6.58 



(JLEAiXlNGS IxN JJJ'^E CULTUitE. 



Oct. 



great, yet there ai-e some decisive marks by which 

 vre ma3' distinguish them. In the first place, they 

 are larger than the native bees, and their white or 

 whitish-g-ray rings of fuzz are quite clearly defined. 

 In fact, they are much like the Italians, with the ex- 

 ception that, where we should expect the golden 

 color, we see a deep jet black; but I do not see any 

 blued-steel color, as some of the friends have claim- 

 ed for them. As has been said, they seem very gen- 

 tle, and, in point of disposition, very much like the 

 Italians. While looking at them preparatory to clos- 

 ing the hive, I was forced to think they lacked good 

 grit. You will bear in mind, that there wre a few 

 Italians still left'in this hive. Well, as I stood over 

 the swarm there were (as is apt to be the case at this 

 time of the year) about six or eight robbers trying 

 to enter the top of the swarm. While the few re- 

 maining Italians vigoi-ously repelled every inva- 

 sion, and stood in readiness for every robber, not 

 one Carniohm did I see show any disposition at de- 

 fense. In this respect they are like the blacks. I 

 am aware that this is not a test case; but, let others 

 report upon this point. 



The Carniolans are said to be handsome. Well, 

 yes; they act' handsome with their light gray rings 

 of fuzz; but in ray opinion tlie old standby. Ital- 

 ians, with their golden-yellow liaiids varied with the 

 same light-gray fuzz, are still handsomer. 



THE CT.ARK SMOKER WITHOUT A VALVE. 



One or two of the friends have written that a 

 Clark smoker without a \alve worked just as well. 

 It occurred to me that it m/y/if work, though I fear- 

 ed that soot would collect and fill the blast tube, 

 since the smoke would have to enter the l)ellows be- 

 fore being blown out. I was not surprised to find 

 that such was the case. Not only did the smoke en- 

 ter the bellows, but heat and cinders, making the 

 two pieces of board quite hot. Of course, the ulti- 

 mate result would be that the leather would soon 

 have holes burned through. Where one has only a 

 few hives, and is not obliged to make a " vigorous 

 smudge," a smoker of this kind might answer toler- 

 ably well for a while. 



TH.\T BEE DISEASE WHICH H.VS NO N.\.ME. 



Several days ago our apiarist called my attention 

 to a swarm of bees that were diseased, and which 

 the healthy bees were carrying out. These bees 

 were tugged out, one after another, and left to die, 

 like drones in a dearth of honey. They manifested 

 that peculiar twitching motion; their abdomens were 

 black and shiny, and considerably swollen from ac- 

 cumulated matter. They seemed very much like 

 bees affected with dysentery. We came to the con- 

 clusion from the symptoms that it was the disease 

 without a name, mentioned in the A B C book, page 

 69. On showing it to "A. I." he pronounced it the 

 veritable disease. It is the first case that we have 

 had since the one mentioned in the A B C, although 

 reports seem to indicate that in some localities it is 

 quite prevalent, especially in the last two seasons. 

 Perhaps I should mention that the mother of these 

 bees was not a (jueen of our own raising, but one 

 from the South. She was sold Aug. 38th, and in con- 

 sequence the swarm is on the road to recovery. If 

 anj' of the friends received a queen from us about 

 this time, whose bees show the symptoms mentioned 

 above, we will nuike her good upon being notified. 



THE BEE-TENT WITH A HOLE IN THE TOP. 



A few days ago we had a slight touch of robbing, 

 occasioned by a chaff-hive cover which was not per- 

 fectly bee-tight (it's fixed now). Well, that tent 



with the hole in the top was placed over the hive, as 

 mentioned on page .540. The result was almost aston- 

 ishing. As each bee had bumped his head against 

 the top several times, and liad popped out of said 

 hole, he seemingly went home in disgust; and, as far 

 as we could discover, stayed there. It would seem 

 that we ought to manufacture these tents with this 

 opening; but f am afraid some friend, not knowing 

 what the hole was for, would complain, saying his 

 tent was " holy," so we will send themout as before, 

 and the purchaser can nmke the hole himself. The 

 opening in our tent is about 4 inches in diameter, 

 right in the peak. 



PKp;PAI{l\li KOK WlNTl'.K. 



Our apiarist, for a week or so back, has be<'n get- 

 ting the bees reatly for winter. All superfluous 

 combs partly filled with honey are placed over the 

 brood-nest. The object of this is to secure nothing 

 but full combs of sealed stores for the bees. After 

 the combs are emptied they are removed, and kept 

 till next winter. Caution has to be exercised here, 

 or the robbers, smelling the honey in the upper 

 story, will get at the combs unless the covers are ab- 

 solutely bee-tight. Doubling up has already com- 

 menced, and every colony is examined to see that it 

 shall have suflicient stores. If the queen t'.oes not 

 lay she is given an empty frame in the center of the 

 brood-nest, and the colony is led. This is to secure 

 joiing bees for winter. Eunest U. Kout. 



— — i» 



DOOLITTLES HEEOBT. 



DO BEES GET HONEY FROM THE MAPI.E, OR IS IT 

 ONEY POEEEN? 



HEX I took an inventory of my bees on May 

 ;.'(), 188.5, I found that I had, after sales and 

 losses, 25 good to fair, 15 rather weak, and 

 10 very weak colonies, making .50 in all, left 

 o\it of 8J ia the fall of 1884. Still having 

 further calls for bees, and having much extra work 

 on hand, I again reduced my stock by sales, dispos- 

 ing of five of the best and five of the rather light 

 ones, which left me but 40 to commence the season 

 with, ten of which were so weak on June 1st that 

 they had brood in only one aud two combs. These 

 ten weak colonies, and three of those next weakest, 

 were set apart for queen-rearing, thus leaving but 

 27 to be devoted to the production of honey. The 

 spring was quite unfavorable until the willows and 

 hard maple blossomed, at which time we had some 

 pleasant weather, which was improved by the bees 

 in gathering pollen from the maple, and honey from 

 the willow. This gave all the good colonies a nice 

 start, but the weaker ones only held their own till 

 after the 10th of June, at which time we again had 

 warm weather, and all began to be prosperous. 



Why I speak of pollen from the maple, and honey 

 from the willow, as above, is that many seem to 

 suppose that hard maple yields much honey certain 

 years, while all of my observations show that it 

 yields comparatively nothing but pollen. I do not 

 say that such is the case in all localities, but I am 

 inclined to think that it may be. We are all apt to 

 jump at conclusions, so when we hear the merry 

 hum of the bees in the maple-trees, and see at the 

 same time that honey is being stored in the hive, 

 there is nothing more natural than to suppose that 

 the honey came from that source. But, to be sure 

 such is the case, we need a little more proof, which, 

 in my case, after being applied gave the credit to 



