290 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 



i. 



mand remunerative prices. I believe this is a matter that 

 should be talked up in all the associations, State and National, 

 and we should not " cry quits " until the whole country was 

 organized. This consummation will surely be realized in the 

 not very distant future ; whether we shall reap the advantages 

 depends upon whether we are ready to act with energy and 

 effect. 



Foul Bkood.— The subject of foul brood is a very prac- 

 tical one in many of our bee-keeping regions. I know a bee- 

 keeper not very far from Claremont in whose apiary a year 

 ago there were five or six colonies diseased with foul brood. 

 At my suggestion, that those colonies should be treated, and 

 certainly better be destroyed than to be left to spread the dis- 

 ease, he remarked that he thought his bees had had it before, 

 and they got well. He now reports very sadly that every 

 colony in his apiary has the disease. He feels very badly, and 

 has double reason for his condition. 



It seems to me that every bee-keeper in the country should 

 be thoroughly informed regarding this malady, and that we 

 should have such laws and inspection as would protect bee- 

 keepers against this evil. Ontario, Canada, has given us a 

 very wise example in this direction. 



Buckthorn as a Honey-Pi-ant. — One of the most com- 

 mon group of plants in California is the buckthorn. There are 

 many species of these shrubs, and all are very prolific of 

 flowers. One, the California lilac, resembles quite closely the 

 lilac of the East, and is very beautiful. Most of them, how- 

 ever, are white, and as we go through the brush-wood, we are 

 constantly running upon these plants. I am happy to say 

 that they are very attractive to the bees. I find the shrubs 

 alive with these little insects, bearing away their heavy load 

 of pollen and honey. As they bloom in late March and early 

 April, before the sage and buckwheat are in blossom, they are 

 quite valuable as early bee-forage. This is especially true in 

 out-apiaries away from the orchards. The genus of the buck- 

 thorn is Ceanothus, of which genus there are a large number 

 of species. Like nearly all of the bee-plants of California, 

 these buckthorns are a long time in bloom, and are thus far 

 more valuable as honey-plants than they would otherwise be. 



Orange-Bloom and Bees. — During the last few days the 

 hum of the bees has been very constant and very loud in all 

 the region about Claremont. The orange orchards are in full 

 bloom, and the odor is not only very perceptible in the streets 

 near by the orchards, but is borne by the winds to regions far 

 distant, even to apiaries miles away ; thus swarms of bees are 

 passing from the apiaries to the orange orchards in quest of 

 the nectar. 



Appropos to the above, I would say that I know of no 

 honey more delicious than that from the orange-bloom. As 

 we might expect, the flavor reminds one decidedly of the odor. 

 I have often secured enough fruit-blossom honey in Michigan, 

 so that I could test its quality. I always found it very de- 

 licious. There was a delicate reminder of fruit preserve 

 which was altogether agreeable. Thus I was not surprised to 

 learn how exquisite this orange-blossom honey is. 



Bee-Mabtin ok Kingbird. — It is a fact beyond question 

 that the bee-bird, or bee-martin, or kingbird, Tyrannus tyran- 

 nus, destroys bees, both drones and workers, in the Eastern 

 States, often to quite an extent. We also have a bird said to 

 destroy bees here in California. It belongs to the same genus 

 as the one already mentioned. These birds sit on a perch, 

 and as the bee comes towards the hive, darts after it, catches 

 it in its bill and flies back to its perch. It is then seen to go 

 through certain motions, after which the bee is swallowed, 

 and it is ready to repeat the operation. I am very curious to 

 know what becomes of the bee's stinger. From what we 

 know, we should expect that the bird would certainly get 



stung in the throat as it swallows the bee. I have seen toads 

 swallow bees, and, upon dissection, I found just as many 

 stings in the toad's throat as there had been bees swallowed. 

 In this case, of course, the toad is either callous against the 

 stings, or else not sensitive to the poison. Is it possible that 

 in the case of the kingbird the sting is extracted before the 

 bee is swallowed ? True, this would require no little intelli- 

 gence ; but I think many of our lower animals are brighter 

 than we give them credit for being. We should suppose that 

 an animal as highly organized as a bird, and especially as 

 these fly-catchers, would be injured if stung so much in the 

 throat, mouth, oesophagus or stomach. I wish those who have 

 opportunity to observe this matter would kill and dissect a 

 bird and find what is the truth in the matter. If, as is prob- 

 able, the bees are found without their stingers, then the latter 

 should be looked for in the anterior part of the alimentary 

 canal of the bird. Years ago I dissected kingbirds and found 

 worker-bees in their stomachs, but I regret to say that I never 

 thought of the stingers, and so made no observations in ref- 

 erence to this point. 



Claremont, Calif., April 21. 



United States Associatioii of Bee-Keepers' 

 Societies. 



BY W. F. MARKS. 



Heartily approving Mr. Brodbeck's suggestion on page 

 195, to organize a National Bee-Keepers' Association, I should 

 like to submit a few thoughts in connection with that subject. 



We have had in this State, for some time, an organization 

 known as the New York State Association of County Agricul- 

 tural Societies. Its object was "to secure by association and 

 co-operation greater efficiency in the operation of the various 

 county societies." It was a power that could dictate Legisla- 

 tion and other matters, but about two years ago the town- 

 agricultural societies organized an association that has proved 

 more formidable and of greater influence than the assocfation 

 of county societies. I mention this to show the importance 

 and necessity of local organizations, however small, and the 

 power they command when combined. 



" Little drops of water, little grrains of eand. 

 Make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land." 



This is the correct way to organize and maintain a Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association. Let all the bee-keepers' 

 societies in the United States combine and organize the United 

 States Association of Bee-Keepers' Societies. This can be easily 

 and satisfactorily accomplished by the selection and assemb- 

 ling of an equal number of delegates elected for that purpose 

 from each society. By this method you will have an organiza- 

 tion that is representative, and will command the confidence 

 and respect of all. In this case the small or local societies 

 are the very roots of the organization — not the branches, as 

 was the case under the old auxiliary or afiiliated system. And 

 there would be an object in organizing and maintaining bee- 

 keepers' societies in localities where at present none exist. 



There should be such a society in nearly every county, 

 and we should insist upon having at least one in every congres- 

 sional district. 



I sincerely believe that the plan suggested will be an in- 

 ducement for the bee-keepers of every locality to form socie- 

 ties that collectively will result in an organization of the bee- 

 keepers of this country worthy of the name ; they will feel 

 that their local society, however small, is an important link in 

 a well-organized and successful National Association, where 

 all members and all localities have an equal voice. 



Chapinville, N. Y. 



See " Bee-Keeper's Guide" offer on page 301. 



