May, igio. 



American Hee Journal 



except as he has wisely brought into 

 training a man who promises well as 

 his successor, Mr. W. Herrod. The 

 American Bee Journal extends to Mr. 

 Herrod its heartiest good wishes, with 

 the hope that between the two Bee 

 Journals — British and American — there 

 shall always remain the same cordial 



relations that have been in the past. 



To Mr. Cowan, not as a British bee- 

 keeper, but as one who belongs to the 

 whole world, are hereby extended con- 

 gratulations upon the life of usefulness 

 he has hitherto been permitted to en- 

 joy, with the earnest hope that his last 

 days may be his best. 



Canadian Beedom 



Conducted by J. L. Byer. Mount Joy. Ontario, Canada. 



Foul Brood and the inspectors 



At this writing (.April IS) the names 

 of the different apiary inspectors for 

 the current year have not yet been 

 made public. The appropriation for 

 the work has been increased, and the 

 number of inspectors increased from 

 14 to 16. A few years ago there was 

 much discussion in the bee-papers as 

 to whether foul brood is on the in- 

 crease or not, and it seems that the 

 action of the Department at the present 

 time should be a good answer to the 

 question. While not saying that the 

 disease is on the increase at present, 

 yet all may rest assured that we have 

 all we want of the article, and might 

 probably spare seed to other countries 

 that may be in need of some samples. 

 One favorable feature about the situa- 

 tion is that an aggressive policy of 

 education is being advanced, and while 

 far too many are not reached even by 

 this means, yet enough are influenced 

 to be a powerful factor in helping to 

 eradicate the disease. 



Early Spring — Prospects Good 



In common, I suppose, with most of 

 the country this year, we are, in our 

 section, having a very early season — 

 fully a month or more earlier than last 

 year. Winter jumped abruptly into 

 summer, almost, early in March, and 

 with slight interruptions of cold weather 

 has so continued right up to date of 

 writing (April 18). Last year the apple 

 Blossoms were still in bloom during 

 the latter week in May, while this sea- 

 son, if the warm weather should con- 

 tinue, the blossoms will show in an- 

 other week or 10 days — the earliest, by 

 all odds, that I have any record of since 

 I have been keeping bees. 



While little has come into the hives 

 as yet, still a lot of warm weather with 

 some pollen being gathered, has caused 

 the bees to breed up at a great pace, 

 and as a consequence the stores are 

 disappearing like magic. If the weather 

 should be cold through willow and 

 apple blossom, it will be a case of feed 

 the bees or let them starve. Clover is 

 in fine shape, and barring some set- 

 backs that may come in the way of 

 heavj- frosts later on, prospects are 

 good. 



In the fruit-raising sections of the 

 country, the situation is regarded as 

 somewhat critical, as the blossoms 

 are abnormally advanced for the time 

 of the year, and as we usually get 

 heavy frosts after this date, naturally 

 the fruit-men are much concerned as 



to the weather conditions of the next 

 3 weeks. To a certain extent the same 

 thing applies to the bee-keepers, al- 

 though, by feeding, the matter can be 

 helped out somewhat even if the fruit- 

 blossoms should freeze, as it is not at 

 all likely that the alsike would be in- 

 jured by a freeze to any great extent. 

 However, we have had a wonderful 

 spring so far, and perhaps a like condi- 

 tion may prevail all through the bal- 

 ance of the season. In looking back 

 over my past years of bee-keeping, I 

 find that, as a rule, my best years have 

 been after a late spring. Here's hoping 

 that this year may be an exception to 

 the rule. 



Breeding from the Best 



To the writer's mind, there is no 

 question but what there is a good deal 

 of truth in the surmise (page 118) rela- 

 tive to the different races of bees being 

 popular in different countries, simply 

 because the different countries have 

 improved certain races to the exclu- 

 sion of others. As pointed out, in 

 Switzerland the German or black bees 

 are preferred to the Italians, and con- 

 sequently the latter race has been neg- 

 lected, while, on the other hand, the 

 reverse is true with a vengeance on 

 this continent. 



