July 19, 1906 



619 



American Ttee Journal 



ceases. It is preferable to have the diluted solution, as the 

 acid when used pure is so strong that the slightest contact 

 will destroj a lice, injure clothing of the operator, or 

 blistei the hands. Even the diluted acid must not be used 

 too freely. The use of a two of water to one of acid solu- 

 tion for qieting bees is the one which ought to be more 

 generally in use. 



The following method explains its use: — T<> subdue 

 a colonj the quilt is slightly turned back at one side, and 

 ilier moistened with the mixture is passed over the 

 top of each frame as the quilt is removed, and every bee 

 quickly disappears below much faster than when smoke is 

 used, and there is not the slightest danger of crushing the 

 bees by handling the frames with bees around the finger-ends. 



Similarly in closing a hive the tops of the frames 

 are again smeared with the solution prior to replacing 

 the quilt, and it can then be done without crushing a sin- 

 gle bee. By this simple method of opening and closing 

 colonies it is performed with scarcely any disturbance or 

 loss of bee life. The moistened feather streaked round 

 the outside of a swarm when first thrown out makes them 

 run away from it towards the hive pell mell, and the 

 operation of hiving is accomplished in a very few min- 

 utes. The constant use of carbolic acid during manipula- 

 tions will also prevent any stray spores of Bacillus Alvei 

 (foul brood) being carried about and infecting other colo- 

 nies, as it is a germicide of high value, not only killing 

 the spores but the bacillus also. There are innumerable 

 other purposes to which this article may be put in an 

 apiary. 



The " Old Reliable " as seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. 

 By E. E. Hasty, Sta. B. Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



Exchanging Supers, Bees and All 



Exchanging two extracting supers, bees and all, is 

 quite a heroic operation, as well as being time-saving, 

 provided no hitch occurs. Interesting to see that it is 

 done practically. But we note that Mr. Dadant does not 

 consider the exchange of bees as a thing to be desired 

 of itself. Bees are exchanged because it takes a great 

 deal more time to shake off bees and exchange combs. 

 Page 464. 



Nursing Weak Colonies Over Strong 



If you do succeed at nursing weak colonics over 

 strong ones, why not add the Canadian kink from page 

 466? Let the weaker colony have the stand when the 

 separation is made. If it is simply put back where it 

 came from the loss of its flying bees will be a heavy 

 payment for the nursing it got. 



Number of Bee-Visits for a Load of Pollen 



I protest against our saying off hand that a bee vis- 

 its SO blossoms before she has a load of pollen. By just 

 such recklessness as this we oft make ourselves "parti- 

 ccps criminis" in much of the enormous bee-nonsense that 

 goes round the newspaper press. Just as cheap to say 

 50 visits per trip might be called a fair average if that's 

 what we mean. Answers all purposes just as well. Page 

 469- 



Smartweed and Smartweed Honey 



Better we don't say "smartweed'' except in regard 

 to the plant which is smartweed really, by the possession 

 of acridity. On general principles smartweed honey 

 should be only slightly flavored with the acrid principle 

 when the yield is profuse, but much more so when the 

 yield is small. The species resembling smartweed are 



tine yielders of honey, smartweed itself a very poor yielder 

 uf my observation is correct). Moreover, smartweed .sel- 

 dom grows alone; while the plants resembling it grow 

 alone in vasl acreage. So I peel we shall never know 



what cennin" smartweed honej is like — and it don't mat- 

 ter. Page 481. " 



"Light Brood" fomb Foundation in Texas 



Win is this thus! Mown in Texas, it seems, S sheets 

 of foundation to the pound is "light brood." Last box 

 of "medium brood" I bought was 25 sheets in a .vpound 

 box. Page 465. 



Good B's that "Turn Up" Often 



Ever and anon, at intervals of 10 years, that swarm 

 of B's turns up — some old B's, and some new ones. This 

 time they are mostly new. But enough of the old ones 

 remain to prove that B's live longer than the 7 years 

 allowed them by Virgil. As to the quality of these bees, 

 they beat the Caucasians, I should say. These are Chris- 

 tian bees. Page 482. 



The Government ar.d Caucasian Queens 



Dr. Bohrer strikes a good idea when he advises the 

 government apiary to give away Caucasian queens but 

 make the conditions so severe 1 isolation conditions 1 that 

 only a few would be able to take them. Right persons 

 get 'em then — and benefit to the public made much 

 greater by preventing such a lot of mismated Caucasians. 



Of course, no breeder has Cyprian blood octorooned 

 into the Italian queens he sends out — O no! But Dr. B. 

 notes how vicious temper turns up where Cyprians are 

 experimented with near by. Page 483. 



Pollen-Carrying a Test for Bees 



Mr. Alley says he observes that one colony carries 

 larger pollen-pellets than another. 1 rather think this is 

 so. Does it betray the relative amount of interest the 

 bees take in their work — the more the z.eal the larger 

 the loads? Queenless bees, with their don't-care-whether- 

 school-keeps-or-not. are credited with the smallest loads 

 of all. If this is all straight, we seem to have a very 

 handy test to select by applicable both to bees and 

 breeding queens. Plainly this test should be applied, if 

 at all, only when bees are working mainly for pollen, 

 in it when they work mainly for honey and incidentally 

 bring along a little pollen — most of them bringing none. 

 In such a case a neighboring colony that happened to 

 need pollen more might make a much better showing 

 without being any bettei lies. Page 484. 



Mr. Alley and His Queen Comments 



Mr. Alley is specially qualified to say some of the 

 things he says on page [84. "See that a queen puts but 

 one egg in a cell, ami that the eggs all cant the same 

 way — point down." "When I find a queen whose eggs 

 are small, and canted in all ways but the right way, her 

 head comes off quickly, as such queens are worthless for 

 any purpose." But it strikes me that his preference for 

 big eggs might easily be run to extreme. The weight 

 of eggs a queen may lay in one day, compared with the 

 weight of the queen herself, is astounding; and there 

 must be a limit to it somewhere. Suppose, then, for in- 

 stance, a queen is laying say -' grains weight of eggs per 

 day. Two grains of extra-big eggs wouldn't count out 

 nearly so many as two grains of normal sized eggs, 

 presumably just as good. 



Our Wood Binder (or Holder) is made to take all the 

 copies of the American Bee Journal for a year. It is sent 

 by mail for 20 cents. Full directions accompany. The Bee 

 Journals can be inserted as soon as they are received, and 

 thus preserved for future reference. Or we will send it 

 with the American Bee Journal a year— both for $1.10. 

 Address the office of the American Bee Journal. 



See Langstroth Book Offer on another page of this 

 copy of the American Bee Journal. 



