rH)8 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



623 



Now is the time ot all the year when the bee- 

 keeper will need to put in his best efforts. There 

 is an abundance ot clover this year, and there is 

 a chance of getting something providing he is up 

 and doing. 



M.-kNY ignorant fruit-growers will be spraying 

 their trees while in bloom. Our bee-keeping 

 friends should wait upon these people, and in the 

 most kindly manner show them their mistake 

 from the standpoint of the fruit-grower as well as 

 that of the bee-keeper. If you haven't any liter- 

 ature to hand them write us for it. 



The next session of the Farmers' National 

 Congress will meet at Madison, Wisconsin, be- 

 ginning Sept. 24. This w ill present a unique op- 

 portunity for some of our readers to hear men of 

 national and international fame discuss the great 

 farm problems of our time. It is a sort of insti- 

 tute of institutes. 



OUR NEW FACE OF TYPE. 



Notice that this issue is printed on a brand- 

 new face of type. Our big editions, with an oc- 

 casional double number, have been wearing out 

 our old type very rapidly*. It takes only a year 

 now, with our big circulation, to wear out near- 

 ly 1500 lbs. of type on Gleanings alone. 



$4000 for 400 colonies of bees in texas. 



While conditions for a honey-flow in South- 

 west Texas have been somewhat discouraging of 

 late, yet it is significant that there is enough con- 

 fidence in the industry for one party to pay anoth- 

 er one $4000 for 400 colonies of bees. This price 

 for so large a number, in spite of the discouraging 

 conditions for the last two years in that portion 

 of the country, shows a confidence in bee-keep- 

 ing in the Lone Star State scarcely equaled any- 

 where else. 



prospects favorable for the eastern states. 

 Judging by the rush of orders that have come 

 in, the prospects in most of the Eastern States 

 for a honey-flow seem to be very good. While 

 the spring has been somewhat backward, and 

 even cold in many States, it has been by no 

 means as unfavorable as a year ago, during 

 which thousands of colonies all over the country 

 were lost. There has been a large amount of 

 rainfall; and if suitable weather comes on in 

 June and July there is every prospect of there be- 

 ing a fair crop. 



another word to those whose subscription 



EXPIRES. 



We are rapidly taking out the names of those 

 who are back on their subscriptions; for under 

 the new ruling of the Department, as we have al- 

 ready stated, we are not allowed to continue any 

 subscription except a short period after the time 

 for which it is paid. It is important for those in 

 arrears, who do not wish to lose any of the num- 

 bers, to renew at once, as we can not promise to 

 supply any back numbers between the time of 

 stopping the journal and the commencing of it 

 again, although we will furnish as long as our 

 supply lasts. 



PARCELS-POST legislation denied by this CON- 

 GRESS. 



It is practically decided there will be no par- 

 cels-post legislation this session of Congress. 

 The Postmaster-General has done his best to in- 

 fluence legislation along this line, but to no pur- 

 pose. He has shown that a parcels post on rural 

 routes would make rural free delivery self-sus- 

 taining. He estimates that there are nearly 

 40,000 rural routes, serving US, 000, 000 people, 

 which would, at the lowest calculation, average 

 five packages each trip throughout the year. 

 This would give an increased revenue of 

 $15,000,000, and that sum, it is estimated, would 

 wipe out the present deficiency. But it is no 

 use; the politicians are thoroughly alarmed — in 

 fact, they are scared to mention the subject at 

 all, as an election is near at hand. While this 

 Congress didn't give us parcels post it will come 

 — yes, is bound to come. Political bugaboos can 

 not always keep back what is a great success in 

 Europe. w. K. m. 



southern CALIFORNIA SAGE CROP A FAILURE 

 AND BEES STARVING TO DEATH. 



Thousands of colonies, owing to unfavorable 

 conditions, in Southern California, are reported 

 to be dying of sheer starvation. When the ques- 

 tion is asked, " Why don't the bee-keepers feed.^" 

 the answer is that there is no honey crop in sight, 

 and they feel that they can not draw on an already 

 attenuated, or, worse yet, overdrawn bank ac- 

 count to buy sugar in suflRcient quantities to keep 

 the bees over until next February or March for a 

 honey-flow that may or may not come. The 

 policy with some, at least, seems to be to let the 

 colonies starve except a comparatively small num- 

 ber; and when the next flow actually is in good 

 prospect this number is increased. Whether it 

 is cheaper to increase than to keep alive by feed- 

 ing a large force of bees is a serious question. 



In some portions of Southern California where 

 where there is irrigation there will be a crop as 

 usual. It is the lack of rains on the mountain- 

 sides that can not be irrigated that plays havoc 

 with the sages. 



IDENTIFYING HONEY BY MEANS OF POLLEN-GRAINS 

 AS SEEN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. 



The following letter, received from W. J. 

 Young, Assistant of the Chemical Laboratory of 

 the Bureau of Chemistry, of the Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. C. , will explain 

 itself. Mr. Young, it will be remembered, was 

 one of the authors of the United States Bulletin, 

 No. 110, of the Department of Agriculture, a re- 

 view of which we gave on page 549 of our last 

 issue. His interest in this matter is certainly ap- 

 preciated, and we feel sure our subscribers will 

 be glad to respond by sending him samples. 

 The letter is as follows: 



Mr. Root: — I have been interested in the discussion of the 

 color of heartsease honey in Gleanings for Dec. 15, 1907, p. 

 1504, and elsewhere, and believe that the case might be settled 

 with comparative ease by a microscopical examination of the pol- 

 len along lines pointed out in Bulletin No. 110 of this Bureau. 

 I am, therefore, writing to your contributors in order to obtain, if 

 possible, samples of what they consider to be heartsease honey. 

 Should any of your readers be in position to aid me in securing 

 such samples I should be pleased to have them communicate with 

 me about the matter. W. J. Young, 



April 25. Assistant Microchemical Laboratory 



