Page images
PDF
EPUB

the forming of the elongated crystals which the honey assumes and gives it rather an acid taste.

For the detection of substances insoluble in cold water it is only necessary to disolve 30 grammes of honey in 100 grammes of cold water. The honey disolves completely when it contains no foreign matter; if otherwise, the insoluble substances will fall to the bottom after standing an half hour; the liquid is then carefully decanted, and if one wishes to know the nature of the matter added to the honey-whether flour or sand-the residue is placed in a porcelain vessel, with twice its weight of water, and then boiled. If the substance is flour there will be a kind of starch formed in a few moments; if sand is present it will remain at the bottom of the vessel.-M. Dermigny, Pharmacist.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO COUNTERACT THE PRODUCTION OF DRONES IN A COLONY?-At the Breslau Wanderversummlung, last fall, the discussion of this question brought forth the following remarks from Herr Hildebrand: "As soon as an unusual production of drones occurs, one should ascertain whether the cause is queenlessness or a worthless condition of the queen. In the latter case the queen is to be removed and the drone brood replaced by combs containing worker eggs. In order to prevent any such case arising, an exact record of the age of the queens should be kept, for thus the apiarist is able to know when queens are likely to become worthless from age, and can replace them by young

ones.'

[ocr errors]

THE USE OF ROBBER BEES.-" Use!" does the thoughtful reader exclain. And yet it is true that robber bees are of some use. They perform, as it were, the work of local police; for where they penetrate the colonies are not in order; there the weak, starving, or queenless colonies, or defective hives are to be found; or the bee-keeper is himself careless in the handling of honey or other sweets. The first thing should be a thorough revision of the apiary; if the opening of hives be avoided, weak or queenless colonies united, the entrances contracted, gaping crevices stopped up, and all traces of honey carefully wiped away, the robbing will soon cease.-Schlesische Imker.

ACCORDING to L'Apiculteur, the number of entries already made for the International Exposition of 1878 are more than 30,000 from France alone, and hundreds of apiculturists will exhibit their products.

THERE is an old German name for the bee, which means, "she that kisseth flowers."

FOUL BROOD CURED.-In 1876, 80 out of 120 colonies owned by Count Rudolph Kolowrat, of Hroby, Bohemia, were affected with foul brood. By the use of salicylic acid nearly all were saved.

STRONG Stocks consume little more in in winter than weak ones, but they amass more in summer.-M. Gelieu.

THE worst enemy of the bee is the ignorant bee-keeper; let him learn and his complaints will cease.-Herr F. Bastian.

THE German Prince, Frederick Karl, post ses an apiary at the Castle of Glienike, near Potsdam.

ARTIFICIAL COMBS.-At the convention held in Breslau, last Sept., Dr. Dzierzon said: "It is impracticable to use artificial combs where only immovable combs are used; in bar hives their use is not advisable; but in frame hives they can be used to great advantage. Whenever there is a lack of good worker comb, and where the same can only be obtained with difficulty, or not at all, by box-hive bee-keepers, it is the best plan to obtain and use artificial combs, for the bees more easily and quickly complete such combs than they build entirely new ones." Herr Guehler recommended very highly the use of comb foundations in bar lives. Herr Hilbert opposed the pruning of combs in the spring, and claimed that bees secrete no wax if combs are furnished them.

KING GEORGE I, of Greece has recently busied himself in the preparation of a book on the Hymettus or Cecropian bees, which will be published shortly. This royal apiculturist possesses a collection of ninety kinds of honey which he has collected from various countries.

THE editors of Le Rucher (Bordeaux, France), MM. Drory and Sourbe, have issued a work entitled, "Manuel d'Apiculteur Mobiliste," and a bee-keeper of Loraine devotes six pages in L'Apiculteur to its criticism, and promises to continue as soon as he receives additional pages of the work. He notes 17 statements which he considers grave errors. As an example, here is error No. 10-MM. Drory and Sourbe say: "The queen first leaves her hive from 2 to 4 days after hatching, if the weather is pleasant, for her nuptial flight." The critic says of this statement: "An apiculturist up with the times in apiarian science would not say, to-day, that a queen goes out for fecundation on the second to the fourth day after hatching. She does not desire impregnation until the seventh day of her life -rarely before."

