(Entered as second-claBs* matter at the Post-office at Hamilton. III., under Act of March 3. 1879.) 



Published Monthly at $1.00 a Year, by American Bee Journal, First National Bank Building 



C p. DADANT. Editor. 



DR. C, C, MILLER. Associate Editor. 



HAMILTON, ILL., MARCH, 1915 



Vol. LV..~No. 3 



Editorial 



Comments 



European Foulbrootl 



While attending a beekeepers' con- 

 vention in Ontario last year, I met Mr. 

 Irving Kinyon, of New York State, 

 who spoke about having had extensive 

 experience with European foulbrood 

 in the apiaries of Mr. P. H. Elwood, 

 some years ago. Mr. Elwood, who 

 was president of the National Associa- 

 tion when I was its secretary some 25 

 years ago, is one of the largest, if not 

 the largest, among the producers of 

 honey in the world. His experience 

 on bee subjects is therefore interesting 

 and valuable. We secured an article 

 from his pen, which appears in the 

 contributions this month. It is the 

 more worthy of attention because Mr. 

 Elwood does not seek publicity and 

 modestly disclaims any positive knowl- 

 edge. He simply tells what he has 

 experienced on a very extensive scale. 



E<iualiziug Colonies 



Some of our practical beekeepers 

 disagree upon the advisability of help- 

 ing middling or weak colonies with 

 brood from strong and populous hives 

 in spring. 



We believe there are good arguments 

 on both sides. Is it not a mistake to 

 give help to a colony whose queen is 

 of little or no value, and which will 

 probably not be worth anything until 

 the queen is exchanged ? 



On the other hand, if we have a pro- 

 lific queen in a weak colony which is 

 struggling to make some headway, is 

 it not possible to make this colony 



valuable by giving it a co.Tib of hatch- 

 ing young bees in time for the active 

 season of laying ? 



Much depends upon whether we 

 have time to give the weak colonies a 

 little attention. We must also beware 

 of giving young brood too early or in 

 very cool weather to a weak colony, as 

 it may not be able to take care of it. 



Some people prefer to unite weak 

 colonies to others in the spring. It is 

 well if they have no queen, or if the 

 queen is worthless. But uniting de- 

 creases the number of our colonies, 

 and sometimes an apparently weak 

 colony may show good results if it is 

 only given help at the proper time. 



Texas Foulbrood 



The January number of the Southern 

 Texas Truckgrower's Journal, contains 

 an article by Mr. E. G. LeStourgeon, 

 of San Antonio, appealing to the bee- 

 keepers of Texas, to urge the need of 

 an appropriation for bee inspection 

 work. We trust this may be success- 

 ful. Mr. LeStourgeon is a large pro- 

 ducer and is fully acquainted with the 

 dangerous possibilities of a spread of 

 foulbrood in Texas. The Texas bee- 

 keepers should act in unison. 



Honey Plants and Their Value- 

 Honey Weather 



At the suggestion of an editorial in 

 the April, 1914, number of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, page 116, Dr. L. H. 

 Pammel, State Botanist of Iowa, has 

 undertaken an exhaustive study of the 



dififerent honey plants, whether useful 

 crops or weeds. A circular has been 

 sent to beekeepers throughout Iowa. 

 Thinking that we might help a little in 

 this work, by referring it to a number 

 of leading honey producers, we sent a 

 request for answers to these questions 

 to some 25 large honey producers or 

 investigators. 19 of them have replied, 

 and we here give a synopsis of their 

 answers. Ten of them live in Iowa, 5 

 in Missouri, and 4 in Illinois. The re- 

 plies are probably a fair representation 

 of the views of the apiarists of the 

 Upper Mississippi Valley concerning 

 honey plants, both wild and cultivated, 

 and their value. 



During what months of the year is 

 honey production most plentiful ? 

 Thirteen show crops lasting from early 

 June until late September, with an in- 

 termission either in July or August. 

 Five have only one crop, lasting 

 through June and July. 



What kind of weather seems most to 

 stimulate nectar production in plants, 

 and what is the effect of high or low 

 temperature, rain fall or drouth on the 

 amount of honey produced ? Sixteen 

 answers give warm moist weather, with 

 electrical disturbances, one wants clear 

 and bright weather, one medium dry. 

 Nearly every answer favors high tem- 

 perature as best, 80 to 100 degrees. 

 Two men hold that below 70 degrees 

 and above 100 the flow decreases. Sev- 

 eral report occasional crops in cool 

 weather. 



What is the effect on the quality of 

 the honey? Honey is thicker and 

 ripens better in high temperatures. 

 Dry air is best. Rain washes the blos- 

 soms and causes a production of thin- 

 ner nectar. Slightly cloudy weather 

 makes more honey. Clear weather 

 makes better honey. 



What relation have you noticed be- 



