THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



23' 



est relative of the deceased. If such a sys- 

 tem is adopted, as a matter of course there 

 will be a number of details necessarj' in its 

 arrangement which it is viseless here to 

 enumerate. We now wish to briefly give a 

 general idea. 



It is estimated that there are seventy 

 thousand bee-keepers in the United States. 

 If a membership of ten thousand can be 

 thus enrolled, a per capita tax of 35 cents 

 would raise the smn to .S'3,.500, or a 5t» cent 

 tax would raise the sum of .f5,000. To ob- 

 tain a life insurance policy of $.5,000, a per- 

 son who had arrived at the age of 30 years 

 would have to pay an annual premium of 

 about $80 or $85, in the non-participating 

 plan. By the above plan, with a per capita 

 tax of .50 cents there would have to be about 

 160 or 170 deaths, which is hardly probable 

 before that sum would be paid oiit, yet even 

 if it should reach that sum the instalments 

 called for being in small sums the amount 

 would scarcely be missed or felt. 



These thoughts have been hurriedly pen- 

 ned and are thrown out with the hope of 

 enlisting an interest on the subject. We 

 hope all bee-keepers will speak out or write 

 out their views tor the bee journals, or com- 

 municate with us by letter. Let the matter 

 be thoroughly discussed before our next 

 meeting. While these ideas have suggested 

 themselves to my mind, others may have 

 better plans to suggest ; if so, I beg you to 

 give them. 



In conclusion I will add that many bene- 

 flts are to be derived from these associa- 

 tions. Those who attend them are brought 

 into closer social relations, thereby promot- 

 ing harmony and a more fraternal feeling, 

 and those who cannot or do not attend will 

 be amply compensated for their member- 

 ship fee by a perusal of the proceedings, 

 which shows the progress beiiig made in 

 this important branch of rural pursuit, 

 lours truly, Wm. J. Andrews, 

 President National B. K. Society. 



For the American Bee .fournal. 



Queries. 



Eu. A. B. J.— On page 3.57, Oct. number 

 A. B. J., you express a doubt upon the ef- 

 fect the clipping of a queen's wings has in 

 producing a tendency to sujjersede her. 

 And as experience is the only school of any 

 value I give you my experience in three 

 several instances wFiich, to me, seem to 

 throw light upon that svd)ject. 



First.— I caged a young queen just hatch- 

 ed until a sister was hatched and mated in 

 the same hive. I then removed the fertile 

 queen and allowed the bees to release the 

 virgin queen. I saw her return from her 

 bridal trij), and the bees seemed so hostile 

 to her that I at once opened the hive and 

 found her "hugged" and one wing so much 

 twisted that she was unable to fly ever af- 

 terwards, but not otherwise apparently in- 

 jured. I caged her for 34 hours and released 

 her. She proved a prolific layer, but within 

 a month was superseded 



Second.— A two-year old queen being too 

 heavy to go with her swarm was so injured 

 in her wings upon being returned to the 

 colony that she could not fly. Alter three 

 frustrated attempts the bees succeeded in 

 superseding her, but when I first nussed 

 her the combs were full of brood from eggs 

 up to hatching stages, and a young (jueen 



ready to mate. It could not have been old 

 age or injuries, else she would have ceased 

 her laying to some extent at least. 



Third.— A queen introduced in haste last 

 year, but not carefully, had hen- wings in- 

 jured by the bees, one being gnawed half 

 away. I immediately found the bees want- 

 ed to supersede her, and by keeping a close 

 watch I kept her all O. K. until winter. She 

 was very prolific, and this spring I found 

 the same tendency to raise a young queen, 

 but by close attention I kept her mistress 

 of her home. There was never but one cell 

 at a time to be found and it was invariably 

 on the edge or end of a comb and distant 

 from the main brood nest. On two occa- 

 sions I found the young queen already 

 hatched, but by removing l)r(»od and insert- 

 ing empty brood ciMiihs and eiii|ity fianies 1 

 prevented any effort at swaruiiiig. She is 

 at this date (Oct. 13) apparently as vigorous 

 as ever and has kept her colony up with 

 brood, notwithstanding queen cells were 

 reared at least six times in her hive during 

 the past summer, from four of which I now 

 have nice healtiiy queens. Was it not her 

 wings that caused these attempts to super- 

 sede? This conclusion would seem irresisti- 

 ble in the last instance. J. E. R. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Interesting Discussion in Germany. 



QUESTIONS ON UEE-CUI.TURE DISCUSSEI> 

 BEFORE THE 30th GERMAN CONVEN- 

 TION OF BEE-KEEPERS, HELD 

 AT STRASBURG, SEPT. 

 14, 15, 16 AND 17. 



1st (Question. — Ur. Dzierzon, lecturer. — 

 Whdt influence, on the colonies of bees, 

 lias the last ^clnter had, whicli lias been 

 long, rigorous and snowy; and lohat 

 practical lessons did we gain by it ? 



The lecturer cites the bee writer Ehren- 

 fels, who estimates that in an average win- 

 ter the loss of bees amounts to about 5 per 

 cent. Last winter has made a great many 

 more victims. It was so long, so cold, and 

 so severe. An early cold is never so fatal as- 

 a late frost, and last winter was very cold 

 in the latter part. Besides the quality of 

 honev was not very good in spring. Honey 

 from ])ine blossoms and honey-dew generate 

 dysentery. 



What practical lessons did we gain by the 

 last winter? I answer that we have learn- 

 ed that it is not safe to leave too much 

 honey in the hive for winter, either at the 

 top or at the side of the brood chamber. 



Frof. Geilen thinks that if bees have only 

 heath honey to winter on, their life is en- 

 dangered. 



Prof. Lehzen is of an opposite opinion. 



Prof. Ilgen adds that honey from rape 

 crystalizes easily and is not fit for winter. 



Mr. Deichert thinks that honey-dew ought 

 to be extracted from the hives and replaced 

 by candy sugar. 



Mr. Habbow thinks that rape honey 

 makes the bees thirsty. 



Huber answers that this assertion was 

 never proved. 



Ililbert wants plenty of air, and gives his 

 bees eggs with milk. 



Kneip's bees had no rape or heath honey, 

 yet he lost a great many colonies. 



3nd Question.— Dathe, lecturer.— B^/ ivhat 

 yneans can ive increase our honey crop f 



