May 3, 1906 



THE AME«ICAN BEE JOURNAL 



389 



Heretofore bees have largely been in the hands of people with whom 

 it has been a side-issue, and who hare been more or less successful in 

 wintering, and the number of bees for fertilizing proportionately un- 

 certain. 



I want to work in harmony with the farmers, and they can depend 

 upon bees for clover in the vicinities where they were last year, if 

 there is any clover left. If they are satisfied of the value of bees for 

 fertilizing their blossoms, they can put in more clover, etc., and if 

 in other vicinities which are convenient, they want an apiary where 

 there is not already an abundance of bees (for it takes many bees 

 properly to fertilize the many blossoms) , they can write me and we 

 may arrange. 



I would also like every interested person in Norfolk to write 

 either to their representative in the Local House, or to the Hon. Nelson 

 Monteith, Minister of Agriculture, Toronto, and ask that the above 

 experiments be conducted in Norfolk county; that is, experiments 

 showing the value, or otherwise, of bees in fertilizing blossoms. We 

 want to know what will be the greatest good to the greatest number 

 in this matter. R. F. Holtermann. 



Brantford, Ont., March 12. 



We fully endorse the remarks of our correspondent. Any farmer 

 ■who has any claim to be up-to-date in his business should know that 

 there is no better fertilizer of clover than the bees, and no better or 

 cheaper fertilizer for the land than clover. Not only that, but with- 

 out the bees we can not have anything like the crop of fruit the trees 

 and land would produce with their aid. Many fruit-growers complain 

 that growing fruit does not pay, whereas if they had a few colonies of 

 bees in the orchard they would be surprised at the result. Instead of 

 every farmer having them, the fact is very few, comparatively speak- 

 ing, ever had them, or perhaps dropped out because some animal was 

 stung, or one cold winter the bees, not being properly cared for, died. 

 Every farmer and fruit-grower should keep them, even if he cares 

 nothing about the bees or honey, simply because it would pay well to 

 do so. 



We hope the suggestions of our correspondent will be carried out, 

 and that the Agricultural College will soon issue an authoritative cir- 

 cular on the matter. 



m — ^»- 



Fastening- Hives Tog-ether for Moving 



Mr. Holtermann has asked me to reply to the editorial 

 comment (page 137) on crate staples for fastening bottom- 

 boards. 



For my part, I would prefer some means of fastening 

 bottom-boards without driving holes in them with staples 

 or nails. When moving without supers I use the staples 

 regularly because I know of nothing better. Mr. Holter- 

 mann fastens bottom-boards at the back with a pair of 

 hinges. These may have benefits which counteract their 

 disadvantages, but I will not be real sure till I try them. 



In moving with supers on, I know of nothing safe but a 

 lath fsxl' 2 inches nailed up each side of the hive close to 

 the front, and one up the middle of the back — 3 laths on 

 each hive. Use 1^-inch nails, light weight, with flat head, 

 and drive 2 in the bottom-board, 2 in the brood-chamber, 

 and 2 in the super. 



I have seen the crate staples tried on supers, and con- 

 sider them decidedly unsafe ; but with the lath and ordi- 

 nary handling on wagons, or in freight or express cars, the 

 bees go perfectly safe. 



Wintered Fairly Well— Late Season 



Bees have wintered fairly well. Clover, while badly 

 injured by heaving, with good weather will yet be a medium 

 crop. The season is late, the first pollen being gathered on 

 April 17. J. L. Byer. 



Markham, Ont., April 19. 



Honey as a Health-Food. — This is a 16-page honey- 

 pamphlet intended to help increase the demand for honey. 

 The first part of it contains a short article on "Honey as 

 Fcjod,'" written by Dr. C. C. Miller. It tells where to keep 

 honey, how to liquefy it, etc. The last part is devoted to 

 "Honey-Cooking Recipes" and "Remedies Using Honey." 

 It should be widely circulated by those selling honey. The 

 more the people are educated on the value and uses of 

 honey, the more honey they will buy. 



Prices, prepaid — Sample copy for a two-cent stamp; 50 

 copies for 70 cts.; 100 for $1.25; 250 for $2.25; 500 for $4.00; 

 or 1,000 for $7.50. Your business card printed free at the 

 bottom of front page on all orders for 100 or more copies. 

 Send all orders to the office of the American Bee Journal. 



