392 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July 1 



NOTES FROM CANADA 



By R. F. Holtermann. 



comb-honey losses in shipment and their 

 effect on the trade. 



The footnote, May 1, page 262, is timely. 

 When the dealer's profits vanish as a result 

 ■of breakage he does not feel like making an- 

 other investment. A dealer must also make 

 a profit in proportion to his risk. This profit 

 must largely come out of the producer. Less- 

 en the risk and the net proceeds to the pro- 

 ducer will increase. 



4> 

 FOUL-BROOD-INSPECTION WORK IN CANADA. 



The foul-brood situation in Ontario is a 

 burning subject. It appears that, for the 

 sake of economy, the Ontario government 

 has practically decided that, except in ag- 

 gravated cases, the inspectors are not to go 

 out until May 15, and then for only a limited 

 number of days. The idea was that foul 

 brood in its early stages can not readily be 

 detected until brooding is carried on rather 

 extensively. This is quite true; but in the 

 meantime the disease may be spread very 

 much by neglected colonies that have dwin- 

 dled or died, and that have diseased honey 

 which may be robbed out. If one or the 

 other plan had to be followed it is just a ques- 

 tion as to whether the early inspection would 

 not do more good than the later one. At 

 first thought the former would appear to me 

 to be preferable, because foul brood would 

 likely be discovered in the hives already 

 mentioned, and robbing prevented. Again, 

 the careless bee-keeper without inspection 

 uses for swarms the combs upon which the 

 bees have perished, and this would be pre- 

 vented. Even when there is but little brood 

 in the hive, badly diseased colonies could 

 be detected. It would be only the slightly 

 affected colonies that might pass muster. 



I quite agree with the Canadian Bee Jour- 

 nal and many of its writers in upholding 

 early inspection; and with a Provincial apia- 

 rist now appointed, whose duty it should be 

 to advise upon such matters, we may see a 

 good apicultural policy develop. The pres- 

 ent stand taken by the Provincial govern- 

 ment, that only $2500 be spent this summer 

 for foul-brood inspection, is also a mistake. 

 A wealthy province like Ontario can well af- 

 ford to spend $10,000 in a season if, by that 

 expenditure, foul brood can be brought un- 

 der control more quickly. There are por- 

 tions of this province in which there is every 

 likelihood that foul brood exists, but which 

 have not been inspected, owing to lack of 

 men and means. This should not be. We 

 are, of course, quite ready to give the Minis- 

 ter of Agriculture and the Department credit 

 for the increase within three years of the 

 grant for this work from $G00 to $2500 per 

 annum, but it is not yet enough. 



Jacob Alpaugh, one of the mspectors, said 

 recently that we needed a thousand inspec- 

 tors. When I demurred he said, "Years ago 

 you and a lot of others opposed my views 

 given in convention, but you had to come to 



it." I admit that; but I do not expect to 

 change my views in this : I would appoint 

 no man who is not competent, and I feel sure 

 that at present one thousand good men could 

 not be found. The Ontario Bee-keepers' 

 Association could well devote some time at 

 its next meeting in Toronto, in November, 

 to a discussion as to the most efficient man- 

 ner in which a foul-brood inspector should 

 carry out his duties, and by all means let lay- 

 men take part. Any thing that will not stand 

 the light of cool deliberate debate and rea- 

 soning should be eliminated. No one need 

 be ashamed to lea: n in this matter. The best 

 of us make mistakes, and all should be open 

 to advice given in a proper way. A wise 

 man will follow advice given in even an im- 

 proper spirit if such advice is sound. 



-^-?> 



THE SEASON'S PROSPECTS. 



At this date. May 27, the season in this sec- 

 tion of Ontario, and, in fact, over a very large 

 portion of Canada, has been decidedly bacK- 

 ward, with very much rain. In the neigh- 

 borhood of my apiaries, even in backward 

 seasons, the fruit-bloom is always over, and 

 the bees robbing at this date. At present, 

 however, plum blossom is just over; the cher- 

 ry and plum are in full swing, and the apple- 

 blossoms are only just begnining to open. 

 This means that fruit blossom will extend 

 over the first week in June, at least. Ow- 

 ing to the favorable winter and wet spring, 

 white, alsike, and red clover are in the very 

 best condition. The basswoods have not yet 

 unfolded their story as to the number of 

 blossom-buds they will bear; but a dry fall is 

 not favorable for the setting of many bass- 

 wood-buds for the following summer. 



A very much larger area of land is likely 

 to be devoted to the growth of buckwheat. 

 This is owing to continued rain, and the dif- 

 ficulty the farmers have had in getting on 

 their land for seeding purposes. With us, 

 buckwheat need not be sown until the first 

 week in July. 



This is one side of the apicultural outlook, 

 and it seems rather favorable. We may set 

 a dry summer following the wet spring. Tor 

 such is very often the case. 



When we examine the condition of bees, 

 however, the outlook is not so favorable. 

 Colonies packed on their summer stands, and 

 with plenty of stores, have kept fairly well 

 abreast of vegetation. Unpacked bees, how- 

 ever, and particularly those that have been 

 at all scarce of stores, or if they have stood 

 in exposed places, have not built up well. 

 Inactivity of the worker-bees, since there 

 have been few good days for the bees to work, 

 has resulted in inactivity on the part of the 

 queen. We know, of course, that the fairest 

 outlook may end in empty supers. On the 

 other hand, unfavorable conditions may re- 

 sult in a rapid change and a bumper crop. 

 This is not surprising when a colony has been 

 known to gain 24 lbs. in one day in a clover 

 flow. Heat, moisture, and electricity in the 

 atmosphere, combined with a moderate 

 amount of bloom and bees, can give wonder- 

 ful results in a very short time. 



