The Bees and Fruit Trees. 



So much has been said and written 

 about Bees injuring Fruit Trees that 

 the following interesting incident rela- 

 ted by Mr. William Carr, in the British 

 Bee Journal for May will be read with 

 interest. Speaking of the plum, pear, 

 cherry, apple, almond, peach and other 

 fruit trees, Mr. Carr says : 



All these fruit-trees yield a great 

 quantity of beautiful and highly fla- 

 vored honey, and when in bloom the 

 bees are working from morning to night 

 collecting the honey and pollen, and 

 fertilizing the bloom. We should have 

 little fruit if it was not for the agency 

 of bees. All good fruit-growers keep 

 bees to fertilize their fruit-bloom. 



This reminds me of my visit to (our 

 noble and good President of the British 

 Bee-keepers' Association) the Baroness 

 Burdett-Coutts' residence at Highgate, 

 on April 8th, 1870. When I went into 

 the peach-house, the gardener said to 

 me, " See what a quantity of peaches I 

 have got set I" I said, " You have, in- 

 deed ; how do you account for it ?" 

 "Well, " he said," I have always kept 

 bees to fructify my fruit- bloom; but 

 last autumn I bought a stock of Ligu- 

 rian bees, and they being hardier than 

 the common bees, began working 

 earlier, and got into the peach-house 

 just as the trees were coming into bloom 

 and the result is I have nearly double 

 the quantity of peaches set I ever had 

 before." 



^ Mr. P. Miller, of Fredonia, N. Y., 

 has sent us some tin points for glassing 

 sections. They are three-sixteenths by 

 five-eighths of an inch. One end is 

 sharpened for driving into the wood of 

 the section. This shape holds the glass 

 exceedingly well, and will be a favor- 

 ite among those who glass sections. 



Part IV of Novice's A B C of Bee 

 Culture is received, embracing subjects 

 from R to T. One more Part will 

 finish the book, and then it will be sold 

 for $1.00. It contains much information 

 and is specially adapted to beginners. 

 It is illustrated with numerous engra- 

 vings of tools for the apiary. 



i^° A colony for California is being 

 formed by Mr. J. P. Whitney, 14 West 

 Swan St., Buffalo, N. Y. who will send 

 a pamphlet concerning it to any one 

 interested. 



C^~ A club for the Bee Journal may be 

 sent all to one post office or to as many post 

 offices as there are names in the club. 



$W A correspondent who is endeavoring 

 to institute a Bee-Keepers' Association, asks 

 how often it will be best to have the meet- 

 ings held. This is a matter that the bee- 

 keepers forming such an Association can 

 determine for themselves. They may bo 

 monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annu- 

 ally. Those associations that are the most 

 noted for their influence and best results,, 

 hold their meetings semi-annually. When 

 meetings are held too frequently they often 

 are thinly attended and become less and 

 less interesting. It is far better to have one 

 or two meetings in a year that are success- 

 ful than twelve that are poorly attended 

 and uninteresting. We notice a growing 

 inclination towards the semi-annual gather- 

 ing, and we really think they are the most 

 desirable. 



ES^Mr. James Heddon asks if any of the- 

 readers of the Bee Journal have observed 

 that propolis dust is extremely irritating to 

 the bronchial tubes ? Any one having made 

 observations in this direction is requested 

 to answer Mr. H.'s question. 



JSP" Unless he is a good workman, no bee- 

 keeper should attempt to make frames,, 

 hives, honey boxes, crates, &c, for his own 

 use. They will not only cost him more than 

 those he could buy, but will not be half as- 

 good. The making of frames and boxes re- 

 quire skill with tools ; they should be all 

 accurately cut, smoothly finished, and be 

 perfectly interchangeable. 



Kepairing the Loss.— Many colonies- 

 have been lost during the past winter and 

 spring, but the loss is not irreparable. The 

 hives and combs are left. These are valu- 

 able and can be used to much advantage. 

 The loss of the'. bees is a small matter, com- 

 paratively, as good fertile queens will soon 

 rapidily augment the number of bees, if the 

 summer is favorable, and the secretion in the 

 flowers abundant. Clean the hives and 

 combs, feed the weak colonies if necessary,, 

 keeping them warm, andstimulate for brood- 

 rearing, dividing the populous colonies as- 

 fast as needed, and the losses will soon be- 

 repaired, at least in part. 



