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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL., 



gion of the earth may interest you. 

 Likely you are already aware that the 

 prevailing flora (at least the forest flora) 

 belongs to the eucalyptus order, com- 

 monly called "gum-trees," on account 

 of the gum resin which oozes out from 

 any wound in their bark. The timber 

 of most of the species is extremely hard 

 and durable— a bridge near here has just 

 been renewed, and piles of the original 

 bridge were dug up quite sound after 60 

 years in the ground ! But the bloom of 

 the trees have the greatest interest to 

 the bee-man. 



Most sorts bloom with the greatest 

 profusion, and are marvellously mellif- 

 erous. One bee-keeper has taken over 

 1,000 pounds each from some of his • 

 hives during the past season. The honey 

 varies from dark to the palest amber, 

 and, if properly ripened, has great den- 

 sity. Some sorts possess rather a pro- 

 nounced flavor, which is in a milder de- 

 gree common to all eucalyptus honey. 

 In fact, some samples of this honey give 

 one the idea that it has been derived 

 from orange or almond blossoms. 



Then near cultivated tracts we have 

 white clover in abundance, lucerne 

 (called by Americans " alfalfa"), pump- 

 kins, and other crops, besides a vast 

 number of flowering shrubs and vines 

 (wild), all more or less honey-yielding. 



As for our bees — as in America, so 

 here— the old black German was the 

 pioneer, and has spread through nearly 

 the whole of this continent. Tons of 

 honey are obtained from their nests in 

 hollow forest trees. But some 20 years 

 ago Italian bees were imported, and 

 their superior qualities being so mani- 

 fest, all pretending to any standing in 

 apiculture, have secured Italian blood. 

 Many Australian bee-keepers make reg- 

 ular annual importations from Italy 

 (Bologna) in batches of eight; and 

 more recently extensive importations 

 are made from America. 



C. Mansfield. 



Maitland, N. S. Wales, June 6. 



The above is only a portion of Friend 

 Mansfield's letter— the rest being purely 

 business, I of course omit it. I am sure 

 all the readers of the Bee Journal will 

 be greatly interested in what our Aus- 

 tralian bee-friends are doing, and will 

 be glad to know that they are a wide- 

 awake and progressive class. 



Jennie Atciiley. 



One-Cent PoHlagre StampM we 



prefer whenever it is necessary to send 

 stamps for fractions of a dollar. By re- 

 membering this, you will greatly oblige us. 



Preyenlion of Burr-Comls. 



Query 943.— What will prevent the bees 

 from building- comb between top-bars and sec- 

 tions ?— Ohio. 



A honey-board.— R. L. Taylor. 



Correct bee-spaces. — J. H. Larrabee. 



Correct bee-spaces. — Mrs. L. Harri- 

 son. 



Correct spacing is a great help. — H. 

 D. Cutting. 



The proper spacing, in part ; nothing 

 entirely. — A. J. Cook. 



Deep, wide top-bars of frames, and 

 proper bee-spaces. — C. H. Dibbern. 



Anything that will make the space 

 small— M of an inch.— Jas. A. Stone. 



A slat honey-board and proper spac- 

 ing— 5/16 of an inch.— J. A. Green. 



Wide and deep top-bars, and a scant 

 bee-space with joints broken. — Dadant 

 & Son. 



A little less space. Occasionally a 

 change of queens is necessary.— P. H. 

 Elwood. 



I don't know, unless it would be only 

 or barely a bee-space left between them. 

 — Mrs. Jennie Atchley. 



A correct bee-space — 5/16 of an inch 

 — with proper width and depth of top- 

 bar. — G. M. Doolittle. 



Top-bars % of an inch deep and bee- 

 space — just deep enough for bees to 

 move freely.— S. I. Freeborn. 



Proper spacing will obviate the dlflR- 

 culty largely— 34 to % of an inch, is 

 about right. — I. M. Hambaugh. 



Space the frames just bee-space apart, 

 will as nearly accomplish the matter as 

 any one thing will do.— J. E. Pond. 



Small space. Put on a queen-excluder, 

 and then put the case of sections on the 

 zinc — with no space between the sections 

 and the zinc— E. France. 



Wide top-bars, with bee-space be- 

 tween top-bars and surplus sections. 

 The edges of the top-bars should be 

 about M inch wide. — Mrs. J. N. Heater 



