AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL- 



IST 



Nebraska bee-keepers ''know how." Bro. 

 Whitcomb, no doubt, could give a good 

 many "pointers" on how to secure the 

 proper recognition of apiculture at Fairs. 



Xlie Color in ISeeswax Dr. C. C. 



Miller, in a recent number of Gleanmgs, 

 gives the following " straw " on the color 

 of beeswax: 



'• Who of us hasn't wondered what it is 

 that gives the bright-.yellow color to bees- 

 wax ? Wax is generally considered white 

 when first produced in little scales. Cowan 

 says it is always tinted, the color coming 

 from the pollen consumed. But what makes 

 it get yellower in the hive ? A German 

 writer says that, like the young of nearly 

 all animals, the young bee, on first empty- 

 ing its bowels, discharges feces of intense 

 yellow, and this colors the comb. White 

 comb confined in the center of a colony, 

 but inclosed in wire cloth, remains white. 

 Here's something for experimenter Taylor." 



Feeding- to Cnre Paralysis. — 



Prof. Cook, writing from Claremont, Calif., 

 on July 23, 1894, offers the following as his 

 experience in treating bees afflicted with 

 paralysis : 



Dear Mr. York: — As you are aware, I 

 secured several of the diseased colonies of 

 bees. All were very scant of stores. I fed 

 all, and all are much improved. Indeed, I 

 see no sign of the disease now. As simple 

 feeding seemed as effective as medication 

 with feeding, I am persuaded that feeding 

 was enough to rout the disease. 



I was led to the opinion that it was a case 

 of partial starvation. The nurse-bees could 

 not properly feed the brood, and the latter 

 died from lack of nourishment. Mr. J. C. 

 Dayton writes me that he thinks starvation 

 is the cause. 



This past week I have examined colonies 

 with much last year's honey, and find no 

 trace of the malady. Commissioner Herron 

 informed me that the disease was not east 

 of Grapeland. I wonder if the bees there 

 have not more old honey on hand. 



Rambler was going to buy (?) that $1,000 

 recipe, but lacked a few cents of having 

 enough. I will sell him my secret — just 

 feeding— for just what he has on hand ! 



I find many plant and bark lice here this 

 dry season, and so there is very much 

 honey-dew. This may make it necessary 

 to feed less. A. J. Cook. 



California. Black-Sage Honey. 



—Mr. J. P. Israel, of Escondido, Calif., had 

 an article in a recent number of Olecmiuga, 



on the production of comb and extracted 

 honey in California, and also touched on 

 the subject of bees and fruit. We take the 

 following excerpt from Mr. Isreal's article 



A producer in a black-sage country should 

 by all means produce comb honey, provid- 

 ed he does not have too far to haul it in a 

 wagon. He should do this, because all the 

 black-sage honey is white. Whei-e his flora 

 is mixed he can get no pure white honey, 

 therefore he should extract. 



Prof. Ccok is going to be a power for 

 good in California. Already he has begun 

 te establish an influence over the fruit-pro- 

 ducers. But fruit-men are getting their 

 eyes opened — opened by sad experience. 

 Negotiations are now going en in a certain 

 section of Fresno county, to plant 1,000 

 acres of black-sage. This will be done by a 

 company, or combination, of large fruit- 

 producers. This sage will be scattered 

 along the foothills— about 100 acres in a 

 patch— five miles apart. Thus you see its 

 benefits will reach a great many orchards, 

 which in turn will pay back in nectar for 

 the labor of the bees. These tracts of 

 black-sage will be irrigated, and will yield 

 floods of honey every year. 



Xlie Premium t,ist of the Kent Co., 

 (Mich.) Agricultural Society for 1S94 has 

 been sent us. The Fair is to be held at 

 Grand Rapids on Sept. ISth to 21st inclu- 

 sive. The premiums on " Apiary Products " 

 are as follows : 



1st. 2nd. 



Display of comb honey .$3 00 .$2 00 



Single case of comb honey 2 00 1 00 



Display of extracted honey 2 00 1 00 



Collection of honey-producing 



plants, mounted and named. . . 2 00 1 00 

 Display of bee-keepers' supplies 



by manufacturer Diploma. 



While the above is a good beninning, 

 another year bee-keepers around Grand 

 Rapids should see to it that a more exten- 

 sive list is offered. With proper effort on 

 the part of apiarists, we believe that every 

 Fair in the country would grant liberal 

 premiums for bee and honey exhibits. The 

 apiarian department should be made one of 

 the most attractive parts of every Fair. By 

 a little work it can be done, and it's a good 

 way to advertise the bee-keeping business. 



Mrs. Ateliley is again up with her 

 orders, and queens go by return mail, her 

 bees having recovered from the effects of 

 the severe sun-scorching they received a 

 few weeks ago. 



Great Premium on page 131 



