744 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



College, acting as Secretary of the Hampshire, 

 Hampden, and Franklin Beekeepers' Association, 

 who voted last spring to further the organization of 

 a State society in which there should be representa- 

 tion and co-ordination of the various local societies 

 of the State. 



The sense of those present in Worcester was so 

 unanimously in favor of the movement that it was 

 voted to form an association to be known as the 

 State Beekeepers' Association of Massachusetts. 

 Provisional officers were elected by unanimous vote 

 £ts follows: President, John L. Byard; Vice-presi- 

 dent, J. B. Levens; Secretary-treasurer, Burton N. 

 Gates. 



The constitution and by-laws were discussed, a 

 memorandum drawn up and authorized, and sub- 

 mitted to a committee composed of presidents and 

 others of the several societies now existing. It was 

 further voted to hold the first annual meeting of the 

 organization on the second Saturday in January, 

 1913, as a joint meeting with the Worcester County 

 Beekepers' Association, in Worcester. It was fur- 

 thermore voted to announce this organization 

 through the courtesy of Gleanings. 



Briefly, the organization is designed as a medium 

 of union and co-ordination of the various loyal so- 

 cieties in Massachusetts for the purpose of devising 

 and promoting measures that are of general interest 

 to the beekeepers of the State, and to encourage 

 .he organization of local cooperation in the several 

 districts of the State, as well as to promote and im- 

 press upon the public the importance and value of 

 the beekeeping industry. 



Since this organization is distinctly in the interest 

 of individual beekeepers of the State, the Secretary 

 solicits your suggestions, and will gladly correspond 

 with those interested. Burton N. Gates. 



Amherst, Mass., September 25. 



enough, not fumigation, but some other condition. 

 We can not, therefore, believe that black wire cloth, 

 such as is always used in queen-cages, could have 

 any effect one way or the other. There is no reason 

 wliy it should. But green wire cloth, on account 

 of the arsenic in the paint, might do harm. — Ed.] 



Lining the Wire Cloth of Queen-cages 



Some time ago I wrote suggesting that the wire 

 netting on the queen-cages be covered so that the 

 bees might not come in contact with it. The reason 

 for my suggestion was this : I found that, if one 

 cage of bees arrived dead, the whole lot were dead, 

 and rice versa. I argued that the same hand that 

 put in one cage put in all, and all in the same 

 position. Whatever position one assumed they all 

 assumed. I found that, if a lot came alive, they 

 came in fine order. It seemed to me probable that 

 this difference depended on whether the wire netting 

 formed the floor or the roof on the voyage. If the 

 former it became coated with bee food, and the 

 rust in turn killed the bees in their cleaning-up. 

 1 ne last lot you sent me came in excellent order — 

 all five — and I observed you had adopted my sug- 

 t.estion, and covered the wire. It is the suggestion 

 nf ignorance again. I may mention that the exit 

 hole and three tiny holes in the side were all the 

 ventilation the bees had. Under an adverse situation 

 would this suffice ? The bees had just begun to eat 

 down the cover of wire, but this was quite fresh. 

 Every cage had about half of one side eaten away. 



When removing a super of honey I found a single 

 queen cell sealed with royal jelly and live larvae, 

 'there was not a single egg nor larva otherwise. The 

 queen-excluder was in good order, and the queen 

 was in the brood-chamber. In this island bees seem 

 to yearn for the presence of a queen above, and 

 will readily raise queens there. I think this is con- 

 vincing proof that bees will transfer eggs. 



W. G. Hutchinson. 



St. Joseph Rectory, Barbadoes, Oct. 7. 



[We can see no reason why wire cloth, whether 

 it be next to the little bunch of bees in a mailing 

 taLce, or protected, so it does not come in contact 

 with them, would have any effect one way or the 

 other. The very fact that you notice that, when- 

 ever the bees in one cage are all right, the bees 

 in the other cages are also, points strongly to an- 

 other cause for the death of the bees and queens. 

 Sometimes the contents of mail-sacks are fumigated 

 to prevent the spread of disease to human beings. 

