THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



215 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



WASHINGTON, MAY, 1SG8. 



UTS'" The Ameuican Bp:e .Touiinai, is now 

 published monthlj', in llio City of Wiislungton, 

 (D. C.) at $2 per aimuin. All coniiminicalions 

 should bu addressed lo Ihe Editor, at lluit place. 



"We have received from IMr. Edward Harrison, 

 now residing in Frederick, Maryland, one of 

 his newly patented Bee-Feeders, referred to in 

 the April number of this Jouunal. It is a sim- 

 ple and ingenious contrivance, by means of 

 which colonies deficient in honey can be readily 

 supplied at any time, without danger of attract- 

 ing robbers. 



Alsike Clover. 



A report on Alsike clover, made lo the Board 

 of Agriculture of the State of Maine, gives the 

 experience of Calvin Chamberlain, in its culti- 

 vation for several years. He says: — "It is 

 hardy and more permanent than red clover ; it 

 branches much more, throwing out many stalks 

 from one root, thus alTordiug a good crop with 

 thin seeding ; it bears cropping well, thus prov- 

 ing its adaptibility to pasturage ; and it contin- 

 ues in a condition to be cut longer than any 

 forage plant that I know. I believe it to be the 

 best hone3'--plant in the world. A field of Alsike 

 clover is the best patronized bee-pasture I have 

 ever seen, exceeding that of an orchard in full 

 bloom. I am sure that iu a neighborhood 

 of Alsike clover fields, bee-keepers would not 

 be searching for other plants for their use." 



Alsike clover may be advantageously sown 

 with spring barley or oats. — Seed is advertised 

 on second page of cover. 



The usual annual meetings of bee-keepers in 

 Germany were deferred in 18GG and 1867, on 

 account of the then disturbed state of the coun- 

 try. It is now, however, announced that tlie 

 General Convention will assemble in the city 

 of Darmstadt, in September next, though the 

 days of meeting are not yet determined. These 

 conventions are usually attended by the most 

 eminent and experienced apiarians, and the de- 

 bates are alwaj's interesting and instructive. 

 The Paris Exposition was a failure, so far as 

 bee-culture i^ concerned — the business being as 

 yet one of subordinate interest ia Franca. The 



case is otherwise in Germany, and visitors who 

 may be attracted to the Darmstadt convention 

 and exhibition will hardly come away disap- 

 pointed. 



There are two communications in this num- 

 ber of the Bee .Tournai. which we would spe- 

 cially commend to perusal and inward digestion 

 of the anti-bee portion of the good people of 

 Wenham, to whom we shall feel bound to pay 

 some attention on all suitable occasions. As 

 they are somewhat behind time, we must help 

 them to catch up again. 



One of those communications shows to how 

 great a distance swarms will sometimes wend 

 their way, when in quest of a new home ; and 

 from it we may fairly infer that bees do not 

 restrict themselves to narrow limits, when im- 

 pelled by instinct to explore the outside world 

 in search of nectar. The other furnishes an 

 instance where a single apricot tree in blossom 

 was visited by bees from five different sources, 

 and from distances varying from half a mile to 

 at least a mile and a half. Now we presume 

 that all the bees in that neighborhood arc not 

 "located fiying about" in the town of Wen- 

 ham, like a certain " crowing robin " we once 

 heard of; and how hopeless au undertaking 

 must it therefore be for the citizens to keep 

 themselves free from such anno3'ance3 by reso- 

 lutions of a town meeting ! Depend on it, so 

 long as they are slovenly or slatternly in the 

 management of their kitchens, their pantries, 

 their grocery shops, and the like, bees will find 

 their way among them ; and maj' then prove 

 to be troublesome tp cooks and compounders of 

 comfits. 



Mr. Kiihler's process for controlling the fertil- 

 ization of queen bees is not likely to become 

 available to American bee-keepers this season. 

 The process is to be kept secret in Europe for 

 the present, and till a satisfactory sum is secur- 

 ed to the discoverer ; and the price asked for 

 communicating it for the benefit of American 

 beekeepers, is two thousand dollars in gold, 

 payable in Europe. A fund is now being crea- 

 ted in Germany, for 3Ir. Kohler's benefit, by 

 voluntary subscriptions among bee-keepers. 

 We have seen a list of contributors in February, 

 embracing the names of forty-eight individuals 

 and firms, amounting iu the aggregate to about 

 one hundred dollars. Nearly one-half of the 

 contributors subscribe sums varying from fifty- 

 five to sevcntj'-five cents each ; and the highest 

 sum, in any case, is under twenty-five dollars. 

 It doo9 jiot Boeni from tliis as if th* fund would 



