202 



THF BEE-KEEPERS' REViJi,W. 



socially, the leading bee-keepers of Amer- 

 ica was the principal motive that prompted 

 me to attend the meetings in the past, and I 

 apprehend the same may be said of most of 

 the others who have attended at its annual 

 conventions. 



The "discussion of apiarian topics " as 

 carried on at its meetings, is not a powerful 

 inducement to anyone to travel hundreds of 

 miles, and spend considerable time and 

 money to enjoy, or take part in. There are 

 numbers of State, provincial and local asso- 

 ciations on this continent at whose meetings 

 these topics are as fully and intelligently 

 discussed as they are at the meetings of the 

 North American. Nor are its social advan- 

 tages what they ought to be. The personal 

 intercourse of kindred spirits so much en- 

 joyed by most of us, must of necessity be 

 restricted to a very limited number of those 

 who would like to enjoy it. 



How to re-model it so as to make it a 

 power for good to bee-keepers generally, 

 and insure the attendance of a respectable 

 number of the leading bee-keepers of the 

 continent at its annual gatherings is indeed 

 a perplexing question and yet it ought not 

 to be beyond the range of what is possible. 

 The territorial extent embraced within the 

 limits of its assumed jurisdiction, is I think 

 the main difficulty in making it what we 

 would all be delighted to see it, that is a 

 central organization, at once aggressive, 

 defensive, instructive and social — in the 

 management of which, the best business tal- 

 ent in the brotherhood of bee-keepers might 

 be employed. When asked how this may be 

 accomplished I am forced to adopt Dr. 

 Miller's confession and admit "I don't 

 know." Probably your suggestion if car- 

 ried into effect would solve the difficulty. 

 Amalgamate the North American and the 

 Union, merge the functions of both organ- 

 izations in one, secure an energetic business 

 man to manage the society's work, have him 

 devote his whole time to build up and ex- 

 tend its influence and let him be adequately 

 remunerated for his services. Until this or 

 something like this be done there is little 

 hope that either association will effect the 

 work that is possible to be effected in the 

 interest of bee-keeping. If the utility of 

 such a scheme be decided upon the details 

 for its management could be afterwards 

 marked out. The necessary revenue to carry 

 on such an association would be available 

 out of the annual membership fee if the 



present membership of the two societies 

 were maintained. The subject is a large 

 one, but I shall not pursue it further at 

 present. 

 Owen Sound, Canada. June 19, 1895. 



Notes From Foreign Journals. 



F. L. THOMPSON. 



T JApiooltobe. — Old combs are preferred 

 S to new by the bees both for brood and 

 storage, says Dr. Meteli. 



An early spring inspection is considered 

 by him a waste of time, as a rule, and the 

 brood nests are in this way needlessly chill- 

 ed. If the colonies were rightly wintered, 

 and had plenty of honey, their flight on 

 warm days, and the carrying in of pollen, 

 will give sufficient information of the popu- 

 lation of each, and the character of their 

 buzzing while the bottom boards of each are 

 being cleaned will indicate whether they are 

 queenless or not. If a doubt exists, the 

 buzzing of neighboring colonies may be 

 compared with the one in question by tap- 

 ping on the hives. Later, he opens the hives 

 to add empty combs to the sides of the brood 

 nest, but does not spread the brood. During 

 the summer the only reason for inspecting a 

 brood nest is a diminished population. He 

 believes in hives large enough to contain all 

 winter and spring stores, thus removing one 

 motive for fussing with the brood chamber. 

 The only general "manipulation" he con- 

 siders necessary is the review of the colonies 

 in August to see that they are well provided 

 with brood and honey for winter. 



No honey quotations are given in UApi 

 coltore, but in January, 189.5, a correspon- 

 dent values his honey crop at eight cents a 

 pound. 



Dr. Dubini prefers wax sheets to melted 

 wax in the Guazzoni press, using it like a 

 Given press. To get thin and uniform sheets 

 he uses a glass bottle filled with ice water, 

 instead of a dipping board. The sheets are 

 immediately removed and put in the press 

 while soft. 



The first spring inspection should be made 

 on a sunny day which has been preceeded by 

 several warm days, to avoid losing queens, 

 says Bertrand's Conduite du Rucher. 



Speaking of the fact that Americans never 

 mention the use of flour in uniting. Dr. 

 Dubini also refers to its employment in in- 

 troducing queens, but does not say how. 