INCREASING COLONIES. Herr Cantor Bruno spoke as follows before the Ninth Convention of the Hanoverian bee-keepers: "It is not possible to give universal rules for the increasing of colonies, applicable to all localities and harvests, yet the correctness of what is contained in the following three sentences is admitted:

"1. In localities furnishing only a spring harvest there should be little increase."

2. In localities with a longer, yet somewhat light harvest, the increase should be a little above 1: 2.

3. Where there is an early and late harvest the proportion for principal swarming time may be 1: 2%.

[ocr errors]

Beginners in bee-culture, striving to increase their stocks rapidly, easily fall into the error of weakening them; on the contrary, an experienced bee-keeper retains his colonies in strong condition, even though the number be not so great. Besides these points, attention should be given to the character and development of the stock, to the time of swarming, to the size of the hives, whether furnished with combs or not, etc. The increase of colonies should be made with rational, i.e., judicious regard to the surrounding conditions; and, in favorable years, may exceed the proportions just mentioned, while in poor seasons it must remain behind them."

[ocr errors]

Correspondence.

For the American Bee Journal.

Which Frame ?

A beginner in bee-keeping must depend for guidance on the testimony of those who have experience. If this testimony was always harmonious the beginner's path would be comparatively easy. He would have only to learn this testimony and follow it. But unfortunately for his ease and peace of mind the testimony of the most experienced and succcessful bee-keepers is often conflicting on some important points. When the doctors disagree in this perplexing way the cautious and thoughtful beginner must weigh the testimony on all sides, consider his own resources, determine as nearly as possible what he wants to accomplish, then decide for himself what course he will take, knowing that whatever decision he may make will be pronounced unwise by some whose success entitles them to speak.

The kind of hive with which one begins is an important matter. The beginner wants a hive which is good for brood-rearing, good for comb honey, good for extracted honey,good for the health and prosperity of the bees the year round, and which can be manipulated with the smallest possible trouble and expense. If there is no hive that combines all these excellencies, he wants that hive that has most of them. Of course, this being his aim, he asks at once what hives are used or were used by the men who have had marked success in beekeeping? What hive did Grimm use? What hives are used by Dadant, Doolittle, Harbison, and Hetherington ?

In answering these questions, one point is settled at once and without difficulty. All bee-keepers in our day who have had a worthy success use a movable-frame hive. Upon this point the testimony is, in effect, unanimous. The few who advocate oldtime box-hives may be considered only the exception that proves the rule. But having decided upon a movable-frame hive the beginner's next question, which frame shall I use? perplexes him." Here the great doctors disagree. The Langstroth, Quinby, Gallup, and Harbison frames are all used with eminent success, and the beginner must decide which is best for him.

In the perplexity of choosing he has at least one comfort. As the eminent beekeepers use different frames it is clear that a fair degree of success may be achieved with any one of the frames, hence choosing which he may, the beginner may feel that his frame does not necessarily mean failure. Rather, with good management, it means

success.

An enthusiastic friend having interested me in bee-keeping, I determined to begin with five stands. As soon as I began to inquire about frames I found myself compelled to choose one from the several used by the most successful bee-keepers. I asked myself, "What do you want to do?" It did not take long to reply that I wanted, in the first place, an avocation that would take me into the fresh air and sunlight, and give me the physical exercise that would keep me in nerve for my regular vocation. Second

ly, I wanted a recreation so absorbing as to take the mind entirely from my customary work, and occupy it fully with something entirely new and different. And, thirdly, I wanted to get honey enough for the babies, and if there should be a few pounds to send to the grocer, I should not seriously object.

Then I asked, "How do you want to do it ?" The answer came pretty sharply. I want to do it myself. I want to do all the work, except cut out the material for the hives. I do not want to hire any help to carry hives in and out of the cellar, or for any other purpose.

Having only average phpsical strength, it at once became clear that the hive I should use must not be large, and must be made as plain and light as possible. Which, now, is the smallest hive that, in the hands of an intelligent man, has given good results? The Gallup.

