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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July 15 



Mr. Crane also takes occasion to criticise 

 our statement where we advise the use of 

 carriers for these new paper cases, even 

 when sent by freight. While he admits that 

 it may be wise for some people to use them, 

 yet he has sent large shipments of honey in 

 them repeatedly by freight, without carriers, 

 the honey going through in first-class condi- 

 tion. 



As to whether carrier should be used or 

 not, we think it will depend largely upon the 

 railroads over which the honey is to be ship- 

 ped, the distance, and how well the honey is 

 fastened in the sections. Perhaps it would 

 be wise not to try too large a shipment by 

 freight at the start without carriers. 



Mr. Crane also draws attention to the fact 

 that our shipment of single-crate case of 

 comb honey in the new paper carrier had no 

 label or any thing to indicate the fragile char- 

 acter of the contents. That being the case, 

 he doesn't see how it would be possible for 

 any goods like honey to go through without 

 being utterly smashed to pieces. He also in- 

 quires whether the case that was used to 

 transport this honey was like the sample we 

 sent him in which the cross-partitions were 

 of the same height as the sections: that the 

 cases he was making and supplying had 

 cross-partitions that were higher than the 

 depth of the sections. These cross-partitions 

 he further explained would then support the 

 weight of any other cases or boxes that might 

 be placed upon the package, thus taking the 

 strain entirely off from the sections. We re- 

 plied by saying that the case we shipped the 

 honey m to New York had the partitions of 

 the same height as the sections. 



In any event we hope that our readers will 

 not be prejudiced against the new container, 

 as we firmly believe it has merits that will 

 shove it to the front, and possibly crowd its 

 wooden competitor out of the field entirely. 

 This season will probably determine to a 

 great extent its future. 



DEAD OR PICKLED BROOD MORE PREVALENT 

 THIS YEAR; HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT. 



There has been considerable dead brood 

 reported from various sections of the country 

 — rather more this season than usual. We 

 can account for it only on the ground of the 

 cool backward spring, and the scarcity of 

 natural pollen. As a general thing the bees 

 are able to secure nitrogenous food in the 

 spring much earlier than they did this year. 

 When there is a scarcity of this commodity 

 in the hives some of the young larvse die, 

 because they do not have, as we say in poul- 

 try parlance, a "balanced ration." 



Much of the so-called pickled brood, and 

 perhaps all of it, is nothmg more nor less 

 than starved brood, even though there is 

 plenty of honey in the hive. Very often we 

 find dead brood when there is a lack of nurse 

 bees. In that case we would have to call 

 it neglected brood. Larvae that die from 

 want of proper nourishment show some 

 marked characteristics, and perhaps a de- 

 scription right here will allay the fears of some 

 who may think they have foul brood. 



Dead brood is noticeable, usually, in the 

 cells not sealed. The larva lies on its back 

 in the bottom of the cell, with its two ends 

 curved upward. Just after its death there 

 appear two little black specks, one at each 

 end. This blackness continues to extend 

 down the length of the body; and when this 

 dark color meets from both ends the larva 

 begins to shrivel up; but, unlike foul brood, 

 the grub does not melt down into a shapeless 

 mass. In this respect it looks like black 

 brood. But it differs from that disease in 

 that there is no appreciable odor, no sugges- 

 tion of foulness. Foul brood stinks horribly 

 — more so than any other brood disease by 

 far. Black brood has a slightly foul odor 

 combined with a yeasty, sour smell. 



Ordinary dead brood will appear in a good 

 many hives in a bee-yard when the combs 

 have been exposed or when there is a lack 

 of pollen as there was this year; but, unlike 

 the real black brood or foul brood, the dead 

 specimens will be removed in two or three 

 weeks. 



why IS IT THAT BEES ARE MORE INCLINED TO 

 STING AT TIMES THAN OTHERS? 



Sometimes bees are " pesky mean," as the 

 boys say; at other times they can be handled 

 like kittens. A few days ago we had occa- 

 sion to go down to our Harrington yard and 

 put on some supers. The bees were coming 

 m heavily from the oak and hickory trees, 

 from which they were gathering honey-dew. 

 They would roar on these trees early in the 

 morning, and more or less all day, unless in- 

 terrupted by thunder showers, which were 

 more or less frequent at the time. 



On the occasion referred to, the bees were 

 coming in heavily laden with honey-dew. 

 The sky was becoming overcast with dark 

 clouds; there was a low rumble of distant 

 thunder; the bees were pouring in pellmell 

 to get in before it rained. There was a little 

 dash of rain, but we paid no attention to it 

 and went on with our work. Oh! but the 

 bees were ugly! They stung through the 

 clothing — everywhere over the body. They 

 had been interrupted, and the light storm- 

 dash had spoiled their fun. We went on 

 giving room, and in the mean time some of 

 the big colonies were just determined that 

 we should keep away. The onslaught of 

 their attack was furious. At times we had 

 to retreat in inglorious defeat. Back we 

 went at them again with heavy clouds of 

 smoke, for that was the only way we could 

 conquer them. Next day we went down to 

 this same yard and handled those celonies 

 again. Not a bee offered to sting; all was 

 quiet and serene. Why was this? The con- 

 ditions were different. The sky was bright 

 and the bees were busy in the fields. 



Our man had a similar experience at the 

 basswood yard on this particular day when 

 the bees were so cross at the Harrington 

 yard. The weather conditions of an impend- 

 ing storm were about the same; but this time 

 the bees manifested their ill will toward both 

 man and beast. There was a field of corn 

 right next to the yard, and directly in line of 



