734 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



of merchandise from practically every section of the 

 country. 



About two weeks ago two 10-lb. pails of extracted 

 honey, which had been shipped from a small town 

 in Kentucky to a party in this city, \-ere received 

 in our local office, in a deplorable condition. Each 

 can, of the friction-top variety, was securely fasten- 

 ed in a sort of substantial wooden framework, but 

 packed in such a way as to leave the rims of the 

 cans extending beyond. In transit both had evidently 

 received a blow or jar on the rim, causing same to 

 spring just a trifle, but sufficient however to cause 

 an almost invisible gap between the cover and the 

 rim proper, resulting in about half the contents of 

 the cans leaking out and completely daubing up 

 every piece of mail in that particular sack. The 

 public in general does not realize the hard jolts these 

 mail-sacks receive in being transferrred from one 

 train to another, and in being loaded on and off tlie 

 mail-wagons. 



Only a few days ago several pounds of grapes 

 packed in a flimsy pasteboard box were received in 

 a state of " mush," the package having been flattened 

 completely. 



A 5-lb. can of fine country butter received the 

 same treatment. When a 20-lb. piece of machinery 

 comes in violent contact with a fragile article or 

 package, something is going to happen. 



In order to ship honey safely by parcel post it is 

 necessary to enclose it in a stout wooden box with 

 plenty of packing to take up the jar. Our parcel- 

 post service is being constantly improved; it being 

 still in its infancy, too much can not be expected at 

 the start ; but in due time the many problems will be 

 worked out, and fragile articles shipped with perfect 

 safety. 



Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 18. Albin Platz. 



Why Swarms do not Carry Foul Brood 



In a footnote in Stray Straws, p. 633, Sept. 15, 

 >ou say that " it is generally understood that swarms 

 do not carry foul brood." Please tell us why; or 

 how it is possible for them to do otherwise than carry 

 it when they leave the parent hive loaded with in- 

 fected honey? I once had an infected colony swarm, 

 and I hived them on full sheets of foundation ; placed 

 it on the old stand, put on a queen-excluder, and 

 placed the partly filled super of extracting-combs 

 from the parent colony over it. By so doing I gave 

 them a place to store their loads of infected honey; 

 and as nectar was coming in freely this honey was 

 soon covered up ; and later, when it was well cap- 

 ped, I removed it with an escape-board and extracted 

 it and melted up the combs. The swarm has never 

 shown any sign of foul brood since. I felt certain 

 that I had saved them from it only by giving them 

 empty combs above the excluder. I imagine my 

 prime swarm would soon draw out the foundation 

 sufficiently to store some of the honey brought with 

 them. It seems to me like taking a big chance. We 

 should like to know more about the subject from 

 some of you fellows who probably are in a position 

 to " put us right." -T. E. Battram. 



St. Thomas, Onf., Can., Sept. 22. 



[Bees shaken from a diseased hive into a clean_ 

 hive on frames of foundation will not carry the 

 disease with them, as a rule. They will consume 

 what honey they may have in their honey-sacs in 

 drawing out of the foundation. However, to be 

 doubly sure, Mr. McEvoy advised the use of two sets 

 of foundation and a second shaking. This is a great 

 deal of work, and it is very rare indeed that a sec- 

 ond shaking is ever necessary ; that is to say, one 

 drawing-out of foundation seems to suffice for all 

 practical purposes. This plan, which is so generally 

 in use all over the United States and Canada, and 

 to a great extent in Europe, is really founded on 

 what is known as the Quinby treatment. He orig- 

 inallv shook his bees from diseased hives into a clean 



hive and caused them to build new combs. In that 

 early day there was no such thing known as comb 

 foundation; but the bees were obliged to build their 

 own natural combs, This necessarily compelled 

 them to use up any diseased honey that they might 

 have in their sacs in the comb-building. If the 

 Quinby treatment or the foundation plan of treat- 

 ment is a success it would naturally follifvv that a 

 swarm of bees leaving a diseased hive or diseased 

 combs would not carry the disease witli it, for it 

 would be compelled to carry out automatically what 

 is known as the Quinby treatment of cure; but if 

 such a swarm of bees should go into a bee-tree that 

 already had disease, or should occupy combs that 

 had been infected by foul brood, of covirse the dis- 

 ease would appear again. — Ed.] 



From 25 to 90 Colonies, and 2 Tons of Honey; 

 Crops Sold at 25 Cts. per Pound 



I had 55 colonies, spring count, and have increas- 

 ed 35, and have two tons of honey so far. This 

 honey was gathered during parts of April and May 

 this year. I thought I was amply prepared for the 

 honey-flow, but used every thing in the way of hives 

 and supers I had, and think I could have doubled 

 my crop had I had supers sufficient. Nectar came 

 from Avild flowers mainly; but there ^^as a two-acre 

 patch of buckwheat half a mile away which makes 

 the honey a light amber. I produce both bulk comb 

 and extracted. I have just discovered that I am 

 within only a few miles of thousands of acres of 

 tupelo gum which is absolutely unoccupied by bees 

 I have a sjilendid market for all the honey I can 

 produce, at 25 cts. per lb. for bulk comb and 20 cts. 

 for extracted. So far I have visited only the office 

 buildings and merchants at their places of business. 

 Trade is all retail, 5 and 10 lb. lots; no house-to- 

 house soliciting (at residences) so far. Nearly all 

 deliveries are made on the spot at the time the order 

 is taken. I don't have to deliver at a residence. My 

 bees are all on a 25-ft. town lot on which is also a 

 house and barn. 



Nederland, Tex., June 19. J. H. Weeks. 



Condition of Nuclei to which the Virgins were In 

 troduced 



I should like to know wliethcr there were eggs 

 and larvfe present in colonies where those " old 

 virgins " were introduced (editorial, Sept. 1, p. 

 594). Will you please let me know the condition 

 existing in nuclei or colony at the time of introduc- 

 ing? how long queenless? any supersedures yet? 

 any cells at time of introducing? 



Corinne, Utah, Sept. 5. A. B. Dickinson. 



[Mr. Marchant replies as follows: — Ed.] 



" I have tried introducing old virgins to colonies 

 and nuclei in various circumstances, but I find that 

 they will l;e more successfully accepted in colonies 

 or nuclei that have been queenless not over 48 hours. 

 If cells have been started and not removed, the 

 results are not very satisfactory. If the cells are 

 removed several hours before the virgins are run 

 in, they are usually accepted all right. So far I have 

 found no supersedure, and do not believe there wil) 

 be any, for I am sure that, where the old virgins 

 are run in, they will make as good queens as any, 

 unless the virgins in question are very old indeed. 

 Virgins five or six days old are all right. Some of 

 my best queens were old virgins when introduced." 



Good Season for Colorado 



Tliis was a good lioney season here; about 12 cars, 

 total crop. My crop was 200 cases comb, 8000 lbs. 

 bulk comb, and 25,000 extracted; mostly sold except 

 the last car of comlj honey. 



Rocky Ford, Colo., Sept. 11." Bert W. Hopper. 



