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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



The August Journal. 



The Journal came to band, a few flays 

 earlier than last month, thereby enabling us to 

 make a few comments "on time." We cannot 

 speak from personal knowledge of the merits of 

 the remedy for bee-stings, related by Mr. Lang- 

 stroth, not having a fondness for such expei'i- 

 ments. Our way is to " extract " the sting im- 

 mediately, and then bathe the parts with cold 

 water— the colder the better. If we get badly 

 stung, when our blood is heated from over ex- 

 ertion, we make a strong whiskey sling, and 

 drink it at once. We have no doubt but this 

 would prove effectual in any case, yet do not 

 get stung purposely, in order to try the remedy. 

 Mr. Langstroths' experience with the Italians as 

 honey gatherers, agrees exactly with our own. 

 And. then, Novice has had trouble with the 

 honey extractor, and we likewise. We had 

 been studying a remedy, too. and think we shall 

 adopt something similar. We can recommend 

 Novice's door step, for we have used one almost 

 exactly identical for the past seven years. They 

 have paid us for all the time and trouble they 

 cost. 



Basswood was nearly an entire failure with 

 us this year. There were only three or four 

 clays that it yielded honey of any account, and 

 we have known our bees to gather more in one 

 day heretofore, than they did in the whole three 

 weeks that it was in blossom this year. 



We do not attribute the failure to dry weather, 

 but rather to the unfavorable state of the atmos- 

 phere at the time. 



There was an item in regard to Novice's pro- 

 lific queen, that we overlooked in our hurry last 

 month. Was she reared from an egg or larva?, 

 and how many days elapsed after the bees com- 

 menced the cell before she hatched '? We think 

 that the most prolific queens are reared from the 

 egg, and in such stocks as are well stocked with 

 young workers. Mr. Liston discourses upon the 

 advantages of artificial swarming, and nearly 

 all apiarians will agree that the way the bees 

 manage the things when left to choose for them- 

 selves, is not conducive to either pleasure or 

 profit. 



We take no stock whatever in "Management 

 for Luck," but endeavor to manage our bees 

 with a fixed purpose in view of accomplishing 

 certain definite ends. Whoever manages bees 

 with the expectation that "luck" will accom- 

 plish any desirable ends, will be apt to be wo- 

 fully mistaken. Yet Mr. Chapman gives most 

 wholesome advice. 



We now pass on to listen to friend Argo's 

 story of his failure to control pure fertilization. 

 We are sorry that he is so dispirited as to 

 give up trying ; for we think that it is quite es- 

 sential that we be able to fully control this mat- 

 ter. Where would have been our improved 

 breeds of cattle, horses, hogs, &c, if man had not 

 been " master of the situation." And if we can 

 only control this little matter of fertilization in 

 confinement, we can make as much progress as 

 the bree lers of our domestic animals have. If 



may be "against nature " and even though " all 

 attempts will fail," we are "positively certain'''' 

 that the thing can be done. Not that we have 

 discovered any method that will prove a success 

 without a failure, but we have a plan, that we 

 are sure — yes, "positively certain" — will be suc- 

 cessful "nineteen times out of twenty," if 

 rightly managed. But we dou't use any fertil- 

 izing tent, wire-cloth cages, or any other expen- 

 sive and complicated contrivances, either. The 

 great secret as we believe is to bring queeus and 

 drones t'igelh%' upon the icing, without frighten- 

 ing the timid "fathers of the industrious hive." 

 But as we have said but little upon this subject 

 heretofore, we will not now leave it, with the 

 remark that if any one wishes anything more 

 from us upon the subject, that we will answer 

 any questions through the Journal. 



We are quite sure that many of the readers of 

 the Journal would like to have friend Argo tell 

 them how to increase thirty swarms to one hun- 

 dred, and obtain so much honey, if the bees built 

 their own combs. We have never, yet, equaled 

 that, although having succeeded to our own en- 

 tire satisfaction. 



Friend Gallup must have been in a happy 

 mood when he penned his "reply" or else pos- 

 sess a faculty for making things turn out pleas- 

 antly. That is right ; let us all endeavor to cul- 

 tivate amiable and friendly feelings, towards one 

 another, work together for the good of all, and 

 success, in the largest sense of the term will 

 crown our honest efforts. We pass over the 

 translations from the foreign journals, not that 

 they are unworthy of notice, for we read them 

 with interest ; and hope you will, Mr. Editor, 

 give them monthly hereafter. We notice one 

 little mistake in our article last month ; in the 

 eighth line, after the words "Italian queens" 

 read "with as much pleasure," and you will 

 have our meaning. We now close, by wishing 

 all beekeepers, prosperity in every honest effort 

 to advance the cause of bee-culture. 



Hbrbert A. Burch. 



South Haven, Mich., Aug. 12, 1872. 



Bees are scarcely making a living this year. I 

 cannot account for it. All conditions are favor- 

 able now, although during May, usually our best 

 month, it was very dry. Last year I had a hive 

 filled in six days after extracting during the 

 month of June. This year they have increased 

 none during May or June. My hives are very 

 strong ; have sixty. Can it be a case of over- 

 stocking ? 



I feel very hopeful yet, as we usually have good 

 fall pasturage. 



G. W. Bates. 



Somerville, Tenn., June 17, 1872. 



A desolate and cheerless place is thus de- 

 scribed by Southey, in his wild and wondrous 

 poem of Thalaba : — 



" The solitary bee, 



Whose buzzing was the only sound of life, 



Flew there on restless wing, 



Seeking in vain one blossom, where to fix." 



