iNOVEMBEU 15, lyv. 



them again. I have never lost one after 

 such treatment, in spite of the fact that I 

 have been told that, after a colony gets 

 started in this way, it is ai)t to die before 

 spring. But the bees always show a marked 

 improvement after the change of stores, 

 and come through all right. 



A BEE DISEASE RESEMBLING NOSEMA APIS. 



A strange disease has ap]ieared among 

 tlie bees in this State. Sometimes it is ac- 

 companied by bee dysentery, but not al- 

 ways. Mr. Coley has had three cases, and 

 has reported others that he saw during 

 his work as foul-brood inspector. He says 

 his own affected colonies died. I had one 

 case, but I did not lose it, as I requeened, 

 and the bees seemed to outgrow the trouble. 

 The bees come out on the alighting-board, 

 surround one bee that seems to be affected, 

 ar.d act as though they wanted to pull it 

 to pieces. The one attacked makes no re- 

 sistance, even though there may be four 

 or five bees around it. After a time, when 

 it would seem as though the one bee would 

 be nearly killed, the others will stop maul- 

 ing it about, and it will fly away as though 

 nothing were the matter. Veiy often the 

 healthy bees will pull out the sick ones 

 and roll them off the alighting-board on to 

 the ground, so that the ground is covered 

 with them. In the one case I had, the 

 queen was a fine-looking one and a good 

 layer. I kept close watch all summer ; and, 

 though they have not built up well or 

 stored much honey, I think they will pull 

 through the winter if the trouble does not 

 break out again. If it does, I shall brim- 

 stone the bees. We sent a number of the 

 affected bees to Dr. Phillips, and he re- 

 ported tliat he could not tell what the trou- 

 ble was. I have read some of Dr. Zander's 

 articles on Nosema apis, and I am of the 

 opinion that that is the trouble. I have 

 found traces of it among some of my 

 strong colonies. 



If this scourge should become epidemic, 

 foul brood would be in the background so 

 far as loss is concerned. We have foul 

 brood all around us. which is quite enough 

 without any new trouble. 



Stamford. Ct. 



THE FACTS ABOUT BEEKEEPING IN CENTRAL 

 FLORIDA 



BY DR. L. A. SIMMON. 



Beekeeping in Florida was written up 

 last year by Mr. E. G. Baldwin; but he 

 wrote of localities where commercial bee- 

 keeping is a possibility, and of men who 

 have devoted years to the business, and 

 are princes in "^ the art. It was inspiring 



to read his articles, and especially con- 

 cerning the tupelo belt, where "shiploads 

 of honey go to Avaste for want of bees to 

 gather it." It should be known, however, 

 that a large area of the State is deprived 

 of the conditions that make beekeeping on 

 a large scale a profitable occupation. That 

 portion of the State known as the "High 

 Land Lake Region," high pine land, and 

 the "Flat Woods" adjoining, produce but 

 few of the honey-bearing plants and trees, 

 and none of those found along the rivers 

 and coast. 



Tlie promiscuous summer and fall flow- 

 ers that grow in great profusion over the 

 wooded lands afford but little honey, but 

 furnish an abundance of pollen. Orange 

 bloom is tlie chief source of surplus honey. 

 The trees bloom some years as early as 

 February. Last year they did not bloom 

 until in March and April. In order 

 to secure a good crop of orange honey it 

 is necessary to feed the bees in January 

 to stimulate early breeding and have strong 

 colonies when the trees bloom. Orange 

 bloom lasts about two weeks, and, occa- 

 sionally, is drawn out to three. Gallberry 

 and saw palmetto succeed orange bloom; 

 and if it were not for the fact that the 

 cattle men burn the woods over once a 

 year they would afford considerable honey 

 of a light-amber color and good flavor. 

 But the plants have been so crippled and 

 killed out that this source furnishes barely 

 enough to carry the bees over the summer 

 months. It is my i^ractice to extract the 

 orange honey at the end of the flow. It is 

 then capped over, and ripe. I allow the 

 bees to keep all the honey from all of! er 

 sources. As a result I have to commence 

 feeding my bees in August, and feed_ the n 

 more or less all fall and winter. Without 

 a knowledge of the impending dearth that 

 begins with the rainy season, which usual- 

 ly "sets in about the first of June or July, 

 the bees continue their high-pressure brood- 

 raising during the secretion of gallberry 

 and palmetto honey, which consumes this 

 stock of stores. When it rains every day 

 for two or three weeks, and they begin 

 to discover their predicament, out of honey 

 and none to be found, they begin to re- 

 trench by carrying out their larvae, de- 

 stroying all eggs, and in every way pos- 

 sible conserving their limited resources. It 

 is before this occurs that the vigilant bee- 

 keei er must come to their aid. If not, they 

 soon begin to dwindle, and a weak colony 

 of old Idccs is hard to rejuvenate, and of 

 liltle value. 



Owing to the fact that bees can fly al- 

 most every day in the winter months, the 



