384 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



May 3, 1906 



tent. The other feeds on Rosaceous plants like the rose, 

 apple, pear, cherry and plum, and also on the oak. 



The Gypsy Moth. 



This moth was introduced at Medford, near Boston, up- 

 wards of SO years ago, by a scientist who most unfortunately 

 allowed it to escape. The female cannot fly, and so it spreads 

 very slowly. Yet a habit of the larva or caterpillar hastens 

 its distribution, especially in these days of the automobile. 

 Like the canker-worm, it is a drop-worm, or more properly a 

 ■drop-caterpillar. Thus in the summer when the thousands 

 •and millions of caterpillars are feeding, they, spider-like, spin 

 •a silken thread from which they suspend, and thus the passing 

 •carriage or automobile may catch them up and hurl them 

 :away for miles, and so forming a new center of attack. The 

 :serious defoliation of the parks and shade trees in eastern 

 Massachusetts, as also the ruin of the beautiful roadside trees, 

 attracted wide attention and created alarm in the early '90s. 

 Legislation was sought, and well nigh a million dollars were 

 appropriated to exterminate the moth. The work was put 

 iin able hands, and good progress made. Indeed, so well was 

 the effort appreciated that the Legislature paused in its at- 

 tempt, but the Gypsy moth did not; but in 1904 it was found 

 as bad as ever, and much extended. Fully a third of the 

 State is now involved, and the evil is spread" to Rhode Island 

 ■on the south, and to New Hamoshire on the north. "Put 

 not thine hand to the plow and look back" applies to insect 

 attack, and should have been remembered in the grand old 

 Bay State. 



The Brown-Tail Moth. 



This moth, though smaller, is a far more destructive one 

 in Germany, they tell me, than is the Gypsy moth. It was 

 brought to the United States later than the other, but is strong 

 on the wing, and so spreads much more rapidlv. It is be- 

 lieved now that at least half of Masachusetts is attacked, and 

 it has spread to Maine on the north. At least 5 States are 

 invaded. It is supposed to have been introduced on roses 

 brought from Europe in the winter months. 



This moth has a unique way of nesting in the winter 

 Most moths winter either as eggs or pupa?. This one passes 

 the winter in the larval or caterpillar stage. The eggs hatch 

 in autumn; the tiny caterpillars commence to feed and are 

 yet quite small when the foliage dies and the cold comes. 

 Ihey then spin a dense web in which they pass the winter 

 It is said that the number in one of these nests is about 250 

 These nests are conspicuous objects in the oaks, orchard 

 trees and hawthorn hedges in the winter months after the 

 leaves fall. I have seen here in Berlin as manv as SO in a 



n0i Ton™ rge pea , r or P Ium tree - We see that this means 

 over 12.000 caterpillars to commence an onslaught as soon as 

 u y ? ung / oIla g e bursts forth in spring. We readily see 

 that the oak. apple, pear or plum that harbors such a" host 

 is surely doomed. As I have said, the female Gvpsv moth 

 does not fly. This Brown-tail is a strong flier, and this with 

 the ease of conveying the caterpillars in the nests in winter 

 on nursery stock, gives to this subject a serious import to 

 us all. 



The last Legislature of Massachusetts voted a third of a 

 million dollars to fight these two nests. The commission into 

 whose hands the work of extermination is put is a very able 

 one, and we may hope for results. 



The Matter of National Importance. 

 I have written so fully, as this contest concerns all of 

 us not only bee-keepers, but every one who loves a tree 

 We know that our trees are not only beautiful, but absolutely 

 necessary to our comfort and prosperity as a nation If 

 these pests are permitted to invade all the States, which they 

 wi 1 do. if allowed our very life as a people will call for 

 extermination, which is so difficult that it would require an 

 expenditure of milhons, yes, billions of dollars. The im- 

 ported cabbage butterfly. Picris m/w. was imported from 



StT'oMhe T°T UebeC - T," ab ° Ut 5 ° yearS h had reached S 

 u £ t? n '°"; ™, ere ,s no reason ' so far as T can see 

 why the Brown-tail might not spread as rapidlv. Massachu- 

 setts must extirpate these evils. It is a colossal work The 

 whole country is deeply interested. Whv should not the Gen- 

 eral Government aid in the matter? To'let these pests spread 

 further would be an enormous blunder P 



^f f^ Ve fi ry w" e °J i' S 5h0 V ld wake "P t0 the serio "s importance 

 of this fight and demand that the Government sees to it that 

 this threatening evil be not permitted to spread any further. 



