absorption of alkalies, we observe the 

 leaves of the liine tree, and of other trees, 

 covered with a tiiick liquid, containing a 

 large quantity of sugar ; the carbon of this 

 sugar must, without doubt, be obtained 

 from the carbonic acid of the air. The gen- 

 eration of the su«4ar takes place in tlie 

 leaves ; and all the constituents of the 

 leaves, including the alkalies and alkaline 

 earths, must participate in effecting its 

 formation. Sugar does not exude from 

 leaves in moist seasons ; and this leads us 

 to conjecture that the carbon which appear- 

 ed as sugar in the former case would have 

 been applied in the formation of other con- 

 stituents of this tree, in the event of its 

 having had a free and unimpeded circula- 

 tion."— ylgrr. Chem,, page 1.S5. 



" The assimilation of substances genera- 

 ted in the leaves will depend on the quanti- 

 ty of nitrogen contained in the food. When 

 a sufficient quantity of nitrogen is not 

 present to aid in the assimilation of the 

 substances destitute of it, these substances 

 will be separated as excrements from the 

 barks, roots, leaves and branches. The 

 exudation of manile, gum and sugar in 

 strong and healthy trees and plants, cannot 

 be accredited to any other cause." — Liebig. 



Many other scientific and agricultural 

 chemists have written similarly touching 

 this subject ; and I think it is well substan- 

 tiated that honey-dew is a production of 

 plants, and is exuded by plant force — not 

 insects. That honey-dew falls, that it is 

 extracted by puncture of insects, and the 

 many other ways equally fallacious— is 

 argued by too many who are well capacita- 

 ted to know better, if they were only more 

 thoughtful and investigative and less will- 

 ing to be deceived. K. 



Smith's Grove, Ky., July 8, 1878. 



Chattanooga, Tenn. 

 " The question has been often asked, 'Will 

 queens sting ?' I will give my experience : 

 Last summer, while experimenting with 

 virgin queens, I noticed, on two or three 

 occasions, while holding them between my 

 thumb and finger, they would curve their 

 abdomen and thrust their stings out just as 

 a worker would under similar circum- 

 stances. I was always very careful that the 

 sting should not come in contact with my 

 fingers. Although I have never been stung 

 by one, yet, to judge from their actions, I 

 should say emphatically that a virgin queen 

 ivlll sting if provoked." H. C. Dodge. 



1^ About the first of June, friend J. 

 W. Winder, of Louisiana, was taken 

 sick, and has been bed-ridden ever 

 since. We learn with regret that he is 

 still very weak. Had this sickness not 

 intervened, he would, we hope, ere this 

 liave fixed up that matter of which 

 Novice complained in May last. The 

 Ameiucan Bee Journal neither ap- 

 proved the attack by Novice, nor the 

 defense by Mr. Winder. A moral obli- 

 gation can never be liquidated by 

 malice, neither can it be paid by quietly 

 submitting to real or supposed abuse. 



^OXCXQU ^oUs. 



Italian Bees in Australia. 



In a Californfa paper we notice a letter 

 from Queensland, Australia, from the Hon. 

 Angus Mackay, concerning the successful 

 introduction of Italian bees into that 

 section of Australia. The editor remarks : 



" For many years past, efforts have been 

 made to introduce them, but they failed to 

 'cross the waters' alive, when Mr. Mackay 

 was with us here, as Queensland's Commis- 

 sioner, he desired us to prepare one of our 

 best stocked hives, that he might take them 

 on with him. We, therefore, selected one 

 of our largest and best colonies, having 

 ample brood comb and a full stock of 

 honey ; we prepared it with a fine wire 

 cage on top with holes for the bees to pass 

 up for air, and made all the needed fixtures 

 to have it go on safely ; but, however care- 

 ful our tvork may have been done, we 

 accord to our honored friend's continued 

 care of the bees on the voyage their final 

 grand success. Mr. Mackay took them into 

 his state-room and had them lashed to the 

 side safely, and on pleasant and calm sea 

 days rolled them out on deck to give them 

 air. Mr, Mackay watched his 'pets 'with 

 great care and kindness — he did his work 

 with the bees as he had performed all his 

 duties as the Commissioner, faithfully and 

 splendidly, and hence the success. 



A Cure of Foul Brood. 



On June 21st, I discovered tliat a colony 

 received from Baron Kotscliultz, of Posen- 

 dorf, Carniolia, had be(.H)nu^ foul broody.— 

 A few days after its arrival, in spite of 

 feeding, the number of bees did not in- 

 crease. But as foul brood is unknown here, 

 and I had never seen this malady, I thought 

 that the small quantity of the brood, the 

 lack of industry and desire to build combs, 

 were the result of weakness or old age of 

 the queen ; and I resolved to replace her, 

 on tiie first opportunity, by giving the 

 colony a queen cell. I gave the colony some 

 brood from other hives, but the sickness of 

 the colony increased, and seemed to come 

 from the' fermentation of a liquid sub- 

 stance. Then 1 resolved to further examine 

 the hive. 



I saw that the bees were mainly on the 

 brood comb that I had given them, and that 

 the brood which came with the bees, from 

 Posendorf, was altogether isolated ; that 

 the capping of a dozen cells were deeply 

 pressed down ; that all the honey in the 

 uncapped cells (there were no other in the 

 hive) was fermenting, and that the bad 

 smells came from the combs from Posen- 

 dorf. I cut with a penknife some of the 

 cells whose cappings were pressed down, 

 and saw the brown matter they contained. 

 Then I discovered the cause— foul brood. 



I had on hand a little salicylic acid— a 

 substance which is very dear. Then my 



