730 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



brood-nest can be increased only in propor- 

 tion to the bees present in the colony. If 

 the bees of a colony dnring the busy season 

 live seven weeks instead of six, that colony 

 will become populous providing the queen 

 lays an equal number of eggs sooner than 

 the colony whose bees live only six weeks, 

 and would bring in much more surplus. 

 By selection bees have been produced, not 

 only of splendid color, but also of great 

 fertility. Great fertility alone does not 

 mean great surplus unless the offspring 

 haye great vitality. 



Longevity is a consummation devoutly to 

 be wished. If the beekeepers, especially the 

 breeders, strive to produce queens whose 

 progeny are especially hardy they will 

 succeed, just as they have succeeded with 

 fine color and great fertility. The trouble 

 is to know the queen whose progeny is 

 especially hardy. If beekeepers once decide 

 to pay esijeeial attention to longevity they 

 will find ways that will permit them a])- 

 proximately to judge of this desirable qual- 

 ity. If a colony has a very fertile queen, 

 and is populous, yet does not bring in sur- 

 plus correspondingly, one may infer tliat 

 the fielders are not in the right proportion 

 to the nurses. Unless there are other con- 

 ditions that account for the deficiency, that 

 would mean that the fielders do not live 

 long enough. On account of the fertility of 

 the queen, the colony is always populous, 

 consumes great quantities of honey to feed 

 the larv«, but, having fewer fielders than a 

 colony whose queen is equally prolific, but 

 whose descendants live longer, is short in 

 surplus. 



By comparison of two colonies of about 

 equally fertile queens but great difference in 

 vitality, the colony of greater vitality would 

 be more populous mornings and evenings. 

 A colony that does not seem very populous 

 during the day, and the fertility of the 

 queen only medium, but whose siurplus 

 compares favorably with the best, that -will 

 be a colony whose bees probably have that 

 longevity that the up-to-date beekeeper 

 should wish. We know in a general way 

 that bees during the busy season live about 

 sis weeks, while bees hatched in August or 

 September live about eight months. 



To accomplish much by selection in a 

 short time, it is essential to select carefully 

 the colonies from Avhich queens are reared. 

 Equal attention should be paid to the selec- 

 tion of colonies Avhose drones are to make 

 the queens. A choice colony, only the best 

 is good enough, should be set up in a place 

 far away from any apiary and from the 

 woods where wild bees are — say one mile 

 (a greater distance would be preferable), 

 and the queens to be mated should be 



brought there. The colony should have op- 

 portunity to rear a great number of drones ; 

 and if the honey-tlow is meager, liquid 

 honey mixed with an equal volume of water 

 should be fed for the purjDose of stimula- 

 tion. Under such conditions a high per- 

 centage of queens would be mated pure, and 

 transmit to their progeny witli much greater 

 certainty the good qualities of both parents. 

 We may often note that some colonies are 

 much quicker in detecting distant sources 

 of nectar. This is also a quality that de- 

 serves the special attention of the breeder. 



I have noticed that some beekeepers in 

 America advise feeding only cane sugar, 

 claiming that beet sugar is not wholesome 

 for bees. I think this warning is not justi- 

 fied. All sugar Ave use on the table is cane 

 sugar — that is its proper chemical name, 

 regardless of its derivation — and is in all 

 cases just the same, be it from the sugar- 

 beet, sorghum, sugar-cane, or the maple 

 tree. In good or ivell-refined sugar there 

 is barely enough of other substances so that 

 its derivation may be determined by the 

 most delicate and refined methods of mod- 

 ern science; but the ordinary mortal can 

 find no difference. 



In Germany we use sugar from the sugar- 

 beet exclusively. I have never heard of a 

 case where any undesirable effects had been 

 noticed by feeding to bees well-j-efined 

 sugar from the sugar-beet. The tendency 

 of degeneration of the bees through feeding 

 large quantites of sugar will be the same 

 Avhether the sugar is derived from the sugar- 

 l)eet or the sugai'-cane. Alcohol is the same, 

 whether it be from corn, barley, or potatoes. 

 This article applies especially to conditions 

 prevailing here in Bavaria. 



Markt Oberdorf, Bavaria, Germany. 



THE " MOVIES" AND BEEKEEPING 



BY LOUIS SCROLL 



Continved from page 709. 



for advertising the beekeepers' products 

 carried out. 



Of course, I do not mean to say that such 

 a film should be straight-out advertising in 

 its make-up, but tliat the scenes Avould be 

 interesting moving-picture-show stuff, and 

 so interesting that they will attract atten- 

 tion. Then, indirectly,' the advertising fea- 

 ture of these pictures should come out of 

 strong suggestions incorporated in various 

 ways'throughout the film. The titles to the 

 different scenes should be suggestive as well 

 as explanatory, and the pictures should be 

 such as to create the desire that we are 

 after. For instance, if the matter of honey 

 can be kept uppermost in tlie minds of the 



