August, 1 90S. 



American Hm Journal 



caused by high water, etc. But I Icuozv 

 it to be a dangerous and unsafe practise, 

 and it is likely to cause serious accidents 

 and loss. VVhile most of the moving 

 we do is done with the entrance wide 

 open, with covers removed, and a 2-inch 

 rim with wire-cloth tacked on in place 

 of the hive-covers, I move at night, and 

 usually try to move on moonlight nights, 

 and never have had any trouble. But 

 to advise it in daytime — I would say, 

 "Don't do it." 

 Favorable and Unfavorable Reports. 



The honey crop was fairly good in 

 this portion of the country. That is, 

 the spring crop. I fear the summer or 

 fall flow will be cut short on account of 

 drouth, as we have had no rain to speak 

 of for 6 weeks. This, however, is just 

 in this locality, as most parts of the 

 State are having good rains, and we ex- 

 pect to hear some good reports from 

 bee-keepers in the more favored locali- 

 ties. 



Two Serious Objections to Carniolan 

 Bees. 



I have now had an apiary of 50 colo- 

 nies of Carniolan bees for 2 years. I 

 am well pleased with them as honey- 

 gatherers, and comb-builders, but have 

 two serious objections to them. First, 

 the same old objection that has always 

 been held against them — excessive 

 swarming. I have never had anything 

 to do with any other race of bees that 

 could equal them in that respect. They 

 are excessive swarmers for sure in this 

 locality. 



The second fault I find with them 

 is their disposition to rear so many 

 drones. Even young queens, only a few 

 weeks old, will fill every drone-cell to 

 be found in the hive with drone-brood. 

 This is not only at swarming time, but 

 at all seasons of the year when brood- 

 rearing is going on. 



The Weather and Honey Yields. 



It is strange what different effects the 

 weather, rain, etc, have on our honey- 

 plants. I have lived in this county 

 (.Lampasas) for 18 years, and have 

 never known the plant we call "Queen's 

 delight" to fi rnish any surplus honey 

 until the present year, when it was fur- 

 nished a good SI' .plus. But the quality 

 is not first-class. "Queen's delight" has 

 been mentioned to :;ie at various times 

 as a honey-plant, but I had concluded 

 that there must he some mistake about 

 it, as I had never seen a honey-bee on it 

 until the present year, when the bees 

 just swarmed on it. Now I am won- 

 dering if it will be 18 years more be- 

 fore we have another honey-flow from 

 "Queen's delight." 



Effect of Stores of a Colony. 



My experience has always been that 

 bees with a big supply of stores in their 

 hives are more active, and more inclined 

 to work in unfavorable weather, than 

 colonies with just a moderate supply of 

 stores. And especially is this true in the 

 early spring. This is in reply to what 

 Dr. Miller had to say in a late issue 

 of Gleanings, where he mentioned a cer- 

 tain colony in the Wilson Yard, with a 

 big supply of honey in their hive show- 

 ing more activity than those with a less 

 supply. L. B. Smith. 



Rescue, Tex. 



The Texas Couveutiou. 



Collegf. Station, Texas^ July 7. 



The Texas Bee-Keepers' Association 

 met this afternoon in room 12 of the 

 main building. President W. O. Victor, 

 and Secretary-Treasurer L. H. Scholl, 

 being in their respective places. After 

 invocation of divine blessing by Rev. 

 John W. Pharr, President Victor deliv- 

 ered his annual address, following which 

 there was a reception of members. 



Under the head of general business, 

 Louis H. Scholl, F. L. Aten and others 

 spoke at length concerning business af- 

 fairs of the association. 



"The Selection of Location of Apiary" 

 was discussed by T. P. Robinson of 

 Bartlett, and W. O. Victor, following 

 which there was a general discussion 

 of this interesting topic. Louis H. 

 Scholl explained conditions on swarm- 

 ing in bees, its causes and the means 

 of prevention. 



"The Preparation of the Apiary for 

 the Honey-Flow" was discussed by J. M. 

 Hagood, F. L. Aten, Z. S. Weaver, Louis 

 H. Scholl, G. W. Cantrell, John W. 

 Pharr, and others. 



The most important session ever held 

 by the bee-keepers' section of the Farm- 

 ers' Congress at College Station took 

 place the second morning. 