For the past .3 years I have com- 

 mented on the fact that in my yards 

 during the said period, the colony that 

 has headed all each spring, is one 

 bought from a farmer bee-keeper who 

 never bought an Italian queen in his 

 life, and to all appearances the bees 

 are of the genuine German race, in so 

 far, at least, as color goes. There the 

 comparison ends, however, as the col- 

 ony is very quiet, without a trace of 

 the nervous disposition so common to 

 the black bees. This spring again, this 

 colony is very strong and ready for a 

 super any time that a flow of honey 

 comes along. .-Vt this date (April 1-5) 

 the bees are fanning at the entrance 

 although the weather is too cool for 

 flight, and whenever it warms up a bit, 

 they will cluster outside. 



A peculiar feature of this colony is 

 that this condition keeps up right 

 through the season without declining 

 in strength as is generally the case with 

 colonies abnormally strong so early in 

 the spring. For the past 3 years this 

 colony has stored a super full of honey 

 from the willows and fruit-bloom, and, 

 by the looks of things at present, this 

 condition is apt to be duplicated again 

 this season. In all this time the colony 

 has never offered to swarm, although 



the bees have been crowded for room 

 at different times. 



Is it at all unreasonable to suppose 

 that with proper care a strain of bees 

 with these good traits could be propa- 

 gated that would have all the virtues 

 of the Italians with perhaps less of 

 their faults? Certain it is that if I 

 could have an apiary like the colony 

 mentioned, I would not exchange it 

 for any Italian stock that I have ever 

 handled, and we have had a few from 

 most of the breeders in America. 



As to one race being more immune 

 to foul brood than another, it seems a 

 fact that the Italians are more capable 

 of resisting the ravages of black brood 

 than are the other races ; but in all 

 sincerity it certainly appeals to the 

 writer to be a joke, when it is claimed 

 that Italians are less subject to the old- 

 time foul brood than are the other 

 races. Does any one, I wonder, really 

 entertain such a view? As a matter of 

 fact, in my limited inspection work, I 

 have generally found more foul brood 

 among Italian colonies than among 

 other bees, not that they are more sub- 

 ject to the disease at all, but because, 

 as a rule, Italians are inveterate rob- 

 bers as compared with other races, and 

 are always nosing around for mischief, 

 consequently get into trouble oftener, 

 as is bound to be the case with bees or 

 members of the genus homo, for that 

 matter, if they stray away from home 

 too often in other people's premises. 



Not Byer's Bear 



What's the joke, Mr. Editor, on page 

 134, about J. L. Byer and the bear? 

 Surely a case of mistaken identity in 

 some way, as back in the 70's the writer 

 was not concerned about bears, weather 

 prophecies, or anything else for that 

 matter, as it was late in that decade that 

 I first saw the light of day. When I 

 read the item it caused me to scratch 

 my head a bit in a meditative mood, 

 and wonder if I was a second Rip Van 

 Winkle. I suspect that my name has 

 in some way got mixed with that of an 

 old friend still living who has always 

 been a great sport and hunter. As the 

 names are not very similar, it is up to 

 you and Mr. Wismer for an explana- 

 tion. — [We shall have to refer this to 

 Mr. Wismer. It must be a mistake.— 

 Editor.] 



Early Stimulative Feeding of Bees 



By the way, I wonder how many are 

 practicing early stimulating this spring? 

 Please don't mention the subject to 

 me, but kindly, instead, hand me out a 

 recipe to keep down brood-rearing 

 without letting the bees starve. Not a 

 colony died in the winter, and so far I 

 have found only 2 percent queenless, 

 with about that percentage weak. Doz- 

 ens of colonies in 10 and 12 frame hives 

 (Jumbo frames) have brood in from 6 

 to 8 frames, and are boiling over with 

 bees. Lots of these colonies had 2-5 

 pounds of stores, at the least, a few 

 weeks ago, and now some of them 

 have nearer that number of ounces in- 

 stead. Is it any wonder that the 

 thought of stimulating gives me a 

 pain, and that instead I am thinking of 

 dipping into my pocket, not to stimu- 



