24 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLTRNAL. 



have so much more energy in the 

 spring to arrange the iiive preparatory 

 to brood-rearing. I believe sjaring to 

 be tlie time for the trial of such ex- 

 periments. That pollen may be so 

 substituteil i)ar(lly admits of a doubt. 

 Bradford, c$ Iowa, Jan. 5, 1885. 



For tbe American Bee JoomaL, 



Is Dodder a Pernicious Parasite ? 



W. A. PEYAL. 



On page 79.5 of the Bee Journal 

 for 1884, 1 notice that a correspondent 

 from Ontario thinks that I did not 

 give sufficient warning as to the de- 

 structiveness of the dodder which I 

 communicated to the Bee Journal 

 on page 7.>5. In my very first sen- 

 tence I stated that tliere are many 

 varieties of the "plant "(it is not 

 really a plant) scattered over tlie 

 world. I was not describing the 

 wheat nor the flax dodder of England, 

 but the alfalfa dodder which possibly 

 may also be the hicern dodder. I un- 

 derstand that alfalfa and lucern are 

 nearly, if not identically, one and the 

 s:ime thing, and in my "closing para- 

 graph, on page Too, I stated that it 

 will never " be cultivated as a honey- 

 l-.roducing plant, on account of its 

 destructiveness to alfalfa." 



Again, the " plant " will not grow 

 unless it has the alfalfa to support it. 

 No other plant furnishes, as far as my 

 knowledge of it extends, the re- 

 quired nutriment for its maintenance. 

 Out here, near San Francisco, we 

 have miles of a most beautiful dodder 

 growing on a marsh weed, wliicli 

 grows on the shores of the San Fran- 

 cisco Bay. and which '■ plant " is ad- 

 mired by overland passengers who 

 come to this State during the fall 

 months. Now, why has not some 

 one "sounded notes of warning" 

 concerning the danger which it might 

 cause y Simply because its nature 

 was such that it was compelled to 

 keep near the salt sliores. 



In Canada, the home of Mr. M., 

 tliey have several native species of 

 this " plant," one of which I under- 

 stand lovingly embraces that much- 

 talked-of and poetical honey-plant, 

 the goldenrod. The flowers of this 

 species of this parasitical plant is of a 

 greenish white, and whether it se- 

 cretes nectar as does the alfalfa dod- 

 der, I am not prepared to say ; but, 

 perhaps our friend can. if he lives 

 near the back lakes where the species 

 to which I refer is to be found. 



Our alfalfa dcidder is a favorite 

 with the bees, and exists on a honey- 

 producing plant ; the Canada golden- 

 rod dodder exists likewise, but as to 

 its honey-producing virtues, I know 

 not ; so for this reason it would be 

 interesting, and advisable too, for 

 those who have made any observa- 

 tions in this regard, to communicate 

 them. 



This question I should like to have 

 answered : " Do all dodders {ciiscu- 

 tncce) which grow on honey-producing 

 jilants yield honey V" Keierring back 

 to the Canadian and the alfalfa pest : 

 The last named is the deatli of the 

 plant upon which it preys ; but not so 



with the former one ; for, as I learn, 

 the supporting plant does not suffer 

 in the least from the close embrace of 

 its dependent. 



I must state that I am glad that 

 Mr. Mitchell again called up this sub- 

 ject, not that I think I did not sound 

 a sufficient " note of warning." which 

 I acknowledge is a good and proper 

 thing to do in cases of danger, but as 

 there are many species of dodder in 

 America which exists on useless 

 weeds and plants, and which may be 

 valuable honey-plants, and being un- 

 like our alfalfa pest, harmless to our 

 valuaijle crops, may be allov^'ed to 

 grow with perfect impunity for the 

 benefit of the bees. Now, who is 

 prepared to shed further light upon 

 this subject V I shall be pleased to 

 learn more about this class of 

 "plants." However, let me be un- 

 derstood to say that no matter how 

 harmless the plant may he to some 

 plants, I strongly admonish all to give 

 it, as far as cultivating it is con- 

 cerned, the cold shoulder. 



Do not write me for seed of any of 

 the plants which I may describe in 

 the Bee Journal, as I am not in the 

 seed-growing business. 



Since the above was written, I have 

 found a communication in the Pacific 

 Rural Press, written, I believe, by' a 

 member of the Agricultural College 

 of Colorado, for the Denver Farmer. 

