88 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



May 



sometimes all that were started were 

 linishcd. The use of queen-excludliif? 

 metal was not as universal as now, and 

 when a queen took' a notion to enter an 

 open super, the whole of it was somer 

 times filled with brood. In supers with 

 separators seldom more than two or 

 tiiree sections are spoiled with brood. 

 ]iut then, I did not set out to enume- 

 rate the advantages of the separator 

 super over the open one but to 

 speak of the separator itself. 



Competition has brought about such a 

 state of alTairs that our comb-honey 

 must now be strictly fancy as to finish : 

 and it is thought that the freer the 

 communication, other things being 

 equal, the better the finish, of the 

 product — the better the sections will be 

 filled out. This seems to be the experi- 

 ence of many of our best honey produ- 

 cers. The fence Separator and the 

 perforated separator are thought to 

 accomplish the object most perfectly, 

 and have already been adf)pted by many 

 within the last two years. 



If our theory is right ; if it is true 

 that the better the honey the freer the 

 communication, the h^ss obstructive the 

 separator ; then it would seem that a 

 wire-screen separator, allowing the bees 

 to pass through it, would accom])lish 

 the object in a still higher degree. 1 

 have been afraid to use wire-screen for 

 separators ; but it seems from the testi- 

 mony I have that it answers very nicely 

 and gives perfectly smooth comb- 

 surface. Mr. N. N. Hetsinger. of 

 Marcellus Falls, N. Y., exhibited a 

 super with wire-screen separators (four 

 mesiies per inch) in Geneva, last winter: 

 a super lie has used successfully for a 

 number of years. The separators were 

 -SO arranged as to leave bee-space 

 between the edges of the sections and 

 the .separators ; a feature that is not 

 found in the regular fence or cleated 

 separator-super. If the Betsinger sep- 

 arator ever needs cleaning — a thing it 

 seldom does — it may be cleaned easily 

 with concentrated Ivc, as it han"s 



loosely between the section holders like 

 a frame in a rabbet. The cost probabl} 

 is greater than that of any other sepa- 

 rator, but they will outlast the wood. 



To the Bee-keeperfi of New York State : 



The new Ne\V York bee-disease is, as 

 we had reason to suspect, not a new- 

 disease. It is stated that it spread from 

 nuclei that had been imported from the 

 South, and so, of course, the disease 

 must be there ; and it would be well to 

 investigate the matter for the sake of 

 the general good. But no matter as to 

 this! We in New Y'ork have reason to 

 be on our guard. Although the disease 

 is not foul-brood, from what Inspectors 

 West and Stephens and Prof. Benton 

 say, it is just as destructive and ev<Mi 

 harder to combat. Inspector West says 

 it seems to fall from the heavens, some- 

 times, like rain. lii tlie infested 

 districts over one-half of the bees have 

 already been wiped out of existence. 



It beliooyes us, then, to be very, very 

 careful. I would suggest not to pur- 

 chase bees from anywhere unless they 

 were carefully examined at both ends of 

 the route: also not to buy doubtful honey 

 for feeding. Should we discover the 

 disease in our yards, or in tiiose of our 

 neighbors, inform and instruct Miem. 

 and notify the inspectors, etc. \Vc 

 must iise the utmost care in manipulat- 

 ing bees : under no consideration 

 should we excliaiige combs or leave 

 honey exposed. 



I wish to i'cn\ind tlie reader of what 1 

 ha\'e said oiu-i' t)efi)re in some bee 

 jounuil about niillv' feeding, liiipradctil 

 fcediiDj lias a teadcneij lo start foitl-hroud. 

 Spring, of coui'se. is the time to feed 

 milk to bees, if it is fed at all. Dr. 

 Dzierzon lias practiced it for years and 

 reported last year again very good re- 

 sults. He fed in the open air, toward 

 night, every day. Milk is a powerful 

 stimulant and will start brood-rearing 

 at a wonderful pace. I have had several 

 inquiries again, of late, in regard to tlie 

 nialtef. There is nothing difficult 