Having reached this point, I wrote to Prof. Cook, asking him if any new light had come to him, as to the best frame, since he wrote his excellent "Manual for the Apiary." He replied: "I prefer the hive I describe in the "Manual" to any other. It is a Gallup frame, the one used by Doolittle. I prefer it for these reasons: (1) It can be used for nuclei, and save making small ones on purpose for this. (2) It can be made more compact, and so save heat in fall and spring. (3) It is easy to handle. (4) It does not trouble by comb falling out. I have tried all sizes and find this best."

This letter led me to a further investigation as to the Gallup frame. I found that a hive made to contain 12 Gallup frames would contain nearly as many square inches of comb as a 10-frame Langstroth hive; that they could be easily worked single or twostory, for comb or extracted honey; that they were simple in structure, simple in management, easily carried into the cellar, and easily prepared for shipping to remote points.

Then as to honey and bees, the dollars and cents question, some who use the Gallup frame have been among the most striking instances of success in bee-keeping. It seemed, then, that for my purpose as mentioned above-to keep a few stands of bees for exercise and recreation, and honey for my family, doing all the work myself-the 12-frame Gallup hive was the best.

The 12-frame Gallup hive was adopted and procured. My first work in bee-keeping was to transfer my five swarms into the new hives, work which was accomplished successfully-getting a few stings by way of discipline. And to-day in their plain little houses, new and neat, the bees are doing as well as can be expected. O. CLUTE. Keokuk, Iowa, May 25, 1877.

Relative Merits of Italian and Black Bees.

READ BEFORE THE MICH. CONVENTION.

Fellow Bee-Keepers:-It was not without some degree of hesitancy that I prepared this paper, with the intention of reading it before this convention. It is upon a subject that I consider of paramount importance to all honey producers; and I have reason to believe that every enterprising

bee-keeper will in some measure share with me in this opinion.

I hesitated, first, because I am a mere infant in this Society, not having been a member until this year, and never before this season having had an opportunity to attend one of its meetings. In the second place, I hesitated because I am aware the conclusions at which I have arrived will clash more or less with the opinions held by some of my brother bee-keepers. And thirdly, I hesitated somewhat to express my full convictions on the relative merits of Italian and black bees on grounds of self interest. I have seen with others that there were dollars and cents connected with raising and selling at fancy prices the beautiful golden-banded queens, as also with the sale of full stocks of the highly recommended.

But I have become fully convinced that the great superiority claimed for Italian over black bees is purely visionary and fanciful. My motto is, let the truth come even if it does sear and burn some of the pet theories and lessen the opportunities for swindling the uninitiated and inexperienced ones.

In the Agricultural Report for 1875 one of our agricultural editors is strongly reprimanded for making the statement that Italians are no better than black bees, and he (the editor) is represented as standing alone on this question. If such was the fact at that time I wish it to be understood in the future that there is at least one more on that side, and I am quite confident from what I know of the feeling that exists among bee-keepers that the time is not far distant when pure black bees will be in better demand than the beautiful yellow bees are at present.

In the above named agricultural report, 11 points of superiority are claimed for Italians, as follows: 1-They have longer tongues or ligulas. 2-They are more active. 3-They work earlier and later. 4-They are better to protect their hives against robbers. 5-They are almost mothproof. 6-The queens are more prolific. 7-Brood raising commences earlier. 8The queens are more easily found. 9-The bees adhere to the combs better. 10-They are far less apt to rob other hives. 11They are more amiable.

These I think are a fair sample of points of superiority claimed by Italian queen raisers in general. As the first three points relate to honey gathering ability, will group them together and ask the following question, viz: What advantage is there to be gained by having bees with longer tongues, greater activity and earlier and later work, if, in fact, they do not gather more honey in the same length of time? My answer to this question you will get from my experience which I shall relate further on.

