278 



iiiarkably well ever since. Katlier an un- 

 usual occurrence, is it not? 



THE BEE JOURLAL. 



The July number of the Jouktal has just 

 couie and is replete with many instructive 

 articles. It of itself is worth to a bee man a 

 year's subscription. 



THE HONEY CROP. 



I notice that our friend Levering thinks 

 that the idea that a very large honey crop 

 would be taken in Southern California was 

 started by those wishing to run the market 

 down for a speculative purpose. I think it 

 is not so much that, as that the thoughtless 

 bee men, some of whom are anxious to be 

 known as great honey producers, exag- 

 gerate the amount they have taken out. 

 There is no danger but that good honey will 

 bring a fair price. That honey is falling 

 there can be no doubt, for one of our bee 

 men here last night had the platform under 

 a 4,000 pound tank give way, bursting the 

 tank and making a very sweet mess. The 

 ants and other honey-loving insects will 

 think they have found a bonanza. 



HOW TO STRAIN EXTRACTED HONEY. 



I notice an inquiry in the Journal, by W. 

 C. Nutt as to how to strain extracted honey. 

 I will describe my process: First, my honey 

 liouse is two stories high, the upper floor 

 being but a littj^ above the level of the 

 apiary ground. 1 do my extracting on the 

 upper floor. I made two square hoppers to 

 fit into a tin can that is about 10x10 and 14 

 inches deep. One I place upon brackets 

 soldered on half way down; tiie other on 

 top. These hoppers are 5 inches deep and 

 made of perforated tin. This can I place on 

 the floor to receive the honey from the ex- 

 tractor. A pipe leads from the can out 

 doors into my evaporator. Anotlier pipe 

 takes the honey from the evaporator into 

 the reservoir in the lower room. These 

 hoppers you can call separators if it sounds 

 any better than strainers. • 



large vs. small, FRAMES. 



I hope William 11. Ware's article on the 

 Langstroth hive will bring out the evidence 

 pro and con upon the relative nun-its of the 

 large and small frames. It is a question I 

 have been going to ask of the old experi- 

 enced bee-keepers. Perhaps what would be 

 best for a cold climate would not be best for 

 a climate where there is no cold weather to 

 contend with. M. S. Baker. 



Santa Monica, Cal., July 10, 1878. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Cyprian Bees. 



I have a brother who raised some seed- 

 ling potatoes sometime within 4 years. He 

 succeeded in getting several varieties. One 

 kind was early, prolific and of an excellent 

 quality. He "tried to sell out the lot to a 

 well-known Essex county seedsman. The 

 only fault the seedsman found with them 

 was their close resemblance to the Early 

 Rose potatoes, aiui so uo sale was made. — 

 He said that it would require a great 



amount of talking to make his customers 

 believe that they were not the Eealy Eose 

 potatoes. 



Now, the Cyprian bees may, and may not 

 be a distinct race of bees, but it will require 

 a great amount of talking to convince bee- 

 keepers that they are not Italian bees. I 

 have had the Italian not far from 18 years, 

 and when I saw the Cyprian bees, I could 

 not tell them from the Italians, and I would 

 like to see the man who could. 



I have a friend who is now in Europe, 

 and I am looking for 2 Cyprian queens from 

 him by every steamer. Hope to get them 

 so that lean have queens before September. 



The Cyprian queen that I saw did not 

 look like a pure Italian queen, as she was 

 not yellow by any means. One little, 

 narrow strip, back of the wings, was all the 

 yellow color I saw about her. The worker 

 bees were very beautiful Italians. 



I write the above in reply to about 50 

 correspondents. The above is all I know 

 about Cyprian bees, and I would like to 

 see the man who knows more. 



Wenham, Mass. H. Alley. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Italians Re-producing Themselves. 



It is a well-known fact that pure stock of 

 any kind reproduces itself if increased. 

 Black bees were pure black bees from the 

 beginning, the qneens reproducing them- 

 selves, males and all, alike. Tlie Italians 

 (as we have learned them) are a distinct va- 

 riety, having three yellow bands. The 

 queen, if pure, will duplicate herself, with 

 drones and bees all alike. All we have to 

 establish is the color, and my choice of 

 color would he, let Die yelloiv be the color 

 of gold. Some recommend Italianizing for 

 the purpose of infusing new blood, and I 

 thought maybe I had overlooked a verj^ im- 

 portant matter, so with my Abbott micro- 

 scope and glasses on, caught a pretty Italian 

 neuter, and to my shame went to dissecting, 

 with head amputated and heart carved out, 

 " nary drop" of blood was to be found; but 

 I did find a tiny drop of that sweet nectar 

 that helps to gladden the heart of man. A 

 honey-eating people are a happy people. 

 I recommend Italians for their superior 

 beautj', their amiable disposition, their vigi- 

 lance against moth, their industry in time 

 of drouth; and last, but not least, they mind 

 their own business., Alvah Reynolds. 



Oneida, 111., July 15, 1878. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Valentine's Queen Stand. 



Friend Newman:— I send you a rough 

 drawing of a little piece of furniture I find 

 very useful in the bee-yard. It is what 1 

 call a queen stand. The drawing will give 

 you an idea of what it is. Something of the 

 kind is almost indispensable. Other bee- 

 keepers may be using something like it, or 

 perhaps soiiiething better; but if not, they 

 should try one. Almost any person can 

 make it. 



In examining a hive, unless there is some- 



