•ib6 



October, 1912. 



American Hee Journal 



Bee-Hives and Implements at the School of \"rLLEiACijuE, Tunis. 



an inverted acorn-cup, are by them 

 called " olives." 



Migrating bee-culture is sometimes 

 practiced, and the bees are then carried 

 on camel-back. 



Thyme honey is most in demand on 

 account of its flavor. The honey of 

 the islands of Galite and Pantellaria, in 

 the Mediterranean, is especially re- 

 nowned because of the profuseness of 

 this plant in those volcanic islands. 



Foul brood is frequent, but its ill- 

 effects are said to be lessened and its 

 cure made easier by the gathering of 

 the fragrant and aromatic nectar of 

 thyme, rosemary and eucalyptus. 



The Tunis bees are smaller than our 

 common bee. They are of a cross dis- 

 position, but well fitted for the sudden 

 changes of climate of Tunis. They are 

 so numerous that swarms take posses- 

 sion of any crevices or hollows, and 

 have even been known to enter the 

 globes of the street lamps of Tunis. 



Tlie statistics show a total of 10,42() 

 bee-keepers in Tunis, all but (l-ifi of 

 them being natives. The number of 

 hives of bees given is 220,142, of which 

 only 7,280 are modern hives with mov- 

 able frames. The total production of 

 lioney in IHO!) was 2,.'iOO,000 pounds ; 

 beeswax, 2.')I5,000 pounds. 



The honey - producing surface of 

 Tunis, deducting waste land and lakes, 

 is estimated at 7,200,000 acres. Less 

 than half of this area supports as many 

 bees as might be kept. 



The most interesting portion of the 

 above-named book is the chapter on 

 apiarian teachings at the primary 

 schools. The Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion was organized in 1001, but in lilO.'J 

 there was but little practical bee-cul- 



ture followed as yet. School teachers 

 were urged to learn and practice bee- 

 culture. In 1904, only 4 school teachers 

 in Tunis were bee-keepers and able to 

 teach bee-culture. In 1010, their num- 

 ber had increased to 105. The book 

 contains two photographs of apiarian 

 school-rooms, one for the theory, the 

 other for the practice in handling 

 frames, foundation, sections, etc. Tunis 

 is evidently coming to the front, and 

 this book will do much good. 



Bee-Culture in Oregon An enquiry 



having been made by us into the state 

 of bee-culture in Oregon, we have re- 

 ceived the following reply from the 

 Secretary of the State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association : ' 



/Jci/;- .S'//'.— In answer to your letter, I will 

 say that we have a regular course in bee- 

 (^ulture, and also a course for the farmers' 

 short course during the winter. 

 K astern Oregon is fiy far the best bee- 

 keeping seciion of the State, for the reason 

 that most of the farmers grow alfalfa. Iii 

 the Rogue River Valley about Medford. 

 there is a limited territory where there arc 

 probably 1500 to 2000 colonies. I understand 

 about ^u tons of honey will be shipped from 

 there this fall. In the Willamette Valley, 

 and the rest of western Oregon, very little 

 honey is produced for the reason that there 

 are no large fields of alfalfa. 



'i'he .State Boartl of Agriculture has intro- 

 duced a division of l>ees. and I hope to see 

 an exhibit there this fall for the first time. 

 Mr. Krank K. Meredith, of Salem. Oreg.. is 

 the secretary, and I am certain that he will 

 be glad to send you a premium list if you 

 will write to him. Very truly yours. 



Corvallis. Oreg., Aug. 15. H. F. Wilson. 



Bonner County, Idaho. — We are in re- 

 ceipt from friend York of the Bonner 

 County Fair premium list. In this list, 

 the bees are recognized to the extent 



of $20 in premiums, besides several 

 premiums in donations. Friend York 

 is the Superintendent of this depart- 

 ment. 



^ 



Bees Which Visit Only One Species of 

 Flowers. — The Popular Science Month- 

 ly for August contains a very interest- 

 ing article from the pen of John H. 

 Lovell, of Waldoboro, Maine, with the 

 above-named heading. It refers to 

 varied numbers of insects belonging 

 to the same order as our honey-bee, 

 and incidentally to the honey-bee itself. 

 We quote a few passages : 



"When a female bee. in gathering pollen 

 for brood-rearing visits but one kind of 

 Hower, it is termed a nionotropic bee, or if 

 only a few allied species an oligotropic bee: 

 but if it visits many flowers it is called a 

 polytropic bee. These terms were first 

 proposed by Dr. Loew. and signify adapted 

 to one. few or many flowers. 



"The oligotropic habit is not beneficial to 

 flowers, it concerns the bees alone. The 

 oligotropic bees are almost without excep. 

 tion solitary forms, to which there are no 

 flowers specially adapted. The social bees, 

 as a rule, visit a great variety of flowers, 

 though in Europe it is stated that there is a 

 bumble bee ' /itim/'f/s jrfr\-/<it-i i-i-rt: which visits 

 a single species of nuinkshood \.\ci>intum 

 hc(Htoniim^. Here, of course, the adaptations 

 are mutual. This mode of flight, however, 

 has not in general been determined by floral 

 adaptations. Certain species of bees have 

 become satellites of certain flowers because 

 of the advantage thus gained for themselves, 

 and partly also, perhaps, as the result of 

 habit. Just as there are fly. flowers, butter- 

 fiy flowers and bumble-bee flowers, so. on 

 the other hand, there are willow bees, gold- 

 en rod bees, a pickerel-weed bee. a loose- 

 strife bee. a violet bee. and a strawberry 

 bee. 



"Two most important influences are the 

 season of the year and the length of time 

 the bee is on the wing. It is clear that bees 

 which fly only in spring or autumn for about 

 a month, have not a great choice of flowers. 

 Usually the length of time an oligotropic 

 bee flies, and the flower it visits is in bloom 

 are about the same. The honey-bee is prac- 