On the 4th, 5th, and 10th points I will say my experience proves to me that no prudent bee-keeper will ever have trouble with robbers or moths. And again on the 6th point, what does it amount to, even if the queen is more prolific, if in practice the brood chamber does not actually contain more brood? On the 7th point I would say that my experience furnishes no evidence that brood raising commences earlier with Italians than with blacks that have had the same care. The 8th and 9th points may be

considered as one, since the queen is more easily found, because the bees adhere to the combs better, and I think that this, together with the claim that the Italians are more amiable, is true; and it leaves the matter in this way: Italians are superior to black bees only in two points-the queens are more easily found and the bees are more amiable, and therefore more easily handled. I wish now to state in what respects I consider black bees superior to Italians. I will generalize them under four heads, as follows:

1. They are far better to store box honey, far out-doing Italians in quality as well as in storing it in much better shape.

2. They are hardier, will stand the winter better, and are not so liable to be reduced by spring dwindling.

3. They are better comb builders. They build straighter; make less drone comb, and are not nearly so apt to connect the frames by small pieces of comb and bits of

wax.

4. They are more easily controlled in the practice of artificial swarming, which to every professional bee-keeper is all essential.

I have arrived at these conclusions through experience and very careful observations,and my experience is being confirmed by that of other careful observers. In explanation of my second point I would say that I am not so certain that black bees winter better so far as the body of winter is concerned, but I am positively sure they came through the spring better; and every practical bee-keeper will agree with me that this is a very important period in wintering bees. Perhaps the dwindling of Italians in spring may be due to flying out when the weather is too cold, thereby becoming chilled and unable to return to the hives. I have had considerable experience with Italian and black bees for the last 5 years, but have only had an opportunity to give them a fair test during the last two years, which is as follows:

March 25, 1875, I purchased six swarms of bees. They had been taken out of winter quarters only a short time before, and seemed all to be in about the same condition. Of these one colony was pure black bees, three were hybrids, and two were pure Italians. By the last of April there was a marked difference in their condition. The blacks were strong, the hybrids were next in strength, while the Italians were reduced to a mere handful in either colony.

May 1st, I sold a swarm to one of my neighbors. I offered him one of the Italians for $10. After looking them over he wanted the price of my black swarm, and to save it I put on a price of $25; and even at that price he hesitated somewhat before making a choice of the Italian.

In the spring of 1876 I sold my apiary in Lenawee County, removed to Northville, Wayne County, and formed a partnership with Mr. D. F. Griswold. We immediately purchased 60 colonies of bees, of which 3 were pure blacks, and 27 Italians. Again, all seemed to be in about the same condition. The Italians had fine pedigrees. They could be traced back as daughters, grand-daughters, sisters, etc., to queens from Dadant, Argo, Novice, etc. It was all very nice to have bees with pedigrees; but it wasn't quite so nice to find the Italians rapidly decreasing from the last of March to

the first of May. About the latter date we transferred all our bees, the blacks from the old box hives to hives with movableframes, the Italians from movable-frames to frames of a different shape. Again we found a decided difference between the condition of blacks and Italians. The blacks averaged much stronger and had a much larger amount of brood than the Italians. But I will pass these things by, as of minor importance, and go on to the main point for which all bees are supposed to kept, viz.: the largest possible amount of pure honey in the most salable shape.

When summer came and the trees were laden with bloom, the meadows carpeted with rich white clover, and each flower well stored with nectar, then it was that I became completely disgusted with Italian bees. Our blacks were getting on in the most satisfactory manner, building and storing a whole section in a single day, while I found it impossible to induce Italians to enter the boxes at all. But instead they were filling the brood chamber below, and, wherever there was any possible space, building small additions of comb; meanwhile they were trying to swarm with the wildest confusion, and swarm they did with but a small amount of bees, and without a single queen cell. Then it was I stocked our nuclei with queen cells from our pure and most prolific blacks, and whenever I had occasion to introduce queen cells I did so from black stock. The result is that nearly all our increase for last year is black bees.

My father, a close observer, a practical and successful bee-keeper, with many experiments, and with a keen eye to the interests of his apiary, has had similar experience and has arrived at the same conclusions.

