THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



239 



carried them in these cages in my coat pocket for 

 a week at a time, perfectly safe. 



I will now give an illustration of the best de- 

 vice I ever found for holding newly transferred 

 combs in place. Take 1-10 inch iron wire (stiff 

 wire is best); bend it just wide enough to fit 

 over the top bar of the frames in the Langstroth 

 hive, having two prongs from six to eight 

 inches long. By springing these to fit different 

 thicknesses of comb, they will hold it firmly in 

 place. As soon as the bees fasten the combs 

 the wires can be withdrawn without disturbing 

 them. Two wires in a frame is generally suffi- 

 cient. No practical beekeeper will use any- 

 thing else after once trying these. 



I like the Italian bees very much for this sec- 

 tion. The year 1867 yielded honey bountifully, 

 but 1868 Was below the average, and bad for 

 queen raising. Like some other beekeepers, I 

 believe in improving imported stock, and am 

 constantly aiming at that one point. 



W. O. Sweet. 



West Mansfield, Mass. 



[For the American Boe Journal.] 



Puff Ball Smoke and Fertile Workers. 



On page 40 of the September number of the 

 Bee Journal I see (what is claimed to be by 

 the writer) an infallible cure for drone-breeding 

 colonies. He states that he made known the 

 process at the Convention of German beekeep- 

 ers at Hanover in 1868; but that it does not 

 seem to have attracted the attention it merits. 

 He states that it is only necessary lo stnpify the 

 colony with puff ball smoke, and at once intro- 

 duce a fertile queen among the bees, before they 

 revive; this done, the cure is effected. 



Now I understand that in some of these 

 drone-breeding colonies a queen is present 

 which never mated with a drone, and that in 

 all cases the queen may be selected from among 

 the bees, and destroyed. Then we have a queen- 

 less colony to which we may introduce a fertile 

 queen, after some of the usual modes, thereby 

 effecting a cure without the use of puff-ball 

 smoke, or any other stupifying agent. I fur- 

 ther understand that we sometimes have a col- 

 ony in which a fertile worker is present, and 

 that in such a case we cannot select the fertile 

 worker from among the other bees, as there are 

 no distinguishing marks of difference as re- 

 gards either shape or size. Such at least was 

 the case with one in my own apiary. I made 

 repeated search for the miscreant, but without 

 success. I then introduced three fertile queens 

 at different times; each was well received by 

 the bees; but within twenty-four hours after 

 their introduction, I found a dead queen in each 

 instance, on the platform in front of the hive. 

 But what I wish to ascertain is, how puff-ball 

 smoke is to effect a cure in this kind of case. 

 Are these fertile workers decidedly more ten- 

 der than any other workers, and consequently 

 more easy to smother to death from smoke ? 

 Or is the cause only accidental ? That is, where 

 the process of smoking is carried to the extent 



of killing a portion of the bees, docs it not hap- 

 pen occasionally that the fertile worker is 

 among the slain ? Or, does the smoke destroy 

 the egg-laying power of the fertile worker, and 

 change her natural disposition of hatred to- 

 wards a fertile queen into feelings of love or in- 

 difference ? Let me understand upon what 

 principle this agent operates, if it really has 

 any such effects. If the cure is infallible it will 

 of course cure the first described case, in which 

 we have an unimpregnated queen which we can 

 hunt out from among other bees, since Ave have 

 certain marks of distinction in such a ease. But 

 if the cure is effected by means of suffocating 

 the drone-breeding queen, then this kind of 

 smoke is very dangerous to use, in cases where 

 we have a fertile queen; as it will be very likely 

 to suffocate her among the first bees that perish. 

 But if it operates by means of changing the 

 disposition of hatred (which the queens have 

 for each other) into feelings of love or indiffer- 

 ence, it may be quite a valuable smoke, as then 

 we could subject our queens to a course of it, 

 and keep as many in one hive as may be de- 

 sirable. But should it effect their effg-layiug 

 qualities, as well as their disposition, then it 

 would be a destructive agent, to be used with 

 caution among fertile queens. Now this agent 

 must operate in some of these different ways, or 

 it has no such power as is claimed for it. Please 

 let those state how or in what way it operates, 

 who have tried it and know its modus operandi. 

 Godfrey Bohrer. 

 Alexandria, Ind, Nov. 23, 1868. 



[For the American Bee Journal . 



Antidote for Bee Stings. 



Mr. Editor : — My bees seem to assert and 

 maintain "belligerent rights," both offensive 

 and defensive, whenever they judge their honor 

 insulted ; and I have been seriously assaulted 

 by them on several occasions. Their sting is 

 very poisonous to me, and to many oilier per- 

 sons, causing frequently appalling inflamma- 

 tion. I suffered much from this cause last sea- 

 son, and tried various prescribed remedies, such 

 as spirits of hartshorn, soft soap, salt and vine- 

 gar, saleratus-water, &c, without much benefit, 

 and I had almost decided to dispose of my bees 

 this spring, unless I could get along without so 

 much suffering from stings. 



I have now, however, found an effectual an- 

 tidote. A few days ago I was stung on the 

 right w r rist. I removed the stinsr with the point 

 of my penknife, and applied a little kerosene oil. 

 The pain immediately subsided, and no inflam- 

 mation appeared. Yesterday I was stung again, 

 on the other wrist, and applied the same reme- 

 dy, with the same happy results. 



I think I may rejoicingly say that the discov- 

 ery is mane, that kerosene oil is an efFectnal anti- 

 dote for the poison of the bee-sling. Let others 

 try it, and report. 



P. R. Russell. 

 Bolton, Mass., April 2, 1869. 



