June, 1916. 



American Hee Journal 



nished the means by which the bees 

 trafficked in the nectar from the myri- 

 ads of flowers that decked the Exposi- 

 tion grounds. The passage-ways were 

 sufficiently high not to interfere with 

 the passing crowds on the outside, and 

 on the inside of the building at a point 

 near the hives, they were provided with 

 a tiny pane of glass in order that the 

 comings and goings of the bees might 

 be observed. 



Another observation hive was sta- 

 tioned in the A. I Root exhibit in the 

 Food Product Building. This was 

 mounted on a pedestal and was con- 

 tinually surrounded by an interested 

 group endeavoring to locate the queen- 

 bee. 



In the same booth, under the aus- 

 pices of the California State Beekeep- 



ers' Association, were shown some 

 curios in a glass case, labeled, " Bees 

 in Literature and Art." These were a 

 loan from the valuable bee library of 

 Mr. M. C. Richter, our western authority 

 on apiculture. 



But most interesting to the impe- 

 cunious beginner in apiculture, were 

 the five maps of the United States For- 

 est Service on the walls of the booth. 

 ICach map showed a particular forest 

 in California where " Special Use " per- 

 mits for apiaries had been granted, 

 and the exact* location of such permits 

 issued by the Forest Service. An ex- 

 planatory chart told how interested 

 persons might proceed to take up (at a 

 nominal rental) an apiary site upon the 

 government forest reserves. 



Los Gates, Calif. 



Miscellaneous ^ News Items 



Save the Waste Paper. ^This is the 

 recommendation of A. L Root, in Glean- 

 ings for April 15. Although a matter 

 of this kind is hardly in the line of bee- 

 keeping, we feel it to be wise enough 

 to repeat it. America is a country of 

 wastefulness. It is time we should 

 learn better. 



A few days ago, we received a letter 

 from the publisher of the Spanish edi- 

 tion of the " Hive and Honeybee," Mr. 

 Gustavo Gili, of Barcelona, Spain. He 

 stated that paper for book printing 

 was getting so high priced that he 

 wished to have American quotations. 

 In compliance, we wrote to two firms 

 asking them to send Mr. Gili their 

 wholesale prices on book paper. The 

 replies were that they could barely 

 supply the home demand and that it 

 was of no use to make offers to foreign 

 purchasers. 



We waste paper. In the average 

 American city, the streets are often 

 littered with unseemly, dirty, flying 

 newspapers, wrapping papers, card- 

 board, etc. We may see the day when 

 we will wish we had been less wasteful. 



Spring Beekeeping School The most 



ideal time in the year to study bees is 

 May and June when the colonies are at 

 their maximum in strength and activi- 

 ties. The bees are easily handled. The 

 student quickly gains a full acquaint- 

 ance with the majority of the manipu- 

 lations necessary to beekeeping. At 

 this time of the year once in three 

 years an intensive course in beekeeping 

 is offered at the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural College, primarily for a limited 

 number of practical beekeepers. This 

 year particularly the course is being 

 conducted by an especially strong staff 

 of the college faculty, and will occupy 

 seven hours daily for two weeks at 

 Amherst, beginning May 31 and ending 

 June 14, Saturdays being devoted to 

 excursions. The course comprises 

 lectures, laboratory practicums, work 

 in the bee-yard and field excursions. 

 It is under the direction of Dr. Burton 

 N. Gates. 



The college maintains a practical 



bee-yard of about 50 colonies as well 

 as outyards, and a well appointed bee- 

 house and laboratories, besides a wax 

 working laboratory, library, and bee- 

 keeping museum. These exceptional 

 facilities are offered the student in this 

 subject. 



COURSES. 



1. Practical Beekeeping — Lectures : 

 laboratory practice in the general work 

 of the beekeeper; beekeeping equip- 

 ment, practices in the preparation of 

 materials, location of the apiary; com- 

 mencing with bees, handling of bees, 

 practice in beeyard procedure ; spring 

 manipulation ; fall preparation, winter- 

 ing ; comb and extracted honey pro- 

 duction ; bee diseases and their treat- 

 ment, apiary sanitation ; making in- 

 crease ; elements of queen-rearing, etc. 