There are those to whom I think Italians might be recommended. To beginners, who are unaccustomed to handling bees; to persons of nervous temperament, to those who are by nature timid; and to gentlemen and ladies who keep bees for pleasure rather than profit, I would recommend pure Italians, the purer the better, for I find the lighter the color the more docile the bee. But to all who mean business, and wish to produce the largest possible amount of salable honey, I would recommend black bees, the queens to be bred from the most prolific mothers, the breeder having always in mind the great law of natural selection, and, following the example of our universal mother -nature-permiting only "the survival of

the fittest.

Finally I do not present these views to raise needless controversy, but rather that the truth may be more fully brought out. The facts that I have set forth have impressed themselves upon my mind, and I believe them to be worthy the attention of all honey-producing bee-keepers. And to the end that we may get at the truth of this matter I am anxious to co-operate with all apiculturists who are laboring for the highest triumph of apicultural science.

W. L. PORTER.

[Following this was a very lively discussion. No one present fully concurred with the writer of the paper.

The president said while Mr. Porter's premises were correct, his conclusions

might not be so. While black bees are the best to go into boxes, that is not a conclusive argument in their favor, for honey in boxes is not always as desirable as honey in small frames. Again, the Italian bees may dwindle more rapidly in the spring, owing to their more active habits-qualities really in their favor. But the apiarist should prevent early spring flights and thus remove the difficulty.

An exchange justly remarks: Mr. Dzierzon, the man who stands highest among the great bee-masters of Europe, says, after 25 years' experience with Italian bees, that in Germany their importation has greatly increased the returns from the culture of bees and that he finds them more beautiful, more gentle, more watchful, more prolific, and possessed of greater diligence than the common bees. Again, at a recent bee-keepers' convention held at Breslau-one of those great and enthusiastic meetings for which the Germans are so celebrated-the conclusion was reached that in poor seasons the Italian bees show themselves superior to all other races. Besides the common and Italian bees, the German bee-culturists have bred the Cyprians, the Dalmatians, the Smyrnians, the Herzegovinins, the Egyptians, and the Carnolian, Krainer, and heath bees.-ED.]

For the American Bee Journal.

My Bees.

It is hardly safe to make a report for the year before the middle of May when all trouble from "springing" is over. I started the spring of 1876 with 34 colonies, took 1600 bs. of honey, mostly extracted, and increased to 98-on hand the middle of May, 1877. To enter more into detail, I took 1700 Ibs. of honey but fed back 100 fbs. of comb honey in frames this spring. I increased to 100, but one of the latest did not succeed in raising a queen, or rather it was lost on its wedding trip. As an experiment, I put this hive in the cellar with a small number of bees and they were very properly all dead by spring. This really made the number of colonies put into winter quarters at 99, and these 99 came out alive. One of them died after bringing out, so that I have lost only one out of the 99, and have 98 to start the season with. One of these I found with a young queen unfertile, but I gave it brood and it has now raised another young queen about ready to lay. As it had plenty of bees, I count upon it as a good colony.

On Nov. 15th, Richard, the hired man, commenced carrying in the hives and taking in a few each evening and morning had them all in the cellar by Nov. 21st, where they remained till soft maples were in blossom-April 10-and were all out by April 12, after nearly 5 months confinement. For ventilating the cellar, a chinney of brick and stone ran from the ground to the top of the house, and a hole in the chimney near the ceiling of the cellar received a stove

pipe which ran down to the ground. This made plenty of draft, but in the extreme cold weather of December it cooled off the cellar too much. One day I came home and found that my wife had put a parlor stove down cellar, and through the rest of the winter I built a small fire in it every few days, keeping the thermometer most of the time at about 38, ranging from 33° to 46°. I suppose it would be better to keep steadily at about 44°. Still I should be well satisfied if I could winter always as well. Not the slightest suspicion of mould did I find on a single comb, except in the hive which had the few queenless bees. For the ventilation of each hive I left a space open at the back of each quilt or rather sheet, a space of 4 or in. The entrances to the hives were left entirely open.

I don't feel confident that I know why I wintered so successfully, scarcely any bees dying and no spring dwindling, but there are a few points I think I should strive for: First.-Avoid all late feeding, or better still, avoid all fall feeding by letting them keep plenty of sealed honey just where they placed it. I feed not a drop of anything in the fall.

