American Hee Jonrnal j 



September, 1914. 



dently due to the gathering of moisture^ 

 for the weather was damp. This con- 

 firms the experience of old apiarists, 

 that combs of honey, when they be- 

 come cold, act as a pitcher of cold 

 water in a warm and damp atmosphere, 

 and condense the moisture. 



The temperature of tlie cluster in 

 cold weather is variously reported at 

 from t)8 to 31 degrees F., while in the 

 active breeding season it fluctuates be- 

 tween 93 and '.15 degrees. 



The report contains sever;'! interest- 

 ing experiments such as the effects of 

 storm and wind on the temperature of 

 the colony, the effect of transportation 

 in warm weather, of disturbance by the 

 apiarist in winter days, of the flight of 

 the young bees (play flights) on sunny 

 days, etc. Itis worthy of careful study. 

 It may be obtained from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in the usual way. 



Builetius for Beekeepers 



" Honey Bees as Pollenizers,'" by Mrs. 

 Susan M. Howard, and " Soft Candy 

 for Bees," by Prof. Burton N. Gates, 

 President of the National Association, 

 are both published by the State Board 

 of Agriculture of Massachusetts, and 

 we are kindly informed by Prof. Gates 

 that they may be had by our readers if 

 applied for. Address him at Amherst, 

 Mass. 



We have also received Bulletin No. 

 3, on "Brood Diseases of Bees," by the 

 Iowa State Inspector, Mr. Frank C. 

 Pellett, of Atlantic, Iowa. The bulle- 

 tin may be had from the inspector 

 above named. 



San Francisco lu 1J)15? 



According to a report just received, 

 already '237 national and international 

 congresses and conventions have 

 chosen San Francisco for their meet- 



H. W. Hechler in His Apiary at Hedrick, Iowa 



ing place in 1915. We see no reason 

 why the National Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion should not help swell the list. 



Invitations have been extended by 

 the management of the Exposition, by 

 the California Association, and many 

 beekeepers have in personal letters ex- 

 pressed the hope that San Francisco 

 would be chosen. 



Diseases of the Adult Bee 



In our editorial upon " A Modern 

 Bee Farm," we have said that Mr. Sim- 

 mins calls the Isle of Wight disease 

 " infectious paralysis." We have for a 

 long time thought that this disease was 

 the same as our "paralysis" or the 

 "May disease" of Europe, character- 

 ized by the appearance in great num- 

 bers of the Xosema apis of Zander. But 

 now cnme additional descriptions of 

 various diseases, of the same nature. 

 In the May and June numbers of " Le 

 Rucher Beige," Mr. Bage describes not 



only the .Vosema apis of Zander and 

 the /iiuillus gaytoni of Cheshire, but 

 several forms of " dysentery " or " ref- 

 ertum," which are called "refertum 

 pollinis, refertum viscini, refertum 

 dextrini, refertum nutrici;e," besides 

 artificial poisoning and natural pois- 

 oning. However, " dysentery " should 

 not be described as "refertum," for the 

 latter word is Latin, and means "full, 

 fullness." The fullness of the bowels 

 in these cases is rather constipation 

 than dysentery. But if only half of 

 those diseases are specific and distinct, 

 we are on the way to much valuable 

 information. 



We wrote to Europe for greater 

 light upon the subject, but the present 

 unfortunate war conditions are absorb- 

 ing the attention of our friends across 

 the Atlantic. Our sympathy goes to 

 them. Nations need to do away with 

 czars, kaisers and emperors. We have 

 a few jingoes in America, but they 

 would never lead us into such insani- 

 ties as the present European war. 



Ai'iARv OF E. T. Carlson at Aledo, III, 



Humble Bees in New Zealand 



Bulletin No. 46 (New Series), of the 

 New Zealand Department of Agricul- 

 ture, is just at hand. It contains 30 

 pages with illustrations, and has for its 

 subjeC, ■' History of the Humble Bee in 

 New Zealand." Our old friend, Mr. 

 Isaac Hopkins, for many years govern- 

 ment apiarist in that country, is the 

 author. Mr. Hopkins is an authority 

 on this subject as well as on the honey 

 bee. He was among the first to import 

 humble-bees into New Zealand 



Previous to 1870, the farmers of New 

 Zealand were able to get but little seed 

 from red clover, owing tn the absence 

 of this bee. Such seed as was set, Mr. 

 Hopkins states, was due to the presence 



