1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



819 



ing the bees sheltered from cold winds during 

 the winter. In the spring, as soon as weather 

 permitted, he filled the combs next to the sides 

 of the hive with syrup (two of sugar to one of 

 water). This resulted in the development of 

 much early brood. 



E. Bainard, the secretary, advocated stimula- 

 tive feeding in late summer, where there is no 

 honey-gathering by the bees after basswood. He 

 had found that old queens would not lay, and 

 young queens would lay; but in the latter case 

 the bees would not rear brood from the eggs de- 

 posited. 



SALT AND WATER. 



Robt. Wallace, Jas. Armstrong, F. A. Gem- 

 mell, and John AlcEwen all strongly advocated 

 giving bees regularly salt and water, a tablespoon- 

 ful of salt to an imperial gallon of water.* Mr. 

 McEwen stated that the day previous to the con- 

 vention his bees had taken up 8 gallons of this 

 water by means of feeders set out in the apiary 

 by him. 



D. Anguish and F. A. Gemmell strongly ad- 

 vocated flax chaff for packing for bees wintered 

 in outer cases. 



Quite a discussion took place in connection 

 with foul brood, and the following resolution was 

 passed unanimously: " That the Middlesex Bee- 

 keepers' Association would earnestly point out 

 the need of a larger government grant and more 

 inspectors to stamp out the disease known as foul 

 brood. " 



R. F. Holtermann, in recognition of services 

 rendered, was elected an honorary member of the 

 association. 



In connection with the above resolution the 

 following announcement has appeared in the 

 Farmer' s Aifz'ocafi': "At least as many foul-brood 

 inspectors will be engaged this season at last, and 

 probably one or two additional." 



Brantford, Ont. 



BEES STORING HONEY BELOW THE 

 BROOD. 



Do they Ever Do it if there is any Room 

 Above ? 



BY J. E. HAND. 



I am pleased to note that Dr. Miller, p. 1488, 

 1907, does not wish to go on record as saying 

 that bees in Illinois are as likely to store their 

 honey below the brood as above it. He even 

 goes so far as to say that their general preference 

 is to store it above the brood. However, I pre- 

 fer to call it instinct. Now, if we admit that the 

 general preference, habit, or instinct of bees is to 

 store their honey above the brood, then we must 

 look for some cause other than general preference, 

 habit, or instinct that would lead or compel them 

 to do right the reverse. I can think of but one 



* Let our United States friends remember that their standard 

 measure is what we call mine measure; ours is imperial, which, of 

 distilled water, weighs 10 lbs. 1 have been somewhat amused by 

 a well-known United States bee-keeper's reference to the mis- 

 takes of Canadians as to the number of pounds of honey in a gal- 

 lon. He stated that a Canadian scientist had given this as 10 

 lbs. I venture to say the scientist said distilled zvater, not hon- 

 ey. Again, the actual weight of well-ripened best-bodied honey, 

 imperial gallon, o'ur measure, will be found to be what Canadians 

 state. 



thing that would cause bees to go counter to their 

 natural instincts; and that is, an abnormal condi- 

 tion of the colony, which may be brought about 

 in various ways. However, I am inclined to the 

 belief that in Dr. Miller's case the cause was a 

 played-out queen. 



I would consider the act of storing and capping 

 honey below the brood with plenty of room above 

 it as prima-facia evidence of an abnormal condi- 

 tion of the colony, and for this reason a colony 

 that would so store and cap honey would not be 

 in condition to remove it quickly, since a vigor- 

 ous queen is the all-important factor in this 

 operation. I hardly think the doctor will care 

 to say that those colonies were in a perfectly nor- 

 mal condition after what he has been saying of 

 late about his superior strain of comb-honey 

 makers, for it is needless to say that such colonies 

 would be of no account for comb-honey produc- 

 tion. However, if he will say that such was their 

 condition, then I will cheerfully modify my 

 statement to which our good friend takes excep- 

 tion. 



Birmingham. Ohio. 



THE NEST OF THE BALD-FACED 

 HORNETS. 



BY E. F. ATWATER. 



The nest shown was about 18 inches long, and 

 still being enlarged along the line where a care- 

 ful search will show one of the inmates at work 

 on the left-hand side. The insects are here call- 



NEST BUILT BY BALD-FACED HORNETS. 



The nest was 18 inches long and still unfinished. 



ed "bald-faced hornets," and the adjective big is 

 also always applied. They are almost as large 

 as small bumble-bees, and not fierce unless dis- 

 turbed. Near by was another and smaller nest 

 of later establishment. 

 Meridian, Idaho. 



