bees obtained a little honey from some early sown buckwheat, enough to prevent robbing and to stimulate brood rearing.

The fall harvest commenced about the 10th of August and continued for some 15 days; bone-set, fireweed, and buckwheat being the chief sources of supply. The yield of honey was only moderate, not so good as in former seasons. August is usually the best honey month of the whole season with us; and even this season we would have obtained a fair amount of surplus, had it not been for an unfortunate investment in the comb foundations, about which we may have something to tell the JoURNAL one of these days. The season has been quite poor throughout our entire State, but we learn from our Illinois correspondents that it has been an unusually good one in the "Sucker State," and right glad are we to hear it. We are pleased to learn of the success of our brother apiarists everywhere. We know from experience and observation in this particular field of rural industry, that a man fairly earns all that he obtains, and in too many cases much more than that amount.

We started out with the full intention, Mr. Editor, of giving you our experience with the house apiary, but as it is getting late and we are getting sleepy, will defer it until next month, when we will tell what we know about that particular item, which goes to make up the sum total of modern apiculture. When we take a retrospective glance over these past twelve years, we are fed to exclaim with that good old lady, Mrs. Partington, bless my stars, how our American people do take to new-fangled fixins." We wonder if her son Ike wasn't a bee-keeper? Good night.

66

HERBERT A. BURCH. South Haven, Mich., Oct. 19, 1876.

For the American Bee Journal.

A Chip from Sweet Home.

In August my wife and the "old block" from which the chips fly, gave Dr. Derrliving 13 miles distant, near Keithsburg-a fraternal call. The Doctor's apiary numbers nearly 100 hives. He runs them for profit; movable frames (Langstroth), slinger

and black bees. He had 100 6-fb. boxes piled in his kitchen, also a quantity of slung honey. A number of his hives are close by his honey. We were surprised to see "nary a bee" prying into those boxes; the doors and windows being open.

My house is 10 rods distant from the apiary, and a little honey on the table covered will attract our Italians, so that we have to close the door. His blacks and my Italians were neither gathering any honey. Italians will find honey or any sweets in more secret or distant places than blacks; this fact we have noticed several times. The Doctor lacked shade; for a few he had tried some corn hills, which he said gave him all the shade he wanted. He has adopted the slates, as well as some other neighbors. Bee-keepers try the slates! they cost but one cent each, and report. D. D. PALMER.

Eliza, Ill., Oct. 16, 1876.

For the American Bee Journal.

Southwestern B. K. Association.

Persuant to a call issued at the preliminary meeting here on Aug. 17th, a number of bee-keepers met and effected a permanent organization by electing the Rev. Dr. Marshall, of Marshall, Texas, president; Wm. L. Gordon, of Shreveport, secretary; and J. M. Bowles, of Shreveport, treasurer.

On motion, resolved, that the name of this association shall be called "The Southwestern Bee-Keepers' Association."

On motion, resolved, that the chair appoint a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws, and report the same at our next meeting. The following gentlemen were appointed: Wm. L. Gorden, J. M. Bowles, Col. L. L. Tompkins, and W. D. Wylie.

On motion, resolved, that the reading of essays, etc., asked at the preliminary meeting to be read to-day, be deferred until our next meeting.

On motion, resolved, that any person wishing to become members can do so by enrolling their names. The following names were enrolled: Rev. Dr. W. K. Marshall, and J. E. Jones, of Marshall, Tex.; Geo. W. Stoner, Wm. L. Gorden, J. M. Foster, Dr. J. F. Davis, J. M. Bowles, W. E. Paxton, Rainey Carter, and W. D. Wylie, of Shreveport, La.; Capt. O. L. Durham, Keachi, La.; W. C. Hill, of Jefferson, Tex.; G. W. Jefferson, Kingston, La.; and John R. Williams.

On motion, the meeting then adjourned to meet in Shreveport on the second Wednesday in March, 1877, at 10:30 A. M.

WM. L. GORDEN, Secy.

For the American Bee Journal

How to Increase the List.

I notice that several persons have offered to give premiums to the one who sends the largest number of subscribers to the JOURNAL before Jan. 1, 1876. All this is good and just right, but it strikes me that we can increase the number of subscribers in another way. My plan is this: Let each subscriber and reader of the JOURNAL make up his mind to send one new name at least. Now let us go to work and do this before the 1st of January, so that when the

new year comes the list of subscribers will be just twice as long as it now is. I intend to find one new name, and if I can't find a man who will subscribe I will make some a New Year's present by sending them the JOURNAL for one year. I have no doubt that we can find (each reader I mean) several new subscribers if we go to work in earnest. I hope no one will read this and not think of it again. Let us make THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL the best in the world.

When a stranger writes me concerning bees I always urge him to subscribe to the A. B. J., unless he is already a reader, and I don't forget to give him its address.

We met Bro. Newman at the Convention at Philadelphia, but could not get a chance to talk with him about the above way of increasing the circulation of our favorite JOURNAL. If a few queens, a good bee hive or a good honey extractor will add many names to the list we would be glad to furnish them, but let us in every way increase the number of readers. If friend Newman will give the name of the person who sends the largest number of subscribers I will try and coax him to accept of a present of some kind if anything I sell will be acceptable to him. H. ALLEY.

Wenham, Mass., Oct. 31, 1876.

[Certainly, friend Alley, we will publish the names, and thank you for the liberal offer and suggestions. We hope every subscriber will act upon friend Alley's suggestion.-ED.]

For the American Bee Journal.

Comb Foundation.