Burton N. Gates, Associate Professor 

 of Beekeeping ; John L. Byard, Super- 

 intendent of the Apiary; Gladstone H. 

 Cale,- Laboratory and Apiary Assistant. 



2. Life of the Honeybee — Lectures : 

 Henry T. Fernald, Professor of Ento- 

 mology. 



3. Special Problems of the Beekeefei — • 

 Lectures : demonstrations in requeen- 

 ing, the races of bees, the introduction 

 of queens; swarming and handling 

 swarms; comb honey production, ene- 

 mies of bees. 



James B. Paige, Professor of Veteri- 

 nary Science. 



4. Crops Foraged by Bees — Lectures : 

 field excursions. 



William P. Brooks, Director of the 

 Experiment Station. 



5. The relation of bees to the pollina- 

 tion of plants, int lading coloration, odor, 

 nectar secretion — Lectures : laboratory 

 work in blossom structure and dissec- 

 tion. 



A. Vincent Osmun, Associate Pro- 

 fessor of Botany. 



6. Bees in Horticultural Practices — 

 Lectures : field work in the utilization 

 of bees in fruit production, market 

 gardening, cranberry culture and green- 

 house cucumber growing; beekeeping 

 as affected by spraying practices. 



Walter W. Chenoweth, Associate 

 Professor of Pomology. 



GENERAL INFOBMATION. 



Amherst is desirably situated in the 

 Connecticut Valley. In May and June 

 the scenery is at its height in beauty, 

 hence this season offers a pleasant 

 opportunity for the course at the Agri- 

 cultural College. Besides the work in 

 beekeeping, ample opportunities will 

 be afforded to visit the other parts of 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural College 

 as well as to visit Amherst College. 

 Excursions will be taken as opportu- 

 nity and the work may demand. It is 

 usually customary to make a trip to 

 some practical beeyard and queen-rear- 

 ing establishment. Students returning 

 from this course should be well 

 equipped to handle bees on their own 

 account. 



Soaking Old Combs in Water. — On 



page 1811 of 1914, you say " keep old 

 combs covered with water to preserve 

 from moths until they have time to 

 render them." I have had sorry expe- 

 rience with this plan. The mass fer- 

 mented and the wax was rendered a 

 dark greenish-brown color, and gained 

 an odor which is positively vile. This 

 may not occur if there is absolutely no 

 honey to cause fermentation. I am not 

 sure there will be no fermentation, 

 even with dry combs, because of the 

 cocoons and other refuse. 



Perhaps a word of caution to your 

 readers along this line would be help- 

 ful. E. G. Carr. 



New Egypt, N. J. 



Mr. Carr is right, and the advice 

 given did not contemplate keeping the 

 combs in water beyond a few days, in 

 summer. In cold weather or fall they 

 may be immersed for several weeks 

 without injury, and we have found the 

 color even improved and the quantity 

 of wax secured is increased because of 

 the water-soaking of the residues. The 

 wax separates better in such a case. 

 But Mr. Carr's warning is good. 



Bees at the Michigan State Fair. — The 



Michigan State Fair authorities have 

 adopted the recommendations of the 

 State Association of beekeepers con- 

 cerning regulations and premiums at 

 the Fair. The list of premiums now 

 offered amounts to $575, instead of 

 $132 as formerly. Full information may 

 be secured by addressing E. B. Tyrrell, 

 Superintendent of Apiary Department, 

 20 Grand Avenue, W., Detroit, Mich. 



An Error In our last number we 



made the advertisement of Mr. Kennith 

 Hawkins read "2400 more queens" 

 while it should have read "24 or more 

 queens." Not even a combine of queen 

 breeders would think of offering prices 

 on such a batch of queens at one time. 



Report on the Wintering of Bees in 



Ontario.— Up to the present date, April 

 20, about 700 persons keeping 20,000 

 colonies of bees have reported a win- 

 ter loss of about 13 percent. The loss 

 was largely due to starving, owing 

 partly to an insufficient supply of stores 

 on account of the high price of sugar 

 and partly to a mild spell in January,' 



