THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



241 



fill, the miiiiber of colonies throughout 

 the countrv would be far greater than at 

 present. The real answer to the quivstion 

 IS, tliat the advance that has been made in 

 bee-culture during the i)ast few years, is 

 not generally understood. The loreiuost 

 reason that would be given by the inexperi- 

 enced, would no doubt be the fear of 

 stiims. Were the present facilities for sub- 

 duing bees, and the ease of ample protec- 

 tion properly understood, the fear of stings 

 would become one of the least hindrances 

 to bee-culture. Again, many farmers, as 

 well as others, would keep a few swarms, if 

 it were not for the idea that they must be 

 watched during swarming time, and thus 

 interfere with their general business. This 

 belongs with many other absurdities of old 

 time bee-keeping. Your correspondent 

 speaks of the ease of preventing loss of 

 swarms. If he means glass during winter 

 and spring, I think he is in error. This is 

 the knotty point of bee-keeping. Not that 

 the loss may not be prevented in a great de- 

 gree, but he should liave said, with earnest 

 care and attention. He suggests that it is 

 not safe to move bees less than three miles. 

 Many can testify to having moved them one 

 mile, and even less, with entire satisfaction. 



I am aware that in urging ail to investi- 

 gate the interests of bee-keeping, I expose 

 myself to criticism. We are told by those 

 interested in the production of lioney, that 

 in so doing we are working against our own 

 interest. I can hardly believe their view 

 correct, and if it were, we should hardly be 

 justified in remaining silent, while, as your 

 correspondent truly says, "forage fo*- bees 

 abounds, and acres of honey are hardly 

 sipped." Let nie urge then that the readers 

 of tliese notes procure some standard work 

 on bee-culture, and learn for themselves 

 what, as the late M. Quinby expressed it, 

 "they are losing, not for the asking, but for 

 the taking." Besides it is an interesting 

 pursuit, so much so, that if those who study 

 it never keep a bee, it will be time well 

 spent to learu their natural history. 



Let me not be understood as conveying 

 the idea that it is a business in which any 

 one can be successful without persevering 

 study and eifort, and if one engages in it 

 extensively, he will find plenty of hard 

 work. Bee-keeping as an exclusive busi- 

 ness, and the care of a few as amusement 

 or for home supply, involve altogether dif- 

 ferent methods of handling and practice. 

 While few are adapted to pursue bee-keep- 

 ing on a large scale, almost any one can 

 succeed with a few colonies. 



Mohawk, N. Y. L. C. Root. 



Honey Cakes. 



Mix a quart of extracted honey with half 

 a pound of powdered white sugar, half a 

 pound of fresh butter and the juice of two 

 oranges or lemons. Warm these ingredients 

 slightly, just enough to soften the butter, 

 and then stir the mixture very hard, adding 

 a grated nutmeg. Mix in gradually two 

 pounds or less of sifted Hour, make it into a 

 (lough just stiif enough to roll out easy, and 

 beat it well all over with a rolling pin; then 

 roll it out into a large sheet half an inch 

 thick, cut it into round cakes with the top 

 of a tumbler dipped freciuently in flour, lay 

 them in shallow tin pans slightly buttered, 

 and bake them. 



Ligurian Bees. 



1 have been greatly int(!rested in what has 

 been said for and against Ligurian bees, 

 and tiie conclusion tliat I have come to is 

 that— First, there must be a jjrofit in keep- 

 ing Ligurians for sale, to self in swarms, or 

 to sell queens for ligurianising other 

 swarms; Second, that they are no better 

 honey-producers than the common bees; 

 and, 1 bird, that therefore, to those whose 

 aim is profit by means of honey, it is a loss 

 to invest in Ligurian bees. These conclu- 

 sions have been arrived at in various ways. 

 So many of the evidences in favor of Ligur- 

 ians came from parties who had them to 

 sell, that I could not think their evidence 

 was of a disinterested kind. Then 1 was 

 greatly astonished that last year no one ac- 

 cepted the competition proposed by Mr. Pet- 

 tigrew, who advocated the British bee; and, 

 again, your correspondent "B. & W.," who 

 otherwise appears favorable to the Ligurian 

 makes this important statement: "I must 

 acknowledge that I am far from satisfied 

 that the common English bee is not in 

 every way as profitable as the Italian bees. 

 I have now had them for many years." Mr. 

 Pettigrew has the warmest thanks of many. 

 He has fought unflinchinglv on behalf of 

 the English bee, and thereby deterred those 

 whose aim was profit from incurring need- 

 less outlay In buying bees which, after all 

 that has been said in their favor, have so 

 little Droof of their superiority as swarmers 

 or honey gatherers.— London Cottage Gar- 

 dener. 



[Is it possible that the diiferent bee-keep- 

 ers of England are all agreed on the equal 

 value of the common black bee with the 

 Italian, except those who have Italian bees 

 or queens to sell? We would like to ask 

 the British Bee Journal what proportion 

 of those who keep bees for the profit of the 

 honey prefer the black bee? Brother Ab- 

 bott, please tell.— Ed.] 



From the Los Angeles Herald. 



A Nut for Bee-Keepers to Crack. 



It .is, we believe, generally conceded by 

 all, or nearly all, of the leading apicultiirists 

 that the fertilization of queens in confine- 

 ment is numbered among the impossibili- 

 ties, or, at least, has proved a failure so far. 

 We are not among the doubting; we believe 

 it can be done and has been done. Now 

 for the facts. While examining a colony of 

 bees in the Los Angeles Apiary one month 

 or six weeks since, we noticed a young 

 Italian queen that had just emerged from 

 her royal birth place with only one wing 

 and a small stub of the other. We at once 

 called the attention of the proprietors of 

 the apiary to the fact, who, after a brief 

 consultation, decided to suiiplant her at 

 once with a fertile one, as she would never 

 be able to fly, and consequently would 

 never become fertile. We urged them to 

 let her remain a few days and see the 

 result, to which they consented. In about 

 one week we examined and found she was 

 yet unfertile. It was then decided to let 

 her remain still longer. In eight or ten 

 days after she was again examined with 