 If there are packages of bees in those sacks this 

 fumigation, of course, kills the occupants of all 

 the cages alike. We think, therefore, it is safe to 

 conclude that, whenever the bees in all the cages 

 are dead, the cause is not due to the wire cloth, con- 

 struction of the cage, nor to the food, but to the 

 fumigation. If, however, one or two cages of bees 

 are alive, and the rest dead, the cause is, clearly 



Do Carniolans Resist European Foul Brood More 

 Readily than Italians ? 



I should like very much to learn to what extent 

 Carniolans resist European foul brood. What has 

 been the experience of those who have had an 

 opportunity to compare their resistive qualities 

 with those of the Italians? An acquaintance of 

 mine, Mr. E. Baker, of Los Angeles, has tried 

 Carniolans, he says, for two seasons, side by side 

 \vith golden and leather-colored Italians, and in 

 his opinion the Carniolans are twice as resistant to 

 European foul brood as are the Italians. He spoke 

 of a number of instances where he introduced Car- 

 niolan queens into Italian colonies that were badly 

 affected with the disease, and in every case they 

 effected a permanent cure. At least he says the dis- 

 ease has thus far failed to reappear. 



Now, this is a subject upon which too much 

 light can not be shed. It is the commonly accepted 

 belief that Italians are the most resistant race of 

 bees to European foul brood; but let's hear what 

 those who have tried both races have to say. 



Artesia, Cal., Oct. 9. H. Perkins. 



[One or two reports have shown that Carniolans, 

 like some strains of Italians, seem to be much better 

 able to resist European foul brood than ordinary 

 black bees. Other reports indicate they are no 

 better. Reports so far received seem to show that 

 a good strain of Italians will resist European foul 

 brood much better than any of the black races. 



We ourselves have had no opportunity to make 

 any observations along this line. Let us hear from 

 those who have had personal experience with both 

 races during a siege of disease. — Ed.] 



Dipping Queens in Water in Order to Clip the 

 Wings IMore Easily 



I have had some little difficulty in clipping queens, 

 although I have tried several different kinds of tools. 

 Mr. Y. Susuki, of Wakayama, told me of the follow- 

 ing i)lan : He puts the queen into a cup of water so 

 that she will spread her wings in the attempt to fly, 

 in which position they may be easily clipped with 

 scissors. Masami Yoshinura. 



Shimomakuwa Mura, Motosugum. Gifuken, Japan. 



[While we have not tried the plan of putting the 

 queen into water, we feel sure that the plan recom- 

 mended in the ABC and X Y Z of Bee Culture is 

 better, for there is no danger at all if the queen is 

 held in the manner described, the wings natiirally 

 lying in such a position that they are easily clipped 

 without danger of clipping a leg, or injuring her 

 otherwise. "The best way is to practice on drones 

 until one has no trouble in clipping the wings 

 quickly. The task is then a very easy one. — Ed.] 



Sections of Dark Honey for Winter Stores 



Relative to the article, "The Wintering Problem," 

 p. 630, Oct. 1, perhaps my way of preparing bees 

 would be of some interest or benefit to those who 

 winter on summer stands in Danzenbaker hives. 

 I take out of the supers all inside fixtures and lay 

 on the brood-frames 11 sections of dark honey, as 

 I usually have a flow of dark honey in the fall. 

 Over this I spread a burlap sack, and put on the 

 cover. I have not lost a colons- out of fifty since 

 1908. J. A. Kreighbaum. 



'Hartville, Ohio, October 15. 



Death of W. A. McPhail 



W. A. McPhail departed this life Sept. 30, 1912, 

 in his 81st year. He had been a subscriber to 

 Gleanings since 1877. He stai-ted beekeeping in 

 Atascosa in 1878, and closed out his business in 

 1905 on account of failing health. He was one of 

 the pioneer beekeepers of Atascosa County, and 

 owned 200 colonies at one time. His largest crop 

 was 14,000 lbs. of extracted honey. 



Floresville, Tex. Mrs. W. A. McPhail. 



