36 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



February 



strated in the past; and it is witli 

 pleasure tliat we count him among the 

 reguhir contributors to the columns of 

 The Bek-keepek for 1901. 



QUERIES. 



CLIPPING queens" wings — ORIGIN OF FOUL 

 BROOD. 



The following questions are propound- 

 ed, with a request for a reply through 

 these columns, by J. W. Teflft: 



First. If T can run my bees for comb 

 honey without swarming, what is the 

 use of clipping the wing of the queen? 



Second. What originates foul brood? 

 Is it because of there being no ventila- 

 tion in the hive, or is it caused by 

 wintering bees on the old honey of the 

 previous winter's stores; or, is it caused 

 by the freezing and thawing in single- 

 walled hives? 



ANSWERS. 

 First. The practice of clipping is 

 recommended only for those who find or 

 believe it to be advantageous. We 

 should, however, prefer to have all 

 queens clipped, even if swarming nev6r 

 occurred. 



Second. Foul brood is not caused by 

 any of the conditions mentioned. As to 

 its origin, it would probably be no more 

 difficult to tell the origin of small-pox. 

 We have never learned of an instance 

 where it came spontaneously into 

 existance. The style of hive, Mr. Tefft 

 may feel assurred, has nothing what- 

 ever to do with originating, fostering or 

 curing the disease. 



KILLING BEES WITH KINDNESS. 



BY L. E. KERK. 



We often see bee-keepers, especially 

 beginners, continually fussing with 

 their bees. Do not tinker at your bees 

 every day. When bees have been tam- 

 pered with it takes them two or three 

 hours to get settled down to the nat iral 

 order of things again, and gathering 

 honey; and sometimes when their hive 

 has been hastily taken apart and combs 

 taken out and handled, they will be 

 more or less confused for a whole day. 

 The harm done by handling the hives is 

 still greater in winter. If the bees are 

 not killed outright they will be worthless 

 the next summer. If from curiosity or 

 a desire to learn something about your 

 bees you wish to be continually handling 

 them, select a colony or two for the 

 purpose and do not be disturbing all you 

 have, especially in the spring. Colonies 

 carelessly disturbed in early spring be- 

 fore fruit bloom, will sometimes destroy 

 their queens. When the bees really 

 require your attention, give it, and then 

 quit. Do not keep them stirred up till 

 you have doctored them to death and 

 then think that all who say there is still 

 money in bees are either fools or 

 dishonest. 



Hurricane, Ark. 



If you are sut'liciently interested in 

 the publishers" p'-oposition to give away 

 thirty-five dollars worth of bee-keepers' 

 supplies this season, to write for par- 

 ticulars, it is almost certain that your 

 subscri])tion to The Bee-keeper will 

 not cost you a cent for some years to 

 come. 



A Singular Battle. 



A singular battle Avas witnessed re- 

 cently in an English apiary. A hive of 

 bees was besieged by a large swarm of 

 wasps. The bees made valiant sorties 

 to try to drive away the besiegers, and 

 the wasps made furious assaults to drive 

 out the bees. The battle raged for two 

 days, at the end of which time the bees 

 evacuated the hive and the wasps took 

 possession. They are now the undis- 

 puted masters of the hive and are revel- 

 ing in the store of twenty pounds of 

 honey which the bees had gathered 

 there.— House and Farm. 