Second.-Keep them well aired all winter and at as even a temperature as possible, not going out of the range of 35° to 45°.

Third-Keep them in, till danger from springing is past.

At present writing, the last of May, they are doing nicely, and I have got 2,000 of Novice's sections and 100 lbs of foundation, and will try for a ton of comb honey in these sections, besides working the larger part for extracted honey. May 23, 1877. B. LUNDERER.

For the American Bee Journal.

Jefferson Co., Ind., B. K. Association.

The bee-keepers of Jefferson Co., Ind., met at the Court House at Madison, on May 19th, and organized a bee-keepers' association, with Abjah Wright as president; P. R. Vernon, vice-president; H. C. White, treasurer; and A. W. Smith, sec'y. After a few short but interesting addresses, several important subjects were selected, and given to as many members for discussion at the next meeting, to be held on June 30th. Much interest was manifested on the part of those in attendance. THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL is growing in favor here. All wish it success.

ALLEN W. SMITH, Sec.

For the American Bee Journal.

Cheap Queens.

That no one may be misled by our communication-"Dollar Queens"-in the June number, we will give our plan of operation in queen rearing.

Having selected the queen we wish to breed from, as all queens are not equally prolific and satisfactory, we commence early in the season to encourage brood rearing by feeding, and build up by giving frames of brood from such colonies we wish kept back and retarded in drone rearing. We use the Langstroth, two-story hive, 10 frames in lower and 11 in upper story. By keeping a good supply of honey in the hive,

with a favorable spring, by the middle or last of April they will begin preparations for swarming by constructing numerous queen cells, and the first, warm, sun-shiny day the old queen will leave the hive with a

swarm.

Wishing to have the cells well nursed and cared for, we remove the queen and return the swarm from whence they came. The hive being now "chock full" of bees, and having the swarming fever, the first queen hatched will invariably come out with a swarm. In the brood chamber, the lower story, to give more room, one of the frames containing no queen cell we remove, leaving only 9. We do this, because by leaving in the whole 10 frames, the sides and ends of many of the cells are attached to combs on adjoining frames, and in removing the frame, the cells are destroyed. We have frequently had frames to contain upwards of 20 cells, but this is not common.

By actual inspection of the interior, or by listening for the piping of the young queens before being permitted to emerge from their cells, we break up the colony into nuclei. Being so much trouble to feed, etc., we discarded several years since the nuclei hives with small frames, and use the standard Langstroth altogether in nuclei. It saves labor and is economical in other respects.

We generally form from the broken-up colony 10 nuclei, but if desirable, have bees and cells frequently for twice that number. We leave the old hive on its own stand, and as it will catch nearly all the old bees, the youngest and uncapped larvæ are left in it, with such cells as we have placed in cages, etc.

That each nuclei may retain the bees given it, they are removed to the cellar or a dark room for 36 hours, when they are removed to the apiary setting in clusters of 4, with their backs together, and fronting N., S., E., and W., respectively; some 3 ft. off, others are similarly placed, fronting N.E., S.E., N.W., and S.W.

We try to avoid all natural swarming at this time.as the young queens are about the time of day natural swarms issue, out on their bridal excursions and frequently join the swarm.

By the above cause, if any better queens are reared from cells constructed of choice and not of necessity, we have them. If no better, we have pursued the most economical plan all things considered, and our object attained.

Pretty much the same course is pursued in drone rearing. Build up strong colonies and insert frames of drone comb between the brood, and as soon as they are deposited full of eggs, remove them to colonies that do not produce as desirable drones, and give other frames in their stead.

When the weather is warm and plenty of flowers secreting nectar, even weak colonies will rear drones.

When everything is favorable we sometimes remove the queen, and if on the 9th day we have a place for all the cells, we remove all, and like some poultry breeders give frames of eggs and very young larvæ and "put them to setting again." They will then construct more cells, and oftener than otherwise, double their first number.

Plenty of honey in the hive, plenty of old and young bees, the gathering and storing of honey in abundance, and warm weather, are the requisites for successful queen rear

« PreviousContinue »