154 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



with our stocks which refused our well 

 meant endeavors to induce them to breed ; 

 by this course we could have accom- 

 plished the very result we so much desired ; 

 and yet, anotlier and perhaps a better 

 alternative presents itself, we mean the old 

 and reliable, and I may add, the always 

 safe remedy of doubling up, or uniting 

 stocks ; when the choice was whether we 

 should lose two choice queens or pre- 

 serve one of them, one would think it 

 would have been quickly taken, but we 

 have no doubt there are very many 

 like us, who have found the most reliable 

 axiom in bee-keeping is the hardest to 

 learn, or at least to practice upon, we 

 mean that which teaches to " keep nothing 

 but strong stocks." It has been written, 

 and re-written over and over again, but 

 although we are willing to acknowledge 

 its force and truthfulness, we are loth to 

 put it into practice. Let us now resolve 

 again, that we will do so even should we 

 double-up all the stocks in our apiary, 

 and then we feel confident that we shall 

 have as little fear of successfully spring- 

 ing our bees, as we now do of taking them 

 safely through the winter. 



Wm. S. Barclay. 

 Beaver, Pa., April 4th, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



King Birds Once More. 



As the time is fast coming when the 

 king birds will make their appearance, I 

 thought I would say a few words of their 

 real character. It is the worst enemy the 

 bee has (the mice excepted only). Mr. 

 Quinby says, on p. 229, that it is guilty of 

 only taking drones. This is a mistake. 

 I have shot them, and on examining their 

 crops, I have found bee stings. Drones 

 have no stings. If bee men will take 

 pains to inform themselves, they will find 

 this assertion true. Mr. Q. further says: 

 "You will see it only in the afternoon of 

 a clear day." I have shot three king 

 birds on one morning last August before 

 six o'clock. If any one will watch, they 

 will see them come, as soon as the bees 

 begin to fly, and keep busy at their depre- 

 dations through the day. It is the real 

 bee enemy. Last spring I bought of the 

 Rev. A. Salisbury seven tested Italian 

 queens. They were pronounced by all 

 who saw them to be beautiful. They are 

 my pets, and I intend to protect them, if 

 I can, against all enemies. They made 

 large increase last summer; they now 

 have from 30 to 40 lbs of honey, and are 

 strong witli young bees. I would not 

 like to be called an enemy of the birds. 

 I love them. The king birds are the only 

 ones I would have destroyed. I always 

 contend that birds are of great value, and 

 their beautiful notes are charming at any 

 time, but king birds I condemn. 



Peoria Co., 111. James Jaqqabd. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Bee Culture in Texas. 



I have at last found time to write an 

 article in regard to my discoveries about 

 bee culture in Texas. In the northeast 

 portion of the state, there is a section of 

 the country along Red river, that is known 

 as the rafts, where the bees do very well. 

 There are a great many wild bees there. 

 The "rafts" are heavily wooded with 

 cypress trees, and a variety of under- 

 growth, which is green all winter. I 

 think bees will do as well there, as any 

 where in the United States, California not 

 excepted. There was no day, that was 

 clear, while I was there (in December,) 

 but what the bees were out. I could not 

 get an accurate account in regard to in- 

 crease, or surplus amount of honey, 

 obtained yearly, as there is no one keep- 

 ing bees on the improved plan in this 

 part of the state, but everyone says, that 

 keeps bees, that they make " loU " of 

 honey. One man, that has been living 

 there for twenty years, says he often gets 

 forty gallons of honey from one tree. He 

 has fifty stands of bees, mostly in round 

 gums, three or four feet high, and as 

 large around as a barrel. He says he has 

 had six or eight swarms from one in a 

 season. I called to see another "bee" 

 man but he was not at home. I asked his 

 wife how much honey they got to the 

 hive; she said she did not know — as they 

 never weighed or measured anything — 

 said they had thirty hives of bees, and 

 when they took the honey they " robbed 

 some, killed some of the heaviest, and 

 saved some of the lightest over;" said 

 they " let the neighbors have a good deal 

 — sent a right smart chance to town, and 

 had a good many buckets and tubs full 

 left." That is the nearest I could come to 

 the average of each hive. If anyone 

 desires to make bee culture his chief 

 business, the " Red river country " is the 

 place. 



The low-lands are rich and fertile, but 

 not so healthy, while the up-lands are 

 heavily timbered with pine, but the soil is 

 sandy and not very productive. 



In the north central part of the state, 

 near Dallas and Collin counties, it is a 

 rich farming country. My principal 

 stopping place was near Dallas — Dallas 

 city is situated on Trinity river. The 

 bees were in good condition there in 

 January, but liardi)' anyone using patent 

 hives. This part of the country possesses 

 all the honey producing trees and flowers, 

 that we have in Iowa, with the exception 

 of the linden. They do not cultivate any 

 thing for bee pasture, as there is an abun- 

 dance of wild flowers — on which the bees 

 work — from six to eight months in the year 

 Also, have very heavy honey dews at times 

 which, of course, the bees turn to good 



