THE AMERICAJS BEE JOURNAL. 



343 



storing 123 pounds of comb lionoy. Since 

 that time we liave come to look upon a 

 city apiary as one of the chief factors in 

 tlie success of our business, and have 

 kept from 50 to over 100 colonies at a time. 



Tlie honey thus obtained has always 

 been of fine quality, especially that stored 

 from Oatalpa, Alahthus, and the Rose of 

 of Sharon, the latter being the finest 

 honey, both to the eye and palate that we 

 have ever seen, and our customers have 

 usually chosen it in preference to white 

 clover honey from the country. 



Like the measles, "oily bee-keeping" 

 proved contagious, and soon quite a num- 

 ber of gentlemen and ladies in this city 

 and Brooklyn have caused small apiaries 

 to .spring up in places where the thing was 

 never dreamed of. Mr. Lovejoy of 18th 

 street, Brooklyn, now deceased, kept for 

 three years an average of about SO colonies, 

 and obtained an average of 75 pounds of 

 lioney per colony. Mr. Mingay, of this 

 city, kept about 10 colonies with about the 

 same results ; otlieas have obtained from 

 75 to as high as \M pounds from single 

 colonies, while still others from lack of 

 knowledge or courage, or both, have failed 

 to realize so much. 



Not only in point of honey-production 

 does the bee commend itself to the resi- 

 dents of cities, but all lovers of flowers 

 find that those cross-fertilized by the 

 agency of bees, are more fragrant and ex- 

 quisitely beautiful than when self-ferti- 

 lized by the wind in the usual way ; also 

 the fruit from trees, the blossoms of 

 which have been freely visited by bees, is 

 found to be greatly improved in both 

 quantity and quality. After bees were 

 introduced into the royal gardens of Lon- 

 don, a few years ago, the peach crop at 

 once increased one-third, and the fruit 

 was improved in every way. 



To the philosopher, the naturalist, the 

 poet, the theological student, and, in fact, 

 to all interested in the mysteries of na- 

 ture, the bee is a source of never-failing 

 instruction— a kind of epitome of grand 

 truths scattered tlirough all the sciences. 

 Types of toil to impart courage to that 

 great struggling mass of humanity called 

 the " laboring classes." Models of gov- 

 ernment never yet surpassed by any na- 

 tion in the world, possessing a political 

 economy so perfect that theory and prac- 

 tice are one and tlie same, and whose laws 

 never change, because change would mar 

 them. The architecture of their homes 

 combine in one, the greatest possible 

 strength with the least possible amount of 

 material and the greatest economy of 

 space. This fact has been demonstrated 

 with perfect exactness by our most learned 



geometricians. The workings in the bee- 

 iveinallits diversified labors bears the 

 unmistakable marks of intelligent de- 

 sign, and in the display of its liundreds of 

 adaptations of " means to ends " puts to 

 shame the pretensions of the so-called 

 scientist who seeks to banish the great 

 Intelligent Designer from his own uni- 

 verse. 



Contemplating these wonders of the 

 hive, Plato denominated the bee a " ray of 

 the Divinity," and Virgil, the most gifted 

 of the Latin poets, called the bee a "mag- 

 azine of all the virtues." To name all the 

 manifestations of this ever abiding in- 

 telligence of the bee under all varying 

 circumstances of its life, would require a 

 volume, and we have only alluded to it in 

 order to point out the way in which pleas- 

 urable instruction and pecuniary profit 

 may be united in one by those residing in 

 cities, and who on this account have sup- 

 posed they were cut off from the pleasure 

 and profit of bee-keeping. 

 New York City. 



The subject of " Foul Brood " was then 

 taken up, and an essay on this question, 

 from Prof. Ilasbrouck, was read. 



Mr. King : Mr. Frank Cheshire has 

 given as the proper mixture for foul brood. 



as used by him, one part of absolute 

 phenol to 500 parts of sweetened water. 

 Feed it, and also use it to .spray the bees 

 and combs. 



On motion of Mr. King, a vote of thanks 

 was given to Mr. Cheshire for his discov- 

 eries and nmst effectual cure for this 

 dreaded enemy. The Secretary was or- 

 dered to forward this expression of thanks 

 to Mr. Cheshire, by mail. 



Mr. Casanova : Our superintendent has 

 used Mr. Clieshire's remedy for foul brood 

 with success. 



Prof. Kroeh : I have never seen a case 

 of foul brood, nor do I want to. I think 

 it a good plan to be particular from whom 

 we buy our bees, and thus escape this 

 dreadful enemy. 



The convention then adjourned until 2 

 p. ni., when the election of officers was 

 held, and resulted as follows : Mr. A. J. 

 King, Jersey City, President ; Mr. J. V. 

 Hutchinson, of Trenton, N. J., Vice- 

 President ; Prof. C. F. Kroeh, Orange, N. 

 J., Treasurer ; and Mr. Wm. B. Treadwell, 

 Riverdale, N. T., Secretary. 



The convention then resumed the dis- 

 cussion of subjects, and "Building up col- 

 onies in early spring" was taken up. 



Rev. Mr. Patton : I fear that I com- 

 menced feeding too early, as the bees will 

 not take feed from the entrance, but take 

 it quickly enough when poured down be- 

 tween the combs. 



Mr. King : I would prepare the bees in 

 August or September, so that it would not 

 be necessary to disturb them so early in 

 the spring. I also use the common brown 

 sugar for stimulative feeding, and find it 

 very much better than white, and not so 

 expensive. 



