184 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1. 



their guard. A large part of our wax comes in 

 small lots from bee-keepers direct, and, of 

 course, is all right. 



Later. — Since writing the foregoing we have 

 received a letter from Ch. Dadant it Son, from 

 which we make the following extract: 



We have received your sample beeswax, and must 

 say that at first sight we should have been "taken 

 in," for it smells and looks like pure beeswax. A 

 careful test, however, by the alcohol and water test 

 showed that it has a lighter specific gravity tlian 

 average beeswax. We should like to ask you by 

 what sort of analysis you found that it had been 

 adultei'ated, and also who sold it to you. Such men 

 should be spotted, so everyone maybewareof them. 



We never buy beeswax that has been remelted, 

 for the only time that we ever received such a lot 

 we found it to be very largely adulterated— much 

 more so, in fact, than the sample you sent us. 



I will explain that we sent them a sample of 

 the wax, stating that we had found it to be adul- 

 terated, and asked their opinion on it. The wax 

 is so skillfully adulterated that very few experts 

 would have doubted its purity, and it is not 

 much wonder that we were " taken in." 



We hardly like to give the name of the par- 

 ties of whom we bought the wax yet, for it is 

 not entirely clear that they were acting in bad 

 faith. They declare that they bought the wax 

 on sample, and sold some to us in the same 

 way; but what we have been trying to find out 

 of them is, who it is they bought of that is 

 adulterating wax so skillfully that even experts 

 are misled. It is presumable that the adulter- 

 ators will be flooding the markets with these 

 goods unless restrained. All foundation-mak- 

 ers should be on their guard at all events. 



The chemist, under the instruction of Mr. 

 Selser, our agent at Philadelphia, and without 

 our knowledge, also analyzed a sample of our 

 foundation— some Selser had left on hand. It 

 was taken from our last year's stock, and, of 

 course, was like all the rest we sent out last 

 year. Well, now, this showed that it varied 

 from 94 to 98 per cent pure. In view of the fact 

 that pure beeswax will contain more or less 

 impurity in the way of dirt, etc., and the fur- 

 ther fact that chemical analysis can not be ex- 

 pected to reach down to line notches, it is very 

 gratifying indeed. Mr. Selser, in commenting 

 on the above analysis, writes: "'My estimation 

 of the A. I. Root Co. is higher than ever; for I 

 am satisfied that, if it is possible for you to get 

 pure beeswax you intend to do so." 



We are not afraid at any time to have our 

 wax analyzed, and I feel very sure that the 

 Dadants and Mr. Hunt have the same feeling 

 regarding their own wax. 



WHAT AVE DO AND DO NOT KNOW ABOUT BEE- 

 PARALYSIS. 



It occurs to me that the subject of bee-pa- 

 ralysis has been discussed in our own columns as 

 far as it ought to be for the present. Further 

 experiments should be made by some of the ex- 



periment stations, by some professor with plen- 

 ty of money and a good microscope at his dis- 

 posal. There are a few things that we know 

 about bee-paralysis. We all agree, perhaps, 

 that it kills beos; is virulent in some localities, 

 especially hot climates, and harmless in others, 

 or in colder climates; appears and disappears 

 as it pleases; bees swell up, look greasy, crawl 

 out at the entrance, show a trembling, and die 

 in the grass; the discharge is thin and watery. 



Now for the points upon which there is not 

 an entire harmony of opinion: Is it contagious? 

 is it hereditary ■? is it caused by bad food? can 

 it be cured by the removal of the queen ? by ad- 

 ministering salted water? can it be cured at all 

 by any known remedy? Answering the two first 

 questions, I am satisfied in my own mind that 

 it is both hereditary and contagious. Certain- 

 ly, if we accept that view of it, it will be safer 

 for all parties concerned. 



It seems to me that our present knowledge of 

 the disease is not sufficient for us to answer the 

 other questions, and for that reason it is just as 

 well to let the subject drop in our columns, for 

 a time, at least, until further developments 

 shall have taken place. While some are doubt- 

 less interested in the discussion of the question, 

 a great majority, perhaps, would prefer to read 

 something else. 



WHAT HAVE WK I-EARNED FROM THE DISCUS- 

 SION OF LARGE VERSUS SMALL HIVES? 



If our readers are getting tired of this hive 

 discussion, large versus small brood -nests, I 

 wish they would send in their postals, letting 

 us know. On the other hand, if you feel that 

 you are benefited, and would like to see the 

 subject discussed further, let us know that also. 

 Gleanings is published to please its readers 

 and not its editors or its special correspondents. 



Let us briefly recapitulate some things we 

 have learned in the hive discussion up to the 

 present time. 1. There are more bee-keepers 

 using large brood-nests than we were aware of. 

 :.. Many more favor ten-frame hives in prefer- 

 ence to the eight-frame than we supposed, al- 

 though, if we could count the hands of those 

 using the eight-frame hives and those using 

 the ten-frame, I think we should probably find 

 three of the former to one of the latter. 3. It 

 seems probable to me, at least, that some are 

 using too small brood-nests, say of eight-frame 

 size, when they might possibly get better re- 

 sults with ten and twelve frame sizes. 4. In 

 colder climates, especially where there is one 

 main honey-flow in June and July, with very 

 little fall-flow, the eight-frame size seems to be 

 used most. In warmer localities, in many 

 portions in the South, in Cuba, where the sea- 

 sons are prolonged, and where there are months 

 when the bees can gather honey, instead of 

 weeks, as it is with us up here in the North, a 

 large brood-nest of ten, twelve, and sixteen 

 frame capacity seems to have the preference. 



