224 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



GLEAMED BY 



W. J. Andbews, - Columbia, Texn. 



Explanatory. 



When it became known that Moon's Bee- 

 Worlcl—?i, Southern journal devoted to bee- 

 culture— had ceased to have any further 

 -existence, several of the patrons and corres- 

 pondents of that journal, whose names had 

 through its columns become as familiar as 

 household words, wrote us, making the 

 request that we commence the publication 

 of a journal which would be in the interest 

 of Southern bee-keepers. 



From an extensive correspondence with 

 Mr. A. F. Moon, the owner and publisher of 

 the Bee World, we had grave doubts 

 whether the enterprise could be made to 

 pay. To satisfy our minds on that point, 

 before we would agree to commence the 

 publication of such a journal, we concluded 

 to, and did insert an advertisement in the 

 several bee papers, calling on those dispos- 

 ed to encourage such an enterprise to for- 

 ward us their names. A number have done 

 so, to whom we return our sincere thanks, 

 yet the number is not sufficient, even to 

 justify the issuance of a specimen number. 

 Among those who did send us their names, 

 fully one-half reside in the Northern States, 

 we have therefore decided to abandon the 

 enterprise, and have made arrangements 

 with the publisher of the Amekicax Bee 

 JouKNAL for a "Southern Department" in 

 that journal. This department we will con- 

 duct to the best of our ability, and we hope 

 to have the assistance of many Southern 

 bee-keepers in our efforts. To those ad- 

 vanced in the art we would ask that you 

 write us your experience, for the columns 

 of The American Bee Journal, that 

 others may profit thereby; to those who are 

 new beginners or wanting any Ucjlit, we 

 would say write us, propend all the ques- 

 tions you like, and so far as our informa- 

 tion extends we will cheerfully impart it to 

 you through these columns. 



It is a delightful pastime to us to thus aid 

 others. We did not engage in bee-culture 

 for any pecuniary gain that might be deriv- 

 ed from it, but solely for the recreation it 

 affords, and a love to study the habits ot 

 this most useful of the insect creation; 

 therefore we again say write us, don t be 

 fearful of boring us, for we assure you, 

 you.will not. ^v. J. A. 



Since the ruling of the Postmaster Gener- 

 al, the queen breeders in this locality have 

 been sending queens by express, ^lo-day. 

 June 6tli, the express agent decided to send 

 no more queens unless the charges were 

 prepaid on them. w- J- -^• 



Honey-Dew. 



Honey-dew, as it is called, has existed in 

 great abundance with us this spring, and 

 our little busy insects have taken it in pre- 

 ference to the poplar and white clover blos- 

 soms. Quite a number of our friends have 

 brought us in leaves containing it. It is 

 found chiefly on the leaves of oak -trees. 

 Many have asked us for an explanatiou con- 

 cerning it. We invariably replied that it 

 was the product of the wood louse, which 

 was doubted, but by a close inspection, 

 myriads of these insects were found on the 

 under-side of the leaves. They are so small 

 that they are scarcely discoverable with the 

 naked eye. Some express grave doubts as 

 to its being the product ot this insect, called 

 aphides, and claim that they are present, in 

 search of the dew. 



Since writing the above, one of our 

 friends who brought us in a specimen of 

 the honey-dew, informed us that he had 

 been making a close inspection of it, and 

 has become thoroughly convinced that it is 

 produced by the aphides; that he noticed 

 on the leaves of a linn tree standing near 

 an oak containing a large quantity of it; 

 that there was none on the leaves of the 

 linn only on that side next to the oak. 



w. J. A. 



sending bees by mail. 

 Natchitoches, La., May 30, 1877.— "I have 

 just received from Dr. Brown, Augusta, 

 Ga., by mail, a queen. Why does not your 

 P. M. mail them. I have just introduced 

 her, and think she is O. K. Hope you will 

 mail one shortly. She was only 5 or 6 days 

 on the way; think one from you would 

 come in less time. How long before I can 

 raise queens from this one to be pure ?" 

 J. McCooK. 



[We have had several queens from Dr. 

 Brown ourselves, and like his strain of bees 

 very well. 



There are a number of postmasters who 

 receive queens in the mail. Ours did so 

 for two seasons, and frankly states, and so 

 wrote to the Postmaster General, that they 

 were entirely harmless in the mail. The 

 fact of some postmasters receiving and for- 

 warding queens, and ours refusing to do so, 

 places us in an awkward position, and gives 

 others an advantage pver us. We however 

 succeeded in getting the route agent to re- 

 ceive one in the mail addressed to you, with 

 the positive assurance that he would not 

 receive any more. 



You can commence rearing queens from 

 the one you received of Dr. Brown in ten 

 days after introducing her. The purity of 

 the queens you rear from her will depend 

 on her purity. If she proves to be purely 