=% 



Doctor miller's 

 Question -> Box 



=j 



Send questions either to the office of the American Bee Journal, 

 or to Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 

 Dr. Miller does not answer Questions by mail. 



Italianizing Bees— Sweet Clover on Blue-Grass Ground 



1. I have 5 colonies of hybrids whioh I intend to Italianize soon. 

 Should I get 5-banded or clover queens? 



2. Do you think that sweet clover will do well where the ground 

 not under cultivation is covered with a thick stand of blue-grass and 

 white clover? Indiana. 



Answers. — 1. That's a hard question to answer. There are 5- 

 banded or golden queens that are excellent, and there are others not 

 worth the powder to blow them up. Neither are all that are called 

 red-clover queens alike, by any means. If you have plenty of red 

 clover, and if you can get stock that has distinguished itself by work- 

 ing on red clover, it will be to your advantage to get that kind, 

 whether it is 3-band or 5-band stock. In general, perhaps there is as 

 food chance of success with the 3-band stock— the kind that comes 

 from Italy— as with any other kind. 



2. Tee, if it once gets a start; but you'll find it hard to get a start 

 in such a sod. If you sow when the ground is wet and soft, and then 

 get a lot of cows or horses to tramp in the seed, you will be pretty sure 

 to get a catch. Looks like pretty poor culture, but sweet clover 

 seems to thrive on abuse. 



*-•-•- 



What Determines Kind and Sex of Bees? 



Does the 6ize and shape of the cell in which the bee is reared have 

 anything to do with the kind and 6ex of the bee! or is it the food on 

 which the larva is fed that determines the sex and kind of bee, as the 

 eggs that bring forth the three kinds of bees are all laid by the one 

 queen? West Virginia. 



Answer.— The sex of the bee depends upon whether the egg is 

 fertilized or not. An unfertilized egg produces a drone, a fertilized 

 egg a queen or worker. An unfertilized egg in a worker-cell can pro- 

 duce only a drone; a fertilized egg in a drone-cell can produce only a 

 worker or a queen. Under normal conditions only unfertilized eggs 

 are found in drone-cells, and fertilized eggs in worker and quenn cells. 

 The egg that produces a queen is precisely the same as one which pro- 

 duces a worker ; only the cell is enlarged, and the bees feed it through- 

 out its larval existence the richer food that is given to the worker 

 larva during its first 3 days. 



Danzenbaker Hive-Shaken Swarms-ltallanlzlng Colo- 

 nies—Rendering Wax 



See Langstroth Book Offer on another page of this 

 copy of the American Bee Journal. 



1. What do you think of the Danzenbaker hive? 



2. Which smoker will suit me best— the Bingham or 20th Century ? 



3. What is the shake-swarming method? 



4. If I would get an Italian queen could I Italianize the re6t of 

 my colonies with her? If so, how? 



5. Does poultry catch bees? 



6. Will combs in sections or frames drain thoroughly if un- 

 capped? 



7. What is the best way to render wax if no extractor is at hand? 



8. Of the different styles of sections, with which do the bees store 

 the most surplus, if any difference? I mean the narrow and tall, or 

 the standard. Pennsylvania. 



Answers.— 1. I do not think it is as good as it is sometimes 

 claimed to be. I do not like it as well as the dovetailed. 



2. I don't know. 



3. Here's the way to shake a swarm: Set the hive off its stand 

 and put in its place a hive containing empty combs or frames filled 

 with foundation. Take the frames of brood and bees one after another 

 out of the hive, and shake the bees into the new hive. Thus you have 

 a 6haken swarm. As to the disposal of the frames of brood, you may 

 leave enough bees on them to take care of the brood, setting the hive 

 on a new stand and giving it a queen or queen-cell; or you may brush 

 the combs clean of bees and distribute them to colonies in need of 

 them. 



4. Xes; get the queen introduced and established in a full colony, 

 and a week after she has begun to lay, weather and harvest being 

 favorable, j ou are ready to begin operations looking toward the Ital- 

 ianization of your remaining colonies. There are different way6 of 

 proceeding. One is to rear queens, as described in your bee-book, 

 allowing each nucleus to have a queen and then building up each 

 nucleus to a full colony. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take 

 from your Italian colony 2 or 3 frames of brood and bees with its 

 queen, putting the same in an empty hive and setting it on a new 

 stand, with its entrance plugged with leaves or grass, to be opened 2 



