1870.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



117 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Washington, Nov., 1870. 



^i^^^ The residence of the Rev. Mr. Semlilsch is 

 not at Gratz, in Stj'ria, as, in consequence of a slight 

 omission, was erroneously stated in our last issue; 

 but at Strasgang near Gratz. 



The attention of those who are unfortunately 

 suffering from the prevalence of foul-brood in their 

 apiaries, will doubtless be arrested by the communi- 

 cation, in this number of the Journal, from Dr. Abbe, 

 of New Bedford (Mass.), announcing that he has 

 succeeded in curing that disease, as it existed in 

 several of his colonies ; and that an efficient and 

 easily applicable remedy has at length been devised 

 for the dreaded and devastating evil. Dr. Abbe de- 

 serves the cordial thanks of bee-keepers, both in this 

 country and abroad, for so generously and promptly 

 making known his remedy and the mode of admiois- 

 teriug it. 



Last fall we suggested to those who found it neces- 

 sary to supply their bees with winter food to add a 

 portion of glycerine to sugar syrup or dissolved candy, 

 to prevent crystillization ; and we learn that it was 

 advantageously used. We have since learned that 

 gum tragacanth is now employed for the same pur- 

 pose, by some of the German bee-keepers. This gum, 

 dissolved in water, forms a thick mucilage, which 

 may not mingle so readily with the food as glycerine 

 does ; and the latter is hence a more manageable and 

 probably cheaper article, especially as it forms besides 

 an excellent spring stimulant, though still too high- 

 priced to be freely used. 



A bee-keeping friend has i^rocured for us a quan- 

 tity of seed of the Partridge Pea ( Cassia chamacrysta) 

 mentioned by one of our western correspondents, 

 (Mr. Ingels, of Oskaloosa, Iowa,) as an excellent 

 honey plant. It was in bloom here from the middle 

 of July to the middle of October, and frequented by 

 that bees, in crowds, all the time. 



This plant is usually classed among weeds, and 

 where it occurs, is regarded by some as one of the 

 pests of the farm ; but as it is an annual, it ought not 

 to be difficult to get rid of it by proper management, 

 when its presence is undesirable. Blooming during 

 the interval between spring and fall pasturage, it con- 

 stitutes an important resource for bees, here and in 

 other districts, at a period when the native vegetation 

 fails to furnish supplies. 



lu the third volume of the Transactions of the 

 American Philosophical Society, Dr. Greenfield of 

 Virginia speaks of tlie Partridge Pea as furnishing 

 means to recruit worn-out lands, by its decomposition 



in the soil when plowed under. It was, we understand, 

 originally introduced for that purpose, in the District 

 of Columbia, by the Hon. Benjamin Stoddert, while 

 Secretary of the Navy ; and it would probably answer 

 well as a substitute for red clover, where from poverty 

 of soil, the latter could not yet be grown. 



We hope to be able to make satisfactory arrange- 

 ments for the distribution of the seed among bee- 

 keepers desiring to make trial of the plant, and if 

 successful, will state particulars in our next. 



We learn from Mr. Adam Grimm, of Jefferson 

 (Wis.,) that his crop of surplus honey, this year, is 

 over 15,000 lbs., and that he "could take at least 

 10,000 lbs. more from his hives, and still leave the 

 stocks heavy enough to winter well." Such a result 

 as this must be calculated to unsettle the notions of 

 those who "■ have kept bees many years, and Iciiow 

 there is nothing to be made by it !" 



We intended to give a brief history of the opposi- 

 tion to the meeting of the National Convention of 

 Bee-keepers at Indianapolis, showing when and where 

 it originated, and what were the obvious motives and 

 objects of those most active in the business. But as 

 it appears to be a " fixed fact" now that the Conven- 

 tion will be held at the time and placed designated, 

 we shall save ourselves the trouble of hunting up 

 musty records in the limbs of things forgotten. 



(I^ Since the above was put in type we have 

 learned incidentally that it was resolved at Utica iq 

 the N. E. Bee-keepers Association to hold another 

 Convention elsewhere, though particulars have not 

 reached us. We sincerely regret this proceeding on 

 various accounts. 



COERESPONDENOE OF THE BEE JOUENAL. 



Trenton, Ills., Sept. 13, 1870.— The forepart of 

 this season 1 think was the poorest I ever saw in this 

 neighborhood. Last winter was a very warm and 

 open one, and the bees dwindled down very much, so 

 that nearly all stocks were quite weak before spring. 

 Then we had a severe snow storm on the 17th of 

 April, with two or tliree freezing niglits, that killed 

 nearly all the peach blossoms ; and this was followed 

 by a period of cold high winds througli May. The first 

 two weeks of June there was cloudy, drizzling, chilly 

 weather, so that bees could not fly more than about 

 half the time. The consequence of all this v/as, late 

 swarms and very few of them. Not more than one- 

 sixth of the stocks swarmed, and many of the latest 

 of them starved. It was very dry from the middle 

 of June to the 13th of August. Then, for a week, it 

 rained nearly every day ; at the end of which some 

 of my hives had not more than a pound of honey 

 remaining. Since that time they have been doing 

 very well. Most of my hives were filled up, so that 



