414 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15 



to the world something- of great value in 

 the scientific line. The book has 373 pages, 

 the size of this, and is printed on the best 

 paper I ever saw in a book. The press- 

 work is No. 1. The price is marked as 12 

 francs, or about $2.25. I do not believe 

 there is a bee-keeper in the world wlio will 

 not feel that he has a treasure if he gets 

 this work. In one place the author says 

 the sting of a bee is used to inject a small 

 quantity of bee-poison into a cell of honey 

 just before it is sealed over. Can or do bees 

 secrete that much of so concentrated a liq- 

 uid as that? Dr. Miller may answer if he 

 can. 



The same author has also just published 

 "The Art of Cultivating the Bee." It is 

 entirely in Italian, and contains 336 pages 

 the size of this. It seems to be quite abreast 

 with the times, but has practically no cuts. 



BEES AND FRUITS. 

 A French writer saj^s: " The seeds of the 

 basswood contain an oil the excellence of 

 which was known more than a century ago, 

 but which has been but little used. The 

 seeds can be gathered in abundance under 

 the trees. They fall in autumn, and con- 

 tain 58 per cent of an oil noticeable for its 

 clear color and delicate taste, with no trace 

 of bitterness, and having no special smell. 

 It ma}^ be compared to the best olive oil, 

 and possesses the valuable quality of nev- 

 er becoming rancid. It is good as an arti- 

 cle of food and for mechanical purposes, as 

 it keeps perfectl}^ 



Two of the principal journals of Paris 

 having made a great ado under the title of 

 "Killed by the bee," a French bee-keepers' 

 society investigated the matter and makes 

 the following report, the substance of which 

 I translate: 



Oil the (ith of March, about 10 in the morning, Mr. 

 Boiveau proceeded to secure the contents of a straw 

 hive. Not being furnished with a veil he received dur- 

 ing that operation not to exceed three strings, two on 

 the neck and one on the hand. He did not suffer 

 enough to create any fear, and he took his dinner with 

 his family. A little later, fe ling uneasy, he retired, 

 while his family resumed their work in the field. 

 About two hours later his sickness increased. Mr. 

 Boiveau arose, called his neighbors to his help, and al- 

 most immediately breathed his last. He had been ill 

 for some time, not being able to follow any hard work, 

 and was, besides, very fleshy, his blood being in a bad 

 condition. It is the opinion of his famihas well as of 

 his neighbors that he did not die from the effect of the 

 stings, but that the few stings he received simply has- 

 tened on what was very near ; or, as they put it, it was 

 the last drop of water that caused the vase to run over. 



The editor well adds: 



Thus falls to naught this terrible accusation. But 

 how many have read it who have not read the ex- 

 planation? 



BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. 

 Concerning the effect of bee-stings as a 

 preventive of contagious diseases, a cor- 

 respondent has the following to say: 



In reply to your correspondent " Formalin," Do bee- 

 slings protect one from infection? I should say this 

 opens up a most interesting subject, and I shr uld be 

 pleased to see replies from bee-keepers generally. I 

 can sincerely say that, since I have been " inoculated " 



by bee-.<=tings, I have neither been attacked with influ- 

 enza nor suffered from any contagious disease, though 

 influenza has twice been through the house, excepting 

 my boy, five years old, and he has been stung many 

 times almost ever since he could first toddle. He has 

 also been entirely free from all children's complaints. 

 I have not been revacciuated myself, but my little bov 

 was when over four years old, and the four inoculated 

 places •' took " well, with not much inflammation, and 

 he suffered but little from the result. I have asked 

 several neighboring bee-keepers their opinion on the 

 subject, and they join unitedly in .saying thej- have 

 never had any infectious disease, nor been in any vva\' 

 inconvenienced when revacciuated. Until suggested 

 bjr ■' F->rmalin " I did not attribute this exemption to 

 inoculation by bee stings, though previously I suffered 

 a good deal from rheumatism. 



It is stated by what seems to be good au- 

 thority that wasps are subject to foul brood, 

 bacillus alvei having been found in their 

 nests. It is feared this will be a new 

 agency for scattering that disease. 

 \ii 

 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The following gives us reason to expect 

 something interesting concerning honey 

 adulteration before many days : 



" Mr. Wm. A. Selser, wife, and daughter, stopped off 

 in Chicago, for a few hours, while passing through on 

 their way East recently. They had been away from 

 home for nearly three months, having been in Texas, 

 California, Colorado, etc. Mr. Selser was represent- 

 ing the Government in its investigation of honey anal- 

 3-.ses, he going out to secure samples of various kinds 

 of honey in different parts of the country. His report 

 will likely be made in about a month to Prof. H. W. 

 Wiley, at Washington." 



PART EMPTY FRAMES, AND PART FRAMES 



WITH COMBS OF BROOD AND HONEY 



WHEN HIVING SWARMS. 



"Mr. Doolittle, I think my bees are go- 

 ing to swarm soon, and I wish to know how 

 I can best manage in hiving them." 



"What do 3'ou mean — the modus operandi 

 of hiving swarms? " 



"No, not that. How would it work, by 

 way of contracting the brood-chamber, so 

 to speak, to take two or three frames con- 

 taining pollen, sealed brood, and honey, from 

 the colonies not strong enough to swarm, 

 and put these in the hive, near the sides, in 

 hiving a swarm, instead of using division- 

 boards, the center of the hive being filled 

 with empty frames or frames with start- 

 ers? " 



"What would be gained by so doing ? " 



" This would save the trouble of looking 

 over the hive and taking out the division- 

 boards later on, and giving the bees a start 

 at housekeeping also." 



" I thinlv I have seen some such plan as 

 this recommended in some paper of the past, 

 but I am opposed to such a method of pro- 

 cedure. " 



"Why?" 



"As I consider it, there are three things 

 against it; the first of which is, that the 



