THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



209 



Grimm sold his last year at 13 cents; and 

 if sometime the lionc}' dealers pay 15 cents, 

 they bring in account so much leakage, 

 that the net price rarely attains 13"cents. 



We put the water in a boiler, and stir 

 the sugar and the honey in on a slow fire, 

 and it is done. 



We can offer this dealer honey at 9 cents, 

 under labels indicating that it is dealer 

 honey, i. e., honey prepared in the deal- 

 ers' fashion ; adding that such honey does 

 not granulate. We can even put the recipe 

 on our labels. If I could cause a great 

 many bee-keepers to offer this stuff' to all 

 the grocers of their cities, honey dealers 

 would be forced to change their practice, 

 or quit the business. 



I for one, will try this method ; who 

 will do the same '? Cn. Dadant. 



Hamilton, 111., August 5, 1875. 

 ^ — 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 My First Italian Swarm. 



Like many others, who have interested 

 themselves with the honey-bee for profit 

 on the singular interest and fascination 

 attached thereto, I have indulged in the 

 fancy of keeping bees. In the incipiency 

 of my operations, natives were my pleas- 

 ure, but with the spread of books, papers, 

 improved hives and general progress, 

 blacks did not sutiice. 



A costly and beautiful colony of pure 

 Italians was obtained, and the first season 

 sedulously watched, divided after the 

 mode, and otherwise treated with tlie ut- 

 most concern, and I had the satisfaction 

 of increase and success. The hive in 

 which the original queen reigned, had 

 been amply protected through the winter, 

 and with the opening of spring, the stock 

 was very promising. 



I had delayed until May was far ad- 

 vanced for a friend to come and assist in 

 making a division ; but the weather not 

 being favorable, the work was delayed 

 until further delajf was unadvisable, and 

 I determined to swarm the bees alone the 

 first suitable time. A fine day appeared, 

 and noon was chosen for the anticipated 

 work, but the clock had scarcely ceased 

 striking twelve, when the cry of "yellow 

 bees swarming" was raised. The day was 

 bright and lovelj', and my first impulse 

 was to seize a looking-glass and bring it 

 to bear on the issuing swarm. At first a 

 large oak was threatened, but the glass 

 was too much for the bees, then a small 

 box elder, a peach tree, and at last they 

 settled on some low shrubbery beneath. 



A hive had been duly prepared for an 

 emergency, with full frames of comb, 

 partly containing cells of unsealed honey 

 and dripping to the bottom board. I gent- 

 ly raised the spray on which the bees had 

 clustered, spread a sheet very nicely, 

 placed the hive in position, shook the 



bees down and directed them to the en- 

 trance. All working well, but the most 

 labored plans are sometimes attended with 

 difficulty. Other bees, attracted by tiie 

 honey, collected about the hive in count- 

 less numbers, and I feared would take 

 possession, many of them going in with 

 the" swarm ; yet singularly enough, the 

 swarms, at the same time, fighting and 

 vigorously disputing the entrance. I, 

 being satisfied that the queen and most of 

 the swarm were inside, gradually closed 

 the hive, showered the outsiders with a 

 fine rose sprinkler, shifted the hive to a 

 new place, spread a sheet over it, which 

 I completely saturated with cold water, 

 and with closed entrance, moved the hive 

 to a cool shady stand and then opened 

 the entrance gradually, and soon had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the inmates taking 

 good care of themselves and their new 

 home, expelling the intruders and keeping 

 them at a respectful distance, myself not 

 escaping their regard. 



Another inspection disclosed the secret 

 ot the fighting propensity of the swarm. 

 My elegant Italians Tiad become splendid 

 hybrids! Alsike. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



From "Amateur.'* 



Dear Journal : You need not appre- 

 hend any danger of the market being 

 overstocked with honey from California, 

 as there will not be more than a half crop 

 here this year. I have done as well or 

 better than any other apiarian in Los An- 

 geles, Cal., and I have only taken up to 

 this date (Aug. 1st,) 15,400 K)S. from my api- 

 ary, a little over 100 K>s. per hive. I hope 

 to take a good deal more this fall from 

 honey-dew. I understand that Mr. Har- 

 bison will make about a half crop. There 

 are a great many apiarians here who know 

 but little of the "science of bee-keeping," 

 and consequently they fail to secure 

 much surplus in a poor season. We need 

 more scientific bee-men here. The great;- 

 est resource of iSouthern California is its 

 honey-producing interests, and this has 

 but just commenced its development. 

 Although there are but few locations not 

 taken up, yet those already taken up need 

 scientific apiarians to improve them, and 

 bring this profession up to the standard. 



There is but little difference in Santa 

 Barbara, Los Angeles or San Diego coun- 

 ties, ji'our correspondent from San Ber- 

 nardino to the contrary notwithstanding. 

 He is very unjust in saying that " Los An- 

 geles honey is not worth much on the mar- 

 ket since San Diego honey came into 

 market." San Diego produces more nice 

 honey than any other county, owing to 

 the fact that Mr. Harbison and several 

 other scientific bee-men, have been there 

 several years, and elevated the business 