MR. EDITOR:-Through the A. B. J. you wish to get the experience of those who have tested comb foundation. I have used a large amount of it this season, and have not read or heard anything that gives justice to its great worth to the bee-keeper. I am astonished that those who say they have tried it and understand the bee business should say that it is cheaper to let the bees build it than to buy it. Perhaps they can drone comb, but not worker; and perhaps they cannot. But we shall see.

Now all bee-men know that bees build comb quickest when honey is plenty and - bees strong, and at this time they naturally want to build drone comb, and some bees almost refuse to build worker comb at that season. With the foundation you have a beautiful straight card of all worker comb, every time; and this is just what we all want.

I had a swarm in July that would draw out a card, 12x12, every 24 hours and fill it with eggs. This kept up for 8 days, making 8 full cards out of one pound of foundation; that being worth $1.00 per b. in large quantities, make the cards cost 12% cents each. I might just state here that there is material enough in the foundation to draw the cells out full length, without any additional wax; this I have tested by weighing it as soon as finished, by removing what little honey might be stored it.

Now supposing it takes 25 fbs. of honey to make this one pound of comb, which I believe is what has always been estimated by scientific men, this at 20c. per b. would be

$5.00, which is $4.00 in favor of every pound of foundation, besides the amount of labor saved for our bees. I would like to see a swarm that would build a comb 12x12 per day for 8 days, and get 4 out of 8 worker combs, in a hive not exceeding 14 frames of the above size; allowing they did build the 8 combs in 8 days which I think will never be in our short days.

The best way I have tried to put it in the frame, is to cut the piece the full size of the frame, less1⁄2 inch at the bottom and in. from the sides of the lower half; and the upper half if waxed on the top and down half way will hold it firm, and you will always have straight and beautiful comb. This waxing is best done by having a board fit the inside of the frame and lay the foundation on it while running the wax around. I have done as many as three in a minute in this way. W. G. WALTON. Hamilton, Ont.

For the American Bee Journal.

The Bee-Wolf.

I read in your valuable BEE JOURNAL on page 257 (October, 1876), a very interesting article headed "Bee Killers." Though these enemies of bees,described by Mr.C.V. Riley, are not to be found in Germany, we have a somewhat similar bee killer who did much damage to our bees last summer. It is popularly known as the bee-wolf. This insect resembles somewhat the common wasp, only it is slender.

The bee-wolf is of the wasp species and lives alone-single. The female digs a funnel 12 inches deep in a sunny and sandy place; then it catches a bee, kills it with its weapon and carries the dead body into its funnel, where it lays an egg on its prey. This egg will hatch very soon and the larvæ will feed upon the dead bee.

The bee-wolf catches the bees in the air or on the entrance of the hive. It preys almost exclusively upon the honey bee. Never before have German bee-keepers seen such swarms of these bee killers as during the past summer. There was no remedy to prevent the damage of this cruel insect. The hives were depopulated; in consequence, our honey harvest was much smaller than the year before.

C. J. H. GRAVENHORST. Brunswick, Germany, Oct, 25, 1876.

A TOWN LOT FOR NOTHING. We would call the attention of our readers to the advertisement of the Ohio, Kentucky and Texas Land Company, and to their very liberal offer. The Company is only carrying on, on a large scale, what is done every day in our large cities- selling alternate lots to induce settlers and increase the value of the remaining lots-with this difference: that this Company GIVES AWAY their alternate lots. Mineral City is a growing town, and will undoubtedly become a large city, when the lots that are now given away will be very valuable. The offer is bona fide, and only open for thirty days, as the demand will exceed the supply, and the Company will not dispose of all their lots tree. The Company is composed of reliable gentlemen, and our readers can be assured that they will, by complying with their instructions, receive, by return mail, a warranty deed to a town lot, which can be held for further use, or soid, or settled upon, as the owner may please.

We will sell single copies for 20 cents each.

Specimen copies and canvassing documents, sent free, upon application.

Additions to clubs once formed may be made at any time, at club rates, without regard to the number sent.

No special authority is needed for a person to form clubs. All that is necessary is to secure the names and remit the money.

Subscribers wishing to change their post-office address, should mention their old address, as well as the one to which they wish it changed.

Remit, for safety to all, by post office money order, registered letters, bank draft, made payable to Thomas G. Newman, so that if the remittance be lost, it can be recovered.

JOURNALS are forwarded until an explicit order is received by the publisher for their discontinuance, and until pay. ment of all arrearages is made as required by law.

Please write names and post-office address very plain. Very often men forget to give their post-office, and quite often a man dates his letter from the place where he lives, when the paper is to be sent to some other office.

Our Premiums for Clubs.

A. G. Hill has sent us one of his Gas Pipe Extractors to be presented to the person sending in the largest club of new subscribers to THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL before January 31, 1877. The Extractor is light and extremely simple. We will pay the express charges, so that it shall be "without charge" to the recipient.

D. A. Pike will present one of his beautiful Albino Queens-whose progeny will be one-half Italians and one-half Albinos-to the getter up of the second largest club of subscribers. The Albino will be sent, postpaid, May 1, 1877.

We will add the following:

For the third largest list, we will send a tested Italian queen in May, 1877.

For the fourth largest list, we will send 500 young tulip trees (4 to 8 inches high) in April or May, 1877.

For the fifth largest list, we will give a copy of THE AMERICAN BEE JOLRNAL for 1877, post-paid.

For the sixth largest list we will send, post-paid, a copy of Vol. I. of THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, bound.

See our club rates on page 315 of this issue. Names and money can be sent in as received, mentioning that you wish to compete for the prizes, and we will open an account accordingly. Work should be commenced at once.