Insect Quarantine. 

 California has a very efficient quarantine officer, whose 

 duty it is to see that injurious insects, or plants infested by 



them, be not permitted to enter the State. This officer has 

 been very prompt, and efficient, and has doubtless saved mil- 

 lions of dollars to the State. It would have been wondrous 

 economy could we have had the officer earlier. Then the 

 destructive scale insects, codling moth, etc., would have been 

 kept out to the saving of untold millions of dollars. This 

 moth invasion in Masachusetts shows how every State needs 

 such a quarantine. 



Parasites to the Rescue. 



As I have before stated, these, pests are not so alarmingly 

 destructive in Europe. This is owing to their predaceous 

 and parasitic enemies, that hold them in check. It is known 

 that the nesting caterpillars, in the winter nests of the Brown- 

 tail larvae, harbor the parasites that will devour them. It is 

 hoped that by introducing these into Massachusetts the evil 

 may be cheaply overcome, just as the Vedalia killed off the 

 white scale in the orange orchards of California. I have col- 

 lected and shipped to Boston from Berlin 9,500 nests of the 

 Brown-tail moth the present winter. From what I have said, 

 it will be seen that I have sent about 2 l / 2 million of cater- 

 pillars. As a single caterpillar often harbors several para- 

 sites, I can only hope that I have sent millions of the little 

 saviors as well. We shall all watch the results of this ex- 

 periment with the keenest interest. As it is in charge of Dr. 

 L. O. Howard, of the Entomological Department at Wash- 

 ington, we can be sure that success will come, if it is possible. 



Mr. Schulz and His Candy. 



We all remember that the "Good candy" was made in 

 Germany by a Air. Schulz before it was produced in America 

 by either Mr. Viallon or Mr. Good. Air. Schulz now lives 

 near Berlin, at Buckow, where he has 500 colonies of bees. 

 He also has the largest honey emporium in Berlin, where he 

 has 4 kinds of honey candy, all of which are delicious. He 

 sells 1-pound jars of extracted honey for one and one-fifth 

 marks — about 28 cents. Although he has the largest shop in 

 the city devoted to honey, yet he has no fine comb honev 

 at all. 



Surely the trade relations between Germany and the 

 United States might be greatly improved, vastly to the gain 

 of both countries. I believe Germany would not hold back 

 from a fair and most serviceable reciprocity. Why should not 

 America meet her half way? 



I have arranged to visit Mr. Schulz at Buchow in early 

 May. Berlin, Germany. 



" Sections, Separators, Supers and Section- 

 Holders" 



BY E» F. ATWATER. 



I CONSIDER the article on the above subject (on page 

 159), by F. Greiner, to be one of the soundest and best 

 ever written. Mr. Greiner has decided not to increase his 

 stock of no-bee-way supers. That's my decision also, and I 

 am changing mine into regular hives by nailing under each 

 a rim of such depth as to give the right dimensions for 

 standard Hoffman frames. Not only was my experience the 

 same as his, in finding no considerable advantage in the plain 

 4x5 section and fence-separator, but several serious disad- 

 vantages made themselves so manifest that I want no more 

 of either until the details of each are worked out satisfac- 

 torily. 



With the Betsinger wire-cloth separator I have had no 

 experience, but can see that it may prove to be the omega of 

 the separator list, if.it can be used with general satisfaction. 



That's rirtit, hit the T-super acain. and let me jump 

 on it while it is down, for anv locality like yours or mine. 

 We put into use last year fiOO new wide-frame supers for 

 4 I 4x4 I 4xl''s bee-way sections. The scalloped bottom-bar is 

 ■^-s-inch thick, and top-bar ^J-inch thick. The heavy bottom- 

 bar does away with the sag. 



"In constructing a wide-frame super it is a question 

 whether the separator should be nailed to the frame, or should 

 be a senarate fixture." Yes. that's why we fitted 500 of the 

 above 600 supers with loose wooden separators, and the bal- 

 ance with tin separators nailed to the wide frame. 



In regard to filling sections with full sheets of founda- 

 tion fastened on 3 or 4 sides. I suppose Mr. Greiner was jok- 

 ing when he told of using a hatchet "to knock it out of the 

 sections." For several seasons I have produced more or less 

 comb honey on full sheets so fastened, and never found it 

 difficult to cut out the honey. . Perhaps Mr. Greiner used 

 "Columbia" foundation with a tin base, or a remnant of the 

 late unlamented wood-base foundation, in those sections! 