The sulijectof "Bee Forage" was then 

 opened by Dr. Patton, who said : I have 

 sowed quite a lot of sweet clover in waste 

 places near my apiary, and transplanted 

 it as it came up, and as far as my experi- 

 ment goes, there is nothing like it for a 

 honey-plant. I have seen my bees work 

 on it early and late, in factso late at times 

 that I wondered how they could see their 

 way home. It will secrete nectar at all 

 times, be it wet or dry. I also like the 

 muslard plant very well as a late plant, 

 for it commenced blooming after buck- 

 wheat, and continued till long after frost, 

 and I saw my bees carry honey from it on 

 Dec. 5. 



Mr. King : I would not recommend the 

 mustard plant too strongly, as it spoils 

 the honey, or at least the honey that it 

 produces tastes so strong of mustard that 

 it really spoils its sale. It was introduced 

 into California about 100 years ago by the 

 Spanish priests ; at certain seasons of the 

 year the honey brought in by the bees is 

 so strong of mustard that it is virtually 

 spoiled. I am more in favor of Alsike 

 clover, and think all farmers should raise 

 it instead of the red, as it is far superior 

 for fodder. 



Mr. Tucker : I live at Ocean Grove, N. 

 J., and I found that my bees kept very 

 busy last season during the drouth, and 

 I could not imagine what they were at 

 work on, but at last found it in the woods. 

 The plant has a blossom in the shape of a 

 cone, and about as long as my finger ; has 

 a most beautiful flower, and very fragrant. 

 I learned that some called it the spiral 

 flower. ■ It grows on a busli about 3 feet 

 high. I found it in all places, in sand or 

 clay, wet or dry, and I think that if bee- 

 keepers will plant one acre of it, it would 

 make grand forage. I do not know whether 

 it grows from the seed or not. 



Mr. C. H. Luttgens, of Philadelphia : I 

 think that the blossoms Mr. Tucker 

 speaks of, are what is called Clethra 

 AInifolia, and is found generally along 

 the New Jersey coast in swamps ; 1 have 

 found them between Newark and Orange, 

 and believe they are up as far as Trenton. 

 1 think that bee-forage is a verg impor- 

 tant factor in our business, for one plant 



will secrete in one section and not in 

 another. 1 know a man in (lermantown, 

 Pa., wlio sowed several acres of buck- 

 wheat, but did not get a pound of honey, 

 and in (iormany white clover does not 

 yield honey at all, i)ut their principal 

 honey harvest is from Indian bean. 



Mr. King : I would not sow one thing 

 only, l)ut several, so that if one failed the 

 other would yield, and in this way we can 

 get a perpetual flow of lioney. 



Mr. Crane : I am in a section where 

 there are quantities of chestnuts, and 

 have heard that in sections where chest- 

 nuts grow, that it was a poor honey coun- 

 try. I find that wild bees go to the chest- 

 nut, but not the honey-bee. I think there 

 is nothing like Alsike clover as a forage 

 plant for bees. I bought a bushel of seed 

 last season, and gave it to my neighbors, 

 and it paid me well for the investment. 



The subject of " Natural vs. artificial 

 swarming " was then taken up, on which 

 opinions were about equally divided. 



Mr. Tompkins, of Newark, occupied 

 considerable time in speaking of the 

 merits of hair-felt tor winter packing ; 

 after which the convention adjourned to 

 meet at Trenton, N. J., early in Novem- 

 ber, due notice of which will be given. 

 Wm. B. Tkeadwell, Sec. 



Jos. H. M. Cook, Pres. 



For tue American Bee Joumal- 



The Cause of Winter Losses. 



W. H. STEWART. 



I have tried to read carefully all of 

 the many wise and otherwise articles 

 that have appeared in the Bee Jour- 

 nal in regard to what is termed- "The 

 pollen theory," and I must say that I 

 think Mr. Ileddon deserves the thanks 

 of all who are interested in apiculture 

 for the unyielding energy which he 

 has manifested, and for the costly ex- 

 periments that he has tried in his 

 efforts to solve a most important 

 problem ; viz., is the consumption of 

 pollen by the bees in winter confine- 

 ment the prime cause of bee-diarrhea, 

 at that season of the year V Bee- 

 keepers should feel grateful for the 

 many good thoughts that have been 

 given for and against the pollen 

 theory. " Investigation is the be- 

 ginning of wisdom." If all were of 

 one mind, there could be no investi- 

 gation. 



I have had about 40 years' experi- 

 ence in the handling of bees. I have 

 several times lost all, and again nearly 

 all my bees by what is sometimes 

 called "winter killing." 1 had long 

 ago made up my mind that continued 

 cold was the true cause of most of 

 our winter losses ; and when the pol- 

 len discussion became well underway, 

 I decided to wait and see how the 

 matter would turn out ; and now 

 comes the frank and candid article 

 by Mr. Ileddon, on page 213, which I 

 have read over and over, and if I am 

 alale to comprehend the true lesson 

 that Mr. Heddon's costly experiments 

 teach, then I am confirmed in my 

 opinion that continued cold is the 

 prime cause of bee-diarrhea. 



Mr. Ileddon tells us that he had,last 

 winter, 49 colonies well packed in 

 chaff, and mostly deprived of pollen, 

 and well supplied with sugar syrup, 

 and that he expected to winter them ; 

 but that they are all dead. This ex- 

 perience should prove that the chaff 



