TMK JEMEKICJEN MMM J@^RNKir. 



6f)3 



undorstaml ine as saying that these 

 particular colors combined are tlir 

 cause for these superior qualities — I 

 only mean to say that I have observed 

 that bees ivith these markings seora to 

 possess these qualities in a marked de- 

 gree, and this strain that I have had 

 under my observation for the past 

 seven years, having ahuaijs gone ahead 

 of my own bees that have been made 

 up from all the noted strains of this 

 continent, of all extremes of color, 

 only goes to prove to me that there 

 imist be something in a proper combi- 

 nation of these three colors. 



This matter of a proper combination 

 of colors, as "indicating character." 

 in the qualities of bees. I think has not 

 been thought of much, and I am led to 

 believe that it is a very important fac- 

 tor iu arriving at a good strain of bees. 

 I think that if it was properly under- 

 stood, an expert could judge from the 

 color and markings of bees, as to their 

 characteristics, and good or bad 

 qualities. 



Greene Co., Pa. 



GOLDEN-ROD. 



Some of the Different Varieties 

 Described. 



Written Sor the American Bee Journal 



BV D. E. LEACH. 



The following from the Grand Trav- 

 erse Herald, of Traverse Cit}-. Mich., 

 touches on the golden-rod question : 



The National Flower, the beautiful gol- 

 den-rod, which covers thousands of acres of 

 the sand plains in the immediate vicinity 

 of Walton, is no longer 



" Born to blush unseen, 



And waste its fragrance on the desert air." 



Mr. Carver, of Manton, who is the owner 

 of 180 colonies of bees, is removing them 

 temporarily to Walton, to give them the 

 benefit of the nectar-yielding golden-rod. 

 A weighing test, made last week on a 

 couple of colonies, showed that there was 

 " money in it" as well as honey. And now 

 " from early morn to dewy eve," 



" How doth the little, busy bee 

 Improve each shining hour. 



And gather honey all the day 

 From "—golden-rod ! 



These busy little Italians are domiciled 

 in Mr. Leach's enclosure, and are working 

 as if for dear life. 



We have at least three varieties of 

 golden-rod growing on • ■ stump-lands " 

 and pine plains of this region. One 

 variety is in bloom all through the 

 month of August ; it appears to secrete 

 very little honey, as bees are seldom 

 seen on it. 



A second variety, which blossems 

 about Sept. 1. i-s very abundant, over 

 thousands of acres. It is an excellent 

 honej^-plant, as every one can testify 

 who has bees in this vicinit}-. Nearly 



200 colonies of Ijees, near my house, 

 are busy on it. whenever the weather 

 permits. This variety is now at its 

 prime, but will last through the mouth. 



A third variety, which begins to 

 bloom about Sept. 10, seems to be even 

 more satisfactory to the bees, than is 

 number two — but not very plentiful. 



Walton, Mich.. Sept. 23, 1890. 



MICHIGAN. 



Report of tlie Ionia County Bee- 

 Reepcr§' Convention. 



Written for the American Bee Jmi/rnal 



BY HAKMON SMITH. 



The regular fall session of the Ionia 

 County Bee-Keepers' Association was 

 held iu Justice Curry's office, in Ionia, 

 Mich., on Wednesday. Sept. 10, 1890, 

 with President A. H. Hall in the chair. 

 Harmon Smith. Secretary, read the 

 following compilation of reports from 

 the 15 members present : 547 colonies, 

 spring count ; 533 colonies, fall count ; 

 1,977 pounds of comb honey (report 

 last year, 23,760 pounds) ; 238 pounds 

 of extracted honey (last year, 5,470 

 pounds) ; 84 pounds of wax. Many 

 members found it necessary to feed 

 their bees. 



FOUL BROOD CURES. 



The first topic discussed was ' ' Bee- 

 Diseases, their Prevention and Cure." 

 and was mainly upon ■• Foul Brood." 

 Secretary Smith gave a description of 

 the disease and the effect of the differ- 

 ent acid treatiuents recommended as 

 palliative remedies, the McLain plan 

 almost curing infected colonies. He 

 concluded by recommending what is 

 known as Jones' process, but given by 

 Father Langstroth in his work on 

 •The Houey-Bee," as the cure recom- 

 mended by a German apiarist. The 

 process is described as follows : 



"Drive out the bees into a clean 

 hive, and shut them in a dark place 

 without food for 24 or 48 hours. Pre- 

 pare a clean hive properly fitted with 

 comb (preferably clean frames with 

 foundation) from healthy colonies. 

 Transfer the bees into it. and confine 

 them two days longer with pure 

 hone}'." 



Darius Roop gave an account of the 

 Mutli treatment and urged the impor- 

 tance of the most radical efforts to 

 stamp out the disease. 



On motion, the President was ap- 

 pointed to confer with the Probate 

 Judge relative to the appointment of 

 a commissioner whose dut}' it shoidd 

 be to make an effort to eradicate the 

 disease, it being fully comprehended 

 by the association that unless this is 

 done, the destruction of bee-keeping as 

 a business must speedily follow. 



President Inman, of the Ionia Di.s- 

 trict Fair Association, invited exhibits, 

 and the convention expressed approval 

 of the suggestion, and urged the mem- 

 bers to make a good display. 



"Wintering" and " Bee - Pastur- 

 age" were discussed. As pasturage. 

 Alsike clover and buckwheat were 

 recommended. Warmth and ventila- 

 tion, and plenty of well-sealed stores 

 were recomended as requirements for 

 successful wintering. 



The association voted to secure suit- 

 able quarters for the spring meeting, 

 and space will be provided for the ex- 

 hibition of bees, bee-implements and 

 fixtures, and a suitable speaker will be 

 secured for the meeting. 



Harmon Smith, Sec. 



VENTILATION. 



Some Sugsestions as to Properly 

 Ventilating Bee-Hives. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



ARTHUR T. GOLDSBOROtJGH. 



Mr. E. G. Slayton, on page 620. 

 says that he bores f-ineh holes in the 

 hives (sides or ends) as ventilators, and 

 also boasts of being a veteran bee- 

 hunter. Now I should like to ask him, 

 or any one who advocates ventilation 

 other than at the entrance, if in his 

 bee-hunting he ever found a colony 

 with a hole or crevice of any sort lead- 

 ing to their combs, but what was care- 

 fully glued up with propolis. 



If we would only watch and follow 

 nature more closely, we would not 

 preach so much positive error. I 

 assert right here, that any means of 

 ventilating a bee-hive ever invented, 

 or likely to be, defeats the very object 

 aimed at ; and, also, that an aperture. 

 say ] inch high and 3 inches long is an 

 opening enough, with the rest of the 

 hive hermetically sealed, for the wel- 

 fare of any colony of bees ever ruled 

 by one queen. Now for the proof : 



Take a box, say a foot square, and 

 have it as air-tight as bees would make 

 it (if in mercy left alone). Have but 

 one opening — an inch by an eighth 

 would do ; now exhaust the air at the 

 mouth of this entrance (as the bees 

 always do when required), and all the 

 air in this air-chamber (hive) is set in 

 motion ; the fresh air going iu and the 

 foul air coming out of the same open- 

 ing at the same time. Does it not 

 seem evident that if there is the 

 slightest crack in the hive, the air. 

 instead of being set in motion in every 

 part of it, will draw straight as pos- 

 sible from this crack, making a 

 draught (bad), and leaving the rest of 

 the hive full of still air ? 



