1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



717 



conclusion after having made a forty- mile ride 

 with him over the mountains in the vicinity 

 of Los Angeles. Tkis trip, or, rather, the 

 stops we made on it, will be illustrated in 

 Gleanings, and then I shall have the plea- 

 sure of formally introducing our brother edi- 

 tor. In the mean time I am glad to extend to 

 him on behalf of Gleanings the right hand 

 of fellowship. There is a broad field for a 

 bee-journal m California, and there is no rea- 

 son why the old-new journal should not be a 

 success. 



CARELESSNESS IN THE HANDLING OF DIS- 

 EASE INFECTED TOOLS, ETC. 



Some have written us that, even after they 

 had used the McEvoy treatment for handling 

 foul brood, the disease broke out again. Many 

 bee-keepers do not realize, in spite of all that 

 has been said, the importance of having ev- 

 ery thing that comes in contact with foul or 

 black brood either burned up or shut up in a 

 tight box or room where bees can not get at 

 it. Metal tools such as screwdrivers, pries, 

 etc., should be put on a bed of live coals for 

 a few seconds — not long enough to draw the 

 temper, but to destroy every thing in the way 

 of microbes that may still be hanging about 

 the articles. Smokers should be painted over 

 with a strong solution of carbolic acid, and 

 the fire-cup can be disinfected by making a 

 good hot roaring fire in it. Division-boards 

 and bee-feeders, and things like that, should 

 either be immersed in boiling water and kept 

 there for a time, or should be dipped in a strong 

 solution of carbolic acid — one part of the acid 

 to fifty of water. When I speak of the acid 

 I refer to the crystals and not to the solution 

 that is ordinarily obtained at the drugstores. 



In burning old combs I would first make a 

 good bonfire and get a lot of live coals ; then 

 lay the combs on top of the coals one by one. 

 Bat do not put them on too fast ; and as a 

 further precaution (for the wax sometimes 

 runs down into the ground without becoming 

 sufiiciently heated) I would bury the ashes 

 and the ground under them. Put them so 

 far below the surface that neither plow nor 

 spade will ever dig them up. 



FEEDING MEDICATED SYRUP ; HOW TO PRE- 

 PARE THE CHEMICAL. 



It will soon be time to feed bees in the cen- 

 tral and northern States ; and if feeding has 

 to be resorted to I would strongly urge medi- 

 cating all the syrup with the naphthol-beta 

 solution. Such a precaution becomes exceed- 

 ingly necessary just now when foul and black 

 brood have been extending their ravages in 

 every direction. The medicated syrup will 

 not kill the spores of either disease, but it 

 will destroy the bacilli as soon as the spores 

 develop into the active stage. We gave full 

 particulars on this subject on page 776, Oct. 1, 

 1900 ; but for fear some may have forgotten, 

 I will repeat it. 



Into an eight-ounce bottle (half pint) empty 

 a one-ounce package of naphthol beta in the 

 form of a fine white powder. Pour in just 

 enough wood or common alcohol to dissolve 

 the powder, and fill the bottle full. This 



quantity of chemical in solution is just right 

 for 140 pounds of sugar dissolved in HO pounds 

 of water. To mix, put 140 pounds of water 

 in a common honey-extractor ; then add su- 

 gar gradually, dipperful by dipperful, until 

 there are about 140 pounds of sugar. While 

 the sugar is being added, keep turning the 

 handle of the extractor so there will be a rap- 

 id agitation and thorough mixing. After the 

 sugar is all in, keep on turning the handle un- 

 til it is all dissolved, and, last of all, pour in 

 the naphthol-beta solution already referred to. 

 Stir this into the mixture thoroughly by run- 

 ning the extractor for several minutes longer. 



In handling the naphthol-beta solution, be 

 careful not to get it on the fingers ; but after 

 it is mixed with the syrup, it is perfectly harm- 

 less to man or bees. Naphthol beta can be ob- 

 tained for 25 cts. an ounce ; and at this low 

 price no bee-keeper can afTord not to take the 

 precaution. 



In making the syrup we recommend half 

 sugar and half cold water. There is no need 

 of heating, provided thorough stirring is used, 

 either with a stick and tub, or, better still, in 

 an extractor in the manner explained. We 

 have fed a half-and-half mixture for several 

 years ; and since using it we have never had 

 any trouble from its going back to sugar in 

 the cells after the bees have put it into the 

 comb. For very late feeding it may be ad- 

 visable to use one part of water and two of 

 sugar. 



PRICE OP EXTRACTED HONEY DECLINING 

 SLIGHTLY ; MARKET FIRM ON COMB HON- 

 EY ; HOW TO CIRCUMVENT THE SMALL 

 PRODUCER WHO IS TRYING TO BREAK THE 

 MARKET ; IMPORTANCE OF BOTTLING EX- 

 TRACTED HONEY. 



From the best information we can get hold 

 of up to date it begins to appear that prices on 

 extracted honey in the East will rule a trifle 

 lower than last year at this time; but the mar- 

 ket on comb will be fully as high. We base 

 this estimate on the offerings that we have 

 received, and from other information that we 

 are able to gather at this point. 



As we have before stated, too many bee- 

 keepers are producing extracted. See Glean- 

 ings, May 1st, page 384, current volume. If 

 more would turn to the production of comb 

 honey, or, if some of those who produce and 

 market the liquid article in bulk would sell it 

 in the bottled form, the net cash received 

 would be more. 



We find that this year, the same as every 

 year, the small producers are rushing their 

 product to market at ruinous figures. The 

 large producers should make it a point to 

 hunt up these people, buy their honey at the 

 low figures, and thus prevent it from going 

 into the centers of distribution and breaking 

 the market. A few hundred pounds at a low 

 figure to some buyers may be the means of 

 bringing down the prices on hundreds of 

 thousands of pounds not yet offered. 



Bee keepers in California, Colorado, and 

 Arizona, where large quantities of honey are 

 produced, should not be in haste to take the 

 first price offered. Already buyers are begin- 