The leading subject was opened by 

 Prof. Louis H. Scholl. He discussed 

 one of the most important subjects con- 

 cerning the bee-keepers of the entire 

 Lone Star State, that of the contagious 

 disease of bees known as foul brood, 

 or bacillus alvei. Every person engaged 

 in the keeping of honey-bees, be his 

 number ever so small, is deeply con- 

 cerned in this matter of one of the most 

 serious and virulent of all diseases af- 

 fecting honey-bees, as it is rapidly 

 spreading and threatens to spread from 

 apiary to apiary throughout the entire 

 country, dealing out destruction in its 

 way. Therefore it is highly important 

 that every person who has bees, be he 

 a small or large keeper, become thor- 

 oughly interested in the work, as it is 

 being taken up by the rvssociation, that 

 of preparing for the eradication of the 

 disease of foul brood before it makes 

 greater headway than already made. 



This is a subject so highly important 

 to bee-keepers that it is high time to 

 begin immediately to aid in proper steps 

 that will be formulated toward obtaining 

 proper legislation and funds for carry- 

 ing on the work. 



The bee-keeping industry 'has grown 

 so rapidly within the last ten years so 

 that Texas is now pre-eminently the 

 honey-producing State in the Union. The 

 valuation of the bees, appliances and the 

 honey crop amounts to many thousands 

 of dollars to the State. Bee-keeping can 

 well be classed along with the other 

 more important industries of the State 

 and it is growing rapidly. The honey- 

 bee is the property of the bee-keeper as 

 well as other property of others, and by 

 being duly taxed for its valuation it 

 would mean much for the revenues of 

 the State, and in return for this the 

 property of the bee-keeper should receive 

 the protection of the State. This will be 

 the object sought by the Texas bee-keep- 

 ers through proper legislation. 



There are many sections that are in- 

 fected with the dread disease of foul 



brood, and although there is a State foul 

 brood law, it is weak in many points, 

 and besides there has been made no 

 appropriation for carrying out the law, 

 hence for lack of funds and other 

 means the work can not be carried out, 

 and is at present a dead issue, while 

 the disease is spreading and threatening 

 the whole industry. 



Prof. Scholl receives hundreds of let- 

 ters, asking for help from bee-keepers 

 who are threatened with the destruction 

 of their apiaries. But nothing can be 

 done until proper laws are formulated 

 and passed, with sufficient appropriation 

 for the work. 



It follows, then, that rigid inspection 

 work be enforced. All apiarists who 

 are found to possess bees in a healthy 

 condition can be given a certificate to 

 • that effect, much as those used by or- 

 chard and other inspectors. Every own- 

 er of bees should be glad to possess 

 such a health certificate, as it enhances 

 the value of his bees to a great extent 

 and aids in other ways. 



The discussion took up almost the en- 

 tire morning session, as this is one of 

 the most serious problems confronting 

 the bee-keepers at the present time. 



A legislative committee of five was ap- 

 pointed for the purpose of reviving or 

 amending the present foul brood law 

 and obtaining sufficient appropriation for 

 the work. Prof. Louis H. Scholl was 

 made chairman of this committee, with 

 Prof. C. E. Sanborn of College Station, 

 T. P. Robinson, W. O. Victor and F. L. 

 Aten to report at the next meeting. 



"Prevention of Swarming and In- 

 crease" was discussed by F. L. Aten. He 

 makes an examination of all his colonies 

 in the spring to see that all have a 

 good queen and sufficient stores so they 

 will build up properly for the honey-flow. 

 A lo-frame hive is advised, and when 

 the lower chamber is filled, take another 

 with empty combs and alternate them by 

 replacing full ones drawn from the first. 

 This will give them lots of room and 

 causes them to fill up the upper stories, 

 which are then extracted. Thus provid- 

 ing room will aid much toward prevent- 

 ing swarming. If a colony is handled 

 too late and has already the swarming 

 fever it is difficult to stop them. 



"Best Method of Queen-Rearing" was 

 discussed by John W. Pharr, giving his 

 methods and explaining many methods 

 used by leading authorities of the coun- 

 try. Some seasons it is very difficult 

 to succeed well in.the rearing of queens, 

 while it is a very easy matter at other 

 times. All this the queen-rearer must 

 study out in his locality and then learn 

 how to solve the problem. 



The following officers were elected ; 

 F. L. Aten, president ; J. L. Long, vice- 

 president ; Louis H. Scholl, New Braun- 

 fels, secretary. 



The association has worked late and 

 early and has carried out its program. — 

 Galveston News. 



/^^REA T men are they who sec 

 ^■^ that ipmlual is stronger than 

 any material force; that thoughts 

 rule the world. — Emerson. 



