170 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



[For the Aniericau Bee Journal.] 



The Italian Bees at Home. 



Reading tlie first volume of the "American 

 Bee Jouknal," I found on page 213 a commu- 

 nication to the BienenzeiUmg, liom F. A. Dcus, 

 wiio, in company with tliree other members of 

 the Apiarian Convention lield at Mayence in 

 18GG, made a tour llirough part of France, 

 Switzerland, and Italy, after the adjournment 

 oftlie Convention. Mr. Dens notes particular- 

 ly the various places, on their route, where 

 Italian bees occur, and describes their appear- 

 ance. Tlie close of the communication reads 

 as follows : — 



"At Lago Mat'giore and Lago di Como, we 

 found Italian bees exclusively, and of the most 

 pertect type, like those of Genoa. These dis 

 iricts, indeed, appear to be their cluef/;a6itoi." 



Does not this report agree with Prof. Moua's 

 certiticate and my account of the native pure 

 Ilulian bees V It is here likewise, in this region 

 of country, that the Italian bee was fc-und ex- 

 clusively. ISut I fear that this report will be re- 

 garded as of no account, in opposition to Prof. 

 Varro's ipse dixit. 



On page 2'- of Datlie's pamphlet. Dr. Ziwan- 

 sky is quoted as saying — "We may the more 

 confidently decide in lavor of this source (of 

 procuring Italian queens), inasmuch as no 

 black bees whatever are louud in the entire 

 Canton, (Tessin), and we may therefore feel as- 

 sured that we shall obtain thence no other than 

 bees of the genuine and pure-blooded race." 



But Prof. Varro is acquainted, trom his 

 youth, with a man who has eeeu Italian bees in 

 Italy too ; and because he had seen Italian 

 bees in their native clime before Mr. Uhle or I 

 saw Italy, there must be black bees found in 

 that region of country. 



Adam Guimm. 



JEFFERSON, (WisO 



Interference of Common Drones. 



I keep Irom forty to fifty stocks, all black 

 bees. Why are no all their progeny hybrids ? 

 That is, the progeny ol those iwo ([ueeus. 



I wish you would tell nn how to leed bees in 

 the Laugstroth hives. 

 i I wish all persons writing in papers would 

 put their name and location to tjjeir articles. 

 : The reason lor wishing this is, I saw in a paper 

 ; a very good article on bees, wherein the writer 

 I says he has good success in feeding bees with 

 ■ an invention of his own — with no name but 

 ! correspondent of N. Y. Rural. 



J. W. Hunter. 



PiQUA. 



[For the American Bee Journal.) 



The Bee Journal. — Foulbrood. 



In the February number of the Bee Journal, 

 (page 160,) the question is asked — "(]!au Ital- 

 ian bees be raised and kept pure in a location 

 where black bees are abundant V" 



I will tell you what 1 know about the matter. 



In the summer of 1866, two of my stocks were 

 partly hybridized — about ten or twelve per cent, 

 having one bright yellow ring. 



The queens in these two hives produce hy- 

 brids in about the same proportion, not having 

 Bwarmed lasl summer. 



Now, I have no Italian bees, uor was there 

 at that time an Italian stock within a circle of 

 five miles from me. Mr. Clark, living five 

 miles southeast of me, had in 1865 an Italian 

 queen leave and go to the woods with a swarm, 

 going in a due west direction. If they contin- 

 ued in that direction for a distance of four 

 miles, they would strike a point four-and-a-half 

 miles south of me. Perhaps one half of this 

 distance is woods ; the other half cleared land. 

 Now that was the only chance for my queens 

 to be fertilized by Italian drones. 



The February number of the Bee Journal 

 is received, and I must say that it is to me the 

 most interesting number that has appeared. I 

 am pleased to see each number steauilj' impro- 

 ving in interesting jjrcic^ictt^ information for bee- 

 keepers. If your readers do not get the worth 

 of their monej', it must be their own fault. 



The first article in the present number, which 

 treats in detail on the character and treatment 

 oi foulbrood is alone worth the cost of a com- 

 pliiie volume. To many readers, if they will 

 study it well, the information is richly worth 

 §ilO, and may be worth $100. I have had sev- 

 eral years experience with malignant foulbrood, 

 but have had none since 1 came West. My 

 apiary in Western New York, where 1 lived 

 prior to 1861, was nearly ruined ; and 1 know 

 of several aparies in that section, that were en- 

 tirely destroyed. It requires the utmost vigi- 

 lance to keep it in abeyance, and to make bee- 

 keeping protitable where this disease is fairly 

 established. I have had &o much experience 

 with foulbrood that I am satisfied ; and will 

 have no more of it, so long as there is a section 

 in the United Stales to be found where it is un- 

 known. 1 hope it will not be introduced in the 

 West ; but am fearful it is already in some of 

 the apiaries in Iowa. The shipping of Italian 

 bees from apiaries where the disease is estab- 

 lished, throughout the length and breadth of 

 oui' land, will be the means of introducing it 

 into many parts of the country', if any thing 

 will. M. M. Baldridge. 



St. Charles, III. 



Tue large Rhododendron, Mountain Laural, 

 or Rosebay, yields honey abuudantl}'', but of a 

 deleterious and poisonous qualitj', though not 

 injurious to the bees themselves. During the 

 period in which it is in bloom, in June, bees 

 should not be allowed to store honey in supers, 

 where this plant abounds ; and combs contain- 

 ing such honey should be retained in the hive 

 for winter supplies. This can be easily accom- 

 plished, where movable comb hives are used. 

 Honey derived from the Kalmias, (common and 

 dwarf laurel) should be treated in the same 

 muuuer. 



