AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



309 



entered upon the list, and if these, why 

 not the names of many others whose 

 work entitles them to greater promi- 

 nence. The activity of both Mr. Alfred 

 Neighbour and Mr. Edward Cori was 

 continued some time after the North 

 American Bee-Keepers' Association had 

 been organized, and I conceive that it 

 might have been a mere oversight that 

 they were not placed on the list while 

 still alive. I suggested, therefore, in 

 honor to their memory, and as a mark 

 of respect for their families, that their 

 names be now entered permanently on 

 the list, marked as is usual in the case 

 of deceased members, with a " star" or 

 other reference. 



The Agricultural Department letters 

 from which Mr. L. B. Smith has quoted 

 on page 141, were composed by me, and 

 I shall therefore have to protest when 

 made to say in referring to the juices 

 taken from bees received from him : 

 "An effort was made to obtain tuber- 

 culosis from these by inoculation." The 

 letters in question were type-written, in 

 duplicate, that is, duplicates were made 

 by placing two sheets of paper in the 

 type-writer and at one impression print- 

 ing both. The duplicate copies are be- 

 fore me, and the above sentence is, very 

 plainly: "An effort was made to ob- 

 tain tube-cultures from these by inocu- 

 lation." Again, to many, " bacillus alvei 

 (foul brood) or bacillus gaytoni (dipilis) 

 the cause of the nameless bee-disease," 

 appears very different when printed as 

 my type-written letter now before me 

 has it: Bacillus alvei ("foul brood") 

 or Bacillus gaytoni (depilis) the cause 

 of "the nameless bee-disease." 



I have by no means noted all the 

 errors in the articles referred to, for 

 that would make this too long and too 

 dull. But enough have been mentioned 

 to show that greater care should be 

 taken by some not to misinterpret the 

 views of others who have taken pains to 

 express themselves clearly and decidedly. 



Washington, D. C. 



Are Drones from Unfecundated 

 Queens Tirile ? 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY DR. C. C. MILLEK. 



On page 1-4, Dr. Tinker says, "All 

 experience has shown that the drones of 

 virgin queens do not possess virility, 

 and are therefore worthless ; although 

 theory and scientific deduction proclaim 

 to the contrary." 



Dr. Tinker is not inclined to make 

 careless statements, and for anything I 

 know he may be right, but I think it 

 just possible that he might modify his 

 statement just a little, so as to read, 

 that no experience had yet shown that 

 drones of virgin queens possess virility. 



The fact that in all these years no one 

 has yet proven that such drones are 

 fully virile, if fact it be, is strong pre- 

 sumptive evidence against their virility, 

 but it is by no means conclusive proof. 

 Suppose a number of such drones are 

 on hand in the spring before other 

 drones are present, and young queens 

 flying remain unfertilized, the proof is 

 still not conclusive, for we know that in 

 many cases, on account of weather or 

 otherwise, young queens remain unfer- 

 tilized when normal drones are plenty, 

 and this does not prove that these nor- 

 mal drones are not virile. 



Mind you, I'm not saying which way 

 is right. I don't know. But I do know 

 that authorities, respected alike by Dr. 

 Tinker and myself, give out the verdict 

 that the drone progeny of virgin queens 

 are fully virile, although I do not know 

 that they furnish any but theoretical 

 proof. 



If, when drones are plenty of the 

 kind as to which there can be no ques- 

 tion, and if at such times queens are 

 set free in like favorable circumstances 

 among a large number of the kind of 

 drones in dispute, with no successful re- 

 sult, it would be pretty hard to claim for 

 them virility. Perhaps such a test can 

 never be made, and it may be that the 

 question will always be a mooted one. 



Fortunately, it is a matter of not such 

 great practical importance that any 

 blood need be shed over it, and if Dr. 

 Tinker and I meet again next fall, it is 

 quite likely we may be on speaking 

 terms, even if I do insist that he doesn't 

 know for sure. 



Marengo, Ills. 



* I » 



"The 'Winter Problem in 



Bee-Keeping" is the title of a splendid 

 pamphlet by Mr. G. R. Pierce, of Iowa, 

 a bee-keeper of 26 years' experience. It 

 is 6x9 inches in size, has 76 pages, and 

 is a clear exposition of the conditions 

 essential to success in the winter and 

 spring management of the apiary. Price, 

 postpaid, 50 cents ; or given as a pre- 

 mium for getting one new subscriber to 

 the Bee Joubnal for a year. Clubbed 

 with the Bee Journal one year for 

 ! $1.30. Send to us for a copy. 



