1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CUL't-QRE. 



489 



BEES ON STRAWBERRIES. 



In the^/*ier. Bee Journal is an article from 

 Hon. Eugene Secor. relative to the value of the 

 strawberry as a honey-plant. It seems that, in 

 a previous number of that journal, Mr. E. T. 

 Abbott had claimed that bees visit strawberry- 

 plants in considerable numbers; but in the 

 present number Mr. Secor quotes from a letter 

 written by Wm. Kimble, of DeWitt. la., a man 

 who raises berries by the acre and honey by 

 the ton. He says, " It is a fact that bees never 

 work on strawberries. I wish they did." 

 Among others who write in the same way as to 

 the utter uselessness of strawberry-blossoms 

 for honey are W. S. Fultz, Muscatine, la. ; G. 

 M. Doolittle, and Dr. C. C. Miller. But when 

 we consider what they do produce, we can 

 easily excuse them for not giving honey too. 



DO WE WANT THE APIS DORSATA ? 



In our previous issue appears a petition hav- 

 ing in view the importation of the Apis dorsata, 

 from India. The editor of the American Bee 

 Journal does not seem to " tumble " to the idea, 

 believing that, if the government has any mon- 

 ey to expend in that way, it would be better if 

 applied in developing the known good races we 

 have. Another writer thinks such bees could 

 not be domesticated in a cold climate, and that 

 they would not take kindly to hives, and they 

 would not breed with our common kinds. He 

 fears, furthermore, that, even if successfully 

 introduced, they might increase so as to utterly 

 run out the smaller bees, just as the miserable 

 English sparrow has encroached so much on 

 our useful birds — giving us in his own person 

 nothing pretty, good to eat, nor pleasant to 

 listen to. If ray own enthusiasm for the Apis 

 dorsata is not up to the boiling-point it is be- 

 cause I do not think it would pay for the trou- 

 ble, even though they might not prove to be a 

 nuisance. 



SHALL WE MERGE THE BEE-KEEPERS' UNION 



AND THE NORTH AMERICAN INTO ONE 



SOCIETY ? 



In the last number of the Revieiv, Bro. Hutch- 

 inson hits a big nail square on the head in re- 

 gard to the necessity and desirability of bring- 

 ing about better organization among bee-keep- 

 ers in this country and Canada. The plan is, at 

 least in the rough, to have all the smaller local 

 organizations auxiliary to the State society, and 

 then in turn have all the State societies auxil- 

 iary to the (or a) national organization — or bet- 

 ter, perhaps, a continental union. In an able 

 editorial on this subject the editor says: 



For these reasons I think it would be better if the 

 North American and the Bee-keepers' Union vtrere 

 merged into one society. As it now is, the members 

 and officers of the Union never hold any meetings. 

 All discussions are made either in the journals or by 

 mail, and all voting- is done by mail. To tlie plan of 

 voting by mail, I see no objections; but I do think it 

 would be an advantage if tlie officers and leading 

 members, or as many as wish to attend, could meet 



in convention once a year and discuss ways and 

 means face to face. When there was a change 

 made in its constitution three years ago, tlie subject 

 was first discussed in the journals, then continued 

 in a meeting of the Nortli American where certain 

 changes were recommended and finally adopted by 

 the Union, a decision being arrived at by means of 

 a vote made by mail. 



And again: 



There are many things, aside from those already 

 done by the Union and North American, that might 

 be done by such an organization with an efficient 

 executive officer at its head and money in its treas- 

 urj'. The feature mentioned by Mr. Case is a case 

 in point; viz., that of looking after and reporting 

 swindlers. I don't know that the constitution of the 

 present Union would need any change to allow of 

 such work being done. Two or three times the Re- 

 view has exposed some swindler; but this was not 

 done until numerous complaints had been received, 

 and considerable time had elapsed. To call a man 

 a swindeler because one man said so would often 

 lead to unjust accusations. When an apparently 

 just complaint is made, the Union could make a 

 thorough investigation— more thorough than one 

 man could afford to make. 



I have long thought it would be a good idea 

 to merge the Union and the North American 

 into one society; and I am glad that Brother 

 Hutchinson has set the ball a rolling. Then the 

 North American could olTer substantial advan- 

 tages for becoming members of the same. While 

 it would have its annual meetings as before, the 

 fraternal handshakes, etc., the members would 

 be entitled to protection from unjust legislation, 

 and perhaps from swindles of all kinds. I do 

 not know that I am prepared to say just yet 

 that such a merging of the two societies would 

 be wise; but I think the matter should have the 

 earnest and careful consideration of bee-keep- 

 e. It is a good time now to discuss it, prepara- 

 tory to the meeting that is to be held in Toronto. 



THE CLOVER- midge; ITS WORK UPON THE RED 

 CLOVERS. 



The clover-midge seems to be making serious 

 havoc in this locality, at least on red clover. 

 As I go out on my trips in the fields for pleas- 

 u?e and health, I find that fields of red clover 

 look as if they had been literally riddled with 

 shot. The leaves are perforated with holes 

 anywhere from a sixteenth to a quarter of an 

 inch in size. In every field thig clover seems to 

 be similarly affected. On top of this is the 

 drouth; and the consequence is, the usual rank- 

 growing pea-vine clovers look poor and feeble 

 compared to what they ought to appear at this 

 time of year. But I have not yet so far noticed 

 that the midge has attacked the white or al- 

 sike clovers. Why they appear to be proof 

 against this pest I do not know. This surely is 

 fortunate for bee-keepers, because the large 

 bulk of clover honey comes from these white 

 varieties. I believe it is generally admited by 

 writers on agricultural subjects that the white 

 clover seems to be proof against the midge. I 



