THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



'37 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



WASHINGTON, AUGUST, 186G. 



\^W The American Bee Journal is now pub- 

 lished monthly, in the City of Washington, (D. 

 C.,) and all communications should be address- 

 ed to the Editor, at that pkice. 



III^^ Will our editorial brethren who receive 

 this number of the American Bee Journal, 

 notice the resumption of its publication, and at 

 the same time favor us with an exchange? We 

 shall take pleasure in reciprocating the favor in 

 any way in our power. 



1^° All who are interested in the subject of 

 bee culture, are respectfully requested to con- 

 tribute to our columns. Inquiries, suggestions, 

 and communications shall have prompt atten- 

 tion. 



E^^ Subscriptions and Remittances. — 

 Those who wish to subscribe for the Ameri- 

 can Bee Jounnal, or make remittances for it, 

 are respectfully requested to observe the follow- 

 ing suggestions: 



Give your name, Post Office, County and 

 State, in full, writing them so plainly that they 

 can be read with ease. 



The notes of all solvent banks will be taken 

 for subscriptions. 



' Will those who are disposed to encourage 

 this rencAved effort to establish a periodical de- 

 voted to bee culture, oblige by sending us the 

 name and address of practical bee- keepers in 

 their I'espective neighborhoods. 



Bee Culture in Australia. 



For some years past much attention has been 

 paid to bee culture in Australia. The Italian 

 bee has been introduced, and has distinguished 

 itself by its superiority over the common bee, 

 in prolificness and productiveness. Their prin- 

 ciple source of supplies the bees find in the very 

 profuse blossoms of the Eucalyptus globosus^ a 

 tree which grows wtth astonishing rapidity, and 

 Avhen carried to Algeria, retains its Austra- 

 lian habit of blossoming in September, at about 

 the period of the autumnal equinox. Several 

 other species of this class of trees, which con- 

 stitutes ninety-nine per cent, of the Australian 

 forests, are especially adapted for the support 

 of the honey bee— namely. Eucalyptus yigan- 

 tea, odorata, rostrata, amygdaUna, and sideroxy- 

 lon. So likewise are several species of Acacia, 

 namely, the Acacia mclanoxylon^ pycnacantM, 

 mollisimi, and dealbata. These also have been 

 successfully introduced into Algeria. 



When the European bee was first brought to 

 Australia (about twenty-five years ago) it ex- 

 cited but little interest, us the mass of the peo- 

 ple were actively engaged in what were then 

 more profitable pursuits. But the extraordi- 

 nary rapidity with which the bees multiplied 

 in that mikl climate, filling the forests on the 

 heights around Melbourne and in the interior 

 with wild swarms, soon arrested the attention 

 of the gold diggers, and led many of them to 

 engage in bee culture, thereby replenishing 

 their collapsed purses, and reviving their sunken 

 spirits. 



The Italian bee was introduced there by Mr. 

 Edward Wilson, who sent three colonies from 

 London, November, 1863, onboard the "Princ- 

 ess Royal," which arrived at Mellwurne on ;he 

 2d of February, 1863. According to a report 

 published by Mr. Templeton, in the ''Yeoman 

 and Australian Acclimatiser^^ of February 6, 

 1864, two of these colonies perished during the 

 voyage, but the third contained a few living 

 bees on its arrival, among which fortunately 

 was the queen. As the small number of work- 

 ers could not maintain sufficient heat in the 

 hive in which they came, they were transferred 

 to a smaller, and the queen at once began to lay 

 eggs, and at the close of February young bees 

 made their appearance. Before the end of the 

 month, the Goodling hive, fourteen and a half 

 inches by nine, was tilled with comb and ho- 

 ney, and another of equal size before the end of 

 summer. From this double hive an exceedingly 

 large swarm issued, followed in due course "by 

 two strong afterswarms. The original colony 

 produced Wo more swarms before Christmas 

 (the Australian midsummer), so that on the 

 whole the increase was six-fold the first yea; 

 notwithstanding the discouraging mishap at the 

 start. A seventh swarm made its appearance 

 on the 7th of February, and there was reason 

 to believe that another absconded unnoticed. 

 Stocks of Italian bees are sold in Australia at 

 £10 sterling each. — Dr. Otto BuscJi. 



Winter feeding of bees is by no means to be 

 recommended, except in cases of extreme neces- 

 sity. Most writers name too late a period for 

 supplying the deficiency of a hive's weight, 

 when they mention October as the most suita- 

 ble feeding time. September, or soon after the 

 foraging season is fully over, had much better 

 be chosen for the purpose; as the bees can then 

 quickly carry up the proffered supplies, and cap 

 the honey they deposit in the cells. 



The improved system of bee culture is apt to 

 be condemned by the old fashioned and stand- 

 still bee-keeper, whose prejudices are ever prone 

 to carrj^ him back to the days of his grand- 

 mother, instead of permitting him to examine 

 candidly the results of prolonged modern ex- 

 perience. 



Second swarms rise with greater readiness 

 than first SAvarms, as well on account of the 

 crowded state of the hive, as because young 

 queens are known to be less dependent on the 

 weather than the old ones. 



