1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



441 



canonized as a benefactor. I have never got around to begin 

 the trial, although I have long had the scheme in mind. The 

 outcome of such a hatchery is not increase of colonies, but a 

 lot of nearly empty combs. 



Don't think that this article is aught else than one of the 

 most valuable that have been written on this topic. Especially 

 does Friend Kobbins get down to " pay gravel " when he says 

 substantially that we cannot at once, and perhaps cannot 

 ever, cracZicnfc the wants of bee-nature; but the line of hope 

 is in the line of supplying these ivmits in some other way than 

 hap-hazard swarming. 



The Poisonous Honey fjuestion.— Recently 

 we published a number of communications on the subject of 

 poisonous honey. We have now received the following from 

 " Novice," who started the discussion : 



Mr. Editor : — I have been specially interested in the dis- 

 cussion of the poisonous honey question. I hope that you will 

 encourage further articles on the sub.iect, until all who have 

 any experience on this line shall have contributed what they 

 know through your columns, so that the materials for a cor- 

 rect opinion may be amassed, and bee-keepers may know what 

 is the real truth in regard to this matter. Theory is one 

 thing, and the real, exact truth may be a wholly different 

 thing. The true way to arrive at a correct conclusion is, to 

 get all the facts well in hand, and then it will be time to frame 

 a hypothesis consistent with all the known facts. My opinion 

 given in a former number of the American Bee Journal, to the 

 effect that nectar gathered from the kalmia was harmless, 

 and that the toxic effects, if any, were the result of inges- 

 tion of the " bee-bread" or pollen, perhaps was premature, 

 but I cannot help clinging to that idea until it has been dem- 

 onstrated to be incorrect. If any of the readers of the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal know of any instances of poisoning from the 

 use of honey, I would be glad if, with the consent of the edi- 

 tor, they would report the cases, and at the same time give 

 the answers to the inquiry whether pollen was consumed by 

 the patients as they ate the supposed poisonous honey. 



Columbia, Miss. Novice. 



Of course, we are willing to give space to more informa- 

 tion on this matter, but it would almost seem that the subject 

 has been pretty well canvassed. 



Editor Hutcliinson, of the Review, is a great man 

 to simmer matters down, or, in other words, to push the pith 

 out of things. Here are a few of his condensed paragraphic 

 " edlets " that appeared in his paper lately : 



Advertising of an inefficient sort has been tritely com- 

 pared to a ladder not quite long enough to reach to the top of 

 the house. 



Sealed covers did not give so good results in wintering as 

 did upward ventilation, in some experiments made by R. F. 

 Holtermann. 



Foundation is not needed at all times in the sections, so 

 writes Doolittle in the Pnogressive. but when starters only 

 are used in the sections, separators aie needed. 



Five-banded bees, according to experiments made by Mr. 

 Holtermann, are below the average as to wintering qualities, 

 are short lived, prolific, gentle unless queenless, and are in- 

 clined to rob. 



P. H. Elwood, in Gleanings, says that the feeding of sugar 

 as suggested, advised and practiced by Mr. Boardman, would 

 have the effect of throwing hundreds of tons more honey on 

 the market. That is exactly what bee-keepers are now need- 

 ing above all things. 



In liquefying honey, Mr. McKnight spoke of liquefying 

 nearly a ton in one day by the use of a wash-boiler and a cook- 

 stove. Mr. IT. L. Thompson thinks that there must be a mis- 

 take somewhere. He thinks that one hour for the melting of 

 two (30-pound cans of honey is too short altogether. 



Xo Subscribers Only.— It goes without saying 

 that every subscriber to^the American Bee Journal is desirous 

 that its influence and circulation shall increase ; it is con- 

 ceded^these results can be brought about by individual effort 

 more quickly than in any other way, and as increase of circu- 

 lation means continual improvement in quality, quantity and 



general benefits to all, the hearty co-operation of our sub- 

 scribers is invoked. 



To this end, the publishers ask each individual reader to 

 send u.'i, on a postal card, the names and addesses of at least 

 five persons lohom they absolutely know to be interested in bee- 

 keeping, and are not now among our regular readers. To 

 these names tliree copies of the American Bee Journal will 

 be sent free ; this will allow the paper to be its own advocate, 

 and give every one so receiving it an opportunity to decide 

 whether it is to their interest to subscribe. 



We have failh enough to carry out our part. Please send 

 on your names. Address, Geo. W. York & Co., 118 Michigas 

 St., Chicago, III. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. C. C. MU^LER, MARENGO. ZLL, 



LQuestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.! 



Bees That '•' Run Out " or Deteriorated. 



Will a colony of bees get " run out" so the queen will not 

 be prolific ? They are in double-walled hives, and wintered 

 out-doors on the summer stands. J. S. Y. 



Belle Plaine, Wis. 



Answer. — Close in-breeding is not considered good, and if 

 a single colony is kept for a series of years isolated, say five 

 miles from any other colony, it will probably deteriorate or 

 " run out." But if other bees are within a mile or two, the 

 supposition is that there will be a constant admixture. It is a 

 good plan to introduce fresh blood frequently, and if the 

 fresh stock is of the best, there can be no doubt as to improve- 

 ment instead of running out. 



f^cveral C^ue^^tions on Bees aud Honey. 



How can I raise honey and no bees ? How can I raise 

 bees aud no honey ? What can I do with the drones after 

 swarming? How many times do bees swarm in a season ? I 

 don't understand the bee-business very well, and I want to 

 find out what to do. A. R. 



Eagle River, Wis. 



Answer. — Very likely you'll be told that you can raise 

 bees but you can only produce honey. I'm not so sure about 

 that, for in each case you cause something to come into exis- 

 tence, and I hardly see why a man doesn't raise butter as well 

 as cows. Certainly we are allowed to speak of raising money, 

 aud why not honey ? Still, if it is insisted that " produce" is 

 the better word when speaking of honey, I'll try to say "pro- 

 duce " if I don't forget. 



You can raise bees without securing a crop of honey, but 

 you can't get the crop of honey without bees. But what you 

 are driving at, I suppose, is to know how to manage so as to 

 secure as much honey as possible without increasingjthe num- 

 ber of colonies, or, on the other hand, to get as large an in- 

 crease of bees as possible without caring to get any surplus 

 honey ? Much can be done in directing the energies of the 

 bees in one direction or the other, but you must remember 

 that in a bad year, when little nectar can be secured from the 

 flowers, no kind of management on the part of the bee-keeper 

 can make sure of a crop of honey, neither can he secure in- 

 crease without feeding. 



It you want honey, and no increase, give your bees plenty 