 It really seems that there are several 

 species of dodder that prey upon 

 alfalfa. I quote as follows : " The 

 plant sent for identification I recog- 

 nize as cuscuia chlorocarpa, and this 

 particular species has been abund- 

 antly introduced into the various 

 parts of the State in alfalfa seed dur- 

 ing the past season. Besides the 

 species just mentioned, there is 

 another one, cuscuta glomerata. grow- 

 ing on the alfalfa on the College farm, 

 with pale, brownish stems, and rather 

 pretty, pure white flowers. It was 

 very likely introduced in the first 

 sowing of alfalfa on this farm. Al- 

 though many of the species are quite 

 beautiful in their various shades of 

 golden yellow, yet it is nevertheless 

 a most pernicious weed, which has 

 done much damage to the flax and 

 clover fields of this country and 

 Europe, and to the alfalfa fields of 

 California." 



To quote further from the lengthy 

 article is unnecessary. The main fact 

 to be established is. "Is the dodder a 

 pernicious parasite V" This is now, I 

 think, to be fully established beyond 

 a doubt ; so we will all abide by the 

 verdict. 



North TemescaI,+o Calif. 



but had discarded it, and he is about as 



successful as any nne. 



G. B. JouHs adviicated a double-story^ 

 shallow-fraijie hive. 



The Secavtaiy pivft-rs a deep-frame 

 hive, belifviiia it to he easier to liaiidle 

 tliaii a wide, slial low-frame, and better for 

 winter. It was the fipiiiiciii of tlie con- 

 i vention lh:d. the two story liive is ihe best 

 for all jiurpos' s, and there was a decided, 

 preference for dfep frames. 



Mr. Kimlree believed lliat it w is a great 

 advantage to use tuundatioii ; for more 

 honey could be produced by its use. 



Mr. Holterman tbouaht that it was a 

 di-advantage at some times ; but if ex- 

 tracting was properly attended to, the use 

 of foundation is a deci<leil advantage. 



G. B. Jones was in favor of the use of 

 foundation, care beina talcen that the t)ees 

 do not fill the cells with honey to the ex- 

 elusion of the queen. 



The Secretary was in favor of the use 

 of foundation, and thinks that its use is 

 very beneficial. He recommended dip- 

 jiiiig Ihe foundation in warm water where 

 it was found too hard for the bees to draw 

 out. 



Mr. .Jones preferred natural swarming, 

 and said that a natural swarm wmks with 

 more eiieray than one made by division. 



Mr. Holterman ha(t fried both dividing 

 and natural swarming, but preferred 

 dividiuL'. 



Mr. Kindree had tried both ways, and 

 preferred natural swioining; but if he 

 had a yoiuig queen to spare he would pre- 

 fer dividini:. 



Mr. Smith Ihongbt it bard to prevent 

 increase. 



Mr. Kindree allowed bis bees to swarm 

 once, cnt out extra queen-cells, and gave 

 tbe bees pVnty of mom. 



Mr. Iloltenhan tbonglit that plenty of 

 shade in hot weather would prevent 

 swarming. 



Mr. Jones advocated giving plenty of 

 room and shade. Those colonies in the 

 shade were the latest to swarm, and gave 

 the lariiest swarms. 



Messrs. Kindree, Holterman, Smith and 

 Jones described their metbods of manag- 

 ing bees, which were in acconlance with 

 tlie plans recommended by leading au- 

 thorities on apiculture. 



The next meeting will beheld at Cay- 

 uga on Friday, Feb. 13, 1885, at tO a. m., 

 for the election of officers and other busi- 

 ness. A vote of thanks was tendered the 

 officers of the Grange for the use of tlieir 

 Hall. E. C. CAMPBELL, Sec. 



For ine American Bee Journal. 



Haldimand, Ont , Convention. 



The Haldimand Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion met at Canfield, Out., on Dec. 13, 1884. 

 The minutes of the ijrevious meeting were 

 read and approved. 



Mr. Kindree said that he was using two 

 kinds of hives ; he liked a cbaff hive with 

 a half story on top. He uses frames 11x13 

 inches, and prefers a deep frame, as it 

 keeps tile bees further from the cold. He 

 is very successful in wintering bees. 



Mr. Smith advocated the use of a deep 

 frame. He had used the tenement hive, 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Wintering Bees— Hibernation, etc. 



5— WM. MALONE (23—38). 



In the winter of 1882-83 I prepared 

 a colony of bees with which to ex- 

 periment. This colony was in a 10- 

 frame Langstroth hive on 8 combs 

 spaced so as to correspond with the 

 hive, and the hive was only one story 

 high, and had two thicknesses of 

 coffee-sacking fitted tightly over the 

 frames, and a loose cover on the hive. 

 The colony clustered in the centre of 

 the hive, and was about as large as a 

 wooden pail. On Jan. 1, 1883, the 

 mercury went down to zero, and re- 

 mained near that point for six weeks, 

 during which time I raised the cover 

 3 inches above the hive, and nearly 

 every day in the week, during that 

 time, I examined those bees by roll- 

 ing back the coffee-sacking, but did 

 not disturb them in any other way. 

 The bees on the outside of the 

 cluster soon began to hibernate, while 



