522 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



invites robbers. See that any that are 

 weak in the spring have the entrance 

 contracted, and after their first flight 

 the entrance need only be large enough 

 for one bee to pass at a time. 



2. In most cases it is not easy to stop 

 it after it is begun. The ounce of pre- 

 vention is vv^orth two pounds of cure. If 

 the colony is very weak, or queenless 

 (and quite often queenlessness is at the 

 bottom of the trouble), it may not be 

 best to try to stop the robbing. For in 

 trying to stop the robbers, especially if 

 you do any such thing as to remove the 

 victimized colony, you may only start 

 robbing in others. Just let them go on 

 and finish up the job, and if not dis- 

 turbed, they will be satisfied to stop 

 when there is nothing more to be had, 

 without pitching into every neighboring 

 colony. If you don't want the robbers 

 to get all the honey that is in the hive, 

 take out what you like, but always leave 

 in the hive a little for the robbers, so 

 they will stick to that hive. But what- 

 ever you do, don't take away the hive 

 from its place, unless you set in its place 

 another hive for the robbers to work on. 

 If the colony is not too weak, sometimes 

 robbing can be stopped by piling straw 

 or hay a fool deep about the entrance, 

 and wetting it thoroughly. The robbers 

 don't like to go through it, but the bees 

 of the colony will find their way through. 



3. No ; the bees would tear it down. 



Stimulative Feeding in Early Spring. 



1. What is thought of the feeding of 

 bees in early spring for production of 

 brood ? 



2. Is Graham flour as good as oat- 

 meal ? 



8. Can too much be given ? 

 Cooksville, Ills. E. B. Ellis. 



1. Opinions are divided as to stimula- 

 tive feeding. Some believe that there is 

 much advantage in feeding each even- 

 ing, or every other evening, about half 

 a pound of diluted honey or syrup, while 

 some of our most experienced bee-keep- 

 ers prefer to do no feeding in spring, 

 only so far as it may be necessary to 

 give the bees not only a sufficient 

 amount of stores, but an abundance of 

 it. Having given them a full supply, 

 they are left undisturbed. 



2. We do not remember to have seen 

 a report of any careful coniparison be- 

 tween Graham and oatmeal. Give a 

 dish of each at the same time, and see 

 which they seem to like best. Perhaps 

 you will not find any difference. 



3. It is not very likely that you will 

 feed too much meal, for in places where 

 natural pollen is plenty, they will desert 

 it, and if there is no natural pollen, 

 they may need some substitute. 



Dof s the Formic Acid Cause the PainP 



Please tell us if it is the "formic 

 acid," when administered through the 

 agency of the sting of the bee that gives 

 the pain which follows after being 

 stung. Some will doubtless say " Yes." 

 Is it formic acid which gives some peo- 

 ple pain in the stomach after eating I 

 honey ? Will formic acid give pain if j 

 introduced into the blood by other agen- ' 

 cies, if formic acid is mixed with the 

 honey, as Prof. Clarke says it must be in 

 infinitesimal quantities ? If you cut a 

 finger, or cause an abrasion of the skin 

 so as to draw blood, you may put all the 

 honey on the wound you can, yet you 

 will not feel any pain similar to that en- 

 suing after bee-stings. Try it. 



SUBSCRIBEK. 



Answee. — There's a big difference be- 

 tween "infinitesimal quantities" and 

 full strength. Dissolve a teaspoonful of 

 salt in a barrel of water, and you may 

 apply the solution to a cut on the finger 

 without pain, but the application of pure 

 salt would be quite different. " Try it." 



COWVENTIOM DIRECTORY. 



Time mid place of meeting. 



1893. „ „ , ^ 



May 2.— Connecticut, at Hartford, Conn. 

 Mrs. W. E. Riley, Sec, Waterbury, Conn. 



May 4.— Susquehanna Co.. at Montrose, Pa. 

 H. M. Seeley, Sec, Harford. Pa. 



May 4.— Allegany Co., at Belmont, N. Y. 

 H. C. Farnum, Pres., Transit Bridge, N. Y 



May 18, 19.— South Texas, at Wharton, Tex. 

 T. H. Mullin, Sec, Eagle Lake, Tex. 



]^" In order to have this table complete, 

 Secretaries are requested to forward full 

 particulars of the time and the place of 

 each future meeting.— Thk Editor. 



North American Bee-Keepers' Association 



President— Dr. C. C. Miller.... Marengo, Ills. 



Vice Pres —J. E.Crane Middlebury. Vt. 



Seckpitary— Frank Benton. W^asbington, D. C. 

 Treasurer— George W. York... Chicago, Ills. 



National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



President- Hon. R. L. Taylor.. Lapeer. Mich. 

 Gen'l Manager- T. G. Newman. Chicago, 111. 



